bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Organic synthesis: the art and science of replicating the molecules of living nature and creating others like them in the laboratory
Authors: Nicolaou K. C.
Published: January 2014

Synthetic organic chemists have the power to replicate some of the most intriguing molecules of living nature in the laboratory and apply their developed synthetic strategies and technologies to construct variations of them. Such molecules facilitate biology and medicine, as they often find uses as biological tools and drug candidates for clinical development. In addition, by employing sophisticated catalytic reactions and appropriately designed synthetic processes, they can synthesize not only the molecules of nature and their analogues, but also myriad other organic molecules for potential applications in many areas of science, technology and everyday life. After a short historical introduction, this article focuses on recent advances in the field of organic synthesis with demonstrative examples of total synthesis of complex bioactive molecules, natural or designed, from the author’s laboratories, and their impact on chemistry, biology and medicine.
Functional and topological characteristics of mammalian regulatory domains
Authors: Symmons Orsolya , Uslu Veli Vural , Tsujimura Taro , Ruf Sandra , Nassari Sonya , Schwarzer Wibke , Ettwiller Laurence , Spitz François
Published: January 2014

Long-range regulatory interactions play an important role in shaping gene-expression programs. However, the genomic features that organize these activities are still poorly characterized. We conducted a large operational analysis to chart the distribution of gene regulatory activities along the mouse genome, using hundreds of insertions of a regulatory sensor. We found that enhancers distribute their activities along broad regions and not in a gene-centric manner, defining large regulatory domains. Remarkably, these domains correlate strongly with the recently described TADs, which partition the genome into distinct self-interacting blocks. Different features, including specific repeats and CTCF-binding sites, correlate with the transition zones separating regulatory domains, and may help to further organize promiscuously distributed regulatory influences within large domains. These findings support a model of genomic organization where TADs confine regulatory activities to specific but large regulatory domains, contributing to the establishment of specific gene expression profiles.
Comparison of height‐ and weight‐adjusted sarcopenia in a Taiwanese metropolitan older population
Authors: Meng Nai‐Hsin , Li Chia‐Ing , Liu Chiu‐Shong , Lin Chih‐Hsueh , Lin Wen‐Yuan , Chang Chin‐Kai , Li Tsai‐Chung , Lin Cheng‐Chieh
Published: January 2014

Aim

The present population‐based, cross‐sectional study was carried out in communities in Taichung, Taiwan, to identify the prevalence of and the factors associated with sarcopenia, using the diagnostic criteria of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People, which requires the presence of low muscle mass and low muscle function.

Methods

We recruited 771 participants aged 65 years or older. Lean soft tissue mass was determined by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry. Skeletal muscle index was calculated by dividing limb muscle mass by the square of height or weight. Low muscle mass was defined as having a skeletal muscle index two standard deviations or more below the gender‐specific means of 506 healthy young adults. Sarcopenic obesity was defined as having sarcopenia and a body mass index over 25.

Results

The prevalence of height‐ and weight‐adjusted sarcopenia was 5.7% and 9.7%, respectively. The prevalence of height‐adjusted sarcopenic obesity was 0.13%, much lower than that of weight‐adjusted sarcopenic obesity (7.1%). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that higher urinary albumin‐to‐creatinine ratio was associated with both height‐ and weight‐adjusted sarcopenia. Height‐adjusted sarcopenia was also associated with male gender, lower body mass index and lower diastolic blood pressure. Weight‐adjusted sarcopenia was also associated with older age, female gender, higher body mass index, gout, lack of regular exercise and a history of accidental falls.

Conclusions

The weight‐adjusted skeletal muscle index is more capable of showing the effect of increased age on the prevalence of sarcopenia and identifying subjects with sarcopenic obesity among our study population. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; 15: 45–53.
Genomic relationships computed from either next‐generation sequence or array SNP data
Authors: Pérez‐Enciso M.
Published: January 2014

The use of sequence data in genomic prediction models is a topic of high interest, given the decreasing prices of current ‘next’‐generation sequencing technologies (NGS) and the theoretical possibility of directly interrogating the genomes for all causal mutations. Here, we compare by simulation how well genetic relationships (G) could be estimated using either NGS or ascertained SNP arrays. DNA sequences were simulated using the coalescence according to two scenarios: a ‘cattle’ scenario that consisted of a bottleneck followed by a split in two breeds without migration, and a ‘pig’ model where Chinese introgression into international pig breeds was simulated. We found that introgression results in a large amount of variability across the genome and between individuals, both in differentiation and in diversity. In general, NGS data allowed the most accurate estimates of G, provided enough sequencing depth was available, because shallow NGS (4×) may result in highly distorted estimates of G elements, especially if not standardized by allele frequency. However, high‐density genotyping can also result in accurate estimates of G. Given that genotyping is much less noisy than NGS data, it is suggested that specific high‐density arrays (~3M SNPs) that minimize the effects of ascertainment could be developed in the population of interest by sequencing the most influential animals and rely on those arrays for implementing genomic selection.
A Usability Study of a Mobile Health Application for Rural Ghanaian Midwives
Authors: Vélez Olivia , Okyere Portia Boakye , Kanter Andrew S. , Bakken Suzanne
Published: January 2014

Introduction

Midwives in rural Ghana work at the frontline of the health care system, where they have access to essential data about the patient population. However, current methods of data capture, primarily pen and paper, make the data neither accessible nor usable for monitoring patient care or program evaluation. Electronic health (eHealth) systems present a potential mechanism for enhancing the roles of midwives by providing tools for collecting, exchanging, and viewing patient data as well as offering midwives the possibility for receiving information and decision support. Introducing such technology in low‐resource settings has been challenging because of low levels of user acceptance, software design that does not match the end‐user environment, and/or unforeseen challenges such as irregular power availability. These challenges are often attributable to a lack of understanding by the software developers of the end users’ needs and work environment.

Methods

A mobile health (mHealth) application known as mClinic was designed to support midwife access to the Millennium Village‐Global Network, an eHealth delivery platform that captures data for managing patient care as well as program evaluation and monitoring, decision making, and management. We conducted a descriptive usability study composed of 3 phases to evaluate an mClinic prototype: 1) hybrid lab‐live software evaluation of mClinic to identify usability issues; 2) completion of a usability questionnaire; and 3) interviews that included low‐fidelity prototyping of new functionality proposed by midwives.

Results

The heuristic evaluation identified usability problems related to 4 of 8 usability categories. Analysis of usability questionnaire data indicated that the midwives perceived mClinic as useful but were more neutral about the ease of use. Analysis of midwives' reactions to low‐fidelity prototypes during the interview process supported the applicability of mClinic to midwives' work and identified the need for additional functionality.

Discussion

User acceptance is essential for the success of any mHealth implementation. Usability testing identified mClinic development flaws and needed software enhancements.
Intrapartum Management Associated with Obesity in Nulliparous Women
Authors: Carlson Nicole S. , Lowe Nancy K.
Published: January 2014

Introduction

The objective of this systematic review was to determine the current state of knowledge about intrapartum management associated with obesity in healthy nulliparous women. Nulliparous obese women are at higher risk for unplanned cesarean birth when compared with their normal‐weight counterparts, and much of this increased risk is associated with labor management differences. There is a need to better understand the differences in intrapartum management of nulliparous women who are obese.

Methods

The PubMed, CINAHL, EBSCO, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE databases were searched in August 2012, with identified studies then assessed for applicability and quality. Eight studies were retained for the review.

Results

Intrapartum interventions used significantly more often for healthy, obese nulliparous women when compared with normal‐weight women were induction of labor, augmentation of labor, and cesarean birth. It is unclear if assisted vaginal birth occurs more frequently among obese women. Epidural anesthesia, artificial rupture of membranes prior to 6 cm of cervical dilation, and early hospital admission were shown in separate studies to be used more often in obese women. Intrapartum interventions were used more frequently in obese women in a dose‐dependent manner by body mass index.

Discussion

Future studies examining the intrapartum management of obese nulliparous women are needed with: 1) samples defined by standardized obesity classifications; 2) further analysis of diverse intrapartum interventions; and 3) prospective, randomized designs to allow for causality conclusions linking intrapartum intervention use to an obese woman's risk for cesarean birth. Implications for clinical practice from this systematic review are that healthy, nulliparous obese women are exposed to common intrapartum interventions more often than normal‐weight women. In the absence of evidence on the use of appropriate use of intrapartum interventions in this population, health care providers should carefully monitor management choices when working with healthy, nulliparous obese women.
Improving diagnostic accuracy in the transport of infants with suspected duct‐dependent congenital heart disease
Authors: Gupta Neelam , Kamlin C Omar , Cheung Michael , Stewart Michael , Patel Neil
Published: January 2014

Aim

To identify factors that distinguish duct‐dependent congenital heart disease (DDCHD) from non‐DDCHD in newborn infants.

Method

A retrospective, cohort study. The Newborn Emergency Transport Service, Victoria (NETS) is a retrieval service for all inter‐hospital neonatal transfers, and the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne (RCH) is a paediatric cardiac referral centre for the state of Victoria, Australia. All infants ≤10 days and ≥34 weeks gestation with suspected CHD and/or persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), transferred by NETS from non‐tertiary neonatal units to RCH, over a 4‐year period.

Results

Of 142 eligible infants, 81 had DDCHD and 61 had non‐DDCHD, of whom 51 had PPHN. Diagnostic accuracy of DDCHD by the NETS team was 77%. Presence of a heart murmur, abnormal pulses, upper and lower limb blood pressure (BP) difference >10 mmHg, cardiomegaly, initial SpO2 of <92%, PaO2 <50 mmHg, and pre‐post ductal SpO2 difference >10% were significantly associated with DDHCD on univariate analysis. No single clinical finding was significantly associated with DDCHD on multivariate analysis. Labile SpO2, abnormal lung parenchyma, mean BP <40 mmHg, pH <7.25, lactate >5 and FiO2 >0.5 were significantly associated with non‐DDCHD, but at multivariate analysis only labile SpO2 and mean BP <40 mmHg were associated with non‐DDCHD.

Conclusions

Clinical diagnosis of DDCHD outside of a cardiac centre is challenging. No single factor predicts DDCHD. Combined interpretation of clinical, physiological and x‐ray findings may assist.
EmrA1 membrane fusion protein of Francisella tularensis LVS is required for resistance to oxidative stress, intramacrophage survival and virulence in mice
Authors: Ma Zhuo , Banik Sukalyani , Rane Harshita , Mora Vanessa T. , Rabadi Seham M. , Doyle Christopher R. , Thanassi David G. , Bakshi Chandra Shekhar , Malik Meenakshi
Published: January 2014

Francisella tularensis is a category A biodefence agent that causes a fatal human disease known as tularaemia. The pathogenicity of F. tularensis depends on its ability to persist inside host immune cells primarily by resisting an attack from host‐generated reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS). Based on the ability of F. tularensis to resist high ROS/RNS levels, we have hypothesized that additional unknown factors act in conjunction with known antioxidant defences to render ROS resistance. By screening a transposon insertion library of F. tularensis LVS in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, we have identified an oxidant‐sensitive mutant in putative EmrA1 (FTL_0687) secretion protein. The results demonstrate that the emrA1 mutant is highly sensitive to oxidants and several antimicrobial agents, and exhibits diminished intramacrophage growth that can be restored to wild‐type F. tularensis LVS levels by either transcomplementation, inhibition of ROS generation or infection in NADPH oxidase deficient (gp91Phox−/−) macrophages. The emrA1 mutant is attenuated for virulence, which is restored by infection in gp91Phox−/− mice. Further, EmrA1 contributes to oxidative stress resistance by affecting secretion of Francisella antioxidant enzymes SodB and KatG. This study exposes unique links between transporter activity and the antioxidant defence mechanisms of F. tularensis.
Immunohistochemical evaluation of O6‐methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) expression in 117 cases of glioblastoma
Authors: Miyazaki Masaya , Nishihara Hiroshi , Terasaka Shunsuke , Kobayashi Hiroyuki , Yamaguchi Shigeru , Ito Tamio , Kamoshima Yuuta , Fujimoto Shin , Kaneko Sadao , Katoh Masahito , Ishii Nobuaki , Mohri Hiromi , Tanino Mishie , Kimura Taichi , Tanaka Shinya
Published: January 2014

Temozolomide (TMZ) is an oral alkylating agent which is widely used in the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM) and is composed of astrocytic and/or oligodendroglial tumors, and the evaluation of O6‐methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) expression is important to predict the response to TMZ therapy. In this study, we conducted immunohistochemical analysis of 117 cases of Japanese GBM including 19 cases of GBM with oligodendroglioma component (GBMO), using a scoring system for quantitative evaluation of staining intensity and proportion of MGMT, and performed survival analysis of these patients. Immunohistochemically, 55 cases (47%) were positive for MGMT with various intensities and proportions (total score (TS) ≥ 2), while 62 cases (53%) were negative (TS = 0). The distribution of MGMT expression pattern was not affected by any clinicopathological parameters such as the histological subtype (GBM vs. GBMO), age and gender. The survival analysis of these patients revealed that the minimal expression of MGMT (TS ≥ 2) was a significant unfavorable prognostic factor (P < 0.001) as well as resectability (P = 0.004). Moreover, multivariate analysis showed that minimal MGMT expression in GBM was the most potent independent predictor for progression free survival (P < 0.001) and also overall patient survival (P < 0.001). This is the first report employing the scoring system for both staining intensity and proportion to evaluate immunohistochemical MGMT expression in GBM. In addition, our results emphases the clinicopathological values of the immunohistochemical approach for MGMT expression in glioma patients as a routine laboratory examination.
Sleep EEG effects of anti‐gluco‐ and anti‐mineralocorticoids in old‐aged men: Pilot study
Authors: Demiralay Cüneyt , Agorastos Agorastos , Steiger Axel , Wiedemann Klaus
Published: January 2014

Aim

Age‐related sleep changes have been associated with altered hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis reactivity and impaired feedback inhibition at the glucocorticoid (GR) and mineralocorticoid (MR) receptor level. To further investigate the specific role of this binary receptor system in the elderly, sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) effects of the MR antagonist spironolactone and GR antagonist mifepristone in old‐aged men were compared in this pilot study.

Methods

Old‐aged healthy men (n = 6, 65–91 years) were treated on three occasions in a single‐blinded design in random order with mifepristone, spironolactone and placebo, respectively, and nocturnal sleep EEG was recorded.

Results

Mifepristone led to increased wake time, decreased stage 2 and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and prolonged REM sleep latency in the first half of the night, whereas spironolactone had no considerable effects on sleep EEG.

Conclusion

GR antagonism can potentiate age‐related sleep pattern alterations and further support the role of impaired GR signaling in age‐related changes in sleep architecture.
Close encounters: contributions of carbon dioxide and human skin odour to finding and landing on a host in Aedes aegypti
Authors: LACEY EMERSON S. , RAY ANANDASANKAR , CARDÉ RING T.
Published: January 2014

In a wind‐tunnel study, the upwind flight and source location of female Aedes aegypti to plumes of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas and odour from human feet is tested. Both odour sources are presented singly and in combination. Flight upwind along the plumes is evident for both CO2 and odour from human feet when the odours are presented alone. Similarly, both odour sources are located by more than 70% of mosquitoes in less than 3 min. When both CO2 and odour from human feet are presented simultaneously in two different choice tests (with plumes superimposed or with plumes separated), there is no evidence that females orientate along the plume of CO2 and only a few mosquitoes locate its source. Rather, the foot odour plume is navigated and the source of foot odour is located by over 80% of female Ae. aegypti. When a female is presented a plume of CO2 within a broad plume of human foot odour of relatively low concentration, the source of CO2 is not located; instead, flight is upwind in the diffuse plume of foot odour. Although upwind flight by Ae. aegypti at long range is presumably induced by CO2 and the threshold of response to skin odours is lowered, our findings suggest that, once females have arrived near a prospective human host, upwind orientation and landing are largely governed by the suite of human odours, whereas orientation is no longer influenced by CO2.
Molecular Cloning and Bioinformatic Analysis of Endosperm Specific Promoter, α-Globulin (AsGlo1)
Authors: Mustaffa Abu Bakar Sadiq , Wagiran Alina
Published: January 2014

The α-globulin promoter (AsGlo1) have been successfully amplified from pmCACA:GFP using PCR. The construction of the recombinant plasmid, pMRGpro containing α-globulin promoter was achieved by ligation at HindIII and BamHI of pMR104a. Cassette containing α-globulin promoter and nos terminator was successfully cloned in pCAMBIA1305.2 and designated as pCAMGpro. Digestion methods were used to confirm the recombinant plasmid. The resulting plasmid was then sequenced and analyzes using bioinformatics tools. The analysis showed a 99% homology with A. sativa α-globulin gene promoter (Gene Bank: AY795082.1) and further confirmed using phylogenetic analysis. The result showed a successful cloning of the correct fragment Avena sativa α-globulin promoter into an expression vector.
RAPD and Protein Analyses Revealed Polymorphism in Mutated Potato Cultivars
Authors: Ahmad Irshad , Khan Samiullah , Javed Muhammad Arshad , Huyop Fahrul Zaman , Tariq Muhammad , Ahmad Nasir Idrees
Published: January 2014

Genomic DNA of the mutant lines of the three potato cultivars, Cardinal, Diamant and Desiree, with respect to controls were isolated and analyzed for polymorphisms by using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Four 10 bp random fragment primers, S-13, S-18, S-19 and R-17 were studied and all of them gave the amplification of genomic DNA. All of the mutant lines gave different banding pattern against different primers with respect to control plants of the three varieties, and bands are present at 50 bp to 1500 bp. All these primers with specific banding pattern were unique in their polymorphic behavior. Different banding pattern of total protein contents were also observed by PAGE analysis of all the mutant lines as compared with the control plants. It is therefore suggested that RAPD and protein analyses would be important tools to detect the polymorphism in mutated lines of potato.
Physicochemical and Biochemical Characteristics of the Underutilized Elateriospermum Tapos
Authors: Husin Nurdiyana , Hadi Tan Nuraimi Azlan , Muhamad Ida Idayu , Mohd Nawi Norazlina
Published: January 2014

The nutritional and antinutritional value of fresh and fermented perah seed were studied. The colour of fermented perah seed changed from beige into dark brown and strong pleasant smell was developed. From proximate analysis, fermented perah seed contained lower moisture, protein, fiber and ash compare to fresh perah seed. Interestingly, the fat content increased after fermentation process for about 9%. On the other hand, about consistent protein content was retained after fermentation process resulted in less than 4% from fresh perah seed. In comparison with other types of seeds, perah seed shows relatively high content in protein (59%) and fiber (77%). Mineral analysis showed a reduced amount of heavy metal in perah after fermentation compare to fresh seed. Meanwhile, antinutritional analysis found very insignificant untraceable presence of cyanide in both types of the seeds. Therefore, it can be concluded that traditional practice of fermenting perah seed before consumption is indeed practical to retain optimum nutrition content, prolonged shelf life with seven times lower moisture content also reduction in cyanide traces and heavy metals compared to the fresh perah seed.
A Potential of Versatile Rectangular Patch with Perturbation Slit Tunnel for Energy Harvesting Device
Authors: Ismail Mohd Khairul Hisham , Esa Mazlina , Murad Noor Asniza , Mohd Yusoff Mohd Fairus
Published: January 2014

Nowadays, numerous devices to manipulate high frequencies for various applications are rapidly being investigated. Among them, nano-antennas for energy harvesting application at thermal radiation spectrum received most attention. A potential of versatile rectangular patch with perturbation slit tunnel that can collect electrical field energy is studied. The antenna performances are defined over field strength and current responses. The electrical field concentrated at the slit junction can be tuned by verifying the perturbation slit parameters. The electrical field amplitude of approximately 110 V/m is achieved with slit length of 1.0 µm. The field then can be guided out through the tunnel with some amplitude degradation in order to be integrated with metal-insulator-metal diode for energy conversion. The diode current obtained inside the insulator layer is compared with published results and it performs outstandingly. It was found that the proposed antenna exhibits promising performances that is suitable as an efficient energy harvesting device.
Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Measurement Using Temperature-based Approach
Authors: Yap Hui Kit Stephanie , Mohd Kassim Norazan
Published: January 2014

Conventional way of measuring glucose level using finger pricking method does not only cause pain but is also costly to diabetic patients since the lancet and test strip is not reusable. Addressing to this matter, a simple metabolic heat conformation (MHC) technique was adapted in our study to measure human glucose level using non-invasive method which is harmless and capable of providing real time monitoring. This method is adapted based on the theory of glucose metabolism process which produces adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP function to transport energy within cells in form of heat dissipated throughout human body. Thus, temperature based algorithm was conducted using an implemented prototype circuit sensor which consist of pyroelectric detector and NTC thermistor to detect small variation of human and surrounding temperature. A total of 50 samples have been collected for analysis purposes. Results obtained from the temperature-based prototype glucose monitoring system using NTC thermistor (TPGMS-NTC) were compared with commercial automated glucose analyzer through Error Grid Analysis, and it was shown that glucose concentration is correlated to the total amount of heat dissipated from human body by 0.9125. About 90% of the samples taken are plotted within accurate range (region A) while 10% are plotted within acceptable range (region B).
Space Charge Distribution in a Dielectric Liquid Using an Optical Method
Authors: Ihori Haruo , Nakao Hayato , Takemura Masaki , Oka Mitsuru , Jeon Hyeon-Gu , Fujii Masaharu
Published: January 2014

In order to diagnose the effectiveness of electrical insulation, it is necessary to obtain information regarding the electric field distribution in insulating materials. We have investigated the measurement of electric field vector distributions in liquid dielectrics using an original method. Electric field distributions could be measured in time intervals of milli-seconds by an optical system. In this study, the electric field in a liquid containing space charges was measured, and the change in the electric field caused by the charges in the liquid was examined. Moreover, the space charge distribution in the liquid was also studied. We believe that our study can aid a better understanding of the movement of charges in liquid dielectrics.
Comparative Study on Space Charge Distribution Measurements using PEA and PWP Methods on High Voltage Insulation
Authors: Othman N. A. , Piah M. A. M. , Adzis Z. , Ahmad N. A.
Published: January 2014

Major drawbacks to high voltage insulator especially on electrical aging process have been an issue for decades. The internal electric field distribution due to the presence of local space charge will distort, which in turn may cause the insulating material to degrade and finally can lead to accelerated aging and electrical breakdown. Comprehension of space charge buildup in solid insulator is crucial to determine how aging occurs, thus enabling the prediction of insulator lifetime. Space charge measurement has been extensively researched in recent years and has become a common method of investigating solid insulator properties. Pressure Wave Propagation (PWP) and Pulsed Electro-Acoustic (PEA) are non-destructive dielectric testing methods used to determine the space charge distribution within the insulation. This paper presents the basic principles, typical measurement setup and comparison of results from several published papers on application of PWP and PEA methods to investigate space charge accumulation. The space charge distribution in the sample is measured as current and voltage signals obtained from PWP and PEA methods respectively. Judging from extracted results of other research, both methods show the capability to detect premature aging activities in the insulator, which is necessary for condition monitoring of high voltage insulators.
Polarization and Depolarization Current Measurement of Polymer Added with Nano-particles of Silicon Oxide For HV Insulation
Authors: Jamail N. A. M. , Piah M. A. M. , Muhamad N. A. , Zainir R. A. , Kasri N. F. , Kamarudin Q. E.
Published: January 2014

Polymer nanocomposites materials have recently emerged as a dielectric and for electrical insulation.  Polyethylene has long been used as extruded cable and HV insulation. Currently, this material has received significant attention because of its ability to enhance electrical insulation properties by addition of nano-filler. Polarization and Depolarization Current (PDC) measurement is an efficient and effective diagnostic technique based on time domain measurement for evaluating and condition monitoring of polymer nanocomopsite for HV insulation. Electrical conduction for polymer nanocomposites has been used widely as a tool to monitor the dielectric behaviour. This paper focuses on application of Polarization and Depolarization Current (PDC) testing method to evaluate and determine the performance of LLDPE nanocomposite for high voltage insulating material. The experiment was conducted to find PDC pattern of the material when added with nano-filler (silicon oxide) as well as to find its conductivity values at different percentage of nano- filler. PDC values and DC conductivity exhibits significant reduction with addition of nano-filler at different %wt of concentration. This was due to the decrease of initiation probability of short circuit treeing in the insulation. The PDC result shows that addition with certain percentage of nano-filler into the LLDPE based material could improve HV insulation properties of the material.
A Survey On Wireless Based Industrial Tomography System
Authors: Chiew Loon Goh , Abdul Rahim Ruzairi , Zawahir Mohd Zikrillah , Jumaah Mohd Fahajumi
Published: January 2014

This paper presented a survey on wireless based industrial tomography system, and to review design challenges in the field of embedded wireless solutions. Focuses are on presenting recent researches in wireless based industrial tomography system, and providing the wireless protocols supported by the current embedded technologies. We also explain the influences of wireless characteristics such as RF spectrum usage, Link budget, RF agility, antenna and power consumptions in the performance of the designed wireless system. In this paper, we intend to introduce a set of practical considerations for embedded wireless tomography system design.
Design Consideration for Front-End System in Ultrasonic Tomography
Authors: Nor Ayob Nor Muzakkir , Pusppanathan Muhammad Jaysuman , Abdul Rahim Ruzairi , Rahiman Mohd Hafiz Fazalul , Mohd Yunu Fazlul Rahman , Buyamin Salinda , Abd Rahim Intan Maisarah , Md. Yunos Yusri
Published: January 2014

The hardware development of the ultrasonic tomography comprises three main parts; the sensor unit, electronic measurement circuits combined with a data acquisition system and finally the display unit. The research done is focusing on the design considerations for the sensory unit which is also regarded as the front-end system. This part is an important concern for researchers in the field of ultrasonic, particularly for process tomography. Ultrasonic transducers are very sensitive piezo-mechanical component and as such its installation to complete the front-end system have to be properly configured. Many considerations and parameters that are well planned will promise significant impact on the sensor readings. Measurement errors can occur due to many aspects, thus this research aims to minimize such errors to be useful for further development in ultrasonic tomography system design.
Exploring Psychographic Traits in Tourism Maketing: Causal Relationship from Destination Image to Loyalty
Authors: Sarli Abduljalil , Baharun Rohaizat
Published: January 2014

Psychographics has been proposed as a valuable topic in the marketing literature. Also, it can be represented as latent variables which are related to the behaviors not only in the product or service discussions but also in the tourism activities. Besides, the tourism as the globally business can be understood in terms of the tourists’ reflections in the different ways. Hence, the survey of original intentions of tourists is very precious subjects by regarding the causal relationship for exploring phenomena from their behavioral intentions. As psychographic constructs, which can impact in the different glances of the affect and cognitive systems, create new consumption patterns for purchasing and repurchasing tourism packages. Therefore, loyalty is significantly considered as a valuable construct for stakeholders and academic researchers. Consequently, the aim of this study is to find out loyalty from psychographic facet. To date, there is a bridge gap through the intervening psychographic constructs like lifestyle, personality, and travel satisfaction to achieve loyalty. Additionally, the current study suggested an integrated model through the contemplated constructs by employing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique to ascertain an appropriate model by Goodness-Of-Fit (GOF) indices.
Self-regulatory Efficacy as Potential Moderator on the Relationship Between Organisational Formal Controls, Perceived Group Norms and Workplace Deviance : A Proposed Framework
Authors: Maitama Kura Kabiru , Mohd. Shamsudin Faridahwati , Chauhan Ajay
Published: January 2014

Several factors have been suggested to explain why employees engage in deviant behaviour at the workplace. To date, some of the factors that have been considered include perceived organisational politics perceived organizational justice, organizational trust, group cohesiveness and group identity, among others. Despite these studies, however, few studies have attempted to consider the influence of organisational formal controls and perceived group norms on workplace deviance. Even if any, they have reported conflicting findings. Therefore, a moderating variable is suggested. This paper proposes self-regulatory efficacy as potential moderator on the relationship between organisational formal controls, perceived group norms and workplace deviance.
Overview on SMEs Family-run Local Coffee Shop in Malaysia: Challenges and Determinants of Survival
Authors: Choong Foo Wai , Bajuri Norkhairul Hafiz , Wong Kuan Yew
Published: January 2014

Recently, The Tourism Minister has challenged the Malaysia-Singapore Coffee Shop Proprietors General Association to publish a booklet with a list of 100 best kopitiams in Malaysia to promote the nation’s unique coffee shop trade to the world. Local coffee shops (kopitiams) are the intangible cultural heritage that are successful in guarding their traditional recipe, thus an adequate review on local coffee shops is significant as they can use this opportunity to benefit from the country’s expanding tourism industry. In essence, this paper provides an overview of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) family-run local coffee shop businesses. An attempt was made to identify the challenges of local coffee shops (kopitiams) from literature review. These challenges include lack of interest from the new generation to take over those businesses, fierce competition in food industry, and change of consumer demand. Furthermore, this paper also helps to understand the determinants of local coffee shop survival.
Readiness of Manufacturing Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) to Adopt Problem Solving Tools: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Quan Low Rong , Baharudin Ahmad Suhaimi
Published: January 2014

Problem Solving Tools are tools that help companies such as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) engaged in manufacturing to identify the root cause of the problems and rectify the problems effectively. However, the level of utilization of the Tools has been poor. The factors that influence the level of utilization of the Problem Solving Tools by these Small and Medium Enterprises were identified through preliminary interviews conducted in the course of this research. The preliminary interviews also reveal the actual circumstances of Small and Medium Enterprises in the manufacturing sector of Malaysia and the problems that they face with regards to the use of Problem Solving Tools.
Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) Profit Sharing Pattern for the Development of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in Indonesia
Authors: Darmansyah Asep , Nasution Reza Ashari , Sutardi Acip , Zen Tuntun Salamatun
Published: January 2014

MSEs have a strategic role in the Indonesian economy. MSEs face some obstacles that do not provide optimal role in the economic development. Internal problem, MSEs operate only with limited capital and external problem is the absence of financial institutions that can lend capital to all MSEs. This paper is a study of literature with a case study on MSEs  in Indonesia by Indonesian standard industrial classification codes. Data were obtained from the Central Bureau of Statistics and the Indonesian Islamic Banking Statistics. Data were analyzed with descriptive comparatif on frequency of five variables of MSE. Conclusions and implication, it is necessary MFIs are close physically and psychologically with MSEs, friendly, easy and fast in process of lending, growing from initiative of MSEs, by MSEs and for MSEs community, and operate in accordance with the traditional values of indigenous people of Indonesia. These MFIs are MFIs profit sharing pattern. MFIs profit sharing pattern which should be developed are MFIs that have a good track record. For the sustainability of  MFIs activities, the government needs to help increase funding MFIs in the form of grant and loan.
The Critical Factors for the Successful Transformation of Technology from Developed to Developing Countries
Authors: Ahmad Mallana Malik Farrukh Bashir , Iqbal Abeda Muhammad , Iqbal Saima , Khan Adnan Shahid , Senin Aslan Amat
Published: January 2014

The importance of international technology transfer (ITT) for economic development can hardly be overstated. Both the acquirement of technology and its dissemination foster productivity growth. As invention and creation processes remain overwhelmingly the province of the OECD countries, most developing countries must rely largely on imported technologies as sources of new productive knowledge. However, considerable amounts of follow-on innovation and adaptation occur in such countries. This paper explores recent international technology transfer issues between developed and developing countries. The paper will investigate technology transfer from the perspective of innovation systems, and identify critical components for the successful transformation of technology. Based on literature, findings emphasize on the development of learning system to overcome the barriers and promote international technology transfer in the long run. The focus of this paper is to study government’s technology policy and its influence on international technology transfer as well. Due to the ever changing environment of world politics and economy, there are numerous uncertainties in policy making for every country. It is not uncommon some policies cannot meet government’s original requirement as they were legislated. The rapid development of high technology has made stable technology policy a difficult task. Therefore, it is necessary to study the causal factors and intrinsic relationship of issues involved.
Identification of Service Quality Dimensions among International Postgraduate Students
Authors: Parnian Amir , Hosseini Narges , Shwu Fen Wong
Published: January 2014

This article represents the differences between expectations and perceptions of service quality among international postgraduate students in UTM by calculating the gap scores in SERVQUAL scale. In addition, this article indicates the service quality dimensions which are evident among these students by using all calculated gap scores in factor analysis. Also, one sample t-test was conducted to find the level of service quality from the perspective of the participants. This study used a modified service quality (SERVQUAL) instrument which was validated by a pilot study and distributed to 353 of international postgraduate students in UTM who were selected by stratified sampling to reach to its results. The results demonstrate the negative gap scores among all 22 items of SERVQUAL scale and it shows that the students’ expectations of service quality are more than their perceived service quality in this university. Additionally, four dimensions, namely tangible, consistency, assurance and compassion, were identified in the SERVQUAL scale. Finally, the low level of service quality is demonstrated from the perspective of international postgraduate students in UTM.
Adjustment, Motivation for Retention and Environmental Similarity toward Satisfaction among Expatriate Academics
Authors: Parnian Amir , Hosseini Narges , Shwu Fen Wong
Published: January 2014

The purposes of this paper are to access the level of motivation, adjustment and environmental similarities among expatriate academics in a Malaysian university; and to analyze the influence of demography on satisfaction among expatriate academics in a Malaysian university. Limitation of this study is just focusing on one university of Malaysia. Survey questionnaire have been used to collect the data from randomly selected expatriate academics who currently working in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). Only the Nationality is significant differences with satisfaction of expatriate academics in UTM. Expatriate academics are mostly motivated to remain by teaching context which has three items: rapport with departmental leadership, teaching opportunities, and nation building (ability to affect change). Fourteen items as motivation to remain which selected by 50% of the respondents are research opportunities, cost of living, reputation of the university, research funding, reputation of department, research/ lab facilities, international experience, professional development opportunities, geographic location of Malaysia, rapport with departmental leadership, teaching opportunities, nation building (ability to affect change), scholarly environment, and students. Research opportunities and cost of living identify as the most important factors of motivation. Majority of expatriate academics are able to adjust in host country. Expatriate academics are better in specific job responsibilities and supervisory responsibilities. “Everyday customs that must be followed” and “general living conditions (housing, etc.)” are similar from their home country.
M2M Communication in Virtual Sensor Network for SHAAL
Authors: Khalid Zubair , Fisal N. , Ullah Rahat , Safdar Hashim , Maqbool Wajahat , Zubair S. , Khan A. S.
Published: January 2014

Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication has led to a new paradigm of Internet of Things (IoT). The future of M2M communication in smart home lies in the aggregation and allocation of resources and service provisioning of diverse applications using different radio technologies. M2M communication may operate on the virtual sensor network to provide independent applications running on heterogeneous network simultaneously. M2M is going to play a major role in the area of Smart Home and Ambient Assisted Living (SHAAL) providing  assistance to the elderly people with smart sensors that monitor the home environment and provides aid health monitoring to human requiring medical assistance. The current state of the art frameworks are dedicated to specific applications with the support of single radio network with limited service provisioning options. However, in order to fully exploit the resources in this paper we present a service provisioning framework realization of M2M in virtual sensor network for SHAAL, which allows independent parties to work together in a secure and reliable manner. In addition to this, the framework is designed to include benefits of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Resource Oriented Architecture (ROA) along with the use of different low power, low data rate protocols. A middleware is used as a platform to link the underlying virtual networks with various applications. The network virtualization approach is adopted to design an efficient middleware framework that can effectively discover and manage the underlying network resources and provide services at home gateway. The framework will be used as the basis for the development of the SHAAL networked system.
Refining E-government Readiness Index by Cloud Computing
Authors: Mohammed Fathey , Ibrahim Othman
Published: January 2014

Modern ICT heavily impacts and shapes the way government functions. Therefore, the aim of e-government attempts should be using all invented forms of ICT to improve basic duties of government and deliver more interactive services to citizens and businesses. However, an effective e-government program requires information about the readiness of public-sector organizations, in terms of regulatory frameworks, and organizational and technical infrastructures, as well as information about the stakeholders and their demand for e-government. Therefore, measuring e-readiness is vital to adopt e-government successfully. For that reason, several e-readiness assessment models have been developed to help assess the opportunities and challenges facing e-government programs. On the other hand, recently ICT innovation along with Cloud Computing presents significant opportunity for governments to provide effective e-government services. This paper revisits the existing e-government readiness indices to show the main common indicators. Then, it investigates the main drivers of the changes between the various versions of one index. Finally, this paper proposes a preliminary framework to refine indexes’ indicators according to the characteristics of the Cloud Computing.
Cancer Detection Using Aritifical Neural Network and Support Vector Machine: A Comparative Study
Authors: Sy Ahmad Ubaidillah Sharifah Hafizah , Sallehuddin Roselina , Ali Nor Azizah
Published: January 2014

Accurate diagnosis of cancer plays an importance role in order to save human life. The results of the diagnosis indicate by the medical experts are mostly differentiated based on the experience of different medical experts. This problem could risk the life of the cancer patients. From the literature, it has been found that Artificial Intelligence (AI) machine learning classifiers such as an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) can help doctors in diagnosing cancer more precisely. Both of them have been proven to produce good performance of cancer classification accuracy. The aim of this study is to compare the performance of the ANN and SVM classifiers on four different cancer datasets. For breast cancer and liver cancer dataset, the features of the data are based on the condition of the organs  which is also called as standard data while for prostate cancer and ovarian cancer; both of these datasets are in the form of gene expression data. The datasets including benign and malignant tumours is specified to classify with proposed methods. The performance of both classifiers is evaluated using four different measuring tools which are accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and Area under Curve (AUC). This research has shown that the SVM classifier can obtain good performance in classifying cancer data compare to ANN classifier.