Microbial control of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L.(Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) using bacteria (Xenorhabdus nematophila) and its metabolites from the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae

Cells and cell-free solutions of the culture filtrate of the bacterial symbiont, Xenorhabdus nematophila taken from the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae in aqueous broth suspensions were lethal to larvae of the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella. Their application on leaves of Chinese cabbage indicated that the cells can penetrate into the insects in the absence of the nematode vector. Cell-free solutions containing metabolites were also proved as effective as bacterial cells suspension. The application of aqueous suspensions of cells of X. nematophila or solutions containing its toxic metabolites to the leaves represents a possible new strategy for controlling insect pests on foliage.     

Factors influencing Malaysian public attitudes to agro-biotechnology

Despite considerable research in advanced countries on public perceptions of and attitudes to modern biotechnology, limited effort has been geared towards developing a structural model of public attitudes to modern biotechnology. The purpose of this paper is to identify the relevant factors influencing public attitudes towards genetically modified (GM) soybean, and to analyze the relationship between all the attitudinal factors. A survey was carried out on 1,017 respondents from various stakeholder groups in the Klang Valley region. Results of the survey have confirmed that attitudes towards complex issues such as biotechnology should be seen as a multifaceted process. The most important factors predicting support for GM soybean are the specific application-linked perceptions about the benefits, acceptance of risk and moral concern while risk and familiarity are significant predictors of benefit and risk acceptance. Attitudes towards GM soybean are also predicted by several general classes of attitude.     

Utilising multimedia ESP programme in enhancing flight attendants' safety knowledge and problem solving skills

A multimedia English for Specific Purposes (ESP) programme was developed to train flight attendants. The programme comprised of two units. Unit one is listening comprehension, which provides the flight attendants' with specific information of Airbus A340. Unit two is reading comprehension, which provides the flight attendants with the emergency procedures. The effect of this programme on the flight attendants' safety knowledge and problem solving was measured using an achievement test which comprises two parts; the first part includes 10 multiple‐choice questions based on listening comprehension and measuring safety knowledge; the second part includes 15 multiple‐choice questions based on reading comprehension and measuring problem solving situations. The sample of the study consists of 36 flight attendants divided into two groups. The test was administered as a pretest and a posttest for the equivalence of the groups and their achievement. The results revealed that the computerised ESP programme has a measurable effect on the flight attendants' recall of safety knowledge and problem solving skills. The researchers recommended that similar computerised ESP programmes should be designed in order for the flight attendants to be well equipped with skills and knowledge in dealing with emergency problems that they may occur during flight.     

Lack of Circadian Pattern of Serum TNF-α and IL-6 in Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome

The present study was designed to test the hypothesis of a circadian variation in circulating levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were measured at 4 h intervals of the day in 50 women with FMS satisfying American College of Rheumatology criteria for FMS (age 36.68 ± 9.89) as well as 50 healthy control women (age 32.82 ± 10.53). Serum TNF-α levels were substantially increased in patients with FMS but showed no circadian variation. In contrast, no difference in the levels of IL-6 was found. Moreover, there was also no circadian variation in both the groups of patients and controls. We conclude that no circadian pattern exists in the circulating levels of serum IL-6 and TNF-α in patients with FMS, although TNF-α levels are found raised in patients with FMS.     

Evaluating the quality of BEd programme: Students' views of their college experiences

Quality assurance of teacher training has become of a great concern nowadays. This paper addresses the quality of BEd programme of the University of Education (UE) Lahore. The main purpose of the study was to evaluate the quality of BEd programme with regard to the internal efficiency of Government Colleges for Elementary Teachers (GCETs), the affiliated institutions of UE. The study was conducted on a random sample of 600 BEd students drawn from 11 GCETs in Punjab province. Data was collected through a questionnaire which was validated through a pilot study in 2006. The reliability of the final questionnaire was established at 0.863 allowing the researcher to launch the study at large scale (Gay, 2000). The findings revealed that BEd programme was effective in terms of updating student teachers' knowledge and skills. Student teachers favoured the quality of BEd curriculum, lesson planning and presentation by themselves and their teacher educators, and had some reservations about the proper use of audio-visual aids for effective classroom teaching learning processes. Female gender showed more satisfaction with the quality of BEd curriculum and teaching than their male counterparts. No significant difference was found in the opinion of the students of GCETs having low, medium, and high enrolment.     

Experimental tests used for treatment of red weathering crusts in disintegrated granite – Egypt

Rock weathering is defined as the process of rocks alteration as a result of the adjustment of its internal constituents by the action of physical, chemical and biological factors, to the prevailing conditions of the atmosphere and in the environment. In humid polluted areas “red weathering” is one of the major deterioration forms that characterize most granitic rocks. Several intervention steps are required to remove and treat all surfaces affected by this form. It is one of the most aggressive forms of deterioration which are essentially composed of some complex species of clay minerals “Kaolinite, Illite, Montmorillonite and Tosudite”, in addition to some species of salts as “Gypsum” pigmented by “Hematite” as a colorant. After several investigatin techniques, these crusts need several intervention and conservation steps to remove and eliminate the aggressive effects resulted from the red crusts through three essential steps: “cleaning, gap filling and strengthening and stabilizing”. After evaluating all materials and methods that were performed by “DBN, SEM, EDX, and AAS”, the present study suggests that the most suitable cleaning methods are composed of three essential steps “dry and vacuum cleaning (DVC), ultra-sonic cleaning (USC), poultice cleaning (PC)”. Furthermore, the elected gap filling material composed of “Araldite AY-103” mixed with “Granite powder as petro-filler.” Finally, different evaluation methods proved that “Wacker H” is the most suitable strengthening and stabilizing material for consolidation purpose.     

Peranan bahasa dalam kebudayaan

Bahawa “bahasa” dalam pengertian orang-orang Melayu tidaklah semata-mata bersifat lingual (yang hanya menjadi alat komunikasi antara dua pihak pengguna bahasa sahaja); tetapi bahasa itu adalah lebih kultural (yang menjadi pengilham dan pendorong manusia ke tahap lebih baik dalam hidupnya; sekaligus mempertinggi kebudayaan manusia itu).     

Properties of YBa2Cu3O7-∞ granular Josephson junction

YBa₂Cu₃O_7-∞ weak link junctions with width from 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm and length from 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm was made by hand with a razor blade. The current voltage characteristics of the microbridges show, under microwave irradiation, pronounced Shapiro steps up to transition temperature. A careful measurement of the dependence of the critical supercurrent on the external magnetic field and laser light is presented.