METHODS AND RESULTS: Body weight, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and fat accumulation were measured during 12 weeks of feeding and compared to mice fed with a normal chow (NC) and high-fat diet (HFD). Over a 12-week feeding period, PCHFD-fed mice exhibited substantial reductions in several metabolic syndrome-associated features. They had a lower rate of weight gain (p = 0.03) than the HFD-fed mice. Additionally, they displayed a notable 39.2% decrease in gonadal fat mass compared to HFD-fed mice (p = 0.003). HFD-fed mice showed impaired glucose tolerance when compared to NC-fed mice (p = 0.00). Conversely, PCHFD-fed mice showed a reduction in glucose intolerance to a level close to that of the NC-fed mice group (p = 0.01). These positive effects extended to reductions in hepatic steatosis and adipocyte hypertrophy.
CONCLUSION: These results indicated that L. brevis strain NJ42, isolated from H. itama honey, is a prospective probiotic to lower the risk of developing metabolic syndrome features induced by a high-fat diet. These positive findings suggest the prospect of enriching commonly consumed dietary components such as cheese with probiotic attributes, potentially offering an accessible means to alleviating the symptoms of metabolic diseases.
METHODS: This study utilized convenience sampling to investigate the mental health of undergraduates in UAE universities using a bilingual DASS-21 questionnaire via Google Forms. Analysis was conducted using SPSS version 29.0, employing descriptive statistics, Chi-squared tests, Mann-Whitney tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and Multinomial Logistic Regression to analyze relationships between sociodemographic variables and mental health scores.
RESULTS: The study examined 332 students, with most female participants (81 %, n = 269) and individuals aged 18-20 (89.8 %, n = 298). It revealed higher mean DASS scores among females: Depression (M = 15.80, p = 0.030), Anxiety (M = 17.63, p
NEW INFORMATION: A description of a new subspecies Plectostomawallaceikudikense subsp. nov.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples (1 mL each) from 91 stranded green turtles were collected from four parts of the Gulf of Thailand (eastern, upper, central, and lower). The control mtDNA region was amplified by polymerase chain reaction using LCM15382 and H950 primer. The obtained 384-bp or 770-bp sequences were analyzed for haplotype, clade, and haplotype and nucleotide diversities and were used to construct a phylogenetic tree and haplotype network diagram, respectively. In addition, we analyzed genetic differentiation within and among populations of green turtles in the Gulf of Thailand and between green turtles in the Gulf of Thailand and other Indo-Pacific MUs and rookeries.
RESULTS: In total, 12 (based on 384 bp) or 13 (based on 770 bp) haplotypes and two clades (clades VII and VIII) were identified, with nine or 10 haplotypes belonging to clade VIII and three haplotypes belonging to clade VII. Of the new haplotypes, four or five were identified and classified as clade VII (two haplotypes, for both fragment lengths) and clade VIII (two or three haplotypes, for 384 bp or 770 bp fragments, respectively). The overall haplotype and nucleotide diversity of green turtles in the Gulf of Thailand were high (0.755 ± 0.039 and 0.01146 ± 0.00248, respectively). Based on the analysis of molecular variance, green turtles in the Gulf of Thailand could be divided into two subpopulations (UC-Eastern Gulf of Thailand [UC-EGT] and lower Gulf of Thailand [LGT]). Comparisons with other MUs and rookeries in the Indo-Pacific showed that UC-EGT was not genetically different from the Peninsular Malaysia and Eastern Taiwan (Lanyu) MUs and the Terrangganu and Mersing rookeries, and LGT were not genetically different from Peninsular Malaysia, Sipadan, Brunei Bay, Eastern Taiwan (Lanyu), Scott Reef and Browse Island, and Gulf of Carpentaria MUs and the Perak, Perhentain Island, Redang, Pahang, and Vietnam rookeries.
CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to identify the haplotypes and clades of green turtles in the Gulf of Thailand and to show that the populations in the Gulf of Thailand not only present high genetic diversity but also have haplotypic endemism. Longer mtDNA fragments (770 bp) increased the resolution of the stock structure. Clade VII is a unique clade not only for Japan but also for Thailand and Malaysia, and CmP82 is a unique haplotype for both the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia. Conservation and management of these populations are important to preserve the genetic diversity, biological diversity, and evolutionary potential of green turtles in the Gulf of Thailand.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Demographic information, exposure determinants, and oral swabs were collected from swine personnel, including farmers, butchers, and veterinarians. Oral swabs were subjected to bacterial isolation and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for S. suis detection.
RESULTS: The study included 40 participants working in the swine industry, with a predominant representation of males (62.5%) and Malaysian Chinese individuals (60.0%) who consumed pork (92.5%). Notably, none of the participants reported consuming raw or partially cooked pork. In spite of their occupational exposure risk, none of the oral swabs showed positive results for S. suis infection.
CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report and detection study of S. suis using oral swabs obtained from swine personnel in Peninsular Malaysia.