Isolation of a pigment-producing bacterium chryseobacterium sp. from the tentacle of holothuria (lessonothuria) pardalis (Selenka 1867) from Pulau Tinggi, Johor

Chryseobacterium sp, a bacteria producing pigment was isolated from the tentacles of Holothuria (Lessonothuria) pardalis (Selenka 1867) from Pulau Tinggi, Johor. This study aimed to observe and genetically identified the presence of bacteria focusing on pigmentproducing bacteria. Thus, the partial 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence of bacteria obtained and the shape, number of bacteria and gram staining observed using a digital compound microscope. Six gene sequence successfully obtained and the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis suggested three species of bacteria identified from genus Pseudomonas, Chryseobacterium and Klebsiella. Besides, the neighbourhood-joining and Maximum Likelihood method had been used in the phylogenetic analysis to support the identification of bacteria species. The visible spectra of Chryseobacterium sp. were recorded between 400nm to 600nm which is a visible spectrum for carotenoid; orange pigment. However, further analysis is needed to confirm the characterisation and the potential of this pigment in industria

Self-Configurable Current-Mirror Technique for Parallel RGB Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) Strings

Traditional current-mirror circuits require buck converter to deal with one fixed current load. This paper deals with improved self-adjustable current-mirror methods that can address different LED loads under different conditions with the help of one buck converter. The operating principle revolves around a dynamic and self-configurable combinational circuit of transistor and op-amp based current balancing circuit, along with their op-amp based dimming circuits. The proposed circuit guarantees uniformity in the outputs of the circuit. This scheme of current-balancing circuits omitted the need for separate power supply to control the load currents through different kinds of LEDs, i.e. RGB LEDs. The proposed methods are identical and modular, which can be scaled to any number of parallel current sources. The principle methodology has been successfully tested in Simulink environment to verify the current balancing of parallel LED strings

Isolation of bacteria associated with the tentacles of holothuria (lessonothuria) pardalis (selenka 1867) from Pulau Tinggi, Johor including pigment-producing chryseobacterium sp.

Pigment-producing microorganisms have become a main focus due to the search of food-grade microbial pigments for natural food colourant industry. Therefore, this study aimed to isolate and genetically identify bacteria including pigmentproducing bacterial strains associated with the tentacles of Holothuria (Lessonothuria) pardalis (Selenka 1867) from Pulau Tinggi, Johor. Morphological characteristics of bacteria based on Gram staining were observed using a digital compound microscope. Partial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing was also incorporated to support the morphological approach. A number of six partial gene sequences of non-protein coding 16S rRNA were obtained and the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis suggested the presence of three known bacteria species from the genera of Pseudomonas, Chryseobacterium and Klebsiella. The neighbourhood-joining method and Maximum Likelihood method used in the phylogenetic analysis supported the identification and classification of the bacteria species. Among the bacterial isolates, only strain B14 identified as Chryseobacterium sp. produced pigment i.e. orange pigment. The highest point of cell density of Chryseobacterium sp. was recorded at 16 hours. However, further analysis is needed to confirm the pigment characterisation and the potential of this pigment to be exploited as natural colourant in the food industry

DNA barcoding of holothuria (mertensiothuria) leucospilota from Pulau Tinggi, Johor

Sea cucumber or locally known as gamat and timun laut is a well-known attraction of Pulau Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia. Not only limited to Pulau Langkawi, sea cucumber can also be found in other coastal water areas of Malaysia. However, the species richness and genetic diversity of sea cucumber in Pulau Tinggi, Johor is still unknown to the marine scientific communities, especially for Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) leucospilota, the most dominant species in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aimed to generate DNA barcodes of H. leucospilota from Pulau Tinggi. Protein-coding cytochrome c oxidase 1 (CO1) mtDNA gene was used as it is commonly and widely used for molecular species identification via DNA barcoding. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing were incorporated to generate the DNA barcodes of CO1 mtDNA gene. The BLAST program confirmed the species status of the sea cucumber specimens as H. leuscospilota or locally known as bat puntil or white threads fish. The application for GenBank, NCBI, U.S. National Library of Medicine registration was successfully accepted on October 17, 2019 with accession numbers of MN580537 and MN580538). The phylogenetic trees i.e neighbor joining tree (NJ, distancebased method), maximum parsimony tree (MP, character-based method) and maximum likehood tree (ML, character-based method) reconstructed using MEGA X software version 10.0.5 (BETA) further supported the species status of the sea cucumber specimens from Pulau Tinggi as H. leuscospilota. This is the first record of CO1 mtDNA barcodes of H. leuscospilota from Pulau Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia

Nephroprotective Activity of Green Microalgae, Chlorella sorokiniana Isolated from Jordanian Water

Nephropathy is a global health issue that affects more than 20% of the adult population. Nephropathy is expected to be the fifth leading cause of death worldwide over the coming two decades. The introduction of green microalgae in nutrition and therapeutics for their biological activities is increasing. The current study examined the effect of Chlorella sorokiniana on renal health after inducing nephrotoxicity in mice. Preliminary screening of the algal aqueous extract revealed the presence of soluble polyphenols and triterpenoids. Successive intraperitoneal doses of gentamicin were administered to mice to induce nephrotoxicity. Concurrent intraperitoneal doses of the algal extract were administered to the infected mice to evaluate their nephroprotective activity. Two different concentrations of the treatment agent were administered in successive doses to two groups of mice. The tested concentrations were 150 and 300 mg/kg of mouse weight, respectively. The other two groups were either left untreated (normal control) or treated only with antibiotics (negative control). Creatinine, urea, and uric acid levels were analyzed in both serum and urine samples to evaluate the renal health of each animal group. Histochemical examination of the renal tissues was performed to assess the damage and improvement status. In vivo studies revealed a promising and significant nephroprotective activity of C. sorokiniana

An efficient color LED driver based on self-configuration current mirror circuit

The string channel of Color LED driver with precise current balancing is proposed. It is noted that to drive a multiple LEDs string is by using a proper current source, due to the level of the brightness LED depends on the quantity of the current flows. In the production of LEDs, the variation in the forward voltage for each LED has been found significantly high. This variation causes different levels of brightness in LEDs. Then, controlling load current of LED by using a resistor to limit the LED current flowing is considered by associated with the forward voltage, instantly. Current sources have been designed to become immune to the above problem since it regulates the current, and not the voltage which flows through the LEDs. Hence, constant current source is the essential requirement to drive the LEDs. Besides, it is complex for color LEDs, dependent on the number of control nodes and dimming configuration. To arrange an accurate load current for the different sets of string color LEDs, the efficient LED driver is required, in which the current sharing is complement to each LED strings. Therefore, this paper suggests a color LED driver with self-configuration of enhanced current mirrors in multiple LED strings. The load currents have been efficiently balanced among the identical loads and unequal loads. The comparable efficiency of the string color LEDs losses has been shown thoroughly

The status of hepatitis C virus infection among people who inject drugs in the Middle East and North Africa.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: People who inject drugs (PWID) are a key population at high risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The aim of this study was to delineate the epidemiology of HCV in PWID in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). METHODS: Syntheses of data were conducted on the standardized and systematically assembled databases of the MENA HCV Epidemiology Synthesis Project, 1989-2018. Random-effects meta-analyses and meta-regressions were performed. Meta-regression variables included country, study site, year of data collection and year of publication [to assess trends in HCV antibody prevalence over time], sample size and sampling methodology. Numbers of chronically infected PWID across MENA were estimated. The Shannon Diversity Index was calculated to assess genotype diversity. RESULTS: Based on 118 HCV antibody prevalence measures, the pooled mean prevalence in PWID for all MENA was 49.3% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 44.4-54.1%]. The country-specific pooled mean ranged from 21.7% (95% CI = 4.9-38.6%) in Tunisia to 94.2% (95% CI = 90.8-96.7%) in Libya. An estimated 221 704 PWID were chronically infected, with the largest numbers found in Iran at 68 526 and in Pakistan at 46 554. There was no statistically significant evidence for a decline in HCV antibody prevalence over time. Genotype diversity was moderate (Shannon Diversity Index of 1.01 out of 1.95; 52.1%). The pooled mean percentage for each HCV genotype was highest in genotype 3 (42.7%) and in genotype 1 (35.9%). CONCLUSION: Half of people who inject drugs in the Middle East and North Africa appear to have ever been infected with hepatitis C virus, but there are large variations in antibody prevalence among countries. In addition to > 200 000 chronically infected current people who inject drugs, there is an unknown number of people who no longer inject drugs who may have acquired hepatitis C virus during past injecting drug use. Harm reduction services must be expanded, and innovative strategies need to be employed to ensure accessibility to hepatitis C virus testing and treatment

Epidemiology of Chlamydia trachomatis in the Middle East and north Africa: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression.

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of Chlamydia trachomatis in the Middle East and north Africa is poorly understood. We aimed to provide a comprehensive epidemiological assessment of C trachomatis infection in the Middle East and north Africa. METHODS: We did a systematic review of C trachomatis infection as well as a meta-analysis and meta-regression of C trachomatis prevalence. We searched PubMed and Embase, as well as regional and national databases up to March 13, 2019, using broad search terms with no language or year restrictions. Any document or report including biological measures for C trachomatis prevalence or incidence was eligible for inclusion. We extracted all measures of current (genital or rectal), recent, and ever infection with C trachomatis. We estimated pooled average prevalence in different populations using random-effects meta-analysis. Factors associated with prevalence and sources of between-study heterogeneity were determined using meta-regression. FINDINGS: We identified a total of 1531 citations, of which 255 reports contributed to 552 C trachomatis prevalence measures from 20 countries. No incidence measures were identified. Pooled prevalence of current genital infection was 3·0% (95% CI 2·3-3·8) in general populations, 2·8% (1·0-5·2) in intermediate-risk populations, 13·2% (7·2-20·7) in female sex workers, 11·3% (9·0-13·7) in infertility clinic attendees, 12·4% (7·9-17·7) in women with miscarriage, 12·4% (9·4-15·7) in symptomatic women, and 17·4% (12·5-22·8) in symptomatic men. Pooled prevalence of current rectal infection was 7·7% (4·2-12·0) in men who have sex with men. Substantial between-study heterogeneity was found. Multivariable meta-regression explained 29·0% of variation. Population type was most strongly associated with prevalence. Additional associations were found with assay type, sample size, country, and sex, but not with sampling methodology or response rate (about 90% of studies used convenience sampling and >75% had unclear response rate). There was no evidence for temporal variation in prevalence between 1982 and 2018. INTERPRETATION: C trachomatis prevalence in the Middle East and north Africa is similar to other regions, but higher than expected given its sexually conservative norms. High prevalence in infertility clinic attendees and in women with miscarriage suggests a potential role for C trachomatis in poor reproductive health outcomes in this region. FUNDING: National Priorities Research Program from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation)

An exploratory analysis of new firm foundings by trading community members and their survival

Prior research shows the importance of trading communities in the Indian economy. We investigate whether these trading communities have an advantage in firm founding and/or firm survival. While prior research suggests that trusted within-community networks enable access to resources and knowledge and help support entrepreneurs from these communities, some scholars show that community ties constrain entrepreneurial options and produce lock-in. We hypothesise that trading communities in India have higher founding and survival rates and we find strong support for our hypotheses. Our research contributes to research on communities and entrepreneurship, and to our understanding of the Indian entrepreneurial context