3D Motion Capture based Physical Fitness using Full Body Tracking Suit

Imran Ghani,Emily Hattman,David T. Smith,Muhammad Hasnain,Israr Ghani,정승렬 한국인터넷정보학회 2023 인터넷정보학회논문지 Vol.24 No.4

This paper presents an approach to exercise that utilizes motion capture through the Rokoko Smart Suit. With the emergence of Covid-19, physical fitness levels have declined due to restrictions on in-person fitness classes and gym closures. To maintain physical activity, many individuals have turned to mobile applications and streaming videos. However, home workouts often lack the motivation and experience found in gyms, classes, or community centers, particularly with the presence of coaches and instructors. Additionally, instructors find it challenging to convey precise postures to their online students, and vice versa. To address this issue, the researchers propose the use of a full-body tracking suit like the Rokoko Smart Suit, which enables instructors to present a more realistic approach to physical activity. The Rokoko Smart Suit offers a 3D view of the instructor, eliminating the limitations of camera scope when streaming on platforms like Zoom or MS Teams. This technology enhances the at-home workout experience, and the incorporation of 3D virtual reality features can further elevate the realism of a workout.

Challenges in Distributed Agile Software Development Environment: A Systematic Literature Review

( Imran Ghani ),( Angelica Lim ),( Muhammad Hasnain ),( Israr Ghani ),( Muhammad Imran Babar ) 한국인터넷정보학회 2019 KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Syst Vol.13 No.9

Due to increasing interest in distributed agile software development, there is a need to systematically review the literature on challenges encountered in the agile software development environment. Using the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach, 32 relevant publications, dated between 2013 and 2018 were selected from four electronic databases. Data from these publications were extracted to identify the key challenges across the system development life cycle (SDLC) phases, which essentially are short phases in each agile-based iteration. 5 types of key challenges were identified as impacting the SDLC phases; these challenges are Communication, Coordination, Cooperation, Collaboration and Control. In the context of the SLDC phases, the Communication challenge was discussed the most often (79 times, 33%). The least discussed challenges were Cooperation and Collaboration (26 times, 11% each). The 5 challenges occur because of distances which occur in distributed environment. This SLR identified 4 types of distances which contribute to the occurrence of these key challenges - physical, temporal, social-cultural and knowledge/experience. Of the 32 publications, only 4 included research which proposed new solutions to address challenges in agile distributed software development. The authors of this article believe that the findings in this SLR are a resource for future research work to deepen the understanding of and to develop additional solutions to address the challenges in distributed agile software development.

Effect of Palestinian Honey on Spermatogenesis in Rats

Abdul-Salam Abdul-Ghani,Nabil Dabdoub,Rateb Muhammad,Rula Abdul-Ghani,Munir Qazzaz 한국식품영양과학회 2008 Journal of medicinal food Vol.11 No.4

Treatment of male albino rats with 5% honey for 20 days had no significant effect on total body weight or on the relative weight of other organs like the testis, seminal vesicles, spleen, kidneys, liver, heart, or brain. The only significant change was a 17% increase in the relative weight of the epididymis (P ≤ .01). The relative weight of all the other organs was similar to those in control animals treated for the same period with drinking water. Treatment of rats for the same period with the same concentration of 5% sucrose produced no significant changes in absolute or relative weight of tested organs compared to control animals. The same treatment with Palestinian honey increased significantly the epididymal sperm count by 37% (P ≤ .05). The activity of testicular marker enzymes for spermatogenesis such as sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) was increased by 31% (P ≤ .05), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was reduced by 48% (P ≤ .05), which indicates that treatment with honey induces spermatogenesis. Similar treatment with sucrose had no significant effect on any of the key enzymes or epididymal sperm count. In conclusion, our results show that ingestion of honey induces spermatogenesis in rats by increasing epididymal sperm count, increasing selectively the relative weight of the epididymis, and increasing SDH activity and reducing LDH activity.

An Eye Toward the Next-Generation Vision of Knowledge Management Systems

Ghani, Imran,Choi, Eun-Mi 한국경영정보학회 2007 한국경영정보학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2007 No.-

Ubiquitous computing environment accelerates the advent of the IT Ecosystem. In the coming generation, a massive number of ubiquitous devices and services are converged into an ultra-large-scale system. In this context, high degrees of complexity and organization change the paradigm of knowledge and its management levels. The objective of this paper is to explore the Knowledge Management Systems in view of demands in ultra-large-scale systems. We introduce motivation for Next-Generation (NG) usage and their upcoming requirements. The possible applications will be discussed, and summary of different techniques are conducted. The tools and techniques that allow KMS to operate as Vital Success Enabler to achieve organizational benefits will be examined. Potential future directions for research are highlighted: these include advances in knowledge capture, storage / retrieval and sharing techniques, in particular with the surrounding role of information technology.

Underwater image quality enhancement through Rayleigh-stretching and averaging image planes

Ghani, Ahmad Shahrizan Abdul,Isa, Nor Ashidi Mat The Society of Naval Architects of Korea 2014 International Journal of Naval Architecture and Oc Vol.6 No.4

Visibility in underwater images is usually poor because of the attenuation of light in the water that causes low contrast and color variation. In this paper, a new approach for underwater image quality improvement is presented. The proposed method aims to improve underwater image contrast, increase image details, and reduce noise by applying a new method of using contrast stretching to produce two different images with different contrasts. The proposed method integrates the modification of the image histogram in two main color models, RGB and HSV. The histograms of the color channel in the RGB color model are modified and remapped to follow the Rayleigh distribution within certain ranges. The image is then converted to the HSV color model, and the S and V components are modified within a certain limit. Qualitative and quantitative analyses indicate that the proposed method outperforms other state-of-the-art methods in terms of contrast, details, and noise reduction. The image color also shows much improvement.

Custom Officers' Readiness for Sales and Service Tax Implementation in Malaysia: An Organisational Readiness for Change Perspective

GHANI, Erlane K,MOHAMMAD, Nurulhuda,MUHAMMAD, Kamaruzzaman Korea Distribution Science Association 2021 The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Busine Vol.8 No.3

This study examines the factors influencing custom officers' readiness for the Sales and Service Tax (SST) implementation in Malaysia. Specifically, this study examines the factors stipulated in the Theory of Organisational Readiness namely, change valence, task knowledge, and resource availability on the customs officers' readiness in terms of change commitment and change efficacy for SST 2.0 implementation. This study utilizes the questionnaire survey distributed to employees of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD) that have undergone a significant change of tax regime from Goods and Service Tax (GST) to SST 2.0. The results show that all three factors significantly and positively influence the customs officers' readiness in terms of change commitment and change efficacy for SST 2.0 implementation in Malaysia. The findings in this study indicate that to ensure smooth SST 2.0 implementation, it is important for the customs department to give attention to the perception of the officers and provide the necessary resources. The findings of this study could assist RMCD and other custom agencies to take into account factors that influence readiness for change which indirectly affect job responsibility and performance of the organization.

Oral Cancer Awareness and its Determinants among a Selected Malaysian Population

Ghani, Wan Maria Nabillah,Doss, Jennifer Geraldine,Jamaluddin, Marhazlinda,Kamaruzaman, Dinan,Zain, Rosnah Binti Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.3

Objective: To assess oral cancer awareness, its associated factors and related sources of information among a selected group of Malaysians. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on all Malaysian ethnic groups aged ${\geq}15$ years old at eight strategically chosen shopping malls within a two week time period. Data were analysed using chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression. Significance level was set at ${\alpha}$ <0.05. Results: Most (84.2%) respondents had heard of oral cancer. Smoking was the most (92.4%) recognized high risk habit. Similar levels of awareness were seen for unhealed ulcers (57.3%) and red/white patches (58.0%) as signs of oral cancer. Age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, education, occupation and income were significantly associated with oral cancer awareness (p<0.05). Conclusions: There was a general lack of awareness regarding the risk habits, early signs and symptoms, and the benefits of detecting this disease at an early stage. Mass media and health campaigns were the main sources of information about oral cancer. In our Malaysian population, gender and age were significantly associated with the awareness of early signs and symptoms and prevention of oral cancer, respectively.

Managing Lateral Infiltration in Permanent Raised Beds Using Different Renovation Methods on Two Soils

Ghani Akbar,Steven Raine,Allen David Mchugh,Greg Hamilton 한국토양비료학회 2014 한국토양비료학회 학술발표회 초록집 Vol.2014 No.6

Lower Limb Muscle Fatigue Alters Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters and Turning Difficulty Characteristics in Parkinson’s Disease

Ghani Halimatul Abd,Alghwiri Alia A.,Hisham Hafifi,Manaf Haidzir 대한재활의학회 2023 Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine Vol.47 No.4

Objective: To determine the effects of lower limb muscle fatigue on spatiotemporal gait parameters and turning difficulty characteristics during the extended Timed Up and Go (extended TUG) test in individuals with different severity stages of Parkinson’s disease (PD).Methods: Forty individuals with PD, classified as Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) stages 2 and 3 participated in this pre- and post-experimental study design. The participants performed a continuous sit-to-stand task from a chair based on 30 cycles/min set-up to induce lower limb muscle fatigue. They performed extended TUG test immediately before and after completing the fatigue protocol. Spatiotemporal gait parameters and turning difficulty characteristics were recorded using two GoPro® Hero 4 Silver cameras. Data were subjected to a repeated-measure ANOVA.Results: Individuals with PD experience significant changes in spatiotemporal gait parameters, specifically stride velocity and length, under conditions of lower limb muscle fatigue (p=0.001). These changes were more pronounced in individuals with PD in the H&Y stage 3 group. Additionally, both PD groups exhibited difficulty with turning, requiring more than five steps to complete a 180° turn and taking more than 3 seconds to accomplish it. Conclusion: These findings highlight the impact of muscle fatigue on gait performance in PD and suggest that individuals in later stages of the disease may be particularly affected. Further research is needed to explore interventions that can mitigate these gait impairments and improve mobility in individuals with PD.

1,3,5-Triazine-Cored Maltoside Amphiphiles for Membrane Protein Extraction and Stabilization

Ghani, Lubna,Munk, Chastine F.,Zhang, Xiang,Katsube, Satoshi,Du, Yang,Cecchetti, Cristina,Huang, Weijiao,Bae, Hyoung Eun,Saouros, Savvas,Ehsan, Muhammad,Guan, Lan,Liu, Xiangyu,Loland, Claus J.,Kobilka American Chemical Society 2019 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY - Vol.141 No.50

<P>Despite their major biological and pharmacological significance, the structural and functional study of membrane proteins remains a significant challenge. A main issue is the isolation of these proteins in a stable and functional state from native lipid membranes. Detergents are amphiphilic compounds widely used to extract membrane proteins from the native membranes and maintain them in a stable form during downstream analysis. However, due to limitations of conventional detergents, it is essential to develop novel amphiphiles with optimal properties for protein stability in order to advance membrane protein research. Here we designed and synthesized 1,3,5-triazine-cored dimaltoside amphiphiles derived from cyanuric chloride. By introducing variations in the alkyl chain linkage (ether/thioether) and an amine-functionalized diol linker (serinol/diethanolamine), we prepared two sets of 1,3,5-triazine-based detergents. When tested with several model membrane proteins, these agents showed remarkable efficacy in stabilizing three transporters and two G protein-coupled receptors. Detergent behavior substantially varied depending on the detergent structural variation, allowing us to explore detergent structure-property-efficacy relationships. The 1,3,5-triazine-based detergents introduced here have significant potential for membrane protein study as a consequence of their structural diversity and universal stabilization efficacy for several membrane proteins.</P> [FIG OMISSION]</BR>