Prevalence, Pathogenicity, Virulence, Antibiotic Resistance, and Phylogenetic Analysis of Biofilm-Producing Listeria monocytogenes Isolated from Different Ecological Niches in Egypt: Food, Humans, Animals, and Environment

Serious outbreaks of foodborne disease have been caused by Listeria monocytogenes found in retail delicatessens and the severity of disease is significant, with high hospitalization and mortality rates. Little is understood about the formidable public health threat of L. monocytogenes in all four niches, humans, animals, food, and environment, in Egypt. This study analyzed the presence of L. monocytogenes collected from the four environmental niches and bioinformatics analysis was implemented to analyze and compare the data. PCR was used to detect virulence genes encoded by pathogenicity island (LIPI-1). prfA amino acid substation that causes constitutive expression of virulence was common in 77.7% of isolates. BLAST analysis did not match other isolates in the NCBI database, suggesting this may be a characteristic of the region associated with these isolates. A second group included the NH1 isolate originating in China, and BLAST analysis showed this prfA allele was shared with isolates from other global locations, such as Europe and North America. Identification of possible links and transmission pathways between the four niches helps to decrease the risk of disease in humans, to take more specific control measures in the context of disease prevention, to limit economic losses associated with food recalls, and highlights the need for treatment options

PENGARUH SUHU DAN LAMA PENGERINGAN PROSES ENKAPSULASI PADA WHEY TERHADAP JUMLAH MIKROBA DAN NILAI pH

ABSTRAKPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh suhu dan lama pengeringan pada proses enkapsulasi Bakteri Asam Laktat dalam whey terhadap jumlah mikroba dan nilai pH. Peneltian ini dilaksanakan pada tanggal 01-30 November 2021 di Laboratorium Pangan 2, Fakultas Peternakan UNISMA. Materi yang digunakan adalah Whey keju, de Man Rogosa Sharpe Agar, tepung maizena, maltodekstrin, dan ZA. Alat yang digunakan adalah timbangan analitik, oven, inkubator 37°C, autoklaf, Colony Counter,  pH meter, dan cawan petri. Metode penelitian ini dilakukan dengan eksperimental menggunakan rancangan acak lengkap (RAL) pola Faktorial dengan 6 perlakuan dan 3 ulangan. Faktor yang diamati yaitu faktor suhu (40°C dan 50°C) dan faktor Lama Pengeringan (5 jam, 6 jam, dan 7 jam). Variabel yang diamati dalam penelitian ini adalah jumlah mikroba dan nilai pH. Data hasil penelitian dianalisis menggunakan Analysis of variance (ANOVA). Uji lanjutan menggunakan jarak berganda (DMRT) utuk mengetahui perbedaan antar perlakuan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa interaksi suhu dan lama pengeringan proses enkapsulasi whey berpengaruh sangat nyata terhadap jumlah mikroba dan nilai pH (P<0,01). Rataan mikroba yaitu S40L5 = 1,5 x 107 c, S40L6 = 2,6 x 106 b, S40L7 = 4,9 x 105 a, S50L5 = 4,9 x 105 a, S50L6 = 1,2 x 106 b, dan S50L7 = 2,1 x 106 b. Rataan nilai pH diperoleh S40L5 = 4,57 bc, S40L5 = 4,59 c, S40L7 = 4,60 c, S50L5 = 4,56 b, S50L6 = 4,47 a, S50L7 = 4,45 a. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian dapat disimpulkan bahwa terdapat interaksi suhu dan lama pengeringan proses enkapsulasi whey terhadap jumlah mikroba dan nilai pH. Kombinasi suhu dan lama pengeringan terbaik terdapat pada perlakuan S40L5 (suhu 400C lama pengeringan 5 jam) untuk jumlah mikroba terbanyak. Disarankan untuk melakukan penelitian lanjutan terkait pemanfaatan whey keju sebagai aditif pakan ternak.   Kata kunci : Enkapsulasi, probiotik, whey keju, bakteri Asam Laktat, nilai p

Brand love impact on the social media and stages of brand loyalty

The primary objective of the current research is to propose and investigate a conceptual model which integrates social media activities and brand love as antecedents and brand loyalty phases as an outcome of brand love. The proposed model is analysed with a sample of 240 fast fashion’s consumers by using a self -structured questionnaire survey technique. PLS -SEM applied for statistical analysis to evaluate the hypnotized linkage between the variables. The results show that social internet marketing has a tremendous impact on brand love in the fast fashion profession. Furthermore, the finding shows that social media, has an indirect constructive effect on the various phases of brand loyalty through brand love. The current research supports the crucial role of social media in marketing and advertising which will assist internet marketers to fully realize brand love and loyalty behavior. The consequence of this particular study might assist marketers to develop the successful communication approach through social networking activities to shape good attitudes and advance brand loyalty, particularly in fast fashion profession

Gambaran Gen Jak2 Pada Penderita Polisitemia Vera Di Laboratorium Center for Biomedical Research (Cebior) Semarang

Background: Polycythemia vera ( PV ) is one of the myeloproliferative Malignancies. The Jak2V617F mutation is found in approximately 96 percent of people with PV. JAK2 gene mutation results in the production of an activated JAK2 protein, which appears to increase the production of blood cells. The identification of Jak2V617F mutation on Polycythemia Vera assists the doctors in diagnosing and determining the target of therapy. This molecular diagnosis is quite common in the developed countries but in Indonesia only Center for Biomedical Research (Cebior) Medical Faculty of Diponegoro University conducts it. The study aims to know the distribution of Jak2 gene on polycythemia vera's patients at Cebior in Semarang from May 2012 to April 2015. Subject and method: The research employs descriptive retrospective observational cross-sectional design. The subject of the study were all patients suspected PV who were reffered to Cebior for Jak2V617F examination during May 2012 to April 2015. Result: Out of 138 patients who were referred for Jak2V617F examination at Cebior, 50 patients with referral diagnosis of PV and the incidence of PV increased every year . The result of the examination showed that 30 patients (60%) were positive of Jak2V617F.Conclusion: The identification of Jak2V617F mutation was done to 50 subjects and identified Jak2V617F mutation in 30 patients . The relatively high incidence of PV in CEBIOR further suggests the importance of the identification of Jak2V617F mutation to established the diagnoses of PV

The Effect of Applying Balanced Scorecard on Earnings Quality among Banks Listed in Palestine Exchange

This paper aims to verify the impact of applying balanced scorecard on earnings quality controlled by Firm (Bank) size of banks listed on Palestine Exchange during the 2011–2019 period. To achieve this objective, a panel model relating to the dependent variable (Earnings quality) and independent variables (Balanced Scorecard components) with the control variable (Firm Size) was estimated, the researchers used financial reports and disclosures of the banks listed on the Palestine Stock Exchange as a tool to collect data, in addition to books, articles, and the previous studies. Descriptive quantitative research design was employed because of the use of quantitative data as proxies for both independent and dependent variables. Panel research strategy was applied for obtaining the cross sectional and longitudinal dimensions. The relationships between the study variables (Earnings quality, BSC components, and Firm Size) were estimated using Eviews version 7 (a statistical software). The results showed statistically significant negative effect of Customer perspective (CUS) on Earnings Quality (EQ); statistically significant positive effect of Internal Business Process perspective (IBP) on Earnings Quality (EQ); and statistically significant positive effect of Firm Size (FS) on Earnings Quality (EQ). In addition, the results showed no statistically significant effect of financial perspective (FP), Social perspective (SP), Learning and Growth perspective (LG), and on Earnings Quality (EQ). Furthermore, the results demonstrated that Earnings Quality of banks listed on Palestine Exchange was not high

Poultry and Beef Meat as Potential Seedbeds for Antimicrobial Resistant Enterotoxigenic Bacillus Species: A Materializing Epidemiological and Potential Severe Health Hazard

Although Bacillus cereus is of particular concern in food safety and public health, the role of other Bacillus species was overlooked. Therefore, we investigated the presence of eight enterotoxigenic genes, a hemolytic gene and phenotypic antibiotic resistance profiles of Bacillusspecies in retail meat samples. From 255 samples, 124 Bacillus isolates were recovered, 27 belonged to B. cereusand 97 were non-B. cereus species. Interestingly, the non-B. cereus isolates carried the virulence genes and exhibited phenotypic virulence characteristics as the B. cereus. However, correlation matrix analysis revealed the B. cereus group positively correlates with the presence of the genes hblA, hblC, and plc, and the detection of hemolysis (p \u3c 0.05), while the other Bacillus sp. groups are negatively correlated. Tests for antimicrobial resistance against ten antibiotics revealed extensive drug and multi-drug resistant isolates. Statistical analyses didn’t support a correlation of antibiotic resistance to tested virulence factors suggesting independence of these phenotypic markers and virulence genes. Of special interest was the isolation of Paenibacillus alvei and Geobacillus stearothermophilus from the imported meat samples being the first recorded. The isolation of non-B. cereus species carrying enterotoxigenic genes in meat within Egypt, suggests their impact on food safety and public health and should therefore not be minimised, posing an area that requires further research

ANALISIS DAYA SAING EKSPOR PRODUK PERIKANAN INDONESIA: PENDEKATAN MODEL REVEALED COMPARATIF ADVANTAGE ( RCA) DAN MODEL CONSTANT MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS (CMSA)

Riset bertujuan untuk menganalisis daya saing ekspor produk perikanan Indonesia telah dilakukan pada tahun 2004. Secara spesifika, metode Revealed Comparatif Advantages (RCA), dan metode Constant Market Share Analys,s (CMSA) digunakan untuk mengetahui komoditas komoditas yang memiliki tingkat pertumbuhan permintaan yang tinggi atau memiliki tingkat dayasaing yang tinggi baik berupa keunggulan komparatif maupun keunggulan kompetitif agar mendukung kegiatan investasi dan produksi yang menjadikan sektor perikanan sebagai primemover perekonomian yang baru

Prevalence of the Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Coagulase-Positive-and Negative-Staphylococcus in Chicken Meat Retailed to Consumers

The use of antibiotics in farm management (growing crops and raising animals) has become a major area of concern. Its implications is the consequent emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and accordingly their access into the human food chain with passage of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) to the normal human intestinal microbiota and hence to other pathogenic bacteria causative human disease. Therefore, we pursued in this study to unravel the frequency and the quinolone resistance determining region, mecA and cfr genes of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCNS) and methicillin-susceptible coagulase-negative staphylococci (MSCNS) isolated from the retail trade of ready-to-eat raw chicken meat samples collected during one year and sold across the Great Cairo area. The 50 Staphylococcus isolated from retail raw chicken meat were analyzed for their antibiotic resistance phenotypic profile on 12 antibiotics (penicillin, oxacillin, methicillin, ampicillin-sulbactam, erythromycin, tetracycline, clindamycin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim and vancomycin) and their endorsement of the quinolone resistance determining region, mecA and cfr genes. The isolation results revealed 50 isolates, CPS (14) and CNS (36), representing ten species (S. aureus, S. hyicus, S. epidermedius, S. lugdunensis, S. haemolyticus, S. hominus, S. schleiferi, S. cohnii, S. intermedius and S. lentus). Twenty seven isolates were methicillin-resistant. Out of the characterized 50 staphylococcal isolates, three were MRSA but only 2/3 carried the mecA gene. The ARG that bestows resistance to quinolones, β-lactams, macrolides, lincosamides and streptogramin B (MLS(B)) in MRSA and MR-CNS were perceived. According to the available literature, the present investigation was a unique endeavor into the identification of the quinolone-resistance-determining-regions, the identification of MRSA and MR-CNS from retail chicken meat in Egypt. In addition, these isolates might indicate the promulgation of methicillin, oxacillin and vancomycin resistance in the community and imply food safety hazards

Proposing an inclusive model of travellers' visit intention and time perspective revisit intention

The tourism industry is one of the most crucial contributors to the economy of Malaysia. The antecedent of travellers’ behaviour and the various reasons for their visit and revisit intention is one of the significant factors that would help marketers to attract more tourists and maintain the sustainability of the industry. There is a lack of a comprehensive model to discuss various aspects of tourist visit intention and time perspective revisit intention, which was also rarely explored in previous literature. The current research is a concept nature study that attempts to fill this gap by proposing a complete comprehensive model of visit intention to predict the underlying reasons affecting travellers’ intention to visit. Based on this review, the following main aspects were recognized to impact travellers’ intention to visit which includes the “information source”, “travel constraints”, “destination image”, “traveller motivation”, “traveller experience”, and “risk perception”. The current paper aims to contribute to the sustainable tourism literature by providing a wide-ranging insight on traveller’s visit and time perspective revisit intention and could act as a point of reference for future studies on sustainable tourism development in Asian countries

Gamification to Empower Information Security Education

47% of the world population uses the internet daily, and access is growing also in less developed countries (LDCs). As a consequence, a total of almost 1 billion households in the world have internet access, of which 48 million belong from LDCs (ITU, 2016). A large proportion of internet users are teenagers, who often are not aware of all the risks related to sharing private information through the Internet using for instance social networks. This paper summarizes how much time students pass online, in what activities they prefer to be involved, which risks they are confronted with, and what can be done to reduce them. The solution we propose isan investment on the teacher level, recognized here as a key figure to be trained to become I (information) Secure Agent via an online course. The course will follow a gamified approach for empowering information security education. Our assumption is that gamification will have positive effects on participants’ engagement and goal achievemen