Intelligent Product Brokering for E-Commerce: An Incremental Approach to Unaccounted Attribute Detection

This research concentrates on designing generic product-brokering agent to understand user preference towards a product category and recommends a list of products to the user according to the preference captured by the agent. The proposed solution is able to detect both quantifiable and non-quantifiable attributes through a user feedback system. Unlike previous approaches, this research allows the detection of unaccounted attributes that are not within the ontology of the system. No tedious change of the algorithm, database, or ontology is required when a new product attribute is introduced. This approach only requires the attribute to be within the description field of the product. The system analyzes the general product descriptions field and creates a list of candidate attributes affecting the user’s preference. A genetic algorithm verifies these candidate attributes and excess attributes are identified and filtered off. A prototype has been created and our results show positive results in the detection of unaccounted attributes affecting a user

Fatty acid composition of five Malaysian biscuits (cream crackers) with special reference to trans-fatty acids

The fatty acid composition and trans fatty acids (TFA) contents of samples of five Malaysian cream crackers biscuit brands were determined by gas-liquid chromatography, using a 60 m Supelco SP2340 fused silica capillary column and flame ionization detection. The identities of the fatty acids were established by comparing their retention times with authentic standards from Supelco. The results were expressed as relative percentages. The total saturated fatty acids (SFA) in the samples ranged from 48.90% to 54.87% of total fatty acids. As for the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), the total PUFA in the samples ranged from 9.97% to 11.73% of total fatty acids. Total trans fatty acids (TFA) ranged from 0.17% to 0.77% of total fatty acids. The monotrans 18:2 tc or 18:2 ct isomer content ranged from 0.07% to 0.10% of total fatty acids and the ditrans 18:2 isomer (9t, 12t) was not detected. The results indicate that all the fat sources of the 5 sample crackers biscuit brands were palm oil based

5′HS5 of the Human β-globin Locus Control Region Is Dispensable for the Formation of the β-globin Active Chromatin Hub

Hypersensitive site 5 (5′HS5) of the β-globin Locus Control Region functions as a developmental stage-specific border in erythroid cells. Here, we have analyzed the role of 5′HS5 in the three dimensional organization of the β-gene locus using the Chromatin Conformation Capture (3C) technique. The results show that when 5′HS5 is deleted from the locus, both remote and internal regulatory elements are still able to interact with each other in a three-dimensional configuration termed the Active Chromatin Hub. Thus, the absence of 5′HS5 does not have an appreciable effect on the three dimensional organization of the β-globin locus. This rules out models in which 5′HS5 nucleates interactions with remote and/or internal regulatory elements. We also determined the binding of CTCF, the only defined insulator protein in mammalian cells, to 5′HS5 by using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. We detect low levels of CTCF binding to 5′HS5 in primitive erythroid cells, in which it functions as a border element. Surprisingly, we also observe binding levels of CTCF to 5′HS5 in definitive erythroid cells. Thus, binding of CTCF to 5′HS5 per se does not render it a functional border element. This is consistent with the previous data suggesting that CTCF has dual functionality

Thermodynamic Property Study on the Complexes of Rare- Earth Elements with Amino Aids

In this chapter, the following three rare-earth complexes with amino acids, Eu(Glu)(Im)5(ClO4)3⋅3HClO4⋅6H2O, Nd(Gly)2Cl3⋅3H2O, and La(Glu)(Im)6(ClO4)3⋅4HClO4⋅4H2O, are synthesized and characterized by element analysis, infrared (IR) spectrum, and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The thermodynamic property studies on these complexes are performed. For the first one, Eu(Glu)(Im)5(ClO4)3⋅3HClO4⋅6H2O, the low temperature heat capacity, phase transition, and thermodynamic functions are determined by adiabatic calorimetry. For the second one, Nd(Gly)2Cl3⋅3H2O, the molar dissolution enthalpy and standard molar enthalpy of formation are determined by isoperibol solution reaction calorimetry. For the third one, La(Glu)(Im)6(ClO4)3⋅4HClO4⋅4H2O, the microcalorimetry is used to investigate the interaction between the complex and the Escherichia coli DH5α to elucidate the biological effects of the complex