The Influence of Tidal on Water Quality in Sungai Semerak, Kelantan

A study has been done in Sungai Semerak, Pasir Puteh, Kelantan to understand the influence of tidal on river water quality. This study was carried out from June 2022 until March 2023. The main purpose for studying this river is because Sungai Semerak was one of the cleanest downstream rivers in Kelantan and faced various threats along the river. In-situ analyses were performed using YSI Multiparameter and Ex-situ laboratory analysis for total suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand and ammoniacal nitrogen using HACH methods. This study shows that the Water Quality Index (WQI) for Sungai Semerak was classified as Class IV. Comparing WQI during spring and neap tide, the WQI is also in Class IV. From the result obtained from this study, tidal influenced the water quality during spring tide as the reading was higher compared to neap tide. Other factors that influence the water quality may come from human activities in Sungai Semerak, such as fish farming, runoff from the agricultural site, riverside constructions, supply bases and other factors. Further actions need to be taken, and further research needs to be conducted to assess this location to support the sustainability of Sungai

Elucidating on Time and Temperature Effects on Torrified Moldy Bread

Waste-to-energy is the preferred solution, according to the waste management hierarchy considering landfill waste disposal may not be the most effective method of waste usage. Torrefaction of kitchen waste to produce higher-quality solid fuels is an effective option with lower temperature requirements than pyrolysis and gasification. By addressing the problems, the fuel quality in terms of high heating value can be investigated. Also, the torrefaction parameters, temperature and time, can be examined on the fuel performance. The moldy bread undergoes torrefaction by torrefying it in the furnace with temperatures of 200, 250 and 300°C, respectively, with 15, 30, 45 and 60 mins of processing times. With increased torrefaction temperature, the mass dropped while the higher heating value (HHV) increased. The rise in carbon content also enhanced the torrefied moldy bread's fuel properties. Also, this is because the primary components of the moldy bread, particularly hemicellulose, have significantly decomposed. Therefore, processed temperature of 300°C at elevation time of 45 min produced tremendous gain than other parameters observed

The Prospect of Biochar by Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB) in the Removal of Contaminants Emerging Concern (CECs)

Although pharmaceuticals are detected at low levels, their continued release into the environment might result in significant long-term concentrations and lead to damaging consequences on humans, animals, and the environment. The findings have been analysed that various pharmaceutical components were found in sewage treatment plants, including naproxen sodium. Naproxen sodium has been found in various water sources, such as in groundwater and in drinking water. Utilizing OPEFB as adsorbent in wastewater treatment is a feasible alternative. This study focussed on the adsorption capacity of OPEFB biochar for naproxen removal water. The highest percentage removal (99.7%) of naproxen achieved at 100 ppm concentration with 2.5 g of OPEFB biochar. Meanwhile, the usage of 5.0g of OPEFB biochar showed the highest percentage of the removal of naproxen sodium at 100 ppm concentration after 24 hours was 99.27%. OPEFB is one of the most suitable and have the potential in removing almost all the pollutants in wastewater by undergoing the adsorption process

Greening Spirulina Value Chain Towards Environmental Sustainability in Malaysia

Greener methods should be implemented to encourage a transition towards more sustainable food production. The emphasis was on increasing the production of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis). This study aims to outline a holistic approach for thoroughly analysing the Spirulina production chain to create a customised development plan for sustainability. A total of eighteen respondents from six sectors (Spirulina Producers, Research and Development Institutions, Suppliers of Inputs, Processing and Packaging Companies, Distributors and wholesalers, and Retailers) that are involve with the Spirulina chain have participated in this study. The SWOT analysis was used to determine the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats related to the production chain of Spirulina intended for human consumption to conduct a structured strategic planning targeting process optimisation and environmental sustainability. The findings show greening the Spirulina value chain requires commitment and collaboration among related stakeholders. The weakness of standardised production practices, limited research and development, inadequate infrastructure and technology, and limited market access and distribution channels must be addressed through stakeholder collaborative efforts. Taking advantage of the opportunities of greening the Spirulina value chain will be an excellent place to start for the business to develop sustainably and increase its competitiveness. Greening Spirulina value chains offer significant potential for environmental sustainability in Malaysia

Effect of Torrefaction Process on Crystallinity Index Properties of Empty Fruit Bunch’s Biochar

The effect of torrefaction process on crystallinity index (CrI) properties from biomass material which is empty fruit bunch’s biochar had been identified in this study. There are three major torrefaction parameters for biomass material which is particle size, holding temperature and residence time was determined. The investigation on the empty fruit bunch’s biochar had been done by X-ray diffraction (XRD). There was decreasing pattern for CrI occurred as the holding temperature increased from 200 to 300°C and residence time increased from 30 to 90 minutes, but there are no significant affected by the particle size parameter. This shows that the empty fruit bunch’s biochar cellulose crystallinity is reduced as the cellulose become completely amorphous

Preparation and characterization of calcium hydroxyphosphate (hydroxyapatite) from tilapia fish bones and scales via calcination method

Calcium hydroxyphosphate (hydroxyapatite) is a calcium phosphate that is widely used in biomedical application. Hydroxyapatite is an excellent component for bone substitutes for their chemical and structural similarity to natural bone component. In this research, hydroxyapatite was synthesized from tilapia fish bones and scales using calcination method with 3 different temperatures namely 1000 °C, 900 °C and 800 °C. The obtained hydroxyapatite powder was characterized using several techniques such as Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy Attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), proximate analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results indicated that temperature 1000 °C has the highest weight loss with 21.825 g compared to the temperature 800 °C and 900 °C. From FTIR-ATR analysis, the presence of characteristic peaks for hydroxyl group, phosphate groups and water molecule indicated that the powder were hydroxyapatite. SEM results showed that increasing temperature had led to more dense structure. The hydroxyapatite powder were further analysed for their proximate analysis. The results proved that the highest contents of ash, fat, moisture and crude protein were observed at 1000 °C as compared to 900 °C and 800 °C. Based on this study, it revealed that produced pure hydroxyapatite from natural resources could be a potential candidate for food industry as protein enhancer

Effects of Torrefaction Process on Chemical Properties of Small Diameter Acacia mangium Wood

Torrefaction refers to a thermal process that involves the processing of biomass in a torrefied to produce a "charred" product that can be utilised as a fuel or as a soil amendment. People need energy sources to meet their basic needs and live the kind of life they want. Acacia mangium was selected in order to produce biochar and determine the lignocellulosic affected by the holding temperature and residence time. The chemical properties of torrefied Acacia mangium biochar were investigated at different holding temperatures and residence times. Torrefaction were carried out at several process temperatures, ranging from 200 to 300°C, with residence time ranging from 30 to 90 minutes. According to the findings, the effects of holding temperature and residence time on the chemical properties of torrefied Acacia mangium biochar was carried out. The results show that the chemical properties decreased with an increase in both the holding temperature and residence time except for the lignin percentage content. It shows that as the holding temperature and residence time increased, the lignin content increased. The results shows that the chemical properties are decreased, except for the lignin content, which is not affected by the factors. The chemical bond in lignin content is hard for breaking down. Hence, torrefaction is accountable for the decrease of chemical properties and the breaking of chemical bonds in chemical properties

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

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

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries