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Genomic Assessment of Potential Probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CRM56-2 Isolated from Fermented Tea Leaves
Get PDFLactiplantibacillus plantarum is a widely studied species known for its probiotic properties that can help alleviate serum cholesterol levels. Whole-genome sequencing provides genetic information on probiotic attributes, metabolic activities and safety assessment. This study investigates the probiotic properties of strain CRM56-2, isolated from Thai fermented tea leaves, using Whole-Genome Sequencing (WGS) to evaluate the safety, health-promoting genes and functional analysis. Strain CRM56-2 showed bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity, assimilated cholesterol at a rate of 75.94%, tolerated acidic and bile environments and attached to Caco-2 cells. Based on ANIb (98.9%), ANIm (99.2%), and digital DNA–DNA hybridisation (98.3%), strain CRM56-2 was identified as L. plantarum. In silico analysis revealed that it was not pathogenic and contained no antibiotic-resistance genes or plasmids. L. plantarum CRM56-2 possessed genes linked to several probiotic properties and beneficial impacts. The genome of strain CRM56-2 suggested that L. plantarum CRM56-2 is non-hazardous, with potential probiotic characteristics and beneficial impacts, which could enhance its probiotic application. Consequently, L. plantarum CRM56-2 demonstrated excellent cholesterol-lowering activity and probiotic properties.
Transcriptome-Wide Identification of Nine Tandem Peptide Repeat Families in Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.)
Get PDFPlants are rich in tandem repeats-containing proteins. It is postulated that the occurrence of tandem repeat gene families facilitates the adaptation and survival of plants in adverse environmental conditions. This study intended to identify the tandem repeats in the transcriptome of a high potential tropical horticultural plant, roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.). A total of 92,974 annotated de novo assembled transcripts were analysed using in silico approach, and 6,541 transcripts that encoded proteins containing tandem repeats with length of 20–60 amino acid residues were identified. Domain analysis revealed a total of nine tandem repeat protein families in the transcriptome of roselle, which are the Ankyrin repeats (ANK), Armadillo repeats (ARM), elongation factor-hand domain repeats (EFhand), Huntingtin, elongation factor 3, protein phosphatase 2A, yeast kinase TOR1 repeats (HEAT), Kelch repeats (Kelch), leucine rich repeats (LRR), pentatricopeptide repeats (PPR), tetratricopeptide repeats (TPR) and WD40 repeats (WD40). Functional annotation analysis further matched 6,236 transcripts to 1,045 known proteins that contained tandem repeats including proteins implicated in plant development, protein-protein interaction, immunity and abiotic stress responses. The findings provide new insights into the occurrence of tandem repeats in the transcriptome and lay the foundation to elucidate the functional associations between tandem peptide repeats (TRs) and proteins in roselle and facilitate the identification of novel biotic and abiotic response related tandem repeats genes that may be useful in breeding improved varieties
Evaluating Four Factors of Students’ Engagement in Task-based Learning under Blended English Learning Environment Using PLS-SEM Approach
Get PDFThe discussion in this article centres on the implementation of blended learning and the learning duties that are delegated to students within a blended learning environment. Learners will be entrusted with blended learning duties in the midst of pandemics. However, the efficacy of task utilisation may fail to fulfil its intended objective. Therefore, the research presented in this article assessed the perceived level of student engagement in integrated learning tasks based on the following criteria: task timeliness, task richness, task accuracy, and task adaptability. The investigation was carried out at four universities located in Shandong Province, China. An English course was conducted in the spring of 2022 employing a task-based teaching approach and a combination of traditional and online instructional design. The instructors allocated learning tasks for each class, both in-person and online. Specifically, the students were given these tasks prior to, during, and subsequent to each class. The duties completed by the students were assessed and the instructors provided feedback. At the conclusion of the academic term, students were requested to provide feedback through the administration of a questionnaire. The study’s findings underscored the students’ favourable disposition towards assignments within integrated learning courses. The research emphasised the importance of meticulously crafted assignments that possess the qualities of promptness, depth, precision, and flexibility. Moreover, the efficacy of integrated learning is enhanced by practical assessment methods that gauge students’ attributes and provide timely feedback on task completion. Additionally, learner autonomy and student engagement are enhanced by the task-based blended learning course
The Perspective of Human Nature in Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah
Get PDFIbn Khaldun’s theories have exerted a lasting influence on the Islamic world and are highly esteemed by contemporary scholars. Despite the significance of his insight, Khaldun’s views on human nature have been underexplored in academic research. This study delves into his perspective on human nature as presented in the Muqaddimah. Using qualitative methods, this study aims to elucidate how Ibn Khaldun’s conceptualization of human nature impacts the development of human civilization. The findings concluded that human nature consists of good, evil, and a balance of both, influenced by social environment, education, and religion, with a tendency towards goodness. He critiques the moral decay in luxury-bound sedentary societies, linking it to the collapse of civilizations. Studying Khaldun’s perspectives on human nature is crucial for understanding societal development and leadership, with cross-cultural comparisons providing valuable insights
National Policies and Their Reverberations on the Art Making and Art Scenes in Malaysia under Mahathir Mohamad’s Premiership
Get PDFThis article examines the direct and indirect reverberations of the 1971 National Culture Policy, followed by the indirect impact of the Islamic resurgence and the 1985 Dasar Penerapan Nilai-Nilai Islam dalam Pentadbiran (Inculcation of Islamic Values in Administration Policy) on Malaysian art and art scene. The National Culture Policy (NCP), reiterated the ethnic preference policy of the National Economic Policy which resulted in an espoused policy that centres on Malay culture and Islam. Although there were incongruences and inconsistencies in the impact of the policy towards the art field in general, this policy has resulted in the rethinking of the presentation of art in Malaysia. This article first discusses the context of the NCP and traced how many exhibitions and discourses along the line of Islamic/Malay culture are frequently organised. This article also discusses the tendency of the artworks that were selected to be included in these exhibitions based on the selection of works that alludes to Islamic art, the Malay culture and works that have both elements of Islam and Malayness
An Empathetic Odyssey: A Film Review of Barbarian Invasion (2021) by Tan Chui Mui
Get PDFBarbarian Invasion is the latest feature film by Tan Chui Mui, a Malaysian independent film pioneer. The narrative has two parts. First, the film follows the character of Moon (played by Tan Chui Mui), a middle-aged actress forced to confront her midlife crisis while trying to return to her career. She brings her son to the beach to visit her old-time friend, Roger Woo (played by Pete Teo), who plans to make a kung fu film. Roger convinces Moon to take up the lead role in his upcoming film. Moon then began to receive kung fu training from Master Lo (played by James Lee). Second, Moon is acting as a muted illegal migrant woman who keeps fighting and running for her life
Speak Up: Effective Communication Strategies in Domestic Violence Crises in Kazakhstan
Get PDFThis study analyzed how social media creates challenges and opportunities for individuals in crisis situations. This study used a case study approach to examine domestic violence crises. The former Minister of Economy and Assistant to ex-President Nazarbayev Quandyq Bishimbaev was detained in Kazakhstan and is suspected of murdering his wife Saltanat Nukenova. This incident attracted unprecedented media attention and resonance created by the status of the official and the scale of his figure. In connection with the death of Saltanat Nukenova, young Kazakh women launched a flash mob, “Tired of Enduring,” on social networks, where they presented themselves as victims of domestic violence.Thousands of women in Kazakhstan suffer from beatings every day, from rape and humiliation, and no one shouts about it - because they are deprived of status and access to publicity. Culture influences how stakeholders perceive and respond to a crisis. Crises have far-reaching consequences. Social media has changed the way crisis information is created and shared. In the digital age, news about a crisis is no longer monopolized by the dominant media; instead, it can spread across social media and reach a large audience almost instantly. The study aimed to highlight the importance of effective use of social media, especially the role of influential bloggers, by understanding cultural nuances to engage stakeholders in Kazakhstan during crises
GIS and Geospatial Approaches for Political Science Studies: Urban Development Analysis
Get PDFA geographic information system (GIS) is a tool that collects, organizes, interprets, and maps different kinds of data. The geospatial method consists of the gathering, displaying, and manipulating of imagery, GPS, satellite photos, and historical data that are used with geographic models and either explicitly specified in terms of geographic coordinates. Political science studies regional, state, and national governments, political actors, political discourse in the media, and the connections between political figures and groups. In this study, Geographic Information System and Geospatial approaches for Political Science studies are used to develop Urban Development Analysis. Political scientists have been incorporating GIS technology into their statistical analyses in recent years. This study\u27s understanding of GIS as a mix of technology, methodology, and situated social practices is the foundation of the GIS. With the development of a permanent and easily editable database in a particular area, where various types of data may be kept, merged, and graphically displayed, GIS technologies make it all this simpler. GIS allow researchers to deal with complex, multivariate, and multidimensional historical processes more successfully as well as uncover historical, political, or social issues that may not always be readily apparent when using more conventional research and analytical techniques
Chemical Composition of Sediment in Bernam Catchment, Selangor Malaysia
Get PDFThe main sources of metal pollution are identified and the potential toxicity of dredged materials on agricultural land is estimated by sediment investigations. Here, we investigated chemical composition of sediment in Bernam catchment. Bernam river catchment has been engulfed by certain anthropogenic activities such as urbanization, illicit logging, farming. Serious concerns have been raised by stakeholders and local people because of the level of pollution due to the release of chemicals and sediments into water bodies by these human activities. Chemical composition elements such as Iron, Aluminium, Copper, Total Organic Carbon, Zinc, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Chromium, Cobalt, Nikel, Arsenic and Cadmium have been detected in this study. Characterising potential sediment sources by their diagnostic chemical and physical properties and contrasting them with the properties of transported fluvial material are key components of the methodology used to determine the source of the sediment. The methodology focuses on fluvial sampling techniques used in sediment tracing studies and their suitability for various hydrologic and morphologic river conditions. Based on cluster analysis, there are three cluster of group classification in this catchment. From a management standpoint, determining the sediment is essential to putting into practice the right controls to prevent sediment mobilisation and the ensuing siltation of river channels in the sensitive areas
The Moderating Effect of Competition on The Leverage-Performance Relation: Evidence from Vietnam
Get PDFThis paper examines the moderating effect of competition on the relationship between financial leverage and firm performance in Vietnam. Using a dataset created out of 352 firms listed on Vietnam’s stock exchanges in 2015–2019, this paper estimates both the leverage-performance relation and the dependence of this nexus on market competition. The two-step system generalised method of moments is used to tackle the endogeneity, unobserved heterogeneity, and autocorrelation problems in our model estimation. The findings reveal a negative leverage-performance nexus, and increased competition hurts this relationship. In highly competitive markets, debts become more expensive, thus leading to increased financial pressures on leveraged firms. The fiercer competition also creates a risky business environment, so leveraged firms may fail when operating inefficiently and failing to satisfy their debt obligations. Given the results, this paper proposes recommendations on using financial leverage to improve firm performance