Persistence of chloramphenicol in the fish flesh patin (Pangasius hypothalamus) and tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Introduction: Increasing antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a serious global problem. This study was aimed to extract the antibiotic Chloramphenicol (CAP) from different parts of the fish flesh. Methods: Fish fleshes were excised from two commercially important fishes: Oreochromatis niloticus.(Red Tilapia) and Pangasius hypothalamus (Patin). The fleshes were chosen form head and tail region where generally antibiotics are spiked to avoid bacterial contamination while kept in cold storages of supermarkets. Each fish fleshes were weighed and spiked with 20,40,80 and 160ppm of CAP and stored at 4°C. The CAP residue from the flesh was extracted immediately after the first spiking was considered as Day-1. The whole extraction processes were done for 1,7,14 and 28 days. HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) was used to determine the presence of CAP residue in the tested fish flesh. Results: The results showed variations on the percentage of antibiotic residue recoveries at different concentration. In this study, CAP did not degrade and showed variations on the presence of antibiotic residue in the fish flesh. The recoveries of the entire CAP spiking samples ranged from 4.0% -100%. It also revealed the presence of antibiotic residue in Malaysian freshwater cultured fishes. Thus, the relevant authorities should take immediate action regarding this issue in order to prevent the harmful effects especially to human. Conclusions: Nevertheless, the study portrays that antibiotic residues can be sustained long time in the food products under storage conditions, which might have harmful effects on human when they consumed these frozen fishes

Immunization against Leishmania major Infection Using LACK- and IL-12-Expressing Lactococcus lactis Induces Delay in Footpad Swelling

BACKGROUND: Leishmania is a mammalian parasite affecting over 12 million individuals worldwide. Current treatments are expensive, cause severe side effects, and emerging drug resistance has been reported. Vaccination is the most cost-effective means to control infectious disease but currently there is no vaccine available against Leishmaniasis. Lactococcus lactis is a non-pathogenic, non-colonizing Gram-positive lactic acid bacterium commonly used in the dairy industry. Recently, L. lactis was used to express biologically active molecules including vaccine antigens and cytokines. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We report the generation of L. lactis strains expressing the protective Leishmania antigen, LACK, in the cytoplasm, secreted or anchored to the bacterial cell wall. L. lactis was also engineered to secrete biologically active single chain mouse IL-12. Subcutaneous immunization with live L. lactis expressing LACK anchored to the cell wall and L. lactis secreting IL-12 significantly delayed footpad swelling in Leishmania major infected BALB/c mice. The delay in footpad swelling correlated with a significant reduction of parasite burden in immunized animals compared to control groups. Immunization with these two L. lactis strains induced antigen-specific multifunctional T(H)1 CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells and a systemic LACK-specific T(H)1 immune response. Further, protection in immunized animals correlated with a Leishmania-specific T(H)1 immune response post-challenge. L. lactis secreting mouse IL-12 was essential for directing immune responses to LACK towards a protective T(H)1 response. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This report demonstrates the use of L. lactis as a live vaccine against L. major infection in BALB/c mice. The strains generated in this study provide the basis for the development of an inexpensive and safe vaccine against the human parasite Leishmania

Analysis of dependence in the G11 countries' financial markets: simulation and empirical evidence

This article investigates the dependence of G10 countries' equity markets on the US market, particularly when the US experiences upturns or downturns in the market. If indeed the dependence is high in the downturn market, then investors will not benefit from international diversification when it is mostly needed. Using daily returns on the stock markets of G11 countries, this study estimates Pearson and rank correlations of G10 markets conditional on the US market falling below and rising above certain levels. The rank correlation is robust to outliers and hence provides stronger evidence than its counterpart. When the US market falls, the dependence between the US market and G10 countries has become notably stronger than that during bull markets, except for Sweden. The observed higher dependence in the bear market is of concern for investors, because it erodes the benefit of international diversification.

Analysis of dependence in the G11 countries' financial markets: simulation and empirical evidence

This article investigates the dependence of G10 countries' equity markets on the US market, particularly when the US experiences upturns or downturns in the market. If indeed the dependence is high in the downturn market, then investors will not benefit from international diversification when it is mostly needed. Using daily returns on the stock markets of G11 countries, this study estimates Pearson and rank correlations of G10 markets conditional on the US market falling below and rising above certain levels. The rank correlation is robust to outliers and hence provides stronger evidence than its counterpart. When the US market falls, the dependence between the US market and G10 countries has become notably stronger than that during bull markets, except for Sweden. The observed higher dependence in the bear market is of concern for investors, because it erodes the benefit of international diversification.

THE ECONOMIC ESSENCE OF THE SYSTEM "NATURAL AND RECREATIONAL AREAS IN TOURISM SPHERE”

The research work illuminates how to improve the theoretical and methodological provisions for developing an organizational and economic mechanism for forming and using touristic territory's natural and recreational potential. The recreational sphere position in the tourist territory of economic systems can help improve the national economy, structurally occupying an important place in the state's territorial socio-economic systems. At the same time, the development priorities of the country and its separate territories are decomposed into three main goals of the subjects of recreational activities: economic, social and environmental, which in their interaction are aimed at creating a quality recreational touristic product

The Economic Essence of the System "Natural and Recreational Areas in Tourism Sphere”

The research work illuminates how to improve the theoretical and methodological provisions for developing an organizational and economic mechanism for forming and using touristic territory's natural and recreational potential. The recreational sphere position in the tourist territory of economic systems can help improve the national economy, structurally occupying an important place in the state's territorial socio-economic systems. At the same time, the development priorities of the country and its separate territories are decomposed into three main goals of the subjects of recreational activities: economic, social and environmental, which in their interaction are aimed at creating a quality recreational touristic product

SAD–GLAD Pt–Ni@Ni Nanorods as Highly Active Oxygen Reduction Reaction Electrocatalysts

Vertically aligned catalysts comprised of platinum–nickel thin films on nickel nanorods (designated as Pt–Ni@Ni-NR) with varying ratios of Pt to Ni in the thin film were prepared by magnetron sputtering and evaluated for their oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity. A glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique was used to fabricate the Ni nanorods (NRs) and a small angle deposition technique for growth of a thin conformal coating of Pt–Ni on the Ni-NRs. The Pt–Ni@Ni-NR structures were deposited on glassy carbon for evaluation of their ORR activity in an aqueous acidic electrolyte using the rotating disk electrode technique. The Pt–Ni@Ni-NR catalysts showed superior area-specific and mass activities for ORR compared to those of Pt–Ni alloy nanorod catalysts prepared using the GLAD technique and compared to those of conventional large-surface area Pt and Pt–Ni alloy nanoparticle catalysts