Thermal properties of Malaysian cohesive soils

The thermal properties of soils surrounding energy piles are required for the efficient and optimal design of shallow geothermal energy pile systems. In this study, the thermal conductivity, thermal resistivity and volumetric specific heat of two types of Malaysian cohesive soil were obtained through a series of laboratory experiments using a thermal needle probe. This study was conducted to determine the effect of moisture content on the thermal conductivity, thermal resistivity and volumetric specific heat values of the cohesive soil at a given value of soil density. For soils with low to medium moisture content, a linear increase in the thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity was observed as the moisture content gradually increased, while the thermal resistivity values of the soil had decreased. Meanwhile, for soils with high moisture content, the thermal conductivity was observed to have decreased, and a marked increase was seen in the thermal resistivity. This is due to the disruption of the thermal flow continuity in the soil matrix with the presence of moisture in the soil which adversely affects the thermal conductivity

Isolation of avian influenza H5N1 virus from vaccinated commercial layer flock in Egypt

Uninterrupted transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 of clade 2.2.1 in Egypt since 2006 resulted in establishment of two main genetic clusters. The 2.2.1/C group where all recent human and majority of backyard origin viruses clustered together, meanwhile the majority of viruses derived from vaccinated poultry in commercial farms grouped in 2.2.1.1 clade. In the present investigation, an HPAIV H5N1 was isolated from twenty weeks old layers chickens that were vaccinated with a homologous H5N1 vaccine at 1, 7 and 16 weeks old. At twenty weeks of age, birds showed cyanosis of comb and wattle, decrease in egg production and up to 27% mortality. Examined serum samples showed low antibody titer in HI test (Log2 3.2 ± 4.2). The hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of the isolated virus were closely related to viruses in 2.2.1/C group isolated from poultry in live bird market (LBM) and backyards or from infected people. Conspicuous mutations in the HA and NA genes including a deletion within the receptor binding domain in the HA globular head region were observed. Despite repeated vaccination of layer chickens using a homologous H5N1 vaccine, infection with HPAIV H5N1 resulted in significant morbidity and mortality. In endemic countries like Egypt, rigorous control measures including enforcement of biosecurity, culling of infected birds and constant update of vaccine virus strains are highly required to prevent circulation of HPAIV H5N1 between backyard birds, commercial poultry, LBM and humans

Peningkatan Derajat Kesehatan Melalui Promosi Kesehatan Pola Hidup Bersih Dan Sehat (Phbs) Di Dusun Sawahan Desa Pendowoharjo, Kecamatan Sewon, Kabupaten Bantul

Telah dilakukan penelitian mengenai peningkatan derajat kesehatan melalui promosi kesehatan Pola Hidup Bersih Sehat (PHBS) di Dusun Sawahan Desa Pendowoharjo, Kecamatan Sewon, Kabupaten Bantul dengan metode penyuluhan dan pemantauan serta pengamatan tanpa sepengetahuan subjek uji. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh dari pelaksanaan promosi kesehatan Pola Hidup Bersih Sehat (PHBS) terhadap kesehatan masyarakat Dukuh Sawahan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa frekuensi penyuluhan dan pemantauan Pola Hidup Bersih dan Sehat (PHBS) terhadap warga dusun Sawahan menunjukkan korelasi yakni meningkatnya indikator Pola Hidup Bersih dan Sehat (PHBS) yang tercapai. Tercapainya indikator Pola Hidup Bersih dan Sehat (PHBS) menunjukkan peningkatan kesadaran warga akan pentingnya lingkungan sehat dan perilaku sehat sehingga meningkatkan derajat kesehatan warga Dusun Sawahan

Concurrent Acquisition of a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in Diverse Influenza H5N1 Clade 2.2 Sub-clades

Highly pathogenic Influenza A H5N1 was first identified in Guangdong Province in 1996, followed by human cases in Hong Kong in 1997 1,2. The number of confirmed human cases now exceeds 300 and the associated Case Fatality Rate exceeds 60% 3. The genetic diversity of the serotype continues to increase. Four distinct clades or sub-clades have been linked to human cases 4-7. The gradual genetic changes identified in the sub-clades have been attributed to copy errors by viral encoded polymerases that lack an editing function, thereby resulting in antigenic drift 8. We report here the concurrent acquisition of the same polymorphism by multiple, genetically distinct, clade 2.2 sub-clades in Egypt, Russia, Kuwait, and Ghana. These changes are not easily explained by the current theory of “random mutation” through copy error, and are more easily explained by recombination with a common source. The recombination role is further supported by the high fidelity replication in swine influenza 9 and aggregation of single nucleotide polymorphisms in H5N1 clade 2.2 hemagglutinin 10

Morphometrics Studies of Mahisefid (Rutilus frisii kutum, Kamensky, 1901) from Selected Rivers in the Southern Caspian Sea

Mahisefid, Rutilus frisii kutum , is a cyprinid fish which is distributed from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan along the Caspian Sea. It is one of the economically important fish in the region. As part of the Iranian Fisheries Company’s policy to improve the stocks of this species, every year, fingerling of Mahisefid are released into the southern basin of the Caspian Sea. The main objective of this study was to determine populations in different of rivers. In total, 387 fish were collected from four rivers, including Lemir, Sefidrood, Shirrood and Tajan, where this fish migrates for spawning, in spring 2005. Thirteen conventional morphometric factors, 13 ratio and 12 Truss morphometrics were measured and calculated in this study. Conventional and Truss morphometric data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA Principal Component Analysis and discriminant. Average of coefficient of variation (CV%) of morphometric in males was 14.95, 10.28, 17.47 and 16.56 and in females was 21.35, 19.74, 18.25, and 19.74 in Lemir, Sefidrood, Shirrood and Tajan River, respectively, showing that all morphometric characters were significantly different (P<0.05) among four sampling sites (populations). The first component of morphometrics 44.32% in males and 68.94% in females were positive, indicating that the conventional morphometric was good descriptor of the body shape variation among the populations, especially in females. The total cumulative variances were 76.6% and 87.8% in males and females, respectively, suggesting that this can be considered as a useful discriminator. The total cumulative variances were 64.27% and 64.21% in males and females, respectively. The first component of truss was 87.7% and 81.3% of the total variance, in males and females, respectively. The results of the present study suggest that each sampling site represents independent population in each river

Morphometrics studies of Mahisefid (Rutilus frisii kutum, Kamensky, 1901) from selected rivers in the southern Caspian Sea

Mahisefid, Rutilus frisii kutum , is a cyprinid fish which is distributed from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan along the Caspian Sea. It is one of the economically important fish in the region. As part of the Iranian Fisheries Company’s policy to improve the stocks of this species, every year, fingerling of Mahisefid are released into the southern basin of the Caspian Sea. The main objective of this study was to determine populations in different of rivers. In total, 387 fish were collected from four rivers, including Lemir, Sefidrood, Shirrood and Tajan, where this fish migrates for spawning, in spring 2005. Thirteen conventional morphometric factors, 13 ratio and 12 Truss morphometrics were measured and calculated in this study. Conventional and Truss morphometric data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA Principal Component Analysis and discriminant. Average of coefficient of variation (CV%) of morphometric in males was 14.95, 10.28, 17.47 and 16.56 and in females was 21.35, 19.74, 18.25, and 19.74 in Lemir, Sefidrood, Shirrood and Tajan River, respectively, showing that all morphometric characters were significantly different (P<0.05) among four sampling sites (populations). The first component of morphometrics 44.32% in males and 68.94% in females were positive, indicating that the conventional morphometric was good descriptor of the body shape variation among the populations, especially in females. The total cumulative variances were 76.6% and 87.8% in males and females, respectively, suggesting that this can be considered as a useful discriminator. The total cumulative variances were 64.27% and 64.21% in males and females, respectively. The first component of truss was 87.7% and 81.3% of the total variance, in males and females, respectively. The results of the present study suggest that each sampling site represents independent population in each river

Fingerling production and stock enhancement of Mahisefid (Rutilus frisii kutum) lessons for others in the south of Caspian Sea

Rutilus frisii kutum (Kamensky 1901) is one of the economically important fishes that migrate for spawning to rivers in the Caspian Sea. However, the fish populations have slowly decreased in recent years. The declining of these resources has resulted from some activities by the Iranian Fisheries Organization (IFO is responsible for stock enhancement) to catch some broodstocks of Rutilus frisii kutum from their natural spawning rivers. The broodstocks are caught for artificial propagation of the fish. Artificial propagations are carried out every year to produce fingerlings to be released into the rivers in the Caspian Sea. In recent years, total catch of this fish have greatly fluctuated due to the disruption of the natural spawning grounds and over fishing. The substantial reduction to 1,298 metric tons, the lowest total catch reported in 1984–1985, could be due to over-exploitation of the fishery resources. However, the total catch has increased after the fingerlings release programs started in 1979. The total numbers of Rutilus frisii kutum fingerlings released had increased from 12 million to 225 million in 2002, to 155 million pieces in 2003, to 179 million pieces in 2004, 229 million pieces in 2005, 174 million pieces in 2006, 262 million pieces in 2007 and 187.1 in 2008. The total catch was also increased from 6,417 metric ton to 8,984 metric ton, to 7,036 metric ton, to 9,631 metric ton and 16,117, 17,196, 14,835 in years 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively

Ontogenic development of the mouth and digestive tract in larval Malaysian mahseer, Tor tambroides Bleeker.

This study analysed morphology and histology of the developing mouth and digestive tract of the Malaysian mahseer larvae to assess the best weaning time to a compound diet for the fry on the basis of their morphological features. The mouth development was monitored using light and scanning electron microscopy; the development of the alimentary canal was followed histologically using light microscopy after haematoxylin-eosin staining. The larval mouth opened 1day after hatching (1 DAH); the histological structures of oesophagus were completed by 5 DAH. At 2 DAH, differentiation of enterocytes began, and at 7 DAH the supranuclear protein inclusion appeared in the posterior intestine. The hepatopancreas was structurally completed at 4-5 DAH, coinciding with the start of exogenous feeding and the evidence of lipid storage in the liver. It was concluded that Malaysian mahseer larvae should certainly be able to ingest, and possibly digest and absorb, a formulated diet of 287μm Ø from 7 DAH onward