Zeolite-Based Poly (vinylidene fluoride) Ultrafiltration Membrane: Characterization and Molecular Weight Cut-Off Estimation with Support Vector Regression Modelling
Chan, M. K., Tan, S. J., Yeow, A. T., Ng, S. C., & Lau, W. J. (2024).
Membranes, 14(4), 91.

Zeolite serves as a promising additive for enhancing the hydrophilicity of polymeric membranes, yet its utilization for bolstering the mechanical strength of the membrane remains limited. In this study, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes were modified by incorporating various concentrations of zeolite (0.5–2 wt%) to improve not only their mechanical properties, but also other features for water filtration. Membranes with and without zeolite incorporation were fabricated via a dry–wet phase inversion technique, followed by the application of a series of characterization techniques in order to study their morphological structure, mechanical strength, and hydrophilicity. The membrane filtration performance for each membrane was evaluated based on pure water flux and Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) rejection. Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) images revealed a dense, microvoid-free structure across all of the PVDF membranes, contributing to a high pristine PVDF membrane tensile strength of 14 MPa. The addition of 0.5 wt% zeolite significantly improved the tensile strength up to 19.4 MPa. Additionally, the incorporation of 1 wt% zeolite into PVDF membrane yielded improvements in membrane hydrophilicity (contact angle of 67.84°), pure water flux (63.49% increase), and high BSA rejection (95.76%) compared to pristine PVDF membranes. To further improve the characterization of the zeolite-modified PVDF membranes, the Support Vector Regression (SVR) model was adopted to estimate the molecular weight cut off (MWCO) of the membranes. A coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.855 was obtained, suggesting that the SVR model predicted the MWCO accurately. The findings of this study showed that the utilization of zeolite is promising in enhancing both the mechanical properties and separation performance of PVDF membranes for application in ultrafiltration processes.
Potentialities of Tannase-Treated Green Tea Extract in Nutraceutical and Therapeutic Applications
Ong, C. B., & Annuar, M. S. M. (2024).
Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 1-20.

Green tea has garnered widespread interest in the past decades due to its content of health-beneficial polyphenols and catechins, besides reportedly exhibiting activities for the prevention, and possibly treatment, of many modern-life-associated afflictions. Hence, the functional food potential of health-beneficial beverages such as green tea is widely and commercially promoted. Biotransformation of green tea extract using enzymes such as tannase ostensibly enhances its beneficial well-being properties and disease-preventing functionalities. The tannase-treated green tea catechins may exhibit enhanced, amongst others, antioxidant, anti-tumour, anti-wrinkle, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity and anti-sarcopenia properties compared to native green tea extract. Nonetheless, the health benefits and therapeutic and toxicological effects associated with these compounds, before and after tannase treatment, present a scientific gap for detailed studies. Accordingly, the review surveys the literature from the late twentieth century until the year 2023 related to the aforementioned important aspects.
The Tannase from red yeast Rhodotorula glutinis: purification and characterization
Ong, C. B., Ibrahim, D., & Mohd Kassim, M. J. N. (2024).
Biocatalysis and Biotransformation, 42(2), 110-117.

The tannase enzyme was successfully purified to homogeneity from the culture broth of red yeast strain Rhodotorula glutinis DB2 in a three-tandem step involving ultrafiltration (5 kDa and 100 kDa systems), Sephadex G-200 gel filtration chromatography, and DEAE Sepharose CL-4B anion exchange chromatography. The purified tannase appeared to be homogeneous on sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The purified tannase had a specific activity of 3.33 U mg−1, with a 1.3% recovery and overall purification of 302-fold. The molecular mass of the tannase estimated by SDS-PAGE was about 73 kDa. The tannase had an optimum pH of 6.0 and an optimum temperature of 40 °C. The most stable pH was 7.0, and the enzyme was stable up to 40 °C. One mmol L−1 of Fe3+, Sr2+, Na+, and Pb2+ were found to promote tannase activity, whilst 1.0 mmol L−1 of Ba2+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Zn2+, Hg+, Ag+, Co2+, Fe2+, Mn2+, Cu2+, Cd2+, Al3+, K+, Ni2+, and Li+ inhibited tannase activity.
The Architecture of 3D Sensory Scanner System for Storing Shelf
Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology.

The storage shelves are available in different sizes for storing objects in different shapes, colours, sizes and surfaces. Many technologies are available for transforming human-intensive jobs into machines, such as robots handling picking, placing and sorting, but these robots need datasets to process and handle effectively. A distance sensor is suitable to measure distances between objects and to obtain free spaces that are available in a shelf tier. A Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor can measure distances better than Ultrasonic (US) and Infrared distance sensors (IR) because it has good sensitivity to detect near and far objects. Spherical coordinates that are recorded from a LiDAR are transformed into cartesian coordinates to obtain a 3D impression of a shelf tier. This study aims to propose an effective 3D sensory scanning system to estimate the percentage of free space in a shelf tier by using cloud point data (CPD). The first step is to determine a suitable distance sensor that can be mounted on a tripod scanner to obtain CPD. The spherical datasets then were converted into cartesian coordinates. The motor speed was analysed with Pearson Correlation analysis to determine a suitable rotating speed to construct a 3D impression. Experimental results showed the designed scanner is capable to scan CPD at a suitable motor rotational speed, and with the 3D plot from cartesian coordinates, it is easy to distinguish between areas with and without objects in a shelf tier.
Utilization of LED Illumination Coupled With UV-C Irradiation to Improve The Post-Harvest Quality of Radish Microgreens
Rozali, S. E., & Sivaguru, N. (2024).
Food Research, 8(3), 33-40.

Microgreens are an emerging class of fresh vegetables that have been recognized as health -promoting foods due to their high phytonutrients and bioactive compounds. However, the major limitation to the growth of the microgreens industry is rapid quality deterioration upon harvest. Several studies have demonstrated that UV-C treatment may be an effective tool to extend the shelf life of fresh vegetables. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of different LED illumination and UV-C irradiation treatments on postharvest quality and phytochemical accumulation in the microgreens. Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) microgreens were used in this study. The microgreens were cultivated under white and red:blue LED illumination. The harvested microgreens were subjected to UV-C irradiation (254 nm) at four different durations (5, 10, 15 and 20 mins) prior stored at 4°C for 12 days. The results showed that the red:blue LED illumination significantly improved the total biomass and chlorophyll content in microgreens. The width of cotyledonary leaves is also longer compared to the microgreens grown under white LED. The total flavonoid content was found higher in microgreens grown under red:blue illumination. The present study also demonstrated that the different durations of UV-C post-harvest treatment significantly influenced the post-harvest quality of microgreens. The harvested microgreens treated with 10 mins of UV-C irradiation have the highest fresh weight, and total chlorophyll and carotenoid content after 12 days of harvest. The long duration of UV -C treatment at 20 mins has caused severe deterioration as it showed the highest percentage of weight loss in the harvested microgreens. The preliminary results postulated that the cultivation of microgreens under red:blue LED illumination coupled with postharvest UV-C treatment potentially improves the post-harvest quality of radish microgreens.
A Comparison Study on User Acceptance of Digital Healthcare Services Among M40 and B40 Community in Selangor: A Study on Selangkah Application
Omar, N. N., Bakar, A. S. A., Hassan, N. H., Abdul, M. S., Rashid, S. N. A. M., & Zainal, C. N. A. S. C,
Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology

Over time, the global digital healthcare industry has started to take shape with the aim of offering benefits to all residents. Much effort has been put into improving the effectiveness and accessibility of the healthcare system in Malaysia for the benefit of its people. The Selangor state government is working to make all communities safer and healthier places, and one of its initiatives is the SELangkah application. Nonetheless, there are still concern over the take up of digital healthcare services among citizens especially those in the low-income and middle-income communities; B40 and M40. Previous study has shown that different economic status has an impact towards the acceptance level in technology services. Therefore, this study utilises qualitative research method to investigate the state of user acceptance in digital healthcare services among B40 and M40 users in Selangor through the case study of SELangkah application. Focus group discussion was conducted with over 10 participants from Selangor to evaluate and compare the acceptance level of digital healthcare services between both income group with the instrument development were guided by the Extended Technology Acceptance Model (ETAM). The area of group discussion covers users’ perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude, behaviour, external challenges, and actual use. The findings show that both M40 and B40 group find the application to be beneficial; in addition, they believe there should be more awareness campaign to promote the application to the public. A few clear differences between the acceptance level of the two groups would be the simplicity of the language used in the application, the recommended features, and future needs between the two groups. M40 group find no difficulties to navigate the application but B40 group mention that the used words can be simplify. While M40 group recommended for gamification and high engagement features; the B40 group is looking more at practicality such as more information or linkages to nearby clinic. Nevertheless, both groups did not find major difficulties and they see a lot of benefit of the application. This will form the fundamental basis for future research efforts aimed at closing the technology acceptance gap and enabling a wider population to use technology as a tool to have a healthier life.
Sensory Attributes and Phytochemical Composition in Microgreens: Implications for Acceptability Among School Students in Selangor, Malaysia
Rozali, S. E., & Rahim, N. R. A. (2024).
KnE Engineering, 32-43.

Microgreens, the young seedlings of edible plants, have gained attention for their potential health benefits and culinary applications. This newly emerging functional food crop has the potential to sustainably diversify global food systems, facilitate urbanization and climate change responses, and advance human health. However, their reception among school students remains an understudied area, particularly in the Malaysian context. In this study, five microgreens species including ulam raja, red amaranth, red radish, daikon, and corn were evaluated for their sensory perception and acceptability among secondary school students in Selangor, and their phytochemical compositions. Among the evaluated species, corn exhibited the highest intensity of sweetness, ulam raja demonstrated a strong aroma and bitterness, while red radish was notable for its astringency and heat. Red amaranth had the highest intensity of grassy taste, and all five microgreens had a low score for sourness. Corn had the highest rating on acceptability of flavor and overall eating quality, signifying its favorable impression among students. Conversely, red radish and ulam raja received the lowest acceptability scores in both categories. The highest total phenolic and flavonoid content and antioxidant activity was exhibited in ulam raja. These findings suggest the potential to leverage corn’s favorable acceptability to introduce microgreens into student diets. In general, this study highlights the correlation between sensory attributes and phytochemical composition, both influencing the Malaysian students’ perceptions of microgreens. By understanding their preferences, educators, policymakers, and entrepreneurs can formulate effective strategies for healthier eating habits among the youth and develop successful commercialization strategies.