Enhancement of height system for Malaysia using space technology: the study of the datum bias inconsistencies in Peninsular Malaysia

The algorithm for orthometric height transfer using GPS has been widely presented. Its practical limitations are mostly due to datum bias inconsistencies and lack of precise geoid. In most applications, datum biases are assumed to be systematic over short baselines and therefore could be eliminated by differential heighting techniques. In this study, optimal algorithms were investigated to model biases between local vertical datum in Peninsular Malaysia and the datums implied by by EGM96, OSU91A and the regional Gravimetric Geoid in South_East Asia. The study has indicated that local vertical datum is not physically parallel to the datums implied by the above geoids. The shift parameters between the datums implied by the GPS/leveling data, and the EGM96, OSU91A and the gravimetric datums are about – 41cm, -54 cm and – 8 cm respectively. Also the maximum tilts of the planes fitting the residual geoids above these datums relative to GPS/Leveling datum are of the order of 36, 51 and 33 centimeters per degree. It is therefore necessary to take into account the effect of inconsistent datum bias particularly for baseline height transfer. The level of accuracy achieved by the bias corrected relative orthometric height differences of the EGM96, OSU91A and the gravimetric geoid models combined with GPS/leveling data for baseline lengths up to 36 km, is sufficient to replace the conventional tedious, time consuming ordinary leveling technique for rapid height transfer for land surveying and engineering applications

Sea level change in the Malaysian seas from multi-satellite altimeter data

Seas from satellite altimetry data of the Topex, Jason-1, ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat missions. During the past two decades, satellite altimeter has provided its capability in measuring the global mean of sea level with precision better than 1 mm/year. Sea level data retrieval and reduction were carried out using Radar Altimeter Database System (RADS). In RADS data processing, the recently updated environmental and geophysical corrections were applied. Sixth 1° × 1° areas were chosen for the altimeter data comparison and to find the best ocean tide model for Malaysian Seas, where the altimeter tracks are nearby to tide gauge locations. Similarity in the pattern of sea level variations indicated good agreements between tide gauge data and altimeter data using FES2004 ocean tide model. It also showed that the altimeter data can be used to investigate sea level rise for Malaysian Seas. Here, sea level variations for four areas in the Malaysian Seas have been investigated using 15 years of altimeter data. The altimeter sea level time series revealed that since 1993, the mean sea level in Malaysian Seas has been rising at a rate of between 1.42 – 4.08 mm/year. This information is important to study alternative energy extraction and environmental issues related to flood investigations and global warming

A computational study of genotype-phenotype mutation patterns

Understanding properties of genotype-phenotype maps is important for understanding biology and evolution. In this project we make a computational study of the statistical effects of genetic mutations, in particular computing the probabilities of each phenotype transitioning to any other phenotype. We also investigate the importance of the local phenotypic environment of a single genotype, and its role in determining mutation transition probabilities. We use HP protein folding, RNA structure, and a simplified GRN matrix model to study these questions

Ionospheric residual analysis for network-RTK in low-latitude area: towards solar cycle 24

Network-RTK positioning technique has been proven efficient to ameliorate a significant portion of spatially correlated errors over its coverage. Amongst them, the dispersive effect of ionosphere, which exhibits dynamic spatial and temporal variations, remains the largest error contributor in GPS positioning. Dispersive network residuals are expected to increase towards Solar Cycle 24. Investigation in ISKANDARnet found that the behaviour of equatorial ionospheric residuals reveals noticeable correlation with geomagnetic storm outburst

The application of RFID system in water level monitoring

In a tropical country like Malaysia water tank is very common in every buildings and houses. Water from the tank will be used when there is a problem with the direct water supply. It is so important where at some government buildings the water level in the tank is being inspected daily to ensure the water level is above the required threshold. However, this task consumes time and energy as the tank is located at the top of the building that cannot be easily accessible. Therefore, there is need to implement an automatic system that can monitor the level of the water in the tank. If the level is decreasing below the required threshold, the intended personnel will be informed immediately via a smartphone for example. The decrease could indicate a failure in the mechanical system to pump the water into the tank. Results from the experiments show that Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology has the potential to be used in monitoring the tank water level although there is drawback such implementation cost due to hardware requirements

The Application of RFID System in Water Level Monitoring

In tropical country like Malaysia water tank is very common in every buildings and houses. Water from tank will be used when there is a problem with the direct water supply. It is so important where at some government buildings the water level in the tank is being inspected daily to ensure the water level is above the required threshold. However this task consumes time and energy as the tank is located at the top of the building that cannot be easily accessible. Therefore there is need to implement automatic system that can monitor the level of the water in the tank. If the level is decreasing below the required threshold, the intended personnel will be informed immediately via a smartphone for example. The decrease could indicate a failure in the mechanical system to pump the water into the tank. Results from the experiments show that Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology has the potential to be used in monitoring the tank water level although there is drawback such implementation cost due to hardware requirements

Falciparum Malaria Outbreak in Sabah Linked to an Immigrant Rubber

Sabah is a Malaysian state situated in the northern part of Borneo, and it is endemic for malaria. The incidence of malaria is the lowest (0.05/1,000 population) in Penampang districts of Sabah. In June 26, 2012, two Plasmodium falciparum malaria cases were notified to public health department from a village in Penampang. Immediate investigation was initiated to identify the risk factors and to institute control measures. We performed active case finding by asking household members of all houses in the village regarding malaria symptoms and by examining blood smears. Environmental investigation was performed by collecting samples to detect mosquito breeding sites and to identify malaria transmitting vector mosquitoes. A case-control study with a ratio of 1:4 (11 cases and 44 controls) was conducted using self-administered questionnaire. The microscopic examination of blood smear for malarial parasite and entomology sampling was carried out. The malarial attack rate was 2.3%, 6/11 smears have gametocyte, and the case fatality rate was 9.1%. One case was a migrant rubber tapper from Indonesia which happened to be the first case with gametocyte positive. Overall, the incidence of malaria was higher (6/11) among rubber tappers. The odds of cases for those living nearby stagnant water were 7.3 [95% confidence interval: 1.2-43.5] times higher. In conclusion, an outbreak of P . f alcip a r u m malaria was introduced into a malaria-free village by a migrant rubber tapper, by whom the imported parasite was introduced to the community via vector Anopheles balabacensis . Living near stagnant water bodies was the risk factor in this outbreak

Falciparum Malaria Outbreak in Sabah Linked to an Immigrant Rubber Tapper

Sabah is a Malaysian state situated in the northern part of Borneo, and it is endemic for malaria. The incidence of malaria is the lowest (0.05/1,000 population) in Penampang districts of Sabah. In June 26, 2012, two Plasmodium falciparum malaria cases were notified to public health department from a village in Penampang. Immediate investigation was initiated to identify the risk factors and to institute control measures. We performed active case finding by asking household members of all houses in the village regarding malaria symptoms and by examining blood smears. Environmental investigation was performed by collecting samples to detect mosquito breeding sites and to identify malaria transmitting vector mosquitoes. A case–control study with a ratio of 1:4 (11 cases and 44 controls) was conducted using self-administered questionnaire. The microscopic examination of blood smear for malarial parasite and entomology sampling was carried out. The malarial attack rate was 2.3%, 6/11 smears have gametocyte, and the case fatality rate was 9.1%. One case was a migrant rubber tapper from Indonesia which happened to be the first case with gametocyte positive. Overall, the incidence of malaria was higher (6/11) among rubber tappers. The odds of cases for those living nearby stagnant water were 7.3 [95% confidence interval: 1.2–43.5] times higher. In conclusion, an outbreak of P. falciparum malaria was introduced into a malaria-free village by a migrant rubber tapper, by whom the imported parasite was introduced to the community via vector Anopheles balabacensis. Living near stagnant water bodies was the risk factor in this outbreak

Surveillance Evaluation of the National Cancer Registry in Sabah, Malaysia

Background: Cancer is the fourth leading cause of death in Sabah Malaysia with a reported age-standardized incidence rate was 104.9 per 100,000 in 2007. The incidence rate depends on non-mandatory notification in the registry. Under-reporting will provide the false picture of cancer control program effectiveness. The present study was to evaluate the performance of the cancer registry system in terms of representativeness, data quality, simplicity, acceptability and timeliness and provision of recommendations for improvement. Materials and Methods: The evaluation was conducted among key informants in the National Cancer Registry (NCR) and reporting facilities from Feb-May 2012 and was based on US CDC guidelines. Representativeness was assessed by matching cancer case in the Health Information System (HIS) and state pathology records with those in NCR. Data quality was measured through case finding and re-abstracting of medical records by independent auditors. The re-abstracting portion comprised 15 data items. Self-administered questionnaires were used to assess simplicity and acceptability. Timeliness was measured from date of diagnosis to date of notification received and data dissemination. Results: Of 4613 cancer cases reported in HIS, 83.3% were matched with cancer registry. In the state pathology centre, 99.8% was notified to registry. Duplication of notification was 3%. Data completeness calculated for 104 samples was 63.4%. Registrars perceived simplicity in coding diagnosis as moderate. Notification process was moderately acceptable. Median duration of interval 1 was 5.7 months. Conclusions: The performances of registry’s attributes are fairly positive in terms of simplicity, case reporting sensitivity, and predictive value positive. It is moderately acceptable, data completeness and inflexible. The usefulness of registry is the area of concern to achieve registry objectives. Timeliness of reporting is within international standard, whereas timeliness to data dissemination was longer up to 4 years. Integration between existing HIS and national registration department will improve data quality

Sonar assistive device for visually impaired people

An affordable sonar assistive device was developed to facilitate the visually impaired people to walk inside or outside their homes. The device uses a sonar technology where each ultrasonic sensor consists of a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter will transmit a signal to an obstacle in front of it and when the signal reaches an obstacle, the signal is reflected back. The reflected signal is then received by the receiver. The system of Arduino Pro Mini will then evaluate the echo to identify the presence t of the obstacles. This ultrasonic sensor can detect obstacles as far as 4 meters. Hands-on testing was conducted to identify visually impaired people needs and to provide them an opportunity to use the device. The users were interviewed to find out about their experience. The results clearly show that 90% of the users were satisfied with the features of the device and they were also confident of using the device to detect different types of obstacles