bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficient peripheral nerve firing characterisation through massive feature extraction
Authors: Lubba Carl H , Fulcher Ben D , Schultz Simon R , Jones Nick S
Published: December 2018

Peripheral nerve decoding algorithms form an important component of closed-loop bioelectronic medicines devices. For any decoding method, meaningful properties need to be extracted from the peripheral nerve signal as the first step. Simple measures such as signal amplitude and features of the Fourier power spectrum are most typically used, leaving open whether important information is encoded in more subtle properties of the dynamics. We here propose a feature-based analysis method that identifies changes in firing characteristics across recording sections by unsupervised dimensionality reduction in a high-dimensional feature-space and selects single efficiently implementable estimators for each characteristic to be used as the basis for a better decoding in future bioelectronic medicines devices.
KGF induces podosome formation via integrin-Erk1/2 signaling in human immortalized oral epithelial cells
Authors: Sa Guoliang , Liu Zhikang , Ren Jiangang , Wan Qilong , Xiong Xuepeng , Yu Zili , Chen Heng , Zhao Yifang , He Sangang
Published: December 2018

Our recent study established the role of integrins in KGF-induced oral epithelial adhesion and rete peg elongation. However, how extracellular matrix remodeling cooperates with the increased epithelial adhesion during rete peg elongation has yet to be determined. Podosomes are cell-matrix contact structures that combine several abilities, including adhesion and matrix degradation. In the present study, we identified podosome formation at the ventral side of human immortalized oral epithelial cells (HIOECs) upon KGF treatment. Moreover, podosomal components colocalized with the F-actin-cortactin complex and matrix degradation assays demonstrated the ability of the F-actin-cortactin complex to degrade matrix. Inhibition both of integrin subunits β4 and β1 with specific blocking antibodies and inhibition of Erk1/2 abrogated the KGF-induced podosome formation. Notably, knockdown of integrin subunits β4 and β1 with specific siRNA downregulated the phosphorylation levels of Erk1/2. In contrast, inhibition of both Erk1/2 could upregulate the expression of integrin subunits β4 and β1. These results demonstrate that KGF induces podosome formation via integrin-Erk1/2 signaling in HIOECs, suggesting a novel mechanism by which integrins enhance oral epithelial adhesion and rete peg elongation.
Reconstruction of the global neural crest gene regulatory networkin vivo
Authors: Williams Ruth M , Candido-Ferreira Ivan , Repapi Emmanouela , Gavriouchkina Daria , Senanayake Upeka , Telenius Jelena , Taylor Stephen , Hughes Jim , Sauka-Spengler Tatjana
Published: December 2018

Precise control of developmental processes is encoded in the genome in the form of gene regulatory networks (GRNs). Such multi-factorial systems are difficult to decode in vertebrates owing to their complex gene hierarchies and transient dynamic molecular interactions. Here we present a genome-widein vivoreconstruction of the GRN underlying development of neural crest (NC), an emblematic embryonic multipotent cell population. By coupling NC-specific epigenomic and single-cell transcriptome profiling with genome/epigenome engineeringin vivo, we identify multiple regulatory layers governing NC ontogeny, including NC-specific enhancers and super-enhancers, noveltrans-factors andcis-signatures. Assembling the NC regulome has allowed the comprehensive reverse engineering of the NC-GRN at unprecedented resolution. Furthermore, identification and dissection of divergent upstream combinatorial regulatory codes has afforded new insights into opposing gene circuits that define canonical and neural NC fates. Our integrated approach, allowing dissection of cell-type-specific regulatory circuitsin vivo, has broad implications for GRN discovery and investigation.
Mutations in the zebrafishhmgcs1gene reveal a novel function for isoprenoids during red blood cell development
Authors: Hernandez Jose A. , Castro Victoria L. , Reyes-Nava Nayeli , Montes Laura P. , Quintana Anita M.
Published: December 2018

Erythropoiesis is the process by which new red blood cells (RBCs) are formed and defects in this process can lead to anemia or thalassemia. The GATA1 transcription factor is an established mediator of RBC development. However, the upstream mechanisms that regulate the expression ofGATA1are not completely characterized. Cholesterol is one potential upstream mediator ofGATA1expression because previously published studies suggest that defects in cholesterol synthesis disrupt RBC differentiation. Here we characterize RBC development in a zebrafish harboring a single missense mutation in thehmgcs1gene (Vu57 allele).hmgcs1encodes the first enzyme in the cholesterol synthesis pathway and mutation ofhmgcs1inhibits cholesterol synthesis. We analyzed the number of RBCs inhmgcs1mutants and their wildtype siblings. Mutation ofhmgcs1resulted in a decrease in the number of mature RBCs, which coincides with reducedgata1aexpression. We combined these experiments with pharmacological inhibition and confirmed that cholesterol and isoprenoid synthesis are essential for RBC differentiation, but thatgata1aexpression is isoprenoid dependent. Collectively, our results reveal two novel upstream regulators of RBC development and suggest that appropriate cholesterol homeostasis is critical for primitive erythropoiesis.

Key Points

The products of the cholesterol synthesis pathway regulate red blood cell development during primitive erythropoiesis.

Isoprenoids regulate erythropoiesis by modulating the expression of the GATA1 transcription factor.
Proteasome inhibitor-induced modulation reveals the spliceosome as a specific therapeutic vulnerability in multiple myeloma
Authors: Huang Hector H. , Ferguson Ian D. , Thornton Alexis M. , Lam Christine , Lin Yu-Hsiu T. , Bastola Prabhakar , Choudhry Priya , Mariano Margarette C. , Marcoulis Makeba , Malato Julia , Phojanakong Paul , Martin Thomas G. , Wolf Jeffrey L. , Wong Sandy W. , Shah Nina , Hann Byron C. , Brooks Angela N. , Wiita Arun P.
Published: December 2018

Enhancing the efficacy of proteasome inhibitors is a central goal in myeloma therapy. We proposed that signaling-level responses after PI would reveal new mechanisms of action that could be therapeutically exploited. Unbiased phosphoproteomics after the PI carfilzomib surprisingly demonstrated the most prominent phosphorylation changes on splicing related proteins. Spliceosome modulation was invisible to RNA or protein abundance alone. Transcriptome analysis after PI demonstrated broad-scale intron retention, suggestive of spliceosome interference, as well as specific alternative splicing of protein homeostasis machinery components. These findings led us to evaluate direct spliceosome inhibition in myeloma, which synergized with carfilzomib and showed potent anti-tumor activity. Functional genomics and exome sequencing further supported the spliceosome as a specific vulnerability in myeloma. Our results propose splicing interference as an unrecognized modality of PI mechanism, reveal additional modes of spliceosome modulation, and suggest spliceosome targeting as a promising therapeutic strategy in myeloma.

Significance

New ways to enhance PI efficacy are of major interest. We combine systems-level analyses to discover that PIs specifically interfere with splicing and that myeloma is selectively vulnerable to spliceosome inhibition. We reveal a new approach to advance myeloma therapy and uncover broader roles of splicing modulation in cancer.
Local decondensation at double-stranded DNA breaks modifies chromatin at long distances and reduces encounter times during homology search
Authors: Amitai Assaf , Shukron Ofir , Seeber Andrew , Holcman David
Published: December 2018

Double-strand break (DSB) repair by homologous recombination (HR) requires an efficient and timely search for a homologous template. Here we first study global chromatin re-organization following a single DSB: due to the potential release of cross-linkers such as cohesin and CTCF molecules near the DSB site, loops are released and chromatin is decondensed, explaining the change of chromatin locus motion at larger genomic distances. This mechanism provides an elementary explanation for the increase of the anomalous exponent at sites located far away from the DSB, after break induction. Second, we explore the consequences of chromatin reorganization for the homology search during DNA repair: using polymer models, we estimate the mean first encounter time (MFET) between two loci on the chromatin in a confined nucleus. Reducing tethering forces, as reported experimentally on chromatin, is associated with a local decondensation near the break followed by the extrusion of the breaks. Consequently, we report here that the mean first encounter time between homologous sites is decreased by two orders of magnitude even when the homologue sequence is located on the nuclear boundary. To conclude, our results suggest that local changes in inter-nucleosomal contacts near DSBs, by cohesin removal, remodel the chromatin and drastically shorten the time required to complete a long-range search for a homologous template.
Cell Fate Simulation Reveals Cancer Cell Features in the Tumor Microenvironment
Authors: Sato Sachiko , Rancourt Ann , Satoh Masahiko S.
Published: December 2018

To elucidate the dynamic evolution of cancer cell characteristics within the tumor microenvironment (TME), we developed an integrative method combining single-cell tracking, cell fate simulation, and three-dimensional (3D) TME modeling. We began our investigation by analyzing the spatiotemporal behavior of individual cancer cells in cultured pancreatic and cervical cancer cell lines, with a focus on the α2-6 sialic acid (2-6Sia) modification on glycans, which is associated with cell stemness. Our findings revealed that pancreatic cancer cells exhibited significantly higher levels of 2-6Sia modification, correlating with enhanced reproductive capabilities, whereas cervical cancer cells showed less prevalence of this modification. To accommodate thein vivovariability of 2-6Sia levels, we employed a cell fate simulation algorithm that digitally generates cell populations based on our observed data, simulating cell growth patterns. Subsequently, we constructed a 3D TME model incorporating these deduced cell populations along with specific immune cell landscapes derived from 193 cervical and 172 pancreatic cancer cases. Our analysis suggests that pancreatic cancer cells are less influenced by the immune cell landscape within the TME compared to cervical cancer cells, highlighting that the fate of cancer cells is shaped by both the surrounding immune landscape and the intrinsic characteristics of the cancer cells.
Phenotypic, functional and taxonomic features predict host-pathogen interactions
Authors: Liu-Wei Wang , Kafkas Şenay , Hoehndorf Robert
Published: December 2018

Motivation

Identification of host-pathogen interactions (HPIs) can reveal mechanistic insights of infectious diseases for potential treatments and drug discoveries. Current computational methods for the prediction of HPIs often rely on our knowledge on the sequences and functions of pathogen proteins, which is limited for many species, especially for emerging pathogens. Matching the phenotypes elicited by pathogens with phenotypes associated with host proteins might improve the prediction of HPIs.

Results

We developed an ontology-based machine learning method that predicts potential interaction protein partners for pathogens. Our method exploits information about disease mechanisms through features learned from phenotypic, functional and taxonomic knowledge about pathogens and human proteins. Additionally, by embedding the phenotypic information of the pathogens within a formal representation of pathogen taxonomy, we demonstrate that our model can accurately predict interaction partners for pathogens without known phenotypes, using a combination of their taxonomic relationships with other pathogens and information from ontologies as background knowledge. Our results show that the integration of phenotypic, functional and taxonomic knowledge not only improves the prediction of HPIs, but also enables us to investigate novel pathogens in emerging infectious diseases.

Availability

https://github.com/bio-ontology-research-group/hpi-predict

Contact

robert.hoehndorf@kaust.edu.sa
Clustering of activated CD8 T cells around malaria-infected hepatocytes is rapid and is driven by antigen-specific T cells
Authors: Kelemen Reka K. , Rajakaruna Harshana , Cockburn Ian A. , Ganusov Vitaly V.
Published: December 2018

Copyrighted by the AAI (abstract was published as a part of AAI annual meeting).
Recombine supplier-side search via innovation ambidexterity
Authors: Wang Yu , Jia Tao , Chen Jinliang , Sun Hongyi
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the individual effects of boundary-spanning search from suppliers (supplier-side search (SS)). It is proposed that SS contributes to innovation ambidexterity (IA) and then business performance (BP). Further, this paper includes buyer–supplier relationships (BSRs) and competitive intensity (CI) as moderators to clarify boundary conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

An ordinary least squares regression was employed to test hypotheses, based on 184 sets of data from Hong Kong manufacturing firms. The SPSS version of PROCESS was utilized.

Findings

The results show that IA partially mediates the relationship between SS and BP. Contingently, the direct effect is negatively moderated by BSRs and CI.

Research limitations/implications

This paper confirms the partial mediating effect of IA on the relationship between SS and BP. Additional mediators, such as organizational innovation and marketing innovation, can be examined in the future.

Practical implications

This paper contributes to practice by suggesting that suppliers are a rewarding single source for firms to undertake boundary-spanning search. IA plays a significant role in reinforcing the effects of SS on BP and should be implemented with sustaining efforts. BSRs and CI can be detrimental and should be responded to cautiously.

Originality/value

This paper highlights the individual effects of SS on BP. Furthermore, the underlying process and boundary conditions are analyzed. The exploitation-exploration framework is applied throughout the entire study.
Improving integrated reporting
Authors: Massingham Rada , Massingham Peter Rex , Dumay John
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a new learning and growth perspective for the balanced scorecard (BSC) that includes more specific measures of integrated thinking and value creation to help improve integrated reporting (). Practical, relevant definitions of these historically vague concepts may improve intangible asset disclosures (IAD) and increase uptake of the framework.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is conceptual. The authors use organisational learning to theorise about the learning and growth perspective of the BSC, within the context of the practice of IAD.

Findings

Several criticisms of IAD, theframework and the BSC have acted as barriers to implementing theframework. The improved version of the BSC’s learning and growth perspective, presented in this paper, addresses those criticisms by redefining the concept of integrated thinking (learning) and more fully connecting that learning to future value creation (growth). The model is designed to be used in tandem with theframework to operationalise integrated thinking. A new BSC strategy map illustrates how this revised learning and growth perspective interacts with the other three BSC perspectives to create long-term shareholder value through the management and growth of knowledge within an organisation.

Research limitations/implications

Organisational learning is an important source of competitive advantage in the modern knowledge economy. Here, the authors encourage further debate on how to report and disclose information on intangible assets, driven by a new conceptual strategy for organisational learning that fully supports the BSC’s capacity to help integrated thinking and future value creation for theframework.

Practical implications

From its roots as a performance measurement system, the BSC has become a widely used strategy execution tool. Theframework has struggled to gain traction, but still has value in exploring intangible assets and its disclosure from a systems thinking perspective. The model is designed to bring an explicit understanding of how to improve integrated thinking for theframework facilitating better measurement, management and reporting of human and structural capital. By doing so, the new model enables a firm to use the BSC to engage withmore effectively, which should also be useful for practitioners given the widespread use of the BSC.

Originality/value

The analysis of the BSC’s learning and growth perspective reveals two dichotomies – one between resources and growth, and another between systems and capability. The revised perspective resolves these dichotomies with clear, forward-focused measures of learning and intangible asset growth, and multiple vertical and horizontal connections between the perspective’s four constructs. The authors demonstrate practical paths to value creation through a range of strategic impacts.
Investment Dynamics and Earnings‐Return Properties: A Structural Approach
Authors: BREUER MATTHIAS , WINDISCH DAVID
Published: December 2018

We propose the standard neoclassical model of investment under uncertainty with short‐run adjustment frictions as a benchmark for earnings‐return patterns absent accounting influences. We show that our proposed benchmark generates a wide range of earnings‐return patterns documented in accounting research. Notably, our model generates a concave earnings‐return relation, similar to that of Basu [1997], and predicts that the earnings‐return concavity increases with the volatility of firms’ underlying shock processes and decreases with the level of firms’ investments. We find strong empirical support for these predictions. Overall, our evidence suggests that our proposed benchmark is useful for understanding the joint dynamics of variables of interest to accounting research (e.g., earnings, returns, investment, market‐to‐book) absent accounting influences, a necessary precondition for inferring the effects of accounting from these dynamics.
James Andreoni and the quest for others in our utility functions
Authors: Muñoz‐Herrera Manuel , Nikiforakis Nikos
Published: December 2018

Over the past 30 years, James Andreoni has produced a body of work like few others in public economics. Motivated by a personal need to understand the determinants of prosocial behavior, and by offering a rare blend of insights from formal theory, controlled experiments, and field data, Andreoni has succeeded in elucidating the broader relevance of prosocial motives and their far‐reaching economic implications. This article offers an overview of his work on prosociality, highlighting some of his seminal contributions and placing them in a historical context. We argue that James Andreoni has had a unique role in the quest to ensure that others have a place in our utility functions.
Use of Action Songs and Total Physical Response to Promote the Development of Listening Skills among Year 4, Low Enrolment-Tamil Vernacular Primary School Students in Malaysia
Authors: Kumar, S. Uthaya , S. C. Sandaran,
Published: December 2018

Total Physical Response (TPR) is built around the coordination of speech and actions. Action songs promote dance or acts while singing. In this study, we look at action songs as part of TPR to investigate its effectiveness in enhancing students’ listening skills to develop their mastery of the English Language. Seven Year 4 students from a Low Enrolment (SKM) Tamil Vernacular Primary school type (SJKT) were selected as the participants of a within-group experimental design. Upon completing a pre-test on listening skill, students were given six treatment lessons, whereby one hour per lesson was allocated. The treatment was conducted once a week, for every listening lesson. The data was collected while and after the pupils were taught through a series of lessons or interventions that incorporated songs and TPR to complete a variety of listening tasks. The finding shows that even though action songs and TPR are not commonly used among English Language teachers, teachers should implement the method especially for students from Low Enrolment Vernacular Primary School Type as the students in this study showed a significant increase in their post intervention scores of the listening test. The findings also discusses SJKT English Language teachers perceptions on the use of songs and TPR and suggests that there is still a lack of understanding among the teachers on the potential benefits of action songs and TPR for their particular students who have high levels of anxiety and inhibitions to learning English.
Numerical Simulation of Shoaling Internal Solitary Waves in Two-layer Fluid Flow
Authors: Hooi Mun Hoe , Tiong Wei King , Tay Kim Gaik , Chiew Kang Leng , Sze San Nah
Published: December 2018

In this paper, we look at the propagation of internal solitary waves overthree different types of slowly varying region, i.e. a slowly increasing slope, a smoothbump and a parabolic mound in a two-layer fluid flow. The appropriate mathematicalmodel for this problem is the variable-coefficient extended Korteweg-de Vries equation.The governing equation is then solved numerically using the method of lines. Ournumerical simulations show that the internal solitary waves deforms adiabatically onthe slowly increasing slope. At the same time, a trailing shelf is generated as theinternal solitary wave propagates over the slope, which would then decompose intosecondary solitary waves or a wavetrain. On the other hand, when internal solitarywaves propagate over a smooth bump or a parabolic mound, a trailing shelf of negativepolarity would be generated as the results of the interaction of the internal solitarywave with the decreasing slope of the bump or the parabolic mound. The secondarysolitary waves is observed to be climbing the negative trailing shelf.
Electrical Unsteady MHD Natural Convection Flow of Nanofluid with Thermal Stratification and Heat Generation/Absorption
Authors: Daniel Yahaya Shagaiya , Zainal Abdul Aziz , Ismail Zuhaila , Salah Faisal
Published: December 2018

In this paper, we analyzed the effects of thermal radiation, chemical reaction, heat generation/absorption, magnetic and electric fields on unsteady natural convection flow and heat transfer due to nanofluid over a permeable stretching sheet. The transport equations used passively controlled boundary condition rather than actively. A similarity solution is employed to transformed the governing equations from nonlinear partial differential equations to a set of ordinary differential equations, and then solve using Keller box method. It was found that the temperature is a decreasing function with the thermal stratification due to the fact the density of the fluid in the lower vicinity is much higher compared to the upper region, whereas the thermal radiation, viscous dissipation and heat generation enhanced the nanofluid temperature and thermal layer thickness.
Transformation of Pressurized Water Reactor (AP1000) to Fuzzy Graph
Authors: Ashaari Azmirul , Ahmad Tahir , Wan Mohamad Wan Munirah
Published: December 2018

Pressurized water reactor (PWR) type AP1000 is a third generation of a nuclear power plant. The primary system of PWR using uranium dioxide to generate heat energy via fission process. The process influences temperature, pressure and pH value of water chemistry of the PWR. The aim of this paper is to transform the primary system of PWR using fuzzy autocatalytic set (FACS). In this work, the background of primary system of PWR and the properties of the model are provided. The simulation result, namely dynamic concentration of PWR is verified against published data.
Nonlinear Partial Dierential Equations Model Related to Oxidation Pond Treatment System: A Case Study of mPHO at Taman Timor Oxidation Pond, Johor Bahru
Authors: Hamzah Amir Syafiq Syamin Syah , Murid Ali Hassan Mohamed
Published: December 2018

This study presents a mathematical model examining wastewater pollutant removalthrough an oxidation pond treatment system. This model was developed to describethe reaction between microbe-based product mPHO (comprising Phototrophic bac-teria (PSB)), dissolved oxygen (DO) and pollutant namely chemical oxygen demand(COD). It consists of coupled advection-diusion-reaction equations for the microor-ganism (PSB), DO and pollutant (COD) concentrations, respectively. The couplingof these equations occurred due to the reactions between PSB, DO and COD to pro-duce harmless compounds. Since the model is nonlinear partial dierential equations(PDEs), coupled, and dynamic, computational algorithm with a specic numericalmethod, which is implicit Crank-Nicolson method, was employed to simulate the dy-namical behaviour of the system. Furthermore, numerical results revealed that theproposed model demonstrated high accuracy when compared to the experimental data.Keywords Oxidation pond; nonlinear PDEs; PSB; implicit Crank-Nicolson.
Modelling The Effect of Hydraulic Conductivity on One Dimensional Contaminant Transport in RBF System
Authors: Shaymaa Mustafa , Abdul Aziz Zainal , Bahar Arifah , Shamsuddin Mohd Khairul Nizar
Published: December 2018

Riverbank filtration (RBF) system is a surface water technology that is based on the natural treatment of filtration instead of the use of chemicals, to pretreat surface water and provides public water supplies. Hydraulic conductivity value is one of the significant factors affecting the water quality in RBF systems.In this article, an analytical modelling is developed to investigate the effect of this parameter on one dimensional contaminant transport in RBF system. The model is solved by using Green’s function approach. The model is applied for the first RBF system conducted in Malaysia. Generally, the results show that increasing the hydraulic conductivity value lead to an increase in contaminant concentration inpumping well area.
Subsea Cable Laying Problem
Authors: Zainal Abidin Ahmad Razin , Mustafa Shaymaa , Abdul Aziz Zainal , Ismail Kamarudin
Published: December 2018

Subsea cable laying process is a difficult task for an engineer due to many uncertain situations which occur during the operation. It is very often that the cable being laid out is not perfectly fit on the route being planned, which results in the formation of slack. In order to control wastages during installation, the slack needs to be minimized and the movement of a ship/vessel needs to be synchronized with the cable being laid out. The current problem was addressed using a mathematical model by considering a number of defining parameters such as the external forces, the cable properties and geometry. Due to the complexity, the model is developed for a steady-state problem assuming velocity of the vessel is constant, seabed is flat and the effect of wind and wave is insignificant. Non-dimensional system is used to scale the engineering parameters and grouped them into only two main parameters which are the hydrodynamic drag of the fluid and the bending stiffness of the cable. There are two solutions generated in this article; numerical and asymptotic solutions. The result of these solutions suggests that the percentage of slack can be reduced by the increase of the prescribed cable tension, and also the increase in either the drag coefficient of the sea water or the bending stiffness of the cable, similarly will result in lower slack percentage.
Solving Linear Optimal Control Problems Using Cubic B-spline Quasi-interpolation
Authors: Matinfar M. , Dosti M.
Published: December 2018

In this article, we apply an impressive method for solving linear optimal control problem based on cubic B-spline quasi-interpolation. Hamilton-Jacobi equation are applied to linear optimal control problem convert to systems of first-order equations. The main idea of our scheme is approximation derivative with cubic B-spline quasi-interpolation. This method is straightforward, without restrictive assumptions.The results of scheme are made in pleasant agreement with analytic solutions. The accuracy of the proposed method is demonstrated by absolute error. Our scheme is simple to implement because its algorithm is easy and it's one of the advantages of the proposed method.
A Study of Cyclic Codes Via a Surjective Mapping
Authors: Dutta Mriganka Sekhar , Saikia Helen K.
Published: December 2018

In this article, cyclic codes of length $n$ over a formal power series ring and cyclic codes of length $nl$ over a finite field are studied. By defining a module isomorphism between $R^n$ and $(Z_4)^{2^kn}$, Dinh and Lopez-Permouth proved that a cyclic shift in $(Z_4)^{2^kn}$ corresponds to a constacyclic shift in $R^n$ by $u$, where $R=\frac{Z_4[u]}{}$. We have defined a bijective mapping $\Phi_l$ on $R_{\infty}$, where $R_{\infty}$ is the formal power series ring over a finite field $\mathbb{F}$. We have proved that a cyclic shift in $(\mathbb{F})^{ln}$ corresponds to a $\Phi_l-$cyclic shift in $(R_{\infty})^n$ by defining a mapping from $(R_{\infty})^n$ onto $(\mathbb{F})^{ln}$. We have also derived some related results.
Effect of Hall Current on Unsteady Magneto Hydrodynamic Flow Past an Exponentially Accelerated Inclined Plate with Variable Temperature and Mass Diffusion
Authors: Rajput U. S. , Kumar Gaurav
Published: December 2018

The present study is carried out to examine the effect of Hall current on unsteady flow of a viscous, incompressible and electrically conducting fluid past an exponentially accelerated inclined plate with variable wall temperature and mass diffusion in the presence of transversely applied uniform magnetic field. The plate temperature and the concentration level near the plate increase linearly with time. The governing equations involved in the present analysis are solved by the Laplace-transform technique. The velocity profile is discussed with the help of graphs drawn for different parameters like thermal Grashof number, mass Grashof number, Prandtl number, Hall current parameter, acceleration parameter, the magnetic field parameter and Schmidt number, and the numerical values of skin-friction have been tabulated. It is observed that the flow pattern is affected significantly with plate acceleration, Hall current. The importance of the problem can be seen in cooling of electronic components of a nuclear reactor, bed thermal storage and heat sink in the turbine blades.
Time - Neutrosophic Soft Expert Sets and Its Decision Making Problem
Authors: Ulucay Vakkas , Şahin Mehmet , Olgun Necati
Published: December 2018

In this paper we present a new concept called time-neutrosophic soft expert set (T-NSESs). We also de¯ne its basic operations, namely complement, union, intersection, AND, OR and study some of their properties. We give examples for these concepts. Finally we present an application of this concept in a decision-making problem.
Range-Box Plotting Relating to Discrete Distribution
Authors: Adam Mohd Bakri , Babura Babaginda Ibrahim , Gopal Kathiresan
Published: December 2018

The box plot has been used for a very long time since 70s in checking the existence of outliers and the asymmetrical shape of data. The existing box plot is constructed using ve values of statistics calculated from either the discrete or continous data. Many improvement of box plots have deviated from the elegant and simplier approach of exploratory data analysis by incorporating many other statistic values resulting the turning back of the noble philosophy behind the creation of box plot.The modication using range value with the minimum and maximum values are being incorporated to suit the need of selected discrete distribution when outliers is not an important criteria anymore. The new modication of box plot is not based on the asymmetrical shape of distribution but more on the spread of the data and partitioning data into range measure. The new propose name for the box plot with only three values of statistics is called range-box plot.
Implication of Predator Interaction of the Spread of Hantavirus Infection
Authors: Mohamed Yusof Fauzi , Md. Ismail Ahmad Izani , Abu Hassan Ahmad Yahya
Published: December 2018

Hantaviruses are etiological agents of zoonotic diseases and certain other diseases, which pose a serious threat to human health. When rodent and predator populations share in an ecology, the competitive force of the populations can lead to a reduction or elimination of a hantavirus outbreak. The effect of the predator eliminating rodents and predator populations that tends to reduce or eliminate hantavirus infection is investigated. The existence of several equilibrium points of the model is identified and local and global stabilities of the model at these equilibrium points are analysed in detail. Numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate our model results.
A Mathematical Model for Forced Vibration of Pre-Stressed Piezoelectric Plate-Strip Resting On Rigid Foundation
Authors: Daşdemir Ahmet
Published: December 2018

A mathematical model to investigate the dynamic response of a piezoelectric plate-strip with initial stress under the action of a time-harmonic force resting on a rigid foundation is presented within the scope of the three-dimensional linearized theory of electro-elasticity waves in initially stressed bodies (TLTEEWISB). The governing system of equations of motion is solved by employing the Finite Element Method (FEM). The numerical results illustrating the dependencies of different problem parameters are investigated. In particular, the influence of a change in the value of the initial stress parameter on the dynamic response of the plate-strip is discussed.
SUITABILITY OF RICE HUSK ASH TREATED BLACK COTTON SOIL FOR WASTE CONTAINMENT APPLICATION
Authors: D. Hamisu , A.M. Kundiri , S.Y. Umar
Published: December 2018

This paper presents an experimental study aimed at assessing the suitability of rice husk ash (RHA) treated black cotton soil as a barrier in Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) containment facility. Laboratory tests were conducted on black cotton soil treated with 5, 10 and 15% RHA at moulding water contents of 2 and 4% on both wet and dry sides of optimum moisture content (OMC) using British Standard Heavy (BSH) compactive effort. Index properties, hydraulic conductivity (k), volumetric shrinkage strain (VSS), and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests were conducted on all the samples. The results obtained indicated that the soil was classified as A-7-5(18) according to the American Association of States Highway and Transport Officials (AASHTO) classification system and Silt of high plasticity (MH) in accordance with the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS). It was observed that addition of RHA was accompanied with decrease in the plasticity index from 24 to as low as 3%. An improvement in the moisture-density relationship of the soils showed an increase in Maximum Dry Density (MDD) from 1.46 to 1.52 Mg/m3 as well as a decrease from 24.5 to 21.2% in OMC. The increase in RHA contents up to 10% brought about an improvement in the strength of the soil specimens by almost 332.4kN/m2 at 2% on the dry side of OMC. The VSS decreases with increase in RHA content to achieve the minimum shrinkage strain of 4.1% at 5% RHA treatment.
BIVARIATE FREQUENCY ANALYSIS OF FLOOD VARIABLES USING COPULA IN KELANTAN RIVER BASIN
Authors: Alamgir Mahiuddin , Ismail Tarmizi , Noor Muhammad
Published: December 2018

A copula-based methodology is presented in this study for bivariate flood frequency analysis of Kelantan river basin located in Northeast Malaysia. The joint dependence structures of three flood characteristics, namely, peak flow (Q), flood volume (V) and flood duration (D) were modelled using t-Copula. Various univariate distribution functions of flood variables were fitted with observed flood variables to find the best distributions. Cumulative joint distribution functions (CDF) of peak flow and volume (Q-F), peak flow and duration (Q-D) and volume and duration (V-D) revealed that return period of joint return periods are much higher compared to univariate return period. The joint probabilities of occurrence of 0.8, 0.6, 0.4, 0.2 and 0 can be expected when flood duration greater than 65 h, 54 h, 46 h, and 32 h, and the flood volume higher than 0.62 km3, 0.33 km3, 0.25 km3, and 0.22 km3 respectively.
EFFECT OF SYNTHETIC DRILL CUTTINGS ON MORTAR PROPERTIES
Authors: H. Almabrok Magdi , G. McLaughlan Robert , Vessalas Kirk
Published: December 2018

Drill cuttings from oil exploration are recognised as a major environmental concern. Current cost-effective treatment technologies often involve sending treated products to landfill without any potential end-use thereby rendering these solutions unsustainable. There is potential for using drill cuttings comprising of oily, saline and clayey waste materials as fine aggregate replacements in structural concretes requiring characteristic compressive strength from 20-32 MPa. Research into the hydration process as well as evaluating the fresh and hardened properties of mortars incorporating synthetic drill cuttings were undertaken. Replacement of sand by synthetic drill cuttings (up to 25% by weight) produced mortar with accelerated hydration as well as reduced flow and density. In addition, the 28-day compressive strength of mortar incorporating synthetic drill cuttings decreased by up to 50%. Satisfactory strength for all sand replacement levels evaluated in mortars was still attainable for reuse of these synthetic of drill cuttings as fine aggregate replacements in structural concretes.
THE EFFECT OF QUARRY DUST WITH CEMENT BY-PRODUCTS ON PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE
Authors: Lee Abdullah Jaharatul Dini Karen , Ali Nazri , Mohamed Roslli Noor , Abdullahi Mohammed Mu’azu
Published: December 2018

The numerous demanding application of concrete is not readily met with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) alone. To meet up the demand and as well as ensured the green concrete durability, it has becomes necessary to incorporate mineral additions with the best combination of others by-product as replacement to improve the performance without jeopardizing the strength of the concrete. In the construction industry, OPC cement and river sand are used as important building material making it scarce and limited. Whereas, as for the cement is well known as the biggest culprits for emitting carbon dioxide (CO2). Hence, partial replacement of cement becomes a necessity as well as natural sand in concrete by waste material or by-product without compromising the quality of the end product. Partial replacement with Ground Granulated Blast furnace Slag (GGBS), Fly Ash (PFA), Silica Fumes (SILICA) incorporates with 100% of Quarry Dust (QD) as sand replacement. The usage of 100% QD with OPC+PFA+SILICA (Mix 2) produced more durable concrete with good temperature control and better furnishing than with 100% river. In addition to the cost effect benefit, the reduction in depletion of river sand, addressing environment and sustainability issues, it is a valuable contribution in creating a green concrete.
A BATHYMETRY-BASED RESERVOIR SEDIMENTATION EVALUATION
Authors: Ogunlela Ayodele Olanrewaju , Omole Odunayo Babatunde , Olaniyi Yusuf Kamorudeen
Published: December 2018

Reservoir sedimentation is a serious problem that normally reduces the capacity of a dam (reservoir) for water storage over a given period of time. This can lead to insufficient availability of water for domestic uses, irrigation and hydropower. This study was conducted to determine the rate of sedimentation, sediment yield and the capacity of the University of Ilorin dam (Ilorin, Nigeria) between June 2007 and June 2014. Geographic Information System (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), canoe and lead-line techniques were used for the measurement of depth of the reservoir of the dam. Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to simulate the sediment yield. The initial capacity of the dam after construction in 2007 was 1.800 x 106 m3 but this capacity was reduced to 1.411 x 106 m3 in 2014 due to sedimentation. The sediment was found to be clay soil which covered 389,170 m3 of the reservoir and the mean bulk density of the clay soil sediment was 1139 kg/m3. The mean values of clay, silt and sand contents of the sediment yield were 46.5, 35.6 and 17.9 %, respectively. The annual sediment yield was high in the reservoir due to farming activities at the upstream end of the dam, annual rate of sedimentation was 12.78 m3/ha/yr and sediment yield was 14,557.14 kg/ha/yr. Farming activities should be prevented at the upstream of the dam and dredging should be done every 10 years when 30.87% of the storage capacity would be occupied by sediment.
EVALUATION OF SUBGRADE CAPACITY OF JIMMA SOILS USING DCP TEST: A CORRELATION OF CBR AND DCPI
Authors: Muhammed Jemal J. , M. Abdella Murad
Published: December 2018

Subgrade strength of soils is usually evaluated using California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values. As the cost and time required to conduct CBR test are high, dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP) would be recommended and CBR value can be estimated later from DCP result using a correlation formula. In this paper, laboratory CBR of Jimma fine-grained soils has been correlated with field DCP values referring to the physical properties such as natural moisture content and field density; as these factors significantly influence the behaviour of subgrade soils. Different techniques were used to demonstrate relations that best suit to find values of CBR from DCP test. Equations were developed between CBR and dynamic cone penetrometer index (DCPI) for the total of 36 sample points and adjusted coefficient of determination becomes 0.84. A validation was also done to test the applicability of the developed correlation formula for the local soils with the given physical conditions. The correlation gave a promising relationship between CBR and DCP and can be applicable for preliminary design purpose with the due consideration of the locality circumstances.
MODELING DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO) CONCENTRATION AT KAINJI HYDROPOWER RESERVOIR USING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK
Authors: Mohammed Abdulrasaq Apalando , Sule Bolaji Fatai , Salami Adebayo Wahab , Adeogun Adeniyi Ganiyu
Published: December 2018

The objective of this study was to develop a multilayer perceptron neural network (MLPNN) and radial basic function neural network (RBFNN) model to predict the dissolved oxygen (DO) at some selected locations at the Kainji hydropower reservoir, Nigeria. The neural networks (NN) model was developed using water quality data collected over a six-year period (2010 to 2015). The NN structure was designed and trained using the SPSS neural network toolbox. The input variables to the NN were: pH, temperature, chloride (Cl-), PO43-, NO3-, Fe2+, and electrical conductivity (EC), while the output was the DO. The performance evaluation of the model was carried out using the coefficient of correlation (r), mean square error (MSE) and mean relative error (MRE). A positive correlation was observed between the actual and simulated DO at the four locations. The results of the simulation showed that the application of the NN and multiple regression analysis to predict DO concentration in water gave satisfactory results for all the selected locations using the two NN modeling approaches. Thus it has been demonstrated that NN modeling tools and multiple regression analysis are very efficient and useful for the computation of water quality parameters.
Kekurangan Sumber Hasil Hutan bagi Kelestarian Pelancongan Mampan Masyarakat Orang Asli Mah Meri: Satu Kajian Kes di Pulau Carey Selangor
Authors: Mohd Shah Noraini , Che' Rus Ridzwan , Mustapha Ramlee , Mohammad Hussain Mohd Azlan , Abdul Wahab Norwaliza
Published: December 2018

This paper discusses the lack of forest resource resources for sustainable tourism of the Mah Meri tribe Orang Asli tourism. The study was conducted at Sungai Bumbum Village. In-depth interviews are used as a method of data collection of case studies. This study uses purposive sampling and data is collected using in-depth and detailed structured interviews. This study is important because studies related to indigenous tourism are still not widely explored, especially in Malaysia. Travel products from forest resource sources such as woodcarving and weaving are an important product that leads to sustainable tourism development holistically. The study also revealed that the Orang Asli community of the Mah Meri tribe was increasingly worried about the extinction of forest product resources arising from the various developments conducted on Carey Island. The Indigenous Peoples of Mah Meri also feel that their culture and tourism have gradually been facing major threats due to the lack of forest resources. However, it is hoped that the findings of this study will contribute to the sustainability of sustainable tourism on Carey Island, Malaysia.
Importance Of Teachers’ Competency Through Students’ Perception In Relationships Between Parental Involvement And Motivation With Students’ Achievement
Authors: Omar Rosmaria , Ahmad Nor Aniza , Hassan Siti Aishah , Roslan Samsilah
Published: December 2018

Teachers’ competency is important for the process of student ‘well development’ in ensuring quality learning especially for students in vocational colleges. Teachers’ competency will give positive effects on students’ academic development and skills, and help teachers to improve their teaching techniques. Therefore, collaboration between vocational college management and parents shall be increased to achieve integrated quality education, efficient teachers and contributes to positive impacts on students’ standard achievement. Sample of 430 students were randomly stratified and the data had been collected by using questionnaire. The collected data had been analysed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) by using AMOS 22.0. Result of analysis showed that the hypothesized model had fulfilled the fitness indexes criteria where RMSEA = .062, CFI = .954, TLI = .936 and Chi square/ df = 2.404. Implication of this study is giving contribution on improvement of theoretical model for the relationship of teachers’ competency, parental involvement, achievement motivation and students’ achievement in the Malaysian education system.
Kompetensi Tenaga Pengajar Dalam Pengajaran Amali Pembuatan Perabot Di Malaysia
Authors: Che Kob Che Ghani , Osman Mohd Zaini , Abd Ghafar Nur Faeeza
Published: December 2018

Changes in the technical and vocational education system are seen as demanding and require highly competent instructors staff to engage in teaching and learning sessions including practical in the workshop. Instructor who fulfill the competence element will certainly be able to perform their duties and responsibilities well and excel. This study aims to identify the level of competence of instructor in the practical teaching of Furniture Manufacturing subjects which includes elements of knowledge, skills and attitudes. The data for this study were obtained through a questionnaire instrument developed under the Standard Kemahiran Pekerjaan Kebangsaan (SKPK) or better known as the National Occupational Skills Standard (NOSS) by using five points Likert scale. A total of 127 respondents from among the instructors throughout Malaysia who were involved in PP's practical teaching were selected as a sample of this study. Quantitative research data were analyzed descriptively (mean score) and parametric inference statistics (t-test and Pearson correlation, r) using Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS) version 23.0. The findings show that the level of competence of instructors in the practical teaching of PP subjects throughout Malaysia is at a high level. However, there is a significant difference between instructor competence by gender. The result of this study also found that there is a statistically significant correlation between the competence of the instructor with the condition of the teaching practice of PP.