Antibacterial activity of ovary extract from sea urchin Diadema setosum

Objective: Sea urchin gonad is considered as a highly prized delicacy in several countries. It is also rich in valuable bioactive compounds including polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and β-carotene. This study was undertaken to examine the antimicrobial properties of the ovary extract from sea urchin Diadema setosum against selected Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Materials and methods: The ovary extract was obtained using two different solvents such as methanol and chloroform. The obtained extract was used to examine its potential antimicrobial properties against the following 11 bacterial species using the disc diffusion method: Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella flexneri, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aeromonas hydrophila, Acinetobacter sp, Citrobacter freundii and Klebsiella pneumonia) and Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus). The activity was measured in terms of zone of inhibition (mm). Results: The methanol extract exhibited a higher zone of inhibition against all the bacteria taken for examination. Whereas, the ovary extract obtained by chloroform did not show any antimicrobial activity against S. typhi, S. epidermidis, C. freundii and K. pneumonia. The results indicated that the ovary extract obtained by methanol extracts are capable of inhibiting the growth of pathogenic microbes taken for analysis. Moreover, the result indicates the presence of antimicrobial agents in sea urchin ovary. Conclusions: The study suggests that the ovary extract of D. setosum may be a potential source of antimicrobial agent for pathogenic microorganisms

Population dynamics of yellowtail scad, Atule mate (Cuvier 1833) in Marudu Bay, Sabah, Malaysia

The yellowtail scad, Atule mate, forms important fisheries throughout the Indo-Pacific region. To know about the stock status of A. mate in Malaysia, various population parameters were measured, by utilizing length-frequency data, that included asymptotic length (L∞), growth coefficient (K), mortality rates (Z, F and M), exploitation level (E) and recruitment pattern of this species from Marudu Bay, Sabah, Malaysia. Total length and body weight relationship was estimated as W = 0.007TL3.148 (R2 = 0.937). The asymptotic length (L∞) and growth coefficient (K) were estimated 27.80 cm and 1.50 yr−1, respectively. Total mortality (Z), natural mortality (M) and fishing mortality (F) were found to be 4.53, 2.46 and 2.07 yr−1, respectively. The exploitation level (E) was estimated 0.46. It was showed that the recruitment pattern was continuous with two major peaks per year. Relative yield per recruit predicted a maximum exploitation rate (Emax) which was 0.55. The current E value (0.46) is lower than the optimum exploitation (E = 0.50) as well predicted Emax. Therefore, it could be concluded that stock of A. mate in the investigated area of Marudu Bay, Sabah is under exploited

Volumetric properties and resilient modulus of stone mastic asphalt incorporating cellulose fiber

Stone mastic asphalt (SMA) is well known as a high coarse aggregate content that interlocks to form a stone skeleton that resist permanent deformation. However, it facing a lot of problems such as rutting and stripping because of the high temperature and repeated axial load. It also suffers with creep issue. The cellulose fiber is a type of synthetic fiber that can enhance the properties of asphalt mixture. Thus, the aim of this study is to utilize the cellulose fiber that has high tensile strength to overcome the problem of SMA. Among the tests involve are Resilient Modulus, Marshall Stability and Cantabro Loss. From the results, it shows that the addition of cellulose fiber improved the recovery ability of asphalt binder. From each test, the addition of 0.2% cellulose fiber contributes to lowest value of abrasion, while 0.3% producing highest value of resilient modulus. Thus, the addition of cellulose fiber is capable in enhancing the properties of SMA

UNDER BUMP METALLURGY (UBM)-A TECHNOLOGY REVIEW FOR FLIP CHIP PACKAGING

ABSTRACT Flip chip packaging technology has been utilized more than 40 years ago and it still experiencing an explosives growth. This growth is driven by the need for high performance, high volume, better reliability, smaller size and lower cost of electronic consumer products. Wafer bumping is unavoidable process in flip chip packaging, thus, picking the correct bumping technology that is capable of bumping silicon wafer at high yield and a high reliability with lower cost is challenging. This paper discusses the available wafer bumping technologies for flip chip packaging. The discussion will be focused on process assembly, solder ball compatibility, design structure and lastly cost which translated to overall product costs

Amino acid analysis of lipases from oil pollutant isolates: Cunninghamella verticillata and Geotrichum candidum

Lipase is an enzyme commonly used in food, dairy, and other industries. Fungal lipases are more commonly used due to their secretion and easier production. Analyses of the amino acid composition of microbial lipases will hasten their potential usage in industrial applications. In this study, the major amino acid compositions of lipases secreted by oil pollutant isolates (Cunninghamella verticillata and Geotrichum candidum) enriched with fatty substances were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. Among eight major amino acids found in these lipases, histidine and ornithine were predominant. Lysine was absent from lipase generated by C. verticillata, while glutamine was absent from that produced by G. candidum. Conversely, glutamic acid, asparagine, histidine and arginine were present in slightly higher amounts in G. candidum. However, a slight decrease in aspartic acid and ornithine was observed in G. candidum. Analyses of the amino acids composition of lipase can potentially facilitate to predict the nature of this enzyme

Effect of pipe size on acetylene flame propagation in a closed straight pipe

The understanding of flame propagation mechanism in a tube or pipe as a function of scale is needed to describe explosion severity. Acetylene is an explosively unstable gas and will lead to a violent explosion when ignited. To achieve the goal, an experimental study of premixed acetylene/air mixture at stoichiometry concentration was carried out in a closed straight pipe with different sizes of L/D (ratio of length to diameter) to examine the flame propagation mechanism. Pipes with L/D=40 and 51 were used. From the results, it was found that the smaller pipe with L/D=40 enhanced the explosion severity by a factor of 1.4 as compared to that of the bigger pipe with L/D=51. The compression effect at the end of the pipe plays an important role to attenuate the burning rate, leading to higher flame speeds and hence, increases the overpressure. In the case of L/D=40, the compression effect is more severe due to the larger expansion ratio, and this phenomenon would decrease the quenching effect and subsequently promote flame acceleration. Fast flame speeds of up to 600 m/s were measured in the smaller pipe during explosion development. From the results, it can be seen that the compression effect plays a major role in contributing to the higher burning rate and affects the overall explosion and flame speed development. Furthermore, the compression effect is more severe in the smaller pipe that leads to the detonation-like event. This mechanism and data are useful to design a safety device to minimise explosion severity

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

Twelve-month observational study of children with cancer in 41 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction Childhood cancer is a leading cause of death. It is unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted childhood cancer mortality. In this study, we aimed to establish all-cause mortality rates for childhood cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the factors associated with mortality. Methods Prospective cohort study in 109 institutions in 41 countries. Inclusion criteria: children <18 years who were newly diagnosed with or undergoing active treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, retinoblastoma, Wilms tumour, glioma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma. Of 2327 cases, 2118 patients were included in the study. The primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality at 30 days, 90 days and 12 months. Results All-cause mortality was 3.4% (n=71/2084) at 30-day follow-up, 5.7% (n=113/1969) at 90-day follow-up and 13.0% (n=206/1581) at 12-month follow-up. The median time from diagnosis to multidisciplinary team (MDT) plan was longest in low-income countries (7 days, IQR 3-11). Multivariable analysis revealed several factors associated with 12-month mortality, including low-income (OR 6.99 (95% CI 2.49 to 19.68); p<0.001), lower middle income (OR 3.32 (95% CI 1.96 to 5.61); p<0.001) and upper middle income (OR 3.49 (95% CI 2.02 to 6.03); p<0.001) country status and chemotherapy (OR 0.55 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.86); p=0.008) and immunotherapy (OR 0.27 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.91); p=0.035) within 30 days from MDT plan. Multivariable analysis revealed laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR 5.33 (95% CI 1.19 to 23.84); p=0.029) was associated with 30-day mortality. Conclusions Children with cancer are more likely to die within 30 days if infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, timely treatment reduced odds of death. This report provides crucial information to balance the benefits of providing anticancer therapy against the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children with cancer

Pooled analysis of WHO Surgical Safety Checklist use and mortality after emergency laparotomy

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist has fostered safe practice for 10 years, yet its place in emergency surgery has not been assessed on a global scale. The aim of this study was to evaluate reported checklist use in emergency settings and examine the relationship with perioperative mortality in patients who had emergency laparotomy. Methods In two multinational cohort studies, adults undergoing emergency laparotomy were compared with those having elective gastrointestinal surgery. Relationships between reported checklist use and mortality were determined using multivariable logistic regression and bootstrapped simulation. Results Of 12 296 patients included from 76 countries, 4843 underwent emergency laparotomy. After adjusting for patient and disease factors, checklist use before emergency laparotomy was more common in countries with a high Human Development Index (HDI) (2455 of 2741, 89.6 per cent) compared with that in countries with a middle (753 of 1242, 60.6 per cent; odds ratio (OR) 0.17, 95 per cent c.i. 0.14 to 0.21, P <0001) or low (363 of 860, 422 per cent; OR 008, 007 to 010, P <0.001) HDI. Checklist use was less common in elective surgery than for emergency laparotomy in high-HDI countries (risk difference -94 (95 per cent c.i. -11.9 to -6.9) per cent; P <0001), but the relationship was reversed in low-HDI countries (+121 (+7.0 to +173) per cent; P <0001). In multivariable models, checklist use was associated with a lower 30-day perioperative mortality (OR 0.60, 0.50 to 073; P <0.001). The greatest absolute benefit was seen for emergency surgery in low- and middle-HDI countries. Conclusion Checklist use in emergency laparotomy was associated with a significantly lower perioperative mortality rate. Checklist use in low-HDI countries was half that in high-HDI countries.Peer reviewe