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Identification of pathogenic bacteria from eggshell of leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) in Lampuuk Beach, Aceh Besar using 16S rRNA gene

Currently, the leatherback turtle population in Indonesia tends to decline. One of the factors that cause turtles' existence is the turtle eggs that fail to hatch because bacteria contaminate them, 80% of the reasons turtle eggs fail to hatch are due to infection by microorganisms found on the eggshell. Turtle eggs have a soft structure and there are pores that function for gas exchange and water absorption. Microorganisms in sand can infect turtle eggs through the pores and cause hatching failure. This study aims to isolate and identify pathogenic bacteria found in leatherback turtle eggshell (Dermochelys coriacea) from Lampuuk Beach, Aceh Besar, based on the 16S rRNA gene analysis. Eight eggshell samples from leatherback turtle eggs that failed and hatched were cultured on Nutrient Agar (NA) medium. Then, the samples were inoculated on a blood agar medium for haemolysis test. Molecular identification of the 16S rRNA gene was also carried out to determine bacterial species. A total of five bacterial colonies from leatherback turtle eggshells were successfully isolated consisting of two Gram-negative bacteria (Penyu Belimbing Aceh (PBA) = PBA-1 and PBA-2 and three Gram-positive bacteria (PBA-3, PBA-4, and PBA-5). Based on the haemolysis test, the five bacterial isolates were unable to haemolyze blood. Bacterial DNA of PBA-1 and PBA-2 were successfully isolated and amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with a DNA target of ~1500 bp. Analysis using BLASTN and phylogenetic tree construction showed that PBA-1 isolate had 98.64% similarity with Acinetobacter baumannii, while PBA-2 isolate had 97.82% similarity with Enterobacter kobei. Both bacteria are members of the Enterobacteriaceae family. It can be concluded that, there were two pathogenic bacteria can potentially be opportunistic pathogens found in leatherback turtle eggshells that failed or succeeded in hatching, namely A. baumannii and E. Kobei

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Effect of bacteriophage on histopathology and disease resistance of Whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) infected by Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is the causative agent of shrimp diseases, the most serious of which is acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND). Bacteriophage is a virus of bacteria that can parasitize and destroy bacteria, so it is considered a potential alternative to antibiotics. The study was carried out to evaluate the treatment ability of bacteriophages on Litopenaeus vannamei after being infected by V. parahaemolyticus B4XOT2.2 isolated from the bottom mud of shrimp ponds infected with AHPND. The study used the histopathological survey method on shrimp at all three ages: postlarvae, adult shrimp at the ages of 30–45 days, and 55–60 days old, which were arranged into three treatments: healthy shrimp, diseased shrimp, and bacteriophage-treated shrimp. The results showed that: the concentration of Vibrio spp. in bacteriophage-treated treatment was decreased in all three groups (postlarvae, shrimp at the ages of 30–45 days, and 55–60 days old) from 3,7x103 CFU/mL to 2,2x102 CFU/mL after two days, from 4,6x104 CFU/mL to 3,3x102 CFU/mL after two days and from 4,6x104 CFU/mL to 5,6x103 CFU/mL after three days, respectively. The pathological signs and histological features of the infected shrimp samples were similar to those typical of acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease and recovered in shrimp tissue after being treated with bacteriophages such as the hepatopancreas was also darker, the intestines gradually filled, no hematoma around the tubules were found, in the lumen of the tube reduced sloughing cells and blood cells, no melanization was observed.

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A new tiny fossil penguin from the Late Oligocene of New Zealand and the morphofunctional transition of the penguin wing

ABSTRACT The Late Oligocene is a period of high penguin diversity, following major changes in the marine environment at the Eocene/Oligocene boundary and prior to the emergence of crown penguins in the Miocene. Historically, a large morphological gap existed between the most crownward Platydyptes among the Oligocene penguins from New Zealand and the Early Miocene stem penguins such as Palaeospheniscus from South America. Here we describe a new species that contributes to filling this gap. Pakudyptes hakataramea gen. et sp. nov. is the earliest tiny penguin, overlapping in size with the little penguin Eudyptula minor. Its distinctive combination of a well-developed proximal end of the humerus and an archaic elbow joint provides clues to the evolution of penguin wings. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that penguin wings evolved rapidly from the Late Oligocene to the Early Miocene, together with the acquisition of morphofunctional and hydrodynamical characteristics that enable the excellent swimming ability of modern penguins. As an indicator of aquatic adaptation, bone microanatomy shows a comparable structure to that of Eudyptula. The appearance of the smallest body size and the evolution of modern wings may have led to the ecological diversity of modern penguins, which confirms the importance of Zealandia in penguin evolution.

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Livestock and environment as potential sources and reservoirs for multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli in Malaysia: A Systematic Review

Pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a significant foodborne pathogen that poses a serious global public health risk. These pathogenic strains of E. coli can be found in various environments such as soil, water, livestock, livestock products, and humans. This review aims to evaluate the role of livestock and the environment as potential sources and reservoirs of pathogenic E. coli in Malaysia over the past two decades. A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases using standardized keywords (Escherichia coli, Livestock, Abattoir workers, Farm workers, and Malaysia) to identify relevant original research articles published between 2001 and 2023 and our systematic review protocol was published in Prospero (Registration number: CRD42023433199). A total of 20 eligible articles were included in this review. The prevalence of multi-drug resistant E. coli among livestock production system and the environment, ranged from 4% to 100%. E. coli strains isolated from livestock production systems and environment in Malaysia exhibited high potential for pathogenicity, with diverse enterotoxins, genes associated with antimicrobial resistance, and virulence factors. Phylogroup B and D were noted among the E. coli isolates indicating that the strains in Malaysia are highly virulent and extra-intestinal. High levels of resistance to antimicrobials particularly ESBL and colistin which are last resort antimicrobials were noted. Butchering or processing of livestock, contamination of plants via contaminated waterways or livestock manure are the main sources and reservoir for E. coli to spread in Malaysia. Continued surveillance, monitoring and a comprehensive 'One Health' approach are recommended to effectively prevent and control livestock drug-resistant E.coli strains throughout the country.

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A preliminary report of integrating sheep farming in combination with adopting biogas technology in organic rice farming systems in upland areas in Indonesia

This study aims to understand the preliminary results of integrating sheep farming in combination with adopting biogas technology in organic rice farming (ORF) systems in upland areas. The research was conducted in upland areas in Grabag Subdistrict Magelang Regency, Central Java Province (UPL1) and Kertasari Subdistrict, Tasikmalaya Regency, West Java Province (UPL2), Indonesia. At each upland area, a demo plot with a 17 m3 digester has been established, and 120 sheep were introduced. A combination of sheep and beef cattle manure was used as a biogas substrate. The soil sample of one and three-year conversion of ORF was collected, and macro and micro minerals were analyzed. The biogas quality was analyzed, including dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N), carbon (C) and nitrogen-ammonia (N-NH3). The greenhouse (GHG) emissions, including methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrous oxide (N2O), were measured. The results indicated that C-organic content at three-year conversions of ORF in UPL1 was much lower (P<0.05) than the one-year conversion. The average CH4, CO2, and N2O contents in UPL1 were 661, 477.3, and 0.16 mg/m2/day, respectively. The average CH4, CO2, and N2O contents in UPL2 were 3328, 3038 and 2.42 mg/m2/day, respectively. In UPL1, the proportion of CH4 was 52.5 %, CO2 was 47.4 %, and N2O was 0.01 % while the proportion of CH4 was 57.9 %, CO2 was 42.0 %, and N2O was 0.01 % in UPL2. To conclude, integrating sheep farming in combination with adopting biogas technology in the ORF system improves manure management and provides organic fertilizer, which subsequently reduces the use of artificial fertilizer and avoids GHG emissions.v

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Non-mitogenic FGF19 mRNA-based therapy for the treatment of experimental metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) represents a global health threat. MASH pathophysiology involves hepatic lipid accumulation and progression to severe conditions like cirrhosis and, eventually, hepatocellular carcinoma. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-19 has emerged as a key regulator of metabolism, offering potential therapeutic avenues for MASH and associated disorders. We evaluated the therapeutic potential of non-mitogenic (NM)-FGF19 mRNA formulated in liver-targeted lipid nanoparticles (NM-FGF19-mRNAs-LNPs) in C57BL/6NTac male mice with diet-induced obesity and MASH (DIO-MASH: 40% kcal fat, 20% kcal fructose, 2% cholesterol). After feeding this diet for 21 weeks, NM-FGF19-mRNAs-LNPs or control (C-mRNA-LNPs) were administered (0.5 mg/kg, i.v.) weekly for another six weeks, in which diet feeding continued. NM-FGF19-mRNAs-LNPs treatment in DIO-MASH mice resulted in reduced body weight, adipose tissue depots, and serum transaminases, along with improved insulin sensitivity. Histological analyses confirmed the reversal of MASH features, including steatosis reduction without worsening fibrosis. NM-FGF19-mRNAs-LNPs reduced total hepatic bile acids (BAs) and changed liver BA composition, markedly influencing cholesterol homeostasis and metabolic pathways as observed in transcriptomic analyses. Extrahepatic effects included the down-regulation of metabolic dysfunction-associated genes in adipose tissue. This study highlights the potential of NM-FGF19-mRNA-LNPs therapy for MASH, addressing both hepatic and systemic metabolic dysregulation. NM-FGF19-mRNA demonstrates efficacy in reducing liver steatosis, improving metabolic parameters, and modulating BA levels and composition. Given the central role played by BA in dietary fat absorption, this effect of NM-FGF19-mRNA may be mechanistically relevant. Our study underscores the high translational potential of mRNA-based therapies in addressing the multifaceted landscape of MASH and associated metabolic perturbations.

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