PUBLIC PERCEPTION ON THE USE OF ECO-FRIENDLY BAMBOO TOOTHBRUSH Plastic toothbrushes which are mainly made of polypropylene are one of the sources of plastic pollution. With the increased awareness of this alarming global issue, eco-friendly bamboo toothbrushes have been introduced and are becoming widely available in the market. The study aimed to explore the public’s experience with bamboo toothbrushes and identify their feature preferences. An observational study using a qualitative approach was conducted among 10 participants aged from 18 to 40 years old without any experience using bamboo toothbrushes (based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria). A selected standard bamboo toothbrush was given to the participants and they were asked to use the bamboo toothbrush for two weeks based on the instructions provided. At the end of two weeks of usage, a one-to-one, semi-structured in-depth interview was conducted either face-to-face or online. These interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Most participants expressed mixed views regarding their experience using the bamboo toothbrush in comparison to their previous conventional plastic toothbrush. The most preferred features of the bamboo toothbrush cited by the participants were related to a non-slippery handle, small-sized toothbrush and eco-friendly material. The majority of the participants have the intention to continue using the bamboo toothbrush provided some modifications to the design are made. Identifying the ideal features of a bamboo toothbrush could be a timely strategy to reduce the impact of plastic in oral health care.

Aims: Symbiotic bee fungus associated with the stingless bee larval food has been revealed to play a major role in performing a mutual relationship with the host. The fungus is believed capable to produce crucial nutrients that are required for larval pupation. However, detailed information on the fungus identification isolated from the larval food of our native Indo-Malaya stingless bee, Heterotrigona itama (Hymenoptera: Apidae), is poorly understood. Hence, this study was conducted to determine the effect of fungus isolated from the stingless bee larval food on the survival of H. itama larvae and identify the isolated fungus using both morphological and molecular analyses. Methodology and results: Elisa plates designed with F-bottom type were used as artificial brood cells in a controlled condition. The eggs transferred to Elisa plates were kept in the incubator with 75%-100% humidity and 25 ± 2.5 °C of temperature. This study carried out in three different treatments: (1) microbes-free larval food, (2) fresh larval food and (3) microbes-free larval food with fungus supplement. Results showed that the survival of H. itama larvae depends on the presence of beneficial fungus with the highest survival rate (Treatment 2 = 85.71%). The absence of the beneficial fungus in the fluid food of H. itama showed the lowest survival rate (Treatment 1 = 37.14%). Microscopy analysis showed that the fungus had various forms, including unconjugated asci, round-shaped ascospore and pseudohyphae. The molecular characterisation of the isolated fungi was performed using 23S rRNA gene sequencing using universal primers ITS1 and ITS4. DNA barcoding of three isolated fungi confirmed all isolated fungi matched Panus lecomtei (Basidiomycetes; Poriales; Polyporaceae) with 99.70% of similarity. Conclusion, significance and impact of study This study provides information on the importance of whitish fungus in appearance that existed in the brood cell, which is proposed to be the crucial component of in-vitro stingless bee queen rearing protocol.
Bees--microbiology

The School of Medical Sciences of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is the launching pad for this journal. From the school’s humble beginning at the USM Main Campus in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, it has grown in stature at its current location in the USM Health Campus, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia. Commemorating its 40th anniversary, this editorial aims to recollect, although not exhaustively, the wealth of returns for the USM, as well as for the nation, which the school has managed to deliver in that period. Resolute to its vision and mission, this article highlights the outstanding accomplishments in various core aspects of the school’s academic, research and professional growth as we continually strive to train globally competitive and compassionate medical graduates, medical specialists and scientists, skilled to serve nation’s needs and broader markets worldwide. Currently guided by the Malaysian Higher Education Blueprint (2015–2025), the school shall remain ingenious in its duties in the many more years to come, as we head for a world-class trajectory.