Optimization and discretization of dragonfly algorithm for solving continuous and discrete optimization problems

Optimization is prevalent in almost all areas since a plethora of problems can be formulated as optimization problems. Hence, optimization algorithms, consisting of exact and heuristic methods, are crucial for a myriad of real-world applications. The exact methods tend to be computationally expensive and time-consuming. Hence, heuristic and metaheuristic algorithms are being increasingly favoured as they provide near-optimal solutions in a feasible amount of time. Swarm intelligence algorithms are metaheuristic algorithms inspired by the simple interactions of biological organisms in a population. Owing to their exploitation and exploration capabilities, swarm intelligence algorithms have a good performance in solving complex problems. The Dragonfly Algorithm (DA) is one which is inspired by the swarming behaviours of dragonflies during hunting and migrating in nature. It has been found to have a higher performance than multiple other swarm intelligence algorithms in various applications. However, despite having a good performance, it has certain limitations like a low exploitation phase. Furthermore, the original DA is only suitable for solving continuous optimization problems. Although there is a binary version of the algorithm, it cannot be directly used for solving discrete optimization problems like the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP). Hence, in this project, the exploitation of the original DA is improved by using the stochastic hill climbing algorithm as a local search technique. The optimized continuous DA is applied for the training of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) so as to determine the optimal connection weights and biases for the network. The trained network is then applied to benchmark classification problems. Based on the experimental results, the optimized DA algorithm is a much better training algorithm for ANNs as compared to the usual gradient-descent backpropagation algorithm since the resultant ANNs trained by the optimized DA achieve higher accuracy. Moreover, the ANNs trained by the proposed optimized DA have a higher accuracy than those trained by the original DA when the performance of the algorithms are compared both in terms of iteration number and computational cost. The ANNs trained by the optimized DA also achieve higher accuracy than those trained by some other swarm intelligence algorithms. The optimized continuous DA is also applied for channel estimation in an optical communication system to determine the optimal channel coefficients. Based on the experimental results, the optimized DA is found to provide significantly better results than the original DA. Moreover, DA is adapted to be suitable for discrete optimization problems by adapting the equations of DA and by using the method of swap operators to update the position of the search agents. The adapted discrete DA is applied to a small TSP problem and it is able to provide the optimal solution for the small TSP problem. However, it is found to have low effectiveness for large TSP problems. Hence, the adapted discrete DA is optimized by improving the low exploitation phase. The steepest-ascent hill climbing algorithm is used as a local search technique to improve the exploitation of the adapted discrete DA. The optimized discrete DA is then applied to a TSP problem modelling a package delivery system in the area of Kuala Lumpur and to benchmark TSP problems. Based on the experimental results, the proposed optimized discrete DA has a higher effectiveness than the adapted discrete DA when the performance of the algorithms is compared in terms of both iteration number and computation cost. It also has a higher effectiveness than some other swarm intelligence algorithms. Furthermore, it provides optimal solutions for several benchmark TSP problems

Bele bele bejale: exploring the role of the royal courts of Kelantan, Riau-Lingga, and Serdang in the circulation and transformation of mak yong in the Nusantara

This chapter examines how royal sponsorship and historical ties to royal courts in maritime Southeast Asia influenced mak yong, and how modern statecraft and narratives of royal patronage continue to shape mak yong performance in Malaysia and Indonesia today. Mak yong is a Malay folk drama that includes singing, dancing, and epic tales. An exploration of written and oral history of mak yong performance in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and Perlis in Malaysia and the Riau Archipelago and the sultanate of Serdang in Indonesia reveals a history of royal patronage and folk performance, UNESCO intangible cultural heritage recognition, state-level religious bans, and royal and national sponsored revitalisations. I draw upon the methods of ethnography, oral history, and extant historical sources to explore the influence of the royal courts of Kelantan, Riau-Lingga ,and Serdang, East Sumatra, on the dissemination and exchange of mak yong performers and performance practice. Itinerant mak yong folk performers travelled over land and sea routes throughout maritime Southeast Asia. Their journeys were conditioned by political unrest in the Patani sultanate, the rise and fall of the Riau-Lingga sultanate, cultural diplomacy between the sultanates of Kedah and Serdang, the social revolution of East Sumatra in post-independence Indonesia, and the movement to create a national theatrical form in Malaysia. Mak yong as a performance genre has also been in a continual state of transformation – transitioning from village performances to entertainment for Malay royal courts, back to itinerant folk performances – adapted and reinterpreted to suit new patrons and new performance opportunities

Performing arts and the royal courts of Southeast Asia. volume 2: pusaka as performed heritage

This publication brings together current scholarship that focuses on the significance of the performing arts heritage of royal courts in Southeast Asia. The contributors consist of both established and early-career researchers working on traditional performing arts in the region and abroad. The second volume, Pusaka as Performed Heritage, comprises chapters that problematise royal court traditions in the present century with case studies that examine the viability, adaptability, and contemporary contexts for coexisting administrative structures

Antiviral Activity of Withanolide A Against Different Infectivity Phases of Dengue Virus Serotype 2 in Vero Cell Line

Dengue fever is caused by the Aedes mosquito-borne dengue virus, which is a global threat with 400 million cases reported annually and 5–20% mortality rate. Currently, there is no effective treatment available for dengue fever. Natural products like withanolides, which are steroidal lactones, have shown many good properties, including antiviral activity against other viruses. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-dengue virus serotype 2 activity of withanolide A and withanone in Vero cells. Withanolide A and withanone were well-tolerated in Vero cells with a half-maximal cytotoxic concentration of 0.4982 and 1.186 µM, respectively. Withanolide A and withanone exhibited good direct virus-inactivating effects against dengue virus serotype 2 with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 0.017 and 0.353 µM, respectively. Based on the selectivity index, withanolide A (selectivity index, 29.31) was determined to be safer and more effective in inhibiting dengue virus serotype 2 infection in Vero cells than withanone (selectivity index, 3.36). Further investigations conducted with withanolide A showed that it inhibited dengue virus serotype 2 during the pre- and post-infection stages in a dose-dependent manner. Withanolide A also effectively blocked dengue virus serotype 2 attachment and entry into Vero cells in a dose-dependent manner. These findings suggest that withanolide A showed potent anti-dengue activity and could serve as a promising antiviral agent for treatment of dengue infections

Application of Aleppo pine extract for skin burn treatment

Objective: To investigate the Pinus halepensis extracts and determine its healing and antibacterial effects, and to evaluate the treatment of skin burns. Methods: Aqueous and ethanolic extracts and topical based on Aleppo pine plant extracts were prepared. Thirty male and female Wistar rats were used to study the cutaneous toxicity of extracts from the bark of P. halepensis. The extracts' healing potential for burn wounds were also assessed by evaluating the clinical and macroscopic aspects of the wounds. The antibacterial activity of crude extracts of P. halepensis as well as its wound healing abilities was verified in this investigation. Results: In animals with acute dermal toxicity, there were no signs of treatment-related toxicity or death. The extracts of these plants could be transformed into phytomedicines for the treatment of infected wounds. The results demonstrated that formulated ointments are successful in treating second-degree burns in rats and may be suitable for the short-term therapeutic treatment of second-degree burns. Conclusion: This study successfully answered our problem, regarding the efficacy of our extract for treating second-degree burns in rats. Further studies are needed to confirm these results by identifying the molecules responsible for these activities and examining their mechanism of action

Effectiveness of digital tools for smoking cessation in Asian countries: a systematic review

Aim: The use of tobacco is responsible for many preventable diseases and deaths worldwide. Digital interventions have greatly improved patient health and clinical care and have proven to be effective for quitting smoking in the general population due to their flexibility and potential for personalization. However, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of digital interventions for smoking cessation in Asian countries. Methods: Three major databases - Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, and PubMed - for relevant studies published between 1 January 2010 and 12 February 2023 were searched for studies evaluating the effectiveness of digital intervention for smoking cessation in Asian countries. Results: A total of 25 studies of varying designs were eligible for this study collectively involving a total of n = 22,005 participants from 9 countries. Among different digital tools for smoking cessation, the highest abstinence rate (70%) was reported with cognitive behavioural theory (CBT)-based smoking cessation intervention via Facebook followed by smartphone app (60%), WhatsApp (59.9%), and Pharmacist counselling with Quit US smartphone app (58.4%). However, WhatsApp was preferred over Facebook intervention due to lower rates of relapse. WeChat was responsible for 15.6% and 41.8% 7-day point prevalence abstinence. For telephone/text messaging abstinence rate ranged from 8-44.3% and quit rates from 6.3% to 16.8%. Whereas, no significant impact of media/multimedia messages and web-based learning on smoking cessation was observed in this study. Conclusion: Based on the study findings the use of digital tools can be considered an alternative and cost-effective smoking cessation intervention as compared to traditional smoking cessation interventions

How negative factors influence youth hostel say aftermath COVID-19 pandemic

The bookings and revenues of youth hostels have significantly decreased because of the multiple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is necessary to investigate young consumers' perceptions of visiting youth hostels aftermath this pandemic. The current study examines the relationship between multi-dimensions of perceived risk, three types of images, willingness to pay and visit intention. A convenience sampling was developed where 534 questionnaires were received, followed by subsequent empirical testing of the proposed hypotheses using SPSS and AMOS-SEM. Results showed that perceived risk negatively influenced cognitive and affective image, respectively. Cognitive and affective image positively influenced overall image and finally influenced willingness to pay and visit intention separately. In addition, cognitive image positively influenced affective image. The theoretical framework satisfactorily accounted for willingness to pay and intention, and our results help youth hostels practitioners invent efficient strategies to boost young consumers' willingness to pay and intention to visit youth hostels

A multidimensional view of fear of missing out as a mediator between the need to belong and problematic smartphone use

Previous research has supported a multidimensional structure to conceptualize the fear of missing out. The present study investigates how does FOMO, conceptualized using a two-factor structure, mediate the relationship between the need to belong and problematic smartphone use. Malaysian undergraduates (N = 149) aged between 18 and 25 years old completed questionnaires on the need to belong, fear of missing out components, and problematic smartphone use. Confirmatory factor analysis assessed the validity of the two-factor fear of missing out structure, and a structural model was developed. The findings supported the applicability of the two-factor structure. Next, findings revealed that the need to belong positively predicted one's fears about missing out on rewarding experiences, followed by predicting one's ruminative thoughts about missing out and control strategies to avoid missing out, thus influencing the decision to avoid missing out. However, having a higher need to belong, stronger fears about missing out on rewarding experiences, and a stronger decision to avoid missing out did not predict problematic smartphone use. Future studies should consider investigating the intermediary role of FOMO using a multidimensional conceptualization to explain problematic smartphone use, and consider objective smartphone use measures when assessing smartphone use behaviors

Helping kids thrive: with adequate preparation teachers can be efficient agents for better well-being of children and teens.

I am writing from Britain where I'm currently a Jeffrey Cheah Scholar-in-Residence at Brasenose College, University of Oxford for a month, to explore research collaborations at the Department of Experimental Psychology. One of my conversations with a researcher here prompted me to write this article. It went something like this: "How is the CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) like in Malaysia, Alvin?" " We don't have CAMHS, I'm afraid. There isn't enough human resources to form CAMHS," "Oh, then where do children and teenagers with mental health problems go?

Gold complexes and their molecular targets in colorectal cancer

Even with the advent of various treatment modalities, colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide. A widely used treatment for metastatic CRC—platinum-based chemotherapy—is hampered by the lack of selectivity, inducing adverse side effects in patients, and the emergence of drug resistance, severely limiting their therapeutic efficacy. To overcome these limitations, researchers are exploring the potential of gold complexes as a promising alternative to treat CRC. Gold complexes have demonstrated potent anticancer activity, particularly through the inhibition of thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an antioxidant enzyme that is often upregulated in solid tumor cancers such as CRC. Herein, this review provides an overview of CRC and discusses the recent advances of gold complexes along with their modes of action in targeting CRC cells