Student's Perception on Walkability Performance of Campus Facilities: a Case study of UiTM Perak, Seri Iskandar Campus

This study is trying to investigate the perceptions of student in term of walkability performances of campus facilities in UiTM Perak, Seri Iskandar Campus. For the past few years, UiTM Perak has been promoting "Experiential Learning in A Green Environment". One of the main component to achieve green environment is walkability. Walking has been a part of an everyday routine for students in Malaysian universities. Almost every university in Malaysia is built in a complex compound. Therefore, walking is a must for moving from one point to another. Walking as mode of transportation will promote good health and a sustainable environment. The pedestrian and walkway seem to be lacking and not well maintained. This has been an issue for the students who live in the campus, when they need to walk from their residential block to their academic block as they tend to walk on the street rather than on the pedestrian. This study incorporates two methodologies, based on quantitative and qualitative method to justify this situation. Data collected via questionnaires from 200 students of UiTM Perak, Seri Iskandar Campus who reside on campus. For qualitative method, a visual study was conducted to study in terms of visual perception. This study is expected to give a clear perspective to the university regarding the problems and what needs to be done for the future development of the built environment

Effects of Cannabis sativa extract on haloperidol-induced catalepsy and oxidative stress in the mice

Haloperidol is a classic antipsychotic drug known for its propensity to cause extrapyramidal symptoms due to blockade of dopamine D2 receptors in the striatum. Interest in medicinal uses of cannabis is growing. Cannabis sativa has been suggested as a possible adjunctive in treatment of Parkinson's disease. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of repeated administration of an extract of Cannabis sativa on catalepsy and brain oxidative stress induced by haloperidol administration in mice. Cannabis extract was given by subcutaneous route at 5, 10 or 20 mg/kg (expressed as Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol) once daily for 18 days and the effect on haloperidol (1 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced catalepsy was examined at selected time intervals using the bar test. Mice were euthanized 18 days after starting cannabis injection when biochemical assays were carried out. Malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and nitric oxide (the concentrations of nitrite/nitrate) were determined in brain and liver. In saline-treated mice, no catalepsy was observed at doses of cannabis up to 20 mg/kg. Mice treated with haloperidol at the dose of 1 mg/kg, exhibited significant cataleptic response. Mice treated with cannabis and haloperidol showed significant decrease in catalepsy duration, compared with the haloperidol only treated group. This decrease in catalepsy duration was evident on days 1-12 after starting cannabis injection. Later the effect of cannabis was not ap-parent. The administration of only cannabis (10 or 20 mg/kg) decreased brain MDA by 17.5 and 21.8 %, respectively. The level of nitric oxide decreased by 18 % after cannabis at 20 mg/kg. Glucose in brain decreased by 20.1 % after 20 mg/kg of cannabis extract. The administration of only haloperidol increased MDA (22.2 %), decreased GSH (25.7 %) and increased brain nitric oxide by 44.1 %. The administration of cannabis (10 or 20 mg/kg) to haloperidol-treated mice resulted in a significant decrease in brain MDA and nitric oxide as well as a significant increase in GSH and glucose compared with the haloperidol-control group. Cannabis had no significant effects on liver MDA, GSH, nitric oxide in saline or haloperidol-treated mice. It is concluded that cannabis improves catalepsy induced by haloperidol though the effect is not maintained on repeated cannabis administration. Cannabis alters the oxidative status of the brain in favor of reducing lipid peroxidation, but reduces brain glucose, which would impair brain energetics

Alteration of microRNAs regulated by c-Myc in burkitt lymphoma

Background: Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is an aggressive B-cell lymphoma, with a characteristic clinical presentation, morphology and immunophenotype. Over the past years, the typical translocation t(8;14) and its variants have been considered the molecular hallmark of this tumor. However, BL cases with no detectable MYC rearrangement have been identified. Intriguingly, these cases express MYC at levels comparable with cases carrying the translocation. In normal cells c-Myc expression is tightly regulated through a complex feedback loop mechanism. In cancer, MYC is often dysregulated, commonly due to genomic abnormalities. It has recently emerged that this phenomenon may rely on an alteration of post-transcriptional regulation mediated by microRNAs (miRNAs), whose functional alterations are associated with neoplastic transformation. It is also emerging that c-Myc modulates miRNA expression, revealing an intriguing crosstalk between c-Myc and miRNAs. Principal Findings: Here, we investigated the expression of miRNAs possibly regulated by c-Myc in BL cases positive or negative for the translocation. A common trend of miRNA expression, with the exception of hsa-miR-9*, was observed in all of the cases. Intriguingly, down-regulation of this miRNA seems to specifically identify a particular subset of BL cases, lacking MYC translocation. Here, we provided evidence that hsa-miR-9-1 gene is heavily methylated in those cases. Finally, we showed that hsa-miR-9* is able to modulate E2F1 and c-Myc expression. Conclusions: Particularly, this study identifies hsa-miR-9* as potentially relevant for malignant transformation in BL cases with no detectable MYC translocation. Deregulation of hsa-miR-9* may therefore be useful as a diagnostic tool, suggesting it as a promising novel candidate for tumor cell marker

Atmospheric water vapor maps generations from stochastic interpolation of GNSS Zenith Tropospheric Delays

LAUREA MAGISTRALEIl monitoraggio degli eventi meteorologici nella moderna meteorologia richiede l'uso di tecniche avanzate, con I sistemi globali di navigazione satellitare (GNSS) che stanno emergendo come una soluzione importante. Per migliorare la precisione del posizionamento, il ritardo di propagazione che interessa i segnali GNSS nella troposfera viene meticolosamente modellato e stimato. Questo ritardo rappresenta l'effetto cumulativo del viaggio del segnale in direzione zenitale sopra la stazione GNSS ed è costituito da due componenti: la componente stratificata, associata ai gas in equilibrio idrostatico, e la componente di turbolenza, attribuita al comportamento di non equilibrio del vapore acqueo. Sebbene anche il vapore acqueo contribuisca alla parte stratificata, una precisa stima puntuale degli Zenith Total Delays (ZTDs) è fondamentale per le applicazioni meteorologiche e di previsione. Questa tesi si concentra sull'utilizzo dei dati di ritardo troposferico rilevati dal GNSS per generare mappe ad alta risoluzione di ZTD, con un'enfasi specifica sulla descrizione della distribuzione spaziale del vapore acqueo e della sua evoluzione temporale. A tal fine è stata avviata la collaborazione con lo spin-off GReD di POLIMI e sono stati acquisiti i dati di due casi studio per la produzione cartografica. Il primo caso di studio ha coinvolto 34 stazioni GNSS della rete SPIN3 nel nord Italia, nell'arco di due anni. Il secondo caso di studio si è concentrato su un grave evento meteorologico in Polonia, utilizzando i dati di 278 stazioni di riferimento GNSS su tre reti. La metodologia Precise Point Positioning (PPP) è stata impiegata per derivare le serie temporali ZTD con una risoluzione temporale di 30 secondi. Nel primo caso di studio, la variazione topografica è significativa, spaziando dalle aree pianeggianti a sud alla zona montuosa degli Albs a nord. La rete SPIN3 presenta una distanza minima di stazione interna di 19,4 km e una distanza massima di 350 km. Al contrario, il secondo caso di studio copre prevalentemente terreni pianeggianti in Polonia, ad eccezione della regione montuosa meridionale. Le tre reti in Polonia garantiscono una densità di dati di osservazione di circa una stazione ogni 1120 chilometri quadrati. La nostra metodologia è iniziata separando la componente stratificata dalle ZTD, permettendoci di isolare la componente di turbolenza attribuita al vapore acqueo. Successivamente è stato adottato un approccio di predizione stocastica, assumendo l'omogeneità e l'isotropia del campo di turbolenza. Per quantificare la correlazione spaziale tra le osservazioni di turbolenza, sono stati calcolati variogrammi empirici. Per l'adattamento del variogramma sono stati considerati due modelli di adattamento, vale a dire i modelli esponenziale e di potenza. Utilizzando il kriging ordinario e utilizzando i parametri teorici del modello di variogramma, sono state generate mappe di turbolenza e mappe di errore di stima per ciascuna area di studio, comprendendo epoche specifiche di interesse. Per valutare l'accuratezza delle nostre stime, è stata eseguita la validazione incrociata Leave One Out (LOOCV) per entrambi i casi di studio. Inoltre, per il secondo studio di caso, è stata condotta una convalida incrociata utilizzando una delle tre reti. L'errore quadratico medio medio annuo (RMSE) ottenuto per la rete SPIN3 in Italia è stato determinato in 8,8 mm. Nel caso della Polonia, LOOCV ha prodotto un RMSE medio annuo di 1,2 cm, mentre la convalida incrociata utilizzando un'altra rete ha prodotto un RMSE medio di 7,6 mm.Weather events monitoring in modern meteorology necessitates the use of advanced techniques, with global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) emerging as a prominent solution. To enhance positioning accuracy, the propagation delay affecting GNSS signals in the troposphere is meticulously modeled and estimated. This delay represents the cumulative effect of signal travel in the zenith direction above the GNSS station and consists of two components: the stratified component, associated with gases in hydrostatic equilibrium, and the turbulence component, attributed to the non-equilibrium behavior of water vapor. Although water vapor also contributes to the stratified part, a precise pointwise estimation of Zenith Total Delays (ZTDs) is crucial for meteorological and forecasting applications. This thesis focuses on utilizing GNSS-sensed tropospheric delay data to generate high-resolution maps of ZTDs, with a specific emphasis on describing the spatial distribution of water vapor and its temporal evolution. To accomplish this, collaboration was established with the POLIMI spin-off GReD, and data from two case studies were acquired for map production. The first case study involved 34 GNSS stations from the SPIN3 network in northern Italy, spanning two years. The second case study focused on a severe weather event in Poland, utilizing data from 278 GNSS reference stations across three networks. Precise Point Positioning (PPP) methodology was employed to derive the ZTD time series with a temporal resolution of 30 seconds. In the first case study, the topographic variation is significant, ranging from flat areas in the south to the mountainous Albs area in the north. The SPIN3 network exhibits a minimum inner station distance of 19.4 km and a maximum distance of 350 km. Conversely, the second case study covers mostly flat terrain in Poland, except for the southern mountainous region. The three networks in Poland ensure an observation data density of approximately one station per 1120 square kilometers. Our methodology commenced by disentangling the stratified component from the ZTDs, allowing us to isolate the turbulence component attributed to water vapor. Subsequently, a stochastic prediction approach was adopted, assuming homogeneity and isotropy of the turbulence field. To quantify the spatial correlation among turbulence observations, empirical variograms were computed. Two fitting models, namely the exponential and power models, were considered for variogram fitting. By employing ordinary kriging and utilizing the theoretical variogram model parameters, turbulence maps and estimation error maps were generated for each study area, encompassing specific epochs of interest. To evaluate the accuracy of our estimations, Leave One Out cross-validation (LOOCV) was performed for both case studies. Additionally, for the second case study, cross-validation was conducted using one of the three networks. The annual average root mean square error (RMSE) obtained for the SPIN3 network in Italy was determined to be 8.8 mm. In the case of Poland, LOOCV yielded an annual average RMSE of 1.2 cm, while cross-validation using another network resulted in an average RMSE of 7.6 mm

Amelioration of the haloperidol-induced memory impairment and brain oxidative stress by cinnarizine

Haloperidol is a classic antipsychotic drug known for its propensity to cause extrapyramidal symptoms and impaired memory, owing to blockade of striatal dopamine D2 receptors. Cinnarizine is a calcium channel blocker with D2 receptor blocking properties which is widely used in treatment of vertiginous disorders. The present study aimed to see whether cinnarizine would worsen the effect of haloperidol on memory function and on oxidative stress in mice brain. Cinnarizine (5, 10 or 20 mg/kg), haloperidol, or haloperidol combined with cinnarizine was administered daily via the subcutaneous route and mice were examined on weekly basis for their ability to locate a submerged plate in the water maze test. Mice were euthanized 30 days after starting drug injection. Malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and nitric oxide (nitrite/nitrate) were determined in brain. Haloperidol substantially impaired water maze performance. The mean time taken to find the escape platform (latency) was significantly delayed by haloperidol (2 mg/kg, i.p.) on weeks 1-8 of the test, compared with saline control group. In contrast, those treated with haloperidol and cinnarizine showed significantly shorter latencies, which indicated that learning had occurred immediately. Haloperidol resulted in increased MDA in cortex, striatum, cerebellum and midbrain. GSH decreased in cortex, striatum and cerebellum and nitric oxide increased in cortex. Meanwhile, treatment with cinnarizine (20 mg/kg) and haloperidol resulted in significant decrease in MDA cortex, striatum, cerebellum and midbrain and an increase in GSH in cortex and striatum, compared with haloperidol group. These data suggest that cinnarizine improves the haloperidol induced brain oxidative stress and impairment of learning and memory in the water maze test in mice

Cannabis-induced impairment of learning and memory

Cannabis sativa preparations are the most commonly used illicit drugs worldwide. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Cannabis sativa extract in the working memory version of the Morris water maze (MWM; Morris, 1984) test and determine the effect of standard memory enhancing drugs. Cannabis sativa was given at doses of 5, 10 or 20 mg/kg (expressed as Δ^9-tetrahydrocannabinol) alone or co-administered with donepezil (1 mg/kg), piracetam (150 mg/ kg), vinpocetine (1.5 mg/kg) or ginkgo biloba (25 mg/kg) once daily subcutaneously (s.c.) for one month. Mice were examined three times weekly for their ability to locate a submerged platform. Mice were euthanized 30 days after starting cannabis injection when biochemical assays were carried out. Malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide, glucose and brain monoamines were determined. Cannabis resulted in a significant increase in the time taken to locate the platform and enhanced the memory impairment produced by scopolamine. This effect of cannabis decreased by memory enhancing drugs with piracetam resulting in the most-shorter latency compared with the cannabis. Biochemically, cannabis altered the oxidative status of the brain with decreased MDA, increased GSH, but decreased nitric oxide and glucose. In cannabis-treated rats, the level of GSH in brain was increased after vinpocetine and donepezil and was markedly elevated after Ginkgo biloba. Piracetam restored the decrease in glucose and nitric oxide by cannabis. Cannabis caused dose-dependent increases of brain serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine. After cannabis treatment, noradrenaline is restored to its normal value by donepezil, vinpocetine or Ginkgo biloba, but increased by piracetam. The level of dopamine was significantly reduced by piracetam, vinpocetine or Ginkgo biloba. These data indicate that cannabis administration is associated with impaired memory performance which is likely to involve decreased brain glucose availability as well as alterations in brain monoamine neurotransmitter levels. Piracetam is more effective in ameliorating the cognitive impairments than other nootropics by alleviating the alterations in glucose, nitric oxide and dopamine in brain

A New Method to Start Loaded Induction Motors

Three-phase induction motors have a widespread use in industry, and starting of loaded induction motors is an important matter. However, there are few studies on motor starting using variable-frequency drives (VFDs). The existing control schemes, described by these studies, have disadvantages such as dependence on derived characteristics, adjustment of settings, design of controllers, or burden of calculations on the control processor. In this paper, a simple and effective control scheme of VFDs to start loaded motors is proposed. In this scheme, there is no dependence on any characteristic, adjustment of settings, controllers, and rotor speed sensor. By this scheme, the motor is controlled to give the required acceleration rate, provided that the maximum-torque limit is not violated. Also, this leads to keep the starting current at satisfactory values. The proposed scheme is appropriate when a high starting torque is required and /or when the starting is repeated many times per hour

Voltammetric studies of some azo compounds derived from 4-methyl-6,7-dihydroxy coumarin in microemulsion and aqueous media

The cyclic voltammetric(CV) behavior of some azo compounds based on coumarin derivatives  was investigated in microemulsion systems and in aqueous solutions. The obtained results indicated that these compounds undergo an irreversible 4-electron reduction step leading to cleavage of the N=N center with the formation of amine compounds in all media. The effect of medium on the CV parameters was discussed. The total number of electrons involved in the reduction process was determined by controlled potential coulometry. Also, The effect of substituents on the electrode reaction pathway and the kinetic parameters of the electrode process were calculated and discussed. Based on the data obtained the electroreduction mechanism was suggested and discussed

Genetic variations between two ecotypes of Egyptian clover by inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) techniques

The inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers have been used in order to determine genetic variation and relationship between two clover ecotypes. Ten (10) primers for ISSR were used in this study but only six were successful in generating reproducible and reliable amplicons for different types of the Egyptian clover. The results reveal the polymorphism level by ISSR primers. HB10 ISSR-primer was higher than the rest of the ISSR primers in polymorphic 100%. The Fahl monocut ecotype had 29 present bands, 3 absent bands in total of 32 bands; among those there were two unique bands. The multicut ecotype were given different pattern of bands, Gemmiza1 (21 present and 11 absent), Giza6 (21 present and 11 absent) and Serw1; (23 present and 9 absent). There were three unique bands appearance in the two ecotypes. Fahl was given two with HB11 and HB13; the Serw1 multicut cultivar had one unique bands with HB08. Similarity indices among the four Egyptian clover cultivars based on ISSR analysis was estimated and the highest value appeared between Fahl and Gemmiza1 as well as Giza6 and Serw1 followed by Fahl and Serw1. The lowest similarity value appeared between Gemmiza1 and Serw1 followed by Gemmiza1 and Giza6.Key words: Egyptian clover, molecular marker, Fahl, Gemmiza1, Giza6, Serw1