Sustainable waste management via incineration system: an Islamic outlook for conservation of the environment

This paper would firstly examine solid waste management currently experienced in Malaysia with special concentration given to waste incineration. Its function and benefits entailed from this system shall then be identified. This paper attempts to emphasize this notion within the Islamic perspective, stressing on the needs to conserve the environment. This study adopts a qualitative approach where the conceptual authoritative literature in the related field is utilized based on content analysis. The related principles of Islamic jurisprudencecarefully examined along with the Quranic verses depicting on this issue This study further submits that incinerating waste could mitigate environmental impact that might otherwise arise from waste. Finally, it further concludes that Islam provides a concrete model of environmental ethics which is based on divine revelation that needs to be observed.Keywords: sustainable waste management; incineration system; environment conservation;Islamic jurisprudence principles

High speed numerical integration algorithm using FPGA

Conventionally, numerical integration  algorithm is executed in software and time consuming to accomplish. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) can be used as a much faster, very efficient and reliable alternative to implement the numerical integration algorithm. This paper proposed a hardware implementation of four numerical integration algorithms using FPGA. The computation is based on Left Riemann Sum (LRS), Right Riemann Sum (RRS), Middle Riemann Sum (MRS) and Trapezoidal Sum (TS) algorithms. The system performance is evaluated based on target chip Altera Cyclone IV FPGA in the metrics of resources utilization, clock latency, execution time, power consumption and computational error compared to the other algorithms. The result also shows execution time of the FPGA are much faster compared to the software implementation.Keywords: numerical integration algorithm; FPGA; Riemann sum; trapezoidal su

Logic Design for Linear Regression Model Using ASIC in Engine Oil Degradation Monitoring System

A degradation analysis in automotive engine oil is concerned with the unrespectable cost of equipment for data storage. System-on-Chip gives possible cost effective in reducing the bulky equipment and reliance on labor. This article discusses a new technique of degradation monitoring where an engine oil degradation model is used and translated into the logic gate based on the Least Square Method of statistical analysis. The degradation model is based on the optical properties where the percentage transmittance of light is varied due to the increase of contaminates contents in the engine oil at a certain period. A linear regression model is chosen in register-transfer level (RTL) development of the digital circuit design. In the algorithm development, the data set are collected at every one hour up to 300 hours and stored in a temporary register. Linear regression is implemented at every 5 data to obtain the degraded condition based on the variation of the slope

Docking study for assessment of wound healing potential of isosakuratenin isolated from Chromolaena odorata: An In-silico approach

Wound healing is a complex and well-orchestrated biological process in all multicellular organisms in which normal wound healing consists of four major phases that are haemostasis, inflammation, proliferations and reepithelization. Abnormal wound healing is always associated with inefficient or miscarried transition during inflammation to proliferation phase. Wound healing potential of various natural extracts have been studied progressively in recent years. In this present study, isosakuratenin, a phytoconstituent previously reported to be isolated from the extracts of Chromolaena odorata are aimed at targeting essential proteins involved in wound healing process. Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMP) is a protein essential in wound healing. Therefore, the present study is aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of isosakuratenin on MMP as a potential therapeutic target for wound therapy. Isosakuratenin from Chromolaena odorata were studied based on their ability to interact with the targeted protein via molecular docking approach. Isosakuratenin showed binding affinity to four different classes of MMPs. The binding energy of these MMPs with isosakuratenin are -7.7 kcal/mol (MMP2), -6.8 kcal/mol (MMP3), -9.0 kcal/mol (MMP8) and -9.7 kcal/mol (MMP12). Isosakuratenin forms stronger interaction with MMP12 in which it forms two bonding at the active site of the protein and shows the most stable dock conformation. This results suggested that, among these four MMPs, isosakuratenin are best interacted with MMP12 and hence, could be used to visualized the potential of isosakuratenin as MMP12 inhibitor during wound healing process. This recent work provides meaningful insights in regards to the molecular structure interaction and requirement of the phytoconstituents from Chromolaena odorata for subsequent pharmaceutical formulation in catering the wound healing products demand

In silico and in vitro study of the bromelain-phytochemical complex inhibition of phospholipase A2 (Pla2)

Phospholipase A2 (Pla2) is an enzyme that induces inflammation, making Pla2 activity an effective approach to reduce inflammation. Therefore, investigating natural compounds for this Pla2 inhibitory activity has important therapeutic potential. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential in bromelain-phytochemical complex inhibitors via a combination of in silico and in vitro methods. Bromelain-amenthoflavone displays antagonistic effects on Pla2. Bromelian-asiaticoside and bromelain-diosgenin displayed synergistic effects at high concentrations of the combined compounds, with inhibition percentages of more than 70% and 90%, respectively, and antagonistic effects at low concentrations. The synergistic effect of the bromelain-asiaticoside and bromelain-diosgenin combinations represents a new application in treating inflammation. These findings not only provide significant quantitative data, but also provide an insight on valuable implications for the combined use of bromelain with asiaticoside and diosgenin in treating inflammation, and may help researchers develop more natural bioactive compounds in daily foods as anti-inflammatory agent

A Comparison of Assays for Accurate Copy Number Measurement of the Low-Affinity Fc Gamma Receptor Genes FCGR3A and FCGR3B

The FCGR3 locus encoding the low affinity activating receptor FcγRIII, plays a vital role in immunity triggered by cellular effector and regulatory functions. Copy number of the genes FCGR3A and FCGR3B has previously been reported to affect susceptibility to several autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammatory conditions. However, such genetic association studies often yield inconsistent results; hence require assays that are robust with low error rate. We investigated the accuracy and efficiency in estimating FCGR3 CNV by comparing Sequenom MassARRAY and paralogue ratio test-restriction enzyme digest variant ratio (RT-REDVR). In addition, since many genetic association studies of FCGR3B CNV were carried out using real-time quantitative PCR, we have also included the evaluation of that method’s performance in estimating the multi-allelic CNV of FCGR3B. The qPCR assay exhibited a considerably broader distribution of signal intensity, potentially introducing error in estimation of copy number and higher false positive rates. Both Sequenom and PRT-REDVR showed lesser systematic bias, but Sequenom skewed towards copy number normal (CN = 2). The discrepancy between Sequenom and PRT-REDVR might be attributed either to batch effects noise in individual measurements. Our study suggests that PRT-REDVR is more robust and accurate in genotyping the CNV of FCGR3, but highlights the needs of multiple independent assays for extensive validation when performing a genetic association study with multi-allelic CNVs

Structure prediction of stem bromelain from pineapples (Ananas comosus) using procaricain enzyme as a modelling template

Bromelain is a general name for a family of sulfhydryl that can be found in the proteolytic enzyme group from pineapples (Ananas Comosus). In this study focuses on the prediction of three dimensional structure (3D) of bromelain using homology modelling by MODELLER. The amino acid sequence of bromelain was obtained from the NCBI database and the analysis was done using various bioinformatics tools. 1PCI was used as the target templates for bromelain structure prediction. The 1PCI was found to be the most suitable template for the prediction of the bromelain structure

Sequence analysis, multiple templates structure prediction and binding site identification of bromelain from ananas comosus

Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme derived from pineapples and categorized as a cysteine protease. This enzyme is widely used as an anti-inflammatory agent in therapeutic applications. In this study, the molecular interactions of bromelain against phospholipase A2 (Pla2), a target protein in inflammatory diseases, were investigated. The knowledge of the structural properties and mechanism of bromelain is limited because of the unavailability of its structural information. Therefore, a comparative modelling study was conducted using MODELLER 9v14 to predict the three-dimensional (3D) model of stem bromelain and to investigate its structural properties. The 3D model of bromelain was successfully predicted through Homology modelling approach. Pocket detection was conducted, functionally and structurally important residues of the bromelain model were identified, and its cleft and ligand binding site were determined. Protein-protein docking was performed to predict all possible binding modes between bromelain and Pla2. Amino acids involved in the interactions between bromelain and Pla2 were identified. A few functional conserved residues located in the largest cleft of the model were involved in bromelain-Pla2 binding interactions

High Speed Numerical Integration Algorithm Using FPGA

Conventionally, numerical integration algorithm is executed in software and time consuming to accomplish. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) can be used as a much faster, very efficient and reliable alternative to implement the numerical integration algorithm. This paper proposed a hardware implementation of four numerical integration algorithms using FPGA. The computation is based on Left Riemann Sum (LRS), Right Riemann Sum (RRS), Middle Riemann Sum (MRS) and Trapezoidal Sum (TS) algorithms. The system performance is evaluated based on target chip Altera Cyclone IV FPGA in the metrics of resources utilization, clock latency, execution time, power consumption and computational error compared to the other algorithms. The result also shows execution time of the FPGA are much faster compared to the software implementation