Macrobenthic diversity and community composition in the Pahang Estuary, Malaysia

The Pahang estuary is known to be one of the most productive natural ecosystems in Malaysia and provides food for a variety of organisms. Unfortunately, many species are increasingly threatened there because of declining conditions in natural aquatic ecosystems. Macrobenthic community composition has been extensively used to determine the quality of the aquatic environment for a long time. The Pahang estuary is undergoing poor conditions in water quality and riverbank vegetation because of sand dredging and other human activities. These activities prove the greatest threats to habitat loss, degradation of water quality, and declining indigenous fish population. Based on the above perspectives, a study was conducted on microbenthic and community along with benthic organisms in the Pahang estuary,Malaysia. The study was divided into three zones. Zone 1 was identified as low in diversity of the microbenthic community in Pahang estuary with the diversity index (H0) of 0.35; only polychaete worms and bivalves were identified from this area. Polychaete represented by Neries sp. bivalve class was represented by Yoldia sp. in this zone. For Zone 2, the number and types of benthic communities were low because of human disturbance, but they still exist because of detritus that acts as food and habitat provided by the mangrove. This area was identified as a lowest diversity index of macrobenthos (polychaete, bivalves, and gastropods) with the value of 0.31. The diversity index for Zone 3 was highest among all three zones, with the diversity index of 0.38 along with three classes of macrobenthos, which were polychaete, bivalves, and gastropods. Polychaete was represented by Neries sp., bivalves by Yoldia sp., and gastropods by Nassarius sp., respectively. The lower diversity of the macrobenthic community reveals the alarming conditions of the Kuala Pahang because of massive human disturbances along the Pahang estuary. Long-term monitoring for species diversity is necessary for the sustainable development of aquatic resources in this fascinating tropical estuary

Effect of different concentrations of propolis extract coating on postharvest quality of banana artificially inoculated with Colletotrichum gloesporioides

The coating is one of the methods to prevent postharvest loss in the food industry. Propolis seems to be promising as a coating due to its waxy properties, high antifungal activity and less toxicity. In this study, propolis ethanol extract coating was tested for the antifungal activity against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, the causative fungus that caused anthracnose disease on bananas (Musa acuminata). All samples were artificially inoculated with C. gloeosporioides and the disease severity index (DSI) was measured. Other postharvest qualities of banana tested were weight loss, total soluble solids (TSS), colour and titratable acidity (TA). Results showed that the control banana was more susceptible to the fungal infection (60% necrosis) compared to the treated banana. The propolis coating successfully inhibited the fungus activity of C. gloeosporioides activity on a banana during storage. The higher concentration of extract coating seems to be better effective against the fungus. Moreover, the control banana showed higher weight loss (6.92%) and total soluble solid (p<0.05) compared to coated banana during storage. In conclusion, bananas treated with an 11% concentration of propolis coating are promising for improving the colour, total soluble solid content and titratable acidity and can inhibit artificially anthracnose disease caused by C. gloeosporioides on a banana

Spatial variation and community composition of phytoplankton along the Pahang estuary, Malaysia

The aim of this study was to examine the phytoplankton patchiness, as expressed by community composition and their diversity during the monsoon and Non-monsoon seasons along the Pahang estuary, Malaysia during 2008. Three zones in the estuary were sampled on both the seasons covering both upstream and downstream of the estuary. Among the identified 42 genera of phytoplankton, the most dominant phytoplankton were Leptocylindrus sp. (19.05%), Lauderia sp. (11.02%) and Skeletonema sp. (10.32%) of total abundance. The least dominant or rare phytoplankton were Ditylum sp. (0.05%), Asterionella sp. (0.04%), Gyrosigma sp. (0.05%), Gymnodinium sp. (0.04%) and Prorocentrum sp. (0.07%) of total abundance. The statistical analysis showed that there was no significant difference in diversity of phytoplankton between different zones (p>0.05). Result indicated that many of the phytoplankton species inhabiting in Pahang estuary were sensitive to salinity fluctuation. The increased diversity during monsoon might be due to the runoff water that probably brought the phytoplankton of other freshwater sources. Physicochemical parameters showed significant variation between different zones (p<0.05) except for temperature. Present study clearly showed that phytoplankton community in Pahang estuary was quiet diverse during monsoon and dominant during non monsoon season

Maverick Enterprise : Anti Rust Spray / Fakhrul Azfar Ahmad Husni ...[et al.]

As for the business, we are producing anti rust spray for Malaysian. People nowadays want something that simple, easy to use and act effectively but also at reasonable price. We made our rust remover in liquid form to reduce our cost and market price and also easy to use. We use strong alkaline powder and strong acid to maximize the effect. Through our long term research and observation, we had planned to set up this business because we can see wider prospect of this sector in the future. Apart from that, we have observed that there are a few competitors that involves in this business. So, we take these opportunities to expand our business because we are qualified with skills

Clinical outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion in prior coronary artery bypass grafting patients

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with stable angina who have undergone chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in native arteries with or without prior coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery in a national cohort. BACKGROUND: There are limited data on outcomes of patients presenting with stable angina undergoing CTO PCI with previous CABG. METHODS: We identified 20,081 patients with stable angina who underwent CTO PCI between 2007-2014 in the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society database. Clinical, demographical, procedural and outcome data were analyzed in two groups; group 1-CTO PCI in native arteries without prior CABG (n = 16,848), group 2-CTO PCI in native arteries with prior CABG (n = 3,233). RESULTS: Patients in group 2 were older, had more comorbidities and higher prevalence of severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Following multivariable analysis, no significant difference in mortality was observed during index hospital admission (OR:1.33, CI 0.64-2.78, p = .44), at 30-days (OR: 1.28, CI 0.79-2.06, p = .31) and 1?year (OR:1.02, CI 0.87-1.29, p = .87). Odds of in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (OR:1.01, CI 0.69-1.49, p = .95) and procedural complications (OR:1.02, CI 0.88-1.18, p = .81) were similar between two groups but procedural success rate was lower in group 2 (OR: 0.34, CI 0.31-0.39, p?<?.001). The adjusted risk of target vessel revascularization (TVR) remained similar between the two groups at 30-days (OR:0.68, CI 0.40-1.16, P-0.16) and at 1?year (OR:1.01, CI 0.83-1.22, P-0.95). CONCLUSION: Patients with prior CABG presenting with stable angina and treated with CTO PCI in native arteries had more co-morbid illnesses but once these differences were adjusted for, prior CABG did not independently confer additional risk of mortality, MACE or TVR

Evolving trends in the management of acute appendicitis during COVID-19 waves. The ACIE appy II study

Background: In 2020, ACIE Appy study showed that COVID-19 pandemic heavily affected the management of patients with acute appendicitis (AA) worldwide, with an increased rate of non-operative management (NOM) strategies and a trend toward open surgery due to concern of virus transmission by laparoscopy and controversial recommendations on this issue. The aim of this study was to survey again the same group of surgeons to assess if any difference in management attitudes of AA had occurred in the later stages of the outbreak. Methods: From August 15 to September 30, 2021, an online questionnaire was sent to all 709 participants of the ACIE Appy study. The questionnaire included questions on personal protective equipment (PPE), local policies and screening for SARS-CoV-2 infection, NOM, surgical approach and disease presentations in 2021. The results were compared with the results from the previous study. Results: A total of 476 answers were collected (response rate 67.1%). Screening policies were significatively improved with most patients screened regardless of symptoms (89.5% vs. 37.4%) with PCR and antigenic test as the preferred test (74.1% vs. 26.3%). More patients tested positive before surgery and commercial systems were the preferred ones to filter smoke plumes during laparoscopy. Laparoscopic appendicectomy was the first option in the treatment of AA, with a declined use of NOM. Conclusion: Management of AA has improved in the last waves of pandemic. Increased evidence regarding SARS-COV-2 infection along with a timely healthcare systems response has been translated into tailored attitudes and a better care for patients with AA worldwide

Genetic diversity of the orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) in Terengganu Malaysia based on mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence data

Orange-spotted groupers (Epinephelus coioides) are marine fish which can be found in the state of Terengganu (in Malaysia) and are economically important. Overfishing and fish farmers’ dependency on wild orange-spotted grouper seed fish have caused a decline in their numbers. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity of wild orange-spotted grouper populations in Terengganu via partial cytochrome b (cyt-b) gene analysis. A total of 60 fish, which were reared from wild seed fish, were collected from farms in Besut and Setiu, Terengganu. Their DNA was extracted using the Qiagen Blood and Tissue kit. PCR amplification was conducted using cyt-b primers, and a sequence of 460 bp in length was obtained for each sample. Next, phylogenetic analysis was performed to study the relationships among the individuals. The haplotype and nucleotide diversities of the populations were investigated to measure genetic diversity. The haplotype diversity (Hd) of E. coioides was relatively low for both Besut (Hd = 0.4161) and Setiu (Hd = 0.8782) populations. The nucleotide diversity (π) for both Besut and Setiu populations was also low. Moreover, 15 haplotypes were identified among the 60 individuals, with 33 individuals sharing a single haplotype (Hap01). These findings similar with a previous study that reported that seed fish dependent can led to a decline in grouper numbers and in turn cause genetic deprivation in the populatio

Food partitioning among fishes in Pahang River-estuary, Malaysia

A study was conducted on the food resource partitioning among fish species in Pahang River-estuary from 2010-2013 during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon period. The area was divided in three strata (upstream, downstream and middle zone), based on environmental features. Stomach contents of all species present were analyzed. From 138 of total stomach analyzed, 24 of them were empty and 114 were with food. From the analysis of prey in the stomachs, various kinds of food items consumed by the different size of fishes included phytoplankton, zooplankton, unidentified materials, fish, fish parts, shrimp, shrimp parts, crab, crab parts, plant parts, mollusk and detritus. Detritus consisted of all types of biogenic materials in various stages of microbial decomposition. Different fishes consume different types of food and feeding habit of fishes varies from season to season. From the percentage of number and occurrence of food resources, zooplankton are important in their own right as a major component of fish diets and are especially important to small and young individuals, even for the detrivore. Nevertheless, it represents an important trophic resource for fish food web of Pahang River-estuary

Genetic diversity of the orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) in Terengganu Malaysia based on mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence data

Orange-spotted groupers (Epinephelus coioides) are marine fish which can be found in the state of Terengganu (in Malaysia) and are economically important. Overfishing and fish farmers’ dependency on wild orange-spotted grouper seed fish have caused a decline in their numbers. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity of wild orange-spotted grouper populations in Terengganu via partial cytochrome b (cyt-b) gene analysis. A total of 60 fish, which were reared from wild seed fish, were collected from farms in Besut and Setiu, Terengganu. Their DNA was extracted using the Qiagen Blood and Tissue kit. PCR amplification was conducted using cyt-b primers, and a sequence of 460 bp in length was obtained for each sample. Next, phylogenetic analysis was performed to study the relationships among the individuals. The haplotype and nucleotide diversities of the populations were investigated to measure genetic diversity. The haplotype diversity (Hd) of E. coioides was relatively low for both Besut (Hd = 0.4161) and Setiu (Hd = 0.8782) populations. The nucleotide diversity (π) for both Besut and Setiu populations was also low. Moreover, 15 haplotypes were identified among the 60 individuals, with 33 individuals sharing a single haplotype (Hap01). These findings similar with a previous study that reported that seed fish dependent can led to a decline in grouper numbers and in turn cause genetic deprivation in the population