Biochemical and proteomic investigation of bovine nasal secretion

The principal aims of the work presented in this thesis were to investigate the biochemical properties and protein compositions of nasal secretion (NS) from healthy cattle and to document changes in the protein expression in NS from diseased and vaccinated cattle using advanced proteomic methods. Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the principal source of economic loss for the cattle industry throughout the world. Even though it has been studied extensively, it still remains the number one cause of disease and death in cattle. Although the etiopathogenesis of BRD is multifactorial and complex, all of the pathogens have the common route of infection which is intranasal. Thus, NS is potentially a valuable source of biological sample in the detection of biomarkers for BRD. Therefore, a method for the collection of substantial volumes of NS from cattle was developed in this study to establish a reference range of analytes that are present in the NS of healthy cattle. Biochemical profiles of NS from a group of 38 healthy Holstein-Friesian cows revealed high alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity of up to 2392 IU/L which is 15.7 fold higher compared to AP activity in serum reference ranges. This study further investigated the source of the high AP activity in bovine NS. Histochemical analysis using AP specific staining confirmed the localization of the AP enzyme activity to epithelial cells and serous glands of the nasal mucosa. Advanced molecular methods were used to determine the characterization of nasal AP. The analysis at mRNA levels from nasal mucosa by endpoint RT-PCR and PCR product sequencing confirmed that the AP was locally produced and is identical at the nucleotide level to the non-specific AP splice variant gene (ALPL) found in bovine liver, bone and kidney. Investigation using isoelectric focussing (IEF) confirmed that AP was produced locally at a high level in nasal epithelium demonstrating that novel AP isoenzymes in NS had pIs in the same range as those of the nasal mucosa extracts (pH 4.8-6.2) but were clearly different from the extracts of other tissues. The differences in IEF migration of the AP extracts is likely to be due to post translational modifications (PTMs) such as glycosylation or phosphorylation which would be areas worthy of future research. Preliminary proteomic investigation of NS from healthy cattle using 1D gel electrophoresis, 2D gel electrophoresis and ESI-MS/MS analysis putatively identified 10 major proteins in NS consisting of 7 vascular proteins and other glandular and cellular proteins such as lactoferrin, an anti-bacterial protein commonly present in mucosal secretions, odorant binding protein known to have a role in scent recognition and glutathione-S-transferase, an enzyme capable of detoxifying noxious compounds. The final objective was therefore to compare the nasal proteins from healthy, disease and vaccinated group of animals using 2D difference gel electrophoresis (DiGE). The experimental model used for this investigation was an immunisation study against bovine malignant catarrhal fever (MCF). It was concluded that quantitative proteomics technology such as DiGE identified and measured changes in nasal protein expression in response to MCF and following vaccine protection. In conclusion, this research has contributed to the scientific knowledge regarding the biochemical properties and protein compositions that is present in bovine NS. In addition, the research also explored the use of proteomic technologies as a novel tool to analyse protein expression and identify possible biomarkers in NS. This thesis is an important step forward for a better understanding of bovine NS, and thus provides a basis for future studies involving bovine NS by way of providing reference data and alternative source of biological sample

Dimension of Librarians’ Mobile Information Behavior in an Openness Paradigm Era

Mobile information is a significant access point for human information activities. Theories and models of human information behavior have developed over several decades but have not yet considered the role of the user’s computing device in digital information interactions. This paper reviews the literature that leads to developing a conceptual framework of a study on the librarian mobile information behavior. Based on the literature review, dimensions of mobile information behavior are identified, namely, dimension information needs, dimension information access, information retrieval and dimension of information use. The study is significant to understand the nature of librarians’ behavior in searching, retrieving and using of information via the mobile device. Secondly the study would provide suggestions about various kinds of mobile applications which library can provide for their staff to improve their services

Hubungan antara faktor demografik dan klinikal dengan kefungsian fizikal pesakit strok

Strok adalah antara punca penyakit yang menyebabkan berlakunya kecelaan fizikal dan limitasi aktiviti kepada pesakit dalam melaksanakan tugasan harian mereka sehinggakan kepada satu peringkat, pesakit akan mengalami ketidakupayaan. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji perkaitan setiap faktor demografik dan klinikal yang dipercayai terlibat dengan status kefungsian fizikal pesakit yang telah mengalami strok. Kajian ini juga cuba untuk melihat perbezaan kefungsian fizikal pesakit mengikut faktor-faktor tersebut dan juga melihat hubungan antara faktor-faktor tadi dengan kefungsian fizikal. Seramai 147 orang responden yang lulus ujian saringan kognitif terlibat. Alat ujian Indeks Aktiviti Kehidupan Seharian Barthel (ADL) telah ditadbirkan kepada responden selepas enam minggu serangan strok bagi mengukur tahap kefungsian fizikal mereka. Hasil kajian mendapati terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan [F(3, 143) = 4.06; p < 0.01) antara tahap pendidikan yang berbeza dengan tahap kefungsian fizikal pesakit. Faktor klinikal pula menunjukkan perbezaan kefungsian fizikal lebih tinggi secara signifikan (p < 0.01) pada serangan otak kanan berbanding kiri.Terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan (p < 0.01) pada kefungsian fizikal pesakit dalam kepercayaan pemulihan mereka. Di samping itu, bilangan serangan strok pesakit juga menunjukkan perbezaan yang signifikan [F(1, 145)= 11.19; p < 0.01] pada kefungsian fizikal mereka. Ujian korelasi yang dijalankan menunjukkan bahagian otak yang diserang mempunyai hubungan positif yang signifikan (r = 0.24; p < 0.01) dengan kefungsian fizikal pesakit strok. Kesimpulannya, faktor demografik dan klinikal turut memainkan peranan dalam menentukan tahap kefungsian fizikal pesakit strok dan faktor-faktor tersebut perlu dipertimbangkan dalam usaha untuk meningkatkan kefungsian fizikal pesakit pada masa hadapan

Analytical hierarchy process and Markov Chain in shared knowledge through social media

Many studies have been performed to measure successful knowledge sharing in general.However, limited study has been done to assess successful knowledge sharing through social media.Hence, in this paper intend to discuss our approach to assess knowledge sharing among personal social media user.In order to achieve our objective, we proposed to integrate Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Markov Chain (MC) technique to investigate the pattern of the shared knowledge through social media.Markov Chain will be used to model the knowledge sharing success through expert opinion and stochastic process.We anticipate the outcome of the assessment in a form of a final matrix showing the probability of successful knowledge sharing through social media.The elements in each row of the Markov Chain transition matrix will be calculated using Analytic Hierarchy Process. The assessment tool produce from our research is expected to benefit policy maker or internet user in order to enhance their knowledge sharing strategy in social media application

Performance enhancement and optimization of residential air conditioning system in response to the novel FAl2O3-POE nanolubricant adoption

This paper aims to evaluate residential air conditioning systems' performance enhancement and optimization by adopting a novel functionalized Al2O3 (FAl2O3)–Polyolester (POE) nanolubricant. Comprehensive discussions were conducted on key performance parameters, including heat absorption, compressor work, cooling capacity, coefficient of performance (COP), and power consumption. Novel FAl2O3 nanoparticles were dispersed into the POE lubricant using a two-step method. The findings reveal that FAl2O3–POE nanolubricant exhibits superior heat absorption compared to pure POE. Heat absorption decreases with an increased initial refrigerant charge, while cooling capacity performance improves with an increased initial refrigerant charge. The COP shows an increasing trend at all concentrations of FAl2O3–POE nanolubricant when operating with R32. FAl2O3–POE/R32 demonstrates an enhanced range of 3.12%–32.26% for COP. The results suggest that applying novel FAl2O3–POE nanolubricant with R32 can reduce electrical power consumption by 13.79%–19.35%. The central composite design (CCD) offers an optimal condition for FAl2O3–POE nanolubricant with a concentration of 0.11 vol%, an initial refrigerant charge of 0.442 kg, resulting in a COP of 3.982, a standard error of 0.019, and a desirability of 1.0

Tindak tutur perbualan bersama golongan Badwi dan Ansar: analisa strategi komunikasi Rasulullah

Teori tindak tutur atau teori “speech act” mengkaji kata-kata yang diucapkan yang dilihat sebagai satu tindakan atau perbuatan. Pada masa yang sama, teori ini juga menyumbang kepada pemahaman penggunaan gaya dan strategi komunikasi. Artikel ini menganalisa perbandingan tindak tutur Nabi Muhammad SAW dengan golongan Badwi dan golongan Ansar. Pertama, sampel pertuturan Rasulullah, yang diambil daripada Sahih Bukhari, dianalisa menggunakan kategori tindak tutur oleh John Searle untuk melihat bagaimana fungsi pertuturan Rasulullah dengan dua golongan tersebut. Kedua, daya ilokusi Rasulullah dan implikasi pertuturan baginda berdasarkan ungkapan yang dipilih dianalisa untuk mendapatkan corak dan strategi komunikasi terhadap dua golongan tersebut. Analisa menunjukkan bahawa daya ilokusi Nabi Muhammad terhadap kaum Badwi dan Ansar dalam menyampaikan ajaran Islam adalah berbeza. Dapatan berdasarkan teori tindak tutur menunjukkan komunikasi Rasulullah bersama kaum Badwi lebih tertumpu kepada daya ilokusi arahan secara tidak langsung dengan penggunaan kata kiasan yang melambangkan cara komunikasi yang lebih sopan. Manakala ucapan tindak tutur Rasulullah kepada kaum Ansar lebih berbentuk pernyataan dan arahan secara langsung dan daya ilokusi yang lebih ekspresif. Faktor kefahaman dan kesediaan menerima ajaran Islam boleh menerangkan perbezaan pendekatan yang digunakan oleh Rasulullah terhadap kedua-dua golongan ini. Masyarakat Badwi dilihat mempunyai pengetahuan yang amat sedikit atau tiada langsung berkaitan Islam dan tahap penerimaan ajaran Islam dalam kalangan mereka dilihat amat rendah. Berbeza dengan golongan Ansar, mereka sudah melakukan perjanjian angkat sumpah dengan Rasulullah sekaligus menunjukkan kesediaan dan keinginan yang tinggi untuk menerima Islam

Compact Broadband Triple-Ring Five-Port Reflectometer for Microwave Brain Imaging Applications

The broadband five-port refectometer (FPR) is proposed using a triple-ring based technique. The design introduces a tapering in the inter-ring transmission lines (TLs), which provides additional degrees of freedom for optimization and contributes to increased bandwidth. The miniaturization strategy allows incorporating the third ring without signifcant size increase. In addition, a method for expressing the effective physical dimension of a planar symmetric FPR is also presented in an easily comprehensible way, which can be implemented for other symmetric planar junctions with more than four ports. The proposed design comprises three concentric rings with phase-shifting arrangements between the inter-ring TLs and outer matching arm sections. Inter-ring TLs are shifted by 36 degrees(half factorized value of the inter-port angular distance of 72 degrees) in three different optimizing steps. Tapered TLs have been used between two consecutive rings to achieve very wide bandwidth of at least 88% in simulations and at least 85% in measurements

A Review of Risk Factors for Cognitive Impairment in Stroke Survivors

In this review, we aimed to identify the risk factors that may influence cognitive impairment among stroke survivors, namely, demographic, clinical, psychological, and physical determinants. A search from Medline, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science databases was conducted for papers published from year 2004 to 2015 related to risk factors of cognitive impairment among adult stroke survivors. A total of 1931 articles were retrieved, but only 27 articles met the criteria and were reviewed. In more than half of the articles it was found that demographical variables that include age, education level, and history of stroke were significant risk factors of cognitive impairment among stroke survivors. The review also indicated that diabetes mellitus, hypertension, types of stroke and affected region of brain, and stroke characteristics (e.g., size and location of infarctions) were clinical determinants that affected cognitive status. In addition, the presence of emotional disturbances mainly depressive symptoms showed significant effects on cognition. Independent relationships between cognition and functional impairment were also identified as determinants in a few studies. This review provided information on the possible risk factors of cognitive impairment in stroke survivors. This information may be beneficial in the prevention and management strategy of cognitive impairments among stroke survivors

Application of response surface methodology for chloride transport properties in nano metaclayed-UHPC

The major concern on the deterioration of reinforced concrete structure is due to the corrosion of steel reinforcement from the aggressive environment such as chloride penetration. Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is an advanced concrete material having ultra-high strength with excellent durability properties. Inclusion of nano metaclay in UHPC is expected to overcome the chloride transport properties in UHPC by providing nano filler effect. Two (2) assessments were conducted which are chloride content and chloride depth were examined. All the concrete specimens were immersed in 3% NaCl solution up to 365 days and the tests conducted were performed at 3, 7, 28, 56, 91, 182 and 365 days. Response surface method (RSM) was performed to evaluate the interaction and relationship between operating variables (compressive strength and nano metaclay content). Based on RSM analysis, inclusion of nano metaclay in UHPC have good relationship towards the chloride resistance characteristics and adequate durability performance in terms of chloride penetration resistance. The results exhibited that inclusion of 1% nano metaclay significantly and positively affect in term of chloride penetration resistance

Influence of the replacement of ungraded-PKS aggregate on properties of lightweight pervious concrete

Pervious concrete is not environmentally friendly due to presences of non-renewable material in its production. Pervious concrete has made a comeback as a green infrastructure and researchers came up with a proposal to use waste materials that potentially to work well as material in pervious concrete. The used of palm kernel shell (PKS) in pervious concrete is consider brilliant because Malaysia is of the larger oil palm producer in the world. In this study, natural aggregate was partially replaced by 0, 10, 15, and 20% by weight of PKS aggregate to produce lightweight pervious concrete based PKS. The testing conducted comprise of density, void content, compressive strength, and flexural strength. Inclusion of PKS aggregate reduces the mechanical properties of pervious concrete but significantly higher than recommended in the standard, utilizing some PKS aggregate as partial aggregate at up to 20% substitution level can produce lightweight PKS-pervious concrete. The pervious concrete containing 10% of PKS aggregate presented the most optimum mixture. Besides, the use of PKS as aggregate replacement in pervious concrete mixture indicates a good potential towards sourcing alternative sustainable materials for concrete