Development of recombinant cells encoding surface protein of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis against caseous lymphadenitis in goats

Caseous lymhadenitis is an infectious disease caused by an intracellular bacterium, Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. Control is via vaccination. This report describes construction of two recombinant cells; one that carried the putative surface-anchored protein, the SpaA (pET32/LIC-SP31) and the other the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase protein, the GAPDH (pET32/LIC-SP40). The recombinant cells were introduced into goats before aAntibody response by the goats and protective capacities of the recombinant cells were measured. Fifteen goats were divided into3 groups. Group 1 was injected intramuscularly with PBS, Groups 2 and 3 were injected on days 0 and 14 with 106CFU/ml of recombinant pET32/LIC-SP31 and pET32/LIC-SP40 cells, respectively. Serum samples were collected weekly to determine the antibody levels using ELISA. Two weeks after the last vaccination, all goats were challenged subcutaneously with 109CFU/ml of live C. pseudotuberculosis. The results revealed that goats exposed to the recombinant cells showed significantly (p0.05) higher level in the first 7 weeks than the recombinant pET32/LIC-SP31. Following challenge at week 6, abscesses were observed in the lymph nodes of all groups while C. pseudotuberculosis was successfully isolated. The recombinant cells were able to induce humoral response but failed to protect the goats against challenge by live C. pseudotuberculosis

The Necessity of Financial Literacy for Women Business Triumph: A Qualitative Study

Women entrepreneurs continue to be the torchbearers of society and nations in their pursuit of economic growth and social development through employment creation, innovation and poverty reduction. Nonetheless, financial literacy is an intangible resource that is required for growth, success, and long-term competitive advantage. However, a notable hindrance to the progress of women entrepreneurs is the absence of adequate financial literacy. The objective of this research was to ascertain the importance of financial literacy concerning the achievement of women entrepreneurs. In order to achieve the research objectives, a qualitative investigation was conducted, wherein interview data was gathered according to the OECD core competencies framework on financial literacy for entrepreneurs from a sample of twenty-three women entrepreneurs. The participants were selected based on the criteria of having a business that has been operational for at least five years. The results indicate that financial literacy considering the three dimensions assessed: financial knowledge, skills and attitude significantly influences the efficacy of women entrepreneurship. Consequently, it is recommended that women entrepreneurs engage in group-based and targeted training programmes to acquire the necessary skills to enhance their financial literacy

The Breeding Ecology of the Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala in Central Peninsular Malaysia

The Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala) populations in Putrajaya and Shah Alam, Peninsular Malaysia, have increased by almost 10%–13% every year. If this trend continues, it is believed that habitat overlap may occur between this species and the Milky Stork (Mycteria cinerea), which is currently threatened with extinction. Habitat overlap could lead them to compete for food and other necessary resources, and consequently, one species would outcompete another. However, little is known about the breeding ecology of the Painted Stork in Peninsular Malaysia. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the breeding ecology of the Painted Stork and examine its nesting characteristics and their effects on breeding success. Direct observations were made of colonies in the Upper Bisa Putrajaya Wetland (UBPW) and Tasik Shah Alam (TSA) during the breeding season from March to September 2016 and 2017. The peak of the breeding season was in June, and no differences were found in nesting colony parameters between study sites, including the nest diameter and nest building period, except for nest height. The average height above the ground level of TSA nests was higher than in UBPW. Human activities near the nesting site in Shah Alam may have led to the birds constructing nests higher to prevent disturbance and predation. Nest diameter and nest building period were influenced by the number of nestlings raised by parents. These findings provide new information that may be used in management programs to control Painted Stork populations and can be useful for conserving threatened species, particularly the Milky Stork.</jats:p

Optimization of anthocyanins extracts from roselle (Hibiscus sabdarifa) petals using ultrasonic-assisted extraction method

Roselle petals contain high anthocyanins, a good antioxidant, and natural dark red colorants. Anthocyanins help in reducing risks of cardiovascular disease and colon cancer. But anthocyanins are easily affected by extraction process. Therefore, this study proposed a new method of extracting anthocyanins using ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) from roselle petals with three extraction parameters. The extraction parameters are sample’s particle size (0.125, 0.375 and 0.625 mm), solvent to solid ratio (10:1, 15:1 and 20:1 mL solvent/g solid) and extraction time (5, 10 and 15 min). The optimization of process parameters aims to achieve the highest extraction yield of extract, Total Anthocyanins Content (TAC), and Antioxidant Activity (AA). The results show that 0.125 mm of particle size, 10:1 mL solvent/g solid, 15 min of extraction obtained the best percent mass yield (64.72%), TAC (70.97 mg/L), and AA (90.05%). Method-wise, this study showed that the ultrasonic-assisted extraction gives better quality of roselle petals extracts than the maceration extraction