Systematic significance of stipe anatomy of selaginella (selaginellaceae) in Peninsular Malaysia

An anatomical study was carried out on 14 taxa belonging to Selaginellaceae in an attempt to study their stipe anatomical characteristics and to provide anatomical data for the selected taxa in Selaginellaceae. Out of 29 taxa of Selaginellaceae recorded in Peninsular Malaysia, 14 taxa have been selected namely Selaginella alutacia, S. argentea, S. frondosa, S. intermedia var. intermedia, S. intermedia var. dolichocentrus, S. mayeri, S. morganii, S. ornata, S. plana, S. polita, S. roxburghii var. roxburghii, S. stipulata, S. wallichii and S. willdenowii. Method used in this study was sectioning using sliding microtome. Findings in this study have shown that Selaginellaceae species studied can be clustered into two groups based on the stipe stellar systems, which are monostelic and tristelic groups. There are some variations exist in the cross sections of the stipes of the same species due to the presence and absence of the leaf trace. Each species is proved to have distinct stipe anatomical characteristics that can be used to differentiate species in Selaginellaceae

Prediction of player position for talent identification in association netball: a regression-based approach

Among the challenges in industrial revolutions, 4.0 is managing organizations’ talents, especially to ensure the right person for the position can be selected. This study is set to introduce a predictive approach for talent identification in the sport of netball using individual player qualities in terms of physical fitness, mental capacity, and technical skills. A data mining approach is proposed using three data mining algorithms, which are Decision Tree (DT), Neural Network (NN), and Linear Regressions (LR). All the models are then compared based on the Relative Absolute Error (RAE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Relative Square Error (RSE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Coefficient of Determination (R2), and Relative Square Error (RSE). The findings are presented and discussed in light of early talent spotting and selection. Generally, LR has the best performance in terms of MAE and RMSE as it has the lowest values among the three models

The prevalence of hand arm vibration syndrome among automobile assembly workers

The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of hand-arm vibration (HAVS) among the automobile assembly workers and the associated risks. A cross sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of HAVS and also ascertain the association between HAVS and reduction in VPT among workers using vibration hand held tool in automobile industry. Aim of this study was to determine the prevalence Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) among vibrating hand held tool exposed workers. A cross sectional study design using structured questionnaire and invasive measurement of vibrotactile perception threshold (VPT) at the fingertips was conducted in one of the automobile company in Klang Valley. All the respondents were hand arm vibration exposed workers. A total 109 assembly line workers with at least one year job tenure participated in this study. The finding revealed that 27.5% of workers reported HAVS through questionnaire. This study consisted of 109 respondents. All of them were male. The mean age was 32.9 years. The mean daily vibration exposure for 8-hours was 1.41m/s2. There was 11% of the tools measured were above the Action Level recommended by European Union Directive 2002. The overall prevalence of HAVS based on reported symptom through questionnaire was 27.5%. None of the respondent reported any whiteness at their fingers due to exposure to vibration. However, 36.7% of the respondent reported tingling sensation and 57.8 % reported the feeling of numbness in their hands. Only 10.1% claim that the pain was persistence. Since this study was done among exposed workers without control group, the thresholds were measured by comparing the observed VPT with the VPT of healthy population provided by ISO 13091-2. The result showed that 98.2% of the respondent in this study having positive threshold which indicate the percentage of respondent that having deterioration in finger tactile perception. The positive threshold from comparison above showed that the respondent of this study was affected with the vibration exposure. The value proven that the exposure has caused the deterioration of tactile sensitivity in 98.2% of respondent in this study which showed by having positive threshold compared to healthy population. The result also showed that there was a significant correlation between daily vibration exposure A (8) and VPT at both frequency tested which was 31.5Hz (r = 0.417, p = 0.002) and 125Hz (r = 0.480, p = 0.001). Even though the mean daily vibration exposure for 8-hours was low and below the recommended level, the workers still exposed to the effect of hand arm vibration

METABOLITES PROFILE OF COLORECTAL CANCER CELLS AT DIFFERENT STAGES

Objective: The aim of this study is to characterize the metabolite profiles of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells of different stages of the disease to understandthe pathophysiological changes that may help to identify prevention strategies as well as the sites for potential therapeutic drug actions.Methods: Six CRC cell lines of different stages (classified using the Dukes classification) were used, and they are SW 1116 (stage A), HT 29 and SW480 (stage B), HCT 15 and DLD-1 (stage C), and HCT 116 (stage D). Metabolites were extracted using methanol and water, and metabolic profiling wasperformed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Mass profiler professional software was used for statistical analysis.Results: There were 111,096 compounds detected across the samples, and 24 metabolites were identified to be significantly different betweenthe CRC stages. Most notably, there were eight metabolites that were significantly upregulated in the more advanced stages (B, C, and D) comparedwith Stage A. These metabolites include flavin mononucleotide, l-methionine, muricatacin, amillaripin, 2-methylbutyroylcarnitine, lumichrome,hexadeconoic acid, and lysoPE (0:0/16:0).Conclusion: This study showed that the expressions of metabolites at different stages of CRC were different, which represent the metabolic changesoccurring as CRC advances. The knowledge may help identify biomarkers for the staging of CRC, which could improve its prognosis as well as providea basis for the development of therapeutic interventions

Construction 4.0 technologies evaluation using fuzzy TOPSIS Comparison between sustainability and resiliency, well-being, productivity, safety, and integrity

This study aims to compare the impact of Construction 4.0 technologies on different organizational core values, focusing on sustainability and resiliency, well-being, productivity, safety, and integrity. To achieve that aim, the study objectives are the following: (i) identify the critical Construction 4.0 technologies between core values; (ii) appraise overlapping critical Construction 4.0 technologies between core values; (iii) examine the ranking performance of Construction 4.0 technologies between core values; and (iv) analyze the interrelationships between Construction 4.0 technologies and core values. First, twelve Construction 4.0 technologies were identified from a national strategic plan. Then, the fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) that incorporates subjective and objective weights was used to evaluate the impact of the Construction 4.0 technologies on the five core values. Finally, the collected data was analyzed using the following techniques: fuzzy TOPSIS, normalization, overlap analysis, agreement analysis, sensitivity analysis, ranking comparison, and Spearman correlation. The study findings reveal four critical Construction 4.0 technologies that enhance all five core values: building information modeling (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT), big data and predictive analytics, and autonomous construction. Also, there is a high agreement on the Construction 4.0 technologies that enhance well-being and productivity. Lastly, artificial intelligence (AI) has the highest number of very strong relationships among the core values. The originality of this paper lies in its comprehensive comparison of the impact of Construction 4.0 technologies on multiple organizational core values. The study findings provide valuable insights in making strategic decisions in adopting Construction 4.0 technologies

Determination of total phenol, condensed tannin and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity of Uncaria gambirextracts

Uncaria  gambir,  a  well  known  Southeast  Asia  plant  have  been  previously used as an alternative medicine for treatment such as diarrheal, sore throat and spongy  gums.  Due  to  its  useful  properties,  in  this  study  we  have  analysed  the total  phenol,  condensed  tannin,  flavonoid  content  and  antioxidant  activity  of Uncaria  gambir in  three  different  solvent  extracts.  Characterization  and quantification analysis using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and reverse  phase-high  performance  liquid  chromatography  (RP-HPLC)  has confirmed  that  the  major  chemical  constituents  of  Uncaria  gambir are  mainly catechins.  It  was  revealed  that  the  ethyl  acetate  gambir  extract  gives  the highest  catechin  content  and  antioxidant  activity  compared  with  other  solvent extracts.Key words: Uncaria gambir, antioxidant activity, condensed tannin, flavonoid

Systematic significance of stipe anatomy of Selaginella (Selaginellaceae) in Peninsular Malaysia

An anatomical study was carried out on 14 taxa belonging to Selaginellaceae in an attempt to study their stipe anatomical characteristics and to provide anatomical data for the selected taxa in Selaginellaceae. Out of 29 taxa of Selaginellaceae recorded in Peninsular Malaysia, 14 taxa have been selected namely Selaginella alutacia, S. argentea, S. frondosa, S. intermedia var. intermedia, S. intermedia var. dolichocentrus, S. mayeri, S. morganii, S. ornata, S. plana, S. polita, S. roxburghii var. roxburghii, S. stipulata, S. wallichii and S. willdenowii. Method used in this study was sectioning using sliding microtome. Findings in this study have shown that Selaginellaceae species studied can be clustered into two groups based on the stipe stellar systems, which are monostelic and tristelic groups. There are some variations exist in the cross sections of the stipes of the same species due to the presence and absence of the leaf trace. Each species is proved to have distinct stipe anatomical characteristics that can be used to differentiate species in Selaginellaceae

Enhanced reliability of vertical strained impact ionization MOSFET incorporating dielectric pocket for ultra-sensitive biosensor applications

Fast switching with an enhanced reliability device structure of Vertical Strained Impact Ionization MOSFET incorporating Dielectric Pocket (VESIMOS-DP) has been successfully design, simulated and analyzed in this paper. Ultra-low power with low subthreshold swing (S) and high breakdown voltage are imperative for ultra-sensitive biosensors. Impact ionization MOSFET (IMOS) is predicted to be capable of S as low as 20 mV/dec, which is much lower than Conventional MOSFET (CMOS). There are significant drop in subthreshold slope (S) while threshold voltage is increase as the body doping concentration increases. S value for DP place at source side is higher (S 24.4 mV/decade) as compared at the drain side (S 18.9 mV/decade) intrinsic region. The vicinity of DP near the drain region reduces charge sharing effects associated with the source and thus improves impact ionization rate. The introduction of a Dielectric Pocket (DP) is believed to be able to minimize the PBT effect while improving the reliability of the device by attaining higher breakdown voltage. Consequently, with the reduced of alloy scattering, the electron mobility has been improved by 22%. In many aspects, it is revealed that the incorporation of DP enhanced the reliability of VESIMOS for future development of nanoelectronic devices

Construction 4.0 Technologies and Decision-Making: A Systematic Review and Gap Analysis

Construction 4.0 involves implementing advanced technologies in construction projects to achieve higher productivity, safety, and sustainability. However, architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) professionals are reluctant to adopt Construction 4.0 technologies. Lack of information on Construction 4.0 technologies and poor decision-making lead to the issue being unresolved. As a result, the following research question emerged: What are the current trends and research gaps in the existing research on Construction 4.0 technologies and decision-making? This study aims to review the publication trends in Construction 4.0 technologies and decision-making and pinpoint the gaps in prior research. To achieve the aim, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted on published articles using the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analyses (PRISMA) method. A total of 22 articles were carefully selected and reviewed. The findings disclosed four research trends: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Also, the findings suggested that existing research still concentrates on adopting and implementing Construction 4.0 technologies. As a result, the existing research has low exploration in integrating Construction 4.0 technologies and decision-making processes. The study findings could guide researchers and AEC professionals to establish effective decisions in achieving Construction 4.0

Characterization of semi-refined carrageenan film plasticized with glycerol incorporated with Persicaria minor extract as antioxidant additives

Semi refined carrageenan (2%w/w) plasticized with 0.9% (w/w) glycerol (G) added with Persicaria minor (PM) extract and 0.4% (w/w) BHA as antioxidant additives for the development of active packaging films. The extraction of PM using 75% (v/v) ethanol: water ratio showed the highest polyphenol content with 176.80±4.37 Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE)/L sample and 94.65±0.17% inhibition analyzed using DPPH antioxidant activity (p<0.05). The characterization of SRC-G based film containing 0.4, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% (w/w) PM and BHA were observed using FTIR, mechanical and physical properties of the treated films. FTIR spectrum band showed insight analysis of PM extract and BHA with carrageenan. SRC film plasticized with glycerol improved overall physical properties including thickness, barrier and flexibility and increased tensile strength and elongation at break compared to the SRC film only (p<0.05). The active films with PM extracts (2.0% w/w) exhibited good mechanical properties with tensile strength and elongation at break with 28.01±0.17 and 37.37±0.29 respectively (p<0.05). The addition of PM extract in SRC films increased the moisture content and opacity as proportionally to the concentration of PM extracts. Film treated with 2.0% PM showed lowest value of films solubility compare to all sample (p<0.05). Hence, the characterization measurement of SRC based films demonstrated great potential with natural extract formulation for the development of active film packaging for food products