This study aimed to isolate and evaluate the antagonistic potential of actinomycetes from mangrove forest of Pahang, Malaysia. Sediment samples from seven different sites were pretreated using wet heat and dry heat methods followed by dilution plating on eight isolation media. In total, 4850 isolates were successfully recovered, with inorganic salt-starch agar displaying the highest percentage of recovery (31.7%), followed by actinomycete isolation agar (24.1%). The wet heat pretreatment was found to be more effective in the enumeration of actinomycetes, since 81.4% of total isolates were yielded using this technique, whereas dry heat treatment was better in the enumeration of spore-forming actinomycetes. After both pretreatments, Streptomyces-like and Micromonospora-like isolates were the most predominant. The antagonistic activities of the representative isolates were evaluated using the cross-streak method. In total, 78 isolates were active against at least one of the test organisms. Among them, 28.2% exhibited antibacterial activity, 23.1% exhibited antifungal activity and 48.7% displayed both. Nine isolates demonstrated broad antagonism by inhibiting the growth of all test organisms. The presence of a relatively large number of bioactive isolates suggests that Pahang mangrove forest is a potential source of actinomycetes with biosynthetic capabilities.
Background Nephrolithiasis is one of the causes which lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD). Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are endopeptidases degrading extracellular matrix which correlate with the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The current study was designed to analyze the association of (R279Q, C1562T) polymorphism of MMP‐9 with nephrolithiasis patients. Methods Genotyping of MMP‐9/R279Q and of MMP‐9/C1562T polymorphism were carried out by PCR‐based restriction digestion method. Serum level of MMP‐9, oxidative stress marker, MDA, and uric acid were measured in patients and control. Results Allele frequencies of the MMP‐9/C1562T polymorphism for C and T allele were 71.25% and 28.75% in patients, 87.08% and 12.92% in control respectively. The homozygote TT was more frequent in the nephrolithiasis patients group, while T allele frequency was significantly higher in the nephrolithiasis patients group than in the control group. The patients with CT and TT genotype showed a significant increase in serum MMP‐9, Total Oxidant Status (TOS), Oxidative Stress Index (OSI), Malondialdehyde (MDA), and uric acid when compared to CC genotype in patients with nephrolithiasis. The R279Q polymorphism site with regard to the relationship with nephrolithiasis was not significant. Conclusion The result indicates that patients with TT genotype had an increased risk of stones. Also, the results demonstrate that TT allele of the C1562T polymorphism in the MMP‐9gene is related with an increase of oxidative stress in nephrolithiasis patients and may possibly impose a risk for cardiovascular diseases in patients with TT genotype of MMP‐9.
Crowd monitoring and analysis has become increasingly used for unmanned aerial vehicle applications. From preventing stampede in high concentration crowds to estimating crowd density and to surveilling crowd movements, crowd monitoring and analysis have long been employed in the past by authorities and regulatory bodies to tackle challenges posed by large crowds. Conventional methods of crowd analysis using static cameras are limited due to their low coverage area and non-flexible perspectives and features. Unmanned aerial vehicles have tremendously increased the quality of images obtained for crowd analysis reasons, relieving the relevant authorities of the venues’ inadequacies and of concerns of inaccessible locations and situation. This paper reviews existing literature sources regarding the use of aerial vehicles for crowd monitoring and analysis purposes. Vehicle specifications, onboard sensors, power management, and an analysis algorithm are critically reviewed and discussed. In addition, ethical and privacy issues surrounding the use of this technology are presented.
Xylanase is the key enzyme that involves in the hydrolysis of xylan, the main constituent of the complex hemicellulose of the plant cell wall. In this study, forty actinomycetes that were isolated from the sediment of Kuantan Mangrove Forest, Malaysia, were tested for their ability to produce extracellular xylanase. At least 15 isolates were able to degrade xylan in the primary agar-based screening on marine agar containing 0.1% (v/v) azo-xylan (Birchwood). The degradation of xylan was indicated by the formation of halo zone around the colonies and the clear zone index (CZI) was calculated as a ratio of the clearing zones to the colony size. Isolate K2-04 with CZI 3.35 ± 1.91 was identified through 16S rRNA study as Verrucosispora sp. This isolate was further grown in marine broth and incubated at 30 °C, 200 rpm for 20 days. The growth of K2-04 and the xylanase activity was measured at day 2, 4, 6,12 and 18 respectively. The highest enzyme activity of the crude enzyme was recorded at day 18 (1.836 U/mL) and exhibited stability after 20 days storage at 4°C. This study serves as a preliminary study to characterize the properties of Verrucosispora sp. K2-04, rare actinomycete of Kuantan Mangrove Forest, Malaysia. Index Terms-marine Actinomycetes, xylanase, mangrove, Verrucosispora containing 1 g of dried sediment and 9 ml of sterilized sea water was heated in a water bath at 60°C for 20 min. Morphological differences among the isolates were
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