Authentication of traditional Chinese medicine using infrared spectroscopy: Distinguishing between ginseng and its morphological fakes

10.1007/s11373-006-9133-3Journal of Biomedical Science142265-273JBCI

Measuring the flow properties of small powder samples using an avalanche tester

The feasibility of using a small-scale avalanche tester to measure the flow properties of pharmaceutical lactose powders was examined. The modes of behaviour observed in larger systems were displayed and showed a clear distinction between angular, free-flowing particles and more spherical particles of similar flow characteristics. Angular Lactohale LH100 particles showed slumping behaviour at a rotational frequency of 0.33Hz which disappeared at higher frequencies. Spherical lactose powder with a similar flow function to LH100 only showed rolling behaviour under the same conditions, as did more cohesive powders LH200 and LH300. Further investigation of the LH100 data using Fast Fourier analysis showed that the slumping frequency was 1/10th of the rotational frequency

A comparative study of conventional PID and intelligent Fuzzy-PID FordDC motor speed control

The development of a Self Tuning Fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller was done to be compared with the conventional controller that is being used in a direct current (DC) motor. Simulation study is used to overcome the appearance of nonlinearities and uncertainties in the system with the proposed controller for the armature voltage controlled DC motors. Each parameter of the Fuzzy-PID controller is self tuned using 49 fuzzy rules in the fuzzy logic controller. The proportional, integral and derivative (KP,KI,KD) gains of the PID controller is being tuned by the controller. Different types of membership functions are evaluated in the fuzzy control and the best performance will be used in Fuzzy-PID for comparative analysis with the conventional PID.The FIS editor from MATLAB defines the membership function and the rules. Load disturbances from a variety of speed response and the step response are simulated from different scenarios.The Fuzzy PID has resulted to be more robust and it is insensitive to variations in the parameter

6.EMEA International Symposium in Kanazawa, Japan

Korea Forest Research InstituteUniversity of SeoulProject Number 14404021, Peport of Research Project ; Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(B)(2), from April 2002 to March 2006, Edited by Muramoto,Ken-ichiroKamata, NaotoKawanishi, TakuyaKubo, MamoruLiu, JiyuanLee, Kyu-Sung , 人工衛星データ活用のための東アジアの植生調査、課題番号14404021, 平成14年度～平成17年度科学研究費補助金, 基盤研究（B)(2)研究成果報告書, 研究代表者：村本, 健一郎, 金沢大学自然科学研究科教

Determination of Destination Competitiveness: A Qualitative Analysis on Malaysiain Convention Torist

Despite extensive empirical research linking organizational capability and competitiveness in the context of manufacturing companies, little attention has focused on the service sector, particularly the convention tourism sector. Convention tourism represents a growing and most desirable segment in Asia’s tourism industry. Many host destinations recognize this high-yield market, thus making the competition in the segment greater. Foresee new opportunities for Malaysia to tap into the convention tourism sector, the identification of the industry’s competitive advantages becomes an important step towards successful development in Malaysia. Based on Porter’s Diamond model, this paper makes an assessment on the competitive advantages that affect the convention tourism sector. Using qualitative approach, the components are analyzed carefully, comparing the competition among the four key markets in Malaysia namely Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Sarawak, and Sabah. Through in-depth interviews with focal industry participants, the responses then have been analyzed using cross-case analysis and develop causal network modeling to visualize the linkages between the elements of convention tourism competitiveness. The results indicate that firm strategy, structure and rivalry; demand conditions; and related and supporting industries contribute to the competitiveness of convention tourism industry. The results also highlighted that factors related to qualified, well-trained human resources and locality access should be considered critically in order to boost the performance of the secto

Monitoring the decline of Abies koreana forest in Mt. Halla

Korea Forest Research InstitutionUniversity of Seou2005 International Symposium on Environmental Mornitoring in East Asia -Remote Sensing and Forests-,Hosted The EMEA Project, Kanazawa University 21st=Century COE Program -Environmental Monitoring and Predicition of Long- and Short- Term Dynamics of Pan-Japan Sea Area- ,予稿集, EMEA 2005 in Kanazawa, 国際学術研究公開シンポジウム『東アジアの環境モニタリング』－リモートセンシングと森林－,年月日：200511月28日～29日, 場所：KKRホテル金沢, 金沢大学自然科学研究科, 主催：金沢大学EMEAプロジェクト, 共催：金沢大学21世紀COEプログラム「環日本海域の環境変動と長期・短期変動予測

Comparative genome analysis of multiple vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolated from two fatal cases

Enterococcus faecium is both a commensal of the human intestinal tract and an opportunistic pathogen. The increasing incidence of enterococcal infections is mainly due to the ability of this organism to develop resistance to multiple antibiotics, including vancomycin. The aim of this study was to perform comparative genome analyses on four vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) strains isolated from two fatal cases in a tertiary hospital in Malaysia. Two sequence types, ST80 and ST203, were identified which belong to the clinically important clonal complex (CC) 17. This is the first report on the emergence of ST80 strains in Malaysia. Three of the studied strains (VREr5, VREr6, VREr7) were each isolated from different body sites of a single patient (patient Y) and had different PFGE patterns. While VREr6 and VREr7 were phenotypically and genotypically similar, the initial isolate, VREr5, was found to be more similar to VRE2 isolated from another patient (patient X), in terms of the genome contents, sequence types and phylogenomic relationship. Both the clinical records and genome sequence data suggested that patient Y was infected by multiple strains from different clones and the strain that infected patient Y could have derived from the same clone from patient X. These multidrug resistant strains harbored a number of virulence genes such as the epa locus and pilus-associated genes which could enhance their persistence. Apart from that, a homolog of E. faecalis bee locus was identified in VREr5 which might be involved in biofilm formation. Overall, our comparative genomic analyses had provided insight into the genetic relatedness, as well as the virulence potential, of the four clinical strains