bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of enzymatic activity of microbiological biopreparation in the cultivation of cotton plant (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under saline stress conditions
Authors: Murodova S S , Khujanazarova M K
Published: December 2020

The changes in enzymic activity of the soils have been studied in the result of inoculation of cotton plants with microbiological preparation “Zamin-M” which was obtained on the base of association of strains Pseudomonas stutzeri SKB-308, Bacillus subtilis SKB-309 and Bacillus megaterium SKB-310 isolated from the rhizosphere of cotton plant grown in different saline soils. The results of the study showed that when the biopreparation “Zamin-M” was used, the enzymic activity of peroxidase was 1.76 ± 0.32 and in the control 1.5 ± 0.31 (mg purpurgalin/g soil, 24 hours), as well as the enzymic activity of polyphenol oxidase was 2.1 ± 0.53 and in the control 1.64 ± 0.51 (mg purpurgalin/g soil, 24 h). In the control variants, the activity of the enzyme of catalase relative to 1 g of absolutely dry soil was 1,0 ± 0,55 according to the amount of oxygen released in 5 minutes, while using the preparation its increase was observed and made 1.8±0.27 ml O2.Similar indicators were found in the study of invertase enzymic activity, when the preparation “Zamin-M” was applied, its amount constituted 271 ± 0.55 (mkg/absolutely dry soil), while in the control variant it made 111 ± 0.41 (mkg/absolutely dry soil). Urease enzymic activity was active under 24 ± 0.3 units when the preparation was used and in the control it was noted to be 14 ± 0,64 (mkg N/NH4/1 g soil) and phosphatase enzymic activity made 74±0.21 and in the control 53±0.32 (mkg P2O5/g soil, 24 hr) which led to the activation of biochemical processes in the soil.
Theoretical and experimental results of determination of the peeler-bar parameters of corn-thresher
Authors: Astanakulov K D , Fozilov G G , Kodirov B Kh , Khudaev I , Shermukhamedov Kh , Umarova F
Published: December 2020

A new type corn-thresher was developed and tested for farms in Uzbekistan. Unlike to the existent threshers, this corn-thresher peels the husks of corn-cobs and threshes the kernel. At first parameters of the peeler-bars were researched theoretically, then three types of peeler bars were installed symmetrically on the surface of rotor of the corn-thresher and compared experimentally. The corn-thresher works qualitatively and it requires least metal and energy. The weight of corn-thresher is just 350 kg, consumes power amount is 5 KW and the work performance of the thresher in the pure time is 4600 kg/hour. During the theoretical research, the results were determined that, width of the peeler-bar should be bigger or equal than 4.8 cm (b

p
≥ 4.8 cm). Also, the distance between peeler-bar and concave should be equal to 38 mm (S

c
= 38). While we researched experimentally the types of peeler bars, three type of them, namely straight tooth, sloped tooth and fluted bar were tested. Their surface was compared between 36-44 mm distance of peeler-bar and concave. When the distance between sloped tooth peeler-bar and concave was 38-40 mm, we achieved to peeling well the husk of corn-cob, threshing better the kernels than other peelers, the most important was that any grain had not damaged when we analyzed results.
Search and study of treatment spring water: A case study of Jizzakh region in Uzbekistan
Authors: Tashpulatova S A
Published: December 2020

Determining the amount of groundwater sources (springs) and analyzing their quality has always been an important issue, because the health of the population largely depends on the quality of the water. This article presents the analytical results of a study of 242 springs in the Jizzakh region for 2018-2020. During these years, 242 sources (springs) in Farish, Bakhmal, Zaamin and other districts located in the mountain side of the Jizzakh region and 164 (68%) of 242 in the Farish district, 33 (14%) in the Bakhmal district, 27 (11%) in the Zaamin district and 18 (7%) located in the Gallaorol. Analysis of chemical and physical properties (total mineralization of the sampled water, iron, silicon compounds, bromine, iodine, carbon dioxide content, organic matter, pH, hardness, etc.) showed that 107 out of 242 springs are natural sources for human health and diseases prevention. The largest number of these springs is 68 (64%) in Farish district, 29 (27%) in Bakhmal district, 9 (8%) in Zaamin district and 1 (1%) in Gallaaral, respectively. These results will play an important role to research with large-scale quantitative and qualitative on healing springs in the future.
From machine learning to deep learning in agriculture – the quantitative review of trends
Authors: Dokic K , Blaskovic L , Mandusic D
Published: December 2020

In the last two decades, we have witnessed the intensive development of artificial intelligence in the field of agriculture. In this period, the transition from the application of simpler machine learning algorithms to the application of deep learning algorithms can be observed. This paper provides a quantitative overview of papers published in the past two decades, thematically related to machine learning, neural networks, and deep learning. Also, a review of the contribution of individual countries was given. The second part of the paper analyses trends in the first half of the current year, with an emphasis on areas of application, selected deep learning methods, input data, crop mentioned in the paper and applied frameworks. Scopus and Web of Science citation databases were used.
Remote control device to control the contact uniformity of the brush strippers on the spindle’s surface of the cotton picking apparatus
Authors: Uljayev E , Ravutov Sh T , Ubaydullayev U M
Published: December 2020

In this paper, the question of implementation remote control of contact uniformity of brush strippers on a spindles surface of the harvest device of the mechanical cotton picker is considered. A brief analysis of known works is carried out and the urgency of the development of a specialized remote control system for the rotation speed of brush strippers and the uniformity of touching the brush strips on the surface of the spindles is substantiated. As a sensing element, it is proposed to use a strain gauge that changes its ohmic resistance when the stripper brush touches the spindle surface. A wireless GSM communication unit is used for remote transmission and reception of information.
Machine for carrying works on deep loosening of soil with the simultaneous application of liquid organic fertilizers
Authors: Martinova N , Shavazov K , Telovov N , Toigambayev S , Yusupov Sh
Published: December 2020

The situation in the country is analyzed, the amount of fallow lands withdrawn from agricultural use during the period of reforms is estimated. The necessity of carrying out work on deep loosening of mineral soils of III-IV groups of heavy mechanical action to increase water permeability, in order to drain excess surface water into the underlying soil layers, has been substantiated. The ways of achieving a high-quality fine crumbly soil structure to achieve an optimal water-air balance for the subsequent development of plants have been investigated. The efforts of reclamation rippers are considered and a two-row deep-ripping type with front shanks of a volumetric structure and rear curved shanks with additional plowshares is selected. The possibility of simultaneous operations on deep loosening of the soil with the introduction of liquid fertilizers has been substantiated. This will increase the fertility of the soil and qualitatively change its composition. The rates of application of liquid fertilizers to the soil have been investigated and a modified design of the machine for the delivery of organo-containing liquid to an enlarged pore space has been proposed. The resistance of soil development was estimated, the traction and grip qualities of the machine were checked and the possibility of installing additional equipment for applying fertilizers to the root-inhabited vegetation layer was revealed. The movement of an organic fluid in the pore representation is considered, the possibility of creating a homogeneous soil structure and uniform distribution of fluid, organic matter, in the root zone of plants is analyzed. The influence of the ongoing reclamation measures on increasing soil fertility, creating an optimal water and air balance for the growth and development of cultural and expected increase in yield is analyzed.
Efficiency of irrigation water discharged to furrows in combating irrigation erosion
Authors: Isaev S Kh , Rakhmonov R U , Tadjiev S S , Goziev G I , Khasanov S Z
Published: December 2020

In this paper, the approach to reduce the risk of irrigation erosion in the irrigated areas where ‘Andijan 37’ and ‘Namangan 77’ varieties of cotton were sowed, in which the topsoil is formed by typical gray soils and which are vulnerable to erosion, was validated. In cotton irrigation, while watering with a device with a 15 mm of irrigation hollow, the cotton water-demand was improved and an optimal and favorable condition to uptake the potential moisture and nutrient for cotton breeding was created. This enabled to harvest 3.6 quintals more cotton yield per ha in contrast to the usual condition, to gain the net profit accounted for 700,309 sums per ha, and to improve the profitability by 38%.
Land suitability assessment for grapevines via laser level in water-scarce regions of Uzbekistan (in the case of Kashkadarya province)
Authors: Jumanov A , Khasanov S , Tabayev A , Goziev G , Uzbekov U , Malikov E
Published: December 2020

The most suitable arable land for viticulture is mainly located in the rain-fed areas such as in the foothills and mountainous regions of Uzbekistan where vineyards reach the acme point of the yield productivity. Irrigating with rainwater in the vineyard has a great potential for obtaining stable yields at the low cost of irrigation water which is proven by experimental and theoretical studies. This paper aims at implementing and testing the advantage of sustainable irrigation methods in water-scarce regions of Uzbekistan by scrutinizing the hydraulic characteristics of irrigation water and slope of the study area. We considered the maximum evapotranspiration rate in general for all phases to calculate the amount of irrigation water required per one vine tree since considering the water scarcity in the maximum growing season is important. We firstly aimed at constructing the pool to store raindrops. To perform this, we used the laser level for checking land suitability and a standardized 20 Ø irrigation pipe to deliver rainwater from the pool to the furrows of the vineyard. The results of the geodetic survey showed that the average slope of the pilot area was equal to 0.022 and enabled to implement the rainwater irrigation.
Research of vertical forces for acting tractor unit
Authors: Marupov I , Imomov Sh , Ermatova D , Majitov J , Kholikova N , Tagaev V , Nuritov I
Published: December 2020

This article provides an important study of the vertical forces acting on the tractor unit. At the same time, it is shown that the undercarriage of a stationary tractor perceives the operating weight of the tractor itself, mounted agricultural machines and fertilizers. Thus, with a steady motion of the tractor unit, the values of the loads on the front and rear wheels change due to the resistance forces of the working tools and the rolling resistance force. And it is also shown that the rolling resistance force reduces the vertical loads on the steering wheel and the drive wheels are loaded by the same amount due to the redistribution of loads along the axles.
Study on preparation and distribution of forage by chopping coarse fodder
Authors: Astanakulov KD , Gapparov Sh , Karshiev F , Makhsumkhonova A , Khudaynazarov D
Published: December 2020

Livestock farming is one of the very important agricultural branches in Uzbekistan. In present days there are a lot of small livestock farms. In cattle farming for increasing productivity it depends on feeding well with different types of fodder of the livestock animals. For this reason, it is necessary for these farms to develop a small chopping machine and distributor device for individual use. According to construction of available fodder-choppers and physical-mechanical properties of the rough fodder, technological schemes of the small scaled chopper-mixer and distributor device were developed. During the experiments the chopping apparatus of the fodder chopper device was researched. When rotation frequency of the rotor was 1000 rpm qualitative chopping of the coarse fodder was determined when diameter of the rotor was 450-500 mm and the number of the knives on the rotor was 24-30 pieces. Next task is making experimental variant of the small scaled fodder distributing device as well testing of performing capability its defined technological process and determination its optimal parameters.
Ion implantation of helium and hydrogen in boron coatings
Authors: Karpikov A N , Larionov A S , Kislitsin S B , Chernov I I , Staltsov M S , Dikov A S , AkaeV S O
Published: December 2020

The work presents the calculated mean free paths of hydrogen, deuterium and helium ions in boron-carbon and boron-titanium films of various configurations. Has been rated impact of these coatings at various film thicknesses for ion capture in tungsten. The calculations were carried out using the software package SRIM-2012, for each mileage value was calculated by modeling of10,000 cascades.
The effect of neutron irradiation in a helium atmosphere on the mechanical properties of 18Cr10NiTi austenitic steel
Authors: Akaev S O , Dikov A S , Dikova L A , Kislitsin S B , Firsova V V , Larionov A S , Chernov I I , Staltsov M S
Published: December 2020

The microstructure and mechanical properties of 18Cr10NiTi austenitic steel were studied after high-temperature neutron irradiation of samples in a helium atmosphere. It was revealed during irradiation, helium penetrates into steel samples forming bubbles distributed on dislocations and along grain boundaries. Character of the temperature dependence of the mechanical characteristics of irradiated steel indicates a high-temperature radiation embrittlement of steel. The character of the mechanical properties temperature dependence change of irradiated steel points to its high-temperature radiation embrittlement.
Manufacturing of high entropy alloy in the Ni-Nb-Co-Fe-Cr system by rapidly solidification method for oxide ceramic brazing
Authors: Gabov A I , Ivannikov A A , Sevryukov O N
Published: December 2020

This paper presents results of research of high-entropy alloys of the Ni-Nb-Co-Fe-Cr system in the as-cast state and after rapid quenching from the melt. The results of experiments on obtaining a brazed joint of aluminum-oxide ceramics with using the filler metal of this system and the results of a studying this joint are presented. Differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) and measurement of microhardness were used as experimental research methods. The liquidus and solidus temperatures of high-entropy alloy Nb0.73CoCrFeNi2.1 were determined. The phase composition of alloys of the Ni-Nb-Co-Fe-Cr system was studied. It was shown, that alloys of this system can be used as filler metal to create a joint between ceramics. The microhardness of the brazed seam was studied. Based on these results the brazing mode for samples of aluminum-oxide ceramics with using high-entropy alloy Nb0.73CoCrFeNi2.1 as a filler metal was chosen.
The prospective technology of production of metal materials grains with extra high rate of solidification
Authors: Galkin E V , Zharov M V
Published: December 2020

This paper presents results of research of influence of extra high speeds of aluminum alloys grain solidification on the increase of mechanical strength characteristics of produced grains and semifinished products, which are made of grains by pressing. During the research it was determined that the most influential factor on metal grain and alloys solidification speed is the vapor film forming around the graining drop of liquid alloy. The vapor film forms due to transformation of the boundary layer into vapor state. The term ‘vapor barrier’ around graining object is implemented for the first time. The article offers the methods of removing the vapor barrier with an aim of a considerable increase of heat rejection intensity and, as a result, increase of grain solidification speed. It is determined that the only effective method of vapor barrier removal is a considerable increase of initial drop movement speed in the cooling liquid during the spinning of metal liquid alloy. The conducted experiment proved theoretical suppositions. The received semifinished products of grained aluminum alloys had a considerable upgrade of metal strength characteristics.
Design of mechanical properties of structural materials for power plant equipment
Authors: Stashenko V I , Skvorcov O B , Troickij O A
Published: December 2020

External impulse action on structural materials allows changing their mechanical properties. Such changes occur primarily in the surface layer of the material. One of the simplest methods of such an effect is to apply electrical impulses to metallic materials. Many different hypotheses have been proposed to explain the processes involved. In this paper, experimental data are presented that show that such hypotheses do not satisfactorily explain the observed phenomena. The results obtained show that the description of processes in the surface layer of a metal under the influence of an electric pulse should take into account the observed phenomena. This is the influence of the polarity of the applied electrical signal, the wave characteristics of the generated damped oscillatory processes, the synchronization of such processes with the moments of the beginning of the leading and trailing edges of the applied electrical pulse, the linear nature of the dependence of the amplitude of the vibration response on the amplitude of the applied pulse. The indicated features are manifested both in the region of elastic and plastic deformations of the metal. Such phenomena are observed for samples in the presence of additional static loading, and without it. The need for an adequate understanding of the processes occurring in this case is necessary for the effective application of methods related to the effect of electric pulses on metals. Such solutions are widely used to control the properties of materials in the processing of metals using cutting, drawing, when performing electric-pulse welding and the creation of non-destructive testing at the stages of production, operation and repair of various industrial equipment.
Current state of studies of shock-wave action on the structure and properties of superconductors
Authors: Mikhailov B , Mikhailova A , Nikulin V , Silin P , Borovitskaya I , Peregudova E
Published: December 2020

The article presents the results of the action of shock waves generated by the Plasma Focus setup on the structure and critical current Jc(B) of MgB2and Bi-2223-based superconductors. The structure of the tapes was studied in the transverse and longitudinal sections using different impact energy intensities (due to a change in the distance from the plasma anode from 20 to 50 mm for the same number of plasma pulses (n=5)). The studies showed the possibility of increasing the critical current (Jc) up to 50% in transverse and longitudinal magnetic fields to 2-3 T after plasma impact due to changes in the microstructure of the superconducting phase, including: grain refinement, interlayer compaction, microdeformations and crystal lattice defects allowing to increase the number of pinning centers of magnetic vortices.
Creation of ultrathin niobium nitride films at temperatures less than 100 °C
Authors: Goncharov B V , Gurovich B A , Prikhodko K E , Dementyeva M M , Stolyarov V L , Olshansky E D , Domantovsky A G , Kutuzov L V , Malieva E M , Cherepanov A A
Published: December 2020

Thin NbN films were synthesized by a method of magnetron sputtering of solid Nb targets by nitrogen ions at temperatures less than 100 °C on substrates of the sapphire. The dependences of electrical resistance of films on the temperature in range 4.2 K – 300 K were measured. Volt-ampere characteristics and critical current density vs film thickness of films were made at a temperature of 4.2 K. The microstructure and film-depth chemical composition of thin films were investigated by analytical methods of the transmission electronic microscopy (HRTEM, EELS) on a cross-section samples made by the FIB technique. HRTEM and EELS study showed the Nb0.84N phase and poly-crystal structure of niobium nitride films. It was found that the critical current density falls down by an order of magnitude when the film thickness was less than 4 nanometers.
Molecular static simulation of edge dislocation core in bcc iron
Authors: Gusev A A , Nazarov A V
Published: December 2020

We simulate the dislocation core structure in bcc iron using the modified Molecular Static method. A feature of this method is the application of an iterative procedure in which the atomic structure in the vicinity of the defect and the constants that determine the displacements of atoms immersed in the elastic continuum are calculated in a self-consistent manner. Following the mentioned approach, we develop a model for calculating the atomic structure of edge dislocations, taking into account the anisotropy of the elastic medium surrounding the main calculation cell. Anisotropy is taken into account by introducing an explicit angular dependence for the parameters of the elastic field created by the dislocation: magnitude of Burgers vector and Poisson’s ratio. Simulation is carried out for a split dislocation with Burgers vector along [100]. The convergence of the iterative algorithm is shown and the influence of the computational cell size on the results is considered. Calculated results are: atomic structure of dislocation in bcc iron, angular dependence of the parameters describing the elastic dislocation field at large distances from the dislocation line, and the strain tensor components in the entire simulation area.
Effect of Fresh Spices on the Fermentation, Colonization of Lactic acid Bacteria and Sensory Acceptability of Fermented Clams (Mercenaria mercenaria)
Authors: Ibrahim Roshita , Muhammad Shukri Nur Shahirah , Hasnoel Mazidi Mazlin Nur Iman
Published: December 2020

Fermentation is one of the common methods used for food preservation in South-Eastern Asia. However, the fermented food products were not well accepted especially by young generations due to its unique taste and distinct aroma. In this study, clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) had been used to investigate the effect of different fresh spices on the fermentation process, colonization of microflora of lactic acid bacteria and sensory acceptability. The clams were fermented for 8 days with addition of different fresh spices such as garlic, ginger and lemongrass. Fermented clam without any addition of fresh spices was served as control The effects on fermentation were analysed in terms of physico-chemical changes such as pH, color and texture. The colonization of lactic acid bacteria were observed on the De Man, Ragosa and Sharpe (MRS), M17 and tomato juice agar. The sensory acceptability of fermented clams with addition of fresh spices were also carried out. The changes of physico-chemical of all parameters were decreased over fermentation period. The CFU of lactic acid bacteria by using MRS, M17 and tomato juice agar were increased for all different fresh spices over fermentation period. Sensory evaluation showed that fermented clam with the addition of lemongrass had the highest acceptability score in terms of aroma, color, taste, texture and overall acceptability.
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Simulation on Mixing in T-Shaped Micromixer
Authors: Ahmad Termizi S N A , Khor C Y , Nawi M A M , Ahmad Nurlela , Ishak Muhammad Ikman , Rosli M U , Jamalludin Mohd Riduan
Published: December 2020

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation used to analyse the fluid mixing in micromixer. There are two cases of miscible liquids that involved within T-shaped micromixer which are ethanol-water and glycerol-water. The T-shaped micromixer consist of micro channel with two inlets channels and one outlet channel was constructed by using AutoCAD software. The effect of inlet velocity and width size toward mixing intensity were investigated. The mixing intensity values determine either good or bad mixing quality could be achieved. In this simulation, at low inlet velocity indicates good mixing quality as the mixing intensity value approaching to one. Whereas the effect of width size on mixing intensity are almost similar throughout simulated width sizes. Mixing intensity for the two cases of diffusion coefficient showed similar trend for different inlet velocity and width size of mixing channel.
Surface Morphology Study on Unclean, Commercial and Bromelain treated Edible Bird Nest (EBN) using Scanning Electron Microscope
Authors: Tai S K , Hamzah Z , Ng Q H , Tan C S
Published: December 2020

Edible Bird Nest (EBN) is a bird made product and its one of the most expensive animal products consumed by human nowadays due to high nutritional values and medicinal properties. Market processed EBN found the presence of mites, fungal spores and feather strands using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Mite was the common cause of anaphylaxis. Indeed, mite are heat resistant and thus can elicit allergic reaction even the food has been cooked. Therefore, the enzyme technology is applied in the current study on EBN to remove most of the pathogen. The results obtained in this study were attributable to the fact that enzyme treatment EBN is added value product and safer for human consumption as compared to that of the market processed EBN.
Screening of macromolecular cross-linkers and food-grade additives for enhancement of catalytic performance of MNP-CLEA-lipase of hevea brasiliensis
Authors: Aziz Al Safi Nur Amalin Ab , Yusof Faridah
Published: December 2020

Skim latex from Hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree) consist of many useful proteins and enzymes that can be utilized to produce value added products for industrial purposes. Lipase recovered from skim latex serum was immobilized via cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEA) technology, while supported by magnetic nanoparticles for properties enhancement, termed ‘Magnetic Nanoparticles CLEA-lipase’ (MNP-CLEA-lipase). MNP-CLEA-lipase was prepared by chemical cross-linking of enzyme aggregates with amino functionalized magnetic nanoparticles. Instead of using glutaraldehyde as cross-linking agent, green, non-toxic and renewable macromolecular cross-linkers (dextran, chitosan, gum Arabic and pectin) were screened and the best alternative based on highest residual activity was chosen for further analysis. Same goes for additives; the traditional use of expensive BSA was replaced with low cost, food grade additives (egg protein, soy protein and milk protein). The optimum condition parameters such as concentration of cross-linker, concentration of additive and concentration of precipitant were determined using one factor at a time (OFAT) method and structural analysis was done by FTIR. The screening results showed that pectin was the best cross-linker (118 % residual activity) and soy protein was the best additive (129 % residual activity) for MNP-CLEA-lipase with optimum conditions of 180 mg/ml pectin, 0.6 % w/v soy protein and 80 % saturation ammonium sulphate. FTIR of MNP-CLEA-lipase showed an Amide I and Amide V bands which originated from silanized magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) and a new band, Amide II was formed prior to the successful CLEA immobilization of lipase enzyme with MNPs.
Properties of Tilapia Collagen as a Biomaterial for Tissue Engineering: A Review
Authors: Zain Norhidayu Muhamad , Saidin Syafiqah , Sosiawan Agung
Published: December 2020

Collagen is one of the common biopolymers used as a biomaterial in tissue engineering applications due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability properties. Collagen derived from various sources and mostly found in porcine and bovine skin. However, due to religious concerns and the dangers of animal-borne diseases possesses by these mammalian derived collagens, marine collagens are extensively investigated as an alternative to substitute mammalian collagens in tissue engineering applications. Among those marine collagens, tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) collagens are known to have a great potential to be used as biomaterials for tissue engineering application due to its higher thermal stability compared to other marine sources. Therefore, this study aims to review chemical and biological properties of tilapia collagen as a biomaterial for tissue engineering applications. The contents are mainly focused on the extraction yield, amino acid composition, thermal stability, cross-linking, biocompatibility, biodegradability, immunogenicity and hemostasis of tilapia collagen.
Effect of initial moisture content on physical properties of Orthosiphon stamineus ground powder during storage
Authors: Razak N A , Rahim N A S A , Shaari A R , Leng L Y
Published: December 2020

Initial moisture content of ground powder is very important factor in maintaining the physical quality of the product during storage. This research was conducted to investigate the effect of initial moisture content of Orthosiphon stamineus ground powder on physical properties such as moisture content, water activity and colour properties during short term storage period. In this research, the experimental treatments were arranged in a completed randomized design (CRD) that consisted of two main factors which were initial moisture content (8, 13 and 20 %) and storage period (0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks). The changes of moisture content, water activity and colour properties were analyzed using moisture analyzer, water activity meter and chroma meter, respectively. From the results, it was revealed that the best initial moisture content to maintain the quality of O. stamineus ground powder was 13 %. At early of storage period, moisture content and water activity were slightly reduced and they started to stable at week 8 to 10. The consistency of moisture content and water activity is expected to last for the next 6 months under same storage condition. However, it could be observed that the colour of O. staminus ground powder was slightly affected during short term storage.
In vitro biodegradation evaluation of linear low density polyethylene embedded with TiO2/ZnO couple oxides
Authors: Harun Nor Hazliana , Mydin Rabiatul Basria S. M. N. , Sreekantan Srimala , Saharuddin Khairul Arifah , Seeni Azman
Published: December 2020

In vitro biodegradation of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) nanocomposite embedded with TiO2/ZnO (1:3) coupled oxides was studied by Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain in minimal broth (M9) in two different culture systems. A biodegradation effect characterized by low weight loss of LLDPE/TiO2/ZnO nanocomposites thin films (0.99%) with glucose as additional nutrient and (0.65%) weight reduction for nanocomposites thin films being immersed in M9 culture system without glucose was observed within 30 days. Bare LLDPE polymer (without addition of photocatalyst) did also having weight reduction for (0.54%). Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) micrographs of pre-treated LLDPE nanocomposites thin films showed enhancement in surface deformation with formation of holes, wrinkles and rough surfaces after being immersed in M9 solution. Untreated LLDPE nanocomposites thin films had appearance of smooth surface with less defects. This study indicated the influence of TiO2/ZnO couple oxides and glucose to boost the in vitro biodegradation of LLDPE nanocomposites thin films. Further research is needed to study the biodegradation process of LLDPE nanocomposites thin films in prolonged time.
Deep Eutectic Solvent for extraction of natural antioxidant from a medicinal plant, Coleus aromaticus
Authors: Nagoor Gunny Ahmad Anas , Xiang Tay Wee , Che Mat Mohd Hishamuddin
Published: December 2020

Antioxidant is a basic requirement for maintaining good health. In this research, natural antioxidant was extracted from C. aromaticus by using different types of synthesized deep eutectic solvents (DES). The extracts were analysed using total phenolic content assay and DPPH radical scavenging assay. Finally, HPLC and FTIR methods were employed to check the present of target compounds. From the result obtained, the best DES was ChCl : glycerol with a ratio of 1:4 bearing 97.25 µg/ml of total phenolic content. The bioactive compounds that were successfully identified through HPLC and FTIR assays were Rosmarinic acid, Caffeic acid, Gallic acid and Quercetin. This shows DES is a potential green solvent to extract bioactive compounds present in medicinal plants.
Evaluation of various lignocellulosic biomass and cereal grains as potential spawn materials for wild Schizophyllum commune cultivation
Authors: Mohd Hassan Siti Aminah Binti , Sam S T , Zakaria N Z I , Aziz N A , Zakaria Z , Nurfatirah N , Azhar M
Published: December 2020

Rapid mycelium growth in spawn production and on growth substrate could suppress contamination, which is significant in mushroom industry. The aim of the study is to investigate the potential of lignocellulosic biomass waste as new materials alternative to common cereal grains in producing spawn for wild S. commune cultivation on rice husk, paddy straw, and rubber wood sawdust. The fastest mycelium growth among lignocellulosic biomass was found on rice husk spawn (1.27 cm/day) and 1.98 cm/day for wheat grain. The shortest duration for substrate colonization for both lignocellulosic and grain spawn is on paddy straw, followed by rice husk, and rubber wood sawdust.
Moisture Adsorption Isotherm of Dried Cassia alata Herbal Leaves at Different Temperatures
Authors: Jolkili M , Shaari A R , Razak N A
Published: December 2020

Moisture adsorption isotherm study of dried Cassia alata was evaluated in this work. Adsorption isotherm of dried C. alata was determined at three different temperatures (10, 30 and 40 °C) and at six levels of relative humidity (ranging from 23 to 87%) using a gravimetric technique. The sorption isotherms were found to be typical type II sigmoid. The experimental data obtained was fitted to several mathematical models viz. two-parameter (BET, Oswin, Smith, Caurie, and Iglesias and Chirife), and three-parameter (GAB) relationships. Standard statistical procedures were applied to deduce percent error (P), root mean square error (RMSE) and coefficient of relation (r2). In terms of the mean absolute percentage error (P) of the fits, those with less than 10% error can be considered acceptable and an r2 of >0.98 may also indicate a good fit. The Peleg followed by Iglesias and Chirife model were found to best fit the experimental data.
The Optimization of Protease Enzyme Extraction From Streblus Asper (Kesinai)
Authors: Seow Yen Yi , Abdullah Rozaini , Lee Yen Fong , Zakaria Zarina , Hassan Huzairy , Syed Zuber Sharifah Zati Hanani , Mohd Ruslan Mahfuz Affif
Published: December 2020

Protease from Streblus asper (Kesinai) is an interesting rennet substitute and yet very few studies had been conducted so far. In the present study, the leaf extract of Kesinai had been discovered to investigate the ability of this milk coagulating enzyme. The development of the optimized conditions for enzyme extraction was analyzed by using Central Composite Design (CCD). The studied factors were ratio of sample to buffer, weight of sample (g) and homogenization time (min). It was found that a 30 g of S. asper leaves sample with the ratio of the sample to buffer of 1:1 and at a mixing rate of 2 minutes established the most desirable conditions for serine proteases extraction from the S. asper leaves sample.
Aerobic granules cultivated using industrial rubber wastewater: Effect of size distribution and Performance of granules.
Authors: Rashid N A , Abdul Rani A L , Omar M F , Abdullah M A H
Published: December 2020

Sequential batch reactors (SBR) have been successfully developed granular sludge using industrial rubber wastewater on a cylindrical shaped SBR. SBR was introduced to industrial wastewater with varying chemical oxygen demand (COD) loadings from as low as 0.01 to 0.28 kgCOD/m3/d. First phase of experiment utilized 24 hours cycle time whilst second phase of experiment utilized 4 hours cycle time. Granules were successfully developed at the second phase (4 hours) of experiment. Fortunately, the overall performance for both cycles were excellent. COD removal efficiency throughout the experiment was kept at about 78 % to 98 %. Although higher COD removal was observed for both cycle, granulation did not occur in the first phase (24 hours). Decrement of cycling time to 4 hours promotes the growth of dense and structured sludge granules.
Strength Characteristics of Pond Ash – Hydrated Lime Admixture Treated Peat Soil
Authors: Yusof Zeety Md.
Published: December 2020

Peat soil is identified as unsuitable soil to support the structure’s foundation in original condition because it has the characteristics that make it fail when the excessive settlement occurred. It will give the effect of the building conditions because the substructure foundation building not safe to use for a long immersion period. Therefore, this study is to increase the strength of peat soil characteristics in an effective way using a low-cost budget. Each variant of 3, 6 and 9% of hydrated lime (HL) were mixed with 5% of pond ash (PA), at which PA is constant. Meanwhile, each variant of the 10 and 15% of PA was mixed with 3% of HL and tested in different soaking time (0, 3 and 7 days). The strength of the sample increases when the percentage of PA and HL increase during soaking time. 15% of PA sample shows the strength increased to the range of 16% at a 7 - day soaking time compares to the natural peat soil. Meanwhile, the 9% of HL sample also shows the strength was achieved in the range of 32% in 7-day soaking time. It was analyzed that the PA and HL addition increase the strength of original peat soil.
Hybrid System Method of Industrialised Building System (IBS): A Review of Studies
Authors: Azmin Izzati , Kassim Umar
Published: December 2020

A new technology in construction has implemented Industrialised Building System (IBS) as an adoption of a new method. Till date, the reception of Industrialised Building System (IBS) has been effectively advancing by Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). Several of exertions have been taken, for example tremendous of research financing, preparing, and building up standard and other showcasing plan. From previous writing and industry report, the appropriation of IBS was practiced gainful to improve the construction quality and profitability and spare expense and also the duration of completion projects. However, there are still a few issues and problems, such as supply chain and design drawing issues, which has always been one of the biggest problems that should be taken care of in the construction industry. Nowadays, Industrialised Building System (IBS) also has been modified in many ways to make it more practical to use in the construction field. The IBS usage becomes a trend and also a requirement for a government project especially in the northern region of Malaysia such as Kedah and Perlis. Hence, this paper focuses on latest review which is about the new method implements in Industrialised Building System (IBS) technology, which is known as a Hybrid System method. This system is not yet to be found since it is one of the pilot projects from the government. Thus, the survey for this paper will evaluate the outcome whether the new Hybrid System method leads to delay in Industrialised Building System (IBS) or it can help to improve the deferrals of construction.
Plasticity and compaction characteristics on soft clay stabilised with coal ash and cement
Authors: Jamaludin Nadiah , Mohd Yunus Nor Zurairahetty , Jusoh Siti Norafida , Pakir Faizal , Hezmi Muhammad Azril , Mat Said Khairun Nissa
Published: December 2020

This paper aims to determine the compaction and plasticity properties of marine clay stabilized with increasing percentages and different ratios of coal ash with cement. Coal ash with different ratio of bottom ash and fly ash (70:30, 50:50, and 30:70) were prepared at increasing percentages. Limited amount of ordinary Portland cement of 2% was added. The percentage of additives added to the marine clay were 5%, 8%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%, respectively. Standard Proctor test was done to determine the compaction characteristics while Atterberg limits was executed to acquire the plasticity characteristics of treated marine clay soil. In terms of plasticity, by increasing the additives percentages, the marine clay approaches CL group of plasticity which shows improvement in soil’s plasticity. For compaction, the values of MDD of treated marine clay is higher while the OMC is lower when compare to untreated. Hence, with the addition of coal ash waste there is improvement in terms of soil’s plasticity for all three ratios whilst for compaction values of treated marine clay does not change significantly between ratios.
Geotechnical Characteristics of Tanjung Bin Coal Bottom Ash
Authors: Abuelgasim R , Rashid A S A , Bouassida M , Shien N , Abdullah M H
Published: December 2020

Coal is considered one of the major sources of power-generation in Malaysia. The Coal-fired power plant is a kind of power plant that uses coal to generate electricity. The globally increasing demand for energy has led to an increase in the number of installation of coal-fired power plants. With the growth in coal-burning power plants, massive amounts of coal bottom ash have been produced as waste material. This article presents an experimental study on the geotechnical characteristics of Tanjung bin coal bottom ash and compares them with the properties of the natural granular soil focusing on the physical and mechanical characteristics namely; grain size distribution, specific gravity, compaction, permeability, shear strength, and relative density. Results revealed that the Tanjung bin bottom ash has geotechnical properties similar to the natural granular material, therefore it can be utilized as a substitute material to sand in several geotechnical application.
Gabor Filter and Moment Invariant via LDA Classifier for Skin Cancer Detection
Authors: Omar M F , Mansor M N , Saidi S A
Published: December 2020

Skin cancer may be a serious tumor. This can be clearly seen through the mature, uncommon appearance of fur pathology, which has abnormal properties in complex situations, wrinkled or uncertain perimeters, and dual colors. A small number of tulle melanomas of uncertain diameter can imitate benign moles and cannot be perceived by optical inspection. The only assumption for analyzing them is through dermoscopy as an option. Original identification and medical surgery can alternative for the patients. Within this research a detection method through image processing with various feature extraction such as Gabor filter and Hu Moment were employed and substantially improves the diagnosis performance with 97% via LDA Classifier.
An Improved Irreversible Fractal Scheme for Medical Image Compression
Authors: Rahman N A Z , Ismail R C , Shapri A H M
Published: December 2020

In this paper, an improved fractal image compression (FIC) based on peer adjacent scheme and domain classification was proposed. The proposed method has low computation cost since it contains no search operations, thus becoming fast irreversible fractal scheme. Comprehensive experiments on a standard test image and several types of digital radiology images revealed that the proposed method is competitive when compared to established quadtree-based FIC techniques. The novelty of the proposed method lies in the use of this improved domain classification and mapping strategy for accurate and more precise FIC encoding. The empirical result of standard test image suggests that the proposed method is more competitive compared to the established schemes and achieves better performance in terms the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and compression time averaging at 27.27 dB and 6.88 s, respectively. Also, the proposed method obtains an efficient compression ratio with 16.13 compared to others. Additionally, experiments involving various medical image modalities confirmed the superiority of the proposed method for practical applications of medical image compression.
Real-Time Flood Monitoring System Using Raspberry PI
Authors: Fairuz MFM , Rejab MRA , Farook Rohani , Hanah Aznor , Rashid N , Rifaat MNM
Published: December 2020

Flood has been a major concern for a very long time and the inability to monitor it in real-time has been a major disadvantage in maintaining a healthy hydrologic process. The main problem in monitoring flood is the amount of time taken for data to reach users and how long the data is relevant for as in monitoring flood, timing is the crucial key. This research proposes a Real-Time Flood Monitoring System that can aid in monitoring flood more efficiently. The system utilizes a set of sensors connected to a single-board computer that determines values in which is vital in monitoring flood. To ensure a fast transmission of data, the values are transferred over Wide Area Network (WAN) to host these values on a remote server. The remote server hosts these data on a website and application which is made accessible for the public with an ease of access. As a result, it can be viewed by users who wish to know the necessary values in determining danger level and further actions can be taken in ensuring their safety. Data which is transferred on real-time allow less time to be taken in order for the news to spread around as time is very crucial in saving people from natural disasters. These data also have a great importance for safety enforcement to be used in determining safety precautions that can be taken in order to ensure the safety of people around a particular area.
Solar Powered Multiple Output Buck Converter
Authors: Aihsan M. Z. , Kimpol N. , Fang Liew Hui , Fahmi M. I. , Mustafa W. A. , Jobran J. A. M. , Kader M. M. A.
Published: December 2020

Times have certainly changed over the past few decades, now it seems that technology is getting more compact and efficient. The modern outdoor enthusiast such as hikers, climbers has a problem regarding the lack of power supply to power up electronics when they go for adventure activities. In order to solve this problem, this paper design and develop DC/DC buck converter system to drop down the voltage from the solar photovoltaic (PV) system from 12VDC into 5VDC. This paper is first to start up with design and simulation circuit using simulation to test outcome of this paper in the range of 5VDC & 1.0A and 5VDC & 0.5A. A battery storage is needed to feed electricity independent and battery management of the battery is needed to improve the performance of battery life. This can be done by adding a charge controller unit. The outcome of this paper allows the battery to be charged using the solar panel and at the same time can produce multiple outputs for low voltages used. The software simulation has been done to shows this system produces two different output and the hardware will be developed based on the software results. Software and hardware result, both will be compared and analysed.