Effect of Piper betle and Brucea javanica on the Differential Expression of Hyphal Wall Protein (HWP1) in Non-Candida albicans Candida (NCAC) Species

The study aimed to identify the HWP1 gene in non-Candida albicans Candida species and the differential expression of HWP1 following treatment with Piper betle and Brucea javanica aqueous extracts. All candidal suspensions were standardized to 1 x 10(6) cells/mL. The suspension was incubated overnight at 37 degrees C (C. parapsilosis, 35 degrees C). Candidal cells were treated with each respective extract at 1, 3, and 6 mg/mL for 24 h. The total RNA was extracted and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was carried out with a specific primer of HWP1. HWP1 mRNAs were only detected in C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis. Exposing the cells to the aqueous extracts has affected the expression of HWP1 transcripts. C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis have demonstrated different intensity of mRNA. Compared to P. betle, B. javanica demonstrated a higher suppression on the transcript levels of HWP1 in all samples. HWP1 was not detected in C. albicans following the treatment of B. javanica at 1 mg/mL. In contrast, C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis were shown to have HWP1 regulation. However, the expression levels were reduced upon the addition of higher concentration of B. javanica extract. P. betle and B. javanica have potential to be developed as oral health product.Article Link : http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/397268

Future Community-Based Ecotourism (CBET) development

Ecotourism is an alternative form of tourism and is usually confused with natural and cultural tourism.CBET is fast becoming a popular biodiversity conservation tool that develops and benefits the local community. Based on the context of conservation theory and practice, Community-Based Ecotourism (CBET) is a form of community-based natural resource management. However, a sustainable CBET development through Community Capacity Building (CCB)programs is not something that it easily achievable. Local community’s capacity varies from one culture to another. It takes a high level of community participation, in order for it to come to a level where the community members themselves are motivated to participate and contribute to the development of the program. This fully qualitative research involved 15 respondents from the community of Kg. Selai, Bekok in Johor, Malaysia. The result show there are five factors that sustained the ecotourism development based for Orang Asli Community in Kg. Selai, namely, existing CBET development, past CBET development, local community participation in planning stage of tourism, local participation in implementation stage of tourism and participation in nature conservation

Hybrid shear-warp rendering

Shear-warp rendering is a fast and efficient method for visualizing a volume of sampled data based on a factorization of the viewing transformation into a shear and a warp. In shear-warp rendering, the volume is resampled, composited and warped to obtain the final image. Many applications, however, require a mixture of polygonal and volumetric data to be rendered together in a single image. This paper describes a new approach for extending the shear-warp rendering to simultaneously handle polygonal objects. A data structure, the zlist-buffe, is presented. It is basically a multilayered z-buffer. With the zlist-buffer, an object-based scan conversion of polygons requires only a simple modification of the standard polygon scan-conversion algorithm. This paper shows how the scan conversion can be integrated with shear-warp rendering of run-length encoded volume data to obtain quality images in real time. The utility and performance of the approach using a number of test renderings is also discussed

Acoustic Wave Based MEMS Devices, Development and Applications

Acoustic waves based MEMS devices offer a promising technology platform for a wide range of applications due to their high sensitivity and the capability to operate wirelessly. These devices utilize acoustic waves propagating through or on the surface of a piezoelectric material. An acoustic wave device typically consists of two layers, metal transducers on top of piezoelectric substrate or thin films. The piezoelectric material has inherent capabilities of generating acoustic waves related to the input electrical sinusoidal signals placed on the transducers. Using this characteristic, different transducer designs can be placed on top of the piezoelectric material to create acoustic wave based filters, resonators or sensors. Historically, acoustic wave devices have been and are still widely used in telecommunications industry, primarily in mobile cell phones and base stations. Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) devices are capable of performing powerful signal processing and have been successfully functioning as filters, resonators and duplexers for the past 60 years. Although SAW devices are technological mature and have served the telecommunication industry for several decades, these devices are typically fabricated on piezoelectric substrates and are packaged as discrete components. Considering the wide flexibility and capabilities of the SAW device to form filters, resonators there has been motivation to integrate such devices on silicon substrates as demonstrated in (Nordin et al., 2007; M. J. Vellekoop et al., 1987; Visser et al., 1989). One such example is illustrated in (Nordin et al., 2007) where a CMOS SAW resonator was fabricated using 0.6 m AMIs CMOS technology process with additional MEMS post-processing. The traditional SAW structure of having the piezoelectric at the bottom was inverted. Instead, the IDTs were cleverly manufactured using standard complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process and the piezoelectric layer was placed on the top. Active circuitry can be placed adjacent to the CMOS resonator and can be connected using the integrated metal layers. A SAW device can also be designed to have a long propagation path between the input and output transducer. The propagating acoustic waves will then be very sensitive to ambient changes, allowing the device to act as a sensor. Any variations to the characteristics of the propagation path affect the velocity or amplitude of the wave. Important application for acoustic wave devices as sensors include torque and tire pressure sensors (Cullen et al., 1980; Cullen et al., 1975; Pohl et al., 1997), gas sensors (Levit et al., 2002; Nakamoto et al., 1996; Staples, 1999; Wohltjen et al., 1979), biosensors for medical applications (Andle et al., 1995; Ballantine et al., 1996; Cavic et al., 1999; Janshoff et al., 2000), and industrial and commercial applications (vapor, humidity, temperature, and mass sensors) (Bowers et al., 1991; Cheeke et al., 1996; Smith, 2001; N. J. Vellekoop et al., 1999; Vetelino et al., 1996; Weld et al., 1999). In recent years, the interest in the development of highly sensitive acoustic wave devices as biosensor platforms has grown. For biological applications the acoustic wave device is integrated in a microfluidic system and the sensing area is coated with a biospecific layer. When a bioanalyte interacts with this sensing layer, physical, chemical, and/or biochemical changes are produced. Typically, mass and viscosity changes of the biospecific layer can be detected by analyzing changes in the acoustic wave properties such as velocity, attenuation and resonant frequency of the sensor. An important advantage of the acoustic wave biosensors is simple electronic readout that characterizes these sensors. The measurement of the resonant frequency or time delay can be performed with high degree of precision using conventional electronics. This chapter is focused on two important applications of the acoustic-wave based MEMS devices; (1) biosensors and (2) telecommunications. For biological applications these devices are integrated in a microfluidic system and the sensing area is coated with a biospecific layer. When a bioanalyte interacts with this sensing layer, physical, chemical, and/or biochemical changes are produced. Typically, mass and viscosity changes of the biospecific layer can be detected by analyzing changes in the acoustic wave properties such as velocity, attenuation and resonant frequency of the sensor. An important advantage of the acoustic wave biosensors is simple electronic readout that characterizes these sensors. The measurement of the resonant frequency and time delay can be performed with high degree of precision using conventional electronics. Only few types of acoustic wave devices could be integrated in microfluidic systems without significant degradation of the quality factor. The acoustic wave based MEMS devices reported in the literature as biosensors are film bulk acoustic wave resonators (FBAR) and surface acoustic waves (SAW) resonators and SAW delay lines. Different approaches to the realization of FBARs and SAW resonators and SAW delay lines used for various biochemical applications are presented. Next, acoustic wave MEMS devices used in telecommunications applications are presented. Telecommunication devices have different requirements compared to sensors, where acoustic wave devices operating as a filter or resonator are expected to operate at high frequencies (GHz), have high quality factors and low insertion losses. Traditionally, SAW devices have been widely used in the telecommunications industry, however with advancement in lithographic techniques, FBARs are rapidly gaining popularity. FBARs have the advantage of meeting the stringent requirement of telecommunication industry of having Qs in the 10,000 range and silicon compatibility

Change agent system in lean manufacturing implementation for business sustainability

This paper aims to propose a model of change agent system in lean manufacturing implementation to achieve organizational sustainability in terms of knowledge co-creation process with employees by changing their behavioural and mind-set thereby increase organizational performance. This study conducted multi-case design which contains more than a single case company viz., company A and company B are presented here. Results demonstrated with mentioned concept. Lean manufacturing accomplished by change agent system in manufacturing industry. The mentioned system is a promising way to ensure the translating of lean concept and its implementation to all workers in the company, by this means company achieving lean manufacturing culture to offer desired services to customers. This research contributes to create strategic corporate ways to succeed in lean manufacturing implementation by making knowledgeable and skilled human resource with the integrating of change agent system that will ensure value creation and organizational sustainability. There have been few scientific studies and research done on the mechanism involved in the change agent in lean manufacturing implementation. Our proposed model of change agent system to translate lean manufacturing concept is original and unique in practical field. © ExcelingTech Pub, UK

Multichannel cross-layer routing for sensor networks

This paper proposes a new decentralised multi-channel tree building protocol with a centralised controller for the Internet of Things. The protocol alleviates the effect of interference which results in improved network efficiency and stability, and link reliability. The proposal takes into account all available channels to utilise the spectrum and aims to use the spectrum efficiently by transmitting on several channels. The protocol detects which channels suffer interference and changes away from those channels. The algorithm for channel selection is a two-hop colouring protocol that reduces the chances of nearby nodes to transmit on the same channel. All nodes are battery operated except for the low power border router (LPBR). This enables a centralised channel switching process at the LPBR. The protocol is built based on the routing protocol for low power and lossy networks (RPL). In its initial phase, the protocol uses RPL's standard topology formation to create an initial working topology and then seeks to improve this topology by switching channels. The implementation and evaluation of the protocol is performed using the Contiki framework. The experimental results demonstrate an increased resilience to interference and significantly higher throughput making better use of the total available spectrum and link stability

Amalan pengurusan keselamatan bengkel kemahiran hidup (KHB) Sekolah Menengah Harian Daerah Batu Pahat

Kajian ini dijalankan untuk mengkaji sejauhmanakah persepsi pelajar terhadap amalan pengurusan keselamatan dari aspek keselamatan alatan dan bahan, diri dan rakan serta keselamatan am di bengkel Kemahiran Hidup sekolah menengah harian daerah Batu Pahat. Kajian berbentuk kuantitatif dilaksanakan di empat buah sekolah menengah harian daerah Batu Pahat iaitu SMK Datin Onn Jaafar, SMK Banang Jaya, SMK Dato Onn dan SMK Seri Gading. Sampel kajian terdiri daripada 350 orang pelajar tingkatan dua yang mengambil matapelajaran KHB dan data dikumpul menggunakan instrumen borang soal selidik. Dapatan kajian dianalisis menggunakan perisian Winsteps Version 3.69.1.11 dengan pendekatan Model Pengukuran Rasch sepenuhnya. Data dianalisis menggunakan teknik analisis diskriptif dan analisis inferensi iaitu ujian-t bagi menguji hipotesis kajian. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa amalan pengurusan keselamatan di bengkel diamalkan secara sederhana bagi ketiga-tiga aspek tersebut. Terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan di antara pelajar di bandar dan luar bandar iaitu t=-4.08 dan p=0.000 di mana nilai min ukuranya pula ialah -.19. Beberapa cadangan telah dikemukakan bagi penambahbaikkan seperti mengadakan kempen kesedaran dan menyediakan sudut standard operasi amalan pengurusan keselamatan agar pelajar sentiasa mematuhi peraturan semasa berada di bengkel Kemahiran Hidup

Normal soaking extraction (NSE) of rotenone from Derris elliptica

Derris elliptica or the tuba plant contains rotenone, bio-active compound known that has the potential to be used as bio-pesticide. Bio-pesticide is the best-known alternative bio-pesticide which has the potential to replace the use of conventional pesticides, as it is more environmentally friendly. The main objective of the paper is to obtain the best extraction solvent for optimizing the yield in rotenone extraction. Rotenone was extracted from Derris root using three different parts of roots and three types of solvent in Normal Soaking Extraction (NSE). The types of Derris roots are: (1) Fine root (2) Coarse root (3) Stem. The three types of solvent system are: (1) Acetone 95 % (v/v), (2) Chloroform 99.9 % (v/v) and (3) a mixture of ethanol: H2O (9:1) added with oxalic acid (1mg/ml). The liquid crude extracts were further cleaned up to remove the fine debris of roots. The presence of rotenone was confirmed using qualitative analysis Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and thereupon the determination of rotenone content was carried out using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). From the results obtained, it was found that the Normal Soaking Extraction (NSE) using acetone 95 % (v/v) was the best method to extract the highest yield of rotenone; 1.14 % (w/w)

Prediction of Flow Pattern Behaviour Behind Square Cylinder using Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) Approach

The aim of this study is to investigate the flow pattern behaviour by using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) approach. The square profile was chosen in purpose to have a better understanding of the behaviour which is relevant to the engineering applications. Numerical simulation was performed on various turbulence models with the range of Reynolds number from 6000 to 80000 with three incidence angles of 0°, 15°, and 30°. Mesh dependency study was performed with coarse, base and fine meshes. Fine mesh and standard k–ω were chosen as the best meshing and turbulence model to perform the simulation due to the capability in terms of less absolute error on aerodynamic coefficient and clear flow visualisation capture. It was found that the average values of Strouhal number for square profile was 0.12. For this particular study, the changes of incidence angle and variation of Reynolds number gave a significant flow pattern behind a square profile. The size of the vortices became smaller and closer to the structure as the incidence angle increased. At high Reynolds number, it was also observed that the size of the vortices increased progressively. The prediction of flow pattern behind square cylinder was successfully determined by using CFD approach