Abstract: The amount of the information being churned out by the field of biology has jumped manifold and now requires the extensive use of computer techniques for the management of this information. The predominance of biological information such as protein sequence similarity in the biological information sea is key information for detecting protein evolutionary relationship. Protein sequence similarity typically implies homology, which in turn may imply structural and functional similarities. In this work, we propose, a learning method for detecting remote protein homology. The proposed method uses a transformation that converts protein sequence into fixed-dimensional representative feature vectors. Each feature vector records the sensitivity of a protein sequence to a set of amino acids substrings generated from the protein sequences of interest. These features are then used in conjunction with support vector machines for the detection of the protein remote homology. The proposed method is tested and evaluated on two different benchmark protein datasets and it-s able to deliver improvements over most of the existing homology detection methods.
Abstract: Information and communication technology (ICT) is
essential to the operation of business, and create many employment
opportunities. High volumes of students graduate in ICT however
students struggle to find job placement. A discrepancy exists between
graduate skills and industry skill requirements. To address the need
for ICT skills required, universities must create programs to meet the
demands of a changing ICT industry. This requires a partnership
between industry, universities and other stakeholders. This situation
may be viewed as a critical systems thinking problem situation as
there are various role players each with their own needs and
requirements. Jackson states a typical critical systems methods has a
pluralistic nature. This paper explores the applicability and suitability
of Maslow and Dooyeweerd to guide understanding and make
recommendations for change in ICT WIL, to foster an all-inclusive
understanding of the situation by stakeholders. The above methods
provide tools for understanding softer issues beyond the skills
required. The study findings suggest that besides skills requirements,
a deeper understanding and empowering students from being a
student to a professional need to be understood and addressed.
Abstract: VRML( The virtual reality modeling language) is a standard language used to build up 3D virtualized models. The quick development of internet technology and computer manipulation has promoted the commercialization of reality virtualization. VRML, thereof, is expected to be the most effective framework of building up virtual reality. This article has studied plans to build virtualized scenes based on the technology of virtual reality and Java programe, and introduced how to execute real-time data transactions of VRML file and Java programe by applying Script Node, in doing so we have the VRML interactivity being strengthened.
Abstract: Mature landfill leachates contain some macromolecular organic substances that are resistant to biological degradation. Recently, Fenton-s oxidation has been investigated for chemical treatment or pre-treatment of mature landfill leachates. The aim of this study was to reduce the recalcitrant organic load still remaining after the complete treatment of a mature landfill leachate by Fenton-s oxidation post-treatment. The effect of various parameters such as H2O2 to Fe2+ molar ratio, dosage of Fe2+ reagent, initial pH, reaction time and initial chemical oxygen demand (COD) strength, that have an important role on the oxidation, was analysed. A molar ratio H2O2/Fe2+ = 3, a Fe2+ dosage of 4 mmol·L-1, pH 3, and a reaction time of 40 min were found to achieve better oxidation performances. At these favorable conditions, COD removal efficiency was 60.9% and 31.1% for initial COD of 93 and 743 mg·L-1 respectively (diluted and non diluted leachate). Fenton-s oxidation also presented good results for color removal. In spite of being extremely difficult to treat this leachate, the above results seem rather encouraging on the application of Fenton-s oxidation.
Abstract: State Dependent Riccati Equation (SDRE) approach is
a modification of the well studied LQR method. It has the capability of being applied to control nonlinear systems. In this paper the technique
has been applied to control the single inverted pendulum (SIP) which represents a rich class of nonlinear underactuated systems. SIP
modeling is based on Euler-Lagrange equations. A procedure is developed
for judicious selection of weighting parameters and constraint handling. The controller designed by SDRE technique here gives better results than existing controllers designed by energy based techniques.
Abstract: The operating control parameters of injection
flushing type of electrical discharge machining process on stainless
steel 304 workpiece using copper tools are being optimized
according to its individual machining characteristic i.e. Electrode
Wear Ratio (EWR). Higher EWR would give bad dimensional
precision for the EDM machined workpiece because of high
electrode wear. Hence, the quality characteristic for EWR is set to
lower-the-better to achieve the optimum dimensional precision for
the machined workpiece. Taguchi method has been used for the
construction, layout and analysis of the experiment for EWR
machining characteristic. The use of Taguchi method in the
experiment saves a lot of time and cost of preparing and machining
the experiment samples. Therefore, an L18 Orthogonal array
which was the fundamental component in the statistical design of
experiments has been used to plan the experiments and Analysis of
Variance (ANOVA) is used to determine the optimum machining
parameters for this machining characteristic. The control
parameters selected for this optimization experiments are polarity,
pulse on duration, discharge current, discharge voltage, machining
depth, machining diameter and dielectric liquid pressure. The
result had shown that negative polarity machining parameter
setting will decreases EWR.
Abstract: This paper discusses the Urdu script characteristics,
Urdu Nastaleeq and a simple but a novel and robust technique to
recognize the printed Urdu script without a lexicon. Urdu being a
family of Arabic script is cursive and complex script in its nature, the
main complexity of Urdu compound/connected text is not its
connections but the forms/shapes the characters change when it is
placed at initial, middle or at the end of a word. The characters
recognition technique presented here is using the inherited
complexity of Urdu script to solve the problem. A word is scanned
and analyzed for the level of its complexity, the point where the level
of complexity changes is marked for a character, segmented and
feeded to Neural Networks. A prototype of the system has been
tested on Urdu text and currently achieves 93.4% accuracy on the
average.
Abstract: Automatic tube current modulation (ATCM) systems are available for all CT manufacturers and are used for the majority of patients. Understanding how the systems work and their influence on patient dose and image quality is important for CT users, in order to gain the most effective use of the systems. In the present study, a new phantom was used for evaluating dose distribution and image quality under the ATCM operation for the Toshiba Aquilion 64 CT scanner using different ATCM options and a fixed mAs technique. A routine chest, abdomen and pelvis (CAP) protocol was selected for study and Gafchromic film was used to measure entrance surface dose (ESD), peripheral dose and central axis dose in the phantom. The results show the dose reductions achievable with various ATCM options, in relation with the target noise. The doses and image noise distribution were more uniform when the ATCM system was implemented compared with the fixed mAs technique. The lower limit set for the tube current will affect the modulations especially for the lower dose option. This limit prevented the tube current being reduced further and therefore the lower dose ATCM setting resembled a fixed mAs technique. Selection of a lower tube current limit is likely to reduce doses for smaller patients in scans of chest and neck regions.
Abstract: An attempt has been made several times to identify
and discuss the U.S. experience on the formation of political nation in
political science. The purpose of this research paper is to identify the
main aspects of the formation of civic identity in the United States
and Kazakhstan, through the identification of similarities and
differences that can get practical application in making decisions of
national policy issues in the context of globalization, as well as to
answer the questions “What should unite the citizens of Kazakhstan
to the nation?" and “What should be the dominant identity: civil or
ethnic (national) one?"
Can Kazakhstan being multiethnic country like America, adopt its
experience in the formation of a civic nation? Since it is believed that
the “multi-ethnic state of the population is a characteristic feature of
most modern countries in the world," it states that “inter-ethnic
integration is one of the most important aspects of the problem of
forming a new social community (metaetnic - Kazakh people,
Kazakh nation" [1].
Abstract: Islam has a general principle of increase in
population. But the Muslims are equally obliged to take care of
health, education and the provisions etc. for their offspring and wives
in the best possible way. The Muslims would have to regulate and
manage the number of children, if any situation affects their duties
regarding their wives or children. Islam accomplishes permissibility
of temporary blockade in human fertility if someone faces any
problem regarding health of mother or children. During the life of the
Holy Prophet (SAW), Azl (coitus interruptus) was the only way for
temporary spacing between the children. In technologically
developed environment, the same can be resort through some
advanced methodology or instrument of temporary blockade. Solid
grounds are available in Islam that the fertility rate should be
managed if any of the aspect of human quality is being affected.
Abstract: This paper reports the results of an experimental study
conducted to characterise the gas-liquid multiphase flows
experienced within a vertical riser transporting a range of gas-liquid
flow rates. The scale experiments were performed using an
air/silicone oil mixture within a 6 m long riser. The superficial air
velocities studied ranged from 0.047 to 2.836 m/ s, whilst
maintaining a liquid superficial velocity at 0.047 m/ s. Measurements
of the mean cross-sectional and time average radial void fraction
were obtained using a wire mesh sensor (WMS). The data were
recorded at an acquisition frequency of 1000 Hz over an interval of
60 seconds. For the range of flow conditions studied, the average
void fraction was observed to vary between 0.1 and 0.9. An analysis
of the data collected concluded that the observed void fraction was
strongly affected by the superficial gas velocity, whereby the higher
the superficial gas velocity, the higher was the observed average void
fraction. The average void fraction distributions observed were in
good agreement with the results obtained by other researchers. When
the air-silicone oil flows were fully developed reasonably symmetric
profiles were observed, with the shape of the symmetry profile being
strongly dependent on the superficial gas velocity.
Abstract: One of the vital developmental tasks that an
individual faces during adolescence is choosing a career. Arriving at
a career decision is difficult and anxious for many adolescents in the
tertiary level. The main purpose of this study is to determine the
factors relating to career indecision among freshmen college students
as basis for the formulation of a comprehensive career counseling
program for the psychological well-being of freshmen university
students. The subjects were purposively selected. The Slovin-s
formula was used in determining the sample size, using a 0.05
margin of error in getting the total number of samples per college and
per major. The researcher made use of descriptive correlational study
in determining significant factors relating to career indecision.
Multiple Regression Analysis indicated that career thoughts, career
decisions and vocational identity as factors related to career
indecision.
Abstract: Ethanol has been known for a long time, being
perhaps the oldest product obtained through traditional biotechnology
fermentation. Agriculture waste as substrate in fermentation is vastly
discussed as alternative to replace edible food and utilization of
organic material. Pineapple peel, highly potential source as substrate
is a by-product of the pineapple processing industry. Bio-ethanol
from pineapple (Ananas comosus) peel extract was carried out by
controlling fermentation without any treatment. Saccharomyces
ellipsoides was used as inoculum in this fermentation process as it is
naturally found at the pineapple skin. In this study, the capability of
Response Surface Methodology (RSM) for optimization of ethanol
production from pineapple peel extract using Saccharomyces
ellipsoideus in batch fermentation process was investigated. Effect of
five test variables in a defined range of inoculum concentration 6-
14% (v/v), pH (4.0-6.0), sugar concentration (14-22°Brix),
temperature (24-32°C) and time of incubation (30-54 hrs) on the
ethanol production were evaluated. Data obtained from experiment
were analyzed with RSM of MINITAB Software (Version 15)
whereby optimum ethanol concentration of 8.637% (v/v) was
determined. The optimum condition of 14% (v/v) inoculum
concentration, pH 6, 22°Brix, 26°C and 30hours of incubation. The
significant regression equation or model at the 5% level with
correlation value of 99.96% was also obtained.
Abstract: The last years have seen an increasing use of image analysis techniques in the field of biomedical imaging, in particular in microscopic imaging. The basic step for most of the image analysis techniques relies on a background image free of objects of interest, whether they are cells or histological samples, to perform further analysis, such as segmentation or mosaicing. Commonly, this image consists of an empty field acquired in advance. However, many times achieving an empty field could not be feasible. Or else, this could be different from the background region of the sample really being studied, because of the interaction with the organic matter. At last, it could be expensive, for instance in case of live cell analyses. We propose a non parametric and general purpose approach where the background is built automatically stemming from a sequence of images containing even objects of interest. The amount of area, in each image, free of objects just affects the overall speed to obtain the background. Experiments with different kinds of microscopic images prove the effectiveness of our approach.
Abstract: In this paper, we propose a novel concept of relative
distance measurement using Stereo Vision Technology and discuss
its implementation on a FPGA based real-time image processor. We
capture two images using two CCD cameras and compare them.
Disparity is calculated for each pixel using a real time dense disparity
calculation algorithm. This algorithm is based on the concept of
indexed histogram for matching. Disparity being inversely
proportional to distance (Proved Later), we can thus get the relative
distances of objects in front of the camera. The output is displayed on
a TV screen in the form of a depth image (optionally using pseudo
colors). This system works in real time on a full PAL frame rate (720
x 576 active pixels @ 25 fps).
Abstract: Malaysia is aggressive in promoting the usage of ICT
to its mass population through the support by the government
policies and programs targeting the general population. However,
with the uneven distribution of the basic telecommunication
infrastructure between the urban and rural area, cost for being
“interconnected" that is considered high among the poorer rural
population and the lack of local contents that suit the rural population
needs or lifestyles, it is still a challenge for Malaysia to achieve its
Vision 2020 Agenda moving the nation towards an information
society by the year 2020. Among the existing programs that have
been carried out by the government to encourage the usage of ICT by
the rural population is “Kedaikom", a community telecenter with the
general aim is to engage the community to get exposed and to use the
ICT, encouraging the diffusion of the ICT technology to the rural
population. The research investigated by using a questionnaire
survey of how Kedaikom, as a community telecenter could play a
role in encouraging the rural or underserved community to use the
ICT. The result from the survey has proven that the community
telecenter could bridge the digital divide between the underserved
rural population and the well-accessed urban population in Malaysia.
More of the rural population, especially from the younger generation
and those with higher educational background are using the
community telecenter to be connected to the ICT.
Abstract: Video sensor networks operate on stringent requirements
of latency. Packets have a deadline within which they have
to be delivered. Violation of the deadline causes a packet to be
treated as lost and the loss of packets ultimately affects the quality
of the application. Network latency is typically a function of many
interacting components. In this paper, we propose ways of reducing
the forwarding latency of a packet at intermediate nodes. The
forwarding latency is caused by a combination of processing delay
and queueing delay. The former is incurred in order to determine the
next hop in dynamic routing. We show that unless link failures in a
very specific and unlikely pattern, a vast majority of these lookups
are redundant. To counter this we propose source routing as the
routing strategy. However, source routing suffers from issues related
to scalability and being impervious to network dynamics. We propose
solutions to counter these and show that source routing is definitely
a viable option in practical sized video networks. We also propose a
fast and fair packet scheduling algorithm that reduces queueing delay
at the nodes. We support our claims through extensive simulation on
realistic topologies with practical traffic loads and failure patterns.
Abstract: It has been always observed that the effectiveness of
MIS as a support tool for management decisions degenerate after
time of implementation, despite the substantial investments being
made. This is true for organizations at the initial stages of MIS
implementations, manual or computerized. A survey of a sample of
middle to top managers in business and government institutions was
made. A large ratio indicates that the MIS has lost its impact on the
day-to-day operations, and even the response lag time expands
sometimes indefinitely. The data indicates an infant mortality
phenomenon of the bathtub model. Reasons may be monotonous
nature of MIS delivery, irrelevance, irreverence, timeliness, and lack
of adequate detail. All those reasons collaborate to create a degree of
degeneracy. We investigate and model as a bathtub model the
phenomenon of MIS degeneracy that inflicts the MIS systems and
renders it ineffective. A degeneracy index is developed to identify
the status of the MIS system and possible remedies to prevent the
onset of total collapse of the system to the point of being useless.
Abstract: This study used positivist quantitative approach to examine the mathematical concepts acquisition of- KS4 (14-16) Special Education Needs (SENs) students within the school sector education in England. The research is based on a pilot study and the design is completely holistic in its approach with mixing methodologies. The study combines the qualitative and quantitative methods of approach in gathering formative data for the design process. Although, the approach could best be described as a mix method, fundamentally with a strong positivist paradigm, hence my earlier understanding of the differentiation of the students, student – teacher body and the various elements of indicators that is being measured which will require an attenuated description of individual research subjects. The design process involves four phases with five key stages which are; literature review and document analysis, the survey, interview, and observation; then finally the analysis of data set. The research identified the need for triangulation with Reid-s phases of data management providing scaffold for the study. The study clearly identified the ideological and philosophical aspects of educational research design for the study of mathematics by the special education needs (SENs) students in England using the virtual learning environment (VLE) platform.