bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MANEUVERING PERFORMANCE OF TUGBOAT USING COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS (CFD) APPROACH
Authors: YEN LIM XUE , FITRIADHY AHMAD
Published: August 2022

Concerning on navigational safety of a ship, comprehensive investigation of manoeuvrability of the ship is prominently required. The turning instability due to improper speed and magnitude of the rudder angle is vulnerable to serious accidents such as collision especially in the confined waters. This paper presents a computational fluid dynamic analyses on manoeuvrability performance of a tug in calm water. Here, the characteristics of the turning ability and zig-zag characteristics of the tug has been assessed due to effect of the various angles of twin-rudder and turning speeds. The results revealed that the increase of rudder’s angle resulted in subsequent reduction of her advance diameter from 144 m, 108 m, 96 m to 92 m. While for zig zag manoeuvre, the first overshoot angle is 0.6° and 1.08° for 10°/10° and 20°/20° rudder’s angle respectively. The first overshoot and second overshoot angle are within the IMO criteria which is below 20° and 25°. However, the increase of turning speed from 7 knots to 9 knots has been proportional with the increase of the turning diameter (advance diameter) from 70 m to 105.2 m. Basically, the turning performances of the tug manoeuvring with the turning speed of 7 to 9 knots incorporated with rudder’s angle 20°, 25°, 30° and 35° have been complied with IMO manoeuvring standards. This preliminary analysis contributes very valuable findings at early ship design stage to provide a safety of the navigational guidance for turning ability of the tug.
RAINFALL FORECASTING WITH TIME SERIES MODEL IN ALOR SETAR, KEDAH
Authors: FUDZI FAIQAH MOHAMAD , MD YUSOF ZAHAYU , MISIRAN MASNITA
Published: August 2022

The prediction of rainfall on monthly and seasonal time scales is not only scientifically challenging but is also important for planning and devising agricultural strategies. In this paper, the study is conducted to examine the pattern of monthly rainfall in Alor Setar, Kedah within ten years which is from 2008 to 2018. This paper considered a model based on real data that obtained from Department of Meteorology Malaysia. This study indicates that the monthly rainfall in Alor Setar has a seasonal and trend pattern based on yt vs t plotting, autocorrelation function and Kruskal Wallis Test for seasonality. The examined rainfall time-series modelling approaches include Naïve Model, Decomposition Method, Holt-Winter’s and Box-Jenkins ARIMA. Multiplicative Decomposition Method was identified as the best model to forecast rainfall for the year of 2019 by analysing the previous ten-year’s data (2008-2018). As a result from the forecast of 2019, October is the wettest month with highest forecasted rainfall of 276.15mm while the driest month is in February with lowest forecasted rainfall of 50.55mm. The model is therefore adequate and appropriate to forecast future monthly rainfall values in the catchment which can help farmers to plan their farming activities ahead of time.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOBILE PHONE USES WITH AN ANXIETY AMONG STUDENTS IN UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA, SEREMBAN
Authors: ABU HANIPAH RUQAYYAH SOLEHAH , ROHAIZAD NOR AIZAL AKMAL , NADIN MOHD IZZAMUDDIN
Published: August 2022

There is sufficient evidence regarding the potential risk of mobile phone use on anxiety. Therefore, the aim of research was to examine the relationship between mobile phone use and anxiety among students from two faculties in University TeknologI Mara (UiTM) Seremban. This cross-sectional study included 317 students of both genders. The sampling method was measured using proportionate stratified sampling. Level of mobile phone use was measured using Problem Use Mobile Phone (PUMP) Scale and level of an anxiety was measured using Beck Anxiety Inventory (BEI) Scale. In Malaysia, there are very small amount who made this research. The finding of this study showed that majority respondents are at normal level for mobile phone use. Pearson correlation result shows there was significant correlation between mobile phone use with an anxiety among students. This study indicates the important mobile phone use toward an anxiety among university students.
ANALISIS RANGKAIAN SOSIAL TERHADAP PEMAIN UTAMA DALAM MEMPERKASAKAN KEMPEN BEBAS BEG PLASTIK DI KUANTAN PAHANG
Authors: MD DIN MUHAMMAD AFIQ ‘AIZUDDIN , ABDUL GHANI LATIFAH
Published: August 2022

Penggunaan beg plastik sangat popular di seluruh dunia. Di Malaysia beg plastik menjadi keperluan masyarakat terutama dalam proses jual beli. Peningkatan itu sekaligus mewujudkan kebimbangan bagi pemain utama seperti kerajaan persekutuan yang berperanan menggerak dan memperjuangkan kelestarian alam sekitar. Kempen bebas beg plastik merupakan kempen yang kerap dilaungkan dalam menggubah budaya penggunaan plastik dalam kehidupan seharian. Menerusi pelaksanaan kempen bebas beg plastik yang dijalankan di seluruh negeri khususnya di Kuantan, Pahang, maka kajian ini dapat mengkaji rangkaian pemain utama dengan menggunakan kaedah kualitatif temubual melalui Analisis Rangkaian Sosial (ARS). Secara khususnya, rangkaian tadbir berjaya memaparkan pelbagai saliran berkaitan komunikasi dan kerjasama antara pemain utama. Struktur berpusat didapati menjadi asbab kepada kapasiti terhad dalam menyelaraskan tindakan bersama. Temubual yang mendalam menunjukkan kepentingan kedudukan pemain utama dalam rangkaian tindakan bersama memudahkan pihak terlibat. Hasil kajian menunjukkan peluang lebih berkesan dan realistik jika diselaras hukuman dan tindakan di peringkat persekutuan dengan kerjasama Majlis Perbandaran, Jabatan Alam Sekitar, institusi penyelidikan, organisasi perniagaan dan pemain lain yang berkaitan. Justeru, kajian akan datang harus memperkasakan pendidikan dalam kalangan masyarakat dari setiap lapisan umur, kaum dan agama serta budaya. Malah, penerokaan terhadap keberkesanan penyampaian dan penerangan maklumat perlu divisualkan secara jelas oleh pihak berkepentingan dalam usaha mensifarkan penggunaan beg plastik di Malaysia.
THE EFFECTS OF NITROGEN AND CARBON DIOXIDE GASES IN REDUCING THE PRICKLING AND TINGLING SENSATIONS IN FRESH-CUT PINEAPPLE (Ananas comosus L cv. Morris)
Authors: A.RAMLEE AIDA NADIA , WAN SEMBOK WAN ZALIHA
Published: August 2022

Fresh-cut pineapple has experienced an increase in demand due to its great health benefits and is rich in vitamins A, B and C. Moreover, pineapple is known as a source of the enzyme bromelain, which has therapeutic applications, such as reducing inflammation, improving digestion and treating osteoarthritis. However, bromelain generally affects the pineapple’s flavour and is less preferred by consumers due to the uncomfortable prickling and tingling sensations it brings. In the present study, two types of gases and their combination, nitrogen (N2) and carbon dioxide (CO2), were used to evaluate their impacts on reducing the tingling and prickling sensations, as well as maintaining the postharvest qualities of fresh-cut pineapple stored at 5°C for 12 days. The parameters being evaluated were the bromelain enzyme activity, flesh colour, ascorbic acid concentration, flesh firmness, soluble solids concentration (SSC), titratable acidity (TA) and sensory evaluation. No significant differences were recorded for all parameters tested. Based on the sensory evaluations, all the attributes, such as colour, aroma, texture, sweetness, sourness, tingling and prickling sensations, and overall acceptance were not affected by the different gases application. Even though no apparent effect was observed, the 30 panellists preferred the aforementioned attributes, except sourness. In conclusion, the fumigation treatments with N2 and CO2 gases were not effective in reducing the tingling and prickling sensations of pineapples cv. Morris.
AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE PERFORMANCE OF THE MULTILAYER PERCEPTRON ARCHITECTURE OF DEEP LEARNING IN FORECASTING STOCK PRICES
Authors: PATRICK VINCENT ASSUNTA MALAR , SALLEH HASSILAH
Published: August 2022

A wide range of studies have been conducted on deep learning to forecast time series data. However, very few researches have discussed the optimal number of hidden layers and nodes in each hidden layer of the architecture. It is crucial to study the number of hidden layers and nodes in each hidden layer as it controls the performance of the architecture. Apart from that, in the presence of the activation function, diverse computation between the hidden layers and output layer can take place. Therefore, in this study, the multilayer perceptron (MLP) architecture is developed using the Python software to forecast time series data. Then, the developed architecture is applied on the Apple Inc. stock price due to its volatile characteristic. Using historical prices, the accuracy of the forecast is measured by the different activation functions, number of hidden layers and size of data. The Keras deep learning library, which can be found in the Python software, is used to develop the MLP architecture to forecast the Apple Inc. stock price. The developed model is then applied on different cases, namely different sizes of data, different activation functions, different numbers of hidden layers of up to nine layers, and different numbers of nodes in each hidden layer. Then, the metrics mean squared error (MSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and root-mean-square error (RMSE) are employed to test the accuracy of the forecast. It is found that the architecture with rectified linear unit (ReLU) outperformed in every hidden layer and each case with the highest accuracy. To conclude, the optimal number of hidden layers differs in every case as there are other influencing factors.
RISK ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION FOR BETTER SAFETY: CASE STUDY OF KEMAMAN PORT
Authors: MOHAMAD RAUZILAN MOHAMAD IKHRAM BIN , RUSSTAM SUHRAB MOHAMMED ISMAIL
Published: August 2022

The increase in awareness and responsibilities among stakeholders in a port environment has made safety evaluation an operational priority. Operating a port is a high-risk activity with underlying potential for accidents and loss of lives, besides causing massive property and environmental damage. Kemaman Port has multiple operations and handles volatile chemicals that may lead to disaster if an accident were to occur due to negligence. Therefore, the safety tools at the port have to suit a terminal specialized in handling liquid chemicals. To determine risk level at the port, assessment may be conducted using the hazard identification method (HAZID) to determine the hazards and risk matrix. The “As low as reasonably practicable” (ALARP) principle should be adhered to in determining which risk is tolerable or intolerable. In this study, the hazard and risk data at Kemaman Port were obtained through literature review and engagements with experts. As a result, eight main hazards were identified and the risk matrix was used to find the highest frequency and consequences of the hazards, besides the risk probability during operations. The overall results may demonstrate a significant improvement to the safety of port operations.
MALAYSIA'S FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT RELATIONS WITHIN THE ORGANISATION DEVELOPING EIGHT EONOMIC COOPERATION (D8) WITHIN COUNTERPARTS
Authors: MOHD SHUKRI NORHANUMFATIN , HARUN MADZLI
Published: August 2022

Malaysia is a member of Developing-8 (D-8), which facilitated the formation of bilateral trade relations among member countries. This study focuses on Malaysia’s foreign direct investments (FDIs) within D-8. The purpose of this study is to strengthen the FDI ties with D-8 member states, where Malaysia must focus on cooperating for long-term investments and examining the existing FDI policies under Malaysia and its D-8 counterparts, as well as studying the opportunity of interdependence between Malaysia’s FDIs with D-8 member states. The main issue is the imbalance of Malaysia’s FDI preference with D-8 member states, which is followed by the weakness of Malaysia’s FDI outwards policy, specialised among the D-8 counterparts. Thus, Malaysia’s FFDI lacks penetration with D-8 member states. The qualitative research method, data collection, interviews, and content analysis method are used for this study. The respondents’ agencies for interviews are experts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), The Bilateral Economic and Trade Relations Division of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI and the Foreign Investment Promotion Division of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA). Coding techniques are applied for the coding process of the content analysis. This study also uses the theories of interdependence and political economy with SWOT analysis to examine the implementation of Malaysia’s FDI with D-8 counterparts. The findings of the study show that Malaysia is looking for quality investments without choosing where the investments come from, and FDIs with D-8 counterparts in several sectors can still be implemented if the D-8 counterparts are offering quality investments for Malaysia.
STUDY OF LOCAL TOURIST SATISFACTION IN A RURAL DESTINATION AT MOUNT MULU NATIONAL PARK IN MIRI, SARAWAK
Authors: ZAINUDDIN ZALIHA , MOHAMED ZALEHA , LOLING HAROLD
Published: August 2022

Tourism is associated with leisure and travelling, and is considered one of the fastest growing sectors that contribute significantly to the country’s economy, as well as bringing benefits directly to local communities. The Rural Tourism Master Plan was established in 2001, which defines rural tourism as an attraction that offers visitors the opportunity to experience Malaysia’s traditional culture and heritage away from urban areas. This study focuses on such tourism in the Gunung Mulu National Park, a famous natural park comprising underground caves, virgin rainforests and highlands. This research uses a quantitative approach with a random sampling technique because the procedure to select a unit for inclusion in a sample is much easier, quicker and cheaper. A questionnaire is distributed via Google Form to 500 local tourists who visited the park. The results of this research may be useful in marketing the Gunung Mulu National Park worldwide, besides fine-tuning programmes to attract tourists to the national park.
KAJIAN PENCEMARAN AIR TERHADAP KOMUNITI ORANG ASLI DI TASIK CHINI, PAHANG
Authors: AMRAN IDA ROYANI , MD. JAMIN RAHAYA
Published: August 2022

Pencemaran air di Tasik Chini, Pahang kian meruncing akibat pembangunan sekitar yang tidak terkawal menyebabkan kemusnahan rantaian makanan sekaligus mengancam kelangsungan hidup komuniti asli. Justeru, kajian telah dijalankan bagi mengenal pasti faktor, impak dan keberkesanan strategi dengan menggunapakai Teori Pengambilalihan. Selain itu, kajian ini dipilih untuk memenuhi kelompangan kajian terdahulu yang lebih menekankan kepentingan pengekalan biodiversiti flora dan fauna berbanding kajian terhadap kehidupan komuniti setempat. Maka, kajian deskritif tinjauan telah digunakan melalui kaedah pemerhatian, temu bual mendalam bersama empat orang informan, dianalisis secara transkripsi, triangulasi dan analisis kandungan. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan faktor pencemaran air berpunca daripada pembinaan empangan air, projek pembangunan, aktiviti pembalakan, aktiviti perlombongan dan hakisan tanih. Sementara, pertanian komersial juga menjejaskan kegunaan domestik, hidupan akuatik terganggu, perubahan sifat air, kehilangan sumber pendapatan, dan tahap kesihatan terjejas. Oleh itu, cadangan memperluaskan program advokasi seperti pengawalan pembuangan sampah sarap, pematuhan Penilaian Impak Alam Sekitar (EIA), penglibatan pihak awam dan swasta, pemantauan kesihatan, kesedaran awam, dan melakukan penyelidikan lanjutan. Kajian mendapati dua buah syarikat China mengeksport bijih besi yang diperoleh sekitar Tasik Chini menggunakan permit AP (Eksport dan Import) dari negeri lain, bukannya Pahang. Meskipun syarikat tersebut tidak mempunyai lesen melombong tetapi mereka mempunyai segala kelengkapan alatan memproses dan menjalankan operasinya hingga kini. Diharapkan isu pencemaran air di Tasik Chini dapat dipulihkan demi menjamin kelestarian sejagat.
THE POTENTIAL OF LIQUID ELECTROLYTE FROM Betta splendens WASTE FOR BATTERY APPLICATION
Authors: MOHD ZABIDI MOHD ADLISYAM , NIK ALI NIK AZIZ
Published: August 2022

This study focuses on the potential of liquid electrolyte from the wastewater of Betta splendens for battery application. In this analysis, two different parameters were manipulated, namely the time period and the electrical energy production from the different wastewater properties involving the use of Terminalia catappa leaves. The battery plays an important role in achieving universal access to clean, reliable, and affordable electricity services. The presence of ammonium (NH4+) in wastewater can produce renewable energy and help reduce environmental pollution. A voltage (V) unit is used in the measurement of energy potential by using a voltmeter. 25 B. splendens were cultured for five weeks in two aquariums, one without T. catappa leaves, and one with T. catappa leaves to get their weekly wastewater. Voltage output is measured against the number of weeks from the wastewater sample without T. catappa leaves and with T. catappa leaves. Observation shows that the highest voltage produced from the wastewater sample was from the first week for a motorcycle battery and the fifth week for the research battery. The results of the wastewater sample without T. catappa leaves and T. catappa leaves against the number of weeks on motorcycle battery is 4.210V and 5.129V respectively, while for the research battery is 0.5360V and 0.5380V respectively. The highest voltage values from a motorcycle battery and the research battery are taken to test their longevity for one month. The t-test analysis of this experiment shows an insignificant result for the motorcycle battery and a significant result for the research battery, thus proving that the concentration level of NH4+ has a significant effect on the amount of energy produced.
THE POTENTIAL ENERGY OF GEL POLYMER ELECTROLYTES FROM GUPPY (Poecilia reticulata) FISH WASTE FOR BATTERY APPLICATION
Authors: Zakaria Khaulah , Nik Ali Nik Aziz
Published: August 2022

This study aims to determine the potential energy of gel polymer electrolytes from guppy (Poecilia reticulata) fish waste for battery applications through different parameters. The parameters include the number of fish, the number of days, and the battery’s longevity. This experiment is underpinned by the concept of an electrical energy storage system of gel polymer electrolytes and urea as an energy carrier. The ammonia secreted by fish contains NH4+ which has positive hydrogen ion. The hydrogen ion in this element has the ability to produce electricity. This experiment involved tests on different batches of fish, with 5,10 and 15 fish in each respective batch. The wastewater samples were taken every two days, made into gel polymer electrolytes using agar, and inserted into the battery. The output voltage was recorded using a voltmeter, and each battery showed an increasing pattern of voltmeter reading against the number of days. For example, the highest voltage output was produced by a battery that used the wastewater sample with 15 fish on the 10th day, resulting in 0.45V. This is due to an increase of the amount of ammonia accumulated from fish waste within that 10 days. Batteries with the highest outputs of voltage from respective of number of fish were then taken for longevity test. The two weeks tests showed gradual decrease in the result due to many factors, including the ionic transference number and the disassociation of ionic particles in the electrolytes. The estimation of the battery longevity from water samples with 5, 10, and 15 fish were 71.47 days, 27.82 days and 34.44 days, respectively. This study proves that the gel polymer electrolytes from guppy, Poecilia reticulata has the potential to be used in batteries as an energy source.
MICROBIAL COMMUNITY PROFILING OF DIGESTED SLUDGE FROM PILOT PLANT BIO-DIGESTER
Authors: ISMAIL ISMAFATIN NABILAH , ISMAIL SHAHRUL , MOHAMED ZAHARI MOHAMED SHAHRIR
Published: August 2022

The production of biogas involves different microbial groups working in a synchronously and closely interactive manner. In Malaysia, biogas production from food waste is an encouraging alternative for sustainable energy production. Therefore, to better understand and optimize process, identification of the microbial community involved in anaerobic digestion (AD) is essential. The purpose of this study is to identify the microbial characteristics under different AD conditions to establish the links between microbial community structure and operational condition efficiency. The pilot plant bio-digester production performance will be determined by analysis of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal efficiency for 43 days. Next, when the performance of the digester has achieved an optimum level of removal efficiency, a sample of digested sludge will be taken for further analysis of microbial community profiling by undergo DNA extraction, amplifying DNA and Next Gene Sequencing (NGS) technology. The results show that the COD removal efficiency at an optimum level is 93%, while the percentage of methane gas composition inside the digester is 69%, indicating a very high efficiency for the digester. Thus, the lower the concentration of COD effluent, the higher the concentration of COD removal efficiency. Besides, an optimum an optimum level of COD removal efficiency indicates active microbial activities inside the bio-digester. Furthermore, the microbial community structure with operational conditions at various states of anaerobic digestion is summarizing. These findings are important as microbial characteristics of digested sludge is important to manage and optimize biogas production.
A REVIEW ON FACTORS INFLUENCING SUCCESS OF GROUPER SPERM CRYOPRESERVATION
Authors: MURUGAN HEMA RAJ A/L , CHONG CHU IVAN KOH
Published: August 2022

This review was conducted to support information gathering on development of sperm cryopreservation techniques and protocols including factors such as type of cryoprotectants, extenders, cooling rates and dilution ratio and the impacts of those factors towards sperm cryopreservation of 10 different grouper species. Groupers are high-value marine species that contribute significantly to the income of Southeast Asian countries which are important as aquaculture producers. Thus, sperm cryopreservation is essential to support the development of grouper seed production and culture. Giant grouper is the most studied grouper species due to the fast-growing ability which enables to produce high-value interspecies hybrids for commercialization purposes. The most used cryoprotectant for sperm cryopreservation among various grouper species is dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO). Among the extenders, sodium chloride (NaCl) is reported to be the most commonly used due to easy preparation, relative effectiveness and availability of the solution which enables local farmers to easily extend storage of the grouper sperm. Most grouper species seem to have a wide range of optimal cooling rates. However, some species exhibit the narrow range of optimal cooling rates. Optimal cooling rates were also possibly affected by the type and concentration of cryoprotectant. Dilution ratios used to cryopreserve grouper sperm seemed to vary. Sperm of brown-marbled grouper and seven band grouper to report dilution ratios of 1:49 while other grouper species sperm worked better at dilution ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 1:4 and 1:9. Grouper sperm cryopreservation protocol in general is species-specific and the optimization has to be done species by species to increase overall productivity. Grouper sperm cryopreservation is applicable and can be used to enhance seed production.
DENSITY AND STRUCTURE OF LEAF TRICHOMES IN Capsicum annuum and Capsicum frutescens
Authors: NOR ASIKIN NURUL AIN NAJWA , ABU BAKAR NURIZYAN SYAKIRAH , MUHAMMAD NOR SITI MARIAM , M. SHAIPULAH NUR FARIZA
Published: August 2022

Morphology and density of plant trichomes vary by species. Several studies on family Solanaceae have shown the diversity of trichomes among species and cultivated plants, but less research on density and morphology of trichomes in the genus Capsicum. The aim of this study is to determine the density and type of leaf trichomes from Capsicum annuum and C. frutescens. The structure of trichomes was observed under light microscope equipped with Dino Eye. The density of trichomes was recorded using stereo microscope as the number of trichomes per cm2 multiplying the total area of the leaf. Glandular and non-glandular trichomes were covered on abaxial and adaxial surfaces of both species. No significant difference was observed for trichome density between adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces within species (C. annuum, t(8) = 1.37, p= 0.21, and C. frutescens, t(8) = -0.23, p= 0.82). However, mean trichome density on the abaxial surfacesof C. annuum was significantly lower than C. frutescens (F (3,16) = 3.79, p= 0.03). The density of glandular trichomes occurred on leaf midrib of C. frutescens (8.17 + 1.22 cm-2) was higher than C. annuum (4.20 + 0.42 cm-2; t(8) = -3.74, p= 0.02). This study provides basic knowledge of leaf trichomes structure and the density of cultivated chili plants in Malaysia.
A SURVEY OF CIVET CATS IN A SEMI-URBAN HABITAT IN TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA
Authors: LIAN CHONG JU , HASHIMI H. MOHD AMIR
Published: August 2022

Malaysia is home to 11 civet cat species. However, there is not much information regarding these viverrids, especially in semi-urban areas. Thus, a survey of civet cats was conducted in Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), a semi-urban area in one of the east coast states. UMT was chosen as it has an attractive semi-urban habitat as there are mangroves and a beach in the area. A 30- cage trapping method was utilised in the seven-month survey, beginning September 2009 until January 2010. A total of 13 individuals of the common palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) were captured, consisting of an individual male and 12 females. From the 13 individuals, seven were adults and the remaining were juveniles. Banana was found to be the most preferred bait as 12 individuals (92.3%) were caught in the banana-baited trap while the salted fish bait only procured one adult female (7.7%). The study indicates that although a forest-dwelling species, the common palm civet is able to adapt to urbanization and habitat disturbance. More studies are needed to determine the common palm civet distribution, home range and population sizes in Terengganu for baseline data of the species.
DEVELOPMENT OF MARINE ENGINE PERFORMANCE PREDICTION MODEL THROUGH NEURAL NETWORK APPROACH
Authors: AZAMIN EZZATUL , NOOR MOHD
Published: August 2022

The prediction and control of marine diesel engine performance and emission rates is not an easy task in real time. Comprehensive engine performance testing for entire operating conditions is extremely costly and time consuming. Therefore, the option of using a computer model can be used to determine those parameters. This work is concerned with the modeling of artificial neural networks in predicting the performance parameters of marine diesel engines such as torque, power, fuel consumption, efficiency and exhaust emission gases. Input data were obtained from engine tests in the laboratory operated with palm biodiesel and running at various speeds and loads. The predicted results have been validated by comparing the output values of the model with the experimental data. The results show that the prediction model using neural network gives good agreement to the experimental results which yield higher correlation coefficient of 0.98194 and lower mean square error of 0.0026809. This study proves that a trained neural network model is capable to determine the performance of marine diesel engines in the accepted range.
FORECASTING ELECTRICITY SUPPLIED IN TURKEY USING HOLT-WINTERS’ MULTIPLICATIVE METHOD AND ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK (ANN) MODELS
Authors: AMRAN SITI NOR ZULAIKA , MOHAMED NORIZAN
Published: August 2022

Electricity is one of the most essential necessities in today’s world and has an important role for the development of societies and economics. The need for electricity is expanding continuously due to increasing population, urbanization and industrialization. Hence, the purpose of this study was to develop the best model for forecasting electricity supplied in Turkey by applying the multiplicative Holt-Winters method and multilayer feed-forward neural network model. The monthly electricity supplied in Turkey from January 2000 until December 2019 were obtained from monthly electricity statistics report presented by the International Energy Agency (EIA). The data were divided into two sets comprising in-sample data from January 2000 until December 2015 and out-sample data from January 2016 to December 2019. The multiplicative Holt-Winters was used since the electricity supplied in Turkey exhibit trend and seasonal gave the out-sample forecast of 3.6990. The best multilayer feed forward neural network (MFFNN) model with three input lag variable, one hidden node, one output node, sigmoid transfer function in hidden layer and linear transfer function in output layer gave the out-sample forecast of 2.1483. Hence it can be concluded that, the multilayer feed-forward neural network model is more accurate than multiplicative Holt-Winters method to forecast the electricity supplied in Turkey.
SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERISATION AND FLUORESCENCE SENSING PROPERTIES OF TETRADENTATE N,N’–BIS(SALICYLIDENE)–1,3-PROPANEDIAMINE FOR METAL IONS DETECTION: PRELIMINARY STUDY
Authors: ANUAR SITI KAUTSAR , CHE SOH SITI KAMILAH , MOHAMED ZUKI HAFIZA
Published: August 2022

Tetradentate Schiff base ligand namely N,N’–bis(salicylidene)-1,3-propanediamine, containing -ONNO- donor set was successfully synthesised between salicylaldehyde and 1,3-diaminopropane using condensation reaction. The structure of the synthesised ligand was unambiguously determined by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The spectroscopic studies suggest that the central azomethine (C=N) group of tetradentate ligand can be assigned at vibration peak 1632 cm-1 and the chemical shift observed for OH proton appeared at very downfield. TGA curve shows around 80% weight loss occurred when the sample was heated at room-temperature up to 850 ºC. Initial data show the ligand enhanced fluorescence spot upon increasing the concentration of Zn2+ and Pb2+. The response of ligand with Zn2+ and Pb2+ also inhibits the C=N bond isomerisation and subsequently increased the intensity of fluorescence efficiency. Thus, the proposed tetradentate Schiff base ligand used as reagent sensing potentially has good capability in sensing application for metal ions detection.
CUSTOMER PERCEPTION, SATISFACTION AND BEHAVIOURAL INTENTIONS TOWARDS HOSPITAL MEAL SERVICES IN GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS IN ALOR SETAR, KEDAH
Authors: ZAKARIA NORSYAZANA , WAHAB ABDUL
Published: August 2022

There are two types of hospital in general, which are government and private hospitals. This study will help us to understand the customer perception, satisfaction and behavioural intention of hospital meal services in both government and private hospitals in Alor Setar, Kedah. Private and government hospitals differ in their style of food offering and service system. From this, customer perception, satisfaction, and behavioural intentions were investigated using a questionnaire survey with 150 respondents using descriptive and inferential analysis. The study shows that between government and private hospitals in Alor Setar, Kedah, the respondents show a positive perception of hospital meal services in Alor Setar in both government and private hospitals. In terms of customer satisfaction, both types of hospital show high satisfaction from all respondents. However, private hospital scores a bit higher in terms of satisfaction since the services and facilities are more upgraded than those of the government hospital of which respondents did not have such a high expectation for satisfaction since the fee is much lower than the private hospital. In the comparison of hospital meal services in terms of socio-demographic profile, there is no significant difference in gender and education level in both types of hospital. However, age and income level show a significant level of p=0.011 in age for a government hospital and p=0.018 and p=0.020 in monthly income for a private hospital. For the relationship of all variables (customer perception, satisfaction and behavioural intention), all of those show a robust, lively and direct relationship with each other. Hence, this study can help public and private hospitals improve their meal services and image to attract more customers.
MODELING AND SIMULATION OF 1.8 KW GRID-CONNECTED PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM USING MATLAB
Authors: ISLAMMUDDIN MOHAMMAD , ANANG NURHAZWANI , WAN MUDA AN MARIAM
Published: August 2022

A maximum power point tracking (MPPT) DC/DC converter for a photovoltaic (PV) system is an important component in a PV system. The converter is used to convert the value of DC voltage produced by PV panels to a value accepted by the inverter for on-grid, or battery for off-grid system. In addition, the MPPT is used to extract and maintain the solar PV to its maximum power in all conditions. However, the values of components used in literature of MPPT DC/DC converter for a specific PV module cannot be applied for different capacity. Although sets of equations are given in literature to determine the values of inductor and capacitor used in the circuit, the calculated values do not produce the desired output in most cases because of unclear explanation. The validation of input parameters of the converter is also not properly presented for different solar irradiance and temperature. The efficiency of the converter is still low. Hence, this paper presents step-by-step process on how to design a MPPT DC/DC boost converter in MATLAB/Simulink environment. The incremental conductance method is used as MPPT algorithm to control the duty cycle of the converter. Then, a thorough analysis is done by simulating the developed model under different solar irradiance and temperature. Simulation results are then compared with the theoretical values from I-V and P-V curves of the selected PV modules. The results show that the proposed MPPT DC/DC converter is able to extract maximum power from PV modules and the output power produced by the converter also indicates that the converter has a high efficiency at 99.7% in all selected values of solar irradiance and temperature.
DISAGGREGATION OF HOUSE ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION USING PARTICLE SWARM OPTIMIZATION
Authors: LIN TAN RUI , RAZALI NURUL NAJEEHAH , DAUD MUHAMAD ZALANI
Published: August 2022

This paper presents disaggregation of appliances’ energy consumption for a residential house using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The disaggregation process provides useful information about the time and duration of each appliance on when they are switched on, which can contribute to close monitoring of appliance activities in a house. Firstly, the data of aggregated electricity loads comprising six different appliances is measured and plotted based on total power (Ptotal) over time. The data is then formulated based on combinatorial optimization (CO) problem which represents the load disaggregation model that contains the sum power of all six appliances when they are switched on. The CO problem is solved by using PSO by setting up the population of particles to represent each appliance. The random number of each population is generated based on appliance’s power state when switched on, where the total appliances power (Papp) is represented as the sum of all six particles data. Thus, by using the known value of appliance on state as optimization boundary parameters, the CO problem is evaluated by PSO following the Integral Squared Error (ISE) minimization problem of Ptotal and Papp. The optimization results give good convergence criteria with accurate percentage of time taken for every appliance in use. [206 words]
EFFECT OF SILICON NUTRIENT AND SALINITY (ABIOTIC STRESS) ON TOMATO PLANT (Solanum lycopersicum)
Authors: AB GHANI NURAAINA ATIQAH , OSEI ASAMOAH FREDERICK , LENG CHONG SOK , MOHAMED SIDIQUE SITI NORDAHLIAWATE
Published: August 2022

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) imports have increased in Malaysia due to high demand. One of the constraints to local production is excessive salinity in soils that leads to toxicity in crops, reduction in soil fertility and reduction of availability of water to tomato plant that is known to be sensitive to high salinity. Nevertheless, silicon nutrient proven could protect plants from abiotic stress. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the plant growth of tomato plant treated with silicon (Si) under salinity stress and to observe the physical changes of stems. A total of ten treatments (T1 – T10) were applied with different concentrations of silicon: 0.5% Si (v/v), 1.5% Si (v/v), 2.5% Si (v/v), potassium silicate as positive control whereas negative control (only water and 0.5% NaCl) and a mixture of equal volumes of the silicon and potassium silicate treatments with 0.5% NaCl. The treatments were applied once a week (40 ml for each plant pot). Throughout this study, plant growth data was collected (plant height, diameter of stems, time of anthesis, number of fruits, and chlorophyll content). Results showed that with 0.5% Si (v/v) and 1.5% Si (v/v) (with 0.5% NaCl), the tomato plants grow well especially in plant height, number of leaves and chlorophyll contents. Furthermore, cross section of stems showed a significant difference (p<0.05) in stem diameter among treated plants [2.5% potassium silicate (T4), 0.5% Si (v/v) + 0.5% NaCl (T6) and 2.5% potassium silicate + 0.5% NaCl (T9)] and control (0.5% NaCl). However, the largest vascular bundle width was recorded in plants treated with 1.5% Si (v/v). This study has proven that tomato plants could uptake silicon and improve the plant growth under salinity stress conditions and giving potential for Si as biostimulant to other Solanaceae family (potato, pepper and eggplant).
SPECIES RICHNESS AND SOIL PROPERTIES IN Nepenthes HABITAT AT BRIS ECOSYSTEM IN SETIU, TERENGGANU
Authors: RAWI NURUL-HANIS ZAHIRAH , SHAHRUDIN ROHANI
Published: August 2022

A study was carried out to investigate the species richness of Nepenthes in the BRIS ecosystem at Kampung Rhu Tapai, Setiu, Terengganu, and their relationship with soil parameters. Selective sampling was conducted in two sites (Plot A and B) using a 100 m2 quadrat in each site. Nepenthes were identified to species level, and the number of individuals was counted. Soil samples were taken next to the Nepenthes’ rhizosphere to determine the soil properties. A total of 689 Nepenthes individuals were found within the plots, which comprises three species: Nepenthes ampullaria, N. gracilis and N. rafflesiana. Independent samples t-test was conducted to compare the number of individuals in Plot A and Plot B. The result suggested that the abundance of Nepenthes spp. between these two sites was not significantly different. Regarding the species, Nepenthes gracilis was found in a high abundance in both plots. Nepenthes in these sites thrived in the soil with low pH value, ranging from 3.4 to 3.9. Meanwhile, the percentages of organic matter in the study area were ranging from 12.30% to 72.80%.
PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF DRIED POWDER OF Passiflora Foetida LEAVES AND FRUITS AND ITS PHYTOCHEMICAL CONTENT OF CRUDE AQUEOUS AND ETHANOL EXTRACT
Authors: YUSOF NOR AZIZAH , MAHMOOD AZIZAH
Published: August 2022

Passiflora foetida is an edible plant that is underappreciated by most local communities even though it grows widely in many areas. The aim of this study is to measure the proximate composition of P. foetida’s leaves and fruits as well as to determine the most efficient solvent to extract phytochemicals from the plant parts. The proximate values determined in this study include the moisture, ash, protein, lipid, fiber and carbohydrate. Meanwhile for extraction efficiency, aqueous and ethanol were selected to quantitatively evaluate the composition of total phenolic (TPC), flavonoid and tannin. The result shows that the leaves and fruits of P. foetida contain 4.80±0.17% and 3.52±0.17% of ash, 18.41±0.47% and 10.00±0.45% of crude protein, and 15.28±0.49% and 27.49±0.52% of fiber, respectively. In terms of the yield of extraction, it shows that aqueous capable of extracting higher yield than ethanol. However, comparison between aqueous and ethanol for extracting phytochemicals, revealed that ethanol is capable of extracting significantly higher amount of TPC in both leaves and fruits, as well as flavonoid and tannin from the fruit material. Aqueous extract was identified to be the best extract for tannin in the leaves. Ethanol extracts lower yield, but the efficiency to extract most phytochemicals in the plant materials was considered to be better than aqueous.
COURSE ALLOCATION AMONG LECTURERS USING PYTHON
Authors: NA LAI ANN , HUSSIN MOHAMED SAIFULLAH
Published: August 2022

Course allocation among lecturers describes the process of allotting a set of courses to a number of lecturers. The administrators who are responsible in the allotment of courses to lecturers at least once a year are supposed to assign the most suitable lecturer to teach the courses in an efficient and effective way. However, the process of course allocation among lecturers is being done manually in most of the educational institutions through a trial-and-error manner and the lecturers’ years of teaching experience was not being considered during the allocation causing imprecision of the allocation made. Therefore, a random allocation of courses to lecturers using Microsoft Excel was done and the objective function of the solution obtained through the random allocation is compared to the objective functions of exact solutions obtained using OpenSolver and Python. The purpose of using Python is to automate the allocation of courses to lecturers in which a lecturer’s years of teaching experience is being optimized even if there is occurrence of data changes. Besides that, the computational time used in obtaining the solutions using the three mentioned approaches are compared to show the difference in terms of efficiency and effectiveness of the allocation made. Python proved to be the most efficient and effective approach as compared to the other two approaches used for this course allocation problem as Python requires the least time and effort to obtain the optimal combination of lecturers and courses based on lecturers’ years of experience.
EFFECTS OF UV-C RADIATION IN DELAYING RIPENING OF BERANGAN BANANA (Musa sp. AAA Berangan)
Authors: MALEK NUR IZZATI , WAN ABDULLAH WAN ZAWIAH , WAN SEMBOK WAN ZALIHA
Published: August 2022

Banana has a short storage life and is classified under climacteric fruit that produces enough ethylene in changing physico-chemical characteristics, including colour, texture, aroma, chemical composition, respiration rate and senescence. Besides that, the presence of microbes also contributes to the postharvest losses which can be reduced by implementing various postharvest management practices that are currently in practice all over the world. Research has been done in delaying ripening and maintaining the quality of banana such as hot water treatment, controlled atmosphere storage, modified atmosphere packaging and postharvest chemical treatments such as methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid, acetylsalicylic acid or oxalic acid. However, not many focus on non-chemical method such as UV-C radiation. In line with that, this study aimed at evaluating the effects of UV-C radiation in delaying ripening and maintaining the postharvest quality of Berangan banana. Five treatments of UV-C radiation were used viz. 0.000 kJ/m², 0.004 kJ/m², 0.008 kJ/m², 0.012 kJ/m² and 0.016 kJ/m² with three replications. Postharvest parameters evaluated were percentage of weight loss (%), skin colour, starch pattern index (SPI), fruit firmness, soluble solids concentration (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), ascorbic acid (AA) and total phenolic content (TPC). The application of UV-C radiation did not significantly affect all postharvest parameters of treated Berangan bananas. However, UV-C radiation at 0.008 kJ/m2 tended to show the lower percentage weight loss and SPI score. In conclusion, 0.008 kJ/m² of UV-C radiation could be applied to delay ripening and maintaining other quality attributes of Berangan bananas. In addition, 0.008 kJ/m² UV-C also able to prolong the shelf life of Berangan bananas stored at 26±2°C/75% relative humidity up to nine days.
INCORPORATING PINEAPPLE PEEL EXTRACT INTO CHITOSAN COATING FOR RETAINING POSTHARVEST QUALITY OF WHITE SHRIMP (Litopaeneus vannamei)
Authors: SHAMSULKAMAL MAISARAH , WAN ABDULLAH WAN ZAWIAH , MUBARAK AIDILLA
Published: August 2022

This study explored the effect of chitosan coating incorporated with pineapple peel extract on the postharvest quality of white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) during nine days of storage at 5°C. Incorporation of pineapple peel extract in chitosan coating was able to delay the decline of some important postharvest quality measures of white shrimp which includes reduced formation of total volatile basic nitrogen and peroxide value. It also decreased melanosis formation and hindered growth of Pseudomonas which assists in prolonging shelf ife quality of white shrimp. Additionally, shrimp coated with chitosan incorporated with pineapple peel extract had an improved sensory score which includes assessment on overall acceptance. The results showed that chitosan coating incorporated with pineapple peel extract could be a natural approach towards retaining postharvest quality of shrimp as well as decrease the employment of synthetic treatments. The utilization of pineapple peel could also reduce the agricultural waste in the environment.
MARITIME SHIPMENT MOBILE APPLICATION
Authors: SIVAM JAYASIVAN SAMBHA , BASIR MOHAMMAD AIZAT , AHMAD MOHD SHARIFUDDIN
Published: August 2022

The growth of e-commerce has affected the world drastically and increased the number of users for e-commerce. Therefore, the seller or buyer will need an online platform to manage their shipping activities to facilitate shipping costs. Shipping costs include the payment of cargo, freight, and tax insurance to the government. In this study, a mobile application was designed and developed to book vessels and identify and pay the amount of money that needs to be paid, particularly on the rate of the cargo and tax insurance premium. For this project, the methodology chosen is the Agile methodology. Agile development makes conscious of the problem earlier than becoming interested in the issue once the plan is finished. The agile methodology includes the user constantly throughout the entire project, including revision scheduling, test sessions and new features incorporated into the code. This system is developed using the three-tiered architecture. The architecture of three levels connects the presentation layer, application layer and database layer. The reason this architecture is chosen is that it will have high performance. The importance of high-performance architecture is that this application consists of a booking element that must be applied for payment. This project has developed a secure and user-friendly mobile application for maritime shipments. This mobile maritime shipping application can book vessels, apply for insurance and cargo tax, and make the shipment payment most easily and securely. In addition, this system can create documents relating to the shipment. By using this mobile application, payments will be made online and eliminate paperwork.