Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Occurrence and antibiotic resistance of Salmonella spp. in raw beef from wet market and hypermarket in Malaysia

Tan, C.W. , Noor Hazirah, M.Z. , Shu’aibu, I. , New, C.Y. , Malcolm, T.T. H. , Thung, T.Y. , Lee, E. , Wendy, R.D. Nuzul, N.J., Noor Azira, A.M., Ungku Fatimah, U.Z. A. , Rukayadi, Y. , Rinai, R. and Son, R. Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Department of Food Service and Management, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Food Safety and Food Integrity, Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security (ITAFoS), Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
The role of temperature in competition and persistence of an invaded ant assemblage

1. To achieve numerical dominance, an ectotherm consumer requires a sizeable abiotic window in which it can forage. Here we explore how one abiotic factor, temperature, provides opportunity and regulates the impact of the invasive red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, on an urban ant assemblage.
Adaptations for pressure and temperature effects on loop motion in Escherichia coli and Moritella profunda dihydrofolate reductase

ABSTRACT Determining how enzymes in piezophilic microbes function at high pressure can give insights into how life adapts to living at high pressure. Here, the effects of pressure and temperature on loop motions of Escherichia coli (Ec) and Moritella profunda (Mp) dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) are compared via molecular dynamics simulations at combinations of the growth temperature and pressure of the two organisms. Analysis indicates that a flexible CD loop in MpDHFR is an adaptation for cold because it makes the adenosine binding subdomain more flexible. Also, analysis indicates that the Thr113-Glu27 hydrogen bond in MpDHFR is an adaptation for high pressure because it provides flexibility within the loop subdomain compared to the very strong Thr113-Asp27 hydrogen bond in EcDHFR, and affects the correlation of the Met20 and GH loops. In addition, the results suggest that temperature might affect external loops more strongly while pressure might affect motion between elements within the protein. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Abbreviated Title : Dorsal and Ventral Stream Prediction-error Signals Author Names :

Predictive coding theories of perception suggest the importance of constantly updated internal models of the world in predicting future sensory inputs. One implication of such models is that cortical regions whose function is to resolve particular stimulus attributes should also signal prediction violations with respect to those same stimulus attributes. Previously, through carefully designed experiments, we have demonstrated early-mid latency EEG/MEG prediction-error signals in the dorsal visual stream to violated expectations about stimulus orientation/trajectory, with localisations consistent with cortical areas processing motion and orientation. Here we extend those methods to simultaneously investigate the predictive processes in both dorsal and ventral visual streams. In this MEG study we employed a contextual trajectory paradigm that builds expectations using a series of image presentations. We created expectations about both face orientation and identity, either of which can subsequently be violated. Crucially this paradigm allows us to parametrically test double dissociations between these different types of violations. The study identified double dissociations across the type of violation in the dorsal and ventral visual streams, such that the right fusiform gyrus showed greater evidence of prediction-error signals to Identity violations than to Orientation violations, whereas the left angular gyrus and postcentral gyrus showed the opposite pattern of results. Our results suggest comparable processes for error checking and context updating in high-level expectations instantiated across both perceptual streams. Perceptual prediction-error signalling is initiated in regions associated with the processing of different stimulus properties. Significance Statement Visual processing occurs along ‘what’ and ‘where’ information streams that run, respectively along the ventral and dorsal surface of the posterior brain. Predictive coding models of perception imply prediction-error detection processes that are instantiated at the level where particular stimulus attributes are parsed. This implies that, for instance, when considering face stimuli, signals arising through violated expectations about the person identity of the stimulus should localise to the ventral stream, whereas signals arising through violated expectations about head orientation should localise to the dorsal stream. We test this in a magnetoencephalography source localisation study. The analysis confirmed that predictionerror signals to identity versus head-orientation occur with similar latency, but activate doublydissociated brain regions along ventral and dorsal processing streams.
Prevalence and associated risk factors of Entamoeba histolytica, E. dispar and E. moshkovskii infection among Orang Asli communities in Slim River, Perak

Entamoeba infection is still widespread in Malaysia’s rural area particularly among Orang Asli communities which usually associated with poverty and lack of sanitation. Due to scarce information on these Entamoeba infections in Slim River, Perak we conducted this study to investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors towards this infection. A total of 55 stool samples from voluntary participants with and without symptoms of amoebiasis were collected and examined using PCR technique. PCR analysis showed 16.4% stool samples were detected positive for Entamoeba spp. , discriminated as 7.3% that were positive for E. histolytica and 9.1% for E. dispar. No E. moshkovskii was detected at all. Factors such as indiscriminate defecation, improper sewage disposal and not washing hand after playing with soil or gardening showed significant association with E. histolytica infection; while gastrointestinal symptom such as vomiting was associated with E. dispar infection. In conclusion, the study reveals there is still an occurrence of Entamoeba spp. among Orang Asli communities in Slim River, Perak. This implies that good personal and hygiene practices should be enhanced through awareness strategy to control Entamoeba infections in Orang Asli communities in Malaysia.
The ATR kinase of Trypanosoma brucei links DNA damage signalling and monoallelic control of surface antigen gene expression during antigenic variation

To evade mammalian immunity, Trypanosoma brucei switches the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) expressed on its surface. Key to this reaction are controls exerted to ensure only one of many subtelomeric multigene VSG expression sites are transcribed at a time. DNA repair activities have to date been implicated only in catalysis of VSG switching by recombination, not transcriptional control. However, how VSG switching is signalled to guide the appropriate reaction, or to integrate switching into parasite growth, is unknown. Here we show that loss of ATR, a DNA damage signalling protein kinase, is lethal and causes increased nuclear genome lesions. ATR depletion also causes expression of mixed VSGs on the cell surface, increased transcription of genes from silent expression sites, and altered localisation of RNA Polymerase I and VEX1, factors involved in VSG transcription. The work therefore reveals that VSG expression control is mediated by a nuclear DNA damage signalling factor.
Histopathological Alterations of Ceca in Broiler Chickens (Gallus gallus) Exposed to Chronic Heat Stress.

HS has been found to cause adverse effects on small intestinal microstructure, but little is known about its impact on chicken’s cecum. In this research, the histopathological alterations of broiler chicken’s cecum following chronic heat stress were evaluated. 20 broiler chickens were randomly divided into C group and T group each containing 10 replicates. Both groups were reared under standard conditions until 21d of age. At d22 until d42, the C group was kept at 24-28⁰C and 40-55% RH, while the T group was exposed to 36-40⁰C and 45-65% RH for eight hours per day. At the end of the period, proximal part of each chicken’s cecum was collected and made into histopathological slides (H&E). Villus height (VH), villus width (VW), crypt depth (CD), villus surface area (VSA), and villus height to crypt depth (VH:CD) ratio were examined from 10 villi per replicate. Results analysis showed that chronic heat stress profoundly reduced CD (p<0.05). Insignificant changes of villus despite the long heat exposure might imply that the damage is at its early phase. The conclusion is chronic heat stress can produce morphological alterations in the ceca of broiler chickens, though requiring longer duration due to cecum’s durability.
Host evolutionary history predicts virus prevalence across bumblebee species

Why a pathogen associates with one host but not another is one of the most important questions in disease ecology. Here we use transcriptome sequencing of wild-caught bumblebees from 13 species to describe their natural viruses, and to quantify the impact of evolutionary history on the realised associations between viruses and their pollinator hosts. We present 37 novel virus sequences representing at least 30 different viruses associated with bumblebees. We verified 17 of them by PCR and estimate their prevalence across species in the wild. Through small RNA sequencing, we demonstrate that at least 10 of these viruses form active infections in wild individuals. Using a phylogenetic mixed model approach, we show that the evolutionary history of the host shapes the current distribution of virus/bumblebee associations. Specifically, we find that related hosts share viral assemblages, viruses differ in their prevalence averaged across hosts and the prevalence of infection in individual virus-host pairings depends on precise characteristics of that pairing. Author’s Summary Despite the importance of disease in the regulation of animal populations, our understanding of the distribution of pathogen burden across wild communities remains in its infancy. In this study, we investigated the distribution of viruses across natural populations of 13 different bumblebee species in Scotland. In order to accurately assess this distribution, we first searched for viruses using a transcriptomic approach, finding at least 30 new viruses of bumblebees, and assayed a subset of them for their presence and absence in different species. Then, in the first application of these methods to an animal-virus system, we used co-phylogenetic mixed models to investigate the factors that lead to species being infected to different degrees by a subset of these viruses. We found that, while much of the variation in the prevalence of the viruses can be explained by the specifics of individual bumblebee-virus pairings, related bumblebee species being infected to similar degrees with the same sets of viruses has an important contribution to the distribution of viruses across hosts. Consistent with previous work, our study indicates that, while in general the interaction between a host and a virus may be unpredictable, closely related species are more likely to exhibit similar patterns.
Single and competitive adsorption isotherms of some heavy metals onto a light textured calcareous soil amended with agricultural wastes-biochars

ABSTRACT This study investigated the adsorption behavior of selected heavy metals (Pb, Cu, and Ni) under single and multi-metal conditions by a light textured calcareous soil amended with plant residue biochars (corn straw, wheat straw, rice husk and licorice root pulp each at 3% w/w). The Freundlich isotherm best described the heavy metal adsorption suggesting multilayer adsorption. For all treatments under both adsorption conditions, the heavy metal adsorption capacity followed the order of Pb > Cu > Ni, which was associated with the hydrolysis constant, ionic radius, and electronegativity of these metals. Simultaneous presence of multiple metals decreased the adsorption capacity for each metal and the sequence was in the order of Ni > Pb > Cu. The corn straw biochar (CSB) had the highest adsorption capacity (Freundlich Kf (mg g−1) for Ni = 0.23, Cu = 1.41 and Pb = 2.73) and medium distribution coefficient (Kd medium(L kg−1) for Ni = 59.30, Cu = 1961.00 and Pb = 2602.00), indicating the CSB is the best treatment for stabilization of heavy metals in the soil. This was associated with the chemical characteristics of the CSB (high amounts of CaCO3 and P) and the greatest increase in soil pH value.
Diversity of Phytoplankton and Water Quality in Mae Suai Reservoir During the Rainy Season

The diversity of phytoplankton and the water quality were studied at the Mae Suai Dam, Chiang Rai Province from August to October 2016. Specimens were collected from sites located in four different areas; the inlet area, the outlet area, an area adjacent to the residential community and the area used as an agricultural source. A total of 38 genera of phytoplankton consisting of 52 species were obtained from the Mae Suai Dam. The dominant species of phytoplankton were Cosmarium moniliforme (Turpin) Ralfs , Staurastrum cf. longbrachiatum (Borge) Gutwinski, Pseudanabaena sp. , Aulacoseira granulate Ehrenberg (Simonsen) Frustulia sp. and Peridinium sp. The diversity index revealed that the highest values were recorded in October (3.43) and the lowest were recorded in September (3.43). The trophic status of the water was evaluated from the main parameters (AARL-PC Score) during each month and the water was classified as oligo-mesotrophic (September) to mesotrophic status (August and October). These results were indicative of the diversity of phytoplankton present in the water body.
Elevated CO2 concentration improves functional traits and early growth of the widespread species Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell.) Morong

Enterolobium contortisiliquum is a neotropical widespread species that occurs in native Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Caatinga vegetation in Brazil. Outside Brazil, it occurs in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of high carbon dioxide concentration [CO 2 ] on leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll content, chlorophyll a fluorescence , growth, and biomass allocation among roots, stems, and leaves in young plants of E. contortisiliquum . After germination, twenty days old individuals of E . contortisiliquum were grown in open-top chambers (OTC) at two different [CO 2 ] (400 ppm and 700 ppm). Physiological measurements were made when the plants had been grown in OTC for 170, 200, 230, and 260 days. The higher [CO 2 ] favored the early growth of E . contortisiliquum by increasing maximum net photosynthesis (P N ) and water use efficiency. Under high [CO 2 ], root dry mass increased in E . contortisiliquum , which might be a trait that will benefit this species by enhancing water uptake, particularly in seasonally dry environments.
Evaluation of the Amount and Type of Microorganisms in Tooth Brushes and Miswak after Immediate Brushing

Objectives: To evaluate the amount and type of microorganisms attached on tooth brushes with and without fluoride tooth paste and miswak after immediate brushing. Methods: A Cross sectional study was conducted on 29 randomly selected participants. They were instructed to brush their teeth once/week; with tooth brush alone, tooth brush with fluoride tooth paste and miswak alone. The samples were immediately processed for microbiological and scanning electron microscopic investigations. The frequency distribution, mean and standard deviation, were calculated the level of statistical significant difference was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: All the participants cleaned their teeth with tooth brushes alone on the first day while 27 only used tooth brushes with fluoride tooth paste on the second week, whereas 24 participants used the miswak alone. The predominant type of bacteria revealed in the present study was Gram -ve/+ve cocci and Gram –ve/+ve bacilli. There was a direct correlation between tooth brushing methods used and type of bacteria. Friedman repeated measurement test revealed significant differences between the three brushing methods with p = . 000 . The highest count of bacterial number was found in the miswak group and the lowest count in the tooth brush with fluoride tooth paste. Conclusion: The tooth brushes with or without fluoride tooth paste were carrying bacteria after each use including miswak. The tooth brushes should be thoroughly washed with sterile water and disinfected after each use. Additionally, the miswak used tip for brushing should be properly cut and trimmed after each single use.
Characteristics and process controls of statistical flood moments in Europe - a data based analysis

<p>Characteristics and process controls of statistical moments of annual maximum peak discharges, including the mean annual flood (MAF), the coefficient of variation (CV) and the coefficient of skewness (CS), are analyzed for flood series in Europe. The data set consists of observations from 2370 catchments with an average record length of 48 years. The controls are identified by investigating dependencies between the flood moments and catchment area, flood seasonality, climate and catchment characteristics in five regions. The covariates providing the most explanatory power for within-region variability are identified in a regression framework. Preliminary results indicate: MAF and CV are strongly correlated with hydroclimatic catchments characteristics, and to a lesser degree with topography and land use. In the Atlantic region, precipitation is the most important control on the spatial patterns of MAF and CV; in the Mediterranean it is precipitation and aridity; and in Northeastern Europe it is air temperature. </p>
Impact of community pharmacy-based asthma education program on the patients clinical and humanistic outcomes

Asthma illness is a global burden in terms of the extent and durability. There are many indications in Nigeria that asthma is under-diagnosed, under-treated, and uncontrolled in a substantial proportion of the population. Community pharmacists are regarded as the most accessible healthcare professionals and in a viable position to providing services to asthma patients but are often inconsistent and underutilized in its management. This study aimed at evaluating the impact of community pharmacy-based asthma education program on the patients’ clinical and humanistic outcomes. An intervention study was carried out in a registered community pharmacy in Anambra state of Nigeria among adult asthma patients from 18 years old using a one group pre-posttest design between February 2018 and May 2018. Patients recruited for the study initially filled pre-test questionnaire on asthma knowledge, asthma-related quality of life, perceived control of asthma, subjects’ adherence to medication use, and inhaler technique before a two-day educational intervention was given to each subject. Thereafter, a post-test questionnaire that has similar content with the pre-test questionnaire was given. Data was collected and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics were computed for the data of the respondents and Mcnemar test was used to test the statistical difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of each measuring tool. P values < 0.05 were considered to be significant. Among the 21 subjects who completed the study, there was significant improvements in subjects’ knowledge of asthma (P < 0.01), inhaler technique use (P < 0.01), subjects’ adherence to medication (P < 0.01), asthma-related quality of life (P < 0.01), and subjects’ perceived control of asthma (P < 0.01), after the educational intervention. The study demonstrated that the community pharmacist’s educational intervention improved the subjects’ clinical (inhaler technique, subjects’ adherence) and humanistic (asthma-related quality of life, perceived control of asthma, asthma knowledge) outcomes.
Effectiveness of Various Crop Regulation Treatments in Guava (Psidium guajava) cv. L- 49

Crop regulation treatments in Guava viz. one leaf pair pruning, two leaf pair pruning, three leaf pair pruning, GA3 sprays (100, 150 and 200ppm) at flower bud differentiation stage and NAA (600 ppm) at flowering (control) were used to regulate rainy season crop in guava cv. L-49 during the years 2008-2011. Leaf pair pruning at different levels proved to be most effective in avoiding rainy season crop whereas GA3 at different concentrations seem to be ineffective as compared to control. One leaf pair pruning resulted into maximum yield reduction in rainy season with subsequent maximum yield and fruit weight in winter season during the experimental years. Plants with one leaf pruning produced better quality fruits in both the seasons and recorded maximum TSS and ascorbic acid and minimum acidity. Overall profit was also highest in one leaf pair pruning by withholding rainy season crop
Antifungal Efficacy of Saponin Extracted from Phyllanthus niruri

The in-vitro and in-vivo antifungal activities of saponin extracted from Phyllanthus niruri were investigated. The proximate composition of the plant determined using the methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists showed that the moisture, dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, total ash and fat were available in 1.34 g, 98.66 g, 12.33 g 18.45 g, 7.36 g and 2.54 g/100 g respectively. The elemental analysis determined using the Flame- Photometric method reveals the presence of major, minor and trace elements in appreciable quantities. Nine elements; Zn Mn, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe and P were present. The susceptibility of three Trichophyton species determined by the radial- mycelial methods showed that T. mentagrophytes was more susceptible to the saponin. These favourable effects point to the potential of the saponin as a remedy against mycotic infections caused by T. mentagrophytes. The fact that this extract exerted an inhibitory effect on these epidermal fungi indicates that they can potentially be further developed into antifungal clinically used agents.
Institutional Ownership, Political Connestions and Dividend Payment

This study aims to examine the effect of institutional ownership and differences in the average dividend payout policy in the presence of a political connection variable. The population in this study are all companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2008-2017. The sample in this study was based on purposive sampling. The sample of this study were 1157 observations. The analytical method used is a dummy covariance analysis (ANCOVA) regression model. The results showed that institutional ownership had a coefficient value of 0.039768. political connections have a coefficient value of 0.042068. That is, institutional ownership and political connections have a positive influence on dividend payment policies in Indonesia. Article Information