Suggestion systems: a usability-based evaluation model

Usability has been used to design and assess products and websites. This paper takes the concept of usability one step further and proposes a framework to assess suggestion systems. Thus taking the concept of usability one step further and applying it in the area of ideas management through suggestion system. The fundamental premise of the article is that a suggestion system designed, with usability in mind, will improve innovation among employees, and hence increase participation. This framework was then used to assess four suggestion systems in an oil and gas company in the middle-east. These systems were further assessed for employee perception of their usability and participation. After collecting data on these three different aspects conclusions are drawn. Out of the four systems analyzed, the most usable suggestion system had the highest participation rate and the least usable system attracted the fewest suggestions

Protective effect of garlic extract against maternal and foetal cerebellar damage induced by lead administration during pregnancy in rats

Background: In spite of its industrial usefulness and varied daily uses, lead (Pb) pollution is a widespread ecological problem that faces the humans in the 21th century. Pb was found to produces a wide range of toxic effects including neurotoxicity especially to the developing and young offspring. Recently, the utilisation of herbal plants has received a significant attention where there has been rising awareness in their therapeutic use; among these is the garlic. In light of the above, the current study is designed experimentally in female pregnant rats in order to investigate the beneficial role of garlic extract in the protection from the maternal and foetal cerebellar damage produced by administration of different doses of Pb during pregnancy. Materials and methods: Positively pregnant female rats were divided into five groups; one control group, two Pb-treated groups (exposed to 160 and 320 mg/kg b.w. of Pb, respectively) and two groups treated with both Pb and garlic (exposed to Pb as previous groups together with 250 mg/kg b.w./day of garlic extract). Treatments started from day 1 to day 20 of pregnancy, where the mother rats of different experimental groups were sacrificed to obtain the foetuses. Pb level in the maternal and foetal blood and cerebellum was estimated by spectrophotometry. Specimens of the cerebellum of different mother and foetal groups were processed to histological and immunohistochemical staining for microscopic examination. Results: The results showed that administration of Pb to pregnant rats resulted in a dose-dependent toxicity for both mothers and foetuses in the form of decrease in maternal weight gain, placental and foetal weights, brain weight and diminished foetal growth parameters, which were prominent in rat’s group treated with larger dose of Pb. In Pb-treated rats, Pb level in blood and cerebellum was high when compared with the control group. The histopathological examination of the cerebellum of treated dams and foetuses showed marked alterations mainly in the form of Purkinje cell degeneration and lack of development of foetal cerebellum. Co-treatment of garlic extract along with Pb resulted in a significant decrease in Pb levels as compared with those treated with Pb alone with improvement of the histopathological changes. Conclusions: This study was useful in evaluating the hazardous effects of uncontrolled use of Pb in general and in assessing the developmental and neurotoxicity of foetuses due to exposure during pregnancy in particular. Co-administration of garlic has beneficial effects in amelioration of Pb-induced neurotoxicity and reversing the histopathological changes of the cerebellum of mother rats and foetuses. (Folia Morphol 2018; 77, 1: 1–15

Land suitability analysis of urban growth in Seremban Malaysia, using GIS based Analytical Hierarchy Process

One of the critical issues in urban planning is the determination of appropriate locations for urban growth in marginal areas adjacent to large-scale development. This study aims to use a Geographic Information System (GIS) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to choose the best locations of urban growth in Seremban, Malaysia. Various social, economic, environmental, utilities, and physical factors were used to generate a final land suitability map (LSI) including elevation, slope, soil texture, population density, land cover, distance to roads, highways, railways, powerlines, streams, industrial, residential, commercial, and educational areas. The findings of the study reveal that highly suitable areas for urban growth in Seremban reach up to 48% of its total area, while unsuitable and less suitable areas make up 35%. These findings confirm that unsuitable and less suitable areas such as forests and agricultural lands cover approximately half of Seremban, which means that these techniques can help save the ecosystem in marginal areas as well as create future sustainable development

Integration of suppliers and manufacturers within construction supply chains through innovative procurement strategies

Recent innovative initiatives within the public sector construction procurement are challenging traditional, non-relational ways of procuring construction projects. The new concepts and practices involved in innovative procurement methods for construction are intended to empower clients to exercise more control over the supply chain and generate more co-operation among project participants. The initiatives aim to: bring project members closer together; integrate the supply chain; create greater trust; develop relationships on a long term basis; introduce a pain and gain culture; and reuse the knowledge on succeeding projects. This paper, with examples from the UK construction industry, presents ways clients are currently exercising their roles in order to integrate the downstream supply chain members, including suppliers and manufacturers of products. This paper particularly highlights the benefits of, and the motivation towards innovative procurement resulting into integration of downstream supply chain members through two case studies, done as part of a supply chain integration project at the Salford Centre for Research and Innovation (SCRI). The case studies demonstrate how organisations involved have promoted innovative thinking across the supply chain through innovative procurement. The case studies also highlight some of the critical factors in integrating suppliers and manufacturers at the beginning of any project. The paper concludes that through clients’ initiatives, there is a great potential to utilise expertise and knowledge of suppliers and manufacturers at the outset of a project, in order to achieve effective planning and delivery of the whole project, as well as greater integration among supply chain members working on the project

Suggestion systems: A usability-based evaluation methodology

Usability has been used to design and assess products and websites. This paper takes the concept of usability one step further and proposes a framework to assess suggestion systems. Thus taking the concept of usability one step further and applying it in the area of ideas management through suggestion system. The fundamental premise of the article is that a suggestion system designed, with usability in mind, will improve innovation among employees, and hence increase participation. This framework was then used to assess four suggestion systems in an oil and gas company in the middle-east. These systems were further assessed for employee perception of their usability and participation. After collecting data on these three different aspects conclusions are drawn. Out of the four systems analyzed, the most usable suggestion system had the highest participation rate and the least usable system attracted the fewest suggestions

Knowledge-based disk scheduling policy using fuzzy logic

This paper presents the design of 16-element linear array for smart antenna application. Conventional patch antenna is optimized to operate at 1.85GHz (3G applications) by using CST Microwave Studio parameterization. Accurate inter-element spacing has been designed to remove the mutual coupling which causes shifting of the maximum beam pattern towards undesired locations and shifting of the resonant frequency to higher frequency ranges. Narrow beams are also attainted by implementing the complex weights created by LMS beamforming algorithm