Biodiversity conservation strategy in Malaysia: from an Islamic perspective

The rapid decline of world’s biodiversity and increasing need of natural resources to accommodate the growing population suggest that the current western philosophy of conservation biology is not achieving its mission and objective as expected in Southeast Asia. The existing religious tools and channels for conservation should be seriously considered. There is a high potential in achieving high standards of conservation biology if management of natural resources adheres to the fundamental principles of Islam in Malaysia. However religious approaches are mainly limited to Islamic norms and treated independently in many parts of Southeast Asia, including Malaysia. Therefore there is an urgent need to synergize Islamic concepts in conservation biology with the existing governance system. It is believed if Islamic concepts are genuinely practised and amalgamated into the existing implementation and governance structure in conservation biology, the future for biodiversity in this region will be bright

Kondisi Ekosistem Terumbu Karang di Bentang Laut Kepala Burung Sub Wilayah Kota dan Kabupaten Sorong

Terumbu karang merupakan ekosistem khas di wilayah perairan dangkal di daerah katulistiwa salah satunya di kawasan bentang laut kepala burung di Provinsi Papua Barat dan Provinsi Papua. Wilayah-wilayah di kawasan ini terkoneksi karena kondisi biogeografis, kelautan, genetik antara kawasan terumbu, dan berbagi karakteristik ekologi dan lingkungan Kota dan Kabupaten Sorong merupakan salah satu dari kawasan di bentang laut kepala burung namun informasi tentang kondisi ekosistem terumbu karang masih terbatas. Tulisan ini bertujuan untuk memberikan gambaran kondisi ekosistem terumbu karang di Kota dan Kabupaten Sorong sebagai dasar dalam pengambilan kebijakan pembangunan berkelanjutan. Pengambilan data terumbu karang berdasarkan analisis dokumen dari Loka Pengelolaan Sumberdaya Pesisir dan Laut Sorong, Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan rentang tahun 2017 – 2020.Data terumbu karang diperoleh dengan metode Point Intersect Transect (PIT). Berdasarkan hasil analisis, kondisi terumbu karang di Kota Sorong masuk dalam kategori sedang dengan tutupan karang hidup sebesar 46,8%. Begitu pula dengan kondisi terumbu karang di Kabupaten Sorong masuk dalam kategori sedang dengan tutupan karang hidup sebesar 45,6%. Dengan tingginya aktifitas di wilayah pesisir seperti transportasi laut, perikanan tangkap dan pariwisata, perlu upaya pengelolaan yang baik untuk memitigasi penurunan kondisi terumbu karang di Kota dan Kabupaten Soron

Genetic manipulation studies in Oreochromis niloticus L.

The results of a study aimed at the identification of treatment optima for triploidy induction in recently fertilised Oreochromis niloticus eggs by altering the intensity, duration and timing of application of pressure, heat and cold shocks are reported. Preliminary, but not directly comparable, trials suggested the following treatments to be close to the individual agent optima. Pressure; 8,000 p.s.i. 2 mins, duration applied 9 mins, after fertilisation (a.f.); heat: 41 *C, 3.5 mins, duration applied 5 mins. a.f.; cold: 9 *C. 30 mins, duration applied 7 mins. a-f. In a directly comparable trial in which the eggs of eight different females were separately exposed to the optimum shocks listed above, individual triploid yields were more variable following cold shocks and mean triploid yields were, therefore, higher following pressure and heat shock. The effects of triploidy on sexual development and maturation in female and male fish were examined in successive age groups (4 - 10 months). Significant differences in ovary weight and OSI were found between 3n and 2n females. But 3n males showed normal testis development and some of them could produce aneuploid sperm. The testis weight and OSI of such males were not significantly different compared to 2n. Comparative performance of growth, biochemical composition and endocrine profiles of normal diploids and pressure, heat and cold shocked triploids was investigated. 3n females were not significantly different in growth rate and proximate nutrition parameters compared to the 2n controls but were found to be functionally and endocrinologically sterile. 3n males showed no significant differences in growth or proximate nutrition parameters but were genetically sterile despite showing normal 2n endocrinological profiles and secondary sexual characteristics. Evidence is presented for successful suppression of first cleavage in O. niloticus and thereby the production of mitotic gynogenetics. The optimal parameters for UV irradiation of milt were 300 - 310 pW/cm> for 2 min at 4-C. The optimal pressure shock W.S 9000 p.s.i. for 2 mins at 28 *C at 40 - SO mins a.f. and that for heat was 41 *C for 3.5 mins at 27.5 - 30 mins. a.f. Isozyme analysis of putative mitotic gynogenetic survivors at ADA' locus confirmed homozygosity, therefore, restoration of diploidy occurred by inhibition of first mitosis. Subsequently gene-centromere recombination frequency estimated at six enzyme loci further revealed no recombination between the respective gene and centromere at all the loci. In contrast, recombination frequency in meiotic gynogenetic progeny was 0 - 100* (mean y = 0.41) which suggesting that this probably a reflection of the relative position of the various loci to centromere on their respective chromosomes. Production of heterozygous clones of O. niloticm was successfully carried out by crossbreeding between viable mitotic gynogenetic female and male sibs. At the same time, homozygous clones of the fish was produced by gynogenetic reproduction (retention of 2nd polar body) using optimal pressure/heat shock treatments. The outbred (OCL) and inbred (ICL) nature of two types of clonal lines were checked and identified at ADA' marker locus. A model for the large scale production of such clonal lines is presented. The effect of inbreeding on various phenotypic characters of two types of gynogenetics (meiotic and mitotic) in comparison to full sib controls was investigated. The coefficient of variation values of growth, meristic and all reproductive train were lowest in control, intermediate in meiotic and highest in mitotic gynogenetic group. This study revealed that the expansion of variation in such performance train in both type of gynogenetics was possibly the result of phenotypic expression of unmasked homozygous recessive and deleterious genes due to increasing levels of homozygosity (F value). Mendelian mode of ted body colour inheritance was studied in Egyptian red O. niloOcus and Thai ted tilapia attains. Cross-breeding between ted a ted and ted x wild parents resulted in mostly all red coloured progenies and in some red x wild crosses progenies were also segregated into red and wild types. The F. red hybrids mated infer se and back-crossed to wild type, the progeny phenotype segregated closely into approximating the expected 3 red: 1 wild and 1 red : 1 wild ratios respectively. These results demonstrate that red body colour in two mutant attains of tilapia is controlled by a single autosomal dominant "R" gene. But both the red strains contain differing proportion of heterozygotes (Rr). In order to produce pure breeding strains, it will be important to identify heterozygotes so that the “r" gene can be culled in some way. In this case. Mendelian test-cross technique has been proposed on the light of the present study as a means of probable solution. The possible implications of above results of genetic manipulation study in the aquaculture of Oreochromis spp. are discussed

Mitochondrial dynamics and viral infections: A close nexus.

Viruses manipulate cellular machinery and functions to subvert intracellular environment conducive for viral proliferation. They strategically alter functions of the multitasking mitochondria to influence energy production, metabolism, survival, and immune signaling. Mitochondria either occur as heterogeneous population of individual organelles or large interconnected tubular network. The mitochondrial network is highly susceptible to physiological and environmental insults, including viral infections, and is dynamically maintained by mitochondrial fission and fusion. Mitochondrial dynamics in tandem with mitochondria-selective autophagy 'mitophagy' coordinates mitochondrial quality control and homeostasis. Mitochondrial dynamics impacts cellular homeostasis, metabolism, and innate-immune signaling, and thus can be major determinant of the outcome of viral infections. Herein, we review how mitochondrial dynamics is affected during viral infections and how this complex interplay benefits the viral infectious process and associated diseases

Impact Of Seasonality On Agricultural Productivity In Bangladesh

ABSTRACT This paper studies the impact of seasonality on agricultural productivity in Bangladesh for the period of 1980-2013 for 7 regions. This study exploits regional fixed effect to estimate the impact of both observed and unobserved effects on agricultural productivity in order to control for regional differences. I used a panel dataset for the fixed and random effect regression model to control omitted variables bias and endogeneity. Findings from this study expressed that the effects of all the climate variables are not significant to rice, wheat, and pulse yield. Maximum temperature and minimum temperature wet for rice, minimum temperature dry and rainfall dry for wheat, and maximum temperature dry, rainfall wet, and humidity in both season for pulse are statistically significant and contribute to the crop production. Overall, climatic variables are of paramount importance for seasonality and agricultural productivity in Bangladesh

The impact of email marketing on property availability update for a Portuguese startup

This paper analyses an email campaign – “availability push” – sent to the supply side of the marketplace: landlords. We find that the delivery of the emails increased the update of the properties’ availability by the landlords by 34,15%, the opening increased by 24,96%, and the click by 18,16%. Overall, 3112 offers were updated with this campaign, out of which 84 were considered as out of platform, representing a gain of 2,7% to the company, just with these offers. This campaign was a huge success for the company, and the findings on this paper tend to analyse what influences this success

The essential role of mitochondrial dynamics in antiviral immunity.

Viruses alter cellular physiology and function to establish cellular environment conducive for viral proliferation. Viral immune evasion is an essential aspect of viral persistence and proliferation. The multifaceted mitochondria play a central role in many cellular events such as metabolism, bioenergetics, cell death, and innate immune signaling. Recent findings accentuate that viruses regulate mitochondrial function and dynamics to facilitate viral proliferation. In this review, we will discuss how viruses exploit mitochondrial dynamics to modulate mitochondria-mediated antiviral innate immune response during infection. This review will provide new insight to understanding the virus-mediated alteration of mitochondrial dynamics and functions to perturb host antiviral immune signaling

Area of Nasal Triangle in an Adult Human Dry Skull: An Anatomical Study

  Background: The nose is a piriform aperture on the face having roots and a tip or base. Root is continuous above with the forehead. It is one of the most prominent parts of the face which comprises of bony and cartilaginous portions. The bony part is formed by nasal bone, frontal bone and maxilla. The cartilaginous part is mainly formed by septal, major alar, lateral cartilage, and a few minor cartilages. Present study was carried out with objectives of determining important measurements like distance between right and left infraorbital foramina to nasion, distance between right and left infraorbital foramina and nasal height. Then findings are used to determine nasal index. Methods:  All twenty-five dry adult human skulls are collected from Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Science, and Chitwan Medical College for study. Gender and ethnicity of scapula were undefined. The ethical clearance was taken from IRC-CMC (Ref: CMC-IRC/079/080-050). All damaged skull and small skull of pediatric age group are excluded. Nasal index was calculated by using formula nasal index = nasal width / nasal height X 100. Photographs were taken. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 20 version software and analyzed as frequency and distribution. Total twenty-five of skulls were measured. Results: Among the twenty-four human dry skulls, with one damaged skull is excluded, study showed that right sided mean distance between nasion and right sided infraorbital foramen and left sided mean distance between nasion and left sided infraorbital foramen are 40.57±3.71 mm and 39.53±4.77 mm respectively. The mean distance between right and left infraorbital foramen, mean nasal height and mean nasal index are 46.80±8.52 mm,16.98±3.008 mm and 47.74±10.90 respectively mm i.e., Hyper Leptorrhine (≤54.9). Conclusion: The data obtained from the present study will be useful when repairing the nose, for facial reconstructive surgeries and also in forensic investigation. Keywords: nasal index, nasal height, nasal width, nasal type.   &nbsp