bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carbon Steel as the Potential Media for the Stringless Bee Tetragonula sp. Nest at Indralaya area in South Sumatra, Indonesia
Authors: Marisa Hanifa
Published: April 2022

An investigation to observation the potential of stingless bee on building their nest at the high temperature material had been done to Tetragonula (Tetragona) sp. nest at Indralaya area, South Sumatra. Here we describe the Tetragonula sp nest that uses streetlight pole made by carbon steel as the nest media. Purposive sampling is used to select the target nest. Two streetlight poles found be used by Tetragonula sp as their home. The coordinate of location, height from ground surface, diameter of streetlight pole, air temperature and humidity, and floral species around nest, were noted. The spot coordinate of the area is between S 30 14’ 19.2498’’ and E 1040 39’ 15,3288’’ at 1,5 m above the ground surface with 12 cm diameter of pole and the highest air temperature was 350C at daylight during the months of sampling with about 80 – 90 % humidity. Some floral ; which Switenia macrophyla, Hevea brasiliensis, Zea mays, and Citrullus lanatus floral species are planted around. Air temperature in the pole is very high, around 400 C during daylight.
Exploring the level of academic procrastination and possible coping strategies among medical students
Authors: Manya Tahir  , Rahila Yasmin  , Muhammad Wajih Uddin Butt  , Seema Gul  , Sidra Aamer  , Nabeela Naeem
Published: April 2022

Objective: To identify the level of procrastination in undergraduate medical students and to explore the coping strategies adopted by low procrastinators to overcome the tendency.
Methods: The mixed method, sequential explanatory study was conducted at the Islamic International Medical College, Riphah International University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from April to September 2019, and comprised medical students from preclinical first, second and third years of the academic programme. The pre-validated Academic Procrastination Scale was used to assess the prevalence and level of procrastination in the subjects, followed by semi-structured interviews with students having low level of procrastination to explore the coping strategies used by them to beat the negative habit. Data was analysed using SPSS 21 and was further subjected to manual thematic analysis.
Results: Of the 255 subjects, 85(33.3%) each were in the first, second and third year of undergraduate medical studies. Overall, the level of procrastination was high in 134(52.5%) students and low in 121(47.5%). The low procrastinators were 43(51%) in the 1st year, 46(54%) in the 2nd year and 45(53%) in the 3rd year. On the basis of interview-based data, 10 coping strategies were identified: time management, self-regulation, establishment of priorities, self-reward, goal-setting, conducive learning environment, self-reminders, task management, self-evaluation and self- monitoring.
Conclusion: Procrastination is a behavioural disorder and is prevalent in undergraduate medical students, but it can be effectively treated through effective coping strategies.
Keywords: Coping, Strategies, Combat, Academic, Procrastination.
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Incidence of food and aero allergies among patients visiting Allergy center National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad
Authors: Sadaf Munir  , Hammad Ahmad  , Tayyib Ayub Alvi  , Adnan Yousaf  , Shahzad Akhter Kazi  , Manzoor Tayyeba
Published: April 2022

Objective: To identify the most common allergy type among patients visiting an urban allergy centre.
Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Allergy Centre of the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, Pakistan, from December 2019 to June 2020, and comprised subjects of either gender aged 20-50 years. Skin prick test was used to determine the skin reactivity for 11 common allergen extracts.  Patients with a wheal diameter >3mm were considered positive. Data was analysed using SPSS 22.
Results: Of the 100 patients, 55(55%) were males and 45(45%) were females. The overall mean age was 34.03±8.16 years. Majority of the respondents 93(93%) were sensitive to aeroallergen, 7(7%) to food allergens, and 2(2%) exhibited sensitivity against both types of allergens. Poly-sensitisation was found among 86(86%) respondents.
Conclusion: Aeroallergens were found to be the main triggering factor for allergies compared to the food allergens.
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A Quasi Experimental Study on Hand Hygiene Practices among Secondary School Children in Khyber PakhtunKhwa
Authors: Rehana Malik Farhat , Asif Reman  , Aimen Niazi  , Faryal Kifayat  , Nayab Afridi  , Sonila Khan  , Kainat Khan
Published: April 2022

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of hand-hygiene training on handwashing practices among schoolchildren.
Method: The quasi-experimental study was conducted from 1st August- 2018 to 5th October- 2018 in four secondary schools in Peshawar and Kohat districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, and comprised male students grades 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10. They were given a live demonstration about the standard steps of hand-hygiene as per the World Health Organisation checklist, and they were shown the steps in pictorial form as well to reinforce the message. Pre- and post-intervention scores were recorded on the 14- point checklist. Data analysed using SPSS 23.
Results: There were 200 boys with a mean age of 13.23±0.92 years (range: 11-16 years); 87(43.5%) of them being from grade 7. Post-intervention score increased significantly compared to the baseline (p<0.01). Significant differences were identified with respect to geographical location, type of school, grade in school and mothers’ education (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Hand-hygiene training significantly increased students’ hand-washing practices and behaviours.
Key Words: Hand washing, Hand h, Secondary school, Training, Practices.
Perception of postgraduate medical residents regarding educational environment at French Medical Institute for Mothers and children, Kabul Afghanistan
Authors: Nadeem Parpio Yasmin , Farooq Salima , Zahid Nida , Abdul-Ghafar Jamshid , Rehman Rehana
Published: April 2022

Objective: To assess the perceptions of postgraduate medical education residents regarding educational environment at a medical institution in Afghanistan.
Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from 2017 to 2018 at the French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children, Kabul, Afghanistan, FMIC, and comprised postgraduate medical residents. Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure was administered to determine the perception of learning environment by the residents’ perceptions related to learning, teachers, academic self-perception, atmosphere and social self-perceptions sub scales. Data was analysed using SPSS 22.
Results: Of the 63 subjects, 55(87.30%) were males and 42(66.66%) were married. The overall mean age was 30±4.38 years. There was no significant difference in mean subscales scores and overall scores in relation to participants’ age, gender, type of specialty, province and year of training (p>0.05). There was a significant difference in students’ perception of teachers in relation with the type of specialty (p<0.05).
Conclusions: The educational environment at the medical institution in Afghanistan was perceived by the students of residency programme as conducive.
Key Words: Dundee ready educational environmental measure, DREEM, Educational environment, Residency programme, Afghanistan.
Seizure outcomes after meningioma resection
Authors: Mehar Masroor  , Saqib Kamran Bakhshi  , Muhammad Shahzad Shamim
Published: April 2022

Meningiomas are one of the most common primary brain tumours, and seizures are a common presenting symptom. Complete tumour resection results in seizure freedom in up to 90% patients. The use of AEDs in these patients is inconsistent, and current evidence shows that they do not have any benefit in long-term seizure prevention after resection. Tumour histology, location, surrounding oedema, recurrence and post-operative complications are important risk factors for having post-operative seizures.

Keywords: Brain tumour, Meningioma, Seizure, Anti-epileptic drugs.

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Is the hygiene hypothesis a plausible explanation for the asymmetry in COVID-19 mortality?
Authors: Naeem Unaiza , Eqbal Farea
Published: April 2022

Madam, there is large variation observed in COVID-19 outcomes that indicate the existence of individual and population-based factors influencing the infection course (1). By the second wave of COVID-19, mortality rates in twenty most affected countries were varying, ranging from 2% in Philippines to 11% in Mexico (1). A study evaluating WHO’s region-wise statistical observation of six regions showed an Infection Fatality Rate (IFR) of 0.02% for the American, European, and Eastern Mediterranean regions while for South-East Asian and the Western Pacific regions, it was 0.01% (2). Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) was highest in Europe of 7.3%, 5.3% in American region and a lowest of 1.1% in South-East Asian region (2). Pre-existing health conditions have become decisive feature in assessing disease progression, and aligned with this discourse, the Hygiene Hypothesis can be a plausible explanation for this pattern of COVID-19 infection and mortality. The theory states that the reduced pathogen exposure in high-income regions during important development phases leads to a decreased stimulation by evolutionary relevant pathogens resulting in immune dysregulation and increase in chronic inflammation, allergy, autoimmunity (2).The hyper-hygienic practice wards off potential problems before they progress into clinical condition and disturbs the balance of commensal organisms in surface locations such as gastrointestinal tract, skin and increasing COVID-19 susceptibility(3). Contrarily, extensive exposure to multiple microbes that express pathogen associated molecular patterns activates innate immunity. In this “trained immunity”, ascribed to many cell types, a response generated against one set of microbes can have bystander immune protection against other infections (3). In Ethiopia, the IFR obtained was 0.55% in urban neighbourhoods and 0.78% in remote settlements respectively, an estimate lower than that deduced for higher income countries (4). Further, background immunity against SARS-CoV-2: TCD4 cells observed in some individuals not exposed to SARS-CoV-2 was found to cross react to SARS-CoV-2 proteins (5).
However, the hypothesis cannot be over generalized as the number of COVID-19 deaths might be unascertained in low-income countries due to inadequate reporting. Climatic conditions, age, gender, the type of spread of disease also account for differences (4). On the contrary, we can suspect a positive relation between Social Vulnerability Index and COVID-19 incidence as results from Brazil exhibit (5).
The Hygiene Hypothesis, albeit cannot be heavily relied upon, offers new perspective in studying the effect of the environment and innate immunity on disease severity and progression. It also provides insights for augmenting standard hygiene practices.
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The incidence of Mucormycosis superinfection. A challenge to current Covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Ahmed Kamal Siddiqi  , Omer Ahmed Shaikh  , Muhammad Azhar Chachar
Published: April 2022

Dear madam, the last year emerged COVID-19 disease is a highly transmissible viral infection caused by novel coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The pandemic infected over 220 million people, and caused over 4.6 million deaths, within Pakistan there are about 1.2 million confirmed cases and approximately 26,000 deaths, dated 12th September 2021. (1) It’s primary mode of transmission is human to human via respiratory droplets and direct contact. The clinical presentation can range from asymptomatic to severe pneumonia and death. (2) Following the rise in Covid-19 cases, there has also been a surge in number of cases of Mucormycosis fungal superinfection described as, Covid-19-Associated mucormycosis (CAM) (3). (CAM) is already declared an epidemic in India, the neighboring country of Pakistan, due to its rapidly increasing number of cases, currently present at 14,872 cases (4). Recently Pakistan has alarmingly reported 5 cases of mucormycosis in Covid-19 patients out of which 4 patients died (5).
Mucormycosis is an opportunistic invasive fungal infection frequently presenting in immunosuppressed patients with high glucose levels (Diabetes & Steroid-induced hyperglycaemia) (6). Covid-19 patients are already immunocompromised due to impaired cell mediated immune response and decreased (CD4+) and (CD8+?T-cells) (7). Combined with misuse of antibiotics in covid-19 patients that further suppress the normal bacterial flora and steroid use in diabetic covid-19 patients provides an ideal condition for mucormycosis to grow. The 2 clinical manifestations are Rhino-Orbital-Cerebral (ROCM) and Pulmonary Mucormycosis. The (ROCM) form commonly manifests in (CAM) disseminating systemically, resulting in facial deformity, cranial nerve palsy, blindness, brain invasion and abscesses with necrosis of the nasal cavity. Mortality is high, especially if diagnosis and prompt initiation of medical and surgical therapy are delayed (6).
Since Pakistan has over 27.4 million cases of diabetes (?20 years) (8) and an overall hot and humid environment that promotes growth of mucomycosis, (CAM) is an emerging problem necessitating increased vigilance in recovered and infected Covid-19 patients. Hence, blood glucose levels must be closely monitored and controlled, particularly in diabetic Covid-19 patients or those receiving corticosteroids. Corticosteroid therapy should only be used when required and only at recommended doses and duration. Stronger restrictions on over-the-counter sales of systemic corticosteroids and antibiotics should be considered by the government. Efforts must be taken to educate health care providers and aware the public about signs and symptoms of mucormycosis. Lastly, the health care delivery system should be well equipped to pre-empt
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Virtual Reality-A means to train surgeons of tomorrow amidst Covid-19
Authors: Muhammad Umar Nasir  , Zuha Majid  , Zara Shahzad
Published: April 2022

Respected Madam, It is to be noted that surgical training has been adversely affected around the globe, as well as in Pakistan, due to the training hospitals prioritizing the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Over 80% of the residents reported that their hands-on and clinical training has been adversely impacted and more than half feared either acquiring or transmitting the virus, further affecting their mental state.1
To maintain the integrity of surgical training many alternatives have been introduced worldwide including but not limited to virtual classrooms, telehealth clinics, and surgical videos.2 eLearning and writing scenario-based questions can also be useful tools, but what interested us the most was the use of surgical skills simulation training3 i.e., using virtual reality to train residents. While not a complete substitute for active training, it can be used to bridge the gap between theory and practice as it provides significant realism to surgical scenarios.
A systematic review conducted by Zubair and Zubair (2020) compared the benefits of simulation-based training with the traditional apprenticeship model and found statistically significant results in favor of simulation-based training.4 Simulation-based training gives control over the complexity of the procedure, the option to isolate certain components of the procedure for case simplification, and the possibility of correcting and learning from the mistakes made during the procedure.5 Since the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of slowing down, there is a dire need for an alternative simulation-based training method to be employed in Pakistani surgical training programmes so that surgical residents may use their time optimally. Simulators are not only cost effective in the long run but there is also an absence of ethical dilemmas as encountered with the usage of animal and cadaver models.5 However, challenges like limitations in technology, lack of medical professionals’ familiarity with technology, and lack of expertise and expense of designing and maintaining such technology might be faced in implementing such programmes in Pakistan. Following international standards, validation of any such tool requires rigorous research and expert assessment.6 The need of the hour is to employ simulation-based training tools like Virtual Reality to train surgical residents in Pakistan - a nation that is not only facing the limitations brought on by the raging pandemic but is also failing to catch up with the rapidly advancing technology in other training programs around the globe.
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Suicidal tendencies and psychiatric symptoms as consequence of anabolic androgenic steroid usage among athletes in District Rawalpindi
Authors: Basharat Hussain  , Muhammad Tahir Khalily  , Muhammad Athar Khalily
Published: April 2022

Objective: To elucidate the possible association between suicidal tendencies and psychiatric symptoms associated with anabolic androgenic steroid usage among athletes.
Method: The cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2016 to July 2017 in Rawalpini and Wah Canttonment, Pakistan, after approval from the International Islamic University, Islamabad, and comprised male athletes aged >18 years. Those using androgenic anabolic steroid formed group A, while the non-users were in group B. In addition to demographis, data was collected using Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation and the Symptoms Checklist-90. Data was analysed using SPSS 22.
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Effects of Extroversion Traits on Domestic Abuse among inmates in Prisons in Kiambu County, Kenya
Authors: Hassan Harun Issack , Maroko Dr. Mokua Gilbert , Karimi Dr. Jane
Published: April 2022

This study examined the effects of extroversion traits on domestic abuse. This study examined extroversion traits among prison inmates in Kiambu County, Kenya. A sample size of 370 representing a target population of 10,334 inmates with a margin of error of 0.05 was selected. The study found that 66.2% of inmates who participated in the study with extroversion personality had a more solidary, quiet, and reserved trait while 33.5% had an outgoing, friendly, and energetic, trait. Respondents who were more solidary, quiet and reserved, 27.5% strongly agreed that they had experienced domestic abuse, 44.5% agreed, 9.0% strongly disagreed, 13.7% disagreed, while 5.2% were not sure. Regarding respondents who were outgoing, friendly, and energetic, 30.8% strongly agreed they had experienced domestic abuse, 51.4% agreed, 10.3% strongly disagreed, 4.7% disagreed, while 2.8% were not sure. There is a weak negative correlation (0.119) between extroversion personality type and domestic abuse. However, the negative correlation (-0.105) between extroversion and type of domestic abuse perpetrated was weak at a significance of 0.066. In addition, there was a positive correlation (0.203) between extroversion personality type and type of physical assault perpetrated. Also, the study found a negative correlation (0.144) between extroversion and physical assault trends of whether the physical assaults increased, stayed the same or decreased before imprisonment.
Neurotic Personality Traits: Prevalence of domestic abuse among inmates in prisons in Kiambu County, Kenya
Authors: Hassan Harun Issack , Maroko Dr. Mokua Gilbert , Karimi Dr. Jane
Published: April 2022

The prevalence of domestic abuse in Kenya is about 39% and is heavily exacerbated by issues such as the individuals’ personality traits and their past experiences. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of neurotic personality traits on domestic abuse among prisoners convicted for domestic abuse in prisons in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study used both correlational and phenomenological research designs. The target population was 10,334 inmates convicted of domestic related crimes with a sample size of 370. From the findings the respondents who were more confident, resilient, and secure and the type of physical abuse they perpetrated, 28.8% indicated physical abuse, 21.2% indicated sexual abuse, 16.0% indicated financial abuse, and 17.9% indicated emotional abuse while 16.0% were not sure. This study concluded that prevalence of domestic abuse is determined by neurotic personality traits. An implication of this finding is discussed.
Vaccination Wars
Authors: Stewart-Peters Ella
Published: April 2022

For as long as there have been vaccines, there have been those who oppose them. As the world continues to grapple with the impact of COVID-19 and the challenges of managing an effective vaccination programme, this book shows that our experiences have more in common with those of previous generations than we may so far have understood. Vaccination Wars examines the history of vaccine objection in nineteenth-century Cornwall, looking not only at the reasons behind resistance to the smallpox vaccine, but at the lives of Cornish parents who steadfastly refused to have their children inoculated. Exploring the earliest phases of the anti-vaccination movement, the rise of middle-class resistance and organized opposition societies, and the influence of propaganda, the book presents a more nuanced understanding of the ways regional and cultural differences affect the reception of state-mandated medical practices. Ella Stewart-Peters challenges existing notions of the nineteenth-century debate by shifting the focus away from major urban centres to the struggles concerned with enforcing compulsory vaccination at the peripheries. Distinct parallels can be drawn with the anti-vaccination movement of the twenty-first century. This book will appeal to anyone who has ever wondered about the origins of the modern anti-vaccination movement, or is more generally interested in the history of medicine.
USING INCRETIN IN TREATMENT OF DIABETES MELLITUS DISEASE
Authors: .F. HASSAN Neeran
Published: April 2022

Incretin hormones are gut peptides secreted in response to nutrient ingestion, which play a key role in the regulation of islet function and blood glucose levels. In humans, the major incretin hormones are glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 and glucose- dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), and together they fully account for the incretin effect which is defined as the phenomenon whereby orally ingested glucose elicits a much greater insulin response than that obtained when glucose isinfused intravenously to give identical blood glucose levels. there is evidence to suggest that impairments in secretion and/or action of incretin hormones arise secondarily to the development of insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and/or increases in body weight rather than being causative factors. In separate studies, insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, and body mass index (BMI) have all been identified as independent factors associated with reductions in GLP-1 secretion and an impaired incretin effect. In patients with type 2 diabetes, the incretin effect is clearly reduced, which results in an inappropriately low insulin response to the ingestion of nutrients. Several early studies indicated that the reduced incretin effect could, at least in part, be related to impaired secretion of GLP- 1 (whereas secretion of GIP is generally found to be unaltered). Impaired meal-stimulated GLP-1 levels have been reported in some studies of patients with type 2 diabetes.  incretins exert antidiabetic actions in a glucose-dependent manner  Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1r) agonists, but not dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, inhibit gastricemptying and might cause weight loss  DPP-4 inhibitors can be administered orally and are well tolerated  GLP-1r agonists must be administered by subcutaneous injection and commonly cause nausea
NATURAL LIGHTING IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS HANANO NEIGHBORHOOD - ALEPPO CITY AS A CASE STUDY
Authors: Najim ABDULLAH Suhail , Sahab MOHAMMED Maan , K. THANNON R.
Published: April 2022

The good natural lighting is considered one of the principal aims that man and architect to use it in the buildings. This side acquired his attention through the ages, so he used different architecture types suited the available techniques in each place and time. Many of the architectural engineers contributed in utilizing this factor in their buildings. This developed by the development of sustainable concepts and focusing on utilizing the natural energy, including solar energy as main source for natural lighting. So, this search determines the designing and planning parameters which achieve the maximum possible natural illumination to serve the sustainable architectural goals from social, economic and environmental viewpoints. Then applying the theoretical frame on a collection of building in Aleppo to reach parameters meeting the principal determinations of natural lighting design in building to realize clear imaginations in knowledge and application which assist in decreasing power consumption average and to be the base in developing the designing operation within the architectural concepts and sustainable buildings in Aleppo. The research problem is crystallized in the lack of knowledge and application of the designing parameters of the natural lighting in selected samples from Aleppo buildings and the effects on the visual and hygiene environment within the architectural space, as the using of the artificial illumination is considered a crescent burden for the energy economies of that buildings, the research concluded by the recommendations and the result.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT IN ENGINEERING PROJECTS
Authors: AL-ZARKOSHI Alyaa Hussein Khalaf , Mubarak TOHAH Noor
Published: April 2022

Sustainability in project management is one of the most prominent issues of the current era that must be paid attention to. In this research, the concept of sustainable project management and its importance in managing realistic projects is addressed, and it deals with the meaning of sustainability and sustainable management. This research discusses the potential benefits of implementing sustainability in sustainable project management during a lifespan. Project and management's role in construction practice, management processes, and comparison between the traditional method of construction management and the sustainable management of construction, particularly in the level of detail This research aims to identify the common challenges faced during the management of sustainable projects and their impact on project performance, such as the high costs of sustainable building materials, technical difficulties during work and communication between team members. etc., and this research focuses on some aspects of sustainable practices in the construction phase management Which includes factors such as: site selection through feasibility assessment and sustainable on-site practices, materials selection through life cycle assessment, time, cost and resource controls, quality management, machinery and transportation management, waste management, durability and stability, correct occupancy and based designs. Innovative ideas and the role of Building Information Modeling (BIM) as a design and visualization tool in project management and the possibility of improving performance and thus building efficiency significantly to achieve maximum benefit. The research indicates that the task of constructing a sustainable building is not fully accomplished until the concept of sustainability is integrated into each step of the life cycle of the project in general and in all the practices of the implementation phase in particular, and the process is not limited to the construction of a building with sustainable materials only. The lack of investment in sustainable project management is the most important and impactful barrier. To overcome these barriers, a project management framework must be developed, and the adoption of sustainable project management approaches to the future must be promoted
THE USE OF TEA EXTRACT TO TENDERIZE THE MEAT OF AGED ANIMALS
Authors: AL-YOUNIS Zena Kadhim , Hassan AL-TIMEME Nawras Mohamad , Raheem AL-HATIM Raqad
Published: April 2022

The study included the preparation of the black tea extract with a 10% concentration and immerse the cow meat in this extract for 60, 90 minutes with a sample of control without immersion, then studied the qualitative characteristics for meat, which included moisture content, pH, water holding capacity and loss While weighing during cooking and Tyrusen / Teretovan coefficient (total, protein and non-protein). The results of meat treatment showed that the meat samples treated with the tea were significantly superior (p <0.05) in humidity compared to the control treatment. Sample treatment that treated for a period of 90 minutes was the highest in moisture content (76.86%), The value of the pH amounted to the tea treatment for 90 minutes 5.76, the presence of a significant increase in the water holding capacity of meat samples treated with tea compared to the control sample, a significant decrease in weight loss during cooking for treated-samples compared to the control sample, all treatments in the study were significant (p <0.05) in the values of the tyrosine/total, protein and non-protein tryptophan factor compared to the control treatment, and the 90-minute treatment sample recorded the highest rates which reached at 5.285, 1.325 and 3.933, respectively. It was clear that the black tea affected positively on the studied properties of treated-meat
Thermo-Economic Analysis of a Coal-Fired Power Plant (CFPP) Using Turbine Cycle Heat Rate and Plant Net Heat Rates at Various Operating Loads
Authors: Jasbeer Singh Manmit Singh , Abdul Jalil Nawal Aswan , Abdul Rahim Sharafiz , Zulkefli Zamir Aimaduddin , Hasini Hasril
Published: April 2022

Evaluating Coal-Fired Power Plant (CFPP) performance is a complex process involving the determination of the turbine cycle Heat Rate (TCHR). This study focuses on determining the TCHR by developing a mathematical model. The model, which incorporates economic analysis of the plant, is developed using energy and mass balance relationships of the turbine cycle, validated using plant commissioning data from a 700MWn CFPP located in Perak, Malaysia. Actual plant data from a 700MWn CFPP is utilized to improve the accuracy and increase the confidence of the results of this study. It was found that at the nominal operating load of 729MWg, there is a Heat Rate (HR) deviation of -1,135 kJ/kWh, leading to daily losses of RM240,447 or USD 60,112. Furthermore, it is possible to utilize the developed model at lower loads as the plant is now being used to operate on “cyclic” loads. The daily losses at a lower load of 431MWg are RM125,767 or USD31,442. Thus, the model is able to compare the plant HR at various loads against commissioning data, and economic analysis is able to be carried out effectively. Valuable information for plant operations and performance engineers could be obtained using this model to determine plant HR.
Strategy Practiced by Rolling Stock Maintenance: A Case Study Within the Urban Rail
Authors: Mohamad Idris Mohd Firdaus , Saad Nor Hayati , Yahaya Mohamad Irwan , Wan Mohamed Wan Mazlina , Shuib Adibah , Mohamed Amin Ahmad Nizam
Published: April 2022

This research aims to analyse, evaluate and rank the maintenance strategy practised by the train operating companies, specifically by the rolling stock maintenance team. A quantitative method was adopted for data collection. A total of five train operating companies were chosen to participate in a survey that has been carefully designed. The research first identified the maintenance strategy associated with the rolling stock maintenance through systematic literature reviews. Afterwards, six maintenance strategies adopted by the companies were identified. The type of maintenance strategies identified was used to structure the survey questionnaire. Judgemental sampling was utilised for sampling purposes. Finally, the data collected from the survey were analysed using an importance index to complete the ranking analysis. The research discovered that corrective and preventive maintenance strategies are the most commonly adopted among the five Malaysian train operating companies. This study also highlighted the factors that future studies should consider to establish predictive cost models for rolling stock maintenance.
Cost of Rolling Stock Maintenance in Urban Railway Operation: Literature Review and Direction
Authors: Mohamad Idris Mohd Firdaus , Saad Nor Hayati , Yahaya Mohamad Irwan , Shuib Adibah , Wan Mohamed Wan Mazlina , Mohamed Amin Ahmad Nizam
Published: April 2022

The rolling stock might function at an optimum level in reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety with comprehensive maintenance. The past decade has seen rapid development in the management of maintenance costs in many sectors such as the automotive and aviation industry. However, there is a lack in a number of studies focusing on rolling stock maintenance costs. This article provides comprehensive knowledge on the rolling stock maintenance cost. Recently, the research found no specific literature reviews that focus on typical rolling stock maintenance costs. This paper attempts to review, identify and discuss the influential costs involved in rolling stock maintenance. This research systematically reviews and classifies a substantial number of published papers and suggests a classification of specific cost categories according to rolling stock needs. The results revealed that 27 variables have contributed to the rolling stock maintenance costs. The highest among the influential costs are 13.8% spare part cost, 11% life cycle cost, 6.4% preventive maintenance cost, and 4.6% for the workforce, corrective maintenance, and cost of ownership, respectively. The interrelationship between influential costs and their effects on rolling stock costs is further discussed. More importantly, the paper is intended to provide a comprehensive view of influential costs affecting rolling stock maintenance and give useful references for personnel working in the industry as well as researchers. This research has highlighted the possibility of future major studies to minimize the identified maintenance cost and industry to optimize its operational cost.
Paper Lifetime Mathematical Modelling based on Multi Pre-Exponential Factors for Oil-Immersed Transformer
Authors: Saleh Najiyah , Azis Norhafiz , Jasni Jasronita , Ab Kadir Mohd Zainal Abidin , Talib Mohd Aizam
Published: April 2022

This work examines the impact of multi pre-exponential factors on the lifetime modelling of the paper in oil-immersed transformers. First, the corresponding pre-exponential factor was determined based on the concentrations of the three parameters known as oxygen, moisture and acid. Next, the pre-exponential factor for each of the parameters at different concentrations was combined based on the summative approach to obtain the overall impact on the lifetime of the paper. It is found that the expected life of the paper for overall multi pre-exponential factors is higher than either single or double pre-exponential factors. For a single pre-exponential factor, the expected life of the paper decreases by a factor of 59.8 as the oxygen concentration increases from 15,000 ppm to 210,000 ppm. Moisture can decrease the expected life of the paper by a factor of 34 as it increases from 0.5% to 5%. Low molecular weight acid (LMA) has a higher impact than high molecular weight acid (HMA), whereby its impact is further enhanced through multi pre-exponential factor effect whereby the expected life of the paper decreases by a factor of 7.9 as the moisture content increases from 0.5% to 5% and oxygen increases from 300 ppm to 20,000 ppm.
Automated Islamic Jurisprudential Legal Opinions Generation Using Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Munshi Amr Abdullah , AlSabban Wesam Hasan , Farag Abdullah Tarek , Rakha Omar Essam , Al Sallab Ahmad , Alotaibi Majid
Published: April 2022

Islam is the second-largest and fastest-growing religion. The Islamic Law, Sharia, represents a profound component of the day-to-day lives of Muslims. While sources of Sharia are available for anyone, it often requires a highly qualified person, the Mufti, to provide Fatwa. With Islam followers representing almost 25% of the planet earth population, generating many queries, and the sophistication of the Mufti qualification process, creating a shortage in them, we have a supply-demand problem, calling for Automation solutions. This scenario motivates the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Automated Islamic Fatwa in a scalable way that can adapt to various sources like social media. In this work, the potential of AI, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning, with technologies like Natural Language Processing (NLP), paving the way to help the Automation of Islam Fatwa are explored. The work started by surveying the State-of-The-Art (SoTA) of NLP and exploring the potential use-cases to solve the problems of Question answering and Text Classification in the Islamic Fatwa Automation. The first and major enabler component for AI application for Islamic Fatwa, the data were presented by building the largest dataset for Islamic Fatwa, spanning the widely used websites for Fatwa. Moreover, the baseline systems for Topic Classification, Topic Modeling, and Retrieval-based Question-Answering are presented to set the future research and benchmark on the dataset. Finally, the dataset is released and baselines to the public domain to help advance future research in the area.
Image Classification for Edge-Cloud Setting: A Comparison Study for OCR Application
Authors: Hoong Tan Kenneth Kean , Wong Yee Wan , Nugroho Hermawan
Published: April 2022

The increasing number of smart devices has led to a rise in the complexity and volume of the image generated. Deep learning is an increasingly common approach for image classification, a fundamental task in many applications. Due to its high computational requirements, implementation in edge devices becomes challenging. Cloud computing serves as an enabler, allowing devices with limited resources to perform deep learning. For cloud computing, however, latency is an issue and is undesirable. Edge computing addresses the issue by redistributing data and tasks closer to the edge. Still, a suitable offloading strategy is required to ensure optimal performance with methods such as LeNet-5, OAHR, and Autoencoder (ANC) as feature extractors paired with different classifiers (such as artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM)). In this study, models are evaluated using a dataset representing Optical Character Recognition (OCR) task. The OCR application has recently been used in many task-offloading studies. The evaluation is based on the time performance and scoring criteria. In terms of time performance, a fully connected ANN using features from the ANC is faster by a factor of over 60 times compared to the fastest performing SVM. Moreover, scoring performance shows that the SVM is less prone to overfit in the case of a noisy or imbalanced dataset in comparison with ANN. So, adopting SVM in which the data distribution is unspecified will be wiser as there is a lower tendency to overfit. The training and inference time, however, are generally higher than ANN.
THERMAL RESPONSE OF ISOTROPIC PLATES USING HYPERBOLIC SHEAR DEFORMATION THEORY
Authors: B. M. SHINDE , A. B. KAWADE , SAYYAD A. S.
Published: April 2022

In this paper, a hyperbolic shear deformation theory taking into account transverse shear deformation effects, is presented for the bending analysis of thick isotropic plates subjected to linear thermal load. The displacement field of the theory contains three variables. The hyperbolic sine and cosine function is used in the displacement field in terms of thickness coordinate to represent the effect of shear deformation. The most important feature of the theory is that the transverse shear stresses can be obtained directly from the use of constitutive relations, satisfying the stress free boundary conditions at top and bottom surfaces of the plate. Hence, the theory eliminates the need of shear correction factor. Governing differential equations and boundary conditions of the theory are obtained using the principle of virtual work. Results obtained for bending analysis of isotropic plates subjected to linear thermal load are compared with those of other higher order theories, lower order theories to validate the accuracy of the present theory.
BENCHMARK PROBLEMS IN STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING FOR MITIGATION OF SEISMIC VIBRATIONS
Authors: MADHEKAR S.N.
Published: April 2022

Many control algorithms and devices have been proposed over the last few decades, for protecting structures against severe dynamic loadings. However, because standard structures were not considered, direct comparison of different control strategies was not possible. To compare the results of passive, active and semi-active protective systems, and to direct future research efforts towards the most promising control strategies for alleviating dynamic responses, benchmark control problems on buildings and bridges have been developed . Thus, it becomes possible to study different aspects of the same problem in many countries, and in a coordinated fashion. By applying different control strategies to the testbed, and measuring the response to standardized loading, it is possible to directly compare the effectiveness of various control strategies. Findings of the studies can be combined in a rational manner that will result in a systematic presentation of results. The paper presents a review of the benchmark problems in structural engineering. Importance and need of benchmark problems is emphasized by presenting case studies on benchmark buildings and bridges.
DETERMINATION OF PORESIZE AND PERMEABILITY BY INDUCED POLARIZATION TECHNIQUES IN CLAY SAMPLES OF COASTAL ANDHRA PRADESH
Authors: RAGHAVARAO E. V. , DAS R. P. , CHANDRA POPURI MADHU
Published: April 2022

Using the similarity between poresize and IP relaxation time a cost effective method of determining permeability in coastal Andhra Pradesh has been worked out. The results have found greater matching in the medium grade
Development of Military Radar using Ultrasonic Sensor
Authors: Prof. D. V. Jagtap  , Ashok Mourya  , M Faizan Khan  , Mayur Bagul  , Sagar Bhujbal
Published: April 2022

RADAR is an object detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio waves or microwaves which bounce off any object in their path. Arduino is a single-board microcontroller to make using electronics in multidisciplinary projects more accessible. This project aims at making a RADAR that is efficient, cheaper and reflects all the possible techniques that a radar consists of. The proposed system "ultrasonic radar for the object detection distance and the speed measurement‖ employs an ultrasonic module that includes an ultrasonic transmitter and receiver. It operated by transmitting 40 kHz frequency pulse which is not audible to the human ear. Module rotate with step angle of the stepper motor with specific angle for a specific time interval and the distance between the object and system is measured by calculating time interval taken by the signal to transmit and the echo reception Whereas the detected signal is shifted toward the module or away from the module which give the information about the speed of that detected object which is shown on PPI DISPLAY.
Effect of Medicinal Plants and Antagonistson Seed Mycoflora,Seed Germination and Vigour Index of Sunflower
Authors: G. B. Honna
Published: April 2022

Sunflower (Helianthus annus L.)seeds were treated with fungal and bacterial antagonists. The seeds were soaked in fungal spores the bacterial suspension for 15 minutes. The treated seeds were incubated for 7-8 days.The percentage incidence of mycoflora, percentage of seed germination and vigour index were calculated in treated and controlled seeds. In treated seeds the percentage incidence of seed mycoflora decrease whereas percentage of seed germination and vigour index increases as compaired to control. The seeds are treated with biocontrol agent like Trichodermaharzianum, Trichodermaviride, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis, Among these Trichodermaharzianum and pseudomonas fluorescens were most effective.The seeds were also treated with plant extracts like AdirachtaindicaA. Juss., Ocimum sanctum L., Withaniasomnifera(L) Dunal, Polyalthialongifolia (sonner), Lantana camera (L). And Zingiberofficinale(Rosc.). Among these effective AdirachtaindicaA. Juss., was more effective than other plants.
Facile, One Pot Synthesis of Indoloquinoxaline and its Derivatives Using Aqueous Orange Peel Extract at Room Temperature
Authors: Nitin A. Sasane  , Kirti S.Bhise  , Gangadhar A. Meshram  , Bhushan B. Popatkar
Published: April 2022

A current report expresses that Orange Peel Extract use as catalyticmedium for the synthesis of Indoloquinoxaline derivatives from commercially available starting materials. Isatin and O-phenylenediamine in presence of fresh orange peel extractresulted into desired product at room temperature in a given reaction condition. Advantages of this method include greener and cleaner conditions, shorter reaction time, and good to moderate yield of products. A simple one-pot procedure has been developed for the synthesis of Indoloquinoxaline derivatives from readily available starting materials.
Sustainable Eco-Friendly Vegan Bioleather
Authors: Prerak Gala  , Bhavna Pandya
Published: April 2022

Most leather produced across the globe is made from the skins of a variety of animals like cattle, sheep, tiger, goats, snakes, fish, leopard and many others. These animals are hunted and killed specifically for their skins. Extensive rearing of livestock can cause severe environmental impacts such as deforestation, water and land overuse. The Leather industry in India accounts for around 12.9% of the world’s leather production of hides/skins and handles a robust annual production of about 3 bn sq. ft. of leather. This gave us the first motivation to work on this aspect. It was decided to work and find an alternative to produce leather which can remove slaughtering of animals and is a low cost process. This project deals with the development of common used material i.e. Leather using Biomaterials like Medusomyces gisevii (Kombucha) and Gossypium (Cotton). Cotton is used as a composite material to infuse with the base material made from Kombucha scoby. This project was conducted at Research Innovation Incubation Design Laboratory without any high end biological equipment for a period of 1 year. It was observed that the composite material was less brittle and more flexible than a normal material made of only Kombucha scoby.
Playing, Constructionism, and Music in Early-Stage Software Engineering Education
Authors: Gold Nicolas E. , Purves Ross , Himonides Evangelos
Published: April 2022

Understanding that design involves trade-offs, thinking at multiple levels of abstraction, and considering the cohesion and coupling between sub-components of a larger whole is an important part of software (and other) engineering. It can be challenging to convey such abstract design concepts to novice engineers, especially for materials that are themselves abstract (e.g. software). Such challenges are compounded when teaching at the secondary school stage where students have limited experience of large-scale design problems that motivate the need for abstraction at all. In this paper, we describe a method for introducing these concepts to secondary school students using LEGO® and Raspberry Pi computers, asking them to build musical instruments as an entertaining way of motivating engagement with learning about design through play. The method has been successfully piloted in a series of three classroom sessions and key observations and experiences of using the method are presented.