bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring The Netley British Red Cross Magazine: An example of the development of nursing and patient care during the First World War
Authors: Serrano‐Fuentes Nestor , Andina‐Diaz Elena
Published: November 2020

Netley Hospital played a crucial role in caring for the wounded during the nineteenth century and twentieth century, becoming one of the busiest military hospitals of the time. Simultaneously, Florence Nightingale delved into the concept of health and developed the theoretical basis of nursing. This research aims to describe the experiences related to nursing and patient care described in The Netley British Red Cross Magazine during the First World War. The analysis displays different nurses' roles and the influence of environmental factors in the delivery of the soldiers' care. There are indications that Nightingale's ideas would have infiltrated the nursing practices and other aspects of the soldiers' recovery at Netley. The history of the Netley Red Cross Hospital shows the theoretical and practical advancement of nursing care towards a holistic approach.
‘There's something about sustainability’: The discursive dynamics of policy reform
Authors: Ainsworth Susan
Published: November 2020

Sustainability is now among the hegemonic discourses used by government to construct problems and policy beyond the environmental domain. Detached from its origins, it functions as an ‘empty signifier’ whose flexibility and ambiguity can be harnessed in policy‐making and political debate. This article uses an Australian case study to show how sustainability discourse was mobilized to justify reversing a previous decision and raise the age at which the publicly funded aged pension could be accessed. Overall, it contributes to understanding how hegemonic intervention is accomplished by tracing discursive processes over time and amongst different texts, helping to identify shifts and turning points in trajectories of policy reform and political debate. I conclude by arguing that the use of sustainability discourse warrants particular critical attention because it signals broader difficulties in imagining alternative collective futures and considering the costs and consequences arising from current arrangements.
Advantages of feeling appreciated: An examination of how receipt of gratitude influences the linkages betweenPSMand behaviour
Authors: Davis Randall S. , Stazyk Edmund C. , Dickman Zachary T.
Published: November 2020

In this article, we examine several situational factors that condition the relationship between public service motivation (PSM) and organizational behaviours. Specifically, we examine how the receipt of gratitude and appreciation is associated with the complex relationships between PSM, work attitudes and turnover intent. We analyse the conditional indirect effects from PSM to turnover intent with a series of structural equation models using data from the 2010 US Merit Systems Protection Board. Our findings indicate that the relationship between PSM and blaming others for diminished performance capacity is moderated by feeling appreciated, which conditions the indirect relationship to turnover intent. In other words, increases in PSM appear to lead individuals to internalize diminished performance capacity and remain with their organization as long as they believe their work is appreciated. These findings provide guidance for structuring feedback to capitalize on the benefits of PSM.
Increased substrate availability reveals the potential of scentless lisianthus flowers in producing fragrant benzenoid‐phenylpropanoids
Authors: Fang Fang , Oliva Moran , Ovadia Rinat , Bar Einat , Nissim‐Levi Ada , Kumar Varun , Wang Ru , Neeman Agmon , Zaccai Michele , Lewinsohn Efraim , Oren‐Shamir Michal
Published: November 2020

Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum), a leading plant in the cut flower industry, is scentless. Here we show that lisianthus flowers have potential to produce several fragrant benzenoid‐phenylpropanoids when substrate availability is not limited. To enable hyperaccumulation of substrates for the production of volatile benzenoid‐phenylpropanoids, lisianthus commercial hybrid “Excalibur Pink” was transformed via floral dipping with a feedback‐insensitive Escherichia coli DAHP synthase (AroG*) and Clarkia breweri benzyl alcohol acetyltransferase (BEAT), under constitutive promoters. The T1 progeny of “Excalibur Pink” plants segregated into four visual phenotypes, with pink or white colored petals and multiple or single petal layers. Interestingly, transformation with AroG* and BEAT caused no significant effect in the pigment composition among phenotypes, but did increase the levels of down‐stream fragrant volatile benzenoids. All the transgenic lines exclusively accumulated methyl benzoate, a fragrant benzenoid, either in their petals or leaves. Furthermore, feeding with benzyl alcohol resulted in the accumulation of two novel benzenoids, benzyl acetate (the product of BEAT) and benzoate, as well as a dramatic increase in the concentrations of additional benzenoid‐phenylpropanoid volatiles. Presumably, the degree of benzaldehyde overproduction after benzyl alcohol feeding in both leaves and flowers revealed their reverse conversion in lisianthus plants. These findings demonstrate the concealed capability of lisianthus plants to produce a wide array of fragrant benzenoid‐phenylpropanoids, given high substrate concentrations, which could in turn open opportunities for future scent engineering.
Proline is a quencher of singlet oxygen and superoxide both in in vitro systems and isolated thylakoids
Authors: Rehman Ateeq Ur , Bashir Faiza , Ayaydin Ferhan , Kóta Zoltán , Páli Tibor , Vass Imre
Published: November 2020

Proline is a versatile plant metabolite, which is produced in large amounts in plants exposed to osmotic and oxidative stress. Proline has been shown to provide protection against various reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals. On the other hand, its protective effect against singlet oxygen has been debated, and it is considered ineffective against superoxide. Here we used various methods for the detection of singlet oxygen (electron paramagnetic resonance, EPR, spin trapping by 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐4‐piperidone, fluorescence probing by singlet oxygen sensor green, SOSG, and oxygen uptake due to chemical trapping) and superoxide (oxygen uptake due to oxygen reduction) in vitro and in isolated thylakoids. We demonstrated that proline does quench both singlet oxygen and superoxide in vitro. By comparing the effects of chemical scavengers and physical quenchers, we concluded that proline eliminates singlet oxygen via a physical mechanism, with a bimolecular quenching rate of ca. 1.5–4 106 M−1 s−1. Our data also show that proline can eliminate superoxide in vitro in a process that is likely to proceed via an electron transfer reaction. We could also show that proline does quench both singlet oxygen and superoxide produced in isolated thylakoids. The scavenging efficiency of proline is relatively small on a molar basis, but considering its presence in high amounts in plant cells under stress conditions it may provide a physiologically relevant contribution to ROS scavenging, supplementing other nonenzymatic ROS scavengers of plant cells.
The extra‐vascular water pathway regulates dynamic leaf hydraulic decline and recovery in Populus nigra
Authors: Trifilò Patrizia , Petruzzellis Francesco , Abate Elisa , Nardini Andrea
Published: November 2020

Leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) is highly dynamic and typically responds to changes in water status and irradiance. However, the relative contribution of vascular (Kx) and extra‐vascular (Kox) water pathways to Kleaf changes in response to water potential decline and recovery in function of light conditions remains poorly investigated. We investigated the dynamic responses of leaf hydraulics in Populus nigra L. by measuring Kleaf, Kx, and Kox changes under drought and upon recovery. Measurements were done at both low and high irradiance (LI and HI, respectively). Kleaf increased and became more vulnerable to dehydration under HI conditions than LI, due to marked changes of Kox. After re‐watering, Kleaf recovered in parallel with Kox recovery, but Kleaf response to irradiance remained inhibited. Strong correlations between Kleaf and drought‐induced membrane damage demonstrated the relevance of the cell‐to‐cell water pathway in driving the dynamic responses of Kleaf under drought and recovery. Our findings highlight the importance of coordination between water and light availability in modulating the overall Kleaf response to environmental conditions.
Unknown, so also unvalued? Blood donation awareness and attitudes of potential donors of Dutch and African descent
Authors: Klinkenberg Elisabeth F. , Fransen Mirjam P. , de Kort Wim L.A.M. , Huis in ’t Veld Elisabeth M.J. , van Weert Julia C.M.
Published: November 2020

Background and objectives

Many Western countries face a shortage of African blood donors, while their specific blood groups are needed to transfuse chronic transfusion patients of similar ethnic background. Blood donation awareness and attitudes greatly impact the decision to become a blood donor, but how they are related and differ across ethnic groups is understudied. This study investigated blood donation awareness and attitudes of individuals of Dutch and African descent in the Netherlands.

Materials and methods

Survey data of 257 African and 152 Dutch non‐donors measuring donation awareness (i.e. being familiar with the Dutch blood bank organization and knowing others who donated blood), cognitive (evaluative judgements) and affective (emotional reactions) attitudes were included. t‐Tests, chi‐square tests, linear and logistic regressions were conducted to study differences and associations between donation awareness and attitudes.

Results

African individuals were less often aware of the Dutch blood bank organization (43%; p < 0·05) or others who donated blood (51%; p < 0·05) than Dutch individuals (55% and 68%, respectively). African individuals had lower cognitive donation attitudes compared with Dutch individuals (p < 0·001), but no differences were found for affective attitudes (p = 0·55). High donation awareness was associated with higher cognitive (p < 0·001) and affective (p < 0·05) donation attitudes among African minorities, but not among Dutch individuals.

Conclusion

The lower donation awareness and cognitive attitudes of African minorities should be taken into consideration in donor recruitment. Raising awareness through effective communication strategies might be essential in the donor decision making process of this target group.
Accumulation of polyphenols and flavonoids in Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt stressed by heavy metals (zinc, lead and cadmium)
Authors: Ikram Khedim , Houcine Abdelhakim Reguieg Yssaad , Topcuoglu Bülent , Badiaa Osmane , Houria Tadjouri
Published: November 2020

Pollution of the environment and soils by heavy metals is one of the major problems of our time. Our study was to determine the effect of five doses for : zinc, lead and cadmium (0, 2500, 5000, 7500, and 10000 ppm) applied to the Atriplex canescens after 60 days for two weeks. The results showed an increase in the total polyphenols and flavonoids, depending on the increasing concentration of heavy metals at the leaf and root levels. The leaves have total polyphenols and flavonoids higher than those of the roots. The highest levels of total polyphenols and flavonoids in the leaves (3.47 mg EAG/ gdry weight of total polyphenols and 3.70 mg EQ/g dry weight of flavonoids) were obtained at a dose of 10000 ppm (cadmium, lead) respectively. On the other hand, the highest levels of total polyphenols and flavonoids in the roots were obtained at the metallic dose of 10000 ppm for cadmium (3.38 mg EAG/ gdry weight of total polyphenols and 0.61 mg EQ/g dry weight of flavonoids). These results also underlined the important role of secondary metabolites (total polyphenols and flavonoids) in the defense against oxidative stress caused by metallic stress.
The conjugacy class graphs of non-abelian 3-groups
Authors: Zulkarnain Athirah , Sarmin Nor Haniza , Mat Hassim Hazzirah Izzati
Published: November 2020

A graph is formed by a pair of vertices and edges. It can be related to groups by using the groups’ properties for its vertices and edges. The set of vertices of the graph comprises the elements or sets from the group while the set of edges of the graph is the properties and condition for the graph. A conjugacy class of an element  is the set of elements that are conjugated with . Any element of a group , labelled as , is conjugated to  if it satisfies  for some elements  in  with its inverse . A conjugacy class graph of a group   is defined when its vertex set is the set of non-central conjugacy classes of  . Two distinct vertices   and   are connected by an edge if and only if their cardinalities are not co-prime, which means that the order of the conjugacy classes of  and  have common factors. Meanwhile, a simple graph is the graph that contains no loop and no multiple edges. A complete graph is a simple graph in which every pair of distinct vertices is adjacent. Moreover, a  -group is the group with prime power order. In this paper, the conjugacy class graphs for some non-abelian 3-groups are determined by using the group’s presentations and the definition of conjugacy class graph. There are two classifications of the non-abelian 3-groups which are used in this research. In addition, some properties of the conjugacy class graph such as the chromatic number, the dominating number, and the diameter are computed. A chromatic number is the minimum number of vertices that have the same colours where the adjacent vertices have distinct colours. Besides, a dominating number is the minimum number of vertices that is required to connect all the vertices while a diameter is the longest path between any two vertices. As a result of this research, the conjugacy class graphs of these groups are found to be complete graphs with chromatic number, dominating number and diameter that are equal to eight, one and one, respectively.
Preparation of supported-deep eutectic solvent membranes: Effects of bath medium composition on the structure and performance of supported-deep eutectic solvent membrane for CO2/N2 gas separation
Authors: Mohd Nasib Amira , Hatim Irfan , Jullok Nora , Rasidi Syahmie
Published: November 2020

Polyvinylidene fluoride-co-polytetrafluoroethylene, PVDF-co-PTFE polymer was used as a membrane support. The asymmetric membranes were formed by immersion of casted membrane film into the coagulation bath. This work manipulated the coagulant bath medium by mixing ethanol with distilled water at different weight percentages (0, 25 and 50 wt. % of ethanol). The structures of fabricated membranes were observed to have different morphologies. Higher ethanol content altered the membrane structure from finger-like to sponge-like structure, and hence differed in membrane porosity. Vacuum-based technique was chosen to impregnate the deep eutectic solvent (DES) into the pores of membrane support. DES was prepared by mixing choline chloride (ChCl) and ethylene glycol at a ratio of 1:3. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to study the membrane morphology changes while in order to determine the immobilization of DES, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis was used. The porosity of fabricated PVDF-co-PTFE membrane was determined by means of gravimetric method. Lastly, the membrane separation performance using CO2 and N2 gasses were used to determine the capability of the supported-DES-membrane.  The results demonstrated the highest immobilization of DES in supported membrane pores was achieved when combination of 25 wt. % of ethanol and 75 wt. % distilled water was used as a coagulant bath medium. The respective membrane has 74.5% porosity with the most excellent performance of CO2 separation at 25.5 x 103 GPU with CO2/N2 selectivity of 2.89.
Metal organic framework mixed-matrix membrane for arsenic removal
Authors: Tajuddin Muhammad Hariz Aizat , Jaafar Juhana , Md Nordin Nik Abdul Hadi , Ismail Ahmad Fauzi , Othman Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan , A. Rahman Mukhlis
Published: November 2020

Metal organic framework (MOF) is a recent class of porous materials that are built from metal cluster and organic linker. Among the discovered MOFs, UiO-66 has demonstrated both attributes of water stability and hydrophilic, making it suitable for wastewater treatment. In this study, 0.5 wt% UiO-66 was integrated into polysulfone membrane as nanofiller to form mixed-matrix membrane (MMM) with a thin-film composite, dense polyamide layer formed on top of the substrate layer that intended to remove 100 ppm of arsenic V from wastewater through forward osmosis. The successful synthetization of UiO-66 nanoparticle was proven by XRD and FESEM. The pure water permeability was significantly higher with the presence of LiCl in dope solution as pore former. It was found that the arsenic rejection achieved was 87.5% with satisfactory water flux and salt reverse flux.
Graphene from waste and bioprecursors synthesis method and its application: A review
Authors: Tajul Arifin Nur Fatihah , Yusof Norhaniza , Ismail Ahmad Fauzi , Jaafar Juhana , Aziz Farhana , Wan Salleh Wan Norhayati
Published: November 2020

Recently, carbonaceous material such as porous carbon, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, graphene oxide (GO) and activated carbon has received tremendous attention from researchers. To date, the exploration of graphene is still in vast. Graphene has been applied in various applications which include polymer composites, energy storage, fuel cell and biomedical applications. This is due to its unique characteristics such as large surface area and high remarkable electronic, mechanical and thermal properties. Even though chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has been established as an effective method to synthesize graphene, but the yield is low and may not compatible in certain applications. In addition, the chemical process of the production of graphene from exfoliation of graphite oxide involves hazardous and toxic reagents. Currently, bio-waste materials have been a great source for production of carbon. Furthermore, bio-waste materials are abundant and proper disposal method is needed. Hence, preparation of graphene from waste and biomass precursors is a new alternative to overcome the afore mentioned problem. Therefore, this paper will be focused on the method of synthesizing graphene from glucose, rice husk, chitosan, corn stalk core and plastic waste. The application of graphene derived from each bioprecursor for dye removal, adsorption of toxic and heavy metals, gas storage and supercapacitors will also be reviewed.
Analytical approximation solution for logistic delay differential equation
Authors: Talib Nurul Atiqah , Maan Normah , Barde Aminu
Published: November 2020

Although the non-linear analytical techniques are fast developing, they still do not entirely satisfy mathematicians and engineers. Many researchers have conducted the study to find the analytical solution for the logistic delay differential equation. However, for the time lags occasion, it is quite hard and tough to achieve analytical solution due to its limitation, and thus, we can only expect the approximate analytical solution. This paper describes the approximate analytical techniques, homotopy analysis method (HAM), and homotopy perturbation method (HPM) in order to indicate their ability in solving the logistic delay differential equation. HAM is one of the better approaches that can be used for solving this equation. The use of HAM will lead to obtaining the series solution that contains an auxiliary parameter  that can help to adjust and control the convergence and rate approximation for the series solution. Meanwhile, HPM is an analytical method with a combination of homotopy in topology and classical perturbation technique. Using the HPM technique, the logistic delay differential equation is reduced to a sufficiently simplified form, which usually becomes a linear equation that is easy to be solved. The comparison of numerical solution with -values of HAM has shown the influence of parameter  in the convergence of series solution. Using HAM and HPM, the relationship between the time-delay τ and the population size is obtained.  As a result, the higher the value of  the steeper the gradient of the population size . It is concluded that the parameter  helps to adjust and control the convergence and rate approximation for the series solution of HAM. Laterally, the comparison between HAM and HPM with numerical method is done to show that both methods are relatively approximate to the exact solution. Moreover, homotopy perturbation method (HPM) is a special case of homotopy analysis method (HAM) when and . Hence, using HAM and HPM techniques, two different kinds of series solutions of logistic delay differential equation are obtained.
Development of oil-in-water microemulsion encapsulating Vitamin E for thermal and hydrolysis degradation study
Authors: Abdul Rahman Khairun Nisa , Eh Suk Vicit Rizal , Khalid Khalisanni , Mohd Ihsan Nurhazirah , Md Dom Zainurin , Misran Misni
Published: November 2020

Vitamin E is widely used for medicinal and cosmeceuticals purposes. However, it is easy to degrade by the environment. In this study, the degradation of Gold Tri.E™ was studied and determined. Gold Tri.E™ is a mixture of Vitamin E homologs (tocotrienol and tocopherol) extracted from palm oil (Elais Guineensis). A nanocarrier system has been optimized to encapsulate Gold Tri.E™ from degrading and increasing its stability as a bioactive compound. An oil-in-water (o/w) microemulsion was formulated and optimized as the best carrier to encapsulate Gold Tri.E™ with the mean particle size of 32.60±3.60 nm and 99.99±0.01% encapsulation efficiency (EE). Degradation of the Gold Tri.E™ in o/w microemulsion was significantly reduced as compared to the bare Gold Tri.ETM. This suggested that the system could protect Gold Tri.E™ from thermal and hydrolysis degradation. Thus, the ease of preparation, low-cost production, and small particle size obtained when Gold Tri.E™ encapsulated in this system give promising drug delivery system to encapsulate, protect, and increase the shelf life of Gold Tri.E™.
Synthesis and performance assessment of coconut fiber solid adsorbent for waste cooking oil purification as biodiesel feedstock
Authors: Oktavian Rama , Poerwadi Bambang , Pahleva Mochamad Reza , Muharyanto Mochammad Wahyu , Supriyono Supriyono
Published: November 2020

Waste cooking oil can be considered as an alternative biodiesel feedstock for replacing edible oils. However, this feedstock can not be directly used since it contains much impurities and high Free Fatty Acid (FFA) content. Thus, pre-treatment process is required to enhance the feedstock quality. Adsorption using activated carbon is one of various methods that can be applied to reduce FFA content which is relatively easy and cheap. Coconut fiber is biomass waste that can be utilized in activated carbon production. This work has successfully synthesized activated carbon from coconut fiber with activator medium of H3PO4 10% weight and carbonization temperature of 600 °C, indicated from yield, water content, ash content, and methylene blue adsorption capacity. The yield of carbonization process developed in this work reached 40% while the yield for water content, ash content, and methylene blue adsorption capacity were 2.5%, 2.3% and 1646.1 mg/g carbon, respectively which complied with SNI 06-3730-1995.  This adsorbent was tested on fixed bed adsorption column with FFA reduction reached up to 93% at waste cooking oil flowrate of 3 ml/min for 45 minutes operation time.
Bubble column application on purification of biogas and production of nano-calcium carbonate in continuous process
Authors: Ihsana Yukh , Rama Putu Adhi , Winardi Sugeng , Nurtono Tantular
Published: November 2020

Purification of biogas by removing carbon dioxide content has been developed to increase its calorific value. The CO2  contained in biogas was absorbed by contacting Ca(OH)2 solution and CO2 in the bubble column to produce high purity of biogas and generated precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) simultaneously. Two sources of CO2 were used in this work, which were CO2 contained in biogas and pure CO2. Pure CO2 was used as a benchmark in this study to show the effect of the presence of methane contained in biogas on the absorption process. The investigation was done in a continuous process. The results showed that the highest absorption of CO2 was obtained in biogas at 79.34 %. PCC with calcite phases was successfully formed in 225–270 nm. Rhombohedral calcite phase was formed by the use of pure CO2 and biogas as a source of CO2. The use of CO2 contained in biogas and pure CO2 in the absorption process did not have an effect on the crystalline phase and morphology of calcite formed. Several factors that significantly affected the absorption of CO2 were gas flow rate, absorbent flow rate, CO2 concentration in the gas inlet, and the initial liquid level in the bubble column.
Deposition of ultrasonic nebulized aerosols onto a hydrophilic surface
Authors: Kusdianto Kusdianto , Gen Masao , Wada Mitsuki , Winardi Sugeng , Lenggoro I Wuled
Published: November 2020

The effect of chemical treatment of a metallic substrate on the deposition of aerosols generated by an ultrasonic nebulizer was investigated. A single substrate with areas having different “level” of hydrophilicity (or hydrophobicity) was used as a model surface. The treated (more hydrophilic) area became more negatively-charged based on a surface electric potential meter. A low-pressure analysis method (electron-microscope image) and ordinary pressure methods (Raman spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence) analytical results indicated that in comparison with the untreated area, the treated area trapped more particles in the case of the deposition of “wet” aerosols. In the case of the deposition of more “dry” aerosols, the untreated area trapped more particles rather than that of the treated one. The efficiency of particles deposition not only depended on the degree of hydrophilicity (or hydrophobicity) of the surface but also due to the conditions (wet or dry) of incoming aerosols.
Medium-chain fatty acids in nutritional therapy: A review
Authors: Zulkanain Izzati Nur , Ab-Rahim Sharaniza , Camalxaman Siti Nazrina , Mazlan Musalmah
Published: November 2020

Medium-Chain Fatty Acids (MCFA) are saturated fats with aliphatic rings of 6-12 carbons. It is widely accepted that the metabolism of MCFA induces ketogenesis in the liver. Ketone bodies have been suggested to produce larger amounts of energy compared to glucose. Its benefit in providing an alternative source of energy has been as one of the strategies to prevent disease development especially those diseases that are associated with glucose metabolism or mitochondrial dysfunction. The current review highlights the nutritional impacts of MCFA and its utilization in disease therapy.
Academic preference based on students’ personality analysis through k-means clustering
Authors: Mohd Ariff Noratiqah , Abu Bakar Mohd Aftar , Zamzuri Zamira Hasanah
Published: November 2020

It is believed that the education quality increases in line with the knowledge and understanding of students’ personality. The theory and techniques associated with measurement of skills, abilities, attitudes and psychological traits are studied under the field of psychometrics. The students’ psychometric scores and their academic programme of choice from a local university in Malaysia are analysed using k-means. It is found that there are distinctive clusters to differentiate the students’ personality traits and the differences can influence them in choosing certain programmes. Hence, the results are useful to determine the suitable methods to increase the students’ academic performance.
Flood monitoring and forecasting using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and meteorological data: A case study
Authors: Islam Bhuiyan Md Mafijul , Hoque SNM Azizul
Published: November 2020

Availability of several space-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) missions has widened the scope of utilizing radar images for monitoring flooded areas. In this paper, the capability of SAR data was investigated to assess and map flooded regions in Sylhet, located in the northeast part of Bangladesh. Co-polarized (VV) Satellite imageries from 2017 have been collected from Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B to use in this study. Relative Humidity (RH), Soil moisture and the amount of precipitation data have been used to predict spatiotemporal inundation in Sylhet region. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was implemented to forecast the runoff directions of water from mountain after heavy rainfalls in Sylhet region. Results of this study indicated that temporal flood prediction errors could be minimized especially for shorter lead times and overall, they showed the applicability of SAR which in combination with images from SAR, DEM and meteorological data that could be exploited to monitor the flooded areas and give better forecasts.
The zeros distribution of Z_5-symmetric model on a triangular lattice
Authors: Zakaria Siti Fatimah , Mohd Manshur Nor Sakinah
Published: November 2020

We study the -symmetric model with the nearest neighbour interaction between molecular dipole of five spin directions i.e. Q=5 which called as the -symmetric model on a triangular lattice. We investigate the zeros of partition function and the relationship to the phase transition. Initially, the model is defined on a triangular lattice graph with the nearest neighbour interaction. The partition function is then computed using a transfer matrix approach. We analyse the system by computing the zeros of the polynomial partition function using the Newton-Raphson method and then plot the zeros in a complex plane. For this lattice, the result shows that for specific type of energy level there are multiple line curves approaching real axis in the complex plane. The equation of the specific heat is produced and then plotted for comparison. Motivated from the work by Martin (1991) on models on square lattice, we extend the previous study to different lattice type that is triangular lattice.
Vertical distribution of the radon concentration at Batu Pahat district, Johor, Malaysia
Authors: Saleh Muneer Aziz , Syed Othman Syed Nurhaizam , Hamzah Khaidzir , Zainal Jasman
Published: November 2020

This study investigated the vertical distribution of radon, 222Rn concentrations in soil gas for different soil types and found the relation between the measured gamma dose rates and radon concentrations. The 222Rn concentrations in soil gas were measured at depth of 20 cm, 60 cm, 80 cm and 100 cm using semiconductor detector (RAD7) coupled with soil gas probe. The overall activity concentrations of 222Rnin soil were ranged from Minimum Detectable Activity (MDA)to 54000 ± 3000 Bq m−3 in Batu Pahat District. The results showed that the overall highest concentration of 222Rn was recorded at 40 cm depth for most of the soil types, which could be the most reliable for taking the radon measurements than other depths. Soil type 32 (Dystric Nitosolse Orthic Ferrasols-Rengam Jerangau) has the highest radon concentration, which was 12,462 ± 5237 Bq m-3.  The gamma dose rates (GDR) above 1 m were measured using portable survey meters (Ludlum 19). A good relationship between radon concentrations in soil gas and the measured gamma dose rates was observed using Pearson Correlation. The results of 222Rn concentration in soil gas obtained from this study were in agreement with results reported by other researchers.
The Z_6-symmetric model partition function on triangular lattice
Authors: Mohd Manshur Nor Sakinah , Zakaria Siti Fatimah , Ganikhodjaev Nasir
Published: November 2020

There is a study on a square lattice that can predict the existence of multiple phase transitions on a complex plane. We extend the study on the different types of ZQ-symmetric model and different lattices in order to provide more evidence to the existence of multiple phase transitions. We focus on the ZQ-symmetric model with the nearest neighbour interaction on the six spin directions between molecular dipole, i.e. Q = 6 on a triangular lattice. Mainly, the model is defined on the triangular lattice graph with the nearest neighbour interaction. By using the transfer matrix approach, the partition functions are computed for increasing lattice sizes. The roots of polynomial partition function are also computed and plotted in the complex Argand plane. The specific heat equation is used for further comparison. The result supports the existence of the multiple phase transitions by the emergence of the multiple line curves in the locus of zeros distribution for specific type of energy level.
Regularity of Geometric quadratic stochastic operator generated by 2-partition of infinite points
Authors: Karim Siti Nurlaili , Hamzah Nur Zatul Akmar , Ganikhodjaev Nasir
Published: November 2020

In this research, we construct a class of quadratic stochastic operator called Geometric quadratic stochastic operator generated by arbitrary 2-partition  of infinite points on a countable state space , where . We also study the limiting behavior of such operator by proving the existence of the limit of the sequence  through the convergence of the trajectory to a unique fixed point. It is established that such operator is a regular transformation.
Adsorption isotherms and kinetics of phosphate on waste mussel shell
Authors: Abdul Salim Nur Atikah , Puteh Mohd Hafiz , Yusoff Abdull Rahim Mohd , Abdullah Noorul Hudai , Fulazzaky Mohamad Ali , Arman Mohd A’ben Zulkarnain Rudie , Khamidun Mohd Hairul , Zaini Muhammad Abbas Ahmad , Syafiuddin Achmad , Ahmad Noraziah , Mat Lazim Zainab , Nuid Maria , Zainuddin Nur Azmira
Published: November 2020

In this study, removal of phosphate (PO43−) from aqueous solutions using waste mussel shell (WMS) was examined. The physicochemical characteristics of WMS were identified. In the batch experiments, the effects of contact time and adsorbent dosage (m) on the PO43− adsorption by the WMS were scrutinised. The maximum PO43− removal efficiency (E) was 83.4% at 144 h contact time for WMS dosage of 10 g. A comparison of kinetic models applied to the adsorption of PO43− onto WMS was evaluated using pseudo-first-order (PFO) and pseudo-second-order (PSO) kinetic models. The experimental data was fitted well with the PSO kinetic model. In the isotherm studies, Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were applied. The Langmuir isotherm model was well described with the PO43− adsorption. The results indicated that WMS has a good potential to adsorb PO43− from water and thus could improve environmental quality. Furthermore, this study investigated on how the Langmuir isotherm for basic adsorption could be applied to predict E or required m under a given set of initial conditions (i.e., initial solute concentration, solution volume, and adsorbent dosage). This was accomplished by combining the Langmuir isotherm with mass balance of solutes between liquid solution and solid adsorbent phases.
Effects of extraction method on dry pulp yield and morphological properties of pineapple leaf fibre
Authors: Munthoub Dayangku Intan , Wan Abdul Rahman Wan Aizan , Jin Hau Lew , A. Majid Rohah , Jau Choy Lai
Published: November 2020

Pineapple leaves (PALs) are useful agro wastes which have the potentials to be used as an alternative source of non-wood natural fiber. In this study, different extraction methods had been investigated to identify the most feasible pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) extraction method, based on the dry pulp yield and the PALF morphology. The manual retting using a ceramic scrapper led to low yield of around 1.8 % (wt.), while water retting for 21 d led to about 6.0 % (wt.) yield of dark greenish dry pulp. Both methods resulted in PALFs which still contained with non-cellulosic residues, as verified by scanning electron microscopic (SEM) imaging. The chemical extraction of PALF using various NaOH solution concentrations (i.e. 1 to 20 % (wt.)) gave different yields. Based on the SEM images, clean and smooth surfaces of fibrils were observed when the NaOH solution concentrations applied at or higher than 6 % (wt.), implying that all impurities including lignin and wax had been completely removed. The mechanical-chemical extraction method produced significantly more dry pulp compared to the chemical extraction method at the same NaOH solution concentration. This is attributed to the fact that the crushed PAL has a larger surface area, thus providing more reaction possibilities with NaOH solution. Finally, it was found that the crushed PAL that cooked at 90 °C needed at least 90 min of cooking time to obtain satisfying whitish dry pulp.
Copper oxide derived from copper(I) complex of 2-acetylpyridine-N(4)-(methoxy phenyl)thiosemicarbazone as an efficient catalyst in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol
Authors: Wafudu Handy Omar Abdullahi , Shah Jamil Mohamad Shazwan , Shamsuddin Mustaffa
Published: November 2020

A copper(I) complex of 2-acetylpyridine-N(4)-(methoxy phenyl)thiosemicarbazone was successfully synthesized and structurally characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA)  and CHN elemental analyses. The complex was converted into copper oxide in a simple, efficient, and cheap method via solid state thermal decomposition. Test of the catalytic performance of the copper(I) complex and copper oxide were in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) shows that copper oxide has a higher catalytic activity (98.7%) compared to the copper(I) complex (78.2%). Optimization of the catalyst loading revealed that 1.0 mol% of catalyst was the most optimized amount with the highest conversion (98.7%) than any other amounts, 0.5 mol% (96.8%), 1.5 mol% (95.4%) and 2.0 mol% (89.6%). Recyclability and reproducibility tests of copper oxide prove that this catalyst was very efficient, exhibit excellent reproducibility with consistent catalytic performances and could be reused four times without significant decrease in the catalytic activities.
Improving yield and quality characteristics of kaffir lime oil (citrus hystrix DC) by solid fermentation pretreatment using tempeh yeast
Authors: Nurhadianty Vivi , Sarosa Aji Hendra , Wahyuningsih Ida , Cahyani Chandrawati
Published: November 2020

The industrial development of flavor and fragrance currently leads to natural ingredients. Kaffir lime is a potential ingredient developed from Indonesia, but distillation of essential oil in Indonesia generally results in low yields and quality. Fermentation as the initial treatment of distillation would improve the yield and quality of essential oil. The fermentation process is usually performed as pretreatment using cellulolytic bacteria such as Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma viride, or Trichoderma reesei, but the use of those bacteria is considered less practical for essential oil distillation process. Therefore, this research utilized tempeh yeast to increase yield and quality of essential oil. Since tempeh yeast consists of Rhizopus producing hyphae, it is expected that hyphae are able to penetrate the tissue, making it easier for oil to get out of the leaves. The aerobic fermentation process was carried out by continuous addition of air inside the fermenter with air compressor. Fermentation was observed within four days. The distillation was performed by using steam distillation method. The result of this study showed that leaf lime essential oil with fermentation process of day 3 produced the highest yield of 0.67%, which increased 20% compared to non-fermented leaves. The composition of leaf lime essential oil was 87.92% Citronellal, 1% β- caryophyllene, 0.3% Citronellal acetate, 0.9% Citronellol, and 1.77% linalool, which comply to local industry standard.
Development of polyethersulfone (PES)/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite nanofiltration membrane
Authors: Hamzah Norzakiah , Johary Fasihah , Rohani Rosiah , Sharifuddin Syazrin Syima , Mohd Isa Mohd Hafez
Published: November 2020

Polyethersulfone (PES) is a polymeric material that is commonly used due to its chemical resistance, high mechanical strength, and thermal stability. The improvement of PES hydrophilicity and anti-fouling properties can be facilitated by mixing additives into the polymer casting solution. This study involved the preparation and characterization of PES/pluronic F108/chitosan/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite nanofiltration membrane. The modified PES membrane was developed by employing the phase inversion method via immersion precipitation. The effect of varying concentration of rGO nanocomposite ranging from 0.05 to 0.20 wt% in the fabricated membrane was evaluated in terms of membrane pure water permeation (PWP), salt rejection, morphology, and hydrophilicity. Images obtained from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed increasing rGO nanocomposite concentration in the casting solution, resulted in the increase in membrane sub layer thickness, hydrophilicity, salt rejection, and improvement in the membrane pore structure. Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of the hydrophilic functional group and chemical compound in the prepared membrane. PES with 0.20 wt% of rGO nanocomposite obtained the highest PWP at 28.64 (L/m2h) at 5 bar pressure, whereas the highest rejections of monovalent and multivalent salt were obtained by PES with 0.15 wt% rGO nanocomposite with 75% and 89% rejections, respectively at 5 bar pressure. This study shows that the utilization of rGO nanocomposite as an additive in the PES casting solution can enhance nanofiltration membrane performance and morphological structure.
Tuning of nonlinear optic response properties for ruthenium alkynyl complexes via computational-guided structural tailoring
Authors: Abdul Razak Fazira Ilyana , Abdul Wahab Roswanira , Jamaludin Rosmawati , Adamu Aliyu
Published: November 2020

Hartree Fock (HF) and density functional theory (DFT) methods based on a 3-21G set level were used to computationally assess the nonlinear optic (NLO) response of six ruthenium (Ru) arylalkynyl complexes. The low basis set of 3-21G was proved to provide adequate results with difference of only about 3% between calculation and experimental data. Substitution of Ru-phenyl with six simplified models of Ru-H and Ru-methyl complexes revealed that DFT-based calculations were more accurate than HF in estimating the NLO response. The calculated bond lengths and angles of Ru-methyl were in good agreement with Ru-phenyl. Given that the calculated C≡C stretching vibration and UV-vis maximum absorption for Ru-methyl was comparable to Ru-phenyl, with values corresponding to 2154.56 cm-1 and 460.93 nm, respectively. It was evident that Ru-H, Ru-methyl and Ru-phenyl complexes undergo intraligands π-π* and Laporte forbidden metal d-d transition. Henceforth, it is affirmed that calculations using simplified Ru-H complexes were as much as reliable as the full structure of Ru to assess the NLO response. Assessment of electron inductive effect on Ru-carbonyl (Ru-Co), Ru-cyclopentadienyl (Ru-Cp) and Ru- bipyridine (Ru-bpy) complexes revealed two absorption maxima that appeared in regions 320−375 nm and 382−460 nm, which represent an intraligand π-π* orbital and Laporte forbidden d-d-transition, respectively. Migration of electrons from Ru center to the bipyridine ligand suggests a greater electron acceptor effect than Ru center to the arylalkynyl group. However, Ru conjugated to an electron withdrawing group i.e. carbonyl tend to render lower NLO response while elevating HOMO - LUMO energy gap and Ru to Cα bond lengths.
Biomechanical analysis of conventional and locking compression plate for treating fibula fracture: A finite element study
Authors: Ramlee Muhammad Hanif , Mohamad Afandi Mohamad Hafiz , Gan Hong Seng , Abdul Kadir Mohammed Rafiq
Published: November 2020

1) Background: Due to questionable effectiveness of malleolar fracture fixation, biomechanical study was conducted to compare the stability of One Third Tubular (OTT) Plate and Locking Compression Plate (LCP); 2) Methods: CT image of bone was used to develop 3D bone model while the plate was constructed in Solidwork with varied number of screws. Further, finite element study was conducted for both models where the bone and plate were defined as homogenous and isotropic material properties; 3) Results: For LCP, the highest VMS observed at the plate for 3 screws was 484 MPa, whereas for 5 screws plate was 667 MPa. Meanwhile, for OTT, the highest VMS at plate was observed for 3 screws was 300.5 MPa, whereas for 5 screw plate was 127.5 MPa. 4) Conclusion: Based on the results, it can be noted that the usage of 3 screw causing a lower VMS at plate compared to 5 screws. However, the relation is only valid for LCP. On the other hand, for OTT, 5-screw constructs giving a low VMS than 3-screw constructs. It can be concluded that the optimum stabilities of OTT and LCP were found at 5 screws and 3 screws, respectively.
The behavior of renormalizations of circle maps with rational rotation numbers and with Zygmund conditions
Authors: Akhadkulov Habibulla , Begmatov Abdumajid , Ying Teh Yuan
Published: November 2020

Let  be one-parameter family of circle homeomorphisms with a break point, that is, the derivative  has jump discontinuity at this point. Suppose  satisfies a certain Zygmund condition which is dependent on parameter . We prove that the renormalizations of circle homeomorphisms from this family with rational rotation number of sufficiently large rank are approximated by piecewise fractional linear transformations in  and -norms, depending on the values of the parameter   and , respectively.
Mixed convection of micropolar fluid on a permeable stretching surface of another quiescent fluid
Authors: Majid Nurazleen Abdul , Mohammad Nurul Farahain , Mohd Kasim Abdul Rahman , Shafie Sharidan
Published: November 2020

In recent decades, micropolar fluid has been one of the major interesting research subjects due to the numerous applications such as blood, paint, body fluid, polymers, colloidal fluid and suspension fluid. However, the behavior of micropolar fluid flow over a permeable stretching surface of another quiescent fluid with a heavier density of micropolar fluid under the condition of mixed convection is still unknown. Thus, the current work aims to investigate numerically the mixed convection of micropolar fluid flow over a permeable stretching surface of another quiescent fluid. In this research, the similarity transformation is implemented to reduce the boundary layer governing equations from partial differential equations to a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. Then, this model is solved numerically using shooting technique with Runge-Kutta-Gill method and applied in Jupyter Notebook using Python 3 language. The behavior of micropolar fluid in terms of velocity, skin friction, microrotation and temperature are analyzed.