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Immune responses of human dental pulp stem cells in lipopolysaccharide-induced microenvironment
No full textThis study aimed to investigate the effect of inflammatory stimuli on dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) by assessing their proliferation and expression of genes as well as proteins in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced microenvironment (iDPSCs). DPSCs were first characterized for their mesenchymal properties prior to challenging them with a series of LPS concentrations from 12 to 72 h. Following to this, their proliferation and inflammatory based genes as well as protein expression were assessed. iDPSCs had demonstrated significant expression of mesenchymal markers. Upon exposure to LPS, the viability dropped distinctly with increasing concentration, as compared to control (P < 0.05). The expression of pro-inflammatory genes such as interleukin 6, interleukin 8 were augmented with exposure to LPS (P < 0.05). Similarly, cytokines like tumour necrosis factor (TNF) α and interleukin 1α had increased in dose dependant manner upon LPS exposure (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that LPS concentration between 1 and 2 μg/mL demonstrated inflammation induction in DPSCs that may simulate inflamed microenvironment of dental pulp in clinical scenario. Thus, optimizing iDPSCs secretome profile could be a promising approach to test various regenerative protocols in inflamed microenvironment
Analisis Leksikografi dan Semantik Perkataan al-Kafur dalam Al-Qur’an (Analysis of Lexicography and Semantic The word al-Kafur in the Quran)
No full textThe word al-Kafur is one of terms used for plants in the Quran. Al-Kafur is only cited once in the Quran, which is in the fifth verse of al-Insan. Discussions of the word al-Kafur in Arabic language can be found in the fields of Arabic philology, hadith, Quranic interpretation, lexicography and Arabic poetry. There were disagreements among Arab-Islamic scholars in determining the meaning of word al-Kafur. Some of them refer to it as cinnamomum camphora, some refer to it as the oleander tree, while others gave it other meanings. The factor that led to the dispute among Arab-Islamic scholars was due to the fact that word al-Kafur in the Quran carries the meaning of blessings in heaven. This study aims to elucidate the meaning of the word al-Kafur as described in the Quran. The study adopted a qualitative approach, which used the library search method in data collection and analysis. In an effort to achieve substantial data, the discussion involved the use of the world al-Kafur in different context as used in the interpretations of Quran, hadiths and Arabic poetry. This study also used comparative data from the fields of agricultural science and Islamic medical sciences. Finding from this study showed that the closest interpretation of the world al-Kafur as described in the Quran is cinnamomum camphora. This study has dissolved the conflict in understanding the Quranic verse and rejects allegations of imperfections in the content of the Quran
The perception of non-Muslim tourists towards halal tourism
No full textPurpose: This paper aims to explore the perceptions of non-Muslim tourists towards halal tourism in Malaysia and Turkey. It also investigates the extent to which non-Muslim tourists are willing to purchase certain types of halal products and services. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative data were collected by conducting 35 semi-structured interviews with non-Muslim tourists in Malaysia and another 25 in Turkey. Findings: Six major aspects are identified that describe the perceptions of non-Muslim tourists towards halal tourism. This paper also provides some suggestions for destination marketers on how best to cater for Western tourists and increase international arrivals. Originality/value: This paper explores the perceptions of non-Muslim tourists towards halal tourism which is totally new research in destination marketing. It provides some original insights into the interactions between the religion of Islam and non-Muslim tourists. The insight should be of value to authorities, the industry and academics in both the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds
Pseudo-nitzschia, Nitzschia, and domoic acid: New research since 2011
No full textSome diatoms of the genera Pseudo-nitzschia and Nitzschia produce the neurotoxin domoic acid (DA), a compound that caused amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) in humans just over 30 years ago (December 1987) in eastern Canada. This review covers new information since two previous reviews in 2012. Nitzschia bizertensis was subsequently discovered to be toxigenic in Tunisian waters. The known distribution of N. navis-varingica has expanded from Vietnam to Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Australia. Furthermore, 15 new species (and one new variety) of Pseudo-nitzschia have been discovered, bringing the total to 52. Seven new species were found to produce DA, bringing the total of toxigenic species to 26. We list all Pseudo-nitzschia species, their ability to produce DA, and show their global distribution. A consequence of the extended distribution and increased number of toxigenic species worldwide is that DA is now found more pervasively in the food web, contaminating new marine organisms (especially marine mammals), affecting their physiology and disrupting ecosystems. Recent findings highlight how zooplankton grazers can induce DA production in Pseudo-nitzschia and how bacteria interact with Pseudo-nitzschia. Since 2012, new discoveries have been reported on physiological controls of Pseudo-nitzschia growth and DA production, its sexual reproduction, and infection by an oomycete parasitoid. Many advances are the result of applying molecular approaches to discovering new species, and to understanding the population genetic structure of Pseudo-nitzschia and mechanisms used to cope with iron limitation. The availability of genomes from three Pseudo-nitzschia species, coupled with a comparative transcriptomic approach, has allowed advances in our understanding of the sexual reproduction of Pseudo-nitzschia, its signaling pathways, its interactions with bacteria, and genes involved in iron and vitamin B12 and B7 metabolism. Although there have been no new confirmed cases of ASP since 1987 because of monitoring efforts, new blooms have occurred. A massive toxic Pseudo-nitzschia bloom affected the entire west coast of North America during 2015–2016, and was linked to a ‘warm blob’ of ocean water. Other smaller toxic blooms occurred in the Gulf of Mexico and east coast of North America. Knowledge gaps remain, including how and why DA and its isomers are produced, the world distribution of potentially toxigenic Nitzschia species, the prevalence of DA isomers, and molecular markers to discriminate between toxigenic and non-toxigenic species and to discover sexually reproducing populations in the field
Corrosion protection performance of nanocomposite coatings under static, UV, and dynamic conditions
No full textSilicone-modified epoxy polymeric matrix was successfully fabricated and reinforced with 1–2 wt% SiO2, TiO2, and TiSiO4 nanoparticles. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, differential scanning calorimetry, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy together with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were employed to investigate different characteristics of the prepared coatings. To simulate operating conditions, all samples were characterized via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) after being subjected to different conditions. Corrosion under static conditions, in which the samples were exposed to a static electrolyte without further change in other parameters, was investigated. Furthermore, to study the effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in accelerating the degradation of the coatings, samples were characterized after being subjected to UV while immersed statically in the electrolyte. Additionally, the corrosion protection performance was investigated after subjecting the coated substrates to dynamic conditions involving continuous movement of the sample in the electrolyte, simulating continuous wear of the coated surfaces. Compared with the static condition, the EIS results revealed the vital role of the silicone resin and nanoparticles in improving the stability of the coating film against corrosion degradation in the presence of UV radiation, while poor performance in dynamic condition was recorded for all the coating systems
Impact of intellectual capital on innovation capability and organizational performance: An empirical investigation
No full textIntellectual capital has much contribution for organizational value creation in developed nations, but it is still in progressing stages in developing countries. This study aims to develop a model to investigate the effects of different dimensions of intellectual capital on innovation capability and organizational performance. Data were collected from 295 respondents in large textile companies in Pakistan. This study found significant positive direct and indirect effects on innovation capability and organizational performance among three dimensions of intellectual capital: human, relational, and technological. This research presents the implications for HR managers and policy makers in incorporating intellectual capital. This study contributes to bridge the gap in research by examining the effects of different dimensions of intellectual capital on organizational performance in the context of a developing country
HyPeRM: A hybrid personality-aware recommender for movie
No full textRecommendation systems aim to provide end users with suggestions about items, social elements, products or services that are likely to be of their interests. Most studies on recommender systems focus on finding ways to improve the recommendations, including personalizing the systems based on details such as demographics, location, time and emotion, among others. In this work, a hybrid recommender system, namely HyPeRM, is presented, which uses users' personality traits along with their demographic details (i.e. age and gender) to improve the overall quality of recommendations. The popular Big Five personality trait measurement scale was used to gauge users' personalities. HyPeRM was evaluated using two metrics, that is, Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA). Both metrics revealed that HyPeRM outperformed the baseline model (i.e. one without user's personality) in terms of the recommendation accuracies. The study shows that user recommendations can be further enhanced when their personality traits are taken into consideration, and thus their overall search experience can be improved as well
The Effect of Pathogenesis-Related 10 (PR-10) Gene on the Progression of Fusarium Wilt in Musa acuminata cv. Berangan
No full textPR-10 is a member of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes elicited by the plant’s defense mechanism during pathogen attack. Elevated expression of PR-10 upon different pathogen invasions has been observed in many plant species suggesting its role as an anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal gene. However, the effect of PR-10 in mitigating the infection of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc), the causal agent of Fusarium wilt in banana has not been reported. In this study, the coding sequences of PR-10 gene isolated from Foc resistant Musa acuminata ssp. malaccensis (MaPR-10) were integrated into a local Foc susceptible commercial banana cultivar, Berangan via co-cultivation of embryogenic cell suspension and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Out of 17 putative transgenic lines established, 11 of them positively harbored MaPR-10. Among these, Line-19 plantlets showed the most rapid in-vitro propagation and successfully over-expressed the transgene. Following a nursery challenge experiment with a virulent Foc race 4 (CI HIR) isolate, about 30% of Line-19 plants showed a one-week delay in disease progression when compared to the untransformed controls. From the final evaluation performed in the 5th week-post-inoculation, the leaf symptoms index (LSI) and rhizome discoloration index (RDI) of Line-19 was 3.4 and 6.1, respectively, indicating the disease had progressed. The findings of this study enrich the current existing knowledge on the roles of PR-10 in combating fungal disease in plants
Mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser employing cobalt doped zinc oxide saturable absorber
No full textWe demonstrated a passive mode-locked Erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) based on cobalt-doped zinc oxide (Co-ZnO) nanorods saturable absorber (SA). The nanorods were embedded into a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film as a passive mode-locker. The SA was fabricated by mixing nanorods Co-ZnO solution with PVA solution and dried it in a room temperature. The thin film was sandwiched between two fiber ferrules and incorporated into an Erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) cavity operating in anomalous fiber dispersion of -4.571 ps 2 to generate a mode-locking pulses train. A stable self-started soliton pulses train was generated at threshold pump power of 219 mW. The central wavelength and repetition rate of the laser were 1559.5 nm and 1.007 MHz, respectively. The pulse width and maximum pulse energy obtained are 462.8 ns and 5.1 nJ, respectively at a pump power of 248 mW. The Co-ZnO nanorods film was fabricated by a simple processing technique, and it has a modulation depth of 6 % and saturating intensity of 60 MW/cm 2
Conductivity or rheology? Tradeoff for competing properties in the fabrication of a gel polymer electrolyte based on chitosan-barbiturate derivative
No full textChitosan-barbiturate (Ch-Ba) derivative was synthesized to afford organosolubility. Attachment of Ba onto the Ch backbone was confirmed by 1 H NMR with peaks at 8.2 and 11.1 ppm, and FTIR with bands at 1679 and 1739 cm −1 belonging to the Ba ring. This derivative was used as a host polymer in the preparation of gel polymer electrolytes. The components of the gel consist of tetrapropylammonium iodide (TPAI) as the salt, SiO 2 nanofiller (NF) as the mechanical stabilizer, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as the solvent. The necessary formulation required to produce the gel was studied using response surface models by means of artificial neural networks. Electrochemical and rheological behaviors were studied and the simulated model predicted conductivities were as high as 8.51 mS cm −1 while still maintaining a solid-like gel structure in the region where storage modulus dominated loss modulus, G″/G′ < 1