bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of an unusual quinazoline alkaloid: theoretical and experimental investigations of its structural, electronic, molecular and biological properties
Authors: Lone Shabir H. , Jameel Salman , Bhat Muzzaffar A. , Lone Rayees A. , Butcher Ray J. , Bhat Khursheed A.
Published: February 2018

A comparative overview of theoretical and experimental studies concerning the electronic, structural and biological domains of the synthesized unusual quinazoline alkaloid is presented.
Retracted Article: Linc00472 suppresses breast cancer progression and enhances doxorubicin sensitivity through regulation of miR-141 and programmed cell death 4
Authors: Lu Pengwei , Xue Yang  , Yang Yunqing , Wang Fang , Li Lin , Gu Yuanting
Published: February 2018

Linc00472 expression was down-regulated in breast cancer tissues and cells, and was associated with the development and prognosis of breast cancer.
Polymer network hole transport layers based on photochemically cross-linkable N′N′-diallyl amide tri-N-substituted triazatruxene monomers
Authors: Hu Guang , Kitney Stuart P. , Kelly Stephen M. , Harrison William , Lambert Brian , O'Neill Mary
Published: February 2018

Novel triazatruxenes, incorporating non-conjugated dienes as photopolymerisable endgroups attached by flexible sidechains to the aromatic core, have been synthesised as a new class of hole-transport layer for plastic electronic devices.
Signaling through plant lectins: modulation of plant immunity and beyond
Authors: Van Holle Sofie , Van Damme Els J.M.
Published: February 2018

Lectins constitute an abundant group of proteins that are present throughout the plant kingdom. Only recently, genome-wide screenings have unraveled the multitude of different lectin sequences within one plant species. It appears that plants employ a plurality of lectins, though relatively few lectins have already been studied and functionally characterized. Therefore, it is very likely that the full potential of lectin genes in plants is underrated. This review summarizes the knowledge of plasma membrane-bound lectins in different biological processes (such as recognition of pathogen-derived molecules and symbiosis) and illustrates the significance of soluble intracellular lectins and how they can contribute to plant signaling. Altogether, the family of plant lectins is highly complex with an enormous diversity in biochemical properties and activities.
Diverse exocytic pathways for mast cell mediators
Authors: Xu Hao , Bin Na-Ryum , Sugita Shuzo
Published: February 2018

Mast cells play pivotal roles in innate and adaptive immunities but are also culprits in allergy, autoimmunity, and cardiovascular diseases. Mast cells respond to environmental changes by initiating regulated exocytosis/secretion of various biologically active compounds called mediators (e.g. proteases, amines, and cytokines). Many of these mediators are stored in granules/lysosomes and rely on intricate degranulation processes for release. Mast cell stabilizers (e.g. sodium cromoglicate), which prevent such degranulation processes, have therefore been clinically employed to treat asthma and allergic rhinitis. However, it has become increasingly clear that different mast cell diseases often involve multiple mediators that rely on overlapping but distinct mechanisms for release. This review illustrates existing evidence that highlights the diverse exocytic pathways in mast cells. We also discuss strategies to delineate these pathways so as to identify unique molecular components which could serve as new drug targets for more effective and specific treatments against mast cell-related diseases.
Maximising the degrees of freedom of the physical‐layer secured relay networks with artificial jamming
Authors: Zheng Lina , Sang Liu , Liu Ju , Lu Bing‐Bing , Dong Zheng
Published: February 2018

In this study, the authors consider the physical‐layer security problem in the relay networks. The relay nodes are employed not only to aid the information transmission but also to improve the network security in the physical layer by sending artificial noise to resist the potential malicious eavesdropper. By allowing shared randomness between the jamming nodes, it is shown that the maximum degrees of freedom (DoF) of the considered network is almost surely. The necessary and sufficient conditions for the optimal DoF setup are established. Moreover, a simple DoF‐optimal collaborative beamforming algorithm is proposed, and it works very well in the high signal‐to‐noise ratio regime, which is verified by computer simulations.
Methodology for developing virtual platforms from power‐aware to power‐ and thermal‐aware at electronic system level
Authors: Lu Liang‐Ying , Hsieh Tsung‐Yu , Weng Pei‐En , Chiou Lih‐Yih
Published: February 2018

With the growth of complex multiprocessor system‐on‐chip design and the evolution of process technology, it is crucial to address thermal issues owing to the high‐power density of chips. Electronic system level (ESL) design is an acknowledged effective methodology to explore system design by virtual platforms (VPs) at the early stages of integrated circuit (IC) design. Therefore, power‐ and thermal‐aware (PTA) VPs at the ESL are required to explore the thermal issues at the early stages of IC design. Current VPs at the ESL are less discussed in the thermal issues. Therefore, the authors propose a methodology to easily develop VPs from power awareness to power and thermal awareness. In the methodology, a refined thermal engine that has lower computational complexity is proposed to analyse the heat of ICs, and it has high compatibility for integration with power‐aware (PA) VPs. In addition, the thermal analysis in the methodology considers the thermal effects of leakage power consumption to reflect the physical temperature of ICs. Thus, system designers can utilise the proposed methodology to easily develop their PA VPs into PTA VPs.
Factoring two‐dimensional two‐channel non‐separable stripe filter banks into lifting steps
Authors: Liu Bin , Liu Weijie
Published: February 2018

Since the division with remainder cannot be implemented in multivariable polynomials, the two‐dimensional non‐separable wavelet transform cannot be lifted by using a similar way as that of univariate wavelet transforms. To solve this problem, a general lifting factoring method of two‐dimensional two‐channel non‐separable stripe filter banks is presented. The constructing form of the polyphase matrices of the stripe filter banks is deduced and the general factoring of the polyphase matrices is given. Compared with the separable lifting wavelet transform, the proposed lifting factoring method can extract better texture information. The lifting form is more succinct than that of the tensor product lifting wavelet transform. The computation amount of the proposed factoring method for image decomposition is a quarter of the two‐dimensional two‐channel non‐separable stripe filter bank and the original two‐dimensional two‐channel non‐separable wavelet system is quickened. Moreover, the proposed lifting factorising method is faster than the traditional two‐dimensional two‐channel non‐separable wavelet transform based on the Fourier transformation framework in which the size of each filter is greater than . The proposed lifting factorising method has better sparsity than that of the original wavelet transform and the famous two‐dimensional two‐channel biorthogonal symmetric non‐separable wavelet transform.
Focused microwave power transmission system with high‐efficiency rectifying surface
Authors: Dong Yazhou , Dong Shi‐Wei , Wang Ying , Liu Shuo , Li Xiaojun , Gao Steven , Wei Gao , Ran Lixin
Published: February 2018

A focused microwave power transmission (MPT) system with high‐efficiency rectifying surface is proposed. This work has two main novel contributions: (i) most of wireless power transmission systems reported so far are non‐focused. This study presents the first focused MPT system with circular polarisation; (ii) a novel high‐efficiency rectifying surface using sub‐wavelength resonant elements is developed. To design a focused transmitting array antenna with high power density at the receiving site and high beam collecting efficiency in the near field, a method based on the optimisation of a partial scattering matrix is employed. A left‐handed circularly polarised microwave power rectifying surface consisting of 8 × 8 sub‐wavelength resonant elements is designed and the measured conversion efficiency reaches 57.74%. To validate the concept, an experimental system including one focused transmitting array antenna and one 2 × 2 elements rectifying surface is implemented and measured, and the improvement of output direct current (DC) power and radiofrequency (RF)‐to‐DC conversion efficiency compared with non‐focused condition is shown. The highest RF‐to‐DC efficiency of 66.5% is achieved in the focused mode, compared to that of 34.8% only in the non‐focused mode as in traditional systems.
Modified model of equivalent height for predicting atmospheric attenuation at frequencies below 350 GHz
Authors: Li Haiying , Wu Zhensen , Zhao Zhenwei , Lin Leke , Lu Changsheng , Qu Tan
Published: February 2018

Due to atmospheric absorption, the signal attenuation must be considered when designing communication links in the terahertz (THz) band. The equivalent height described in International Telecommunication Union Recommendation (Rec. ITU)‐R P.676 can be used to evaluate the signal attenuation over satellite links by meteorological parameters of the Earth's surface, which are relatively convenient to obtain. Since both temperature and water vapour content can greatly influence the absorption of THz waves and have temporal and spatial variability, the equivalent height should be a combined value representing the influences of temperature, water vapour, and pressure. However, only pressure is considered in the ITU‐R P.676 model. As a result, it will cause inaccuracies for different regions and seasons. In this study, a modified model of the equivalent height with temperature and water vapour near the Earth's surface is proposed. Compared with the forward equivalent heights, the equivalent heights based on both models are evaluated. Analyses of the window frequencies are performed, and improved results are achieved with the modified model, especially for mid‐ and high‐latitude winter profiles. The accuracy of the modified model for other profiles is also analysed and the results indicate its suitability.
Performance improvement of FSO system using multi‐pulse pulse position modulation and SIMO under atmospheric turbulence conditions and with pointing errors
Authors: Ismail Tawfik , Leitgeb Erich , Ghassemlooy Zabih , Al‐Nahhal Mohamed
Published: February 2018

Free space optics (FSO) communication links are impaired by the fading due to turbulence and misalignment. In this paper, we theoretically analyze the pointing error effects on performance of FSO systems using multi‐pulse pulse position modulation (MP‐PPM) over the Gamma‐Gamma turbulence channel. We consider the moderate and strong atmospheric turbulence regimes with the combined effect of the pointing errors (PEs), and study the link average symbol error rate (ASER) and the outage probability. The numerical results are presented to show the impact of the pointing error on the ASER and the system outage. However, to overcome the channel degradation resulting from the turbulence effects and the PE, the single‐input multiple‐output (SIMO) system with maximal ratio combining (MRC) diversity is used. Exact close‐form expressions for ASER and outage probability are derived and verified by using Monte Carlo simulation. We concluded that the optimal values of the system parameters are, the transmitted power is 20 dBm, jitter variance should be less than 0.5 m and laser beam width equals 0.2 cm. These values are significantly reduced the impacts of misalignment and fading whereas outage probability is less than at maximum jitter variance.
Auto-detection of strong gravitational lenses using convolutional neural networks
Authors: Pearson James , Pennock Clara , Robinson Tom
Published: February 2018

We propose a method for the automated detection of strong galaxy-galaxy gravitational lenses in images, utilising a convolutional neural network (CNN) trained on 210 000 simulated galaxy-galaxy lens and non-lens images. The CNN, named LensFinder, was tested on a separate 210 000 simulated image catalogue, with 95% of images classied with at least 98.6% certainty. An accuracy of over 98% was achieved and an area under curve of 0.9975 was determined from the resulting receiver operating characteristic curve. A regional CNN, R-LensFinder, was trained to label lens positions in images, perfectly labelling 80% while partially labelling another 10% correctly.
E-VPMS 1.0: Enhanced Vehicle Parking Monitoring System
Authors: Shian Lim Yeu , Saon Sharifah , Mahamad Abd Kadir
Published: February 2018

Due to lack of vehicle parking slot in front of Block Q, Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (FKEE), UTHM, the enhanced vehicle parking monitoring system (E-VPMS 1.0) is developed to identify parking slots available in the parking area as well as to detect double parking problem. Once this system is implemented, time consume for searching available parking slots as well as double parking problem that may cause unwanted accident can be reduced. In the development of E-VPMS 1.0 system, whole system are designed and developed in three different phases; which are video processing phase, login and registration phase, and webview development phase. In video processing phase, video sources are processed through few video processing function. In login and registration phase, series of webpage function have been created that accessible in both smartphone and laptop. While, in webview development phase, webview function have been developed and through this function, content of E-VPMS 1.0 system can be displayed directly via web browser for both smartphone and laptop. Through E-VPMS 1.0, availability parking slots can be checked by registered user through input recorded video before entering the specific parking area. Other than that, performance analysis in terms of numbers of registered user and parking slot availability at different situations such as during peak event or normal event can be managed and controlled by admin through visualisation data method.
Cyclist Monitoring System using NI myRIO-1900
Authors: Siong Kwong Wong , Ubin Aizan , Mohd Jenu Mohd Zarar
Published: February 2018

This paper presents cyclist monitoring system that tracks cyclist path and shows the cyclist training condition. Cyclist monitoring system is using NI myRIO-1900 that integrates the sensors and modules and then monitors the cyclist data using Ubidots web interface. In this system, heart rate sensor, magnetic sensor, GPS module and GSM module are connected to NI myRIO-1900. Heart rate sensor was used to calculate the heart rate of cyclist from time to time. Magnetic sensor was attached to the frame of bicycle to calculate the speed of bicycle. GPS module was used to track location of cyclist. GSM modules was used to send SOS message if there has an accident happened on cyclist. At the first, NI myRIO-1900 initialized the state of the GPS signal. After initializing, NI myRIO-1900 received the signal from magnetic sensor and heart rate sensor. After receiving all of the signals from those sensors, the data was uploaded to the GUI in LabVIEW and the web interface that run by Ubidots. The parameters such as speed, heart rate, distance travel and power were displayed on the GUI and Ubidots for cyclist to monitor their condition of body during cycling. The S.O.S button was installed on the bicycle. If the cyclist is in dangerous situation, cyclist can press this button to send the emergency signal to police or the person that is important to them.
Comparison of Pigtail with J Anchor Bolt in Normal Concrete
Authors: Osman Mohamad Hairi , Abd Shukor Mohamad Nur Mustaqim , Adnan Suraya Hani , Ahmad Jeni Mohamad Luthfi , Abdullah Mohd Sufyan , Salim Salman , Tami Hannifah , Abdul Rahman Nor Azira
Published: February 2018

Anchor bolts have been used to attach the steel structure of concrete and transfer load into the concrete. Anchor bolts in concrete are to withstand the shear force as they connect steel beams to the reinforced concrete foundations. The research was carried out to increase the understanding and investigating the performance of anchor bolts Pigtail since there is a lack of research on the bolt and to compare it with anchor bolts J which have been widely used by the industry. According to the methodology, testing the tensile load was used in this research to get a maximum load capacity of the anchor bolt in concrete. The sample was embedded in concrete cylinders of 75mm radius and 300mm height. Depths of embedment were 200mm, 230mm, and 260mm. The Universal Testing Machine, UTM was used to test the strength of tensile. 12 samples were used, each type and depth used two samples to get the average value using concrete grade 30. The samples underwent the process of curing for 28 days. The anchor bolts J used a 40mm bending radius and the length of hook was 100mm. Anchor bolts pigtail also used the 10 bending radius with depth of 8mm that have been compressed using 16mm radius rigs with a load of 500kN. Results of the research showed the depth of 260mm for Pigtail almost the same with J 60.529kN and 53.628kN and anchor bolts J were 75.557kN and 76.332kN. Difference of the values was not too far vary when compared with the 200mm and 230mm depths. Each comparison showed the ability of each bolt and anchor bolt failure occurred. Performance of the anchor bolts pigtail can be used on a structure or a higher load at an embedment of 260mm. Embedment of 200mm and 230mm can be used on a lighter load if steel material saving is a priority in every usage.
Evaluation of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Microphysics single moment class-3 and class-6 in Precipitation Forecast
Authors: Zaidi Syeda Maria , Anak Gisen Jacqueline Isabella
Published: February 2018

In this study, the performance of two different Microphysics Scheme options in Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model were evaluated for the estimating the precipitation forecast. The schemes WRF single moment class-3 (WSM-3) and single moment class-6 (WSM-6) were employed to produce the minimum, medium and maximum precipitation for the selected events over the Kuantan River Basin (KRB). The obtained simulated results were compared with the observed data from eight different rainfall gauging stations. The results comparison indicate that WRF model provides better forecasting at some rainfall stations for minimum and medium rainfall events but did not produce good result during maximum rainfall overall. The WSM-6 scheme is found to produce better result compared to WSM-3. The study also found that to acquire accurate precipitation results, it is also required to test some other physics scheme parameterization to enhance the model performance.
A Study of Nutrient Distribution in Sediment Layer at Sembrong Dam
Authors: Abu Talib SH , Syed Hashim SIN , Abustan MS
Published: February 2018

Reservoir is one of the key sources of water supply as it provides hydroelectric power, domestic usage, agriculture, farming, recreation and provides flood protection. Sedimentation in the reservoir makes the storage of water loss and the sediment sink contain a source of nutrients. Sediment deposition creates habitats for aquatic life but if too much sediment, it can destroy their habitats and even physically alter a waterway. The use of nutrients such as Total Phosphorus (TP) is key to growing plants and animals thus to feed growing populations. An excess of nutrients in the reservoir such as from agricultural activity makes algae growth rapidly and it can affected the water quality in the reservoir. This research was conducted at the Sembrong dam as this dam is a major water source for people in Kluang and parts Batu Pahat and the water quality become decreased because of algae bloom. The main objective of this study is to determine the distribution of nutrient in different location and to determine the nutrient distribution in vertical sediment layer. The study were conducted by taking sediments samples throughout the reservoir by using sediment corer and the sediment have been sliced every 5 cm. The samples were digested using USEPA Method 3050B which is acid digestion for sediments, sludge and soil for TP. The laboratory testing on these nutrients was conducted by following Standard Method for the Examination of Water and Wastewater (APHA, 1999) using spectrophotometer. The highest value of TP obtain is at outlet of the reservoir which is 30.72 mg/l. The results obtained shows that the top of sediment has high number of TP and it decreasing by depth. However, continuous and periodic monitoring should be done to avoid the increasing of the concentration of TP in the sediment to ensure the life of Sembrong dam can be extending for future.
An Investigation of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) on Piezoelectric Compliance in Ultrasonic Vibration Assisted Milling (UVAM)
Authors: Ibrahim Rasidi , Rachmat Haris , Dida Damayanti , Radzi Anis , Mulyana Tatang
Published: February 2018

Finite element analysis for piezoelectric actuator has been developed in Ansys Software which are a program that can analyses and simulate the dynamic behaviour of piezoelectric. The Ultrasonic Vibration assisted Milling (UVAM) experimental having a difficulty to investigate the effect of vibration mechanism where existence of error in material, mechanism and attachment of piezoelectric thus affect the amplitude and frequency of mechanical compliance during the machining of UVAM. This paper will investigate the modelling of piezoelectric compliance and follow the procedures of FEA to accurately predict the dynamic behaviour of compliance. The parameters for simulation of piezoelectric are voltage, electromechanical coupling and frequency. The compliance mechanism is model by using SolidWorks 2014 and imported to Ansys Mechanical APDL Software were the piezoelectric are embedded on the mechanism. Modal analysis and harmonic analysis has been used in order to obtain the mode shape and displacement. The displacement of the compliance mechanism will be compare between simulation and experimental. The dynamic behaviour was discussed in simulation to study the reliability of the compliance mechanism before it safely used in UVAM.
Elements of Technology Enabled/Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL) to Enhance Quality and Employability of Bachelor’s Students
Authors: Hassan Nur Farha Bte , Puteh Saifullizam Bin , Muhamad Sanusi Amanina Binti
Published: February 2018

The application of technology innovation is rapidly increasing in industries and educational institutions. This phenomenon has led to the emergence of Technology Enabled/Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL) which emphasizes the use of various techniques and technologies. TEAL is a new learning format that combines educational content from a lecturer, simulation, and student’s experiences using technological tools to provide a rich collaborative learning experience for students. This approach is used to provide academic professional development that brings innovation to the learning content, practically by using pedagogy, technology and classroom design. TEAL ensures the enhanced development of student's knowledge and skills in order to produce quality skilful workers with adequate employability skills. Technology is an effective tool used to facilitate the teaching and learning process, which can, in turn, create an active environment for students to build their knowledge, skill and experience. This paper determines the elements of TEAL based on interview sessions with expert academicians and from a systematic literature review. The selection of TEAL elements for this study was carried out using thematic analysis approach. Findings show that these TEAL elements would help institutions to promote students in involving themselves in active learning in order to enhance the quality of graduates in improving their technical knowledge, thereby enhancing their employability skills.
Ergonomic Design of Public Bus in The Philippines with Provision for Senior Citizens and Persons with Disability
Authors: Gumasing Ma. Janice J. , Dela Cruz Charm Hanalae C.
Published: February 2018

Comfortability in buses for commuters particularly those with special needs such as senior citizen and person with disability is a concern, which requires attention. Public buses are highly used mode of transportation in the Philippines, both provincial and city. In this work, the researchers aim to determine the design factors that affect the comfortability of commuters and eventually come up with an ergonomic design of public bus to be used in the Philippines with provision for senior citizen and persons with disability. The study covers and mainly focused on designing bus doors and its interior for the accessibility of the senior citizens and persons with mobility aid such as wheelchairs, crutches and canes ergonomically. The researchers have conducted review of related literature, direct observation, surveys, interviews and actual measurements of bus dimensions in order to describe factually and accurately the current design of buses in the Philippines. The researchers have improved the current design of provincial public buses having trips from Cavite to Manila (vice versa) with consideration of the issues and needs of the commuters in riding a bus.
Preliminary Study: Self-Regulated Learning Procedure
Authors: Sahdan Shafizza , Masek Alias , Zainal Abidin Noor Atikah , Jusoh Juliati
Published: February 2018

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is widely adopted by various educational institutions all over the world. A simple guideline is important and essential for the successful implementation of SRL that yields good results. Hence, a procedure and lesson plan of SRL for the subject of Principles of Management are developed and tested in a preliminary study. The objective of the preliminary study is to determine the reliability of the instruments so that the implementation procedure and lesson plan for the real study can be executed smoothly. This study was conducted for a cycle of SRL designed procedure. ANCOVA was used to analyse the effects of the procedure and lesson plan in relation to students’ motivation, metacognitive awareness and academic achievement. Based on the results of the preliminary study, the items reliability index using alpha cronbach was 0.92, indicated that the questionnaire was good and effective. Each variable was significantly different, indicated that the procedure and lesson plan have positive effects on motivation, metacognition, and academic achievement. In conclusion, the procedure and lesson plan of Principles of Management developed are ready for an actual study.
Comparison on the Analysis on PM10 Data based on Average and Extreme Series
Authors: Mohd Amin Nor Azrita , Zakaria Siti Aisyah
Published: February 2018

The main concern in environmental issue is on extreme phenomena (catastrophic) instead of common events. However, most statistical approaches are concerned primarily with the centre of a distribution or on the average value rather than the tail of the distribution which contains the extreme observations. The concept of extreme value theory affords attention to the tails of distribution where standard models are proved unreliable to analyse extreme series. High level of particulate matter (PM10) is a common environmental problem which causes various impacts to human health and material damages. If the main concern is on extreme events, then extreme value analysis provides the best result with significant evidence. The monthly average and monthly maxima PM10 data for Perlis from 2003 to 2014 were analysed. Forecasting for average data is made by Holt-Winters method while return level determine the predicted value of extreme events that occur on average once in a certain period. The forecasting from January 2015 to December 2016 for average data found that the highest forecasted value is 58.18 (standard deviation 18.45) on February 2016 while return level achieved 253.76 units for 24 months (2015-2016) return periods.
The Influence of Students’ Experience on Alumni Giving in Malaysian Public Educational Institution
Authors: Naeimah Saraeh U. , Abdul Rahman Nor Irwani , Noordin Norshahrizan , Ramlan Sayang Nurshahrizleen , Ahmad Razli , Sakdan Mohd Fo’ad
Published: February 2018

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of students’ experience on alumni giving in one of Malaysian Public Higher Educational Institution (PHEI). Utilizing the questionnaire method, data are obtained from 347 respondents among final year students in this institution. Results presented indicate students in this institution have low level of students’ experience and alumni giving with the mean score are reported at 1.25 each. Results presented also indicate that students’ experience is significantly related to alumni giving (β=.54, p<.01). This study contributed some new knowledge to the existing literature in the domain of alumni giving behaviour. Several recommendations can be suggested to Malaysian PHEIs to improve their level of students’ experience, thus the level of alumni giving can be increased. Several recommendations are proposed to be enhanced so as to increase the satisfaction on students’ experience during their undergraduates’ life based on this study findings.
Implementation of 5S in Manufacturing Industry: A Case of Foreign Workers in Melaka
Authors: Chee Houa San , Haslinda M. , Muliati Sedek , Mariam Miri Abdullah , Rahim A. F.
Published: February 2018

Lean manufacturing system has been infiltrated in manufacturing sectors across the world. In fact, Lean manufacturing system is a practice which regards the use of the resources, creation of value for the end customers, and as the ways to eliminate the waste. There are several tools that can be used to eliminate the waste within the industry. This research is a study of the implementation of 5S in manufacturing industry. Despite this, the research study focused on manufacturing industry, which has been implemented 5S system in Melaka State. Although there are number of tools and technique available to help in improving the manufacturing process, however, there is only few industries could implement the tools successfully. In this research, foreign workers play a main role in implement the 5S systems as the manufacturing industry in Malaysia adopt large amount of foreign workers to work as employees. Therefore, it is important to ensure the foreign workers truly understand the concept of 5S system and adopt the best ways to implement it in order to have better performance. This research study has been proposed by the research model of the barriers to implementation of 5S in manufacturing industry among foreign workers. A several research method has been adopted to do the research, such as descriptive research design with quantitative methods, survey questionnaire and cross-sectional studies.
Conceptual Paper: Digital Preservation Strategies in Archival Institution
Authors: Ismail Adila , Bullah Affandy Habee
Published: February 2018

In this paper, the overall overview of concept of preservation regardless if it is preservation of physical records/archives or digital records/archives is discussed. The concept of the preservation discussed includes preventive preservation, restorative preservation, and content preservation. Then the concept of digital preservation. Furthermore, this paper highlighted the strategies and methods used in implementing the preservation of digital records/archives. The issues those are involved in the digital preservation implementation are also discussed.
Business Lures Employed by Malay Kelantanese Entrepreneurs
Authors: Sahad Mohd Nizam , Abdullah Suhaila , Abdullah Atikullah Haji , Abdullah Shuhairimi
Published: February 2018

The foundation of a successful business is essentially the level of consumer response to a product or service offered. Entrepreneurs’ abilitities to cater to their consumers’ needs are one of their secrets to success. Hence, the objective of this study is to uncover the secrets of business success, particularly the business lures that have helped Kelantan entrepreneurs to popularise products or services they offer. A qualitative approach was used to analyse the interview data according to themes. The study found five factors which determined the business success of the selected Malay Kelantanese entrepreneurs. These factors were: they were persistent in asking for help from Allah, they strived to be approachable entrepreneurs, and they cultivated positive entrepreneurial virtues such as having an honourable personality, being creative, and innovative, as well as being bold in their marketing strategy. Although the findings are not representative of all Malay entrepreneurs in Malaysia, this study can, however, serve as a source of reference to encourage other entrepreneurs to emulate the business success of the selected entrepreneurs. Apart from that, it can encourage awareness among the Muslim entrepreneurs, about the importance of managing a business in accordance with the Islamic laws
English Language Textbooks and Portrayal of Culture: A content analysis
Authors: Abd Rashid Ruzai Syarilili Aiyu , Engku Ibrahim Engku Haliza
Published: February 2018

Research has shown that there is a need to use materials that are cultural sensitive and context-appropriate in the EFL classroom. It is imperative that teaching materials match with the goals, objectives and philosophy of the programme. This is to ensure that the materials are congruent with the learners’ attitudes, religious beliefs and preferences. Thus, this study aims to find out if there were materials that are not in harmony with Islam. The sampling of this study was taken from 5 textbooks that were being used in an intensive English course. The findings from this study showed that in general the contents of the ELT textbooks could be categorised into three categories of neutral, positive and negative. Additionally, it was also discovered that these themes fall under community knowledge, beliefs and values of the western culture in Byram’s (1993) cultural content checklist. This study has strong implications for the use of ready-made textbooks in the EFL context.
Alternative Dispute Resolution for Islamic Finance in Malaysia
Authors: Dahlan N. Khalidah
Published: February 2018

The law lays down rules that govern private disputes, self-help actions or open-conflicts that may occur in the society. Here, courts, tribunals, arbitration and other dispute resolution forums are the main secular institutions in dispensing just resolutions in a society. As important as the court proceedings, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process is neutral, it is like a judge who served as the finder of fact and decision maker for the parties involved. By adapting the ADR methods in resolving the disputes relating to Islamic financial products, this method will able to fulfil with the demands on Islamic financial markets in Malaysia. As the highest law of the land places Islam, the religion associated with one of the main ethnicity, as the official religion of the nation and allowed the duality of economic system, in particular banking system, in which conventional banking system exists side-by-side with the Sharia-compliant, Islamic banking. This paper will reviewing the pertinent literature on the development of Islamic banking cases, the Alternative dispute resolution methods on Islamic banking and its contributions to Malaysian society regardless of ethnicity and religion. The discussion in this paper therefore will be directed towards highlighting the alternative dispute resolution methods on Islamic banking and its implication to enhance the application of Islamic banking laws to consumers regardless of ethnicity and religion, in order to maintaining fairness and justice in a multi-ethnic society.
Islamic English in Islamic Talks
Authors: Othman K. , Ismail A. I.
Published: February 2018

The international nature of the English language has affected many communities across the globe and this has led to the emergence of varieties of English, specifically to meet the needs of non-native speakers of English. For Muslim speakers, Islamic English has been proposed which aims to maintain Arabic terms in the English language when there is an absence of equivalent English words. An attempt to translate would lead to distortion in meanings. This paper aims to highlight the presence of Islamic English employed by a prominent international Islamic speaker. Content analysis method is employed. The findings indicate the functions of Islamic English in the speaker’s talks are to provide the accurate meaning of the terms, correct misconceptions and lack of equivalent word in the English language, hence the need for Islamic English for Muslim speakers of English.
Influence Of Demographic Factors On Memory And Attention (Cognitive Ability) Among Hearing-Impaired
Authors: Habibah Abd Rani Ummi , Ahmad Marzuki Najib
Published: February 2018

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of demographic factors on cognitive ability (memory and attention) among hearing-impaired students. Data from 163 hearing-impaired students were collected using simple random sampling at five polytechnics in Malaysia. The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) software were utilised to examine cognitive ability (memory and attention). Demographic factors consist of gender, hearing aid usage and parents’ hearing status. The results revealed that attention and memory differed according to hearing aid usage and parent’s status of hearing. No significant differences were found for memory and attention according to hearing-impaired gender. The findings of this study will enable the education authority to direct these special students in a way that best suits the institution and students goals.
Pedestrian Travel Pattern At Johor Bahru Commercial Centre
Authors: Shazreen A.R Noor , Asmani M.Y Doris , Sian Tey Li , Khatif Mohamed , H.Austo Haron
Published: February 2018

Pedestrians are often exposed to complex and dangerous traffic situations. Therefore, planning for pedestrian facilities could reduce some of the problems that are faced by the pedestrians. Thus, this study describes the level of awareness, risky behavior and analyse pedestrian travel pattern in Johor Bahru (JB) commercial centre. Data for the study was collected from questionnaire distribution and video recording. Thirty sets of questionnaire were distributed with the purpose of determining the level of awareness among pedestrian while using the pedestrian facilities provided by the. Meanwhile, the video recording was used to determine the risky behaviour done by the pedestrians at commercial centres. The video was also used to analyse pedestrian travel pattern at commercial centres. The outcome of this study would be beneficial to JB cities and lead to a successful pedestrian travel pattern within a safety, practice, and knowledge of pedestrian facilities provided.
Model of Islamic Social Entrepreneurship: A Study on Successful Muslim Social Entrepreneur in Malaysia
Authors: Boulven Mohd Adib , Abdullah S. , Bahari Azizan , Ramli A. J. , Hussin N. S. , Jamaluddin Jamsari , Ahmad Z.
Published: February 2018

Since research effort in the area is minimal, there is a clear need to examine the practice of Islamic social entrepreneurship among successful Muslim social entrepreneurs in Malaysia. One such practice is to organize charitable activities to benefit the community through the gains made from entrepreneurial activities that are based on social mission and vision. The research problem is lacking of model on Islamic social entrepreneurship. The main objective of this paper is to develop a Model of Islamic Social Entrepreneurship based on successful Muslim social entrepreneur in Malaysia. The research method used in this study is literature review, content analysis, and interview with 14 participants constituting nine successful Muslim social entrepreneurs and five experts with religious academic backgrounds participated in the study. The research finding shows that model of Islamic social entrepreneurship is the major contribution of the study which could serve as guidelines for successful Muslim social entrepreneurs, particularly young entrepreneurs.
Leadership and Followership in Organizational Impact Humanity in Government Sector
Authors: Ahmad Norazilawani , Hassan Hanum
Published: February 2018

Leadership in organizational behavior can be impact of humanity in Goverrment Sector., tourism, service sector. Communication style in the organization is very important and also key forces in providing employees with job satisfaction, humanity and communication skills. When employees do not get satisfaction from their jobs, morale drops an absences and lateness increases. Any person just follow instruction from a leader behavior and subordinates even the step, instruction good job, take action for respontibilities from communication transaction by interpersonal. Even the staff followers support for leaders is enhanced when their decisions affirm a distinct social identity that is shared with followers. Participants showed less support for a leader who favored in group members who were relatively sympathetic to an out group position than for one who favored in group members who opposed an out group position. A social constructionist view is highlighted. I clarify some of the assumptions of this approach, contrasting them with those of a more leader-centered perspective. In an effort to increase the testability of this approach, In outline a general model, paving the way for generating individual and group-level hypotheses, and discuss implications for practice and for future leadership research
Application of Data Mining Techniques for Medical Data Classification: A Review
Authors: Anwar Lashari Saima , Ibrahim Rosziati , Senan Norhalina , Taujuddin N. S. A. M.
Published: February 2018

This paper investigates the existing practices and prospects of medical data classification based on data mining techniques. It highlights major advanced classification approaches used to enhance classification accuracy. Past research has provided literature on medical data classification using data mining techniques. From extensive literature analysis, it is found that data mining techniques are very effective for the task of classification. This paper analysed comparatively the current advancement in the classification of medical data. The findings of the study showed that the existing classification of medical data can be improved further. Nonetheless, there should be more research to ascertain and lessen the ambiguities for classification to gain better precision.
A Comparative Study of Feature Selection Techniques for Bat Algorithm in Various Applications
Authors: Mohamed Rozlini , Mohd Yusof Munirah , Wahidi Noorhaniza
Published: February 2018

Feature selection is a process to select the best feature among huge number of features in dataset, However, the problem in feature selection is to select a subset that give the better performs under some classifier. In producing better classification result, feature selection been applied in many of the classification works as part of preprocessing step; where only a subset of feature been used rather than the whole features from a particular dataset. This procedure not only can reduce the irrelevant features but in some cases able to increase classification performance due to finite sample size. In this study, Chi-Square (CH), Information Gain (IG) and Bat Algorithm (BA) are used to obtain the subset features on fourteen well-known dataset from various applications. To measure the performance of these selected features three benchmark classifier are used; k-Nearest Neighbor (kNN), Naïve Bayes (NB) and Decision Tree (DT). This paper then analyzes the performance of all classifiers with feature selection in term of accuracy, sensitivity, F-Measure and ROC. The objective of these study is to analyse the outperform feature selection techniques among conventional and heuristic techniques in various applications.
High Performance Systolic Array Core Architecture Design for DNA Sequencer
Authors: Saiful Nurdin Dayana , Md. Isa Mohd. Nazrin , Che Ismail Rizalafande , Imran Ahmad Muhammad
Published: February 2018

This paper presents a high performance systolic array (SA) core architecture design for Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) sequencer. The core implements the affine gap penalty score Smith-Waterman (SW) algorithm. This time-consuming local alignment algorithm guarantees optimal alignment between DNA sequences, but it requires quadratic computation time when performed on standard desktop computers. The use of linear SA decreases the time complexity from quadratic to linear. In addition, with the exponential growth of DNA databases, the SA architecture is used to overcome the timing issue. In this work, the SW algorithm has been captured using Verilog Hardware Description Language (HDL) and simulated using Xilinx ISIM simulator. The proposed design has been implemented in Xilinx Virtex -6 Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and improved in the core area by 90% reduction.
Extraction of Spear Grass (Imperata Cylindrica) As Pro-Oxidant In Polymer Blends
Authors: Nuradibah M.A. , Abdul Halim N. A. , Kasim K.F. , Sam S.T. , Zulhaimi H.I. , Aiman Uda Muhammad Nur
Published: February 2018

Packaging material such as plastic bags is one of the main factors that contribute to the environmental pollution due to slow degradation. The usage of metal oxide as pro-oxidant has been proven to accelerate the degradation of these materials, but the excessive usage of this pro-oxidant will be harmful to the human body. Therefore, in this research, spear grass is investigated to be used as natural based pro-oxidant that can increase the degradation rate of the polymers. In terms of that, spear grass is extracted by using pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) to obtain the metal element such as zinc (Zn) and ferum (Fe). PHWE is using water as a solvent which is highly favourable due to non-toxicity and non-flammable characteristics that make it easy to handle. Box-Behnken design is used to optimize the temperature, extraction time, and sample-to-solvent ratio to get the maximum amount of Zn and Fe concentration from the extracted spear grass. As a conclusion, the leaf of spear grass contributed the highest amount of Zn and Fe concentration. The highest amount of Zn and Fe concentration is achieved at 150 °C, 20 minutes, and 3 g of sample to 45 ml of water.