Characterization of AHL-type quorum sensing in Cedecea neteri SSMD04 / Tan Kian Hin

Bacteria demonstrate a form of cell-to-cell signalling for the regulation of their gene expression according to the change of population density. This is called quorum sensing. Different bacterial species utilizes different signalling molecules for quorum sensing and the most well studied quorum sensing system is the N-acyl homoserine lactone type quorum sensing found commonly in Gram-negative Proteobacteria. Cedecea neteri is an uncommonly studied bacteria in the Enterobacteriaceae family. It is a known human pathogen with unknown etiology. In a previous study to investigate the presence of bacteria that exhibit N-acyl homoserine lactone type quorum sensing isolated from food sources, a strain of C. neteri SSMD04 was found to exhibit quorum sensing activity, which was the first in this genus. By using triple quadrupole liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, it was identified that C. neteri SSMD04 produces C4-HSL as its signalling molecule. The gene responsible for C4-HSL production and the gene for the receptor that binds to C4-HSL, named cneI and cneR, were later found from its genome. These genes were found to be most closely related to a new species in the Klebsiella genus, Klebsiella michiganensis. However, K. michiganensis has never been reported to exhibit quorum sensing activity. A quorum sensing deficient mutant of C. neteri SSMD04 was later created by λ Red recombineering. Through global comparative transcriptomics, it was shown that N-acyl homoserine lactone type quorum sensing is responsible for the modulation of its metabolism

A Review of Problem and Approaches to the University Students in Malaysia Toward Using Wearable Fitness Technology

Wearable fitness technology (WFT) is a device worn physically on the human wrist to track body activity through the calculation of one's heart rate and calories burned from the number of footsteps walked. Users of WFT utilise the device for the monitoring of body fitness. As WFT devices are popularly owned, the adoptive behaviour needed further understanding. Therefore, the attempt to extend the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) with additional determinants retrieved from aesthetics appeal would further examine the use of WFT. A recent study of Malaysian University students found that the general prevalence of university students' obesity is higher than in other Asia countries. This study focuses on investigating Malaysian university students' adoptive behaviour and factors contributing to sustained use of WFT. The use of UTAUT2 with aesthetics appeal perceived the outcome of students' physical health as the significant result in relation to adoptive behaviour and sustained use of WFT. Problem confronting by the country of university students’ obesity must be addressed meticulously. Shaping the future of healthy lifestyle and self-care advocacy is essential through the assistant of technology

Entrepreneur : a study of personality in the local context

The main objective of this paper is to determine whether entrepreneurs exhibit a common set of personalities. In that sense, we are attempting to determine, via controlled questionnaires, if entrepreneurs in general are similar in terms of personality traits. The traits that we are particularly interested in are locus of control, independence, risk-taking, Machiavellianism, need for achievement, and assertiveness.ACCOUNTANC

The DARE Project: Exploring Creative Multimedia Students’ Acceptance Towards Augmented Reality-enhanced Learning Environments

In an effort to prepare graduates for the onset of Industry 4.0, higher education in Malaysia have been heeding the call by the Malaysian Ministry of Education to look into utilization of technology materials and bring classrooms online. However, the physical learning space or classroom has largely remained the same. Hence there is a growing need to ensure that the physical learning environments are as engaging and immersive as online environments. Augmented reality (AR) emerges as one of the key technologies that educators can use to "augment" the physical learning space. This paper presents as study that looked into the use of AR technology with Authentic Learning elements

Improving Students’ Collaborative Learning Experiences within a Game-Based Augmented Reality Learning Environment

In today’s post-COVID 19 world, the need to re-establish and strengthen collaborative activities is crucial in improving their learning experiences, and technology has become more prevalent as an enabler and a necessity to support this. Therefore there is a need for the development of student learning approaches that can capture their learning experiences and bridge the gap between formal learning and a more authentic, collaborative approach towards learning. Research has suggested that the use of emerging technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) have been conducive in promoting better understanding of complex and difficult content in classes and offer learners the rich and engaging learning experience of visualizing course content, but have not yet been fully evaluated for their effectiveness in improving the learning experiences of students. As such, this study sought to design a game-based AR environment that investigated students’ attitudes and perceptions of using game-based AR, within a Team-Based Learning (TBL) class structure in their learning process, and its impact on student learning experiences. 56 Undergraduate level students participated in this mixed method research study and in this game-based AR learning environment. Data was collected on their attitudes and triangulated to obtain the study’s results. Findings showed that students were motivated to learn more, that the learning environment improved their collaboration, and were positive to having such learning experiences in their future courses, and a game-based AR learning framework, GALE, was presented. Such findings have important implications for the use of augmented reality as an instructional tool in 21st century learning environments

Multiphasic strain differentiation of atypical mycobacteria from elephant trunk wash

Background. Two non-tuberculous mycobacterial strains, UM_3 and UM_11, were isolated from the trunk wash of captive elephants in Malaysia. As they appeared to be identical phenotypes, they were investigated further by conventional and whole genome sequence-based methods of strain differentiation.Methods. Multiphasic investigations on the isolates included species identification with hsp65 PCR-sequencing, conventional biochemical tests, rapid biochemical profiling using API strips and the Biolog Phenotype Microarray analysis, protein profiling with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, repetitive sequence-based PCR typing and whole genome sequencing followed by phylogenomic analyses.Results. The isolates were shown to be possibly novel slow-growing schotochromogens with highly similar biological and genotypic characteristics. Both strains have a genome size of 5.2 Mbp, G+C content of 68.8%, one rRNA operon and 52 tRNAs each. They qualified for classification into the same species with their average nucleotide identity of 99.98% and tetranucleotide correlation coefficient of 0.99999. At the subspecies level, both strains showed 98.8% band similarity in the Diversilab automated repetitive sequence-based PCR typing system, 96.2% similarity in protein profiles obtained by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, and a genomic distance that is close to zero in the phylogenomic tree constructed with conserved orthologs. Detailed epidemiological tracking revealed that the elephants shared a common habitat eight years apart, thus, strengthening the possibility of a clonal relationship between the two strains

Analytical and clinical validation of an amplicon-based next generation sequencing assay for ultrasensitive detection of circulating tumor DNA.

Next-generation sequencing of circulating tumor DNA presents a promising approach to cancer diagnostics, complementing conventional tissue-based diagnostic testing by enabling minimally invasive serial testing and broad genomic coverage through a simple blood draw to maximize therapeutic benefit to patients. LiquidHALLMARK® is an amplicon-based next-generation sequencing assay developed for the genomic profiling of plasma-derived cell-free DNA (cfDNA). The comprehensive 80-gene panel profiles point mutations, insertions/deletions, copy number alterations, and gene fusions, and further detects oncogenic viruses (Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV)) and microsatellite instability (MSI). Here, the analytical and clinical validation of the assay is reported. Analytical validation using reference genetic materials demonstrated a sensitivity of 99.38% for point mutations and 95.83% for insertions/deletions at 0.1% variant allele frequency (VAF), and a sensitivity of 91.67% for gene fusions at 0.5% VAF. In non-cancer samples, a high specificity (≥99.9999% per-base) was observed. The limit of detection for copy number alterations, EBV, HBV, and MSI were also empirically determined. Orthogonal comparison of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) variant calls made by LiquidHALLMARK and a reference allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) method for 355 lung cancer specimens revealed an overall concordance of 93.80%, while external validation with cobas® EGFR Mutation Test v2 for 50 lung cancer specimens demonstrated an overall concordance of 84.00%, with a 100% concordance rate for EGFR variants above 0.4% VAF. Clinical application of LiquidHALLMARK in 1,592 consecutive patients demonstrated a high detection rate (74.8% circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)-positive in cancer samples) and broad actionability (50.0% of cancer samples harboring alterations with biological evidence for actionability). Among ctDNA-positive lung cancers, 72.5% harbored at least one biomarker with a guideline-approved drug indication. These results establish the high sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and precision of the LiquidHALLMARK assay and supports its clinical application for blood-based genomic testing

Malaysian Students Acceptance Towards Learning with Augmented Reality Technology

This paper presents a study that sought to investigate student perceptions and attitudes towards the use of augmented reality (AR) technology for learning in Multimedia University. An AR mobile application was designed using Authentic Learning principles outlined by J. Herrington and L. Kervin, Educational Media International 44, 219 (2007) as a framework and developed using UNITY software. A Technology Acceptance Model was used to gauge student perception and to identify the factors that influence their intention to use AR learning materials. Results of the study indicate that students responded positively to the perceived use (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) of the AR application, which led to a positive attitude towards usage (ATU) and intention to use (BIU). The encouraging response provides support for more research into the use of AR technology to enhance learning environments