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Effective communication plays a part in the success and the sustainability of tourism and hospitality management, including community-based tourism (CBT). In Brunei Darussalam, communication barriers have affected the growth of the CBT industry at both local and national levels. By analysing responses from 16 local CBT operators, this investigation focuses on aspects of communication and its channels in securing sustainability and empowerment of the CBT industry. This study found that the CBT ventures in Brunei include: (1) horizontal/lateral communication between CBT operators and sur-rounding communities; and (2) top-down communication and bottom-up accessibility between authorities, community leaders, and CBT owners. This paper further discusses how bureaucracy can impede the success of CBT operations, and how a collaborative approach between stakeholders has inspired the formulation of a new Interactional Model of Leadership and Empowerment among CBT stakeholders, which can be used to measure the efficacy of communication among stakeholders in the CBT industry., Advances in Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 15 No. 2 (2022): Challenging Stereotypes in Europe-Thailand Transnational Migration

New isolates of the

Xenophobia has not received sufficient attention although anti-migrant sentiments and practices have been on the rise in receiving countries. This study attempts to inset xenophobia in the migratio...

Infection cycles of viruses are highly dependent on membrane-associated host factors. To uncover the infection cycle of Bamboo mosaic virus (BaMV) in detail, we purified the membrane-associated viral complexes from infected Nicotiana benthamiana plants and analyzed the involved host factors. Four isoforms of voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) proteins on the outer membrane of mitochondria were identified due to their upregulated expression in the BaMV complex-enriched membranous fraction. Results from loss- and gain-of-function experiments indicated that NbVDAC2, -3, and -4 are essential for efficient BaMV accumulation. During BaMV infection, all NbVDACs concentrated into larger aggregates, which overlapped and trafficked with BaMV virions to the structure designated as the “dynamic BaMV-induced complex.” Besides the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, BaMV replicase and double-stranded RNAs were also found in this complex, suggesting the dynamic BaMV-induced complex is a replication complex. Yeast two-hybrid and pull-down assays confirmed that BaMV triple gene block protein 1 (TGBp1) could interact with NbVDACs. Confocal microscopy revealed that TGBp1 is sufficient to induce NbVDAC aggregates, which suggests that TGBp1 may play a pivotal role in the NbVDAC–virion complex. Collectively, these findings indicate that NbVDACs may associate with the dynamic BaMV-induced complex via TGBp1 and NbVDAC2, -3, or -4 and can promote BaMV accumulation. This study reveals the involvement of mitochondrial proteins in a viral complex and virus infection.

The orchid industry faces severe threats from diseases caused by viruses. Argonaute proteins (AGOs) have been shown to be the major components in the antiviral defence systems through RNA silencing in many model plants. However, the roles of AGOs in orchids against viral infections have not been analysed comprehensively. In this study, Phalaenopsis aphrodite subsp. formosana was chosen as the representative to analyse the AGOs (PaAGOs) involved in the defence against two major viruses of orchids, Cymbidium mosaic virus (CymMV) and Odontoglossum ringspot virus (ORSV). A total of 11 PaAGOs were identified from the expression profile analyses of these PaAGOs in P. aphrodite subsp. formosana singly or doubly infected with CymMV and/or ORSV. PaAGO5b was found to be the only one highly induced. Results from overexpression of individual PaAGO5 family genes revealed that PaAGO5a and PaAGO5b play central roles in the antiviral defence mechanisms of P. aphrodite subsp. formosana. Furthermore, a virus-induced gene silencing vector based on Foxtail mosaic virus was developed to corroborate the function of PaAGO5s. The results confirmed their importance in the defences against CymMV and ORSV. Our findings may provide useful information for the breeding of traits for resistance or tolerance to CymMV or ORSV infections in Phalaenopsis orchids.

Plant viruses can be genetically modified to generate chimeric virus particles (CVPs) carrying heterologous peptides fused on the surface of coat protein (CP) subunits as vaccine candidates. However, some factors may be especially significant in determining the properties of chimeras. In this study, peptides from various sources and of various lengths were inserted into the Bamboo mosaic virus-based (BaMV) vector CP N-terminus to examine the chimeras infecting and accumulating in plants. Interestingly, it was found that the two different strains Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) VP1 antigens with flexible linker peptides (77 or 82 amino acids) were directly expressed on the BaMV CP, and the chimeric particles self-assembled and continued to express FMDV antigens. The chimeric CP, when directly fused with a large foreign protein (117 amino acids), can self-fold into incomplete virus particles or disks. The physicochemical properties of heterologus peptides N-terminus, complex strand structures of heterologus peptides C-terminus and different flexible linker peptides, can affect the chimera accumulation. Based on these findings, using plant virus-based chimeras to express foreign proteins can increase their length limitations, and engineered plant-made CVP-based vaccines have increasing potential for further development as novel vaccines.

Plant viruses can be genetically modified to generate chimeric virus particles (CVPs) carrying heterologous peptides fused on the surface of coat protein (CP) subunits as vaccine candidates. However, some factors may be especially significant in determining the properties of chimeras. In this study, peptides from various sources and of various lengths were inserted into the Bamboo mosaic virus-based (BaMV) vector CP N-terminus to examine the chimeras infecting and accumulating in plants. Interestingly, it was found that the two different strains Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) VP1 antigens with flexible linker peptides (77 or 82 amino acids) were directly expressed on the BaMV CP, and the chimeric particles self-assembled and continued to express FMDV antigens. The chimeric CP, when directly fused with a large foreign protein (117 amino acids), can self-fold into incomplete virus particles or disks. The physicochemical properties of heterologus peptides N-terminus, complex strand structures of heterologus peptides C-terminus and different flexible linker peptides, can affect the chimera accumulation. Based on these findings, using plant virus-based chimeras to express foreign proteins can increase their length limitations, and engineered plant-made CVP-based vaccines have increasing potential for further development as novel vaccines.

The orchid industry faces severe threats from diseases caused by viruses. Argonaute proteins (AGOs) have been shown to be the major components in the antiviral defence systems through RNA silencing in many model plants. However, the roles of AGOs in orchids against viral infections have not been analysed comprehensively. In this study, Phalaenopsis aphrodite subsp. formosana was chosen as the representative to analyse the AGOs (PaAGOs) involved in the defence against two major viruses of orchids, Cymbidium mosaic virus (CymMV) and Odontoglossum ringspot virus (ORSV). A total of 11 PaAGOs were identified from the expression profile analyses of these PaAGOs in P. aphrodite subsp. formosana singly or doubly infected with CymMV and/or ORSV. PaAGO5b was found to be the only one highly induced. Results from overexpression of individual PaAGO5 family genes revealed that PaAGO5a and PaAGO5b play central roles in the antiviral defence mechanisms of P. aphrodite subsp. formosana. Furthermore, a virus‐induced gene silencing vector based on Foxtail mosaic virus was developed to corroborate the function of PaAGO5s. The results confirmed their importance in the defences against CymMV and ORSV. Our findings may provide useful information for the breeding of traits for resistance or tolerance to CymMV or ORSV infections in Phalaenopsis orchids., Phalaenopsis aphrodite subsp. formosana harbours 11 argonaute genes (PaAGOs), among which PaAGO5b plays a crucial role in the antiviral defence mechanisms against Cymbidium mosaic virus and Odontoglossum ringspot virus.

New isolates of the Bamboo mosaic virus (BaMV) were identified in Bambusa funghomii bamboo in Vietnam. Sequence analyses revealed that the Vietnam isolates are distinct from all known BaMV strains, sharing the highest sequence identities (about 77%) with the Yoshi isolates reported in California, USA. Unique satellite RNAs were also found to be associated with the BaMV Vietnam isolates. A possible recombination event was detected in the genome of BaMV-VN2. A highly variable region was identified in the ORF1 gene, in between the methyl transferase domain and helicase domain. These results revealed the presence of unique BaMV isolates in an additional bamboo species in one more country, Vietnam, and provided evidence in support of the possible involvement of environmental or host factors in the diversification and evolution of BaMV.

This paper intends to understand the cultural, stylistic and historical significance of architectural heritage in Brunei Darussalam in order to ensure its safeguarding and sustainability. This paper focuses on the use of digital technologies to support the surveying and archival analysis of architectural heritage in Brunei Darussalam. Through the methods of digital humanities, this current research endeavour is focused on documentation (geometric, architectural, and historical) through 2D and 3D drawings, creating digital and interactive maps for geo-spatial, contextual, and phenomenological navigation to locate architectural heritage. This research demonstrates the potential of digital technologies in the study and safeguarding of architectural heritage and the instrumentalization of this data to create an interactive and open access platform designed for education, conservation, cultural management, safeguarding awareness, social responsibility, and tourism development.

Aggregates selected for Wisconsin transportation infrastructure must withstand harsh service conditions. In this paper, results of comprehensive statistical analyses on three sets of aggreg...

Deterioration of bridge decks in the United States is an important issue due to its major impact on bridge maintenance costs nationwide. In this paper, results of survival (reliability) analyses performed on bridge data for all fifty states and Puerto Rico are presented. Data were obtained from the 2011 National Bridge Inventory (NBI) database. The end of service life is defined as a recorded NBI bridge deck rating of 5. Only non-reconstructed bridges and conventional bridge types and decks were considered. The NBI-derived parameters included in the analyses were age, average daily traffic (ADT), deck surface area, and deck rating. Each state’s data were analyzed separately to assess and compare relative performance among the states. Deck reliability at an age of fifty years ranges from less than 20% to over 90% . The geographic regions with the highest overall 50-year reliability are generally in the northeastern and northern United States.

Bamboo mosaic virus (BaMV), a member of the genus Potexvirus, is the major threat to bamboo cultivation. Similar to most potexviruses, the transmission of BaMV by insect vectors has not been documented previously. However, field observations of BaMV disease incidences suggested that insect vectors might be involved. In this study, we aimed to investigate the possibility of insect-mediated transmission of BaMV among bamboo clumps, in order to provide further insights into the infection cycles of BaMV for the development of effective disease management measures. From the major insects collected from infected bamboo plantations, BaMV genomic RNAs were detected inside the bodies of two dipteran insects, Gastrozona fasciventris and Atherigona orientalis, but not in thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis). Artificial feeding assays using green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged BaMV virions revealed that BaMV could enter the digestive systems and survive in the regurgitant and excretion of the dipterans. BaMV RNA could be retained in the dipterans for up to 4 weeks. Insect-mediated transmission assays indicated that both dipterans could transmit BaMV to bamboo seedlings through artificially created wounds with low infection efficiency (14 – 41 %), suggesting that the dipterans may mediate the transmission in a mechanical-like manner. These results demonstrated that dipterans with sponge-like mouthparts may also serve as vectors for at least one potexvirus, BaMV, among bamboo plants. The finding suggested that dipteran insect control should be integrated into the disease management measures against BaMV infections.

Very virulent Infectious bursal disease virus (vvIBDV) causes a highly contagious disease in young chickens and leads to significant economic loss in the poultry industry. Effective new vaccines are urgently needed. Autonomously replicating plant virus-based vector provides attractive means for producing chimeric virus particles (CVPs) in plants that can be developed into vaccines. In this study, we demonstrate the potential for vaccine development of Bamboo mosaic virus (BaMV) epitope-presentation system, where the antigen from vvIBDV VP2 was fused to the N-terminus of BaMV coat protein. Accordingly, an infections plasmid, pBIBD2, was constructed. Inoculation of the recombinant BaMV clone pBIBD2 enabled the generation of chimeric virus, BIBD2, and stable expression of IBDV VP2 antigen on its coat protein. After intramuscular immunization with BIBD2 CVPs, chickens produced antibodies against IBDV and were protected from vvIBDV (V263/TW strain) challenges. These results corroborate the feasibility of BaMV-based CVP platform in plants for the development and production of vaccines against IBDV.

An accurate reliability model for bridge decks is important for effective long-term bridge deck management. The main objectives of this paper are to identify the most suitable reliability model for bridge decks in Wisconsin, and to utilize that model for detailed analyzes of bridge deck reliability and failure rates. The 2005 National Bridge Inventory (NBI) data for the State of Wisconsin were used. In this paper, the hypertabastic, Weibull, log logistic, and lognormal distributions are investigated. The end of service life is defined as the age of deck when rehabilitation or replacement is required (herein defined as a deck rating of between 4 and 5). The effects on NBI deck rating of average daily traffic (ADT), type of bridge superstructure (steel or concrete), and the deck surface area were considered. Based on the Akaike information criteria, the hypertabastic accelerated failure time model was selected as the most appropriate model for this study. Results show that deck area, type of superstructure ...

We describe a novel strategy to produce vaccine antigens using a plant cell-suspension culture system in lieu of the conventional bacterial or animal cell-culture systems. We generated transgenic cell-suspension cultures from Nicotiana benthamiana leaves carrying wild-type or chimeric Bamboo mosaic virus (BaMV) expression constructs encoding the viral protein 1 (VP1) epitope of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). Antigens accumulated to high levels in BdT38 and BdT19 transgenic cell lines co-expressing silencing suppressor protein P38 or P19. BaMV chimeric virus particles (CVPs) were subsequently purified from the respective cell lines (1.5 and 2.1 mg CVPs/20 g fresh weight of suspended biomass, respectively), and the resulting CVPs displayed VP1 epitope on the surfaces. Guinea pigs vaccinated with purified CVPs produced humoral antibodies. This study represents an important advance in the large-scale production of immunopeptide vaccines in a cost-effective manner using a plant cell-suspension culture system.

In this paper, both the comparison matrix method generated from eigenvalues and the D. (Degree) E. (Extent) R. (Relevancy) evaluation method were used to find the weighting value and ranking of damage evaluation for ten existing reinforced concrete (RC) bridges in Keelung, Taiwan. The evaluated repair order results obtained from the proposed method are : Fuh-min → Guan-in → Wuu-der → Dong-shyh → Jong-san → Jong-jeng → Guang-hwa → Shang-ren → Long-men → Jong-her bridges. However, the evaluated results obtained from the priority index (PI) of the D.E.R. evaluation method are Fuh-min → Guan-in → Wuu-der → Dong-shyh → Guang-hwa → Jong-jeng → Long-men → Jong-her -> Jong-san → Shang-ren bridges. The predicted difference between the proposed method and the PI of the D.E.R. evaluation method is caused by the detailed assessment items being merely considered by the PI of the D.E.R. evaluation method whereas the general assessment items are disregarded. It is perfectly plain that each bridge element weighting value, adopted by the D.E.R. evaluation method is reasonable and feasible. The results presented in this study can be used as a crucial reference for engineering decision making for repair, strengthening or demolition of existing RC bridges.

In this paper, the D. (Degree) E. (Extent) R. (Relevancy) evaluation criterion, in combination with the fuzzy optimum system hierarchy analysis selection method, is established as a newly proposed method. The evaluation factors for the entire bridge system are partitioned and combined by weighting values. Based on the proposed method, the best decision making repair order for bridge damages can be made according to the membership grade. The evaluated results using the D.E.R. evaluation criterion in combination with the multiple factors and layers fuzzy synthesis evaluation (MFLFSE) method were employed to compare the evaluation results obtained from both the proposed and D.E.R. evaluation methods. To verify the feasibility and reliability of the proposed method, ten existing RC bridges in Keelung, Taiwan were used for determining the repair order. The predicted results obtained from among the proposed and MFLFSE and the condition index (CI) of the D.E.R. evaluation methods have the same repair or...

Inflammation underlies the development and progression of coronary artery plaques. Haptoglobin (Hp) is an acute phase protein, the synthesis of which is increased during inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate plasma Hp concentrations and phenotype in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We recruited 359 patients with fixed luminal stenosis ≥50% in at least one coronary artery (CAD group) and 83 patients with luminal stenosis ≤40%, normal ejection fraction, and normal regional wall motion (control group). Plasma Hp concentrations were measured using a phenotype-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hp phenotype was determined by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Plasma lipid concentrations were measured. Plasma Hp concentrations were significantly higher in the CAD compared with the control group (262.4±144.2 vs 176.0±86.7 ng/mL, P

A satellite RNA of 836 nt depends on the bamboo mosaic potexvirus (BaMV) for its replication and encapsulation. The BaMV satellite RNA (satBaMV) contains a single open reading frame encoding a 20-kDa nonstructural protein. A full-length infectious cDNA clone has been generated downstream of the T7 RNA polymerase promoter. To investigate the role of the 20-kDa protein encoded by satBaMV, satBaMV transcripts containing mutations in the open reading frame were tested for their ability to replicate in barley protoplasts and in Chenopodium quinoa using BaMV RNA as a helper genome. Unlike other large satellite RNAs, mutants in the open reading frame did not block their replication, suggesting that the 20-kDa protein is not essential for satBaMV replication. Precise replacement of the open reading frame with sequences encoding chloramphenicol acetyltransferase resulted in high level expression of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase in infected C. quinoa, indicating that satBaMV is potentially useful as a satellite-based expression vector.