Diversity of Insects Trapped in Nepenthes at Gunung Kunyit Forest, Jambi Province, Indonesia.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> <i>Nepenthes</i> is a marsupial plant that is a modification of the leaf tip and serves to trap insects. The difference in the position of the pitcher is expected to distinguish the insects that inhabit it. One of the locations <i>Nepenthes</i> was Gunung Kunyit which is included in the Kerinci Seblat National Park Area. Insects trapped in the <i>Nepenthes</i> can be studied through taxonomic studies. The objectives of this study were to determine the diversity of insects trapped in the <i>Nepenthes</i> and to know the species of <i>Nepenthes.</i> <b>Materials and Methods:</b> The research was conducted from February to May, 2022. The study used a survey method by direct observation in the field. <b>Results:</b> The insects found in the <i>Nepenthes</i> consisted of 3 orders, 7 families and 10 species. The most insects found to be <i>Crematogaster</i> sp., (82 individuals) and the least insects <i>Sceliphron</i> sp. and <i>Dasiops</i> sp. (5 individuals). At the research site, three species of <i>Nepenthes</i>, <i>N. bongso</i>, <i>N. gymnamphora</i> and <i>N. inermis</i> at an altitude of 1,768-1,993 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.). <b>Conclusion:</b> The insect diversity index in the upper pitcher was 1.79 and for the lower pitcher position was 1.31, so it was categorized as a medium level.

Mobile Phones: A Possible Vehicle of Bacterial Transmission in a Higher Learning Institution in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: Mobile phones (MPs) have become one of the most indispensable accessories in social and professional life. Though they offer plenty of benefits, MPs are prolific breeding grounds for infectious pathogens in communities. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of bacterial contamination and determine antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) from MPs. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to July 2019 on 126 students and 37 laboratory staff/clinical instructors' MPs from the Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia by a simple random sampling technique. Along with the questionnaire, a swab sample from each participant's MPs was collected and transported to the microbiology laboratory for bacterial culture as per standard microbiological procedures and antimicrobial susceptibility test by the disc diffusion technique. Data were analysed by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences Programme version 24. RESULTS: All of the tested MPs were contaminated with either single or mix bacterial agents. Bacillus spp. (74.8%), coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS; 47.9%) and S. aureus (20.9%) were the most predominant bacterial isolates, whilst the least isolate was Proteus vulgaris (P. vulgaris) (2.5%). Oxacillin resistance was seen in 5.9% of S. aureus isolate. A comparison of bacteria type and frequency among gender showed a significant difference with P. vulgaris (P = 0.003) and among profession showed a significant difference with S. aureus (P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: The present study indicates that MPs can serve as a vector for both pathogenic and non-pathogenic organisms. Therefore, full guidelines about restricting the use of MPs in laboratory environments, hand hygiene and frequent decontamination of MPs are recommended to limit the risk of cross-contamination and healthcare-associated infections caused by MPs.