A noninvasive molecular approach: exploiting species-locus-specific PCR primers in defeating numts and DNA cross-contamination of cercopithecidae

The lack of a standardized, noninvasive molecular approach to studying genetic aspects of primates has made it hard for primatologists to decode the evolutionary history of these species. Researchers must optimize their own techniques to fully exploit the available samples. Lack of species-locus-specific primers also contributes to difficulties in using noninvasive genetic samples. Thus, the objectives of this study were to develop a standardized technique to collecting samples noninvasively, propose newly designed species-locus-specific primers, and optimize conditions for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Macaca fascicularis, M. nemestrina, Trachypithecus cristatus, and T. obscurus. Nine new species-locus-specific primers for three different loci of mitochondrial DNA, namely D-loop, cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), and cytochrome b, were successfully designed. These primers proved to be efficient in amplifying larger datasets (up to ~1,000 bp) of the targeted species in the optimized PCR conditions. The species-locus-specific primers are able to anneal to host DNA alone in highly contaminated feces of highlighted species. They can also offer alternatives measures in avoiding contamination related to nuclear insertion of mitochondrial pseudogenes (numts)

A comparative study of dermatoglyphic markers in schizophrenia patients and normal controls

Background: Schizophrenia is a complex mental illness with multiple etiological factors. Prenatal insult to the developing foetus has been implicated as a major risk factor for the genesis of schizophrenia, according to the neuro-developmental model. As the brain and skin are ectodermal derivatives, insult to developing brain is reflected in several dermatoglyphic markers.Methods: Total finger ridge count (TFRC), Total A-B ridge count (TABRC) and ATD Angle of 100 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia were compared with 100 age and sex matched healthy controls.Results: Statistically significant differences were observed in the values recorded and compared between healthy controls and schizophrenia patients.Conclusions: This study shows the correlation between abnormalities in dermatoglyphic patterns and development of schizophrenia

Tax Literacy Rate Among Taxpayers: Evidence From Malaysia

The extent of taxpayer knowledge can have a major impact on the degree of compliance with taxation rules and regulation. Low knowledge creates uncertainty about requirements of the tax regulation and can lead to high degree of involun-tary non-compliance. This study high¬lighted the importance of taxation knowledge by measuring Malaysian’s tax payers’ tax literacy rate taking into consideration the following criteria: 1) Individual ability to fill the tax return form inde¬pendently, 2) Taxpayer’s interest in learning about tax, and 3) Incident of errors in filling the tax re¬turn forms. Questionnaires were used in this study to ascertain the tax liter-acy rate. The results in¬dicate that among the respondents, professionals group has the highest percentage of tax literacy and the formers have the lowest percentage. Majority of the businessmen paid for services for fill¬ing tax return forms and high rank officers are the highest among the group for not employing oth¬ers for filling the tax forms. Businessmen have the highest incidence of error in filling tax return form and most of teachers reported no error in filling such forms. Most business-men showed interests and were willing to spend time to learn about taxation. They perceived taxation knowledge as an important tool for themselves and also for their family. Overall results indicate that more than 60% of respondents are tax lit-erate. However, a significant number of them are actually‘ functionally tax illiter-ate’. Most of them thought that they knew a lot about taxation as they had read them in the tax literature sent to them by the IRB. However, the evidence was con-trary to this conjecture. The in¬formation on the extent of taxpayers’ knowledge is potentially useful to the tax authorities to assist them in developing effective com-pliance enhancement policie

To comply or not to comply : an empirical study of the relationship and impact of the combined code on uk firms

Prior studies have shown that the majority of FfSE 350 firms do not fully comply with the Code of Corporate Governance (henceforth known as the Code). This is puzzling since the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has advocated the benefits of having high corporate governance standards and yet it would seem that not many firms are taking this initiative seriously. Therefore I am motivated to find reasons why most of the firms still decided not to take this kind of opportunity to inform their shareholders that they are working in tandem with the principles of the Code and would rather following their own measures or standards of good governance. In order to address this, I will investigate what makes the firms that fully comply with the Code differ from than those that do not in term of safeguarding the welfare of stakeholders and controlling managers' behaviour, what set of principles within the Code matter most to the shareholders, and what are the potential costs to the firms if they do not fully comply with the Code. I found that firms that claim full compliance with the Code gave higher compensation to CEOs and lesser disclosure on long term compensation plan. I also discover that firms that comply with the important principles in the Code have lower analyst bias and larger analyst following. There is also some evidence that firms are trying to mask their underperformance by claiming full compliance with the Code in their annual report. I also find that firms that have a low compliance rate with the Code will attract higher negative news than firms that fully comply with the Code. This suggests that there is more than merely claiming full compliance with the Code in the annual report and regulators need to rethink their direction in term of formulating more relevant guidance or principles for promoting better governance among firms

Torrefaction of palm biomass briquettes at different temperature

The climate change has driven towards transformation from the high energy dependence on fossil fuel to inexhaustible renewable energy such as solar, wind, mini hydro and biomass. In Malaysia, abundant of palm biomass residues are produced during the processing of fresh fruit bunch. Therefore it is inevitable to harness these bioenergy sources in order to prevent waste accumulation at adjacent to palm mills. In order to utilize such bioenergy sources and to cope with the fast growing demand of energy, combination technique of densification and torrefaction is one of the potential ways to be practised. In the present study, the physical and combustion properties of torrefied empty fruit bunch (EFB) briquettes were investigated experimentally with constant nitrogen flow rate of 1 l/min, for various torrefaction temperatures (225 °C-300 °C). Before torrefaction process, EFB briquettes were initially produced under controlled condition with compaction pressure of 7 MPa and briquetting temperature of 150 °C. In general, the torrefied EFB briquettes were successfully produced in the present study. The results show that an increase in torrefaction temperature from 225°C to 300℃ causes a significant increase in gross calorific value (from around 17400 kJ/kg to 25000 kJ/kg), fixed carbon content (from 16.2% to 46.2%) and ash content (from 2.4% to 17.2%). On the other hand, relaxed density and volatile matter decrease, from 1017 kg/m3 to 590 kg/m3 and from 73.1% to 29.7%, respectively. As a conclusion, the gross calorific value and fixed carbon content are improved due to torrefaction. In addition, it was found that gross calorific value and moisture content of the torrefied EFB briquettes fulfil the requirement for commercial briquette production as stated by DIN51731 (gross calorific value>17500 kJ/kg and moisture content <10%)

A training monitoring system for cyclist based on wireless sensor networks

This paper presents a training monitoring system for cyclist that is based on the technology of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). A stable and reliable wireless cyclist monitoring system is vital to establish a smart and efficient sports management program. A training monitoring system has been developed and tested in a real cyclist training environment in a velodrome. The system is designed is such a way that the packet loss rate is minimum. Using TelG mote as the basis, customized sensor nodes that function as a forwarder node and the relay nodes are developed to form the WSN. This WSN is linked to the cloud network on the Internet. The cloud network is then established and end users application for data accessing is designed. Several experiments have been conducted in a real scenario in a velodrome to measure the reliability of the system architecture. It is shown from the experiments that the proposed system is reliable even when the cyclist is moving at a high speed. The packet loss is less than 2% which does not give a huge impact to the data transmission

Rhizanthes lowii (Becc.) Harms. (Rafflesiaceae), a new record from Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary, Sarawak, Malaysia

Rhizanthes lowii (Becc.) Harms., a new species record from the Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary, Sarawak is re-described and illustrated. The blooms show outstanding features that include its orange-white batik pattern half-way through every tepal with very dense hairs covering the entire inner side of the tepals. Its host is Tetrastigma diepenhorstii (Vitaceae)

o-Vanillin derived Schiff Bases and their Organotin(IV) Compounds: Synthesis, structural characterisation, in-Silico studies and cytotoxicity

Six new organotin(IV) compounds of Schiff bases derived from S-R-dithiocarbazate [R = benzyl (B), 2- or 4-methylbenzyl (2M and 4M, respectively)] condensed with 2-hydroxy-3- methoxybenzaldehyde (oVa) were synthesised and characterised by elemental analysis, various spectroscopic techniques including infrared, UV-vis, multinuclear (1H, 13C, 119Sn) NMR and mass spectrometry, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The organotin(IV) compounds were synthesised from the reaction of Ph2SnCl2 or Me2SnCl2 with the Schiff bases (S2MoVaH/S4MoVaH/SBoVaH) to form a total of six new organotin(IV) compounds that had a general formula of [R2Sn(L)] (where L = Schiff base; R = Ph or Me). The molecular geometries of Me2Sn(S2MoVa), Me2Sn(S4MoVa) and Me2Sn(SBoVa) were established by X-ray crystallography and verified using density functional theory calculations. Interestingly, each experimental structure contained two independent but chemically similar molecules in the crystallographic asymmetric unit. The coordination geometry for each molecule was defined by thiolate-sulphur, phenoxide-oxygen and imine-nitrogen atoms derived from a dinegative, tridentate dithiocarbazate ligand with the remaining positions occupied by the methyl-carbon atoms of the organo groups. In each case, the resulting five-coordinate C2NOS geometry was almost exactly intermediate between ideal trigonal-bipyramidal and squarepyramidal geometries. The cytotoxic activities of the Schiff bases and organotin(IV) compounds were investigated against EJ-28 and RT-112 (bladder), HT29 (colon), U87 and SJ-G2 (glioblastoma), MCF-7 (breast) A2780 (ovarian), H460 (lung), A431 (skin), DU145 (prostate), BE2-C (neuroblastoma) Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20, 854 2 of 34 and MIA (pancreatic) cancer cell lines and one normal breast cell line (MCF-10A). Diphenyltin(IV) compounds exhibited greater potency than either the Schiff bases or the respective dimethyltin(IV) compounds. Mechanistic studies on the action of these compounds against bladder cancer cells revealed that they induced the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The bladder cancer cells were apoptotic after 24 h post-treatment with the diphenyltin(IV) compounds. The interactions of the organotin(IV) compounds with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) were experimentally explored using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. This study revealed that the organotin(IV) compounds have strong DNA binding affinity, verified via molecular docking simulations, which suggests that these organotin(IV) compounds interact with DNA via groove-binding interactions