Hemorrhagic septicemia (HS) caused by Pasteurella multocida B:2 and E:2 is among the fatal bacterial diseases in cattle and buffaloes that are economically valuable in Asian and African countries. The current work aims to study the prevalence of HS among buffaloes, cattle, sheep, and goats in 41 countries in 2005–2019. The data analysis revealed that 74.4% of the total infection rate in the world was distributed among cattle, followed by buffaloes (13.1%). The mortality of HS among cattle and buffaloes increased in 2017–2019 compared to the period between 2014 and 2016. The best measure to control the disease is through vaccination programs. Current commercial vaccines, including live-attenuated vaccines and inactivated vaccines, have some shortcomings and undesirable effects. Virus-like particles (VLPs) have more potential as a vaccine platform due to their unique properties to enhance immune response and the ability to use them as a platform for foreign antigens against infectious diseases. VLPs-based vaccines are among the new-generation subunit vaccine approaches that have been licensed for the human and veterinary fields. However, most studies are still in the late stages of vaccine evaluation.

Our understanding of the proteolytic processing events at the NS1-2A junction in the flavivirus polyprotein has not markedly progressed since the early work conducted on dengue virus (DENV). This work identified an octapeptide sequence located immediately upstream of the cleavage site thought to be important in substrate recognition by an as yet unknown, endoplasmic reticulum-resident host protease. Of the eight amino acid recognition sequence, the highly conserved residues at positions P1, P3, P5, P7 and P8 (with respect to N-terminus of NS2A) are particularly sensitive to amino acid substitutions in terms of DENV NS1-NS2A cleavage efficiency; however, the role of the octapeptide in efficient NS1 and NS2A production of other flaviviruses has not been experimentally addressed. Using site-directed mutagenesis at the NS1-2A cleavage site of Murray Valley encephalitis virus (MVEV), we confirmed the dominant role of conserved octapeptide residues for efficient NS1-2A cleavage, while changes at variable and the P1’ residues were mostly tolerated. However, digressions from the consensus cleavage motif derived from studies on DENV were also found. Thus, comparison of the impact on cleavage of mutations at the NS1-2A junction of MVEV and DENV showed virus-specific differences at both conserved and variable residues. We show, with subgenomic expression and infectious clone-derived mutants of MVEV that conserved residues in the flavivirus octapeptide motif can be replaced with a different amino acid without markedly reducing cleavage efficiency of NS1 and NS2A.

Soy milk is a popular non-dairy alternative, often consumed for its high protein content and health benefits. Despite its increasing popularity, concerns about the quality and safety of soy milk persist. Soy milk sold at the Ramadan bazaar is typically home-prepared by small-scale producers, making it susceptible to contamination due to its rich nutritional profile and simple packaging. This can lead to a short shelf life and potential public health issues. Hence, this study aimed to assess the microbial quality of soy milk samples from the Ramadan bazaar in Kuala Nerus. A total of 48 soy milk samples were randomly purchased from the Ramadan bazaar Gong Badak, Kuala Nerus, between 20th May and 10th June 2018. The Total Plate Count method was used to determine the bacterial load in the soy milk, while XLD agar and the BBL Crystal Kit were employed to identify isolated bacteria. The study reported that the total bacterial count ranged from 2.81 ± 0.08 log10 CFU/ml to 9.71 ± 0.04 log10 CFU/ml, with the highest count exceeding the allowable limit for soy beverages (5 log10 CFU/ml). Additionally, 62.5% of the selected screened samples revealed coliform bacteria, the Cronobacter sakazakii complex, Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterobacter cloacae, Salmonella sp., and Escherichia coli. These findings highlight the significance of proper management during soy milk production to prevent contamination that could lead to foodborne illnesses. Regular screening and monitoring of food and beverages sold at markets and Ramadan bazaar are essential to enforce food safety and security measures.

Amyloid fibrils, also referred to as protein fibrils, represent irregular assemblies of proteins exhibiting a cross-β configuration. Terahertz radiation, a segment of the electromagnetic spectrum spanning 0.3 to 10 terahertz (THz), is known to interact with these fibrils due to their cylindrical shape. This study's objective was to explore the potential of terahertz spectroscopy as a non-invasive means to detect the progressive growth of protein fibrils. In this investigation, human serum albumin (HSA) was synthetically induced to form protein fibrils. Confirmation of fibril formation was done by fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). To initiate the process, HSA was dissolved in distilled water at a concentration of 160 µM, followed by the addition of 60% ethanol to both samples for dilution. The HSA to Cu (II) ratio was maintained at 1:1 (160 µM) for stock solutions containing Cu (II). Subsequently, each set underwent a 6-hour heating phase at 65 °C to cultivate fibrils, which were then stored at room temperature for 30, 60, and 90 days before evaluation. Incubation of human serum albumin yielded amyloid fibrils as evidenced by ThT fluorescence, FT-IR spectroscopy revealed an emergence of fibrils within the amide I bands, extending from 1630 cm⁻¹ to 1650 cm⁻¹ and UV-Vis spectroscopy disclosed the augmentation of protein fibril absorbance over the incubation period. THz spectroscopy absorbance progressively heightened with prolonged heating of the protein fibrils due to the hydration shell surrounding them. Through these spectroscopic methods, it was elucidated that the fibrillation process led to the gradual development of β-sheet and unordered helix structures as well as the potential of THz spectroscopy as non-invasive tool for detection and monitoring of amyloidal diseases, promising insights into early diagnosis and treatment strategies.