Protein contact map prediction using multi-stage hybrid intelligence inference systems

AbstractProteins are one of the most important molecules in organisms. Protein function can be inferred from its 3D structure. The gap between the number of discovered protein sequences and the number of structures determined by the experimental methods is increasing. Accurate prediction of protein contact map is an important step toward the reconstruction of the protein’s 3D structure. In spite of continuous progress in developing contact map predictors, highly accurate prediction is still unresolved problem. In this paper, we introduce a new predictor, JUSTcon, which consists of multiple parallel stages that are based on adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference System (ANFIS) and K nearest neighbors (KNNs) classifier. A smart filtering operation is performed on the final outputs to ensure normal connectivity behaviors of amino acids pairs. The window size of the filter is selected by a simple expert system. The dataset was divided into testing dataset of 50 proteins and training dataset of 450 proteins. The system produced an average accuracy of 45.2% for the sequence separation of six amino acids. In addition, JUSTcon outperformed SVMcon and PROFcon predictors in the cases of large separation distances. JUSTcon produced an average accuracy of 15% for the sequence separation of 24 amino acids after applying it on CASP9 targets

Barriers of Supply Chain Management Practices in Manufacturing Companies in Republic of Yemen: Pre-War Perspective

Supply chain management (SCM) is a backbone of manufacturing firms, it enable them to manage all tasks throughout business process. Therefore, investigating the barriers for supply chain management has become significant to assist them for better practicing for SCM. However, the main aim of this paper is to describe the current technology, relationship, and alignment barriers within manufacturing companies in Yemen. A quantitative method was adopted using a questionnaire and a sample of 65 Yemenis respondents who belong to the medium management level of the manufacturing companies in Yemen. Data was analyzed using the SPSS Generally, the findings revealed that Suppliers and customer geographical distance from own facilities represent the most barriers to manufacturing companies in adopting SCM in Yemen. Discussions of the findings, implication and limitation of the study were also included

BioCloud: a resource provisioning framework for bioinformatics applications in multi-cloud environments

The significant advancement in Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) have enabled the generation of several gigabytes of raw data in a single sequencing run. This amount of raw data introduces new scalability challenges in processing, storing and analyzing it, which cannot be solved using a single workstation, the only resource available for the majority of biological scientists, in a reasonable amount of time. These scalability challenges can be complemented by provisioning computational and storage resources using Cloud Computing in a cost-effective manner. There are multiple cloud providers offering cloud resources as a utility within various business models, service levels and functionalities. However, the lack of standards in cloud computing leads to interoperability issues among the providers rendering the selected one unalterable. Furthermore, even a single provider offers multiple configurations to choose from. Therefore, it is essential to develop a decision making system that facilitates the selection of the suitable cloud provider and configuration together with the capability to switch among multiple providers in an efficient and transparent manner. In this paper, we propose BioCloud as a single point of entry to a multi-cloud environment for non-computer savvy bio-researchers. We discuss the architecture and components of BioCloud and present the scheduling algorithm employed in BioCloud. Experiments with different use-cases and scenarios reveal that BioCloud can decrease the workflow execution time for a given budget while encapsulating the complexity of resource management in multiple cloud providers

Effectiveness of performance appraisal:an integrated framework

Based on a robust analysis of the existing literature on performance appraisal (PA), this paper makes a case for an integrated framework of effectiveness of performance appraisal (EPA). To achieve this, it draws on the expanded view of measurement criteria of EPA, i.e. purposefulness, fairness and accuracy, and identifies their relationships with ratee reactions. The analysis reveals that the expanded view of purposefulness includes more theoretical anchors for the purposes of PA and relates to various aspects of human resource functions, e.g. feedback and goal orientation. The expansion in the PA fairness criterion suggests certain newly established nomological networks, which were ignored in the past, e.g. the relationship between distributive fairness and organization-referenced outcomes. Further, refinements in PA accuracy reveal a more comprehensive categorization of rating biases. Coherence among measurement criteria has resulted in a ratee reactions-based integrated framework, which should be useful for both researchers and practitioners

The Quality of Raw and Treated Water of Desalination Plants by Reverse Osmosis in Qeshm

Background: Desalination plants have an important role in providing community drinking water. The increasing trend of water consumption and decrease of natural resources of fresh water make this role even more important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of inlet and outlet water of desalination plants by reverse osmosis (RO) process in Qeshm, Iran and also to compare the quality of outlet water from this process with National and International standards of drinking water. Methods: This study was performed by obtaining samples of inlet and outlet water of desalination plants working by reverse osmosis (RO) process in Qeshm for 7 months. Total hardness, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, temperature, pH, fluoride, nitrate, nitrite, chloride, sulfate and microbiological parameters were investigated. Data analysis was performed by SPSS16. Results: Total hardness and fluoride in the treated water from this process were lower than desirable limits and chloride concentration was higher than the permitted limit. The rest of the chemical and physical parameters were in acceptable range. Most qualitative parameters of the outlet water of the RO process decreased by 99% compared to the inlet water and outlet levels were in the standard range. Conclusion: Desalination plants by reverse osmosis (RO) process have a high efficiency in providing healthy drinking water based on qualitative standards. Keywords: Water quality, Water treatment, Desalination, Reverse osmosis proces

Curing kiwifruit : physical, physiological and storage impacts : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Food Technology at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand

Figures 1.1 & 4.1 have been removed for copyright reasons, but may be accessed via their respective source (Atkinson et al., 2011, Figure 1 & Mworia et al., 2012, Figure 4).Curing of ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit is a postharvest approach to reduce decay and maintain quality during long-term storage. Curing occurs immediately after harvest, with fruit placed in picking bins in a covered packhouse space for a few days. Curing contributes to fruit quality by allowing the picking scar to heal (resulting in reduced Botrytis rot) and allows a proportion of water loss, resulting in fruit cells that are less turgid and hence less prone to mechanical damage during packing. In the contemporary packhouse, curing is also used to buffer logistical challenges, since stockpiling fruit has advantages in ensuring the packing line continues to process fruit. In kiwifruit, the rates of cooling to storage temperature have previously been identified as an influence on long-term storage outcomes, including firmness and storage breakdown development (SBD). Little is known about how curing contributes to long-term storage, yet there is potential to impact post-storage fruit quality given that curing occurs immediately prior to packing and cooling. There is a lack of knowledge regarding the range of conditions which fruit are exposed to when bins are stacked under non-controlled conditions. It is also unknown how these conditions may influence fruit quality (i.e. fruit softening and SBD development) after long-term storage. This thesis incorporates monitoring of within bin environmental conditions to assess possible in-stack heterogeneity during curing