Length–weight relationships of seven fish species from the upper Pelus River,Kuala Kangsar district,Perak, Malaysia

Length–weight relationships (LWR) are reported for seven fish species from the upper Pelus River, Kuala Kangsar district, Perak, Malaysia. This river is located in a remote area and supplies fishes for the aboriginal peoples. Fish samplings were conducted in three different seasons, the dry (June 2014), wet (August 2014), and moderately wet (April 2015). All samples were collected using fish electro–shocker and scoop nets with a 1 cm mesh size. A total of seven LWRs were unknown to FishBase, and four new maximum fish lengths were identified in the study.     

Employers’ perspective of workplace breastfeeding support in Karachi,Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

Background

Breastfeeding is considered to be an important measure to achieve optimum health outcomes for children, women’s return to work has frequently been found to be a main contributor to the early discontinuation of breastfeeding. The aim of the study is to assess workplace breastfeeding support provided to working mothers in Pakistan.

Method

A workplace based cross-sectional survey was conducted from April through December 2014. Employers from a representative sample of 297 workplaces were interviewed on pre-tested and structured questionnaire. The response rate was 93.7 %. Prevalence of workplace breastfeeding facilities were assessed in the light of World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) guidelines.

Results

Among non-physical facilities, all workplaces offered 3 months paid maternity leave, 45 % of the sites were offering task adjustment to mothers during lactation period. Only 15 % of the sites were offering breastfeeding breaks to working mothers. Physical facilities that include a breastfeeding corner, refrigerator for storing breast milk, breast milk pump and nursery for childcare were provided in less than 7 % of the sites. Multinational organizations provided better support compared to national organizations.

Conclusion

Support for continuation of breastfeeding by working women at workplaces is inadequate; hence, women discontinue breastfeeding earlier than planned. Policies need to be developed and enforced, employers and employees need to be educated and supportive environment needs to be created to encourage and facilitate breastfeeding friendly worksite environment.

     

Physical and chemical mutagens improved Sporotrichum thermophile,strain ST20 for enhanced Phytase activity

ObjectivePhosphorous is an essential micronutrient of plants and involved in critical biological functions. In nature, phosphorous is mostly present in immobilized inorganic mineral and in the fixed organic form including phytic acid and phosphoesteric compounds. However, the bioavailability of bound phosphorous could be enhanced by the use of phosphate solubilizing microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. The phytases are widespread in an environment and have been isolated from different sources comprising bacteria and fungi.MethodologyIn current studies, we show the successful use of gamma rays and EMS (Ethyl Methane Sulphonate) mutagenesis for enhanced activity of phytases in a fungal strain Sporotrichum thermophile.ResultsWe report an improved strain ST2 that could produce a clear halo zone around the colony, up to 24 mm. The maximum enzymatic activity was found of 382 U/mL on pH 5.5. However, the phytase activity was improved to 387 U/ml at 45 °C. We also report that the mutants produced through EMS showed the greater potential for phytase production.ConclusionThe current study highlights the potential of EMS mutagenesis for strain improvement over physical mutagens.     

Multiple stressor effects on coral reef ecosystems

Global climate change has profound implications on species distributions and ecosystem functioning. In the coastal zone, ecological responses may be driven by various biogeochemical and physical environmental factors. Synergistic interactions can occur when the combined effects of stressors exceed their individual effects. The Red Sea, characterized by strong gradients in temperature, salinity, and nutrients along the latitudinal axis provides a unique opportunity to study ecological responses over a range of these environmental variables. Using multiple linear regression models integrating in situ, satellite and oceanographic data, we investigated the response of coral reef taxa to local stressors and recent climate variability. Taxa and functional groups responded to a combination of climate (temperature, salinity, air‐sea heat fluxes, irradiance, wind speed), fishing pressure and biogeochemical (chlorophyll a and nutrients ‐ phosphate, nitrate, nitrite) factors. The regression model for each species showed interactive effects of climate, fishing pressure and nutrient variables. The nature of the effects (antagonistic or synergistic) was dependent on the species and stressor pair. Variables consistently associated with the highest number of synergistic interactions included heat flux terms, temperature, and wind speed followed by fishing pressure. Hard corals and coralline algae abundance were sensitive to changing environmental conditions where synergistic interactions decreased their percentage cover. These synergistic interactions suggest that the negative effects of fishing pressure and eutrophication may exacerbate the impact of climate change on corals. A high number of interactions were also recorded for algae, however for this group, synergistic interactions increased algal abundance. This study is unique in applying regression analysis to multiple environmental variables simultaneously to understand stressor interactions in the field. The observed responses have important implications for understanding climate change impacts on marine ecosystems and whether managing local stressors, such as nutrient enrichment and fishing activities, may help mitigate global drivers of change.     

Production,characterization and antimicrobial activities of bio-pigments by Aquisalibacillus elongatus MB592, Salinicoccus sesuvii MB597, and Halomonas aquamarina MB598 isolated from Khewra Salt Range,Pakistan

Hypersaline ecosystems offer unique habitats to microbial populations capable of withstanding extreme stress conditions and producing novel metabolites of commercial importance. Herein, we have characterized for the first time the production of bioactive pigments from newly isolated halophilic bacterial species. Halophilic bacteria were isolated from Khewra Salt Range of Pakistan. Three distinctly colored isolates were selected for pigment production. Selected colonies were identified as Aquisalibacillus elongatus MB592, Salinicoccus sesuvii MB597, and Halomonas aquamarina MB598 based on morphological, biochemical, and physiological evidences as well as 16S rRNA analysis. The optimum pigment production observed at mesophilic condition, nearly neutral pH, and moderate salinity was validated using response surface methodology. Different analytical techniques (UV spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and HPLC) characterized these purified pigments as derivatives of bacterioruberin carotenoids. Antioxidant activity of pigments revealed up to 85% free-radical scavenging activity at the concentration of 30 µg ml⁻¹. Pigments also showed significant antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pumilus, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Alcaligenes faecalis, Pseudomonas geniculata, Enterococcus faecium, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium solani, and Mucor spp., suggesting potential biomedical applications.

     

In-vitro GIT Tolerance of Microencapsulated Bifidobacterium bifidum ATCC 35914 Using Polysaccharide-Protein Matrix

Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins - Longevity of probiotic is the main concern for getting maximum benefits when added in food product. Bifidobacterium, a probiotic, tends to lose its viability...