Linked MaaS: a vision for leveraging semantic web technologies for mobility as a service.

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) promises to dissolve the boundaries of today's transport network through the integration of transport modes. However, stakeholders such as the operators, public transport authorities, or end-user routing application developers, are facing interoperability barriers in the way of providing a seamless travel experience. To identify, understand, and devise a plan for integration, we must first be able to clearly define the interoperability requirements of MaaS. In this paper, we propose a framework consisting of 6 layers: (i) the Stakeholder layer, (ii) the Data layer, (iii) the Infrastructure layer, (iv) the Ownership layer, (v) the Auth layer, and (vi) the Connection layer. In each layer, we outline the opportunities for Semantic Web technologies. In addition, each layer is equipped with use-cases to illustrate the application of the framework. Through the Linked MaaS framework, we formulate a baseline that extends the research focus of semantics in transportation and builds a guideline for the development of an explicitly defined and understood MaaS

Future-proofing Klang Valley’s veins with REBET: a framework for directing transportation technologies towards infrastructure resilience.

The transportation industry is in the midst of a revolution with technologies, such as shared vehicles, drones, and autonomous vehicles, that are poised to reshape the way we move. Yet, the multitude of technologies present a difficulty in prioritizing which technologies should be invested in. While focusing on Klang Valley's transportation system, this research proposes the REsilience Brittleness and Emerging Technologies (REBET) framework, which aims to identify the transportation technologies with the highest potential of strengthening the system's resilience. We used a Dephi technique to identify the Sources of Brittleness (SBs) in the system and technologies with the highest relevance to the Malaysian setting. Using multiple linear regression, we then derived a relationship between the two aspects. The framework defines the relative resilience of the technologies according to their forecasted ability to eliminate system brittleness. The results ranked 23 technologies, with the topmost recommendations being ITS, Big Data, and Smart Buses. We highlight REBET's robustness as a global decision-making tool for infrastructure managers, researchers, and policymakers to identify ideal technologies for their transportation systems

Cryopreservation of Neurospheres Derived from Human Glioblastoma Multiforme

Cancer stem cells have been shown to initiate and sustain tumor growth. In many instances, clinical material is limited, compounded by a lack of methods to preserve such cells at convenient time points. Although brain tumor-initiating cells grown in a spheroid manner have been shown to maintain their integrity through serial transplantation in immune-compromised animals, practically, it is not always possible to have access to animals of suitable ages to continuously maintain these cells. We therefore explored vitrification as a cryopreservation technique for brain tumor-initiating cells. Tumor neurospheres were derived from five patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Cryopreservation in 90% serum and 10% dimethyl sulfoxide yielded greatest viability and could be explored in future studies. Vitrification yielded cells that maintained self-renewal and multipotentiality properties. Karyotypic analyses confirmed the presence of GBM hallmarks. Upon implantation into NOD/SCID mice, our vitrified cells reformed glioma masses that could be serially transplanted. Transcriptome analysis showed that the vitrified and nonvitrified samples in either the stem-like or differentiated states clustered together, providing evidence that vitrification does not change the genotype of frozen cells. Upon induction of differentiation, the transcriptomes of vitrified cells associated with the original primary tumors, indicating that tumor stem-like cells are a genetically distinct population from the differentiated mass, underscoring the importance of working with the relevant tumor-initiating population. Our results demonstrate that vitrification of brain tumor-initiating cells preserves the biological phenotype and genetic profiles of the cells. This should facilitate the establishment of a repository of tumor-initiating cells for subsequent experimental designs

New Psychological Insights into Unethical Counterfeit Consumption

Consumer demand for counterfeit luxury brands is often viewed as “unethical”, but the demand is also robust and growing. The aim of this exploratory research, which employs in-depth interviews, is two-fold: 1) to identify the psychological and emotional insights that both drive and result from the consumption of higher involvement counterfeit goods and 2) to uncover the coping strategies related to unethical counterfeit consumption. This research reveals new psychological motivations (e.g., “thrill of the hunt”, being part of a “secret society” and genuine interest) underlying counterfeit consumption and the associated emotional outcomes (e.g., embarrassment, shame and positive hedonic gains). This research is also one of the few studies to identify cognitive moral logics by disclosing the neutralization techniques (specifically, denial of responsibility and appealing to higher loyalties) that consumers adopt to cope with the cognitive dissonance associated with debatable counterfeit consumption. The paper contributes to scholarly, managerial and policy conversations

Modelling the dynamic performance of a construction organization

The Asian financial crisis has adversely affected many of the domestic construction organizations in Malaysia, bringing some organizations to the brink of insolvency. It demonstrates that a construction organization's performance is sensitive to the prevailing economic conditions. This paper seeks to model the dynamic performance of a publicly listed construction organization in Malaysia. First, a diagrammatic model consisting of two interconnected causal loop diagrams is developed to represent the organization's capacity and its financial balance sheet. The diagrams provide a clearer understanding of the interactions between the country's construction market and the organization's financial, technical and managerial capabilities. Next, the causal loop diagrams are converted into a mathematical model using specialized software. Simulation results from the model are validated against historical time series data. Graphical plots of the simulation model and results from sensitivity analysis indicate that the model is capable of replicating the general behaviour of the organization.Construction Company, Performance Modelling, System Dynamics, Malaysia,

Entrepreneurship training and online marketplace participation among female persons with disabilities

Online marketplace participation is a strategy for reducing barriers for female entrepreneurs who qualify as persons with disabilities (PWDs). Adapting a framework focused on causal interaction, entrepreneurial action, and the sociocultural context, we analyzed data using a mixed-methods approach from an entrepreneurial training program aimed at PWDs and implemented in three Southeast Asian nations, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, to evaluate whether online marketplace participation helps female PWDs generate better income and support their families. Findings indicate that female PWD entrepreneurs who participate in the online marketplace generate better earnings than those who do not, although heterogeneities by nature of the product/service in question are prevalent. The results also show that trainees are better able to meet their families' financial needs. Despite the advantages, online marketplace participation among female PWD entrepreneurs is still low due to constraints regarding capital, technical know-how, and suitability of products. Hence, targeted intervention is necessary to enhance their participation

Development of Piezoelectric Silk Sensors Doped with Graphene for Biosensing by Near-Field Electrospinning

A novel piezoelectric fiber sensor based on polyvinylidene fluoride piezoelectric (PVDF) doped with graphene is presented. The near-field electrospinning technology was used for developing the sensor. The uniform experimental design method was introduced to determine the ranges of experimental parameters, including the applied voltage, the drum speed range, the graphene doping ratios from 0% to 11 wt% in PVDF solution, and the electrode gap. By experimental results, the conductivities of PVDF solutions with different doping ratios of graphene increased from 19.6 μS/cm to 115.8 μS/cm. Tapping tests were performed to measure the voltages and currents produced by the piezoelectric fibers. The maximum output voltage was 4.56 V at 5 wt% graphene doping ratio in PVDF fibers, which was 11.54 times that of the pure PVDF sensors. Moreover, mechanical properties of the proposed sensor were measured. Motion intention and swallowing test, such as saliva-swallowing and eating, were carried out. When the subject spoke normally, the output voltage of the sensor was between 0.2 and 0.4 V, approximately. Furthermore, when the subject drank water and ate food, the output voltage of the sensor was between 0.5 and 1 V, approximately. The proposed sensor could be used to detect signals of the human body and serve as a wearable device, allowing for more diagnosis and medical treatment

Learning experience during the pandemic: perspectives of Foundation students

This study examines the learning experiences including academic performance and assessments of Foundation students at a British University's campus in Malaysia during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A focus on foundation students is important because First Year Experience is crucial to their academic success in higher education. Using a mixed methods approach to enrich our study, we triangulate data from focus group interviews, a structured survey, and student performance-from two cohorts of students. One group transitioned from physical to online learning while the other group had their learning entirely online. The findings reveal challenges they faced as a result of the abrupt change to online learning, their adaptation and mitigation strategies and their responses to online assessments. Findings from this study show many students struggled with synchronous learning and found it difficult to focus or attend synchronous classes due to a lack of conducive learning environment or technological challenges. Interestingly, students' performance did not vary between cohorts that joined pre-pandemic and during the pandemic; across quantitative and qualitative modules even though additional time allowance was allocated for online assessments. These findings are important for us to provide recommendations to improve existing institutional frameworks and strategies necessary to enhance support for student learning experience during times of crisis

Active Assistive Design and Multiaxis Self-Tuning Control of a Novel Lower Limb Rehabilitation Exoskeleton

This paper presented the mechanical design and control of a lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton named “the second lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton (LLRE-II)”. The exoskeleton with a lightweight mechanism comprises a 16-cm stepless adjustable thigh and calf rod. The LLRE-II weighs less than 16 kg and has four degrees of freedom on each leg, including the waist, hip, knee, and ankle, which ensures fitted wear and comfort. Motors and harmonic drives were installed on the joints of the hip and knee to operate the exoskeleton. Meanwhile, master and slave motor controllers were programmed using a Texas Instruments microcontroller (TMS320F28069) for the walking gait commands and evaluation boards (TMS320F28069/DRV8301) of the joints. A self-tuning multiaxis control system was developed, and the performance of the controller was investigated through experiments. The experimental results showed that the mechanical design and control system exhibit adequate performance. Trajectory tracking errors were eliminated, and the root mean square errors reduced from 6.45 to 1.22 and from 4.15 to 3.09 for the hip and knee, respectively