Identification of Partial Discharge Through Cable-Specific Adaption and Neural Network Ensemble

[EN] This paper proposes to administer a multi-step artificial intelligence approach with an ensemble of adaptive neural networks (NNs) trained on 50000 samples to identify partial discharge (PD) diagnostic measurements for in-service medium voltage (MV) power cables. To evaluate the performance of the algorithm, a case study was performed on cables deliberately selected to contain both uncomplicated measurements and disruptive irregularities representative of conditions during field testing. The experimental test results prove that the proposed cable-specific adaptation improves PD identification accuracy, with further increment through the NN ensembles. The main contribution of the approach is in both the cable-specific adaption and the NN ensemble being applied to MV cable field measurements.Yeo, J.; Jin, H.; Rodrigo Mor, A.; Yuen, C.; Tushar, W.; Saha, TK.; Seng Ng, C. (2021). Identification of Partial Discharge Through Cable-Specific Adaption and Neural Network Ensemble. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery. 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1109/TPWRD.2021.3093670S11

TEACHING CASE STUDY: FROM PENAGA TREE TO HERITAGE BOUTIQUE HOTEL: A CASE STUDY OF HOTEL PENAGA

Hotel Penaga is a heritage-listed boutique hotel in the Unesco World Heritage Site in Penang, Malaysia. It was built in the 1920s and renovated into a 45-room hotel in 2008. Hotel Penaga was the first heritage-listed renovated hotel to be awarded Gold by the Green Building Index. Currently, Hotel Penaga is managed by Vouk Hotel Management. Hotel Penaga is committed to environmental sustainability and emphasizes destination marketing in its hotel operations. Achieving a healthy occupancy rate for the hotel is one of the biggest challenges for Hotel Penaga, especially after the pandemic

Green Work Climate and Pro-Environmental Behaviour Among Academics: The Mediating Role of Harmonious Environmental Passion

Environmental issues such as climate change, pollution, deforestation, and the loss of biodiversity are the concerns of society in different parts of the world today. As human activities have adverse impacts on the environment, developing pro-environmental behaviour in each individual is an essential aspect of protecting mother earth. The primary purpose of this research is to evaluate the influence of green work climate perceptions and harmonious environmental passion on pro-environmental behaviour (PEB). Additionally, the mediating effect of harmonious environmental passion between green work climate and PEB is determined. A total of 167 academics from a private university in Malaysia participated in this study. The results from Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling suggested that green work climate and harmonious environmental passion positively influence PEB. Apart from this, harmonious environmental passion partially mediates the relationship between green work climate and PEB. The results indicate that leaders should actively shape the perception of green work climate within their organisations through policies and procedures that support environmental sustainability efforts, as well as effectively communicate with their employees. Such efforts will lead to greater harmonious environmental passion, in turn, promoting pro-environmental behaviour among members

Replication and Meta-analysis of the Association between BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism and Cognitive Impairment in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy.

Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) adversely affects cancer patients. We had previously demonstrated that the BDNF Val66Met genetic polymorphism is associated with lower odds of subjective CRCI in the multitasking and verbal ability domains among breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. To further assess our previous findings, we evaluated the association of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism with subjective and objective CRCI in a temporally separate cohort of patients and pooled findings from both the original (n = 145) and current (n = 193) cohorts in a meta-analysis. Subjective CRCI was assessed using FACT-Cog. Objective CRCI was evaluated using computerized neuropsychological tests. Genotyping was carried out using Sanger sequencing. The association of BDNF Val66Met genotypes and CRCI was examined with logistic regression. A fixed-effect meta-analysis was conducted using the inverse variance method. In the meta-analysis (n = 338), significantly lower odds of CRCI were associated with Met allele carriers based on the global FACT-Cog score (OR = 0.52, 95% CI 0.29-0.94). Furthermore, Met allele carriers were at lower odds of developing impairment in the domains of memory (OR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.17-0.70), multitasking (OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.18-0.59), and verbal ability (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.24-0.88). Consistent with the previous study, lower odds of subjective CRCI among patients with the BDNF Met allele was observed after adjusting for potential confounders in the multitasking (OR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.14-0.67) domain. In conclusion, carriers of the BDNF Met allele were protected against global subjective CRCI, particularly in the domains of memory, multitasking, and verbal ability. Our findings further contribute to the understanding of CRCI pathophysiology

Specific detection of H5N1 avian influenza A virus in field specimens by a one-step RT-PCR assay

BACKGROUND: Continuous outbreaks of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza A in Asia has resulted in an urgent effort to improve current diagnostics to aid containment of the virus and lower the threat of a influenza pandemic. We report here the development of a PCR-based assay that is highly specific for the H5N1 avian influenza A virus. METHODS: A one-step reverse-transcription PCR assay was developed to detect the H5N1 avian influenza A virus. The specificity of the assay was shown by testing sub-types of influenza A virus and other viral and bacterial pathogens; and on field samples. RESULTS: Validation on 145 field specimens from Vietnam and Malaysia showed that the assay was specific without cross reactivity to a number of other infuenza strains as well as human respiratory related pathogens. Detection was 100% from allantoic fluid in H5N1 positive samples, suggesting it to be a reliable sampling source for accurate detection. CONCLUSION: The assay developed from this study indicates that the primers are specific for the H5N1 influenza virus. As shown by the field tested results, this assay would be highly useful as a diagnostic tool to help identify and control influenza epidemics

Il sud-est asiatico nell'anno del serpente. Rapporto 1989 sulla situazione sociale, politica ed economica dell'area

Approfondito rapporto sulla situazione politica ed economica del sud-est asiatico e dei paesi componenti alle soglie degli anni Novanta.- Indice #7- Presentazione #11- Introduzione, Ng Chee Yuen #13- La regione #17- Il Sud-est asiatico nel 1988: presagi del futuro, Stephen Chee #19- Le economie di mercato del Sud-est asiatico, Norbert Wagner #69- Il ruolo del Giappone in un universo emergente: i paesi asiatici del Pacifico, Sueo Sudo #89- Tendenze dell'attività bancaria e finanziaria nei paesi dell'ASEAN, U Tun Wai #111- Birmania #141- La Birmania nel 1988: la «perestroika» dal volto militare, James F. Guyot #143- Brunei #181- Il Brunei Darussalam nel 1988: continuità e tradizione, Abu Bakar Hamzah #183- Cambogia #203- Cambogia: alla ricerca di una soluzione politica, Friedemann Bartu #205- Filippine #223- Le Lilippine nel 1988: il difficile cammino verso la ripresa, Alberto llano #225- Le Lilippine: gestire la riforma in una nuova democrazia, Mario Antonio Lopez #247- Indonesia #267- Una presenza più attiva per l'Indonesia, Jon Halldorsson #269- Indonesia 1988: l'esperimento democratico fa progressi?, J. Soedjati Djiwandono #295- Laos #313- Riforma economica e trasformazione strutturale nel Laos, William Worner #315- Malaysia #345- La Malaysia nel 1988: un sistema politico in frantumi, Stephen Chee #347- La svolta economica in Malaysia, Mohd. Ismail Ahmad #387- Singapore #403- Singapore nel 1988: il sistema politico matura in un clima incerto, Lew Eng Fee #405- L'economia post-recessiva di Singapore nel 1988: andamento e prospettive, Toh Mun Heng #435- Tailandia #459- Fine della «premocracy» in Tailandia, Yos Santasombat #461- Tailandia: Miss Universo 1988, Pasuk Phongpachit #487- Vietnam #505- Il Vietnam nel 1988: una rivoluzione in transizione, William Duiker #50

Implications for sequencing of biologic therapy and choice of second anti-TNF in patients with inflammatory bowel disease:results from the IMmunogenicity to Second Anti-TNF therapy (IMSAT) therapeutic drug monitoring study

BACKGROUND: Anti-drug antibodies are associated with treatment failure to anti-TNF agents in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).AIM: To assess whether immunogenicity to a patient's first anti-TNF agent would be associated with immunogenicity to the second, irrespective of drug sequence METHODS: We conducted a UK-wide, multicentre, retrospective cohort study to report rates of immunogenicity and treatment failure of second anti-TNF therapies in 1058 patients with IBD who underwent therapeutic drug monitoring for both infliximab and adalimumab. The primary outcome was immunogenicity to the second anti-TNF agent, defined at any timepoint as an anti-TNF antibody concentration ≥9 AU/ml for infliximab and ≥6 AU/ml for adalimumab.RESULTS: In patients treated with infliximab and then adalimumab, those who developed antibodies to infliximab were more likely to develop antibodies to adalimumab, than patients who did not develop antibodies to infliximab (OR 1.99, 95%CI 1.27-3.20, p = 0.002). Similarly, in patients treated with adalimumab and then infliximab, immunogenicity to adalimumab was associated with subsequent immunogenicity to infliximab (OR 2.63, 95%CI 1.46-4.80, p < 0.001). For each 10-fold increase in anti-infliximab and anti-adalimumab antibody concentration, the odds of subsequently developing antibodies to adalimumab and infliximab increased by 1.73 (95% CI 1.38-2.17, p < 0.001) and 1.99 (95%CI 1.34-2.99, p < 0.001), respectively. Patients who developed immunogenicity with undetectable drug levels to infliximab were more likely to develop immunogenicity with undetectable drug levels to adalimumab (OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.39-4.19, p < 0.001). Commencing an immunomodulator at the time of switching to the second anti-TNF was associated with improved drug persistence in patients with immunogenic, but not pharmacodynamic failure.CONCLUSION: Irrespective of drug sequence, immunogenicity to the first anti-TNF agent was associated with immunogenicity to the second, which was mitigated by the introduction of an immunomodulator in patients with immunogenic, but not pharmacodynamic treatment failure

Implications for sequencing of biologic therapy and choice of second anti-TNF in patients with inflammatory bowel disease:results from the IMmunogenicity to Second Anti-TNF therapy (IMSAT) therapeutic drug monitoring study

BACKGROUND: Anti-drug antibodies are associated with treatment failure to anti-TNF agents in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).AIM: To assess whether immunogenicity to a patient's first anti-TNF agent would be associated with immunogenicity to the second, irrespective of drug sequence METHODS: We conducted a UK-wide, multicentre, retrospective cohort study to report rates of immunogenicity and treatment failure of second anti-TNF therapies in 1058 patients with IBD who underwent therapeutic drug monitoring for both infliximab and adalimumab. The primary outcome was immunogenicity to the second anti-TNF agent, defined at any timepoint as an anti-TNF antibody concentration ≥9 AU/ml for infliximab and ≥6 AU/ml for adalimumab.RESULTS: In patients treated with infliximab and then adalimumab, those who developed antibodies to infliximab were more likely to develop antibodies to adalimumab, than patients who did not develop antibodies to infliximab (OR 1.99, 95%CI 1.27-3.20, p = 0.002). Similarly, in patients treated with adalimumab and then infliximab, immunogenicity to adalimumab was associated with subsequent immunogenicity to infliximab (OR 2.63, 95%CI 1.46-4.80, p < 0.001). For each 10-fold increase in anti-infliximab and anti-adalimumab antibody concentration, the odds of subsequently developing antibodies to adalimumab and infliximab increased by 1.73 (95% CI 1.38-2.17, p < 0.001) and 1.99 (95%CI 1.34-2.99, p < 0.001), respectively. Patients who developed immunogenicity with undetectable drug levels to infliximab were more likely to develop immunogenicity with undetectable drug levels to adalimumab (OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.39-4.19, p < 0.001). Commencing an immunomodulator at the time of switching to the second anti-TNF was associated with improved drug persistence in patients with immunogenic, but not pharmacodynamic failure.CONCLUSION: Irrespective of drug sequence, immunogenicity to the first anti-TNF agent was associated with immunogenicity to the second, which was mitigated by the introduction of an immunomodulator in patients with immunogenic, but not pharmacodynamic treatment failure