Cloning And Expression Profiling Of Discus Fish (Symphysodon Aequifasciata) Prolactin Receptor (PRLR).

Ikan diskus (Symphysodon aequifasciata) ialah sejenis ikan hiasan yang terkenal dengan sifat penjagaan keibubapaan yang berterusan. Discus fish (Symphysodon aequifasciata) is a popular ornamental fish that uniquely exhibits extensive parental care behaviour

Is work from home (WFH) feasible for university language educators in the post COVID-19 era?

This study investigated the effects of work from home (WFH) on language educators in Malaysian universities gauging specifically their perceptions on its advantages and disadvantages during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed-methods research design was employed involving 152 language educators. The results revealed that although the overall mean scores were rather neutral, language educators were more inclined toward positive effects of WFH, most notably in terms of saving communing time and being closer to family. However, the negative effects were missing colleagues and feeling glued to the computer. The results also shed interesting insights into Malaysian language educators’ high confidence in focusing on their tasks and using tools to fulfill their teaching and work-related responsibilities. The outcome from this study is a guiding model that not only informs the literature on the feasibility of WFH in the higher education context but also highlights pertinent areas of concern for its future planning and implementation

Motivation and Gender Differences in Learning Spanish as A Foreign Language in A Malaysian Technical University

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to investigate student motivation and gender differences in learning Spanish as a foreign language in the Malaysian context. Method - Student motivation was measured by means of a self report questionnaire based on Gardners social psychological model. The questionnaire contained both close-ended and open-ended questions to provide both quantitative and qualitative information. The participants consisted of 448 students from Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Spanish Institute where Spanish is a compulsory subject. Findings - The findings showed that the students were highly motivated toward learning Spanish. No significant differences were found between integrative and instrumental motivations and gender. Nonetheless, both quantitative and qualitative results suggested that the students were slightly more instrumentally inclined but simultaneously appreciated the target language and culture. This was particularly the case for the female students who showed significantly higher instrumental motivation in Spanish learning. Significance - The study supports the claim that motivation is context-specific and at the same time provides a better understanding of a Malaysian situated phenomenon. Its findings have underscored that different learning contexts have different impacts on student motivation. It is hoped that the understanding of Malaysian student motivation may contribute useful insights to improve the curriculum and instruction of foreign language learning

Upregulated mRNA expression of desaturase and elongase, two enzymes involved in highly unsaturated fatty acids biosynthesis pathways during follicle maturation in zebrafish

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although unsaturated fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n-3), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n-3) and arachidonic acid (ARA, C20:4n-6), collectively known as the highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA), play pivotal roles in vertebrate reproduction, very little is known about their synthesis in the ovary. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) display capability to synthesize all three HUFA via pathways involving desaturation and elongation of two precursors, the linoleic acid (LA, C18:2n-6) and linolenic acid (LNA, C18:3n-3). As a prerequisite to gain full understanding on the importance and regulation of ovarian HUFA synthesis, we described here the mRNA expression pattern of two enzymes; desaturase (fadsd6) and elongase (elovl5), involved in HUFA biosynthesis pathway, in different zebrafish ovarian follicle stages. Concurrently, the fatty acid profile of each follicle stage was also analyzed.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>mRNA levels of fadsd6 and elovl5 in different ovarian follicle stages were determined by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays. For analysis of the ovarian follicular fatty acid composition, gas chromatography was used.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our results have shown that desaturase displayed significant upregulation in expression during the oocyte maturation stage. Expression of elongase was significantly highest in pre-vitellogenic follicles, followed by maturation stage. Fatty acid composition analysis of different ovarian follicle stages also showed that ARA level was significantly highest in pre-vitellogenic and matured follicles. DHA level was highest in both late vitellogenic and maturation stage.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Collectively, our findings seem to suggest the existence of a HUFA synthesis system, which could be responsible for the synthesis of HUFA to promote oocyte maturation and possibly ovulation processes. The many advantages of zebrafish as model system to understand folliculogenesis will be useful platform to further elucidate the regulatory and mechanism aspects of ovarian HUFA synthesis.</p