bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved 4H-SiC UMOSFET with super-junction shield region*
Authors: Shen Pei , Wang Ying , Li Xing-Ji , Yang Jian-Qun , Yu Cheng-Hao , Cao Fei
Published: December 2020

This article investigates an improved 4H-SiC trench gate metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) (UMOSFET) fitted with a super-junction (SJ) shielded region. The modified structure is composed of two n-type conductive pillars, three p-type conductive pillars, an oxide trench under the gate, and a light n-type current spreading layer (NCSL) under the p-body. The n-type conductive pillars and the light n-type current spreading layer provide two paths to and promote the diffusion of a transverse current in the epitaxial layer, thus improving the specific on-resistance (R
on,sp). There are three p-type pillars in the modified structure, with the p-type pillars on both sides playing the same role. The p-type conductive pillars relieve the electric field (E-field) in the corner of the trench bottom. Two-dimensional simulation (silvaco TCAD) indicates that R
on,sp of the modified structure, and breakdown voltage (V
BR) are improved by 22.2% and 21.1% respectively, while the maximum figure of merit (

FOM
=

V

BR

2

/

R

on
,
sp

) is improved by 79.0%. Furthermore, the improved structure achieves a light smaller low gate-to-drain charge (Q
gd) and when compared with the conventional UMOSFET (conventional-UMOS), it displays great advantages for reducing the switching energy loss. These advantages are due to the fact that the p-type conductive pillars and n-type conductive pillars configured under the gate provide a substantial charge balance, which also enables the charge carriers to be extracted quickly. In the end, under the condition of the same total charge quantity, the simulation comparison of gate charge and OFF-state characteristics between Gauss-doped structure and uniform-doped structure shows that Gauss-doped structure increases the V
BR of the device without degradation of dynamic performance.
Dynamical stability of dipolar condensate in a parametrically modulated one-dimensional optical lattice*
Authors: Ma Ji-Li , Li Xiao-Xun , Cheng Rui-Jin , Zhang Ai-Xia , Xue Ju-Kui
Published: December 2020

We study the stabilization properties of dipolar Bose–Einstein condensate in a deep one-dimensional optical lattice with an additional external parametrically modulated harmonic trap potential. Through both analytical and numerical methods, we solve a dimensionless nonlocal nonlinear discrete Gross–Pitaevskii equation with both the short-range contact interaction and the long-range dipole–dipole interaction. It is shown that, the stability of dipolar condensate in modulated deep optical lattice can be controled by coupled effects of the contact interaction, the dipolar interaction and the external modulation. The system can be stabilized when the dipolar interaction, the contact interaction, the average strength of potential and the ratio of amplitude to frequency of the modulation satisfy a critical condition. In addition, the breather state, the diffused state and the attractive-interaction-induced-trapped state are predicted. The dipolar interaction and the external modulation of the lattice play important roles in stabilizing the condensate.
Delta-Davidson method for interior eigenproblem in many-spin systems*
Authors: Guan Haoyu , Zhang Wenxian
Published: December 2020

Many numerical methods, such as tensor network approaches including density matrix renormalization group calculations, have been developed to calculate the extreme/ground states of quantum many-body systems. However, little attention has been paid to the central states, which are exponentially close to each other in terms of system size. We propose a delta-Davidson (DELDAV) method to efficiently find such interior (including the central) states in many-spin systems. The DELDAV method utilizes a delta filter in Chebyshev polynomial expansion combined with subspace diagonalization to overcome the nearly degenerate problem. Numerical experiments on Ising spin chain and spin glass shards show the correctness, efficiency, and robustness of the proposed method in finding the interior states as well as the ground states. The sought interior states may be employed to identify many-body localization phase, quantum chaos, and extremely long-time dynamical structure.
Entanglement properties of GHZ and W superposition state and its decayed states*
Authors: Jin Xin-Feng , Jiang Li-Zhen , Chen Xiao-Yu
Published: December 2020

We use the generalized Wootters formula, the positive partial transpose (PPT) criterion and the matched entanglement witness, to detect entanglement of three-qubit GHZ and W superposition state and its decayed states. It shows that the results of the generalized Wootters formula in the part near the W state are tight. In the other parts, the PPT criterion is superior to the generalized Wootters formula. Furthermore, we investigate the relationship between entanglement and coherence.
Control of chaos in Frenkel–Kontorova model using reinforcement learning*
Authors: Lei You-Ming , Han Yan-Yan
Published: December 2020

It is shown that we can control spatiotemporal chaos in the Frenkel–Kontorova (FK) model by a model-free control method based on reinforcement learning. The method uses Q-learning to find optimal control strategies based on the reward feedback from the environment that maximizes its performance. The optimal control strategies are recorded in a Q-table and then employed to implement controllers. The advantage of the method is that it does not require an explicit knowledge of the system, target states, and unstable periodic orbits. All that we need is the parameters that we are trying to control and an unknown simulation model that represents the interactive environment. To control the FK model, we employ the perturbation policy on two different kinds of parameters, i.e., the pendulum lengths and the phase angles. We show that both of the two perturbation techniques, i.e., changing the lengths and changing their phase angles, can suppress chaos in the system and make it create the periodic patterns. The form of patterns depends on the initial values of the angular displacements and velocities. In particular, we show that the pinning control strategy, which only changes a small number of lengths or phase angles, can be put into effect.
Adsorption of CO2 on MgAl layered double hydroxides: Effect of intercalated anion and alkaline etching time*
Authors: Feng Yan-Yan , Niu Xiao-Di , Xu Yong-Hui , Yang Wen
Published: December 2020

The adsorption of CO2 on MgAl layered double hydroxides (MgAl-LDHs) based adsorbents has been an effective way to capture CO2, however the adsorption capacity was hampered due to the pore structure and the dispersibility of adsorption active sites. To address the problem, we investigate the effect of intercalated anion and alkaline etching time on the structure, morphology and CO2 uptake performances of MgAl-LDHs. MgAl-LDHs are synthesized by the one-pot hydrothermal method, followed by alkaline etching of NaOH, and characterized by x-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The CO2 adsorption tests of the samples are performed on a thermogravimetric analyzer, and the adsorption data are fitted by the first-order, pseudo-second-order and Elovich models, respectively. The results demonstrate that among the three intercalated samples, MgAl(Cl) using chloride salts as precursors possesses the highest adsorption capacity of CO2, owing to high crystallinity and porous structure, while MgAl(Ac) employing acetate salts as precursors displays the lowest CO2 uptake because of poor crystallinity, disorderly stacked structure and unsatisfactory pore structure. With regard to alkaline etching, the surface of the treated MgAl(Cl) is partly corroded, thus the specific surface area and pore volume increase, which is conducive to the exposure of adsorption active sites. Correspondingly, the adsorption performance of the alkaline-etched adsorbents is significantly improved, and MgAl(Cl)-6 has the highest CO2 uptake. With the alkaline etching time further increasing, the CO2 adsorption capacity of MgAl(Cl)-9 sharply decreases, mainly due to the collapse of pore structure and the fragmentized sheet-structure. Hence, the CO2 adsorption performance is greatly influenced by alkaline etching time, and appropriate alkaline etching time can facilitate the contact between CO2 molecules and the adsorbent.
Dynamics of high-frequency modulated waves in a nonlinear dissipative continuous bi-inductance network
Authors: Ngounou S M , Pelap F B
Published: December 2020

This paper presents intensive investigation of dynamics of high frequency nonlinear modulated excitations in a damped bimodal lattice. The effects of the dissipation are considered through a linear dissipation coefficient whose evolution in terms of the carrier wave frequency is checked. There appears that the dissipation coefficient increases with the carrier wave frequency. In the linear limit and for high frequency waves, study of the asymptotic behavior of plane waves reveals the existence of two additional regions in the dispersion curve where the modulational phenomenon is observed compared to the lossless line. Based on the multiple scales method exploited in the continuum approximation using an appropriate decoupling ansatz for the voltage of the two different cells, it appears that the motion of modulated waves is described by a dissipative complex Ginzburg–Landau equation instead of a Korteweg–de Vries equation. We also show that this amplitude wave equation admits envelope and hole solitons in the high frequency mode. From basic sources, we design a programmable electronic generator of complex signals with desired characteristics, which delivers signals exploited as input waves for all our numerical simulations. These simulations are performed in the LTspice software that uses realistic components and give the results that corroborate perfectly our analytical predictions.
Blind parameter estimation of pseudo-random binary code-linear frequency modulation signal based on Duffing oscillator at low SNR*
Authors: Wang Ke , Yan Xiaopeng , Li Ze , Hao Xinhong , Yu Honghai
Published: December 2020

Conventional parameter estimation methods for pseudo-random binary code-linear frequency modulation (PRBC-LFM) signals require prior knowledge, are computationally complex, and exhibit poor performance at low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). To overcome these problems, a blind parameter estimation method based on a Duffing oscillator array is proposed. A new relationship formula among the state of the Duffing oscillator, the pseudo-random sequence of the PRBC-LFM signal, and the frequency difference between the PRBC-LFM signal and the periodic driving force signal of the Duffing oscillator is derived, providing the theoretical basis for blind parameter estimation. Methods based on amplitude method, short-time Fourier transform method, and power spectrum entropy method are used to binarize the output of the Duffing oscillator array, and their performance is compared. The pseudo-random sequence is estimated using Duffing oscillator array synchronization, and the carrier frequency parameters are obtained by the relational expressions and characteristics of the difference frequency. Simulation results show that this blind estimation method overcomes limitations in prior knowledge and maintains good parameter estimation performance up to an SNR of –35 dB.
Enhanced microwave absorption performance of MOF-derived hollow Zn-Co/C anchored on reduced graphene oxide*
Authors: Wang Yue , He Dawei , Wang Yongsheng
Published: December 2020

Composite materials assembled by metal/carbon nanoparticles and 2D layered flakes can provide abundant interfaces, which are beneficial for high-performance microwave absorbers. Herein, Zn-Co/C/RGO composites, composed of Zn-Co metal-organic framework-derived Zn-Co/C nanoparticles and reduced graphene oxide (RGO), were obtained through a facile method. The multilayer structure was due to the introduction of hollow Zn-Co/C nanoparticles in the RGO sheets. Zn-Co/C nanoparticles provided abundant polarization and dipole centers on the RGO surface, which enhanced the microwave absorption abilities. Different concentrations of RGO were introduced to optimize impedance matching. The minimum reflection loss (R
L) of Zn-Co/C/RGO with a thickness of 1.5 mm reached –32.56 dB with the bandwidth corresponding to R
L at –10 dB, which can reach 3.92 GHz, while a minimum R
L of –47.15 dB at 11.2 GHz was also obtained at a thickness of 2.0 mm. The electromagnetic data demonstrate that Zn-Co/C/RGO presented excellent absorption performance and has potential for application in the microwave absorption field.
LINAC developments for heavy ion operation at GSI and FAIR
Authors: Barth W. , Hollinger R. , Adonin A. , Miski-Oglu M. , Scheeler U. , Vormann H.
Published: December 2020

The first cavity of a standalone superconducting (sc) continuous wave (cw) heavy ion Linac as a demonstration of the capability of 217 MHz multi gap Crossbar H-mode structures (CH) has been already commissioned at high acceleration gain. The worldwide first beam test with a superconducting multi gap CH-cavity was a milestone of the R&D work of HIM and GSI in collaboration with Goethe University Frankfurt (GUF) in preparation of the sc cw heavy ion Linac project, substituting GSI-UNILAC as a heavy ion high duty factor Linac. Recently the first two of four fully equipped cw-Linac cryomodules are in procurement. To meet the future FAIR science requirements higher beam intensity has to be achieved in the present GSI-accelerator complex. In the last years ion source developments, in particular for the high current Vacuum Arc Ion Sources (VARIS), were concentrated on heavy elements, as Bi and Pb, aiming for stable routine ion source operation at a sufficient rep. rate and high production efficiency. Stripping is a key technology for all heavy ion accelerators. After upgrade of the supersonic N
2
-gas jet implementation of high current foil stripping, recently a new H
2
gas cell, using a pulsed gas regime synchronized with arrival of the beam pulse has been developed. An enhanced stripper gas density as well as a simultaneously reduced gas load results in an increased stripping efficiency, while the beam emittance remains the same. A new record beam intensity (11.1 emA) for
238
U
28+
beams at 1.4 MeV/u has been achieved, applying the pulsed high density H
2
-stripper target to a high intensity
238
U
4+
beam from the VARIS ion source. Further ion source developments have been accomplished recently providing for sufficient heavy ion beam intensities at the High Current Injector Linac. A machine investigation program has been performed in 2020. The focus was to optimize the entire FAIR injector chain for high intensity heavy ion beam after the successful implementation of different upgrade measures. Besides a dedicated operation mode applying UNILAC, as a heavy ion Linac, at a synchronous phase significantly lower than 30 degrees for high intensity proton beam, could be established. Thus, UNILAC is able to deliver a sufficient proton beam intensity for the FAIR commissioning phase, when the FAIR-proton Linac is not yet available.
Urban planning sustainability metrics for Arctic cities
Authors: DiNapoli Benjamin , Jull Matthew
Published: December 2020

Changing conditions in the Arctic are prompting increased interest in measuring the performance of Arctic cities to assess challenges of urban sustainability and inform policy makers. This paper presents methods, analysis, and preliminary results from a cross-comparative study of urban planning sustainability indicators using metrics defined by the International Organization for Standardization’s ISO 37120 Sustainable Cities and Communities for 46 Arctic and near-Arctic cities. The framework for evaluating urban planning indicators described in this paper establishes a multi-method approach that defines the area of the city using local statistical units and utilizes a combination of remote sensing, geospatial analysis, and statistical data collection to calculate sustainability metrics. The results of this paper reveal several city- and regional-level characteristics of the Arctic cities in this study in terms of livability, efficiency, socio-economics and sustainability.
Atmospheric moisture shapes increasing tropical cyclone precipitation in southern China over the past four decades
Authors: Gao Si , Mao Jiali , Zhang Wei , Zhang Feng , Shen Xinyong
Published: December 2020

Although slower translation speed can induce a larger amount of local rainfall for an individual tropical cyclone (TC), whether change in total TC precipitation (TCP) affecting China is related to TC translation speed in the satellite era remains unclear. Based on multiple TC best-track datasets and a reanalysis dataset, we find a significant increasing trend in total TCP over two regions of southern China during 1980–2018. This upward trend can be attributed to the enhancing atmospheric water vapor content and moisture transport over southern China, however, TC intensity, frequency, and translation speed have no contributions. Given the potential linkage between the increasing atmospheric water vapor content over southern China and the western Pacific warming under global warming, our results suggest a likely role of anthropogenic global warming in the increasing TCP over southern China during the past 4 decades.
How climate change and fire exclusion drive wildfire regimes at actionable scales
Authors: Hanan Erin J , Ren Jianning , Tague Christina L , Kolden Crystal A , Abatzoglou John T , Bart Ryan R , Kennedy Maureen C , Liu Mingliang , Adam Jennifer C
Published: December 2020

Extreme wildfires are increasing in frequency globally, prompting new efforts to mitigate risk. The ecological appropriateness of risk mitigation strategies, however, depends on what factors are driving these increases. While regional syntheses attribute increases in fire activity to both climate change and fuel accumulation through fire exclusion, they have not disaggregated causal drivers at scales where land management is implemented. Recent advances in fire regime modeling can help us understand which drivers dominate at management-relevant scales. We conducted fire regime simulations using historical climate and fire exclusion scenarios across two watersheds in the Inland Northwestern U.S., which occur at different positions along an aridity continuum. In one watershed, climate change was the key driver increasing burn probability and the frequency of large fires; in the other, fire exclusion dominated in some locations. We also demonstrate that some areas become more fuel-limited as fire-season aridity increases due to climate change. Thus, even within watersheds, fuel management must be spatially and temporally explicit to optimize effectiveness. To guide management, we show that spatial estimates of soil aridity (or temporally averaged soil moisture) can provide a relatively simple, first-order indicator of where in a watershed fire regime is climate vs. fuel-limited and where fire regimes are most vulnerable to change.
The Askey–Wilson algebra and its avatars
Authors: Crampé Nicolas , Frappat Luc , Gaboriaud Julien , Poulain d’Andecy Loïc , Ragoucy Eric , Vinet Luc
Published: December 2020

The original Askey–Wilson algebra introduced by Zhedanov encodes the bispectrality properties of the eponym polynomials. The name Askey–Wilson algebra is currently used to refer to a variety of related structures that appear in a large number of contexts. We review these versions, sort them out and establish the relations between them. We focus on two specific avatars. The first is a quotient of the original Zhedanov algebra; it is shown to be invariant under the Weyl group of type D
4 and to have a reflection algebra presentation. The second is a universal analogue of the first one; it is isomorphic to the Kauffman bracket skein algebra (KBSA) of the four-punctured sphere and to a subalgebra of the universal double affine Hecke algebra

(

C

1

∨

,

C

1

)

. This second algebra emerges from the Racah problem of

U

q

(

s
l

2

)

and is related via an injective homomorphism to the centralizer of

U

q

(

s
l

2

)

in its threefold tensor product. How the Artin braid group acts on the incarnations of this second avatar through conjugation by R-matrices (in the Racah problem) or half Dehn twists (in the diagrammatic KBSA picture) is also highlighted. Attempts at defining higher rank Askey–Wilson algebras are briefly discussed and summarized in a diagrammatic fashion.
Determinant formulas for the five-vertex model
Authors: Burenev Ivan N , Pronko Andrei G
Published: December 2020

We consider the five-vertex model on a finite square lattice with fixed boundary conditions such that the configurations of the model are in a one-to-one correspondence with the boxed plane partitions (3D Young diagrams which fit into a box of given size). The partition function of an inhomogeneous model is given in terms of a determinant. For the homogeneous model, it can be given in terms of a Hankel determinant. We also show that in the homogeneous case the partition function is a τ-function of the sixth Painlevé equation with respect to the rapidity variable of the weights.
Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Principal Component Regression (PCR) for Ozone (O3) Concentrations Prediction
Authors: Nazmi Liyana Mohd Napi Nur , Syazwan Noor Mohamed Mohammad , Abdullah Samsuri , Abu Mansor Amalina , Najah Ahmed Ali , Ismail Marzuki
Published: December 2020

Rapid economic growth has led to an increase in ozone (O3) concentration which significantly affecting human health and environment. The prediction of O3 is complicated due to the redundancy of influencing parameters which introduce the multicollinearity problem. The aim of this study is to assess the best prediction model for O3 concentration which is Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Principle Component Regression (PCR). Data from 2012 to 2014 were used including O3, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxide (O2), temperature, relative humidity and wind speed on hourly basis. Principle Component Analysis (PCA) was used in order to reduce multicollinearity problem, prior to the implementation of MLR. The hybrid model of PCR was selected as best -fitted models as it had higher correlation coefficient, R2 values compared with MLR model. In conclusion, the information from best-fitted prediction model can be used by local authorities to plan the precaution measure in combating and preserve the better air quality level.
Electrical Performance based on the Thickness of Electrode using Anatase TiO2 Dye Sensitized Solar Cell
Authors: Gomesh Nair , Daud Zawawi , Azan Tajarudin Husnul , Santiagoo Ragunathan , Ramli Syafinar
Published: December 2020

Solar cell research is an ongoing process to obtain a trade-off between the efficiency to price ratio. In the process to obtain high efficiency at lower cost, the dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) emerge as the potential candidate. There have been many calls for an alternative method to a solar cell production compared to the current Si-solar cell production. This paper briefly discusses the comparison of using Anatase based titanium dioxide (A-TiO2) at different thickness to the electrical performance of the DSSC. The Dr. Blade method was employed to the fabrication of the DSSC with a reference dyes and platinum deposition technique which acts as a counter electrode. Overall result shows that the 10µm thickness displays improved performance in the solar cell efficiency as compared to other electrode thickness fabricated and tested. The factors that improves the electrical performance based on the electrode thickness have been discussed in the paper.
Application of Geospatial Information System (GIS) using Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) in Determining Shoreline Changes
Authors: Isha I B , Adib M R M
Published: December 2020

The shoreline mapping and analysis are extensive for numerous coastal studies such as advancement of regression planning, geo-hazard recognition, decomposition-enhancing studies and theoretical or predictive modelling or coastal characterization. The occurrence of erosion in coastal areas is caused by a combination of factors nature and human action. Therefore, a study was conducted at Regency Beach, Port Dickson to find out the shoreline changes in the area. Eight remote sensing data from 1988 to 2019 were used in this study using ArcGIS 10.3 and DSAS v4.2 software to obtain shoreline changes. It can be concluded that the pattern of shoreline changed from 1988 to 2019 in the study area and much erosion occurred between 2005 and 2010.
The impact of anthropogenic pressures on sturgeon migration in the Lower Danube
Authors: Raischi Marius , György Deák Habil , Oprea Lucian , Raischi Natalia , Dănălache Tiberius , Matei Stelian
Published: December 2020

The Black Sea sturgeons are anadromous fish species [1], which migrate upstream on the Danube River for breeding. The distance traveled in the migration process varies depending on each species, from tens to hundreds of kilometers [2]. After breeding, the anadromous sturgeons return to the Black Sea and go back to the Danube after a time that varies depending on the species between 3 and 5 years [3]. All sturgeon species that migrate in the Danube basin are on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species [4]. Considering that sturgeon migration is a condition of the existence of species [5], INCDPM developed in 2011-2017 extensive research studies of their behavior. Using ultrasonic telemetry, unique information volumes have been obtained on the behavior during sturgeon migration in different hydrodynamic conditions and under the pressures caused by anthropogenic activities. The intensity of poaching was also analyzed, resulting in that this pressure represents a real threat to the existence of sturgeon species. Over 70% of the total specimens monitored in research studies, developed by INCDPM during the over 7 years of research, were poached. The research was conducted in Ml compliance with the provisions of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 [6], which aims to conserve endangered habitats and species, including by reducing and eliminating by-catches.
Proposed Method and Framework for Evaluating and Calculating a Seismic Vulnerability Index of Malaysia
Authors: Suhaiza Sauti Noor , Effendi Daud Mohd , Kaamin Masiri
Published: December 2020

There are various constraints and challenges faced in conducting seismic vulnerability assessment studies in Malaysia due to key factors related to appropriate data availability, methods and frameworks. This paper would highlight on the proposed method and framework for assessing and calculating the seismic vulnerability index at district level for Malaysia condition. A set of vulnerability index indicators that incorporate exposure, resilience and capacity elements had been constructed to identify and evaluate local features that would contribute to the vulnerability of populations and properties to the occurrence of earthquakes. Specifically, a multivariate data analysis method would be performed to identify and assess the relative contribution (weightage value) of respective indicators and following with the use of Geographical Information System (GIS) technology to map and generate the spatial heterogeneity of total vulnerability index map and potential seismic vulnerability index map. Finally, the derived maps could provide preliminary information on the seismically vulnerable area classifications in order to improve the disaster mitigation and preparedness strategies by response disaster agencies.
Technological Development of Bamboo for “Batik” Stamp in Malaysian Textile Industries
Authors: Lias Hamdan , Rasdan Ismail Ahmad , Jusoh Norfadzilah , Hamid Haslinda Abd.
Published: December 2020

Bamboo is a nature plant found in Malaysia and is being used largely in a craft and furniture industry. It is a plant with a trunk, twigs and cross-sections that can naturally create the contemporary and unique design for block batik. The main objective of the research stands to study about the application of bamboo as a main component in producing the unique design for block batik. History has been revealed that block for batik motives are originated from the creation from wood by Haji Che Su in 1914. Then, the wood block has been replaced with coopper, steel and zink which are more practical and easily shaped. The transformation of the block takes a long time based on the current demand. Various efforts have been done both by the designer and researcher to produce the block for the batik with lower costs, eco-friendly and with unique design. More than that, the research is also to identify and evaluate the proper manufacturing process for bamboo to become as a block batik design as well as the copper and steel. As a result, the use of bamboo as a block for batik has a potential to replace the cooper and steel. The product produced using bamboo as a block for batik creates unique and contemporary batik design and it fulfil the customer demand along with the eco-friendly value.
Assessment of the State of Ichthyofauna from Danube River – Caleia Branch, Romania: A Sustainable Development Context
Authors: Danalache Tiberius-Marcel , Deák György , Holban Elena , Parlog Cosmin , Georgeta Nicolae Carmen , Matei Stelian , Cristea Mihai-Alexandru , Mohamed Noor Norazian
Published: December 2020

Evaluating the state of ichthyofauna at both the Lower Danube level and at the national level contains knowledge gaps regarding species dynamics, with the most complex studies regarding species composition being undertaken more than 50 years ago. Over time, the Danube River - an important navigation route that connects Western Europe with Asia - has suffered a series of anthropogenic interventions that led to river discharge regularization, interruptions of longitudinal/latitudinal connectivity and reductions in floodplain area. These anthropogenic activities may negatively impact suitable fish habitats leading to demographical effects. The Danube is regarded as a river with high species richness that provides a source of income for the local population by the practice of commercial fishing. The area of interest for this study was selected taking into account the fact that, in the last decade, it was subject to hydrotechnical works that aim to redistribute the river discharge to improve navigation conditions. The ichthyofauna population dynamics is analyzed using an 8 year-long dataset that includes baseline data before the project started and a monitoring period after the project ended. The results indicate the presence of 38 fish species (excluding anadromous fish species – sturgeons and shads). The identified fish species are classified in two categories: 1) species of commercial interest and 2) species of Community interest. This study provides evidence that the high mobility capacity of the fish species is the main factor affecting species dynamics as support of the national efforts in action to stop the degradation of aquatic habitats and biodiversity, in response to goal 15 “Life Earth” of the UN 2030 AGENDA for sustainable development.
Resurgence the Local Knowledge: Environmental Catalysis Practiced in Local Textile Dyeing
Authors: Syahida Mat Hussin Nurul , Rasdan Ismail Ahmad , Abdul Kadir Nawwal , Wahida Hasbullah Sarah , Hassan Hanisa , Jusoh Norfadzilah
Published: December 2020

The resurgence of local knowledge by using natural colourant in textile dyeing has gaining popularity due to the eco-friendly advantages and benefits. Textile dyeing process is keen as both art and science that has been practiced since human development. This paper aim to identify the process practiced in local textile dyeing with adaption of environmental catalysis. The methodology used in this study is reviewing the content by referring the previous study, text documentation and discussions. There are three (3) types of dyeing process identified in local textile production which are natural dyeing, naphthol dyeing and Remazol dyeing. The dyeing technology change with time and consumer demand by considering the economic purposes but neglecting the environment and vicinity safety. Therefore, the introduction towards environmental catalysis substances in the process of natural dyeing has led the eco-friendly chain process practices for local textile production, besides it is an initiative to create awareness and acknowledge about eco-friendly dyeing and local knowledge on textile dyeing process.
Unconfined Compressive Strength of Chemical Stabilised Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) and Crusher Run Mixture for Road Base Course Application
Authors: Poi Cheong Tan , Chee Ming Chan
Published: December 2020

Due to depletion of natural resources and rising awareness of environmental preservation, the road construction practitioners are always seeking alternative materials and technology to make the industry more sustainable in pavement construction. This paper examines the chemical stabilisation of Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) materials and Crusher Run (CR) mixtures with a proprietary chemical binder as a potential way forward. The materials were mixed in ratios of 0, 25, 50, and 75% RAP replacement of CR, with the chemical stabiliser added in dosages between 2-4% per dry weight of the materials. Compacted and cured for 7 days as per requirements of the local authority, the samples were then subjected to the Unconfined Compression Test where the strength UCS (qu7) was recorded. Triple samples were tested for each case to ensure reliability of the results obtained. It was found that with RAP substitution, the UCS is inversely proportionate to ratio RAP used in the mixture, while UCS is directly proportional to dosage chemical added. Besides, It is technical viable to partially replace CR with RAP during chemical stabilization for road base course application.
Municipal Solid Waste Characterization and Quantification as A Measure Towards Effective Solid Waste Management in UniMAP
Authors: Azura Zakarya Irnis , Syafiqah Azani Fazhil Nurul , Nuraiti Tengku Izhar Tengku , Khadijah Zaaba Siti , Nabil Fikri Jamaluddin Muhamad
Published: December 2020

The most common environmental problems in Malaysia is increasing in solid waste generation. Solid waste generation and composition knowledge is compulsory as a benchmark for the decision making in managing municipal solid waste management strategy. The objective of this study was to measure solid waste generation and compare solid waste composition at cafeterias of UniMAP. Three different cafeterias had been chosen as a sampling location. Waste was sorted out into several components such as food waste, plastic, papers, metal, glass, and other types of waste. There is significance difference in data collection between the three locations where the organic waste was the main component in waste composition. Solid waste sampling and laboratory analysis were carried out based on random sampling method by using American Standard Test Method (ASTM) standards for proximate analysis (moisture content, ash content, volatile matter and fixed carbon). Ultimate analysis which is C:N ratio was carried out. Results showed that total municipal solid waste generated during two weeks of collection at School of Manufacturing, Tuanku Tengku Fauziah Residential College (PFI 2) and Tan Sri Aisyah Ghani Residential College (KKTAG) were 459.9 kg (0.1452 kg/p/day), 709.0 kg (0.0292 kg/p/day) and 201.90 kg (0.0163 kg/p/day). Based on this information, a proper waste management can be introduced to treat organic waste such as food waste and paper including inorganic waste efficiently.
Home Composting Method for the Treatment Technologies of Food Waste: A Review
Authors: Amira Sarani Noor , Abdul Kadir Aeslina , Ikhmal Haqeem Hassan Mohd , Jannah Abdul Hamid Nur , Nabila Huda Hashar Nurul , Amiza Hashim Azini , Fatin Nabila Hissham Nur , Sie Ng Jes , Azura Zakarya Irnis
Published: December 2020

The increase in environmental pollution is largely reflected by industrial activities, urbanization and population development. Due to these activities, it has produced millions of tons of food waste every day. Food waste has become a serious problem in the world as most countries are also concerned about the challenge of managing food waste. Studies suggested that composting is a better method to control and reduce the amount of food waste as it is easy to apply and can be harvested in a short period. Composting also ensures a promising return in prolonging the life span of landfills, as well as reduces the leakage of leachate into groundwater.
Effect of Organic Matter on Pathogen Population During Composting of Municipal Sludge
Authors: Hamzah Nurhidayah , Farhana Hashim Nurul , Syahiza Zainuddin Nur , Kassim Jalina , Abdul Halip Azianabiha , Liza Rahim Nur
Published: December 2020

Population growth in Malaysia is expected to increase rapidly. Every sector of industry is expected to have a revolution including in agriculture sector. The utilization of organic fertilizer in agriculture as a green movement is to replace the chemical fertilizer subsequently, reduce the municipal sludge waste. Hence enhancing the growth and supply of nutrient to plant. However, the pathogenic growth in the final product is the greatest concerns. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the pathogen population in the compost of municipal sludge mixed with landscape waste for 90 days. The pathogen dynamic and its correlation with organic matter in 3 different ratios were analysed and recorded. The result showed that the pathogenic trends was uniformly increased at the early stage of composting and decreased gradually after reached the peak. R4 which comprises of equal ratio between municipal sludge and seed compost showed positive correlation with organic matter. R3 and R4 showed better removal of pathogen at maturity stage. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella were failed to comply with the standard for R3 and only Salmonella failed for R4. This study supports the achievement of the Sustainability Development Goal (SDG) as an alternative way to combat the environmental issue by leveraging the usage of the waste produced for the purpose of the waste reduction and sustain the environment.
Overview on Sustainability Criteria for Food Waste Bioproducts Management
Authors: Ikhmal Haqeem Hassan Mohd , Abdul Kadir Aeslina , Najiha Nasarullah Lidya , Amira Sarani Noor , Jannah Abdul Hamid Nur , Nabila Huda Hashar Nurul , Amiza Hashim Azini , Fatin Nabila Hissham Nur
Published: December 2020

Ever since the pandemic of Covid-19 crisis hit all over the world, many aspects of the economy have changed especially on the healthcare issues, solid and medical waste management, as well as our food system. For a developing country like Malaysia, even though during movement control order, food wastage is not yet to be neglected. Some factors in households can influence food waste such as over shopping behaviour, panic buying that led to uneaten foods (leftovers) and household management practices such as poor planning and food storage problems. The increase in food wastage and collection generated every year will also lead to environmental pollution issues and natural resources. To overcome this issue, some researchers has been working to finding a sustainable approach to replace common practices for food waste management. Food waste will be used as industry substrates for production of valuable bioproducts and has achieved results in diversification applications and increased market demand for bioproducts. Therefore, this study discusses on current and available practices on food waste by converting it to bioproducts that enhance sustainable development. These productions is a new concept that is implemented to raise more attention to the efficient and sustainable use of resources, energy, and infrastructure to guarantee the life quality for human beings.
Study of the Properties of TiO2 Doped with Nitrogen and Magnesium using DR-UV Vis Analysis as Catalyst in Wastewater Treatment
Authors: Razali Nur ‘Aliaa , Amira Othman Siti
Published: December 2020

Due to the environmental issue that have become serious each day, many researchers interested to solve the problem with few method of water treatment including carbon adsorption, ultrafiltration, coagulation using chemical method, biodegradation using microbes, ozonation and also advanced oxidation process. One of the popular methods is using doping method. The photocatalytic activity is said to be directly proportional to the dopant concentration based on previously study. The optimum photocatalytic activity will occur at optimum dopant concentration, but at certain level of dopant concentration, the photocatalytic efficiency will be decreasing. DR-UV Vis analysis shows that the nitrogen and magnesium doped caused the formation of new mid-gap energy state and make the band gap shifted.
Transboundary River Hydrodynamic Conditions Assessment in Sustainable Development Context. A Case Study of Danube River: Chilia Branch - Bystroe Channel Area
Authors: Tudor Georgeta , György Deák , Cïrstinoiu Constantin , Raischi Marius , Dănălache Tiberius , Cornateanu Gabriel , Bratfanof Edward
Published: December 2020

Located in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, the Chilia branch serves as country boundary between Romania and Ukraine. The former state started in 2004 a project intended to increase the navigability capacity of Bystroe Channel, the environmental impact of the works carried out being discordantly considered by the Romanian and Ukrainian authorities. The Inquiry Commission established under the Espoo Convention, of which both countries are part of, delivered its final opinion that the project was likely to have a significant adverse transboundary impact on the hydrodynamic local conditions and habitat loss for fish and birdlife. Statistical analysis was operated on daily and monthly averaged water discharge values and the results were graphically displayed as hydrographs and probability curves and distribution. Addressing the in situ data measurements deficit for the Chilia branch - Bystroe Channel Area, measurement campaigns have been carried out in order to monitor the alterations of the hydrodynamic parameters. Using the specialized Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers technique, there have been recorded water flow parameters (water discharge and water current velocity vectors) and the data used for analysis and 2D and 3D representation of the hydrodynamic conditions.
Methyl Orange Removal from Aqueous Solution by Sorption onto Porous Polysaccharide-Based Adsorbents: Optimization by Taguchi Design
Authors: Wong Khi-Thong , Wong Voon-Loong , Lim Siew-Shee
Published: December 2020

The removal of methyl orange (MO) dye using porous chitosan (CS) gel beads was investigated in a batch mode. The newly formed porous CS gel beads were synthesized by using a solidification bath containing mixture of NaOH-Na2CO3 at ratio of 1:1. Orthogonal array of L9 (33) was used to generate nine sets of experiments based on three controlling factors: initial dye concentration (30 ppm, 50 ppm, 90 ppm), adsorbent dosage (0.35 g, 0.5 g, 1 g) and pH of MO (pH 3, 7, 11).The highest mean of Signal to Noise (S/N) ratio was chosen to obtain maximum adsorption capability of newly formed porous CS gel beads. The optimum operating conditions to maximise the removal percentage (R% ) were identified as 1 g of adsorbent dosage, 30 mg/L of initial MO concentration at pH 3, whereas maximum equilibrium uptake capacity (qe) of 10.41 mg/g was achieved by dosing 0.35 g of adsorbent dosage into 90 mg/L of initial MO concentration at pH 3. ANOVA studies were also carried out to study the contribution percentage of each designed parameter. The results indicated that the initial concentration and pH of MO dye solution have the biggest contribution to R% and qe
, respectively.
Epistatic, synthetic, and balancing interactions among tubulin missense mutations affecting neurite growth inCaenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Lee Ho Ming Terence , Sayegh Natalie Yvonne , Gayek A. Sophia , Jao Susan Laura Javier , Chalfie Martin , Zheng Chaogu
Published: December 2020

This study describes an updated collection of 99 tubulin missense mutations for their effects on neurite growth in Caenorhabditis elegans. Structural modeling found mutations often cluster and generate steric clashes. Genetic studies identified complex interactions among tubulin mutations, including additive, synthetic, epistatic, and balancing effects.
Evaluating the Efficacy, Tolerability, and Outcomes of Topical Tripeptide/Hexapeptide Formulations Before and After Liposuction of the Medial Thighs
Authors: Claytor Brannon , Casas Laurie , Ziegler Mary , Widgerow Alan D , Bell Michaela
Published: December 2020

Regenerating Skin Nectar with TriHex Technology (RSN) has been shown clinically to promote healing and outcomes post procedures. TransFORM Body Treatment with TriHex Technology (TFB) has demonstrated clinically to improve lipid droplet dissolution and patient-reported outcomes post procedure. Histologically, both have been proven to regenerate collagen and elastin. The objective is to evaluate postprocedural recovery, histological, and gene expression changes of medial thigh liposuction in participants using RSN and TFB on one thigh in comparison with a bland moisturizer on the other. Participants were randomized to apply RSN pre and post procedure and TFB post procedure to one thigh and a bland moisturizer to the other. After topical pretreatment, participants underwent bilateral medial thigh liposuction. Assessments included induration measurements, ultrasounds, blinded investigator assessments, participant assessments, photography, and biopsies for 10 weeks post procedure. Blinded investigator assessments of induration, edema, and subcutaneous fibrous banding had less severity at weeks 1, 2, and 4 on the RSN/TFB thigh, corresponding with induration measurements. Ultrasound images showed less fluid infiltration, edema, and induration on the RSN/TFB side over the bland moisturizer at 2 weeks. Gene expression confirmed a hastened inflammatory phase converting more rapidly to the anti-inflammatory regenerative healing environment with evidence of extracellular remodeling only present on the RSN/TFB side at week 4, and histological biopsies demonstrated improved collagenesis and elastogenesis. RSN used before surgical procedures combined with RSN and TFB post procedure has demonstrated remodeling of the extracellular matrix, accelerating healing, and initiation of anti-inflammatory genes.

Level of Evidence: 4