Peatland fungi: identification, application in dye decolourization and bacterial inactivation in greywater

Fungi have unique characteristics since they have several applications in the environment and industry due to its ability to produce the different enzyme. This study aims to isolate a new fungal strain from Pontian peatland, Johor, Malaysia to be used for dye decolourizing in the synthetic greywater as a function of laccase (LAC), manganese peroxidase (MnP) and lignin peroxidase (LiP). The bio-synthesized nanoparticles (bimetallic Zn/Cu NPs) in the secondary metabolic products generated during the enzyme production in pumpkin peels medium was evaluated for inactivating Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus seeded in greywater. The fungal isolates were identified according to phenotypic characteristics and by molecular characteristic at D1/D2 region and ITS (ITS1- ITS4) sequences. The decolourization, enzyme production and inactivation process were optimised using response surface methodology (RSM). The mechanism of decolourization and inactivation process was investigated based on Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (FESEMEDX), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman Spectroscopy analysis. The results revealed that Aspergillus iizukae EAN605, Aspergillus arenarioides EAN603, Penicillium pedernalense EAN604, Purpureocillium lilacinum EAN601, Paraconiothyrium brasiliense EAN202 and Parengyodontium album EAN602 were new strains and first time recorded in Malaysia. The best dye decolourization (78.34%) was 57.15 mg 100 mL of dye, pH 6 and after 8.5 days (R -1 2 of pumpkin peels, =77.9%). The oxidative enzyme production was recorded with 20 g 100 mL -1 of inoculum size, at pH 5.5 and after 10 days, where 6.15, 2.58 and 127.99 U mg 1 , 4.6 mL/100 mL -1 of LAC, MnP and LiP was produced, respectively. The inactivation of E. coli and S. aureus by Zn/Cu NPs was effective with 0.028 mg mL -1 of Zn/Cu NPs, at pH 6 and after 60 mins with 5.6 and 5.2 log reduction respectively. The decolourization mechanism took place due to the action of oxidative enzymes on the inner membrane of fungal mycelium and in the surrounded medium. The inactivation process acts by the destruction of the chemical composition of the bacterial cell wall and membrane. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that peatland has high fungal diversity to be used in the dye decolourization and synthesis of NPs for inactivating pathogenic bacteria in the greywater. -

Identification Of Fungi Isolated From Clinical Wastes And Inactivation Of Fungal Spores By Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Sisa klinikal dianggap sebagai sumber yang mendatangkan jangkitan kepada manusia disebabkan adanya mikroorganisma patogenik seperti bakteria, virus dan kulat. Untuk merawat bahan sisa klinikal, pembasmian kuman menggunakan bahan kimia dan pendedahan kepada sinaran rawatan sisa klinikal termasuk menginsinerasikan, biasa digunakan, namun kaedah ini tidak dapat membunuh patogen sepenuhnya. Clinical wastes are considered as a serious infectious source to humans due to the existence pathogenic microorganism such as bacteria, virus and fungi. For the treatment of clinical wastes, chemical disinfection and irradiations methods including UV are commonly used, however, these treatment methods are unable to destroy pathogens completely

Identification of Fungi Isolated from Clinical Wastes

The distrubition of fungi in the hospitals wastes are coming from the clinical wastes specimens used for the disgnistic process. The aim of the present study was to identify the fungal isolates obtained from clinical wastes based on phenotype method. The fungal isolates were obtained by the direct plate method on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) medium and incubated at 28â—¦C for 7 to 14 days, therafter purified by single spore isolation. The cultural characteristics of the fungal isolates were described on different media, while the morphologies were observed using a light microscope. Eight fungal species from five genera were identified and included Curvularia Trichoderma spp. Rhizopus sp. Fusarium spp. Oidiodendron sp. These results indicated that the clinical wastes have a diversity of fungi which might possess health risk to humans if these fungi have not inactivated in the clinical wastes before the final disposal into the environment

A cognitive task approach on the influence of office automation software in secretarial practice

Inefficiency in secretarial services in the application of office automation software has been of great concern to both secretaries and their employers. This inefficiency causes unnecessary delays in information processing and dissemination in the organization. The problem is rooted from the secretaries’ lacking in appropriate application of cognitive skills, proficiency in information handling as well as working experiences, and these establish the problem statement of the study. One of the important gaps this study has bridged is establishing the key elements that can assist the secretaries to perform their office tasks effectively. Efforts made to identify similar studies on secretaries’ profession were to no avail perhaps due to its non-availability or absence. It was discovered that the secretary’s level of applying perception and attention during working hours is extremely limited which contributed to poor or slow pace of service delivery. The objectives of this study are to explore the secretaries office automation software cognitive task, to investigate elements of office automation software cognitive tasks that influence secretarial practice and to investigate how office automation software supports the secretaries in the execution of tasks. Snowballing sampling was used to identify participants who have fulfilled a criterion set out in the study. Therefore, twelve (12) UTHM secretarial staff who are using office automation software in their office duties were chosen to participate in the study. The study employs qualitative method, thus interviews were carried out to collect data. Thematic data analysis was done using card index. Findings revealed that the secretaries need short and long term training in order to be relevant in their working places as well as to be updated in the use of office automation software. Further results revealed that office automation software supports the secretaries in the execution of cognitive tasks. The result also revealed the development of components of office automation software cognitive tasks in secretarial practice. These components were used by the secretaries in the execution of tasks such as word processing, scheduling of appointments and other secretarial duties. Another important finding revealed that, technology has changed the working environment of the secretaries which has made it imperative for them to continue using office automation software in the execution of their tasks. This has brought the idea of how office automation software supports the secretaries in the execution of their office tasks

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Assessment of relevant fungal species in clinical solid wastes

The study aimed to determine the fungal diversity in clinical waste samples from a healthcare facility in Penang Malaysia. Different fungi species were detected in 83.75 % of the 92 clinical waste samples that were screened from different sections of the healthcare facility. One hundred fifty fungal isolates comprising of 8 genera and 36 species were obtained. They were purified by using single spore isolation technique. Subsequently, the isolates were identified by phenotypic method based on morphological and culture characteristics on different culture media. Among all fungal isolates, Aspergillus spp. in section Nigri 10.2 %, Aspergillus niger 9.5 %, Aspergillus fumigatus 8.8 %, Penicillium. simplicissium 8 %, Aspergillus tubingensis 7.3 %, Aspergillus terreus var. terreus 6.6 %, Penicillium waksmanii 5.9 % and Curvularia lunata 6.5 % were the most frequent. Among five sections of the Wellness Centre, the clinical wastes collected from the diagnostic labs of haematology section had the highest numbers of fungal species (29 species). Glove wastes had the highest numbers of fungal species (19 species) among 17 types of clinical wastes screened. Among all fungal species, Aspergillus spp. exhibited higher growth at 37 °C than at 28 °C, indicating the potential of these opportunistic fungi to cause diseases in human. These results indicated the potential of hospital wastes as reservoirs for fungal species

Optimisation of compressive strength of foamed concrete with a novel Aspergillus iizukae EAN605 fungus

The production of concrete by incorporating a microorganism has emerged as a promising research area, offering potential benefits such as reduce carbon footprint, enhance durability and increased strength. The present study reported for the first time using a fungal strain (Aspergillus iizukae EAN605) in biocementation. The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of incorporating Aspergillus iizukae EAN 605 into foam concrete to improve its performance, particularly its strength. The study employs the response surface methodology (RSM) to explore the relationship between density, microorganism concentration and water /cement ratio (w/c) and their effects on compressive strength. Through a series of experiments,the highest recorded compressive strength was achieved with a density of 1800kg/m3, w/c ratio of 0.5, and Aspergillus iizukae EAN605 concentration of 0.5g/l, resulting in a remarkable 37.5% increase compared to foam concrete (FC). The variables of density, A. iizukae EAN 605 and their interaction density*fungi (D*F) significantly impacted compressive strength, with p-values of 0.000, 0.016, and 0.010, respectively.X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was employed to identify the crystalline composition of the precipitates formed on the fungal hyphae, providing insights into the mineralogical transformations occurring during the biocementation process. Additionally, scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging was utilised to visualise the morphology and distribution of the calcite crystals, further supporting the evidence of fungal-mediated mineral precipitation in foam concrete. The findings of this study hold significant implications for the concrete industry, as the incorporation of Aspergillus iizukae EAN605 in foam concrete offers a sustainable solution to enhance compressive strength and contribute to environmental friendly construction practices. This study provides valuable insights for future research and practical applications in the field of bio-foamed concrete (B-FC).Validerad;2023;Nivå 2;2023-11-08 (marisr);Full text license: CC BY</p

Cephalexin Adsorption by Acidic Pretreated Jackfruit Adsorbent: A Deep Learning Prediction Model Study

Cephalexin (CFX) residues in the environment represent a major threat to human health worldwide. Herein we investigate the use of novel approaches in deep learning in order to understand the mechanisms and optimal conditions for the sorption of cephalexin in water onto an acidic pretreated jackfruit peel adsorbent (APJPA). The interaction between the initial concentration of CFX (10&ndash;50 mg/100 mL), APJAP dosage (3&ndash;10 mg/100 mL), time (10&ndash;60 min), and the pH (4&ndash;9), was simulated using the one-factor-at-a-time method. APJPA was characterized by FESEM images showing that APJPA exhibits a smooth surface devoid of pores. FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of -C-O, C&ndash;H, C=C, and -COOH bonds within the APJPA. Maximum removal was recorded with 6.5 mg/100 mL of APJAP dosage, pH 6.5, after 35 min and with 25 mg/100 mL of CFX, at which the predicted and actual adsorption were 96.08 and 98.25%, respectively. The simulation results show that the dosage of APJAP exhibits a high degree of influence on the maximum adsorption of CFX removal (100%) between 2 and 8 mg dose/100 mL. The highest adsorption capacity of APJAP was 384.62 mg CFX/g. The simulation for the effect of pH determined that the best pH for the CFX adsorption lies between pH 5 and 8

Potential of staphylococcus xylosus strain for recovering nickel ions from aqueous solutions

The potential of bacterial biomass for the biosorption of heavy metals has investigated extensively. However, the bacterial species exhibited different affinities toward the heavy metals ions based on their differences in cell wall characteristics, structure and physiological status (living or dead cells). In this study, the potential of living and dead cells of Staphylococcus xylosus 222W for removal nickel ions from aqueous solution as a function for physiological status, nickel and biomass concentrations, time, pH and temperature was investigated. The pre-treatment of bacterial cells was performed by the heating at 100 ºC for 15 min. The removal experiments were conducted in the lab scale. The results revealed that the dead cells exhibited more efficiency in removing nickel ions than living cells at all investigated concentrations (2 to 10 mM). The biosorption efficiency (E %) increased with increasing in biomass cells to limit concentrations (0.1 to 1 g dry wt L-1). The maximum removal of nickel was 81.41 vs. 77.10 % by living and dead cells, respectively achieved after 9 and 10 hrs of the incubation period, respectively. The acidic conditions decrease the efficiency of metal removal, while the optimal removal was recorded at pH 8 for both biomass (living and dead cells). The maximum uptake capacity of S. xylosus 222W (living and dead cells) was recorded at 37oC, the percentage removed being 75.90 vs. 84.92 %, respectively. It can be concluded that S. xylosus 222W exhibited high potential and affinity to remove of nickel ions from aqueous solution