Population growth model for Blatella bisignata cockroach

This paper aims to present the logistic population growth model for Blatella bisignala cockroach based on experimental data, conducted in the Botanical Laboratory of the School of Science and Technology, University Malaysia Sabah

Anthelmintic activity of papaya seeds on Hymenolepis diminuta infections in rats

The purpose of this study is to see the anthelmintic activity potential of papaya seeds against Hymenolepis diminuta in rats. The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the effectiveness of papaya seeds on helminths especially H. diminuta in rats and (2) to determine the effective dose level on helminths in rats. Thirty six male rats from strain Sprague-Dawley were chosen as samples in this experiment. Two types of dose level were used for papaya seeds treatments such as 0.6 g kg-1 and 1.2 g kg-1. The geometric mean (GEM) was used to calculate mean for eggs per gram (EPG) before and after the treatment to be included in the reduction percentage calculation. After 21 days post treatment, necropsies were done to get the worm count and the GEM was used to calculate the efficacy percentage for the treatment. Results from this study showed that the reduction percentages in EPG for papaya seeds treatment for both doses level were very high which is 96.8% for 0.6g kg-1 dose level and 96.2% for 1.2 g kg-1 dose level. Whereas the efficacy percentage based on the worm counts for both doses level were also very high that was 90.77% for 0.6 g kg-1 dose level and 93.85% for 1.2 g kg-1

Kajian infestasi ektoparasit pada mamalia kecil di Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Kajian mengenai kadar infestasi ektoparasit pada mamalia kecil telah dijalankan di tujuh kawasan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu, Sabah yang terpilih. Sejumlah 214 ekor mamalia kecil daripada sembilan spesies iaitu Rattus norvegicus, Rattus rattus, Rattus exulans, Rattus ·argentiventer, Rattus tiomanicus, Maxomys rajah, Mus castaneus, Sundamy muelleri (kesemuanya Order: Rodentia) dan Suncus murinus (Order: Soricomorpha) yang ditangkap. Kemudian sebanyak 9,941 ektoparasit yang berjaya dikumpul dari mamalia kecil tadi dan boleh dikategorikan kepada lima kumpulan iaitu kutu (Order: Phthiraptera), pinjal (Order: Siphonaptera), sengkenit (Order: Ixodida), tungau (Order: Mesostigmata) dan ciger (Order: Trombidiformes). Order Mesostigmata mempunyai bilangan famili yang terbanyak iaitu enam famili (Dermanyssidae, Diplopodophilus, Ixodorhynchidae, Lealapidae, Macronyssidae clan Pryoglyphidae). Manakala order Phthiraptera: Polyplacidae, Ixodida: Ixodidae, Trombidiformes: Myobiidae dan Siphonaptera: Pulicidae, masing-masing mempunyai satu famili sahaja Namun begitu bilangan individu yang paling tinggi hanya pada order Phthiraptera (4,522) diikuti Mesostigmata (4,070), Trombidiformes (1,099), Siphonaptera (176) dan Ixodida (74). Prevalens keseluruhan ektoparasit pada mamalia kecil di Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu sangatlah tinggi dengan 96. 73%. Hanya tujuh ekor mamalia kecil yang tidak diinfestasi oleh mana-mana ektoparasit. Dari peratusan ini empat kawasan mempunyai prevalens sebanyak 100% iaitu Pasar Besar KK, Taman Indah Permai, Pulau Gaya dan Plaza Damai. Mariakala yang lainnya kurang sedikit daripada 100% iaitu Anjung Selera (90.63%), Taman Kingfisher (91.18%) dan Pelabuhan KK (98.15%). Dengan prevalens yang tinggi ini maka kajian menyeluruh harus terus dijalankan terutamanya pada bahagian pengenalpastian spesies ektoparasit agar kesan jangkitan yang disebabkan oleh spesies tersebut dapat dikenalpasti, seterusnya langkah-langkah pencegahan awal dapat diambil dengan sewajarnya Perkaitan antara mamalia kecil dengan ektoparasit juga harus terus dikaji dan diusahakan pengumpulan datanya. Semoga dengan data yang diperoleh ini sedikit sebanyak membantu dalam menyumbang maklumat khususnya dalam bidang parasitologi perubatan dan kesihatan awam

A Preliminary Study of Parasitic Infections of Some Fishes from Kinabatangan River, Sandakan, Sabah

A survey of fishes of the Kinabatangan River was conducted to determine the fish types, abundance and prevalence of parasitic infection. The fishes were collected with gill nets in two distinct areas, named Abai and Bilit. Eleven fish species in ten genera and ten families were encountered. The family Ariidae formed 36.3% of the total number of individuals (n=80) while the rest were Pangasiidae (15%), Siluridae (11.3%), Cyprinidae (10%), Engraulidae (7.5%), Bagridae (6.3%), Toxotidae (6.3%), Sciaenidae (3.8%), Megalopidae (2.5%) and Clariidae (1.3%). Both ectoparasites and endoparasites especially intestinal helminth were recorded. The ectoparasite infestation rate was 45% whereas the endoparasite remain only 17.5%. The overall parasitic infection rate was more than half of sample (53.8%).This preliminary data indicated that almost half of the population of fishes from these areas could be exposed to parasitic infection

Gastrointestinal protozoan parasites amongst school children in Inanam, Sabah

Intestinal parasitosis is still an important public health problem. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal protozoan parasites (GIP) in schoolchilden and its association with socio-economic and environmental factors. A series of sample collections for stool was carried out in Sekolah Kebangsaan Inanam II, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Samples from 100 schoolchildren were examined by direct smear and formol-ether concentration techniques. The modified Kato-Katz technique was performed to estimate the parasitic burden, expressed in the number of protozoa per gram of stool. The proportion of overall infected samples was 31%. When ranked by proportion, parasite loads were found as follows: Entamoeba histolytica (83.87%), Giardia lamblia (35.48%), Entamoeba coli (22.58%), Entamoeba hartmanni (25.81%), Iodamoeba butschlii (19.35%) and Endolimax nana (6.45%). Both single and double infections in the study had equal percentages (35.48%), followed triple infection (29.03%). There were no significant effects of protozoan infection on weight, height, attendance to school and examination results of the schoolchildren (Independent Group t-Test; p > 0.05). No significant association were found between the protozoan infection and the socio-economic and environmental factors (gender, age, occupation status of mother, house area category and the degree of household crowding). We conclude that the parasitic burden amongst the schoolchildren of Sekolah Kebangsaan Inanam II is minimal and is of less concerned

Relationship between the carapace width and body weight increments and the confirmation of Stage 1 ovary after molting of the immature orange mud crab, Scylla olivacea, (Herbst, 1796) in captivity

This study describes the relationships between the carapace width (CW) and body weight (BW) increments and the confirmation of Stage 1 ovary after the molting of immature orange mud crabs, Scylla olivacea, in captivity. Morphological coloration and histological assessments were done on 165 immature female S. olivacea. Healthy crabs were sampled from the Setiu Wetlands in the coastal waters of Terengganu on the Malaysian Peninsula from July to September 2015. Thirty crabs were sacrificed for a preliminary study as a standard (control) in which the gonads (if available) were dissected for histological study. The remaining crabs (n=135) were selected for subsequent analysis (limb autotomy). Compared to the controls, the molted crabs generally did not produce any difference in the stage of the ovaries (remaining in Stage 1) but were observed to have larger oocytes. This demonstrated that the limb autotomy technique may activate hormone regulation, thus triggering vitellogenesis in the mud crab. There were also positive correlations between CW and BW (P=0.001, P<0.01) and significant differences through regression analysis (P=0.002, P<0.01) with the equation y = 2.61x + 6.27 (R2=0.069). These results can be useful for developing baseline data for further crab management in Malaysia

Biochemical changes of cryopreserved seminal plasma and spermatozoa of the giant grouper Epinephelus lanceolatus after preservation and transportation using dry-ice

The present study aims to investigate the effects of exposure of the seminal plasma and spermatozoa of the giant grouper Epinephelus lanceolatus to dry ice ( 79 C) during transport on their quality. In all, 15 amino acid compounds were determined. The quantification of total proteins were measured using the Bradford method, and amino acid concentration were measured using the HPLC method. The cryopreserved seminal plasma was transferred from a liquid nitrogen tank to a styrofoam box filled with dry ice. Total protein and amino acids were measured after 24, 48, and 72 h. For comparative purposes, total protein and fifteen compound of amino acid were also measured. Both parameters were also measured after the cryopreserved seminal plasma were immersed in liquid nitrogen after 24 and 48 h exposed to dry ice. The results showed that the exposure of seminal plasma to dry ice for 24, 48 and 72 h during transportation or immersion back into the liquid nitrogen after 24 and 48 h does not change the total protein levels either in seminal plasma or spermatozoa. However, the level of each amino acid compound in the seminal plasma had significantly decrease

Fish Biodiversity and Water Quality of Tropical Forest Streams Adjacent to the Western Boundary of Kinabalu Park, Sabah

Modification and degradation of habitats outside the boundaries of a national park may result in the park's integrity being compromised. Thus, the present study aims to document variation in freshwater fish and water quality of tropical forest streams adjacent to the western boundary of Kinabalu Park, Sabah. Concurrently, fish samples and environmental parameters were collected at six stations covering a total streamline length of 10 km. The three most abundant species were Tor tambra (34.4%), Barbodes sealei (19.5%), and Lobocheilos ovalis (12.4%). Tor tambra exhibited a negative allometric growth pattern (coefficient < 3) and was in poor to fair condition (0.8 < Fulton’s condition factor < 1.2). The highest fish abundance was found in downstream stations with species addition. Metrics of diversity, such as Shannon's diversity index and the Margalef index of species richness, decreased as elevation increased from 100 to 600 metres above sea level. The water quality of the forest streams is good, classified as Class I and/or Class II by Malaysia's National Water Quality Standards, except for ammoniacal nitrogen at station 6, which was classified as Class III. Higher turbidity, orthophosphate, and ammoniacal-nitrogen values were found near the Podos village. In conclusion, the altitudinal gradient of fish biodiversity was observed in the forest streams near Kinabalu Park. Regular water quality monitoring of the downstream river is necessary, as indicated by the potential domestic impacts on the river

Survey of freshwater fish in Kadamaian area, western Sabah

The freshwater fish fauna was surveyed in forest streams located in the Kadamaian area, Sabah during the Borneo Geographic Expedition 2019. Fish samples were obtained from six stations by electrofishing from an upstream to downstream direction. A total of four families, 12 genera, and 14 species of fish were recorded from the present study. The most dominant family was Cyprinidae (10 species; 71.43%), followed by Gastromyzontidae (2 species; 14.29%), Nemacheilidae (1 species; 7.14%), and Mastacembelidae (1 species; 7.14%). The number of species was low in upstream stations at higher altitude but substantially higher in downstream stations with lower altitude. Economically valuable fish, Tor tambra was found at all stations. Gastromyzon monticola which is endemic to Sabah was also recorded at most stations