In this work, the interaction of hydrolysed polyacrylamide (HPAM) of two molecular weights (F3330, 11-13 MDa; F3530, 15-17 MDa) with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) was studied via atomic force microscopy (AFM). In the absence of polymers at 1.7 mM and 1 M NaCl, good agreement with DLVO theory was observed. At 1.7 mM NaCl, repulsive interaction during approach at approximately 20 nm and attractive adhesion of approximately 400 pN during retraction was measured, whilst, at 1 M NaCl, no repulsion during approach was found. Still, a significantly larger adhesion of approximately 1400 pN during retraction was observed. In the presence of polymers, results indicated that F3330 displayed higher average adhesion (450-625 pN) and interaction energy (43-145 aJ) with CaCO3 than F3530's average adhesion (85-88 pN) and interaction energy (8.4-11 aJ). On the other hand, F3530 exerted a longer steric repulsion distance (70-100 nm) than F3330 (30-70 nm). This was likely due to the lower molecular weight. F3330 adopted a flatter configuration on the calcite surface, creating more anchor points with the surface in the form of train segments. The adhesion and interaction energy of both HPAM with CaCO3 can be decreased by increasing the salt concentration. At 3% NaCl, the average adhesion and interaction energy of F3330 was 72-120 pN and 5.6-17 aJ, respectively, while the average adhesion and interaction energy of F3530 was 11.4-48 pN and 0.3-2.98 aJ, respectively. The reduction of adhesion and interaction energy was likely due to the screening of the COO- charged group of HPAM by salt cations, leading to a reduction of electrostatic attraction between the negatively charged HPAM and the positively charged CaCO3.
The fabrication of a zinc hydroxide nitrate-sodium dodecylsulfate bispyribac modified with multi-walled carbon nanotube (ZHN-SDS-BP/MWCNT) paste electrode for uric acid and bisphenol A detection was presented in this study. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, chronocoulometry, square-wave voltammetry, and cyclic voltammetry were all used to examine the electrocatalytic activities of modified paste electrodes. The modified electrode's sensitivity and selectivity have been considered in terms of the composition of the modifier in percentages, the types of supporting electrolytes used, the pH of the electrolyte, and square-wave voltammetry parameters like frequency, pulse size, and step increment. Square-wave voltammetry is performed by applying a small amplitude square-wave voltage to a scanning potential from -0.3 V to +1.0 V, demonstrating a quick response time and high sensitivity. The ZHN-SDS-BP/MWCNT sensor demonstrated a linear range for uric acid and bisphenol A from 5.0 µM to 0.7 mM, with a limit of detection of 0.4 µM and 0.8 µM, respectively, with good reproducibility, repeatability, and stability as well. The modified paste electrode was successfully used in the determination of uric acid and bisphenol A in samples of human urine and lake water.
Solar cells are pivotal in harnessing renewable energy for a greener and more sustainable energy landscape. Nonetheless, eco-friendly materials for solar cells have not been as extensive as conventional counterparts, highlighting a significant area for further investigation in advancing sustainable energy technologies. This study investigated natural dyes from cost-effective and environmentally friendly blueberries and mulberries. These dyes were utilized as alternative sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Alongside the natural dyes, a green approach was adopted for the DSSC design, encompassing TiO2 photoanodes, eco-friendly electrolytes, and green counter-electrodes created from graphite pencils and candle soot. Consequently, the best-optimized dye sensitizer was mulberry, with an output power of 13.79 µW and 0.122 µW for outdoor and indoor environments, respectively. This study underscored the feasibility of integrating DSSCs with sensitizers derived from readily available food ingredients, potentially expanding their applications in educational kits and technology development initiatives.
Dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) is a tropical and subtropical fruit that undergoes multiple ripening cycles throughout the year. Accurate monitoring of the flower and fruit quantities at various stages is crucial for growers to estimate yields, plan orders, and implement effective management strategies. However, traditional manual counting methods are labor-intensive and inefficient. Deep learning techniques have proven effective for object recognition tasks but limited research has been conducted on dragon fruit due to its unique stem morphology and the coexistence of flowers and fruits. Additionally, the challenge lies in developing a lightweight recognition and tracking model that can be seamlessly integrated into mobile platforms, enabling on-site quantity counting. In this study, a video stream inspection method was proposed to classify and count dragon fruit flowers, immature fruits (green fruits), and mature fruits (red fruits) in a dragon fruit plantation. The approach involves three key steps: (1) utilizing the YOLOv5 network for the identification of different dragon fruit categories, (2) employing the improved ByteTrack object tracking algorithm to assign unique IDs to each target and track their movement, and (3) defining a region of interest area for precise classification and counting of dragon fruit across categories. Experimental results demonstrate recognition accuracies of 94.1%, 94.8%, and 96.1% for dragon fruit flowers, green fruits, and red fruits, respectively, with an overall average recognition accuracy of 95.0%. Furthermore, the counting accuracy for each category is measured at 97.68%, 93.97%, and 91.89%, respectively. The proposed method achieves a counting speed of 56 frames per second on a 1080ti GPU. The findings establish the efficacy and practicality of this method for accurate counting of dragon fruit or other fruit varieties.
This article presents a quad-element MIMO antenna designed for multiband operation. The prototype of the design is fabricated and utilizes a vector network analyzer (VNA-AV3672D) to measure the S-parameters. The proposed antenna is capable of operating across three broad frequency bands: 3-15.5 GHz, encompassing the C band (4-8 GHz), X band (8-12.4 GHz), and a significant portion of the Ku band (12.4-15.5 GHz). Additionally, it covers two mm-wave bands, specifically 26.4-34.3 GHz and 36.1-48.9 GHz, which corresponds to 86% of the Ka-band (27-40 GHz). To enhance its performance, the design incorporates a partial ground plane and a top patch featuring a dual-sided reverse 3-stage stair and a straight stick symmetrically placed at the bottom. The introduction of a defected ground structure (DGS) on the ground plane serves to provide a wideband response. The DGS on the ground plane plays a crucial role in improving the electromagnetic interaction between the grounding surface and the top patch, contributing to the wideband characteristics of the antenna. The dimensions of the proposed MIMO antenna are 31.7 mm × 31.7 mm × 1.6 mm. Furthermore, the article delves into the assessment of various performance metrics related to antenna diversity, such as ECC, DG, TARC, MEG, CCL, and channel capacity, with corresponding values of 0.11, 8.87 dB, -6.6 dB, ±3 dB, 0.32 bits/sec/Hz, and 18.44 bits/sec/Hz, respectively. Additionally, the equivalent circuit analysis of the MIMO system is explored in the article. It's worth noting that the measured results exhibit a strong level of agreement with the simulated results, indicating the reliability of the proposed design. The MIMO antenna's ability to exhibit multiband response, good diversity performance, and consistent channel capacity across various frequency bands renders it highly suitable for integration into multi-band wireless devices. The developed MIMO system should be applicable on n77/n78/n79 5G NR (3.3-5 GHz); WLAN (4.9-5.725 GHz); Wi-Fi (5.15-5.85 GHz); LTE5537.5 (5.15-5.925 GHz); WiMAX (5.25-5.85 GHz); WLAN (5.725-5.875 GHz); long-distance radio telecommunication (4-8 GHz; C-band); satellite, radar, space communications and terrestrial broadband (8-12 GHz; X-band); and various satellite communications (27-40 GHz; Ka-band).
This study presents the concept of a computationally efficient machine learning (ML) model for diagnosing and monitoring Parkinson's disease (PD) using rest-state EEG signals (rs-EEG) from 20 PD subjects and 20 normal control (NC) subjects at a sampling rate of 128 Hz. Based on the comparative analysis of the effectiveness of entropy calculation methods, fuzzy entropy showed the best results in diagnosing and monitoring PD using rs-EEG, with classification accuracy (ARKF) of ~99.9%. The most important frequency range of rs-EEG for PD-based diagnostics lies in the range of 0-4 Hz, and the most informative signals were mainly received from the right hemisphere of the head. It was also found that ARKF significantly decreased as the length of rs-EEG segments decreased from 1000 to 150 samples. Using a procedure for selecting the most informative features, it was possible to reduce the computational costs of classification by 11 times, while maintaining an ARKF ~99.9%. The proposed method can be used in the healthcare internet of things (H-IoT), where low-performance edge devices can implement ML sensors to enhance human resilience to PD.
Nipah virus (NiV) is a paramyxovirus responsible for a high mortality rate zoonosis. As a result, it has been included in the list of Blueprint priority pathogens. Bats are the main reservoirs of the virus, and different clinical courses have been described in humans. The Bangladesh strain (NiV-B) is often associated with severe respiratory disease, whereas the Malaysian strain (NiV-M) is often associated with severe encephalitis. An early diagnosis of NiV infection is crucial to limit the outbreak and to provide appropriate care to the patient. Due to high specificity and sensitivity, qRT-PCR is currently considered to be the optimum method in acute NiV infection assessment. Nasal swabs, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, and blood are used for RT-PCR testing. N gene represents the main target used in molecular assays. Different sensitivities have been observed depending on the platform used: real-time PCR showed a sensitivity of about 103 equivalent copies/reaction, SYBRGREEN technology's sensitivity was about 20 equivalent copies/reaction, and in multiple pathogen card arrays, the lowest limit of detection (LOD) was estimated to be 54 equivalent copies/reaction. An international standard for NiV is yet to be established, making it difficult to compare the sensitivity of the different methods. Serological assays are for the most part used in seroprevalence studies owing to their lower sensitivity in acute infection. Due to the high epidemic and pandemic potential of this virus, the diagnosis of NiV should be included in a more global One Health approach to improve surveillance and preparedness for the benefit of public health. Some steps need to be conducted in the diagnostic field in order to become more efficient in epidemic management, such as development of point-of-care (PoC) assays for the rapid diagnosis of NiV.
Most of the public health importance coronaviruses, such as Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and SARS-CoV-2 are likely originated from bats and spread to humans through intermediate hosts; civet cats, dromedary camel and Malayan pangolin, respectively. SARS-CoV-2-like coronaviruses were detected in Thailand, which is neighbouring with Kelantan in East Coast Malaysia. To date, there is no report on the presence of public health concerns (SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV) coronaviruses in bats from Malaysia. This study was aimed to elucidate the presence of these coronaviruses in bat samples from East Coast, Malaysia. A total of hundred seventy oropharyngeal swab samples were collected from three states of East Coast Malaysia. Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was conducted based on partial 3' Untranslated region (3'UTR) or ORF10 gene and the products were sequenced. The sequences were compared with all coronavirus sequences from the National Center for Biotechnology Information-GenBank (NCBI-GenBank) using NCBI-Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (NCBI-BLAST) software. A phylogenetic tree was constructed to determine the genetic relationship among the detected coronaviruses with the reference coronaviruses from the NCBI-GenBank. Our results showed that SARSCoV-2-like viruses were present in 3% (5/170) of the bats from East Coast Malaysia that have 98-99% sequence identities and are genetically related to SARS-CoV-2 from humans. This finding indicates the presence of SARS-CoV-2-like viruses in bats from East Coast Malaysia that may become a public health concern in the future.
The intake of food and water containing the Sarcocystis parasite has been linked to a number of outbreaks worldwide, including Malaysia. Nevertheless, the lack of surveys and epidemiological data on Sarcocystis infections in Malaysia makes it difficult to estimate its occurrence in humans and animals. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Sarcocystis and the risk factors associated with infection among village chickens and pigs reared under different farm managements in Peninsular Malaysia. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using partial fragments of the 18S rRNA gene and ITS1 sequences. In the present study, 680 sera samples were collected from village chickens (n=250) and commercial pigs (n=433) and anti-Sarcocystis antibodies were screened using the enzymelinked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) kit. At the animal level, the prevalence of Sarcocystis was 9.2% (95% CI: 5.92-13.48) and at the farm level, it was 64.0% (95% CI: 42.52-82.03) in village chickens. The animal-level seroprevalence of Sarcocystis for pigs was 3.7% (95% CI: 2.13-5.93) and 36.8% (95% CI: 16.29-61.64) at the farm-level. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was conducted on meat samples from various parts of village chickens (n=250) consisting of brain, heart, lung, and pectoralis muscle tissues, and pork (n=121) consisting of intercostal muscle, diaphragm, and tongue. Sarcocystis DNA was detected in 6.4% (95% CI: 4.60-11.60) of village chicken samples but zero in pork samples. A total of 11 unique Sarcocystis haplotypes were isolated from these tissue samples. Multivariable logistic regression analysis of the putative risk factors showed a statistically significant association between Sarcocystis infection in pigs and uncovered storage of feed. Although no zoonotic Sarcocystis was isolated in this study, we reported the first discovery of S. wenzeli in Malaysia.
Melioidosis is endemic in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia. Liver abscess is not uncommon in melioidosis, but it is usually associated with bacteremia. We presented a case of a 55-year-old gentleman with underlying end-stage renal failure who presented with non-specific abdominal pain for three months. Initial blood investigations showed leukocytosis and increased C-reactive protein. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen revealed multiple hypodense lesions in the liver and spleen. The culture of the liver specimen obtained through the ultrasound-guided isolated Burkholderia pseudomallei. He was given an adjusted dose of intravenous ceftazidime due to underlying renal failure. Melioidosis serology also returned positive for IgM with titer >1:1280. His blood cultures were reported negative three times. Despite on antibiotics for five weeks, there was no significant improvement of the liver abscesses was observed. He was unfortunately infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus during his admission and passed away due to severe COVID-19 pneumonia.
In Malaysia presently, the main cause of human malaria is by the zoonotic monkey parasite Plasmodium knowlesi. A previous study has suggested that the P. knowlesi merozoite surface protein 1 (Pkmsp-1) block IV to be a suitable multiplicity of infection (MOI) genotyping marker for knowlesimalaria. This study therefore aimed to investigate the usefulness of Pkmsp-1 block IV in assessing the MOI of P. knowlesi in clinical isolates from Malaysia. Two allele-specific PCR primer pairs targeting the two allelic families of block IV (T1 and T2) were designed, and used to genotype P. knowlesi in 200 blood samples (100 from Peninsular Malaysia and 100 from Malaysian Borneo). Results showed that the mean MOI in Malaysian Borneo was slightly higher as compared to Peninsular Malaysia (1.58 and 1.40, respectively). Almost half of the total blood samples from Malaysian Borneo (52%) had polyclonal infections (i.e., more than one allele of any family type) as compared to Peninsular Malaysia (33%) samples. The T1 allelic family was more prevalent in Peninsular Malaysia (n=75) than in Malaysian Borneo (n=60). The T2 allelic family, however, was more prevalent in the Malaysian Borneo (n=87 vs n=53 respectively). This study shows that the single locus Pkmsp-1 block IV can serve as a simple alternative genetic marker for estimating knowlesi malaria MOI in a population. Future MOI studies should focus on macaque populations as macaques are the natural host of P. knowlesi.
Porcine circovirus type 4 (PCV4) is the newest member in the porcine circovirus family, first reported in 2020. To date, the presence of PCV4 has only been reported in China, South Korea and most recently in Thailand. Detection of PCV4 have been reported in various production stages of pigs from piglets, finishers to sows; associated with a myriad of clinical manifestations including porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS), postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), respiratory, enteric and neurological diseases. While successful virus isolation and culture has yet to be reported, pathogenicity of PCV4 has been demonstrated through infectious clone studies. The objective of this study is to investigate the presence of PCV4 in Malaysian porcine population to update the epidemiology of porcine circoviruses in Malaysia. A total of 49 samples from commercial intensive pig farms, abattoir and wild boar population were subjected to conventional polymerase chain reaction assay to detect PCV4 capsid (cap) genome. Resulting cap nucleotide sequences were analyzed for maximum likelihood phylogeny relationship. Results revealed that PCV4 is present in Peninsular Malaysia at a molecular prevalence of 4.08% (2 / 49 samples). Both PCV4 positive samples originated from clinically healthy finishers. Malaysian PCV4 strains were classified as genotype PCV4b, and were found to be phylogenetically distinct from the China, South Korea and Thailand strains. With this latest update of the novel PCV4 in Malaysia, it is clear that more attention needs to be given to the investigation of novel porcine circoviruses (PCV) and management of PCV diseases.
Trichomonas tenax, an oral flagellated protozoon found in humans, potentially associated with the inflammation of periodontal tissues and decreased immunity that causes the tissue damage and tooth loss from chronic infection. Currently, there is a lack of data regarding the prevalence of T. tenax infection in Thailand. Therefore, this study aimed to measure prevalence of T. tenax in periodontal disease patients by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify the 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene and to determine the factors associated with the presence of this protozoan. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 230 patients with periodontal disease, who visited the oral health center of Suranaree University of Technology Hospital, Thailand from 2021 to 2022. Dental plaque specimens were collected and examined to identify the presence of T. tenax using the PCR-based 18S rRNA gene. The occurrence of factors associated with T. tenax infection was analyzed by the chi-square test and binary logistic regression. The prevalence of T. tenax infection was 13.48% (31/230), in patients, including 96.77% (30/31) and 3.23% (1/31) in periodontitis and gingivitis patients, respectively. The presence of T. tenax was associated with periodontal disease (p<0.001) and the Periodontal Screening and Record (PSR) index (p=0.001). The significant risk factors for T. tenax infection were periodontitis (ORadj=239.89, 95% CI=23.801-2417.746), no-underlying disease (ORadj=0.31, 95% CI=0.099-0.942), and male sex (ORadj=0.25, 95% CI=0.062-0.981). Dentists should be concerned about this oral protozoan in periodontitis patients. Furthermore, epidemiologic studies of T. tenax are still needed to investigate the mechanism of pathogenesis from T. tenax infection.
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus with widespread distribution across the globe. Since 2016, CHIKV re-emerged in several countries including Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. A proper diagnostic tool for early diagnosis of CHIKV infection is crucial to facilitate patient management and control virus transmission at the earliest stage of outbreak. Therefore, a TaqMan minor groove binder (MGB) probe-based quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay was developed to detect and quantify the CHIKV. The primers and probe were designed based on a conserved genomic region of 730 global CHIKV sequences that is located between nsP1 and nsP2 genes. The nucleotide mismatches of primers and probe with 730 global CHIKV sequences and 13 alphaviruses were then analysed in silico. In this study, the last 5 nucleotides at 3' end of primers and 5' end of probe were considered to be the critical regions for priming. In silico analysis revealed that the critical regions of primers and probe were at least 99.6% matched with the 730 global CHIKV sequences. Besides, the primers and probe showed at least 5/20 (25.0%) and 4/17 (23.5%) nucleotide mismatches with 13 alphaviruses respectively. The amplification efficiency of qRT-PCR assay was 100.59% (95% CI= 93.06, 109.33) with a R2 score of 0.957. Its limit of detection (LOD) at 95% probability level was 16.6 CHIKV RNA copies (95% CI= 12.9, 28.9). The qRT-PCR assay was specific to CHIKV without cross-reacting with all dengue virus serotypes, Getah virus, Tembusu virus and Zika virus. The diagnostic results of qRT-PCR assay were perfectly agreed (k=1.000, p=0.003) with a commercial trioplex assay, with sensitivity of 100% (95% CI= 61, 100) and specificity of 100% (95% CI= 44, 100). Overall, the developed qRT-PCR assay is ideal for rapid, sensitive and specific detection as well as quantification of CHIKV.
The susceptibility levels of Malaysian Aedes albopictus larvae sampled from several agricultural, fogging-free residential and dengue prone residential areas against different larvicides were evaluated using revised diagnostic doses derived from the 2xLC99 values of the reference strain. Upon 24-hour recovery period of WHO larval bioassay, incipient resistance was observed among Ae. albopictus larvae from rubber estates against fenitrothion (96.67% mortality) and permethin (97.00% mortality) while Ae. albopictus larvae from rice cultivation areas were moderately resistant to fenthion (94.33% mortality). Aedes albopictus larvae from dengue prone residential areas developed moderate to high resistance against dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), fenitrothion, fenthion, propoxur and permethrin (79.67% - 97.33% mortality). Moderate to high resistance were also demonstrated among all populations of Ae. albopictus larvae against temephos and chlorpyrifos (63.00% - 97.67% mortality). Except for Ae. albopictus larvae from oil palm plantations, all Ae. albopictus larval populations were also highly resistant to bendiocarb (65.67% - 89.67% mortality). Cross resistance between larvicides from similar and different insecticide classes were also revealed in this study. The use of revised diagnostic doses established from the local reference strain could reduce the possibility of underestimation or overestimation of the insecticide susceptibility status of field strain populations.
Immune responses are largely regulated by cytokines. Genetic polymorphisms of the regulatory coding regions are recognized to impact the expression of cytokines. The abnormal cytokine levels in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection seems to be involved in disease progression, viral survival, and therapeutic response. The current study assesses the polymorphisms associated with IL-6, IL-10, IL28B, IFN-γ, TGF-β, and TNF-α on the genotypic susceptibility to HCV infection and Ribavirin response to Peg interferon. Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to assess the gene polymorphisms associated with IL-6 A/G (rs2069837), IL-10-1082 G/A (rs1800896)], IL28B C/T (rs12979860), IFN-γ +874 A/T (rs2430561), TGF-β 1-509 C/T (rs1800469) and TNF-α-308 G/A promoter (rs1800629) from stored samples of 200 healthy individuals and 300 HCV infected patients. There was a significant association of AG and AA genotypes of IL28B, IFN-γ, TGF-β1, and TNF-α over HCV susceptibility and treatment outcome. However, no association between IL-6 and IL-10 gene polymorphism to HCV susceptibility response to the treatment. The observations indicate IL28B CT, TGF-β1 CT, TT and TNF- AG with AA genotypes influence the cytokine expression, which is related to susceptibility and resistance to HCV infection and combined antiviral therapy.
Antibody cross-reactivity among flaviviruses is a major limitation in understanding the prevalence without vector control measures. In this study, we investigated the presence of Zika virus (ZIKV)-specific antibodies and the significance of their cross-reactivity with other flaviviruses, which could affect the serological specificity in both symptomatic and asymptomatic pregnant women. Among the results obtained from 217 serum samples tested for ZIKV-specific IgM and IgG, no specific predictions regarding seropositivity or exposure due to extensive cross-reactivity with dengue virus (DENV) serology could be made. Clear-cut positivity was observed in 1.8% (n = 4) and 1.0% (n = 2) for ZIKV IgM and IgG, respectively. The same samples assessed for DENV showed 1.3% (n = 3) seropositivity each for IgM and IgG levels. None of the samples were positive for ZIKV and DENV IgM or IgG. However, one sample (0.4%) tested positive for ZIKV and DENV IgM. No significant correlation was observed between DENV IgM and IgG when comparing the overlapped serotiters. On the other hand, the ZIKV IgG-positive sample showed higher serotiters for DENV IgG, indicating cross-reactivity with ZIKV but without statistical significance. Therefore, screening for the incidence of ZIKV becomes particularly challenging in a population where the presence or pre-exposure to DENV is observed. Our observations further suggest that unless flavivirus prevalence is properly addressed, determining the prevalence of ZIKV antibodies, which may be confounded with other uninvestigated flaviviruses, will be complicated.
Emerging cases of Fasciola and Paramphistomes co-infection have been reported, especially in tropical regions. Thisis due to Fasciola and Paramphistomes sharing biological factors which influence the pattern of transmission, especially in faecal egg shedding due to interaction and competition in the definitive host. Most reports surveyed the occurrence of fasciolosis in ruminants with a lack of observation of faecal egg distribution. Therefore, present study is aimed to assess the distribution of Fasciola and Paramphistomes faecal egg count (fec) in co-infected large ruminants in Larut, Matang, and Selama areas (Taiping). A total of 371 faecal samples were collected at random from 23 ruminant herds. Flukefinder® sedimentation was used to quantify the Fasciola and Paramphistomes eggs. Descriptive analyses were performed to determine the prevalence of co-infections, and Spearman correlation analysis was used to correlate the fec. Overall, the prevalence of Fasciola and Paramphistomes co-infection was 23.7% (n=89/371) in Taiping. Prevalence of paramphistomosis was always higher than fasciolosis in overall and single infection, with 46.9% (n=174/371) and 22.9% (n=85/371) compared to 36.9% (n=137/371) and 12.9% (n=48/371) respectively. Egg per gram (epg) of both parasites were positively skewed with a median of 1.5 epg in fasciolosis and 10.5 epg in paramphistomosis. Spearman correlation analysis of the epg in co-infected bovine was found to have a moderately positive correlation with rs=0.39 (p-value<0.01). The recent study observed a moderate prevalence of Fasciola and Paramphistomes coinfection in a large ruminant population from Taiping, with the prevalence of paramphistomosis being higher than fasciolosis. Hence, this suggests that infection with one of these parasites increases the chance of infection with another. There is a need to integrate fec in parasite surveillance to monitor the trend of parasite transmission. Findings in the present study could tailor control strategies, especially for fasciolosis to limit the economic loss and prevent zoonotic transmission.
Malaria, caused by the unicellular Apicomplexan protozoa of the genus Plasmodium, is an infectious disease transmitted via female Anopheles mosquitoes. The sexual stage (gametocytes) of malaria parasites is the key to the transmission of parasites from vertebrate hosts to mosquitoes, representing critical bottleneck of the parasite life cycle. This study has established a systematic computational pipeline to achieve the genome-wide in silico analysis and find 708 novels potentially indispensable genes for gametocyte development, consisting of 644 protein coding genes, 56 ncRNA genes and 8 pseudogenes, with a total of 191 genes in the transmembrane, 29 protein coding genes to be exported proteins, and 58 genes in apicoplast regions. Furthermore, Gene Ontology analysis showed that the largest cluster was cellular processes with nucleus and cytosol highest, followed by molecular function with binding and oxidoreductase activities abundant. Meanwhile, when a text searched, using PlasmoDB, there were 300 genes with annotations of "putative", and 196 genes with annotations of "unknown function". These data would be helpful to provide potential targets for effective malaria transmission-blocking strategies.
We aimed at determination of acaricidal, larvacidal, and repellent activities of green synthesized silver nanoparticles (SNP) against Hyalomma dromedarii as one of the most common ticks in camels. SNP were green synthesized by reducing Lupinus albus extract through the precipitation technique. The acaricidal, larvicidal, and repellent activity of SNP against H. dromedarii was studied through the adult immersion test (AIT), the larval packet test (LPT), the vertical movement behavior of tick's larvae method, anti-acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and oxidative enzyme activity. The green synthesized SNP displayed a spherical form with a size ranging from 25-90 nm; whereas the most distribution of particles size was reported at 50-65 nm. SNP dose-dependently (p<0.001) increased the mortality rate of H. dromedarii adult; whereas at 16 and 32 µg/mL completely killed the adult females. Treatment of exposure of H. dromedarii adult to SNP markedly (p<0.001) declined the mean number, weight, and hatchability of eggs. Treatment of H. dromedarii larvae with SNP reduced the viability rate of larvae with the LC50 and LC90 values of 3.1 and 6.9 µg/mL, respectively. Exposure of H. dromedarii larvae to SNP, especially at ½ LC50 and LC50, markedly (p<0.001) increased the oxidative stress and declined the level of antioxidant enzymes in H. dromedarii larvae; whereas, markedly suppressed the AChE activity of the larvae stage of H. dromedarii in comparison to the control group. These results showed that SNP green synthesized by L. albus extract had promising acaricidal, larvicidal and repellent activity against H. dromedarii adults and larvae as a dose-dependent response. SNP also considrably decreased the level of acetylcholinesterase and antioxidant activity and also provokes oxidative stress in H. dromedarii larvae. However, more investigation must be designed to clear the accurate mechanisms and the efficacy of SNP in practical use.