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The Evaluation of Geotube Behaviors on Muddy Beach: Field Monitoring and Numerical Analysis
No full textThe use of geotubes is now common in coastline protection due to notable advantages such as erosion prevention, competitive cost and speedy installation procedures. Previous researchers have presented analytical, empirical and numerical approaches for geotube design. However, design approach for geotube which functions as breakwater on deformable muddy foundation and subjected to hydrodynamic loads has not been well reported. Hence, this study evaluates the behavior of geotube breakwaters installed on a deformable muddy foundation based on field measurements and numerical analysis. The field measurements were carried out on quarter-yearly basis to assess the behavior of geotube under hydrodynamic forces. Two-dimensional finite element analysis was performed to simulate the deformation and the displacement of geotube breakwater subjected to hydrodynamic loads, taking into account of deformable foundation condition. The structural stability and structure’s height reduction due to foundation settlement are essential considerations in breakwater design. The agreements between field monitoring and numerical results were promising; therefore, the finite element models can be used to predict the behavior of geotube on those muddy coast areas with similar hydrodynamic and geological conditions
The relationship between iron and Ilmenite for photocatalyst degradation
No full textPhotocatalytic degradation of organic compounds is a key target for the development of sustainable environmental pollution management system. The use of pre-treated Ilmenite with low concentration of Fe ions via single step of chloride process is essential to generate a highly effective photocatalyst. In the present study, comprehensive investigations on Fe concentrations in Ilmenite has been conducted. Based on the findings, pre-treated Ilmenite with low Fe content (0.76–7.15 at%) was successfully synthesized through a single step chloride process by using 15–35 v/v% of HCl. Interestingly, Ilmenite with 1.62 at% Fe after pre-treated with 25 v/v% HCl was able to photodegrade 100% of the Reactive Black 5 (RB5) under visible light within 30 min. The improvement of photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the pre-treated Ilmenite is mainly attributed to the better photo-induced charge carrier mobility and low recombination losses
Determination of carcinogenic herbicides in milk samples using green non-ionic silicone surfactant of cloud point extraction and spectrophotometry
No full textA new cloud point methodology was successfully used for the extraction of carcinogenic pesticides in milk samples as a prior step to their determination by spectrophotometry. In this work, non-ionic silicone surfactant, also known as 3-(3-hydroxypropyl-heptatrimethylxyloxane), was chosen as a green extraction solvent because of its structure and properties. The effect of different parameters, such as the type of surfactant, concentration and volume of surfactant, pH, salt, temperature, incubation time and water content on the cloud point extraction of carcinogenic pesticides such as atrazine and propazine, was studied in detail and a set of optimum conditions was established. A good correlation coefficient (R2) in the range of 0.991–0.997 for all calibration curves was obtained. The limit of detection was 1.06 µg l−1 (atrazine) and 1.22 µg l−1 (propazine), and the limit of quantitation was 3.54 µg l−1 (atrazine) and 4.07 µg l−1 (propazine). Satisfactory recoveries in the range of 81–108% were determined in milk samples at 5 and 1000 µg l−1, respectively, with low relative standard deviation, n = 3 of 0.301–7.45% in milk matrices. The proposed method is very convenient, rapid, cost-effective and environmentally friendly for food analysis
High throughput silencing identifies novel genes in endometrioid endometrial cancer
No full textObjective: To validate the gene expression profile obtained from the previous microarray analysis and to further study the biological functions of these genes in endometrial cancer. From our previous study, we identified 621 differentially expressed genes in laser-captured microdissected endometrioid endometrial cancer as compared to normal endometrial cells. Among these genes, 146 were significantly up-regulated in endometrial cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 genes were selected from the list of up-regulated genes for the validation assay. The qPCR confirmed that 19 out of the 20 genes were up-regulated in endometrial cancer compared with normal endometrium. RNA interference (RNAi) was used to knockdown the expression of the upregulated genes in ECC-1 and HEC-1A endometrial cancer cell lines and its effect on proliferation, migration and invasion were examined. Results: Knockdown of MIF, SOD2, HIF1A and SLC7A5 by RNAi significantly decreased the proliferation of ECC-1 cells (p < 0.05). Our results also showed that the knockdown of MIF, SOD2 and SLC7A5 by RNAi significantly decreased the proliferation and migration abilities of HEC-1A cells (p < 0.05). Moreover, the knockdown of SLC38A1 and HIF1A by RNAi resulted in a significant decrease in the proliferation of HEC1A cells (p < 0.05). Conclusion: We have identified the biological roles of SLC38A1, MIF, SOD2, HIF1A and SLC7A5 in endometrial cancer, which opens up the possibility of using the RNAi silencing approach to design therapeutic strategies for treatment of endometrial cancer
Effect of palm kernel cake and coconut-based formulated diet on Malaysia village chicken growth performances and meat quality
No full textThe potential of the usage of palm kernel cake (PKC)-coconut based feeds has been considered as an alternative to commercial feed due to their low cost and abundance in availability and accessibility in Malaysia. However, previous studies have shown that the use of high fiber feed such as PKC resulted in poor performance of poultry due to low digestibility and palatability. In this study, a total of 400 village chickens from purebred and crossbred strains were reared to evaluate the effects of PKC and coconut-based feeding on their production performance. Body weight (BW), carcass evaluation, abdominal fat, meat conversion percentage, proximate analysis, and amino acid profile analyses were recorded in the study. The results showed that the Type A feed that contained higher fiber level resulted in poorer BW and carcass weight for both strains. It could be suggested that inconsistent size of fiber particles could influence the chicken’s digestibility. However, it was also shown that the quality of the meat of the village chicken and Type A feed were better in terms of having lower abdominal fat and crude fat contents. It also resulted in higher CP in crossbred strain meat which is correlated significantly with meat conversion percentage. Type B-fed chicken meat recorded low meat conversion percentage indicating higher formation in bone mass and feather, which is supported by the data of the ash in crossbred strain, indicating higher formation of mineral build-up such as bone mass. Furthermore, there were 11 amino acids that were recorded to be significantly higher in Type A-fed chicken meat compared with Type-B fed chicken meat, indicating a higher meat quality. In conclusion, the usage of Type-A feed as daily feed for village chicken was beneficial and exhibited prominent values in terms of quality and cost-effectiveness. However, more studies should be done to improve the digestibility and palatability of Type A feed to improve in their overall performances so that it can be used widely in poultry, particularly in village chicken farming
Central corneal thickness changes and horizontal corneal diameter in premature infants
No full textTo report observations of horizontal corneal diameter (HCD) and central corneal thickness (CCT) changes in premature infants with stable optic disc cupping and intraocular pressures (IOPs). The HCD and CCT at term serve as a baseline for premature infants. Sixty-three premature infants were enrolled in a prospective case series. HCD, CCT, and IOP were measured. RetCam images of the optic discs were used to evaluate the cup-disc ratio (CDR) and read by an independent masked observer. Data were collected at between preterm (32-36 weeks) and again at term (37-41 weeks) postconceptual age. Left eye measurements were used for statistical analysis. Left eye findings were combined to construct predictive models for HCD and CCT. The mean HCD was 9.1 mm (standard deviation [SD] = 0.7 mm) at preterm and 10.0 mm (SD = 0.52 mm) at term. The mean CCT preterm was 618.8 (SD = 72.9) mm and at term 563.9 (SD = 50.7) mm, respectively. The average preterm CDR was 0.31 and at maturity was 0.33. Average IOP of preterm and term was 13.1 and 14.11 mm Hg, respectively. There was significant linear correlation between HCD with the postmenstrual age (r = 0.40, P < .01) and the head circumference (r = 0.33, P < .05). Predictive models were constructed for HCD (R 2 = 0.52, 0.2 mm/wk) and CCT (R 2 = 0.23, 11.4 mm/wk) with postconceptual ages. The HCD and CCT variation did not affect IOP reading over time. CCT was not correlated with birth parameters and decreased as the infant reached term. Corneal diameter correlated with gestational age at birth and head circumference
The birth prevalence, severity, and temporal trends of congenital heart disease in the middle-income country: A population-based study
No full textObjectives: There is limited data on congenital heart disease (CHD) from the lower- and middle-income country. We aim to study the epidemiology of CHD with the specific objective to estimate the birth prevalence, severity, and its trend over time. Design: A population-based study with data retrieved from the Pediatric Cardiology Clinical Information System, a clinical registry of acquired and congenital heart disease for children. Setting: State of Johor, Malaysia. Patients: All children (0-12 years of age) born in the state of Johor between January 2006 and December 2015. Intervention: None. Outcome measure: The birth prevalence, severity, and temporal trend over time. Results: There were 531,904 live births during the study period with 3557 new cases of CHD detected. Therefore, the birth prevalence of CHD was 6.7 per 1000 live births (LB) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.5-6.9). Of these, 38% were severe, 15% moderate, and 47% mild lesions. Hence, the birth prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe CHD was 3.2 (95% CI: 3.0-3.3), 0.9 (95% CI: 0.9- 1.1), and 2.6 (95% CI: 2.4-2.7) per 1000 LB, respectively. There was a significant increase in the birth prevalence of CHD, from 5.1/1000 LB in 2006 to 7.8/1000 LB in 2015 (P <.0001) due to increase in detection of both mild (1.9/1000 LB in 2006 to 3.9/1000 LB in 2015, P <.001) and severe CHD (1.8/1000 LB in 2005 to 2.9/1000 LB in 2015, P <.001). Conclusions: The birth prevalence of CHD was 6.7 per 1000 live births, and two in five were severe and significantly associated with syndrome and extracardiac defect. There was a significant increase in the detection of severe lesions in recent years leading to more burden to resources that are already limited in the middle-income country. Therefore, strategic and comprehensive pediatric and congenital heart surgery program is required
Lanthanum–titanium oxide composite from a single molecular cluster: Non-enzymatic mesoporous electrochemical nitrite ion sensor
No full textIn the present investigation, lanthanum–titanium [La3Ti6O4(OH)6(C2F3O2)13(H2O)2(C4H8O)6] (1) was successfully used as single source precursor to fabricate electrodes of LTO 600 (La4Ti9O24-La2O3-LaTiO3-TiO2(rutile)) and LTO 700 (La4Ti9O24-La2O3) at sintering temperature of 600 and 700 °C, respectively. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) have been used to determine the phase purity and oxidation states of the elements present in the samples. Nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms are used to investigate the Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) surface area and the Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) pore size distribution of LTO 600 and LTO 700. The BET analysis revealed pore sizes of 8.7 and 9.9 nm for LTO 600 and LTO 700, respectively, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the particles are irregular in shape with size range of 55–150 and 145–155 nm for LTO 600 and LTO 700, respectively. The LTO 700 modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was used for the elecrtrochemical oxidation of NaNO2 and it showed a better electrocatalytic performance towards the oxidation of NaNO2 than LTO 600. The larger pore size found at the higher sintering temperature could enhance the sensing performance with the limit of detection (LoD) of 0.0151 µM. Furthermore, the composite modified electrode (LTO 700) showed high selectivity towards the detection of nitrite ions in the presence of the common salts. Therefore, the fabricated LTO 700 electrode is a potential candidate for monitoring the toxic nitrite ions levels in edibles, additives and drinking water
Gly-Val-Arg, an angiotensin-I-converting enzyme inhibitory tripeptide ameliorates hypertension on spontaneously hypertensive rats
No full textThe tripeptide GVR was previously shown to inhibit ACE and was able to reduce systolic blood pressure in SHRs within 6 h after administration. To further analyse the potential of tripeptide GVR in lowering blood pressure, a long term study was carried out where the tripeptide was orally administered to SHRs for 21 days. Elevated systolic blood pressure was significantly reduced when the peptide was administered at 50 mg/kg body weight and 100 mg/kg body weight. Body weight of the SHRs did not change significantly between the studied groups and the histopathological findings indicated that there were no abnormalities in liver and kidney tissues. From the acute toxicity analysis of this tripeptide, using the Up and Down method revealed that the peptide was non-toxic to SHRs. Tripeptide GVR demonstrated endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation activity using thoracic aortas from SD rats in which vasorelaxation was not observed in denuded aortas. The metabolomic analysis carried out from the sera of SHRs demonstrated changes on metabolites associated with pathways related to renin angiotensin system. As for proteomic analysis, differentially expressed proteins detected were mainly proteins related with inflammation. Based on the results, tripeptide GVR has a potential to ameliorate the elevated blood pressure in SHRs
Simulation of improper food hygiene practices: A quantitative assessment of Vibrio parahaemolyticus distribution
No full textKitchen mishandling practices contribute to a large number of foodborne illnesses. In this study, the transfer and cross-contamination potential of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from bloody clams to ready-to-eat food (lettuce) was assessed. Three scenarios were investigated: 1) direct cross-contamination, the transfer of V. parahaemolyticus from bloody clams to non-food contact surfaces (hands and kitchen utensils) to lettuce (via slicing), was evaluated; 2) perfunctory decontamination, the efficacy of two superficial cleaning treatments: a) rinsing in a pail of water, and b) wiping with a kitchen towel, were determined; and 3) secondary cross-contamination, the microbial transfer from cleaning residuals (wash water or stained kitchen towel) to lettuce was assessed. The mean of percent transfer rates through direct contact was 3.6%, and an average of 3.5% of total V. parahaemolyticus was recovered from sliced lettuce. The attempted treatments reduced the transferred population by 99.0% (rinsing) and 94.5% (wiping), and the relative amount of V. parahaemolyticus on sliced lettuce was reduced to 0.008%. V. parahaemolyticus exposure via secondary cross-contamination was marginal. The relative amount of V. parahaemolyticus recovered from washed lettuce was 0.07%, and the transfers from stained kitchen towel to lettuce were insubstantial. Our study highlights that V. parahaemolyticus was readily spread in the kitchen, potentially through sharing of non-food contact surfaces. Results from this study can be used to better understand and potentially raising the awareness of proper handling practices to avert the spread of foodborne pathogens