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Lactase can target cellular differentiation of Acanthamoeba castellanii belonging to the T4 genotype
No full textThe free living Acanthamoeba spp. are ubiquitous amoebae associated with potentially blinding disease known as Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) and a fatal central nervous system infection granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE). With the inherent ability of cellular differentiation, it can phenotypically transform to a dormant cyst form from an active trophozoite form. Acanthamoeba cysts are highly resistant to therapeutic agents as well as contact lens cleaning solutions. One way to tackle drug resistance against Acanthamoeba is by inhibiting the formation of cysts from trophozoites. The biochemical analysis showed that the major component of Acanthamoeba cyst wall is composed of carbohydrate moieties such as galactose and glucose. The disaccharide of galactose and glucose is lactose. In this study, we analyzed the potential of lactase enzyme to target carbohydrate moieties of cyst walls. Amoebicidal assessment showed that lactase was ineffective against trophozoite of A. castellanii but enhanced amoebicidal effects of chlorhexidine. The lactase enzyme did not show any toxicity against normal human keratinocyte cells (HaCaT) at the tested range. Hence, lactase can be used for further assessment for development of potential therapeutic agents in the management of Acanthamoeba infection as well as formulation of effective contact lens disinfectants
Applications of photodynamic therapy in keratitis
No full textKeratitis is corneal inflammatory disease which may be caused by several reason such as an injury, allergy, as well as a microbial infection. Besides these, overexposure to ultraviolet light and unhygienic practice of contact lenses are also associated with keratitis. Based on the cause of keratitis, different lines of treatments are recommended. Photodynamic therapy is a promising approach that utilizes light activated compounds to instigate either killing or healing mechanism to treat various diseases including both communicable and non-communicable diseases. This review focuses on clinically-important patent applications and the recent literature for the use of photodynamic therapy against keratitis
Self-reported side effects of COVID-19 vaccines among the public
Full text linkBackground: The safety, side effects and efficacy profile of COVID-19 vaccines remain subjects of ongoing concern among the public in Malaysia. The aim of this study was to determine the types of adverse effects following immunisation with COVID-19 vaccines and the differences based on various types of COVID-19 vaccines to raise public awareness and reduce vaccine hesitancy among the public.
Methods: A total of 901 Malaysian adults (≥18 years) who received various COVID-19 vaccines were selected to participate in our cross-sectional study through an online survey between December 2021 and January 2022.
Results: A total of 814 (90.3%) of the participants reported ≥1 side effect following COVID-19 immunisation. Of these, the predominant symptoms were swelling at the injection site (n = 752, 83.5%), headache (n = 638, 70.8%), pain or soreness at the injection site (n = 628, 69.7%), fatigue or tiredness (n = 544, 60.4%), muscle weakness (n = 529, 58.7%) and diarrhea (n = 451, 50.1%). Recipients of the Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty ®) vaccine reported the highest number of adverse effects (n = 355, 43.6%), followed by mixed COVID-19 vaccines (n = 254, 31.2%), the Oxford-AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1-®[recombinant]) vaccine (n = 113, 13.9%) and the Sinovac (CoronaVac®) vaccine (n = 90, 11.1%). The study showed that individuals who reported significantly more side effects were of elderly age, female gender and high educational level [P value < 0.05]. Mixed COVID-19 vaccine recipients also reported significantly more local and systemic symptoms after the first dose and third dose when compared with other single vaccine recipients.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated the types of self-reported adverse effects following immunisation with single and mixed COVID-19 vaccines. These findings may provide the side effects of different COVID-19 vaccines with the hope of educating the public on the safety profiles of these vaccines and reducing vaccine hesitancy among the public
University Student Engagement Inventory: Validation in the Indian Online Learning Context
No full textObjective
This study aims to evaluate sources of validity and reliability of the University Student Engagement Inventory among Indian Students.
Method
The data of this study was collected from 518 Indian university students in the design of a cross-sectional study from May to June 2022. Then the validity and reliability of the inventory were assessed.
Results
The results showed that all three factor models indicated good evidence of construct validity (TLI = 0.960, CFI = 0.967), NFI = 0.960, and SRMR = 0.043), and reliability. The internal consistency of all three factors was >0.7.
Conclusions
According to the findings of the present study, it was found that the concept of university student engagement in Indian students is a concept with three sub-concepts and 15 items. For more learning, academic progress, and development, as well as obtaining better educational results, student participation is important.
Significance Statement
Considering the importance of students’ engagement in improving their performance and learning, it is necessary to evaluate it. Since, in other countries, the psychoanalysis of the USEI tool has also been discussed; in this study, the researchers investigated the validity and reliability of student engagement tools in India
The role of sales personnel empathy and customer-oriented behaviour on female consumers' emotions and satisfaction: an empirical analysis
No full textEven though online shopping and self-service options are popular, salespeople still play a crucial role in influencing women's decisions when buying intimate apparel. This study looks into how sales staff influence Asian female consumers' choices in this industry. By studying 301 people who shop for intimate apparel, the research explores how salespeople's empathetic interactions affect customers' emotions, relationships and overall satisfaction. Drawing on empirical data from 301 participants engaged in intimate apparel shopping, the research examines how empathic interactions by salespersons impact customers' emotions, relational outcomes and overall satisfaction. Findings reveal that affective empathic interactions significantly enhance salesperson competencies and customer-oriented behaviours, leading to heightened levels of satisfaction. Moreover, the study elucidates the mediating roles of customer competence and hedonic value in shaping satisfaction levels. The implications of these findings for improving customer satisfaction in intimate apparel retail are discussed
Collaboration vital in developing a national carbon market
No full textThe carbon credit system is one of the compensatory mechanisms for offsetting emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases (GHGs).
When an entirely buys a carbon credit, usually from the government, it gains permission to generate one tonne of carbon dioxide or the equivalent of other GHGs
Modelling claim severity and house price: an enhanced variable selection method
Full text linkVariable selection is a crucial step in the model-building process in order to construct a suitable forecasting model. Variable selection techniques allow researchers to examine on the importance of every independent variable and generate the best subset of variables for the ultimate predictive model. Previous studies have shown that the filter and wrapper methods usually require greater computational resources. To the author’s best knowledge, the combination of random forest and least shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)has not been investigated in the actuarial and financial industries, when evaluating the important factors for claims severity and house price. In this study, claims severity and house price data sets are used to build an enhanced variable selection method which combines random forest and LASSO approach. This study also compares various existing variable selection techniques using four data sets. The outcome demonstrates that the combined method (RF-LASSO method) yields superior results. The RF-LASSO method selects lesser independent variables to be integrated into the final forecasting model compared to other methods. Although the independent variables are lessened in the final model, however the R square value is not impacted much. The findings gained from this study might be of assistance to data analysts in insurance and finance industry who are interested in implementing variable selection. The findings are subject to several limitations such as not using discrete dependent variable. Future research should certainly further test whether the method of combining variable selection methods is effective for logistic regression
In Vitro Neutralisation Sensitivity of Gold (I) and Bismuth (III) Thiolates against Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 virus-like particles
No full textHuman immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infects immune cells, causing one to experience immunodeficiency. The high prevalence of HIV-1 infections around the globe makes them the major public health issue. Anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) are prescribed as treatment for HIV-1 infected individuals, yet the choices of effective ARVs become limited due to the rise of drug resistance. Therefore, the first objective of this study is to identify possible binding target of gold thiolates, specifically as entry inhibitors, through in silico analysis; and the second objective is to unveil potential anti-HIV-1 activities of gold thiolates as well as bismuth thiolates (hereon define as AAu and Bis complexes) against viral replication and viral entry. Physical binding abilities of complexes to HIV-1 viral proteins were screened using ELISA assay. Complexes were added to recombinant viral proteins, but no interaction was found between the complexes and the recombinant proteins tested. In spite of that, AAu and Bis complexes exhibited in vitro anti-HIV-1 activities in bioassays that involves the use of virus-like particles (VLPs). HIV-1 VLPs were produced from transient transfection of HEK293T cells with HIV-1 encoding luciferase reporter vectors and Env-expressing plasmids. By exposing HEK293T cells to treatments before or after transfection, AAu3, AAu2, Bis2, and Bis3 resulted in reduced level of viral protein expressed and/or decreased viral infectivity, thus suggesting their effects against viral replication with the following mechanisms of actions: (1) AAu2 and AAu3 disrupts the formation of functional VLPs; and (2) Bis2 and Bis3 affect the overall viral protein expression. In addition to viral replication, inhibitory effects of AAu and Bis complexes against the entry of HIV-1 VLPs were evaluated by treating VLPs before infecting Cf2Th.CD4.CCR5 cells that are permissive to infections of HIV-1 virions and VLPs. All complexes demonstrated significant neutralising activities against HIV-1 strains (strain BG505.W6M.C2, JR-FL, WTO.33, ZM197 and CM246.c1) with IC50 values ranged between 0.6 µg/mL and 6.13 µg/mL. The neutralising properties of AAu complexes were supported by the in silico docking studies that revealed their potential interacting site on HIV-1 Env trimer. AAu1 – 3 bind similarly to inner domain of Env trimer, demonstrating binding affinities from -7.34 kcal/mol to -7.62 kcal/mol. The interacting site shared among AAu complexes lies within the interface of gp120 and gp41 subunits, a site that play major role in regulating subunit gp120-gp41 association and CD4-gp120 association. Based on the in vitro neutralisation assays and docking studies, AAu and Bis complexes are suggested as potential entry inhibitors due to their significant neutralizing activities against HIV-1 VLPs, more notably AAu with a proposed mechanism in which the conformational shifting of Env is intervened
Exploring cultural preservation and innovation: augmented reality packaging prototyping for the Mah Meri tribe in Malaysia
No full textThis paper delves into the intersection of cultural preservation and technological innovation through the lens of a research-creation project centered on the Mah Meri tribe in Malaysia. The project focuses on the development and implementation of augmented reality (AR) packaging prototyping as a means to safeguard and promote the rich cultural heritage of the Mah Meri community. The Mah Meri tribe, residing in the coastal areas of the Malaysian peninsula, possesses a unique cultural identity characterized by intricate wood carvings, traditional dances, and elaborate rituals. However, like many indigenous communities, the Mah Meri face challenges in preserving and transmitting their cultural practices to future generations amidst rapid globalization and modernization. AR offers a promising avenue for cultural preservation by blending the physical and digital realms to enhance user engagement and learning experiences. In this project, AR enabled packaging prototypes were designed to showcase Mah Meri artifacts, stories, and rituals in an interactive and immersive manner. By scanning the packaging with a mobile device, users can access augmented content such as 3D models, audio narratives, and visual animations that provide contextual information and insights into Mah Meri culture. Through a reflective inquiry approach, this paper explores the conceptualization, design process, and implementation of the AR packaging prototypes, as well as the insights gained from engaging with members of the Mah Meri community. Furthermore, the paper discusses the potential implications of AR technology for indigenous communities beyond the Mah Meri tribe, highlighting opportunities for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and cultural revitalization. By bridging traditional practices with contemporary innovations, this research-creation project exemplifies a holistic approach to cultural preservation that respects indigenous knowledge systems while embracing technological advancements in a rapidly changing world
Exploring the Activities of Religious Ministers and Festival Tourism at the Christmas Celebration in St. Lalibela, Ethiopia: A photo-based essay
Full text linkReligious festivals represent potential for religious tourism, offering unique cultural and spiritual experiences at destinations. Among the methods for promoting religious festivals as a driver for religious tourism is the use of Photo-based essay tools. While this method is not widely explored in academic research, it holds great promise for tourism and events studies. Photographs have a great value in catching the minds of tourists and creating motivation to travel. This photo essay focuses on the religious ministers at the Christmas celebration in Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Ethiopia. Six photo categories were identified. Each category has its own message about the religious festival ceremony. In Lalibela, more than nine hundred religious ministers are found, their vibrant and unforgettable Christmas celebrations at Lalibela’s rock-hewn churches exemplify the enduring allure of religious festivals and underscore the potential for further research to drive development in religious festival tourism at sacred sites