Identification polypeptide biomarkers of porcine skin gelatin by two-dimensional electrophoresis

The peptide composition of gelatin is known to vary very common that the electrophoretic pattern of gelatin from one source differs from another source even for the same raw material. Therefore, the present study aimed to use proteomics field to identify gelatin polypeptides biomarker for depending on the condition under which collagen is hydrolyzed. Hence, it is porcine skins. The polypeptides obtained for porcine skin gelatins can be used as reference in future to detect the origins of gelatin added in the processed food. We compared porcine skin gelatin samples obtained from three producers. Total average numbers of polypeptides of porcine skin gelatins from company A, B and C were 303 ± 2.8, 285.5 ± 3.5 and 270.5 ± 4.9 spots respectively. 10 biomarkers were identified and presented in all different companies. We also did a mixture of porcine and bovine skin gelatin to detect the presence of these 10 biomarkers. The level of adulteration that could be detected was as low as 1.0% w/w

Mathematical Learning Approach for Special Education Pupils: The Effectiveness of Mauselis Board in Improving Adding Skills

Mathematic learning difficulties are common, significant, and worthy of serious attention. Many issues that have had an impact on bilingual education have also had an impact on Special Education.  One of the issues is, adding skill. Adding skill is one of the most crucial skills that every pupil needs to acquire with learning disabilities. The use of ‘MauSeLis Board’ (Maujud-Sebut-Tulis) which means ‘Concrete-Pronounce-Write’ in the classroom has been an effective tool for helping Special Education pupils in building up their skills in adding and reading the numbers aloud. This study investigates the improvement of the pupils with learning disabilities’ adding skill in Mathematic subject at school. The study's sole objective was (i) to identify the Mauselis board's effectiveness in Mathematical subjects among Special Education pupils. The MauSeLis board was invented for teaching and learning purposes based on the Bruner Theory and CRA Model (Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract). The data collection was conducted through pre-test and post-test conducted on 20 pupils with learning disabilities as respondents in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The study found significant differences in terms of their adding-questions scores before and after using MauSelis Board in teaching and learning sessions. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage to describe the Pre and Post Test results. The research study's finding showed a positive result as the Special Education pupils who involved in the study showed consistent improvement throughout the sessions. This study also found that MauSeLis Board in teaching and learning sessions is a highly effective approach that develops a deep and better understanding of mathematic skill among the Special Education pupils as well as contributing to active, fun, and meaningful learning session. In conclusion, this study summarises that the teaching and learning approach among special needs pupils should emphasize effective hands-on activities rather than rote learning

Mathematical Learning Approach for Special Education Pupils: The Effectiveness of Mauselis Board in Improving Adding Skills

Mathematic learning difficulties are common, significant, and worthy of serious attention. Many issues that have had an impact on bilingual education have also had an impact on Special Education.  One of the issues is, adding skill. Adding skill is one of the most crucial skills that every pupil needs to acquire with learning disabilities. The use of ‘MauSeLis Board’ (Maujud-Sebut-Tulis) which means ‘Concrete-Pronounce-Write’ in the classroom has been an effective tool for helping Special Education pupils in building up their skills in adding and reading the numbers aloud. This study investigates the improvement of the pupils with learning disabilities’ adding skill in Mathematic subject at school. The study's sole objective was (i) to identify the Mauselis board's effectiveness in Mathematical subjects among Special Education pupils. The MauSeLis board was invented for teaching and learning purposes based on the Bruner Theory and CRA Model (Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract). The data collection was conducted through pre-test and post-test conducted on 20 pupils with learning disabilities as respondents in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The study found significant differences in terms of their adding-questions scores before and after using MauSelis Board in teaching and learning sessions. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage to describe the Pre and Post Test results. The research study's finding showed a positive result as the Special Education pupils who involved in the study showed consistent improvement throughout the sessions. This study also found that MauSeLis Board in teaching and learning sessions is a highly effective approach that develops a deep and better understanding of mathematic skill among the Special Education pupils as well as contributing to active, fun, and meaningful learning session. In conclusion, this study summarises that the teaching and learning approach among special needs pupils should emphasize effective hands-on activities rather than rote learning

UNJUK KERJA PROSES PIROLISIS KATALITIK LIMBAH BAN BEKAS MENJADI BAHAN BAKAR CAIR DITINJAU DARI JUMLAH KATALIS, VARIASI TEMPERATUR, DAN WAKTU OPERASI

Indonesia's domestic rubber consumption is largely absorbed by the manufacturing industry, especially the automotive industry. The more production of vehicle, the more people will produce tires. As a result, the waste of tires in the environment is increasing. One of the alternatives to reduce the amount of tires waste is produce it become liquid fuel by catalytic pyrolysis method. The purpose of this research is to analyze percent yield liquid product and to obtain characteristics of liquid fuel observed by the number of catalyst, variation of temperature, and operation time. The result shown that the optimum temperature is 400oC using 10% NZ catalyst with product yield of 13.0284%. The optimum NZ catalyst is 2% at 300oC with product yield of 5.7946%. Also the optimum time operation is 180 minutes using 10% NZ catalyst with product yield of 9.7965%. The liquid fuel oil spesifications obtain diesel oil by testing density, viscosity, and flash point. The liquid fuel also analyzed by the GC-MS method, and it can be concluded that the liquid fuel of tires waste is mixture of gasoline (C8-C12) and diesel (C13-C20)

Wealth effect and macroeconomics factors of a firm’s international merger and acquisition exercise: empirical evidence from multinational firms

The aim of this study is to examine the influence of macroeconomic factors on the wealth effects of international merger and acquisitions by Malaysian multinational companies (MNCs). There are three macroeconomics factors: foreign economic condition, gross national product (GNP) correlation between countries and the level of the economic development of a target country. A random sample of 165 international mergers and acquisitions by Malaysian bidding MNCs in 22 countries around the world in the period of 2000–2010 was recruited for this study. A negative relationship between the foreign economic condition and the wealth effect and a positive relationship between the level of economic development of target country and the wealth effect has been found through this study. This implies that the foreign economic condition and level of economic development of the target country significantly determine the value creation of the Malaysian cross-border acquisitions. Therefore, Malaysian MNCs, which intend to use the acquisition mode of entry as the way to venture abroad, should take into consideration these macroeconomic factors in order to increase their foreign investment value

The homeostatic dynamics of feeding behaviour identify novel mechanisms of anorectic agents.

Better understanding of feeding behaviour will be vital in reducing obesity and metabolic syndrome, but we lack a standard model that captures the complexity of feeding behaviour. We construct an accurate stochastic model of rodent feeding at the bout level in order to perform quantitative behavioural analysis. Analysing the different effects on feeding behaviour of peptide YY3-36 (PYY3-36), lithium chloride, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), and leptin shows the precise behavioural changes caused by each anorectic agent. Our analysis demonstrates that the changes in feeding behaviour evoked by the anorectic agents investigated do not mimic the behaviour of well-fed animals and that the intermeal interval is influenced by fullness. We show how robust homeostatic control of feeding thwarts attempts to reduce food intake and how this might be overcome. In silico experiments suggest that introducing a minimum intermeal interval or modulating upper gut emptying can be as effective as anorectic drug administration

Probiotic properties of Bacillus strains isolated from stingless bee (Heterotrigona itama) honey collected across Malaysia

This study aimed to isolate, identify, and evaluate the probiotic properties of Bacillus species from honey of the stingless bee Heterotrigona itama. Bacillus spp. were isolated from five different H. itama meliponicultures, and the isolates were characterized through Gram-staining and a catalase test. Tolerance to acidic conditions and bile salt (0.3%), hydrophobicity, and autoaggregation tests were performed to assess the probiotic properties of the selected isolates, B. amyloliquefaciens HTI-19 and B. subtilis HTI-23. Both Bacillus isolates exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and possessed significantly high survival rates in 0.3% bile solution for 3 h. Their survival rates in acidic conditions were also comparable to a commercial probiotic strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. Interestingly, the hydrophobicity and autoaggregation percentage showed no significant difference from L. rhamnosus GG, a commercial probiotic strain. The results from this study suggest that B. amyloliquefaciens HTI-19 and B. subtilis HTI-23 isolated from stingless bee honey have considerably good probiotic properties. Therefore, more studies should be done to investigate the effects of these bacteria cultures on gastrointestinal health

Narrative Review: Use of Competent Stimulating Peptide in Gene Transfer Via Suicide Plasmid in Streptococcus pneumoniae

Natural competency for genetic transformation of Streptococcus pneumoniae causes the emergence of novel or non-vaccine preventable pneumococcal serotypes. This phenomenon has become a global concern as it can spread quickly in the population through inhalation and close contact. The colonisation of S. pneumoniae at the upper respiratory tract can either become commensal or pathogenic. Once the bacterium invades into the body system, it will secrete its toxin and virulence protein to facilitate the invasion. Besides, S. pneumoniae can undergo natural biological transformation via uptake of exogenous DNA by horizontal gene transfer for integration and recombination of the genome. S. pneumoniae natural transformation is aided by competence-stimulating peptide (CSP) that induces the competence of bacteria. Natural transformation cascade of S. pneumoniae via CSP is triggered in the presence of conserved 17-amino acids peptide which is regulated and encoded by comC, comD and comE operon, where comC is responsible in secreting precursor CSP. Nowadays, researchers transforming S. pneumoniae by inserting the mutated S. pneumoniae gene through a vector, suicide plasmid. Suicide plasmids such as pID701, pAUL-A and pVA891 can be transferred but cannot replicate in the bacteria. Homologous recombination process occurs once the mutated gene of suicide plasmid is integrated with wild-type S. pneumoniae. Previous studies had used the transformation of suicide plasmid into S. pneumoniae as it can integrate with host DNA at specific insert for gene transfer. But there is no evidence on the role of CSP in horizontal/gene replacement via suicide plasmid in Streptococcus pneumoniae. This narrative review's scope as per defined purpose statement is to relate and recommend the use of competent stimulating peptide in efficient horizontal gene transfer via suicide plasmids in Streptococcus pneumoniae.Keywords: Streptococcus pneumoniae transformation; CSP-based transformation; Gene transfer via suicide plasmid; Genetic exchange; Competence-stimulating peptid