Epidemiology and risk factors associated with Anaplasma marginale infection of cattle in Peninsular Malaysia

Bovine anaplasmosis is a major concern to cattle farming in most parts of the world. Anaplasmosis negatively impacts the profitability of cattle farming by reducing the production, reproduction, and draft ability of cattle. Here, we report results from a one-year cross sectional study to determine the epidemiology and the risk factors for Anaplasma marginale infection of cattle in Peninsular Malaysia. Examination of one thousand and forty five blood samples of apparently healthy cattle from forty-three farms in all the states of Peninsular Malaysia by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay revealed an overall prevalence of A. marginale infection of cattle of 72.6%, showing high endemicity of this heamoprotozoan among cattle in the country. Cattle breeds, production type, herd owner, herd size, management system, farm size, farm age, prophylactic treatment against blood parasites, presence of ticks, frequency of deticking, zones, closeness to forest, closeness to waste area, closeness to human settlement and closeness to body of water were the risk factors significantly associated (P?<?0.05) with the detection of A. marginale in cattle. Results of this first molecular study on the epidemiology and risk factors for A. marginale infection of cattle from all the states of Peninsular Malaysia suggest policies and strategies for the prevention and control of the parasite to improve profitability of cattle farming in the country.     

Assessment of probiotic potential and anticancer activity of newly isolated vaginal bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum 5BL

Numerous bacteria in and on its external parts protect the human body from harmful threats. This study aimed to investigate the potential beneficial effects of the vaginal ecosystem microbiota. A type of bacteria was isolated from vaginal secretions of adolescent and young adult women, cultured on an appropriate specific culture medium, and then molecularly identified through 16S rDNA gene sequencing. Results of 16S rDNA sequencing revealed that the isolate belongs to the Lactobacillus plantarum species. The isolated strain exhibited probiotic properties such as low pH and high bile salt concentration tolerance, antibiotic susceptibility and antimicrobial activity against some pathogenic bacteria. The anticancer effects of the strain on human cancer cell lines (cervical, HeLa; gastric, AGS; colon, HT‐29; breast, MCF‐7) and on a human normal cell line (human umbilical vein endothelial cells [HUVEC]) were investigated. Toxic side effects were assessed by studying apoptosis in the treated cells. The strain exhibited desirable probiotic properties and remarkable anticancer activity against the tested human cancer cell lines (P ≤ 0.05) with no significant cytotoxic effects on HUVEC normal cells (P ≤ 0.05). Overall, the isolated strain showed favorable potential as a bioactive therapeutic agent. Therefore, this strain should be subjected to the other required tests to prove its suitability for clinical therapeutic application.     

Selective Divalent Cobalt Ions Detection Using Ag2O3-ZnO Nanocones by ICP-OES Method for Environmental Remediation

Here, we have synthesized Ag₂O₃-ZnO nanocones (NCs) by a wet-chemical route using reducing agents at low temperature. The structural, optical and morphological properties of Ag₂O₃-ZnO NCs were investigated by several conventional techniques such as powder XRD, XPS, FESEM, XEDS, FTIR and UV/vis. spectroscopy. The analytical parameters of prepared NCs were also calculated for a selective detection of divalent cobalt [Co(II)] prior to its determination by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The selectivity of NCs toward various metal ions, including Cd(II), Co(II), Cr(III), Cu(II), Fe(III), Ni(II), and Zn(II) was studied. Results of the selectivity study demonstrated that Ag₂O₃-ZnO NC phase was the most selective towards Co(II) ion. The uptake capacity for Co(II) ion was experimentally calculated to be ∼76.69 mgg⁻¹. Moreover, adsorption isotherm data provided that the adsorption process was mainly monolayer on homogeneous adsorbent surfaces of Ag₂O₃-ZnO NCs. Kinetic study revealed that the adsorption of Co(II) on Ag₂O₃-ZnO NCs phase followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. In addition, thermodynamic results provided that the adsorption mechanism of Co(II) ions on Ag₂O₃-ZnO NCs was a spontaneous process and thermodynamically favorable. Finally, the proposed method was validated by applying it to real environmental water samples with reasonable results.     

Niacin deficiency modulates genes involved in cancer: Are smokers at higher risk?

The role of niacin’s metabolite, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), in DNA repair via base-excision repair pathway is well documented. We evaluated if niacin deficiency results in genetic instability in normal human fetal lung fibroblasts (MRC-5), and further, does it leads to enhanced accumulation of cigarette smoke–induced genetic damage? MRC-5 cells were grown discretely in niacin-proficient/deficient media, and exposed to nicotine-derived nitrosamine ketone (NNK, a cigarette smoke carcinogen). Niacin deficiency abated the NAD polymerization, augmented the spontaneous induction of micronuclei (MN) and chromosomal aberrations (CA) and raised the expression of 10 genes and suppressed 12 genes involved in different biological functions. NNK exposure resulted in genetic damage as measured by the induction of MN and CA in cells grown in niacin-proficient medium, but the damage became practically marked when niacin-deficient cells were exposed to NNK. NNK exposure raised the expression of 16 genes and suppressed the expression of 56 genes in cells grown in niacin-proficient medium. NNK exposure to niacin-deficient cells raised the expression of eight genes including genes crucial in promoting cancer such as FGFR3 and DUSP1 and suppressed the expression of 33 genes, including genes crucial in preventing the onset and progression of cancer like RASSF2, JUP, and IL24, in comparison with the cells grown in niacin-proficient medium. Overall, niacin deficiency interferes with the DNA damage repair process induced by chemical carcinogens like NNK, and niacin-deficient population are at the higher risk of genetic instability caused by cigarette smoke carcinogen NNK.     

Mathematical modeling of laser based potato cutting and peeling

A mathematical model is developed and validated to predict the depth of cut in potato tuber slabs as a function of laser power and travel speed. The model considers laser processing parameters such as input power, spot size and exposure time as well as the properties of the material being cut such as specific heat, thermal conductivity, surface reflectance, etc. The model also considers the phase change of water in potato and the ignition temperature of the solid portion. The composition of the potato tuber is assumed to be of water and solid. The model also assumes that the ablation process is accomplished through ejection of liquid water, debris and water vapour, and combustion of solid. A CO₂ laser operating in c.w. mode was chosen for the experimental work because water absorbs laser energy highly at 10.6 μm, and CO₂ laser units with relatively high output power are available. Slabs of potato tuber were chosen to be laser processed since potato contains high moisture and large amounts of relatively homogeneous tissue. The results of the preliminary calculations and experiments concluded that the model is able to predict the depth of cut in potato tuber parenchyma when subjected to a CO₂ laser beam.     

Engineering Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz for enhanced oil and seed yields by combining diacylglycerol acyltransferase1 and glycerol‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase expression

Plant seed oil‐based liquid transportation fuels (i.e., biodiesel and green diesel) have tremendous potential as environmentally, economically and technologically feasible alternatives to petroleum‐derived fuels. Due to their nutritional and industrial importance, one of the major objectives is to increase the seed yield and oil production of oilseed crops via biotechnological approaches. Camelina sativa, an emerging oilseed crop, has been proposed as an ideal crop for biodiesel and bioproduct applications. Further increase in seed oil yield by increasing the flux of carbon from increased photosynthesis into triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis will make this crop more profitable. To increase the oil yield, we engineered Camelina by co‐expressing the Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. diacylglycerol acyltransferase1 (DGAT1) and a yeast cytosolic glycerol‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD1) genes under the control of seed‐specific promoters. Plants co‐expressing DGAT1 and GPD1 exhibited up to 13% higher seed oil content and up to 52% increase in seed mass compared to wild‐type plants. Further, DGAT1‐ and GDP1‐co‐expressing lines showed significantly higher seed and oil yields on a dry weight basis than the wild‐type controls or plants expressing DGAT1 and GPD1 alone. The oil harvest index (g oil per g total dry matter) for DGTA1‐ and GPD1‐co‐expressing lines was almost twofold higher as compared to wild type and the lines expressing DGAT1 and GPD1 alone. Therefore, combining the overexpression of TAG biosynthetic genes, DGAT1 and GPD1, appears to be a positive strategy to achieve a synergistic effect on the flux through the TAG synthesis pathway, and thereby further increase the oil yield.     

The β3‐integrin endothelial adhesome regulates microtubule‐dependent cell migration

Integrin β3 is seen as a key anti‐angiogenic target for cancer treatment due to its expression on neovasculature, but the role it plays in the process is complex; whether it is pro‐ or anti‐angiogenic depends on the context in which it is expressed. To understand precisely β3's role in regulating integrin adhesion complexes in endothelial cells, we characterised, by mass spectrometry, the β3‐dependent adhesome. We show that depletion of β3‐integrin in this cell type leads to changes in microtubule behaviour that control cell migration. β3‐integrin regulates microtubule stability in endothelial cells through Rcc2/Anxa2‐driven control of active Rac1 localisation. Our findings reveal that angiogenic processes, both in vitro and in vivo, are more sensitive to microtubule targeting agents when β3‐integrin levels are reduced.