Search

This study explores the potential of nanocellulose-based hydrogel for microalgae cell attachment. The hydrogel, composed of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), indicates feasibility in biomedical and cell culturing applications. It qualifies as an excellent substrate for 3D printing bioink utilizing the liquid deposition modelling technique. The growth of Chlorella vulgaris cells in Bold Basal Media (BBM) solution exhibits similar trends for both the standard culture and the culture media incorporating the CNF/CMC hydrogel. It was observed that the ionic-bond crosslinkers of H2SO4 and CaCl2 in hydrogel formation were more conducive to cell adhesion compared to using covalent-bond crosslinkers of epichlorohydrin. Microalgae cell attachment exhibited the increase of green hue on the hydrogel surfaces, which shows the potential of cell to grow in the presence of CNF/CMC hydrogel.

Re-defining our design vision in everything that surrounds us in this world, of which we are an integral part, is the basis that will determine the criteria on which the achievement of sustainable creativity will be measured, through us humans, especially the ability of the designer who can through the positivity of his designs to change the world. We must know that the artistic process is a process of development and expansion in visual design, and the relationship of the artist with his artistic medium is always a relationship of renewal and inspiration, not a relationship of conflict and tension, but data, inventory and inspiration as well. Sustainable artistic creation can be defined as a creation linked to human ethics and values, providing the concepts of sustainability as an ethical dimension and a mandate for all human beings to respect nature, universe systems, values, beauty and all forms of life to create a sustainable civilization in which the arts are integrated on earth, And when the dye that dyed his faith and characterized his ideology and determined human creativity, such as: artist designer, architect, poet, writer, which is primarily human creativity as it is characterized by beauty, and always aims to raise environmental design towards the highest, highest and most beautiful. We note that with the development in each era, the visual experience of the recipient develops in all fields so that his mind is able to realize various advanced ideas.

Carbon dots (CDs)-based fluorescence imaging with confocal reflectance effectively localises labelled structures with clear sample visualization. Yet, integrating these modalities into single-fibre cantilever-based endoscopic scanners poses challenges. Thus, we present an endoscopic scanner with a mixed-mode fibre cantilever for dual modalities imaging. The cantilever features two-attached fibre construction for multiple illumination and detection channels without additional optical components. The measured lateral and axial resolutions are 5.81 and 6.52 µm, respectively with field-of-view of 408 × 488 µm. The fluorescence detection capability was first verified using fluorescent microspheres and CD-embedded polymer film, followed by confocal reflectance and CDs-based fluorescence imaging on labelled fibrous network and plant samples. The results demonstrate the complementary strengths of confocal reflectance, which extracts surface profiles, and CDs-based fluorescence, which captures fluorescence signals, leading to precise localization of fluorescence signals within the sample. Switching modality schemes at the scanner’s back-end enables implementation of different modalities.

Biochar produced from biomass based Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB) pyrolysis presents an alternative energy source. Biomass through the pelletization process will produce bio-pellets with higher density, while microwave pyrolysis achieves better energy efficiency and cost effectiveness. This two-step process will produce a product with a longer combustion duration and higher thermochemical conversion efficiency. This study aims to utilize EFB waste through a two-step process (pelletization and microwave pyrolysis) to produce biochar as an alternative renewable energy approaching commercial standards. EFB bio-pellets with a mass of 80, 100, and 120 g were pyrolyzed in a microwave pyrolysis reactor with the power of 450, 600, and 850 W, and in time variations of 20, 30, and 40 min. The results showed that 850 W power and 80 g mass were the optimal conditions to produce biochar with the highest heating value (26.73 MJ/kg), moisture content (0.48 %) volatile matter content (12.56 %), ash content (22.33 %), and fixed carbon (64.62 %). The SEM-EDX analysis indicated that the biochar product showed an increase in carbon (C) content up to 67.4 %. It is expected that combination of the pelletization process and microwave assisted pyrolysis could become a new alternative for producing biochar that could be commercialized. This research was carried out to address the problem of accumulating EFB in palm oil mills and generating renewable energy from waste.

The Sustainable Development Goal no 12 (SDG 12) focuses on responsible consumption and production, which includes reducing waste generation, achieving environmentally chemical management, and encouraging companies to adopt sustainable practices. Okara, an insoluble residue from soybean processing, has been identified as a potential carbon and nitrogen resource for bioflocculants synthesis. This resource can reduce production costs which can make microbial bioflocculants more competitive, and reduce the amount of organic waste that ends up in landfills, where it contributes to the release of methane – a potent greenhouse gas. Bioflocculants can improve water quality by removing pollutants and contaminants from industrial wastewater. However, the low efficiency of bioconversion of okara to bioflocculants remains a major issue. This study focuses on investigating the potential of novel bioflocculant production of Bacillus licheniformis CGMCC 2876 using okara as an alternative carbon source and to optimize conditions for its use. The result showed that the use of okara as an alternative substrate resulted in 89.2 % flocculation activity of the kaolin suspension when Ca2+ was used as a coagulant and pH was 12. By utilizing okara as a carbon source in novel bioflocculant synthesis, enhances waste management efficiency and reduces environmental impact, contributing to sustainable infrastructure development and cleaner manufacturing technologies that reduce pollution and industrial operations’ carbon footprint.

The study was carried out to explore the pedagogical skills of secondary-level English language (EL) teachers in Bangladesh. Classroom teaching is a challenging job, and more so for English language (EL) teachers as English is a skill-based subject. Teachers are supposed to demonstrate the required pedagogical skills for effective classroom EL teaching-learning. Following the constructivist research paradigm and a multiple case study approach, qualitative data were collected through direct non-participant classroom observations and face-to-face interviews with six EL teachers and other secondary informants. The collected data were analysed by a qualitative data analysis software, NVivo 11 Pro, using thematic analysis. The main findings of the study substantiated that the participating EL teachers had poor pedagogical skills in classroom management, ignored the four skills, built no rapport with learners, failed to retain learners' attention, encouraged memorization, could not motivate the learners, assigned ritualistic homework, taught grammar and vocabulary without contextualization, used teaching aids insufficiently and ineffectively, and exhibited poor planning and preparation for classroom teaching. The paper also discusses the implications of the key findings and proposes some recommendations for the EL teachers and other stakeholders concerned.

Due to the rapid development of modern technology and its effectiveness in finding many solutions to many problems that were hindering the implementation of many ideas, there has become an urgent necessity to introduce these modern technologies to works of art in order to enrich them and make countless formal treatments, leaving the artist free rein to innovate and create without restriction. 3D printing is widely used in the world. 3D printing technology is increasingly used for mass customization and production of any type of design so 3D printing is a real revolution, and an essential tool in innovation as it has extended to many practical fields such as medicine, construction and education, and its use is no longer limited to specialists and experts, Indeed, its rapid development over the past few years has made its use and handling as easy as dealing with well-known paper printers.

In this study, a highly efficient NiFe2O4/Bi4O5I2 (NFO/BOI) photocatalyst has been successfully synthesized through the two-step hydrothermal method. Various characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), and Mott-Schottky (M-S) analysis were employed to scrutinize the physical, chemical, optical, and electrical characteristics of the as-synthesized photocatalyst. The photocatalytic performance of NFO/BOI was assessed through the degradation of malachite green (MG). The findings revealed that both the weight percent of NiFe2O4 loaded and catalyst loading significantly influenced the degradation efficiency of NFO/BOI on MG. Under 1 hour of visible light irradiation, MG achieved an impressive removal rate of 95.04% using NFO/BOI as the catalyst. Radical trapping experiment confirmed that superoxide anion radical plays a pivotal role in the MG degradation progress. This work introduces a novel direction for designing efficient catalysts for the treatment of water pollution using visible light.

An internal two-stage bioreactor constructed with a hydrogen chamber and a methane chamber with a working volume of 300 mL and 4700 mL, respectively, was operated using various kitchen waste (KW) concentrations from 10 to 80 g COD/L with a hydraulic retention time of 2 days to characterize the biomethane production performance. The results showed that daily biohythane production exhibited a similar increasing trend at KW concentrations of 10 to 40 g COD/L. The peak biomethane production was 2481 mL/day at a KW concentration of 40 g COD/L. The KW concentration could also affect the COD, carbohydrate, lipid, and protein removal efficiencies. These removal efficiencies were somehow dependent on the KW concentration, with two notable KW concentration groups of 10–20 g COD/L and 40–80 g COD/L. After 80 days of cultivation, Firmicutes dominated the hydrogen chamber, and Methanobacteriaceae and Methanomicrobiaceae dominated the methane chamber. This study presents the optimal KW concentration for high biohythane production efficiency in a novel internal two-stage bioreactor and reveals the dominant microorganisms in its microbial community.

Hydrogen is considered to be the fuel of the future because of its high energy content (122 kJ/g), and water is the only byproduct of its use. Moreover, the production of hydrogen via fermentation of organic wastes is carbon neutral. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of immobilized cells on PVDF membrane for biohydrogen production using a sequencing batch reactor by varying the hydraulic retention times (HRT) of the system and to compare the efficiency between suspended and attached systems on the production of biohydrogen. It was found that the biohydrogen fermentation performance was improved in a semi-continuous system, especially with immobilized cells. The optimum HRT that supports the highest biohydrogen yield was for an HRT of 12 hours, where the performance of hydrogen production was improved and in which the maximum hydrogen yield was achieved at 2.43 mol H2/mol and maximum hydrogen production rate (HPR) of 2.46 L H2/L.d as compared to other HRT for both systems. Therefore, the result of this study can be applied as the benchmark for scaling up the process. ABSTRAK: Hidrogen boleh dianggap sebagai sumber tenaga penting pada masa hadapan kerana kapasiti tenaga yang tinggi (122 kJ/g) dan hanya air terhasil dari tindak balas hidrogen. Tambahan, sisa pengeluaran hidrogen melalui proses fermentasi sisa organik adalah bersifat semula jadi. Kajian ini dijalankan bagi mengkaji prestasi sel tidak bergerak pada membran PVDF bagi penghasilan biohidrogen menggunakan reaktor kelompok turutan dengan mengubah sistem masa pengekalan hidraulik (HRT) dan dengan membuat perbandingan kecekapan antara sistem yang tergantung dan sistem yang bersambung pada penghasilan biohidrogen. Dapatan kajian mendapati prestasi fermentasi diperbaharui di bawah sistem separa turutan terutama dengan sel tidak bergerak. Nilai optimum HRT yang mempunyai hasil biohidrogen tertinggi adalah pada ketika HRT 12 jam di mana prestasi penghasilan hidrogen dapat diperbaharui dan menghasilkan hidrogen tertinggi pada 2.43 mol H2/mol dan kadar penghasilan hidrogen maksimum (HPR) pada 2.46 L H2/L.d berbanding sistem HRT lain pada kedua-dua sistem. Oleh itu, dapatan kajian ini boleh digunakan sebagai penanda aras bagi kenaikan proses.

Introduction Reducing neonatal deaths in premature infants in low- and middle-income countries is key to reducing global neonatal mortality. International neonatal networks, along with patient registries of premature infants, have contributed to improving the quality of neonatal care; however, the involvement of low-to-middle-income countries was limited. This project aims to form an international collaboration among neonatal networks in Asia (AsianNeo), including low-, middle- and high-income countries (or regions). Specifically, it aims to determine outcomes in sick newborn infants, especially very low birth weight (VLBW) infants or very preterm infants, with a view to improving the quality of care for such infants.Methods and analysis Currently, AsianNeo comprises nine neonatal networks from Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand. AsianNeo will undertake the following four studies: (1) institutional questionnaire surveys investigating neonatal intensive care unit resources and the clinical management of sick newborn infants, with a focus on VLBW infants (nine countries/regions); (2) a retrospective cohort study to describe and compare the outcomes of VLBW infants among Asian countries and regions (four countries/regions); (3) a prospective cohort study to develop the AsianNeo registry of VLBW infants (six countries/regions); and (4) implementation and evaluation of educational and quality improvement projects in AsianNeo countries and regions (nine countries/regions).Ethics and dissemination The study protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Board of the National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan (reference number 2020–244, 2022–156). The study findings will be disseminated through educational programmes, quality improvement activities, conference presentations and medical journal publications.

This survey provides an insightful overview of recent advancements in facial recognition technology, mainly focusing on multi-modal face recognition and its applications in security biometrics and identity verification. Central to this study is the Sejong Face Database, among other prominent datasets, which facilitates the exploration of intricate aspects of facial recognition, including hidden and heterogeneous face recognition, cross-modality analysis, and thermal-visible face recognition. This paper delves into the challenges of accurately identifying faces under various conditions and disguises, emphasising its significance in security systems and sensitive sectors like banking. The survey highlights novel contributions such as using Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to generate synthetic disguised faces, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) for feature extractions, and Fuzzy Extractors to integrate biometric verification with cryptographic security. The paper also discusses the impact of quantum computing on encryption techniques and the potential of post-quantum cryptographic methods to secure biometric systems. This survey is a critical resource for understanding current research and prospects in biometric authentication, balancing technological advancements with ethical and privacy concerns in an increasingly digital society.

Fuel subsidies play a vital role in mitigating inflation and lowering fuel production expenses, particularly during periods of surging global crude oil prices. The study's objectives involve a comprehensive assessment, mapping research studies to understand current trends, publication impact, research productivity in fuel subsidy studies, and identifying the most influential countries, institutions, and authors in this field. This research conducts a bibliometric analysis of fuel subsidies and their trends, utilizing data and academic literature from the Scopus database retrieved on October 4, 2022, with the keywords "fuel" and "subsidy" in the title string. Examining 168 articles spanning 1978 to 2022, quantitative data analysis employed Microsoft Excel, VOSviewer, and Harzing’s Publish or Perish. Results reveal a rising trend in article publication since 2014, peaking at 23 articles in 2017. The United States (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), and China emerge as the most productive countries in fuel subsidy studies, with the USA playing a crucial role in international collaboration. The most cited paper garnered 164 citations. Future research is encouraged to explore broader areas, linking fuel subsidies with low carbon societies, environmental policy, renewable energy, or the blue economy, given their global significance. The study's findings aim to guide researchers in planning future investigations, offering relevant literature and critical issues to address, ultimately enhancing the quality of knowledge in this domain.

Background Hermetia illucens (HI), commonly known as the black soldier fly, has been recognized for its prowess in resource utilization and environmental protection because of its ability to transform organic waste into animal feed for livestock, poultry, and aquaculture. However, the potential of the black soldier fly’s high protein content for more than cheap feedstock is still largely unexplored. Methods This study innovatively explores the potential of H. illucens larvae (HIL) protein as a peptone substitute for microbial culture media. Four commercial proteases (alkaline protease, trypsin, trypsase, and papain) were explored to hydrolyze the defatted HIL, and the experimental conditions were optimized via response surface methodology experimental design. The hydrolysate of the defatted HIL was subsequently vacuum freeze-dried and deployed as a growth medium for three bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli) to determine the growth kinetics between the HIL peptone and commercial peptone. Results The optimal conditions were 1.70% w/w complex enzyme (alkaline protease: trypsin at 1:1 ratio) at pH 7.0 and 54 °C for a duration of 4 h. Under these conditions, the hydrolysis of defatted HIL yielded 19.25% ±0.49%. A growth kinetic analysis showed no significant difference in growth parameters (μmax, Xmax, and λ) between the HIL peptone and commercial peptone, demonstrating that the HIL hydrolysate could serve as an effective, low-cost alternative to commercial peptone. This study introduces an innovative approach to HIL protein resource utilization, broadening its application beyond its current use in animal feed.