Additions to the moss flora of Endau Rompin National Park, Johore State, peninsular Malaysia

In a recent survey of the Endau Rompin National Park (ERNP) in Johore State, 81 species and 4 varieties of mosses were documented. This increases the previous count from 62 species and 3 varieties of mosses in ERNP to 111 species and 5 varieties in total. Of these, 30 species are new records for Johore State. Rhaphidostichum bunodicarpum and Trichosteleum stigmosum are two species new to Peninsular Malaysia. Thuidium assimile is a new record for West Malesia. A new combination, Papillidiopsis aquaticum (Dix.) Boon-Chuan Ho & B.C. Tan is proposed. In terms of species composition, the pan-tropical families of Calymperaceae, Fissidentaceae, Leucobryaceae and Sematophyllaceae predominate the moss flora of ERNP

Boon Tan, Clarinet

Homenaje a M. de Falla / Béla Kovács; Drei Fantasiestücke, Op.73 / Robert Schumann; Elegie / Ferruccio Busoni; Sonate en si bémol, FP 184 / Francis Poulen

THE ROLE OF FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT ON INCOME INEQUALITY IN MALAYSIA

This study examines the role of financial development in influencing income inequality in Malaysia over the period of 1980-2000. The empirical results based on ARDL bounds test indicate that financial market development is, at best, very weak and statistically insignificant in reducing income inequality in Malaysia. The evidence is valid for a variety of financial indicators, including the banking sector, the stock market and financial aggregate variables. The evidence also highlights that besides various government¡¯s development programs, efforts should also concentrate on improving institutional quality, economic development and maintaining low inflation in its attempt to combat income inequality.Banking Sector, Capital Market, Financial Development, Income Inequality, ARDL Bounds Test

Expression And Characterization Of A Recombinant Superoxide Dismutase From Lactococcus Lactis M4

Lactococcus lactis is widely used in the dairy industry for the production of fermented food. During industrial process, L. lactis is often exposed to various environmental stresses such as oxidative stress. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) plays an important role in protecting living organisms from oxidative stress by catalyzing the dismutation of superoxide radical to oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. Hence, it is essential to study the SOD from L. lactis in details. A full-length superoxide dismutase gene (sod) was amplified from a locally isolated Lactococcus lactis M4 strain by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The gene was first cloned in pCR®-BluntII-TOPO® vector and then subcloned into pRSET A expresion vector. The construct was transformed into Escherichia coli strain BL21(DE3)pLysS for protein expression. Restriction enzyme digestion of the construct indicated the presence of the sod gene. BLASTN analysis showed the DNA sequence of the query gene was 98% homologous to the published sodA nucleotide sequence of L. lactis subsp. lactis IL1403. This SOD gene composed of 621 nucleotides that could encode a protein of 206 amino acids. It was predicted to be a manganese-SOD (MnSOD) based on homology comparison with amino acid sequences of MnSOD from other organisms. Expression of the recombinant protein was induced by isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside. The recombinant superoxide dismutase was purified to homogeneity by immobilised ion affinity chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and western blot analysis showed that the recombinant SOD had a molecular mass of approximately 27 kDa. However, the molecular mass of native enzyme was estimated to be 114.8 kDa by gel filtration chromatography, implying that the recombinant SOD is a tetramer. The purified recombinant enzyme had a pI of 4.5, exhibited maximal activity at 25°C and pH 7.2, respectively. It was also thermostable up to 45°C. SOD activity was inhibited by sodium azide, ethylene diamine tetracetic acid and sodium dodecyl sulphate. The insensitivity of this recombinant SOD to cyanide and hydrogen peroxide confirmed that it was a MnSOD. In conclusion, a gene coding for MnSOD in L. lactis M4 was cloned and expressed in E. coli as an active enzyme. The expressed recombinant MnSOD was purified to homogeneity and characterized

Identification Of Hydralazine As An Anti-Infective Compound In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa-Infected C. Elegans

Lisozim adalah model enzim yang penting dalam bidang penyelidikan bioperubatan. Sehubungan dengan taburan meluas dalam pelbagai tisu dan rembesan, lisozim dikenali dengan fungsi sebagai enzim pertahanan anti-bakteria manakala fungsi sampingan sebagai enzim pencernaan juga dilaporkan dalam segelintiran taksa Lysozymes are important enzyme models with biomedical importance. In accordance with its widespread distribution in various biological tissues and secretions, lysozyme is implicated primarily in the antibacterial defense, although an additional function as digestive enzyme has been described as well for several tax

Induction of Apoptosis by 2', 3’-Epoxyisocapnolactone and 8-Hydroxyisocapnolactone-2', 3’- Diol Isolated from Micromelum Minutum in Human T-Lymphocyte Leukemia Cem-Ss Cells

2',3'-epoxyisocapnolactone and 8-hydroxyisocapnolactone-2',3'-diol are two bioactive compounds isolated from the leaves of Mzcromelum minutum. The cytotoxic effect of the compounds was tested on a variety of human cell lines respectively using MTT assay. They were found to be most sensitive against human T-lymphoblastic leukemia cells (CEM-SS). The inhibition effect of 2',3'-epoxyisocapnolactone and 8- hydroxyisocapnolactone-2',3'-diol at 50% of cell population (ICso) was found to be 4.6 pg/ml (13.5 pM) and 3 pdml (7.8 pM) on CEM-SS cells, respectively. Besides that, the inhibitor effect of the compounds on other human cells were found to be 13.4 pdml(39.2 pM) and 9.0 pdml(23.9 pM) on cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa), 14.2 pg/ml (41.5 pM) and 7.7 pdml (20.5 pM) on colon adenocarcinoma cells (HT29), 7.4 pg/ml (21.6 pM) and 5.9 pdml (1 5.7 pM) on hepatocarcinoma cells (HepG2), 6.5 pglml (19.0 pM) and 7.1 pg/ml(18.9 pM) on transform liver cells (Chang). For comparative purposes, the ICW of several clinical cytotoxic drugs against CEM-SS cells were determined. The inhibitor effect of the compounds were more significant compared with methotrexate [ICm = >30 pg/ml (66.1 pM)], cytosine arabinoside [IC5o = >30 pg/ml (123.5 pM)] and colchicines [IC50 = 8 pglml (20.1 pM)] The compounds also shown near similar ICso concentration as compare with cis-diamine dichloroplatinum [IC50 = 3 pg/ml (10.1 pM)], vinorelbine [IC50 = 3 pg/ml (3.9 pM)] and doxorubicin [IC5o = 2.4 pg/ml (4.1 pM)]. Furthermore, from proliferation assay study, the compounds were significantly inhibiting the proliferation of cells at ICso value. From the morphological observation and agarose gel electrophoresis, apoptosis of the compounds on CEM-SS cells was determined. By using phase contrast, fluorescence and electron microcopies, observation on morphological alterations indicating apoptosis was evaluated. From DNA fragmentation, Acridine orange and Propidium iodide staining and DNA content analyses, the compounds were confirmed to have ability in promoting apoptosis. However, the percentage of apoptosis induced is low and the event is time-dependent. At high concentration of 10 pg/m, 2',3'- epoxyisocapnolactone and 8-hydroxyisocapnolactone-2',3'-diol induced necrosis. Furthermore, 8-hydroxyisocapnolactone-2',3'-diol also exhibited better cytotoxicity compared to 2',3'-epoxyisocapnolactone. The induction time for apoptosis by 8- hydroxyisocapnolactone-2',3'-diol in CEM-SS is earlier than 2',3'-epoxyisocapnolactone, which is 4 hours and 12 hours after treatment. Based on the results obtained, 2',3'- epoxyisocapnolactone and 8-hydroxyisocapnolactone-2',3'-diol are able to induced apoptosis

CFD Comparative Study of 3-D Compressible Flow Over Seamless and Canard Aerodynamic Flying Bodies

Today, many aerodynamic flying bodies have installed canard to enhance its maneuverability. However, up to this date, there is no direct comparison of flow field and aerodynamic characteristics that have been made between a seamless and canard. The impact of the canard on the aerodynamic characteristics of a flying body is also not clearly defined. Hence, this project is designed to conduct a series of investigation to compare the influence of canard to the aerodynamic flow field and characteristics as compared to a seamless flying body

Kinetic studies on the fidelity of DNA replication involving DNA templates containing O6-methylguanine

Production by N-nitroso compounds of O6-alkylguanine (O6-alkylG) in DNA directs the misincorporation of thymine during DNA replication, leading to G:C to A:T transition mutations, despite the fact that DNA containing O6>alkylG:T base-pairs is less stable than that containing O6-alkylG:C pairs. In the work presented in this thesis, the kinetics of incorporation by Klenow fragment of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I of thymine (T), and of cytosine (C), opposite O6-meG in the template DNA strand were examined. Both T and C were incorporated opposite O6-meG much slower than nucleotides forming regular A:T or G:C base pairs. Using an excess of Klenow over DNA and various concentrations of dXTF and dCTP, the progress of incorporation of a single nucleotide in a single catalytic cycle of a preformed Klenow-DNA complex was measured (pre-steady state kinetics). The results were consistent with the kinetic scheme: 1. polymerase-DNA binds dNTP; 2. conformational change in polymerase; 3. formation of phosphodiester between the dNTP and the 3'-OH of primer; 4. conformational change of polymerase; 5. release of pyrophsphate. The results were analysed mathematically to identify the steps at which the rate constants differ significantly between the incorporation of T and C. The only significant difference was the 5-fold difference in the rates of formation of the phosphodiester bond (for dTTP, kforward = 3.9 s-1 and kback = 1.9 s-1 for dCTP, kforward = 0.7 s-1 and kback = 0.9 s-l). The equilibrium constants for each step suggest that the greatest change in the Gibbs' free energy occurs at the conformational change after polymerisation, and that while the formation of the phosphodiester bond to T is slightly exothermic, that to C is slightly endothermic. The Kms calculated from the rate constants (Km = 33.5 μM (24.0-46.7)* for both dTTP and dCTP [* 5% and 95% confidence limits]) were close to the approximate Kms obtained from Michaelis-Menten analysis of the initial rates of pre-steady state polymerisation (Km, = 30-35 μM for T and C). The measured progress of independently determined steady state experiments (i.e. polymerisation under conditions of excess DNA over Klenow) was close to that predicted from these calculated rate constants. The incorporation of the nucleotide following C in an O6-meG:C pair was much slower than that following T in an O^-meGiT pair. Taken with the available structural data (Kalnik et al., 1988a, b), this suggests that the discrimination in favour of the incorporation of T opposite O6-meG arises mainly because the T:O6-meG base-pair retains the Watson-Crick configuration (with the N1 of the purine juxtaposed to N3 of the pyrimidine), whereas the C:O6-meG base-pair is a wobble base pair with a distorted phosphodiester link 3' to the C. The slow incorporation of C opposite O6-meG, and of the next correct nucleotide following the incorporation of C, can be ascribed to the stereochemical problems encountered when forming the distorted phosphodiester links. The recent X-ray crystallography data (Beese et al., 1993) of a Klenow complexed with duplex DNA provided evidence that Klenow fragment interacts with the primer-template through the phosphodiester backbone, thus an incorporation event that produces a distortion in the phosphodiester backbone, such as the incorporation of C opposite O6-meG, could very well reduce the rate of its incorporation

Geologic Considerations in Civil Constructions - Malaysian Case Studies

The need for adequate geologic input into civil engineering projects is common knowledge to all. However, quite surprisingly, in many construction projects in Malaysia geologic input is either totally lacking or highly inadequate. An indicator of the extent of neglect of geologic input into civil constructions in Malaysia is the fact that many soil investigation reports for these projects in this country do not contain a section or even a brief write-up on the site geology. This paper presents several case studies of civil engineering projects where geologic factors have been overlooked, thus resulting in the delay in the completion of the project and increase in the final project cost. The examples given include a bridge project, dams, building foundations, piling works and the search for construction materials for the extension of an airport