The effect of demographic factors on consumer intention to purchase organic products in the Klang Valley: an empirical study

The global market for organic food has developed significantly in the past decade. The organic food industry in Malaysia is getting wider, even though the domestic market remains relatively small. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of demographic factors towards purchase intention of organic food. A total of 150 completed questionnaires was collected via convenience sampling from customers of a shopping-mall in Malaysia’s Klang Valley. Five demographic variables were used in this study, including gender, age, level of income, level of education and presence of children in the household. The findings revealed that, gender, age, level of education did have significant impacts on the consumer intention to buy organic food. These findings will appeal to those interested in consumer behaviour regarding organic food consumption and the continued development of Malaysia’s organic food industry

Natural product-based phenols as novel probes for mycobacterial and fungal carbonic anhydrases

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Insights into the Membrane Interactions of the Saposin-Like Proteins Na-SLP-1 and Ac-SLP-1 from Human and Dog Hookworm

Saposin-like proteins (SAPLIPs) from soil-transmitted helminths play pivotal roles in host-pathogen interactions and have a high potential as targets for vaccination against parasitic diseases. We have identified two non-orthologous SAPLIPs from human and dog hookworm, Na-SLP-1 and Ac-SLP-1, and solved their three-dimensional crystal structures. Both proteins share the property of membrane binding as monitored by liposome co-pelleting assays and monolayer adsorption. Neither SAPLIP displayed any significant haemolytic or bactericidal activity. Based on the structural information, as well as the results from monolayer adsorption, we propose models of membrane interactions for both SAPLIPs. Initial membrane contact of the monomeric Na-SLP-1 is most likely by electrostatic interactions between the membrane surface and a prominent basic surface patch. In case of the dimeric Ac-SLP-1, membrane interactions are most likely initiated by a unique tryptophan residue that has previously been implicated in membrane interactions in other SAPLIPs

Phosphorylation of CRN2 by CK2 regulates F-actin and Arp2/3 interaction and inhibits cell migration

CRN2 (synonyms: coronin 1C, coronin 3) functions in the re-organization of the actin network and is implicated in cellular processes like protrusion formation, secretion, migration and invasion. We demonstrate that CRN2 is a binding partner and substrate of protein kinase CK2, which phosphorylates CRN2 at S463 in its C-terminal coiled coil domain. Phosphomimetic S463D CRN2 loses the wild-type CRN2 ability to inhibit actin polymerization, to bundle F-actin, and to bind to the Arp2/3 complex. As a consequence, S463D mutant CRN2 changes the morphology of the F-actin network in the front of lamellipodia. Our data imply that CK2-dependent phosphorylation of CRN2 is involved in the modulation of the local morphology of complex actin structures and thereby inhibits cell migration

Merging structural biology with chemical biology: Structural Chemistry at Eskitis

This review introduces the Structural Chemistry Program at Griffith University's Eskitis Institute, and provides a brief overview over its current and future research portfolio. Capitalising on the co-location with the Queensland Compound Library (QCL), Australia's only small molecule repository, our laboratory investigates the structure and function of proteins with the aim of learning about their molecular mechanisms. Consequently, these studies also feed into drug discovery and design. The thematic focus of our Program is on proteins involved in infection, inflammation and neurological diseases, and this review highlights a few of our recent research efforts in this area

The effect of customer-brand relationship investments on customer engagement: an imperative for sustained competitiveness

Using the extended Resource Investment Model, this study investigated the effect of customerbrand investments in building a strong customer engagement. Data were collected from a sample of 200 mobile phone customers using self-administered questionnaire, and analyzed through the utilization of multiple linear regressions analysis. The findings revealed that investments in customer and brand relationship significantly induce the customer to be engaged to a brand. Besides, the findings indicated that customer investment partially mediates the relationship between perceived brand investment and customer engagement. This study is one of the first to test the applicability of resource investment model in the context of customer-brand relationship. It concentrated on customers’ perception of their relationships with mobile phone brand in the Malaysia’s context. Accordingly, this study provides useful insight for companies in developing a strong customer-brand relationship; and consequently to sustain their competitiveness

Proses pembentukan makna simpulan bahasa "kepala angin" menggunakan prinsip metafora integrase

Proses pembentukan makna simpulan bahasa berlaku dengan lebih kompleks di dalam empat domain mental manusia menggunakan strategi metafora integrasi sebagai alternatif baharu kajian metafora. Data metafora yang dipilih ialah simpulan bahasa kepala angin yang menduduki kekerapan tertinggi, iaitu sebanyak 531 data. Tujuan utama kajian ini dilaksanakan adalah untuk menganalisis proses pembentukan makna simpulan bahasa "kepala angin" menggunakan prinsip integrasi. Kaedah kajian yang digunakan ialah kaedah kualitatif berlandaskan pendekatan korpus berkomputer. Dua korpus pangkalan data berkomputer yang dipilih ialah Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) dan Malay Concordane Project (MCP). Data yang dipilih dianalisis menggunakan prinsip integrasi yang diubah suai daripada Teori Blending yang diperkenalkan oleh Fauconnier dan Turner (2002). Untuk mendapatkan data simpulan bahasa yang berkaitan dengan "kepala", concordans unit leksikal "kepala" dijana daripada korpus DBP dan MCP yang berjumlah 12,227 daripada lebih enam juta himpunan data. Pendekatan analisis deskriptif korpus berkomputer digunakan untuk menghurai data "kepala". Dapatan kajian membuktikan bahawa makna simpulan bahasa berlaku dengan tertib melalui empat ruang mental pemikiran Melayu, iaitu ruang input 1, ruang input 2, ruang generik dan ruang integrasi. Sesungguhnya, kajian ini menambah baik maklumat baharu dalam bidang linguistik kognitif tentang keunikan pemikiran Melayu yang asas

Hookworm SCP/TAPS protein structure: a key to understanding host–parasite interactions and developing new interventions

SCP/TAPS proteins are a diverse family of molecules in eukaryotes, including parasites. Despite their abundant occurrence in parasite secretomes, very little is known about their functions in parasitic nematodes, including blood-feeding hookworms. Current information indicates that SCP/TAPS proteins (called Ancylostoma-secreted proteins, ASPs) of the canine hookworm, Ancylostoma caninum, represent at least three distinct groups of proteins. This information, combined with comparative modelling, indicates that all known ASPs have an equatorial groove that binds extended structures, such as peptides or glycans. To elucidate structure–function relationships, we explored the three-dimensional crystal structure of an ASP (called Ac-ASP-7), which is highly up-regulated in expression in the transition of A. caninum larvae from a free-living to a parasitic stage. The topology of the N-terminal domain is consistent with pathogenesis-related proteins, and the C-terminal extension that resembles the fold of the Hinge domain. By anomalous diffraction, we identified a new metal binding site in the C-terminal extension of the protein. Ac-ASP-7 is in a monomer–dimer equilibrium, and crystal-packing analysis identified a dimeric structure which might resemble the homo-dimer in solution. The dimer interaction interface includes a novel binding site for divalent metal ions, and is proposed to serve as a binding site for proteins involved in the parasite–host interplay at the molecular level. Understanding this interplay and the integration of structural and functional data could lead to the design of new approaches for the control of parasitic diseases, with biotechnological outcomes