bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long‐Term Stability and Clinical Utility of Amplified Atrial Electrograms in a Single‐Lead ICD System with Floating Atrial Electrodes
Authors: WORDEN NICOLE E. , ALQASRAWI MUSAB , MAZUR ALEXANDER
Published: October 2016

Background

Available atrial electrograms in implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) improve arrhythmia diagnosis, allow monitoring for atrial fibrillation, and may reduce the risk of inappropriate therapies. A recently introduced ICD system using a single‐lead with floating atrial electrodes provides diagnostic capability of a dual‐chamber system without placing an additional lead. Data on long‐term clinical performance of this system are limited.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed data from 35 consecutive patients implanted with Biotronik VR‐T DX devices and LinoxSmart DX leads. (Biotronik, SE & Co., Berlin, Germany)

Results

Of 35 patients (77% male, age 52 ± 11.28 years), 32 were followed for a mean of 432 ± 197 days (range 56–765). During implantation, average preamplified and amplified sinus P‐wave amplitudes were 2.61 ± 1.39 mV (range 0.9–6.8 mV) and 8.7 ± 4.51 mV (range 1.4–18 mV), respectively. Despite statistically significant variations, the amplified P‐wave amplitude measurements (calculated mean values over 3 months) remained within a clinically acceptable range during follow‐up (5.4–8.7 mV). R‐wave amplitude and ventricular pacing threshold measurements were stable over time. A total of 13 stored arrhythmia events (three ventricular tachycardia, eight supraventricular tachycardia, two atrial fibrillation) were reviewed. All of them showed readily interpretable atrial electrograms. Eight out of 10 (80%) supraventricular events were correctly classified by the device. Three patients received inappropriate ICD therapies.

Conclusion

The single‐lead ICD system using a floating atrial dipole provides reliable recording of atrial signals during sinus rhythm and arrhythmias. Our data suggest that the system may offer diagnostic advantages of a dual‐chamber device without potential risks of an additional atrial lead.
Changes in the relationship between asthma and associated risk factors over fifty years
Authors: Barnish Maxwell S. , Tagiyeva Nara , Devereux Graham , Aucott Lorna , Turner Steve
Published: October 2016

Background

Childhood asthma is a common condition whose prevalence is changing. We hypothesized that the relationship between asthma and associated risk factors has changed over a 50‐year period.

Methods

An ecological study design was used. Children aged 8–13 attending schools in Aberdeen city were surveyed on seven occasions between 1964 and 2014. The following were determined: history of asthma, history of eczema, parental smoking, parental asthma, sex and socio‐economic status. Analysis was by a structural change model with two knots. The outcome reported was the change in odds ratio between asthma and a given risk factor during a given period.

Results

There were 23,241 questionnaires distributed and 17,439 returned (75%). The odds ratio (OR) for a child with asthma to have eczema increased between 1989 and 1999 by 1.031 [95% CI 1.028, 1.035] and by 1.042 between 2004 and 2014 [1.038, 1.047]. The OR for a child with asthma to have a parent who smoked rose by 1.032 [1.028, 1.036] between 1989 and 1999 and by 1.043 [1.038, 1.047] between 2004 and 2014), and to have a parent with asthma (1.027 [1.022, 1.031] for 1994–99 and 1.042 [1.037, 1.048] for 2004–2014). The OR for a child with asthma being male, but not and being from the most deprived communities, rose between 1989–1999 and 2004–2014.

Conclusions

The relationship between asthma prevalence and particular risk factors changed over the 50‐year period of study, and this might reflect changes in children's environment and/or susceptibility.
Long‐term safety and efficacy of perinatal probiotic intervention: Evidence from a follow‐up study of four randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trials
Authors: Lundelin Krista , Poussa Tuija , Salminen Seppo , Isolauri Erika
Published: October 2016

Background

Societies worldwide are faced with a progressive increase in immune‐mediated health problems such as allergic, autoimmune, and inflammatory diseases, as well as obesity. Perinatal administration of specific probiotic bacteria is an attractive approach in reducing the risk of these conditions, but long‐term efficacy and safety data are lacking. The aim here was to evaluate the clinical benefit and long‐term safety of specific probiotics administered during the perinatal period.

Methods

The probiotic strains used were Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Bifidobacterium lactis Bb‐12, Lactobacillus paracasei ST11, and Bifidobacterium longum BL999. The children involved have subsequently undergone prospective long‐term follow‐up. In addition to physical examination, data were collected by structured questionnaires on non‐communicable diseases and continued probiotic use, and growth data from welfare clinics and school nurses.

Results

Altogether 303 mother–infant pairs were included in the analysis. Seventy‐six of 163 (47%) children receiving perinatal probiotics had developed allergic disease compared with 79 of 140 (56%) receiving placebo (OR 0.67, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.43–1.06, p = 0.09). Fifty‐nine of 133 (44%) children receiving L. rhamnosus GG perinatally had developed allergic disease, OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.38–0.99, p = 0.047, as compared to placebo. We found no differences in growth or non‐communicable disease prevalence between children receiving perinatally probiotics or placebo.

Conclusions

Perinatal probiotic administration is safe in long‐term follow‐up. Children receiving L. rhamnosus GG perinatally tended to have decreased allergy prevalence.
The effect of general anesthesia for ambulatory dental treatment on children in Chongqing, Southwest China
Authors: Chao Zhang , Gui Jin Huang , Cong Yu
Published: October 2016

Background

The incidence of early childhood caries shows a significant increasing trend. Often, children younger than 6 years need additional help to finish the dental treatment. Therefore, general anesthesia (GA) could help to provide a successful environment for pediatric dental treatment.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of dental treatment under general anesthesia (DGA) on the patients’ oral health in Chongqing, Southwest China using the P‐CPQ and the FIS questionnaires.

Methods

We collected the hospital's records of the children who received DGA from 2013 to 2014 and the questionnaires answered by their parents or caregivers before and after the treatment. Then the data were integrated and analyzed to assess the effect of DGA on the children and their family, the incidence of the complications during or after DGA, and the satisfaction of their parents.

Results

We collected 659 patients’ records including 55.4% boys and 44.6% girls. There were 443 children younger than 4 years, and 216 children older than 4 years. The main reason why they chose DGA was the patients’ fear for the treatment (95.1%). The mean cost of DGA almost reached a half (61.5%) or a third (15.3%) of the family's monthly earning. The mean P‐CPQ score and FIS score significantly decreased after DGA. The highest incidence of complications was emergence agitation, headache, and nausea/vomiting. The incidence of emergence agitation and headache was related to the operation time. The majority of families reported a high degree of satisfaction.

Conclusions

Children's oral health‐related quality of life after DGA improved significantly. Meanwhile DGA showed a positive effect on the whole family and majority of families reported a high degree of satisfaction to it.
Mortality following congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair: the role of anesthesia
Authors: Goonasekera Chulananda , Ali Kamal , Hickey Ann , Sasidharan Lekshmi , Mathew Malcolm , Davenport Mark , Greenough Anne
Published: October 2016

Background

Mortality following surgical repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) remains high. The volume and type of perioperative intravenous fluid administered, baro‐trauma, oxygen toxicity, and the duration of anesthesia are thought to affect outcome in surgical populations.

Aims

The aim of this retrospective observational study was to determine whether the perioperative volume or type of fluids and/or the duration of anesthesia were associated with postoperative mortality and if mortality was predicted by the oxygenation index (OI) prior to or following CDH surgical repair.

Methods

The records of infants with a left‐sided CDH and without other congenital anomalies, who underwent surgical repair between April 2009 and March 2015, were examined. The oxygenation index was used to “quantify” the severity of lung function abnormality and reported as the best OI on day 1 after birth (OIBEST), the OI immediately prior to surgery (OIPRE) and at 1, 6, 12, and 24 h postsurgery (OI1h, OI6h, OI12h, OI24h), respectively. The change in the OI index (delta OI) was calculated by subtracting OIPRE from postoperative OIs.

Results

The records of 37 CDH infants (median gestational age 35.8, range 31.5–41.4 weeks) were assessed; six died postoperatively. Neither the duration of anesthesia, the volume of crystalloids or colloids administered, nor the peak inflation pressures used during surgical repair were significantly correlated with postoperative mortality. Neither fetal tracheal occlusion nor use of a parietal patch significantly influenced mortality. The postoperative OI1h, OI6h, OI12h showed weak evidence for a difference between survivors and nonsurvivors. An OI24h of ≥5.5 predicted mortality with 100% sensitivity (95% CI, confidence intervals (CI) 40–100) and 93.1% specificity (95% CI, 77–99).

Conclusion

Neither the volume of intraoperative fluids administered nor the duration of anesthesia was associated with postoperative death. The OI 24 h postsurgery was the best predictor of an increased risk of mortality.
Oral morphine dosing predictions based on single dose in healthy children undergoing surgery
Authors: Dawes Joy M. , Cooke Erin M. , Hannam Jacqueline A. , Brand Katherine A. , Winton Pamela , Jimenez‐Mendez Ricardo , Aleksa Katarina , Lauder Gillian R. , Carleton Bruce C. , Koren Gideon , Rieder Michael J. , Anderson Brian J. , Montgomery Carolyne J.
Published: October 2016

Background

Oral morphine has been proposed as an effective and safe alternative to codeine for after‐discharge pain in children following surgery but there are few data guiding an optimum safe oral dose.

Aims

The aim of this study was to characterize the absorption pharmacokinetics of enteral morphine in order to simulate time–concentration profiles in children given common oral morphine dose regimens.

Methods

Children (2–6 years, n = 34) undergoing elective surgery and requiring opioid analgesia were randomized to receive preoperative oral morphine (100 mcg·kg−1, 200 mcg·kg−1, 300 mcg·kg−1). Blood sampling for morphine assay was performed at 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 min. Morphine serum concentrations were determined by liquid chromatography–mass spectroscopy and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using nonlinear mixed effects models. Current data were pooled with published time–concentration profiles from children (n = 1059, age 23 weeks postmenstrual age – 3 years) administered intravenous morphine, to determine oral bioavailability (F), absorption lag time (TLAG), and absorption half‐time (TABS). These parameter estimates were used to predict concentrations in children given oral morphine (100, 200, 300, 400, 500 mcg·kg−1) at different dosing intervals (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12 h).

Results

The oral morphine formulation had F 0.298 (CV 36.5%), TLAG 0.45 (CV 63.6%) h and TABS 0.71 (CV 55%) h. A single‐dose morphine 100 mcg·kg−1 achieved a mean CMAX 10 mcg·l−1. Repeat 4‐hourly dosing achieved mean steady‐state concentration 13–18 mcg·l−1; concentrations associated with good analgesia after intravenous administration. Serum concentration variability was large ranging from 5 to 55 mcg·l−1 at steady state.

Conclusions

Oral morphine 200 mcg·kg−1 then 100 mcg·kg−1 4 h or 150 mcg·kg−1 6 h achieves mean concentrations associated with analgesia. There was high serum concentration variability suggesting that respiration may be compromised in some children given these doses.
Does pediatric post‐traumatic stress disorder alter the brain? Systematic review and meta‐analysis of structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging studies
Authors: Milani Ana Carolina C. , Hoffmann Elis V. , Fossaluza Victor , Jackowski Andrea P. , Mello Marcelo F.
Published: October 2016

Several studies have recently demonstrated that the volumes of specific brain regions are reduced in children and adolescents with post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared with those of healthy controls. Our study investigated the potential association between early traumatic experiences and altered brain regions and functions. We conducted a systematic review of the scientific literature regarding functional magnetic resonance imaging and a meta‐analysis of structural magnetic resonance imaging studies that investigated cerebral region volumes in pediatric patients with PTSD. We searched for articles from 2000 to 2014 in the PsycINFO, PubMed, Medline, Lilacs, and ISI (Web of Knowledge) databases. All data regarding the amygdala, hippocampus, corpus callosum, brain, and intracranial volumes that fit the inclusion criteria were extracted and combined in a meta‐analysis that assessed differences between groups. The meta‐analysis found reduced total corpus callosum areas and reduced total cerebral and intracranial volumes in the patients with PTSD. The total hippocampus (left and right hippocampus) and gray matter volumes of the amygdala and frontal lobe were also reduced, but these differences were not significant. The functional studies revealed differences in brain region activation in response to stimuli in the post‐traumatic stress symptoms/PTSD group. Our results confirmed that the pediatric patients with PTSD exhibited structural and functional brain abnormalities and that some of the abnormalities occurred in different brain regions than those observed in adults.
Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome with Prolonged Course Complicated by Parvovirus Infection
Authors: Coughlin Carrie C. , Jen Melinda V. , Boos Markus D.
Published: October 2016

Drug hypersensitivity syndrome (DHS) is a severe medication reaction involving multiple organ systems that is characterized by rash, lymphadenopathy, and laboratory aberrations, including hepatic enzyme changes. Viral reactivation in the setting of DHS can significantly affect the course of disease. We report two children in whom parvovirus infection prolonged and complicated their course of DHS. Most other DHS‐complicating viruses are herpesviruses; this report broadens the scope of DHS‐modifying infections to include activation of Parvoviridae.
INTERSTATE RELOCATION OF MANUFACTURERS AND BUSINESS CLIMATE
Authors: Conroy Tessa , Deller Steven , Tsvetkova Alexandra
Published: October 2016

In this study, we model how traditional factors associated with a supply‐side view of business climate, at times identified with neo‐liberalism, influence interstate relocation patterns of manufacturers using a panel (2000–2011) of the 48 contiguous American states. We find that very few manufacturing firms relocate across state lines in any given year and those that do relocate are relatively small businesses and are most likely to move to neighboring states. Traditional factors associated with business climate, such as taxation, appear to influence manufacturing interstate relocation. Further analysis shows that the tax policy changes necessary for an economically significant effect on relocation are likely infeasible.
Do young children preferentially trust gossip or firsthand observation in choosing a collaborative partner?
Authors: Haux Lou , Engelmann Jan M. , Herrmann Esther , Tomasello Michael
Published: October 2016

From early on in ontogeny, young children hear things being said about particular individuals. Here we investigate the ways in which testimony with social content, that is, gossip, influences children's decision‐making. We explored whether five‐year‐old (N = 72) and seven‐year‐old (N = 72) children trust gossip or firsthand observation in a partner choice setting. Seven‐year‐old children preferentially trusted what they had seen firsthand over gossip; five‐year‐old children, in contrast, did not differentiate between these two sources of information. However, five‐year‐old children (but not seven‐year‐olds) generally gave negative information more weight, that is, they showed a “negativity bias.” These results suggest that at around school age, young children become more “epistemically vigilant” about gossip.
Transcriptome analysis of equine sarcoids
Authors: Semik E. , Gurgul A. , Ząbek T. , Ropka‐Molik K. , Koch C. , Mählmann K. , Bugno‐Poniewierska M.
Published: October 2016

Equine sarcoids are the most commonly detected skin tumours in Equidae. In the present research, a comparative transcriptomic analysis was performed which aimed at looking inside a tumour biology and identification of the expression profile as a potential source of cancer specific genes useful as biomarkers. We have used Horse Gene Expression Microarray data from matched equine sarcoids and tumour‐distant skin samples. In total, 901 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between lesional and healthy skin samples have been identified (fold change ≥ 2; P < 0.05). The large subset of DEGs, with decreased expression, was associated with a suppression of malignant transformation, whereas several overexpressed genes were involved in the processes associated with growth and progression of a tumour or immune system activity. Our results, as a first to date, showed comprehensive transcriptome analysis of skin tumour in horses and pinpointed significant pathways and genes related with oncogenesis processes.
How Effective is Cultural Competence Training of Healthcare Providers on Improving Patient Satisfaction of Minority Groups? A Systematic Review of Literature
Authors: Govere Linda , Govere Ephraim M.
Published: October 2016

Background

With the rapid growth of minority populations in the United States, the need to train healthcare providers to give culturally competent care has never been greater. Extensive research on cultural competence of healthcare providers has been conducted, but no systematic review specifically focused on the effect of cultural competence training on patient satisfaction of clients from minority groups.

Aims

To search and critically appraise published research articles that evaluated the effectiveness of cultural competence training of healthcare providers on improving patient satisfaction of clients from minority groups.

Methods

Using MeSH entry terms: Competency, Cultural; Cultural Competencies; Cultural Competence; Competence, Cultural; Satisfaction, Patient; and non‐MeSh text words: Cultural Awareness, Cultural Sensitivity, Cultural Competence Training, Cultural Sensitivity Training, and Cultural Awareness Training, a comprehensive literature search of peer‐reviewed articles from 2002 to 2014 in CINAHL, Cochrane, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science databases was conducted. Original studies that reported cultural competence training and measured its impact on patient satisfaction were included. Quality of the reviewed studies was assessed on the basis of methodological limitations related to experimental design, sample size and sampling approaches, and ethnic spread of the participants.

Results

Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Six studies revealed that cultural competence training intervention significantly increased the cultural competence level of healthcare providers. Five studies demonstrated that cultural competence training of healthcare providers was significantly associated with increased patient satisfaction.

Linking Evidence to Action

Cultural competence training is an effective intervention that enables healthcare providers to give culturally competent care that increases satisfaction of patients from minority groups. However, more research with better research designs, large sample sizes, and validated standardized cultural competence and patient satisfaction assessment tools is needed to unequivocally attribute cultural competence training to patient satisfaction.
Documenting its Applications in Quantity Surveying Research: A Review
Authors: Bandi Shamsulhadi , Abdullah Fadhlin
Published: October 2016

Literature review is an indispensable segment in scholarly undertaking. Although important, it appears that little has been documented about its process especially from the perspective of research in quantity surveying. This despite such effort could possibly benefit novices attempting to explore the vast territory of quantity surveying intellectual domain. Hence, drawing from the author’s recent research in identifying the issues that have impeded the use of the bills of quantities (BQ), this paper aims to document the steps involved in the process of reviewing literatures concerning the research. Accordingly, a nuts-and-bolts approach to literature review has been put forward in the background and it strives to describe the steps following the review processes carried out in the research underpinning this paper. This paper reflects that the process for reviewing the literature could be viewed as iterative-cyclical. In this regard, searching; mapping; analysing and synthesising have been recognised as the important steps in the process. The paper also demonstrates that the use of NVivo assisted greatly in the process and adds significant value through its pragmatic features and useful displays. The paper discussed these processes in relation to research in quantity surveying which is significant to the domain or a part thereof.
Impact of Street’s Physical Elements on Walkability: a Case of Mawlawi Street in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
Authors: Khder Hazhar Muhammad , Mousavi Seyed Mohammad , Khan Tareef Hayat
Published: October 2016

A pleasant walking environment is a precondition for living in a sustainable city. Appropriate street design can increase quality and quantity of walking. However, the adequacy and quality of physical elements as the most significant components of street can seriously affect walkability in the streets. The objective of this study was to critically assess the walkability level in terms of physical elements of Mawlawi Street, a famous commercial street located in the city center of Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. The qualitative research based on interview with locals, direct observation and quantitative research via questionnaire with pedestrians were conducted in this study. First, site observation was carried out through PEDS (Pedestrian Environment Data Scan) audit tool and the taking of photographs in order to observe the streetscape features. In this regard, four criteria as environment, pedestrian facility, road attributes, walking environment, and subjective assessment were considered as well serving the purpose of providing a broad direction about streetscape features. Then, a 5 point Likert scale questionnaire with pedestrians was conducted to triangulate the findings from observation. Later on, the findings were validated through an interview with locals regarding their subjective ideas about those criteria. The study showed that inadequate and poor quality of street’s physical elements changed the street to an unsafe and uncomfortable environment for walking with weak and low level of street connectivity and accessibility for pedestrians.
Implementation of Traditional Malay Design Values in Contemporary Malay Houses
Authors: Hosseini Elham , Mursib Gurupiah , Raja Shahminan Raja Nafida
Published: October 2016

Traditional houses are the most essential architectural experience that is in harmony with the people's culture, beliefs, environment and lifestyles. The development of design values in contemporary architecture by tracking traditional design values in architecture paves the way for arguments concerning the implementation of authentic Malay traditional house design values in contemporary Malay houses. In addition, it is hypothesized that the Malay traditional houses theoretically provide a constructive innovative framework for the design performance of the contemporary Malay house. In this research, data was compiled through field observation and documentary review. The evidence revealed that Malay traditional houses convey a concrete message of richness encompassing architectural design values and theoretical propositions. The credibility of the results was improved and confirmed by a confluence of evidence via a confirmation process. The findings suggested that there is a rich source of subjective support, lending proof to the premise of the research investigation. The research has highlighted the significance of traditional architectural design values towards innovative design in the architecture of contemporary Malay houses as a workable pattern for use in the design of contemporary architecture.
Health Risk Assessment for Transport Corridors in Delhi through Vehicular Air Polluting Mapping
Authors: Kumar Nitin , Kumar Amrit
Published: October 2016

Vehicles are recognized as one of the major sources of air pollution. Delhi having  a very large number of vehicles produces a lot of air pollution. There is an utter need to ascertain the concentration of the pollutants and their impact on the health of the people of the concerned region. This paper makes an attempt towards such an examination. The method employed here is based on Epidemiology. The assessment of health risks due to increased levels of various pollutants on people represented in this paper is based on the spreadsheet model, Risk of Mortality/Morbidity due to Air Pollution (Ri–MAP). This paper presents the findings of the study that evaluates the Impact of increasing air pollution on human health, especially vehicular pollution, in the monitored region, i.e., National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT Delhi) during the year 2015 by choosing fifteen study sites from different parts of the capital city. The findings are in terms of  excess number of cases of cardiovascular and respiratory mortality, and cardiovascular and respiratory morbidity for all fifteen transport corridors. Among others, Noida link road recorded highest excess number of cases of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity and respiratory Morbidity. In case of respiratory mortality, Wazirabad road recorded maximum excess number of cases. With respect to least excess number of cases, it was Connaught Place (Outer circle). The excess number of cases are directly proportional to the population density of the respective region. Also, the regions showing smaller excess number of cases are the planned, less crowded and posh regions of the national capital territory of Delhi.
Between Land and People: A Review of Socioeconomic Issues within the context of Rapid Development in Iskandar Malaysia
Authors: Sultan Zahid , Norizan Nur Zainul Arifin , Tahira Mufeeza
Published: October 2016

In response to globalization and economic competitiveness, Malaysia launched six economic development corridors, covering all the potential areas in Malaysia, and Johor Bahru is one of them. Iskandar Malaysia was launched in 2006 for future economic development in the country as well as to cater the needs of Johor Bahru to modernize its urban and economic infrastructure. Situated in a strategic location and space, Iskandar Malaysia is targeted to be the player of catalytic investment role that will bring direct and indirect investment to Johor. The whole landscape of Johor Bahru is now transforming dramatically, thus worrying the locals and the environmentalists. Environmental issues as well as the concern for social inequality issues have been raised by the locals. Hence, the aim of this study is to address the issues created by the rapid development of Iskandar Malaysia, particularly in Johor Bahru and Nusajaya. The objectives of this paper are to assess the consequences of the coastal land reclamation for Danga Bay waterfront city development and to identify the impact of new-build gentrification towards the local people. The research identifies key social and economic issues and the impacts of these issues have also been identified. To achieve the objective of the study a detailed review on secondary data has been done. The study found that more cooperation and attention from the local authorities, stakeholders and public is needed to ensure urban regeneration and to achieve the objective of social inclusiveness as promised by the vision of Iskandar Malaysia.
ULTRASONIC-ASSISTED EXTRACTION OF OIL FROM CALOPHYLLUM INOPHYLLUM SEEDS: OPTIMIZATION OF PROCESS PARAMETERS
Authors: Mohd Fuad Faiznur , Mat Don Mashitah
Published: October 2016

Calophyllum inophyllum (C. inophyllum) is a plant known as “Penaga Laut” in Malaysia. Its seeds contain valuable oil that serve as a potential alternative sources for vegetable oil. In this study, C. inophyllum seeds oil was extracted using an ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) technique. The optimization of extraction parameters namely different types of solvent, extraction time, ultrasonic power, extraction temperature and liquid to solid (L/S) ratio were performed using one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) method. The optimum extraction conditions obtained were n-hexane as a solvent, extraction time 20 min, ultrasonic power 210 W, extraction temperature 40°C and L/S ratio 20 ml/g, with an oil yield 55.44 ± 0.53 %.
USING EXTREME VALUE THEORY TO EVALUATE CONDITIONAL VAR FOR RISK MANAGEMENT IN ELECTRICITY MARKETS
Authors: Askari M. T. , Afzalipor Z. , Amoozadeh A.
Published: October 2016

In a deregulated power market, generation companies attempt to maximize their profits and minimize their risks. This paper proposes a risk model for bidding strategy of generation companies based on EVT-CVaR method. Extreme Value Theory can overcome shortcomings of traditional methods in computing financial risk based on value-at-risk and conditional value-at-risk method. Also, generalized Pareto distribution is suggested to model tail of an unknown distribution and parameters of the GPD are estimated by likelihood moment method. Numerical results for risk assessment using the proposed approach are presented for IEEE 30-bus test system. According to the findings, this method can be used as a robust technique to calculate the risk for bidding strategy of generation companies.
CHARACTERISTICS OF FLOW THROUGH RIGID, EMERGENT AND SPARSE VEGETATION
Authors: Sharil Suraya , Wan Mohtar Wan Hanna Melini , Mohd Razali Siti Fatin
Published: October 2016

This paper looks into the flow profiles in terms of longitudinal and transverse velocities, turbulence intensity and turbulent kinetic energy in relation to the vegetation density, flow depth and stem Reynolds number. An experimental study was conducted in a fully vegetated flume, whereby a control volume was selected for detailed velocity measurement using Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV). This research considered 0.97%, 3.90% and 7.80% vegetation density or solid volume fractions (SVF) which are categorised as sparse in the lab work. Series of experiments were conducted in uniform flow condition with stem Reynolds number, Red ranging between 1300 and 3000. Experimental results managed to capture the wake area (velocity deficit; < 1) and fast flow region (velocity enhance; > 1). The boundary between the wake area and fast flow region is reflected by the highest magnitude of the normalised longitudinal turbulence intensity and turbulent kinetic energy. Positive normalised transverse velocity represents the flow diversion away from the vegetation and the negative normalised transverse velocity indicates flux towards the centre of the wake. Both turbulence intensity and turbulent kinetic energy display no observable relation with the flow depth. This is probably because the characteristic length for turbulent flow through vegetation is the stem diameter.
DEODORIZING MORINDA CITRIFOLIA (MENGKUDU) STRONG ODOR JUICE BY β-CYCLODEXTRIN-ORGANIC ACIDS INCLUSION
Authors: Shong Yien Yeap , Hassan Osman , Zubairi Saiful Irwan
Published: October 2016

Morinda citrifolia (noni) which is locally known as mengkudu in Malaysia, is a small evergreen tree usually found growing in open coastal regions at sea level and in forest areas. It has been reported to have  various therapeutic effects, including having anticancer activities, in clinical practices and laboratory animal models. However, consumers mostly avoid consuming mengkudu products due to  mengkudu’s sensory properties such as a strong rancid-like odor that is released when the mengkudu fruit is fully ripe. Therefore, this study was  conducted to determine the effectiveness of β-cyclodextrin in deodorizing the unpleasant odors in mengkudu juice which are mainly caused by medium chain fatty acids such as hexanoic acid, octanoic acid and decanoic acid. Initially, the optimal molar ratio for the encapsulation of hexanoic, octanoic and decanoic acid by β-cyclodextrin was constructed as a model system prior to the encapsulation of the juice. The formation of inclusion complex between all acids and β-cyclodextrin was verified by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Next, four dry weight ratios of mengkudu juice to β–cyclodextrin (1:0.5, 1:1, 1:1.5 and 1:2) were selected to determine the degree of the effectiveness of β-cyclodextrin in encapsulating unpleasant odors via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Based on the results, inclusion complex formation was confirmed by DSC through the disappearance of a melting point for pure acid, and shifting to a lower melting point from the pure β–cyclodextrin after the encapsulation process. Moreover, there were significant differences observed between hexanoic acid and octanoic acid content in the mengkudu juice before and after adding β-cyclodextrin (p<0.05). On the other hand, the results obtained from GC-MS and sensory evaluation had contributed to an optimum entrapment of fatty acids at the optimal dry weight ratio of 1:0.5 (dry weight of mengkudu: β-cyclodextrin). Hence, the ability of β-cyclodextrin as a masking agent has been proven to be able to reduce the odor-based fatty acids in mengkudu juice.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF E-INTEGRAL MAP IN SOLVING INTEGRAL CALCULUS PROBLEMS
Authors: Julaihi Nor Hazizah , Howe Eng Tang , Li Li Voon
Published: October 2016

The existing gap of mathematics knowledge was identified as the major contributor to the decline in the students’ performance on the Integral Calculus at the university level. This phenomenon has led to university students’ difficulties in identifying the correct integration techniques and developing understanding on applications of the Integral Calculus. This study aims to analyse the effectiveness of e-INTEGRAL MAP in the learning of Integral Calculus among engineering students of advanced Calculus class. A total of 118 diploma engineering students were involved in an experimental design research to study on the usage and effectiveness of e-INTEGRAL MAP. Study was performed on 65 students in control group and 53 students in treatment group, using the pre-test and post-test experimental design methodology where the effectiveness of the maps was measured through their performance scores. Findings indicate that both control and treatment groups showed significant differences in post-test scores during the two months study. The majority of e-INTEGRAL MAP users found the maps very useful, helpful, easy to understand and user-friendly because it was systematically designed. In conclusion, e-INTEGRAL MAP significantly improved the students’ performance and understanding on the topic of Integral Calculus as compared to the conventional text-book learning.
PREDICTION AND OPTIMIZATION OF ETHANOL CONCENTRATION IN BIOFUEL PRODUCTION USING FUZZY NEURAL NETWORK
Authors: Ezzatzadegan Leila , Morad Noor Azian , Yusof Rubiyah
Published: October 2016

In recent years, producing economical biofuels especially bio-ethanol from lignocellulosic materials has been widely considered.  Fermentation is an important step in ethanol production process. Fermentation process is completely nonlinear and depends on some parameters such as temperature, sugar content, and PH. One of the difficulties in producing biomass is finding the optimum point of the interrelated parameters in the fermentation step. In this study, an elaborate prediction Neuro-Fuzzy model was built to predict the bio-ethanol production from corn stover. Also, particle swarm optimization (PSO) method was used to optimize the three studied parameters: temperature, glucose content, and fermentation time. The attained correlation coefficient (0.99), and root mean square error (0.637) for model validation show the reliability of the model. Optimization of the model shows the optimum fermentation time and required temperature quantities, 69.39hours and 34.50 ͦC, respectively. The good result for ANFIS modeling on fermentation process in bio-ethanol production from corn stover shows that this method can be used to investigate more about other biomass lignocellulos sources.
INVESTIGATION OF LOW SALINE WATER’S EFFECTS ON RELATIVE PERMEABILITY IN CARBONATE RESERVOIRS
Authors: Hematpour Hamed , Parvazdavani Mohammad , Abbasi Saeed , Mahmood Syed Mohammad
Published: October 2016

Low Salinity Water flooding (LSW) is one of the favorable subsets of water flooding EOR methods due to its great advantages over normal water flooding; having a low cost of operation and being environmentally-friendly. LSW has been studied in mathematical, experimentally and practically point of view in numerous numbers of sandstone cases in the worldwide.  Existing of giant carbonate reservoirs containing a great amount of petroleum in the regions of the North Sea and the Middle East have been turned into a motivation for the relevant experts to focuses on the possibility of running an LSW project in a carbonate reservoir. Accordingly, this paper aims to investigate this possibility through running two sets of flooding tests on selected cores from one of Iranian carbonate reservoirs. In more details, on each core two water flooding tests have been conducted in which the first test have been run by a sample of water from the Persian Gulf with high salinity and in the second one the injected water has been from Karoon River with a lower rate of salinity. Then, the recovery factor from both tests of a target core has been compared. The results indicate that running an LSW have been caused improvement in recovery factors which was approved by relative permeability curves analysis.
PERFORMANCE OF STEEL SLAG AGGREGATE CONCRETE WITH VARIED WATER- CEMENT RATIO
Authors: Awoyera Paul O. , Olofinnade Olurotimi M. , Busari Ayobami A. , Akinwumi Isaac I. , Oyefesobi Moyosore , Ikemefuna Michael
Published: October 2016

Several thousands of tons of electric arc furnace slag (EAF) slag generated in Nigeria are yet to be utilised for construction; perhaps as a result of inadequate technical details for its use. The present study has evaluated the effects of varying water-cement ratio on workability and strength of locally generated steel slag aggregate (SSA) concrete. Tested samples include 150 mm concrete cubes and cylinder samples with 150 mm diameter and 300 mm height respectively. SSA was substituted in increments of 20% by weight of granite until 100% mix, while w/c was varied at 0.5, 0.55 and 0.6. Workability of fresh concrete was evaluated through slump test. Hardened concrete cubes and cylinders were subjected to compression and split tensile tests respectively, after 7, 14 and 28 days curing periods. Slump values obtained were in the range of 50 – 90 mm for all the mixes, which represented a S2 slump. Compressive strength and tensile strength increased with age and increasing slag substitution. A strength of 25 MPa for normal weight concrete was achieved at 28 days with 20% SSA substitution, only within 0.5 and 0.55 w/c ratio. However, result obtained for concrete mixes with 60% SSA and above at 28 days established that these mixes are good for production of high strength concrete.
COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE BETWEEN R134a AND R152a IN AN AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM OF A PASSENGER CAR
Authors: Sumeru Kasni , Sunardi Cecep , Abdul Aziz Azhar , Nasution Henry , Moshood Abioye Adekunle , Muhamad Said Mohd Farid
Published: October 2016

The present study investigates numerically the performances of an automotive air conditioning (A/C) system using R134a and R152a as working fluids for various engine running speeds. There are three engine rotation variations, i.e., 1000 rpm, 2000 rpm and 3000 rpm that represent idle, city and high speed conditions, respectively. The compressor volumetric efficiencies for 1000 rpm, 2000 rpm and 3000 rpm are 0.75, 0.65 and 0.55, respectively. The results show that the cooling capacities of R152a are slightly lower than that of R134a at the condensing temperatures of 40oC and 45oC. However, at the condensing temperature of 50oC, the cooling capacity of R152a is higher than that of R134a up to 5.0%. In addition, COPs of R152a are higher than that of R134a for all the condensing temperature. The increase of condensing temperature is more dominant to the COP improvement rather than the increase in engine rotation. The highest COP improvement is 13.5%.
INVESTIGATION ON HEAT TRANSFER ENHANCEMENT IN A CORRUGATED FIN-AND-TUBE COMPACT HEAT EXCHANGER
Authors: Gholami Ahmadali , A. Wahid Mazlan , A. Mohammed Hussein , Saat A. , Fairus M. Y. M. , Sies M. M. , Kamaruzaman N. , Rahman Md. Mizanur , Z. Abdul-Malek,
Published: October 2016

Heat transfer augmentation and pressure loss penalty in the fin-and-tube compact heat exchangers (FTCHEs) with the corrugated shape as a special form of the fin are numerically investigated to improve heat transfer performance criteria in low Reynolds numbers. The corrugated fin as the newly design of fin pattern is presented in this study. The influence of applying corrugated design adjustments on the thermal and hydraulic characteristics of air flow are analyzed on the in-line tube arrangements. The performance of air-side heat transfer and fluid flow is investigated by numerical simulation for Reynolds number ranging from Re = 400 to 800 based on the tube collar diameter, with the corresponding frontal air velocity ranging from 0.35 to 0.72 m/s. The outcomes of simulation revealed that the corrugated fin could significantly improve the heat transfer augmentation of the FTCHEs with a moderate pressure loss penalty. The computational results indicated that some eddies were developed behind the fluted domain of corrugated finwhich produce some disruptions to fluid flow and enhance heat transfer compared with plain fin. The corrugated form of fins could enhance the thermal mixing of the fluid, delay the boundary layer separation, and reduce the size of the wake and the recirculation region behind tubes compared with the conventional form of the fin at the range of Reynolds number used in this study. In addition, the results showed that the average Nusselt number for the FTCHE with corrugated fin increased by 7.05–10.0% over the baseline case and the corresponding pressure loss decreased by 5.0–6.2%.
ANALYSIS OF OUTCOMES OF THE FRICTIONAL PRESSURE DROP PREDICTION USING DIFFERENT DATA SOURCE
Authors: Abid Yousif Qais , Mohd-Ghazali Normah , Sunjarianto Pamitran Agus
Published: October 2016

Predictions of the frictional pressure drop using friction factor correlations that have been developed based on past experimental data have always been found to disagree with recent experimental data. Thus, new correlations are continuously being developed to generalize their applications across refrigerants and flow regimes. The friction factor is dependent on the Reynolds number and relative roughness, therefore consequently depends on the applied equation and fluid data. This research shows the outcome of the analysis of the frictional pressure drop prediction when different data source as well as different friction factor equations for smooth and rough pipes are utilized. The R-22 data used for comparison are experimental data from a past report, NIST (Standard Reference Database), and experimental data from University of Indonesia. The used e friction factor equations are Blasius and Fang et al. (2011) in smooth and rough pipe respectively. The mass flux is ranging from 200 to 600 kg/m2s and vapor quality from 0.0001 to 0.5, the latter of which is assumed constant along the pipe length of 2000 mm at the saturation temperature of 10°C. The pipe material is stainless steel with an absolute roughness of 0.03 mm. The minimization of the friction factor and two-phase flow frictional pressure drop is achieved by applying Genetic Algorithm (GA). The comparisons reveal that the differences are an indication of the appropriate data source necessary so that the frictional pressure drop can be accurately predicted. The results showed that in 1.5 mm pipe diameter, the Blasius equation gives the lower percentage of differences in the range of 0.69 – 1.47 % when the data from NIST and UI are used. While the lower percentage of differences gives Fang et al. (2011) equation in the range of 1.47 – 2.61% when data from Pamitran et al. (2010) and UI are used. In the 3 mm inner diameter, also Blasius equation gives the lower percentage of differences in the range of 0.89 – 2.52% when the data from Pamitran et al. (2010) and UI are used. While Fang et al. (2011) gives the lower percentage of differences in the range of 1.56 – 1.33% when the data from Pamitran et al. (2010) and UI are used. The proposed method is predictable to raise the accuracy of the prediction and decrease the time of testing. The results are compared between each other’s for different data sources. For most situations, the percentage difference, as well as for laminar and turbulent flows are between 91 – 97% and 88 – 95% in 1.5 and 3 mm pipe diameter respectively.
PERFORMANCE OF A MULTI-STACK MICROCHANNEL HEAT SINK
Authors: Sharif Nik Mohamad , Mohd Ghazali Normah
Published: October 2016

The usage of a very large scale integrated circuits generate high heat fluxes and require an effective cooling system. A microchannel heat sink (MCHS) is one of the reliable cooling systems that had been applied. In terms of performance, a MCHS can be appraised by obtaining low total thermal resistance and pumping power. However, as the total thermal resistance decreases, the pumping power will increase. A few studies have been focused on the minimization of the thermal resistance and pumping power of a multi-stack MCHS. Optimization of two objective functions which are the total thermal resistance and pumping power has been done by using genetic algorithm. It is demonstrated that both objective functions can be minimized by optimizing two design variables which are the channel aspect ratio, , and wall width ratio, . It was found that the usage of a stacked configuration for the MCHS is able to reduce the total thermal resistance. From the optimization, it was found that the optimum number of stacks that can be implemented is three. With the three-stack configuration, the total thermal resistance found is 0.1180 K/W which is 21.8% less compared to the single-stack MCHS. However, the pumping power needed for the three-stack MCHS is increased by 0.17 % compared to single-stack which is 0.7535 W.