System Instrumentation and Modeling of Power and Energy Demand for Tillage Operations in Malaysia

Malaysia stands as a world's pertinent producer of palm oil, rubber and cocoa. An increase in food imports coupled with limited agricultural workers have driven the need for the development of integrated system for agriculture database to manage the country's limited resources. The development of a database on power and energy demand of various agricultural field operations is a prime concern for an economical management of input resources for agricultural production. A complete tractor instrumentation and data acquisition system was developed and installed on a Massey Ferguson 3060 agricultural tractor for power and energy demand mapping of the agricultural field operations in Malaysia. The built-in instrumentation system is able to measure and display infonnation on engine speed, PTO speed, forward speed, drive wheel slippage, acres worked, fuel consumption per hour, fuel consumption per hectare, flied capacity, cost factor, fuel consumed, fuel remaining, and distance. The developed data acquisition system is able to measure and monitor horizontal pull at the tractor drawbar point, torques at both tractor rear drive wheels, torque at the tractor PTO output, and the horizontal and vertical forces on the implement at the 3-point hitch. Static calibration tests on all the designed transducers for the required measurements showed excellent linearity (i.e., correlation coefficients closed to 0.99). The field trials demonstrated that the datalogger and associated transducers were able to function successfully without giving problems under the harsh field environments. The stored data in the memory card of the datalogger from the field trials was able to be down loaded into the hard disk of the host computer at the laboratory for post processing

Genomic and proteomic analysis with dynamically growing self organising tree (DGSOT) for measuring clinical outcomes of cancer

Genomics and proteomics microarray technologies are used for analysing molecular and cellular expressions of cancer. This creates a challenge for analysis and interpretation of the data generated as it is produced in large volumes. The current review describes a combined system for genetic, molecular interpretation and analysis of genomics and proteomics technologies that offers a wide range of interpreted results. Artificial neural network systems technology has the type of programmes to best deal with these large volumes of analytical data. The artificial system to be recommended here is to be determined from the analysis and selection of the best of different available technologies currently being used or reviewed for microarray data analysis. The system proposed here is a tree structure, a new hierarchical clustering algorithm called a dynamically growing self-organizing tree (DGSOT) algorithm, which overcomes drawbacks of traditional hierarchical clustering algorithms. The DGSOT algorithm combines horizontal and vertical growth to construct a mutlifurcating hierarchical tree from top to bottom to cluster the data. They are designed to combine the strengths of Neural Networks (NN), which have speed and robustness to noise, and hierarchical clustering tree structure which are minimum prior requirement for number of clusters specification and training in order to output results of interpretable biological context. The combined system will generate an output of biological interpretation of expression profiles associated with diagnosis of disease (including early detection, molecular classification and staging), metastasis (spread of the disease to non-adjacent organs and/or tissues), prognosis (predicting clinical outcome) and response to treatment; it also gives possible therapeutic options ranking them according to their benefits for the patient.Key words: Genomics, proteomics, microarray, dynamically growing self-organizing tree (DGSOT)

Design, Development and Calibration of a Drive Wheel Torque Transducer for an Agricultural Tractor

An appropriate transducer unit for measuring the drive wheel torque of a tractor was designed, developed and calibrated. The unit adopts a design having an extension shaft mounted in between the rear wheel axle flange and rear wheel rim of a tractor. Resistance type strain gauges were bonded on the shaft circumferential surfaces into a Wheatstone bridge circuitry for a standard torque measurement configuration. The bridge circuitry on each side of the rear drive axle was interfaced to a data acquisition system on board a tractor via a slip ring at the drive shaft end. Each transducer unit has been designed for a torque range of 0 to 32 kNm with a sensitivity of 14.492 J.lStrain/kNm. Static calibration tests on the transducer revealed excellent measurement linearity and measurement accuracy with coefficients of correlation or R2 equal to 0.9994 and 0.9994, respectively. The transducer hysteresis for static measurement was not significant. The transducer measurement errors were not more than 0.20% and 1% of the measured torque magnitudes under static and simulated dynamic measurements, respectively. Field demonstration test showed that the measurement for the torque magnitude at the rear wheel of the tractor was satisfactory. The data acquisition system had successfully scanned and recorded the signals from both transducers. These transducer units are part of the complete instrumentation system in the Massey Ferguson 3060 tractor to be used in the generation of comprehensive database on the power and energy requirements of the tractor-implement working in the field

CYTOMEGALOVIRUS IgG AND IgM ANTIBODIES AMONG SUDANESE PATIENTS WITH ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA: RELATION TO HEMATOLOGICAL PROGNOSTIC MARKERS

Background: Viral oncogenesis has remained an area of interest in cancer biology. Viruses have been great tutors of cancer biology, helping researchers to uncouple many signaling pathways and identifying critical therapeutic targets. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and its impact on hematological prognostic markers of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) among Sudanese populations. Method: The seroprevlance of CMV infection in AML patients was assessed in 100AML and 100 age and gender-matched controls. The associations of total white cell count and absolute blast count with the seroprevlance were examined. Results: The prevalence of CMV infection was 81% in patients and 17% in control subjects. Total white cell count and blast count were higher in AML CMV positive patients than AML CMV negative patients. Conclusion: Our findings indicate a high incidence of CMV infections in AML and its worse association with hematological markers could emphasize the role of CMV in the progression of AML. KEYWORDS: Acute myeloid leukemia; Cytomegalovirus

Net traction ratio prediction for high-lug agricultural tyre

A study was conducted to determine the accuracy of Wismer-Luth and Brixius equations in predicting net traction ratio of a high-lug agricultural tyre. The tyre was tested on a sandy clay loam soil in an indoor University Putra Malaysia (UPM) tyre traction testing facility. The experiment was conducted by running the tyre in driving mode. A total of 126 test runs were conducted in a combination consisting of three selected inflation pressures (i.e., 166, 193 and 221 kPa) and two wheel numerics (i.e., 19 and 29) representing two extreme types of soil strength under different levels of travel reduction ranging between 0% and 40%. Regression analysis was conducted to determine the prediction equation describing the tyre torque ratio. Marqurdt’s method used by Wismer-Luth for predicting non-linear equation was not found suitable in predicting the torque ratio of the test tyre awing its low coefficient of determination and inadequacy. The logarithmic model was found suitable in torque ration prediction. From analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) the mean effect of travel speed, tyre inflation pressure and wheel numeric on tyre net traction ratio were found to be highly significant, while the interaction of inflation pressure and wheel numeric was not significant. The 193 kPa inflation pressure was found the best, among the three inflation pressures used, in getting higher net traction ratio and higher maximum efficiency. Finally, two models were formulated for tyre net traction ratio; one in terms of wheel numeric and travel speed reduction and the other in terms of mobility number and travel reduction, to describe the tested tyre performance at different soil strengths

CYTOMEGALOVIRUS IgG AND IgM ANTIBODIES AMONG SUDANESE PATIENTS WITH ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA: RELATION TO HEMATOLOGICAL PROGNOSTIC MARKERS

Background: Viral oncogenesis has remained an area of interest in cancer biology. Viruses have been great tutors of cancer biology, helping researchers to uncouple many signaling pathways and identifying critical therapeutic targets. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and its impact on hematological prognostic markers of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) among Sudanese populations. Method: The seroprevlance of CMV infection in AML patients was assessed in 100AML and 100 age and gender-matched controls. The associations of total white cell count and absolute blast count with the seroprevlance were examined. Results: The prevalence of CMV infection was 81% in patients and 17% in control subjects. Total white cell count and blast count were higher in AML CMV positive patients than AML CMV negative patients. Conclusion: Our findings indicate a high incidence of CMV infections in AML and its worse association with hematological markers could emphasize the role of CMV in the progression of AML. KEYWORDS: Acute myeloid leukemia; Cytomegalovirus

Mapping system for tractor-implement performance

novel data acquisition and differential global positioning system has been successfully integrated on-board a Massey Ferguson 3060 agricultural tractor for mapping tractor-implement performance with its geographical location. Both commercial and specially developed transducers were incorporated into the system for the needed tractor-implement performance measurements. Transducers were developed to measure drawbar pull at the tractor drawbar point, wheel torques and theoretical speeds at both tractor rear drive wheels, PTO torque at the tractor PTO output, forces at the tractor three-point linkages, and tillage depth at the tractor rockshaft. This complete and integrated system is capable of measuring, displaying and recording in real-time among others, tractor's theoretical travel speed, actual travel speed, fuel consumption rate, rear drive wheel slippage, rear drive wheel torque, pitch and row angles, and also implement's PTO torque, drawbar force, three-point hitch forces, and tillage depth. With the added differential Global Position System (DGPS) option, the system could be used for spatial mapping of the tractor-implement field performances. Under such configuration, the complete system is capable of measuring, displaying, and recording in real-time tractor-implement's geo-position in the field with respect to its measured performance. Static calibration tests on various associated transducers for the required measurements showed excellent linearity with correlation coefficients that are closed to 1. The developed system has been extensively and successfully field demonstrated for spatial mapping of tractor-implement field performance with a mounted disk plow on Serdang Series sandy clay loam soil

Constitutive overexpression of a novel 21 kDa protein by Hodgkin Lymphoma and Aggressive Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas

© 2008 Zhou et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

Data Management Plans in the genomics research revolution of Africa: Challenges and Recommendations

Drafting and writing a data management plan (DMP) is increasingly seen as a key part of the academic research process. A DMP is a document that describes how a researcher will collect, document, describe, share, and preserve the data that will be generated as part of a research project. The DMP illustrates the importance of utilizing best practices through all stages of working with data while ensuring accessibility, quality, and longevity of the data. The benefits of writing a DMP include compliance with funder and institutional mandates; making research more transparent (for reproduction and validation purposes); and FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable); protecting data subjects and compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and/or local data protection policies. In this review, we highlight the importance of a DMP in modern biomedical research, explaining both the rationale and current best practices associated with DMPs. In addition, we outline various funders’ requirements concerning DMPs and discuss open-source tools that facilitate the development and implementation of a DMP. Finally, we discuss DMPs in the context of African research, and the considerations that need to be made in this regard

Hackathons as a means of accelerating scientific discoveries and knowledge transfer

International audienceScientific research plays a key role in the advancement of human knowledge and pursuit of solutions to important societal challenges. Typically, research occurs within specific institutions where data are generated and subsequently analyzed. Although collaborative science bringing together multiple institutions is now common, in such collaborations the analytical processing of the data is often performed by individual researchers within the team, with only limited internal oversight and critical analysis of the workflow prior to publication. Here, we show how hackathons can be a means of enhancing collab-orative science by enabling peer review before results of analyses are published by cross-validating the design of studies or underlying data sets and by driving reproducibility of scientific analyses. Traditionally, in data analysis processes, data generators and bioinformaticians are divided and do not collaborate on analyzing the data. Hackathons are a good strategy to build bridges over the traditional divide and are potentially a great agile extension to the more structured collaborations between multiple investigators and institutions