Technical Report: Compressive Temporal Higher Order Cyclostationary Statistics

The application of nonlinear transformations to a cyclostationary signal for the purpose of revealing hidden periodicities has proven to be useful for applications requiring signal selectivity and noise tolerance. The fact that the hidden periodicities, referred to as cyclic moments, are often compressible in the Fourier domain motivates the use of compressive sensing (CS) as an efficient acquisition protocol for capturing such signals. In this work, we consider the class of Temporal Higher Order Cyclostationary Statistics (THOCS) estimators when CS is used to acquire the cyclostationary signal assuming compressible cyclic moments in the Fourier domain. We develop a theoretical framework for estimating THOCS using the low-rate nonuniform sampling protocol from CS and illustrate the performance of this framework using simulated data

Status and Barriers Impeding Utilization of Project Management Tools: Epidemic for Tripartite Construction Parties in Malaysia

Project management tools have been widely used in construction project life cycles to monitor progress, evaluate payments/claims, and manage construction works worldwide. Despite their capability in helping project managers to achieve specific objectives within time, budget, and standards, not every construction organization in Malaysia would fully utilize these tools due to several challenges. As numerous studies substantiate the importance and of project management tools, lackluster adoption rates have led to productivity problems, project delays, and maturity problems at both project and enterprise levels in the construction industry. This study investigates the level of implementation and addresses the significant barriers that impede the utilization of project management tools. A survey was administered to well-known construction companies in Malaysia. This study revealed that the implementation level was discouragingly low, and the top 5 barriers were: (1) financial considerations, (2) restrictions on human capital, (3) high annual turnover, (4) lack of technology awareness, and (5) organizational culture. These findings suggest that the Malaysian construction industry should: overhaul financial and human resource limitations, increase assistance for users, and boost the partial implementation of basic techniques of project management to the maximum extent possible. The practitioners can understand the dynamics and causes of predicaments to the full implementation of project management tools in their respective companies. As for academicians, these findings help theoretical development and literature arguments on our current construction industry as a whole and optimistically help finds ways to make the Malaysian construction industry more efficient.   Keywords: barriers, project management tools, Malaysian construction industr

Loyalty Card Membership Challenge: A Study on Membership Churn and their Spending Behaviour

Understand member spending behaviour and their loyalty is important in all industries. By gaining loyalty from customers and understand how they spend, companies are able to retain their customers, increase their revenue and plan their marketing strategy to continue grow their business in a competitive business ecosystem. This research investigates member spending behaviour and membership churn for a loyalty card company in Malaysia. This research conducts exploratory analysis on three key partners registered with the company to understand their outlets’ spending activities and patterns. Meanwhile, this research also model membership churn based on the last 24 months membership data to identify factors that influence membership churn so that effective strategy can be formulated to retain active members in the company

a mixed-method approach

Background Sedentary behaviours (SB) can be characterized by low energy expenditure in a reclining position (e.g., sitting) often associated with work and transport. Prolonged SB is associated with increased risk for chronic conditions, and due to technological advances, the working population is in office settings with high occupational exposure to SB. This study aims to assess SB among office workers, as well as barriers and strategies towards reducing SB in the work setting. Methods Using a mixed-methods approach guided by the socio-ecological framework, non-academic office workers from a professional school in a large public university were recruited. Of 180 eligible office workers, 40 enrolled and completed all assessments. Self- reported and objectively measured SB and activity levels were captured. Focus group discussion (FGD) were conducted to further understand perceptions, barriers, and strategies to reducing workplace SB. Environmental factors were systematically evaluated by trained research staff using an adapted version of the Checklist for Health Promotion Environments at Worksites (CHEW). Thematic analysis of FGD was conducted and descriptive analysis of quantitative data was performed. Results The sample was mostly Chinese (n = 33, 80 %) with a total of 24 (60 %) female participants. Most participants worked five days a week for about 9.5(0.5) hrs/day. Accelerometer data show that participants spend the majority of their days in sedentary activities both on workdays (76.9 %) and non-workdays (69.5 %). Self-report data confirm these findings with median sitting time of 420(180) minutes at work. From qualitative analyses, major barriers to reducing SB emerged, including the following themes: workplace social and cultural norms, personal factors, job scope, and physical building/office infrastructure. CHEW results confirm a lack of support from the physical infrastructure and information environment to reducing SB. Conclusions There is high SB among office workers in this sample. We identified multiple levels of influence for prolonged occupational SB, with a particular emphasis on workplace norms and infrastructure as important barriers to reducing SB and increasing PA. A larger, representative sample of the Singaporean population is needed to confirm our findings but it seems that any intervention aimed at reducing SB in the workplace should target individual, environmental, and organizational levels

Phenome-wide analysis of Taiwan Biobank reveals novel glycemia-related loci and genetic risks for diabetes

To explore the complex genetic architecture of common diseases and traits, we conducted comprehensive PheWAS of ten diseases and 34 quantitative traits in the community-based Taiwan Biobank (TWB). We identified 995 significantly associated loci with 135 novel loci specific to Taiwanese population. Further analyses highlighted the genetic pleiotropy of loci related to complex disease and associated quantitative traits. Extensive analysis on glycaemic phenotypes (T2D, fasting glucose and Hb

An Open-Label, Multicenter, Phase I, Dose Escalation Study with Phase II Expansion Cohort to Determine the Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Preliminary Antitumor Activity of Intravenous TKM-080301 in Subjects with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Lessons learnedTKM-080301 showed a favorable toxicity profile at the studied dose.TKM-080301 targeting PLK1 through small interfering RNA mechanism did not demonstrate improved overall survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma compared with historical control. Preliminary antitumor activity as shown in this early-phase study does not support further evaluation as a single agent.BackgroundPolo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Knockdown of PLK1 expression by PLK1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) in an HCC cell line showed reduced expression in RNA-induced silencing complex and a reduction in cell proliferation.MethodsA 3 + 3 dose escalation plus expansion cohort at the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was implemented. Patients with HCC, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤2, and Child-Pugh score A received TKM-080301 as an intravenous infusion once every week for 3 consecutive weeks, repeated every 28 days.ResultsThe study enrolled 43 patients. The starting dose of TKM-080301 was 0.3 mg/kg, and MTD was declared at 0.75 mg/kg. Following the development of grade 4 thrombocytopenia in two subjects on the expansion cohort, the MTD was redefined at 0.6 mg/kg. Four patients did not have any evaluable postbaseline scan. Of the other 39 subjects who had received at least 0.3 mg/kg, 18 subjects (46.2%) had stable disease (SD) by independent RECIST 1.1 criteria. By Choi criteria, eight subjects (23.1%) had a partial response (PR). For 37 assessable subjects, with 2 subjects censored, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.04 months. Median survival for the whole study population was 7.5 months.ConclusionTKM-080301 was generally well tolerated. In this early-phase study, antitumor effect for TKM 080301 was limited. Further evaluation as a single agent in large randomized trials is not warranted

Using online multiple choice questions with multiple attempts: A case for self-directed learning among tertiary students

Criticisms on multiple choice questions (MCQs) include the possibility of students answering MCQs correctly by guessing, and MCQs generally are said to fall short in cultivating independent learning skills, such as taking charge of their learning goals. Countering these common concerns, this research used online MCQ exercises with multiple attempts to investigate the experiences that drove students to become self-directed learners. In this research, 60 students completed two sets of online MCQ exercises with multiple attempts outside of classroom time for six weeks consecutively. Both focus group interviews and an online survey were conducted to investigate the experiences of using online MCQ exercise with multiple attempts in relation to the development of self-directed learning (SDL). The findings of the study showed that the criticisms may be unfounded. Data leads to the conclusion that the majority of the students do not just try to guess at the correct answers. Rather, many of them attempted the online MCQ exercises more than once to improve themselves indicating that they were interested in self-learning. Students also reported that they utilised search and inquiry skills that clearly showed motivated initiatives to plan how to overcome their weaknesses by independently looking for relevant resources, determine their own learning goals, and evaluate their own learning performance as a firm indicator of SDL development. Based on the findings, this study is able to refute the claim that MCQs are unable to cultivate independent learning skills

Modeling the breakage stage in spheronization of cylindrical paste extrudates

Funder: The University of QueenslandAbstract: Spheronization of cylindrical extrudates on a rotating friction plate involves breakage and rounding. Little attention has been given to the breakage stage and quantitative modeling of this process is scarce. Two simple models are compared with experimental data obtained for the early stages of spheronization of microcrystalline cellulose/water extrudates. Tests were conducted for different times (t), rotational speeds (ω), initial loadings, and on pyramidal friction plates with different dimensions. The first model, describing the number of pellets, validated ω3t as a characteristic time scale for the breakage stage. The kinetic parameters obtained by fitting showed a systematic dependence on plate dimensions expressed as a scaled gap width. The second model, a simple population balance, described the evolution of the number and length of pellets. The pseudo rate constants provided insights into the kinetics: extrudates tended to break near the middle, while breakage of smaller pellets was slowed down by more pellet–pellet collisions

Replication and Meta-analysis of the Association between BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism and Cognitive Impairment in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy.

Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) adversely affects cancer patients. We had previously demonstrated that the BDNF Val66Met genetic polymorphism is associated with lower odds of subjective CRCI in the multitasking and verbal ability domains among breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. To further assess our previous findings, we evaluated the association of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism with subjective and objective CRCI in a temporally separate cohort of patients and pooled findings from both the original (n = 145) and current (n = 193) cohorts in a meta-analysis. Subjective CRCI was assessed using FACT-Cog. Objective CRCI was evaluated using computerized neuropsychological tests. Genotyping was carried out using Sanger sequencing. The association of BDNF Val66Met genotypes and CRCI was examined with logistic regression. A fixed-effect meta-analysis was conducted using the inverse variance method. In the meta-analysis (n = 338), significantly lower odds of CRCI were associated with Met allele carriers based on the global FACT-Cog score (OR = 0.52, 95% CI 0.29-0.94). Furthermore, Met allele carriers were at lower odds of developing impairment in the domains of memory (OR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.17-0.70), multitasking (OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.18-0.59), and verbal ability (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.24-0.88). Consistent with the previous study, lower odds of subjective CRCI among patients with the BDNF Met allele was observed after adjusting for potential confounders in the multitasking (OR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.14-0.67) domain. In conclusion, carriers of the BDNF Met allele were protected against global subjective CRCI, particularly in the domains of memory, multitasking, and verbal ability. Our findings further contribute to the understanding of CRCI pathophysiology