Molecular Genetic Characterization of Different Accessions of Centella Asiatica

Centella asiatica or locally known as "pegaga" belongs to the Apiceae family. This medicinal plant is one of the most important medicinal herbs, and widely used in health foods, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Twelve accessions of C. asiatica planted in MARDI, originated from different locations in Peninsular Malaysia, were used for this study. Phenotypic differences among these accessions are not very distinct, thus this study is undeitaken to determine whether there are any genetic differences. DNA markers, unaff ected by environmental or physiological factors, have potential utility in the characterization of plant species. High discriminating power of this class of markers demonstrated uniformity and stability within genetically complex cultivars. Good quality DNA was extracted from leaf samples using conventional hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) method. Two PeR-based DNA markers system. namely Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs) and Long Primer Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (LP-RAPDs), were employed. This study has successfully analyzed the genetic relationships among the accessions of C. asiatica. Two phylogenetic trees bad been constructed from the unweighted pair group method with arithmatical average (UPGMA) pairwise analyses. Genetic distances was calculated based on. the Dice similarity index. From both analyses, the CA01 and CA02 as wen as CA05 and CA06 were closer (D=0.119) within the same cluster indicating that they are closely related. Based on the genetic distances, CA10 represented as highest distant group in the LP-RAPDs analyses whereas CA03 represented as highest distant group in the AFLPs analyses. Furthermore, diagnostic band with highest molecular weight (3000 bp) was found in CA10 by using long primer PEH A3. The amplification of CA03 genotypes with AFLP primer pair ACG/CTA has shown a unique DNA profile. In addition, CA03 is easily distinguish from other accessions morphologically due to its wavy shape of the plant leaf

Hyolaryngeal kinematics and swallow patterning in normal and disordered swallowing

Hyoid and laryngeal movements contribute to laryngeal vestibule closure and upper esophageal sphincter (UES) opening for safe swallowing. However, the extent of movement required for achieving these goals, and the interaction between hyoid and laryngeal movements during swallowing are unknown. Despite impairment in vestibule closure and UES opening, patients with dysphagia may exhibit reduced, increased or similar hyolaryngeal displacements as healthy individuals. This limits the delineation between normal and disordered swallowing. We investigated whether anatomical differences in hyolaryngeal positions and the extent of laryngeal vestibule opening at rest would better predict hyolaryngeal displacements and the extent of vestibule closure during swallowing than neck length. We then examined if hyolaryngeal maximal displacements that corrected for individual anatomical differences would show greater contrast between the swallows of patients and healthy individuals than uncorrected measures. We also investigated if the relationship between hyoid and laryngeal elevation, as well as measures of laryngeal elevation peak velocity, timing and movement patterning would differ between patients and controls swallowing more than corresponding measures of hyoid elevation. Videofluoroscopic examinations of swallowing were performed in healthy adults and patients with dysphagia. Using frame-by-frame motion analysis, measures of forward and upward hyolaryngeal displacements and velocities, and vestibule area were made during swallowing. In healthy volunteers, the extent of laryngeal vestibule opening at rest predicted the extent to which laryngeal elevation exceeded hyoid elevation for closing the space between the hyoid and larynx during swallowing. Spatially normalized measures of hyoid and laryngeal elevation magnitudes showed greater differences between normal and abnormal swallowing than raw measures. Patients with dysphagia had insufficient laryngeal elevation relative to hyoid elevation to achieve vestibule closure during swallowing. In conclusion, healthy individuals may adapt hyolaryngeal movement magnitudes according to changes in the movement targets required for vestibule closure to ensure safe swallowing. Insufficient laryngeal elevation relative to hyoid elevation may be detrimental to airway protection for swallowing in dysphagia

Design of Bluetooth Compatible Temperature and Photoplethysmogram (PPG) Monitoring System

A Bluetooth Compatible Temperature and Photoplethysmogram (PPG) Monitoring System is designed to allow continuous monitoring of body temperature and heart beat per minute (BPM) of the user. The system is specifically designed to all Bluetooth compatible Android device user to convenient the user and to alert the responsible person when an emergency happens especially to the patient or the elderly. The system integrates both Digital Temperature sensor (DS1820) and Photoplethysmogam pulse sensor using Arduino and sends all the detected information to the Android device via the Bluetooth Module (HC-06). All the data that send using the system have all verified by using another certified Digital Thermometer and OMRON HEM-7203 Automated Blood Pressure Monitor. Under the optimal condition where the sensors have successfully detected the information, the percentage error of temperature and beat per minute are 1.92% and 4.44% respectively. For temperature, the percentage error is caused mainly because the DS1820 have ±0.5℃ increment while the temperature sensor has ±0.1℃ increment. Also, DS1820 does not have a proper temperature insulation to the surrounding. For heart pulses, the system displayed almost perfect plotting of PPG data, however, the comparison of BPM does not seem to be perfect because the OMRON Blood Pressure Monitor using the different concept to detect a puls

Victor Emile Frankl\u27s meaning paradigm : logotherapy as a model for meaning-centered pastoral ministry in the contemporary Singaporean context

https://place.asburyseminary.edu/ecommonsatsdissertations/1250/thumbnail.jp

The Impact of R&D on the Singapore Economy:An Empirical Evaluation

Much of the literature on the impact of R&D on economic performance is founded on the advanced countries, where the intensity of R&D expenditure has been relatively high and stable for many years. In this paper, we provide empirical estimates of the impact of R&D on the economic growth of a Newly Industrialised Economy, Singapore, where R&D expenditure intensity has been low initially, bur rising rapidly in recent years. The Cobb-Douglas based analysis provided empirical evidence that R&D investment in Singapore had a significant impact on its total factor productivity performance in the last 20 years and established a long-term equilibrium relationship between R&D investments and TFP. However, compared to the OECD nations, the impact of R&D investment on economic growth in Singapore is not as strong, as evidenced by lower estimated elasticity values. The long run elasticity of output with respect to R&D was computed to be 8.1% for Singapore compared to long run elasticities of over 10% estimated by other researchers for OECD countries. This suggests that Singapore still has some way to go in catching up with the advanced nations in terms of R&D productivity. This not only means increasing the level of R&D intensity in Singapore but also more efficient exploitation of domestic R&D activity.Economic Growth, R&D Expenditure, Total Factor Productivity

Hubungan di antara amalan pengurusan kualiti menyeluruh (TQM) dan inovasi produk di kalangan syarikat pemprosesan makanan industri kecil dan sederhana

Pada era globalisasi ini, keperluan pelanggan menjadi semakin sukar untuk dipenuhi telah mewujudkan persaingan sengit di kalangan organisasi menyebabkan sesuatu organisasi sangat sukar untuk bertahan. Oleh itu, pengurusan kualiti menyeluruh (TQM) menjadi falsafah pengurusan dan amalan syarikat yang membantu dalam menguruskan organisasi untuk meningkatkan keberkesanan dan prestasi keseluruhan ke arah mencapai status bertaraf dunia sejak dua dekad yang lalu (Yusof & Aspinwall, 2000). Di Malaysia, banyak organisasi mula menganggap kualiti sebagai komponen penting dalam rancangan perniagaan mereka untuk menghadapi cabaran persekitaran global yang baru. Sebilangan besar organisasi memberi tumpuan kepada Pengurusan Kualiti Menyeluruh (TQM) berbanding amalan kualiti lain (Nusrah, Ramayah & Norizan, 2006). Oleh kerana inovasi telah dikenali secara meluas sekarang, organisasi perlu menggabungkan kedua-dua aspek inovasi dan kualiti untuk mencapai prestasi yang tinggi. Oleh itu, hubungan antara TQM dan inovasi telah menjadi tumpuan dalam literatur amalan pengurusan (Feng et al., 2006)

The relationship between self-construal, job satisfaction and organizational commitment

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between self-construal, job satisfaction and organizational commitment among young working adults in Malaysia. The objective of the study was to examine the significance of job satisfaction and organizational commitment based on participant's self-construal. Data was collected via online survey from 420 young working adults in Malaysia aged between 21 to 30 years (M=26.30 years). Descriptive statistics and Pearson 's correlation analyses were used in the data analysis. Pearson 's correlations showed that self-construal was significantly positive correlated with job satisfaction and job satisfaction was significantly associated with all three organizational commitment constructs, namely affective commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment. Particularly, job satisfaction was positively correlated with affective commitment and normative commitment but negatively correlated with continuance commitment. The results indicated that self-perception has significant influence on young working adults' attitudes on job and organizations that they work with as a whole

The perception of Cantonese aspirated consonants at different signal-to -noise ratios

"A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, April, 30, 1992 [i.e. 1993].Also available in print.Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 1993published_or_final_versionSpeech and Hearing SciencesBachelorBachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science