bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
STUDY ON ADHESION STRENGTH OF TIN COATED BIOMEDICAL TI-13ZR-13NB ALLOY
Authors: Shah A. , Izman S. , Ismail Siti Nurul Fasehah , H. Mas-Ayu , Daud R.
Published: February 2018

One of the crucial factors which determine the success of coated implantation and stability in the long run is the strength of adhesion between the coating and substrate. After implantation, a weakly adhered coating may delaminate and this might seriously restrict the implant’s effectiveness and longevity.  Based on past studies, the quality of TiN coating is directly influenced by the process parameters. The objective of this research is to evaluate the effect of N2 gas flow rate on adhesion strength of biomedical grade Ti-13Zr-13Nb alloy. In this research, N2 gas flow rate of 100, 200 and 300 sccm were varied while the other parameters (substrate temperature and bias voltage) were fixed. The scratch testing method was used to examine the adhesion strength of the TiN coating. This research used the calibrated optical images to verify the total coating failures on the scratched coated samples. The results indicated that the micro droplet form on the TiN coating decreases as the flow rate of the N2 gas increases. In contrast, the TiN coating’s adhesion strength increases with the increase of N2 gas flow rate. It can be concluded that N2 gas flow rate was significant factor in improving the coating properties of TiN on Ti-13Zr-13Nb alloy.
MICROWAVE ABSORPTION STUDY OF MANGANESE FERRITE IN X-BAND RANGE PREPARED BY SOLID STATE REACTION METHOD
Authors: Mashadi Mashadi , Yunasfi Yunasfi , Mulyawan Ade
Published: February 2018

A research to study the microwave absorption properties of manganese ferrite in the X-band range have been conducted by using high energy milling technique. The synthesis of manganese ferrite (Mn1+xFe2-xO4) was performed using solid state reaction method with the material composition (x)MnO : (2-x) Fe2O3 (x = 0.25; 0.50; 0.75 and 1.0) according to the molar ratio. This powder mixture was being milled for 10 hours then sintered at 1200 °C temperature for 3 hours. Material characterization was done by using FTIR spectroscopy (Fourier Transform Infra Red Spectroscopy) to observe the functional group, XRD (X-ray diffractometer) for phase identification, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) for surface morphology observation and VNA (Vector Network Analyzer) to determine the ability of materials to absorb microwaves. Analysis by FTIR showed two absorption peaks in the range of ~ 446 and ~ 557 cm-1 were associated with the octahedral and tetrahedral sites in structure of MnFe2O4. Phase identification by XRD showed that the increasing content of Mn (above x=0.25 composition) caused a single phase of MnFe2O4 turned into two phases (MnFe2O4 and Fe2O3), this results correspond to the SEM results which showed the morphological structure of those compositions are inhomogenous. The Absorption of microwaves was also decreased along with the increasing of Mn content. The maximum refflection loss was reached in the composition of Mn (x=0.0) which equal to ~ 82%, while for the composition of Mn (x=0.0) only reached ~ 55%.
MICROSTRUCTURAL, SURFACE ROUGHNESS AND WETTABILITY OF TITANIUM ALLOY COATED BY YZP-30WT. % TIO2 FOR DENTAL APPLICATION
Authors: Jemat Afida , Ghazali Mariyam Jameelah , Razali Masfueh , Otsuka Yuichi
Published: February 2018

Various roughness and surface topography of titanium coated ceramic material have been developed and used in clinical trials especially in a medical implant. The present work aimed to investigate the phase and microstructural of the yttria stabilized zirconia (YZP) coating reinforced titania (TiO2) and its effects on wettability for dental implant application. Plasma spray technique was used to prepare the pure YZP and YZP-30 wt.% TiO2 coatings. The titanium alloys coated with YZP/TiO2 were investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, roughness measurements, and contact angle analysis. The SEM analysis demonstrated a distinguished lamellae structure of YZP and TiO2 in the coating. Instead of low wettability, the YZP-30 wt.% TiO2 ceramic coating demonstrated high porosity and  surface roughness (7.97±0.4 µm) than the pure YZP coating (7.06±0.9 µm) that is beneficial for cell growth and attachment.
KINETIC MODEL FOR IDENTIFYING THE RATE CONTROLLING STEP OF THE ALUMINUM LEACHING FROM PEAT CLAY
Authors: Mirwan Agus , Susianto Susianto , Altway Ali , Handogo Renanto
Published: February 2018

The aluminum (Al) leaching kinetics from peat clay was investigated using various acid concentrations 1 M to 6 M, particle sizes +70-120 mesh to +200-325 mesh and temperatures 30 °C to 90 °C. They all have significant effects on aluminum leaching process. The Al leaching recovery was best found to be 91.3 % at 4 M hydrochloric acid (HCl), using a particle size of +200-325 mesh with solid/liquid of 0.02 g·ml-1. Leaching kinetic study was applied to the two rate equations proposed that is acid diffusion via product layer and surface chemical reaction using the shrinking core (SC) model to analyze the leaching data. The product layer diffusion is controlling Al leaching process for one-stage model, while for two-stage model, it was controlled by surface chemical reaction. The activation energy in the two rate controlling step was 82.79 kJ mol-1 and 27.08 kJ mol-1, respectively.
EFFECT OF DIFFERENT OPERATING PARAMETERS ON EXTRACTION OF ACTIVE COMPOUNDS FROM PITAYA PEEL BY MICROWAVE ASSISTED EXTRACTION (MAE)
Authors: Nazeri Muhd Azlan , Mat Zain Norashikin
Published: February 2018

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) has been recognised as a powerful potential alternative for the extraction of active compounds from plant materials compared to other advanced methods such as ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), pressurised liquid extraction (PLE), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), and Soxhlet. The advantages of MAE processing technique are reduced processing time, higher yield, lower usage of solvent, and smaller energy demand. Nevertheless, most researchers used organic solvents which have toxic effect on the environment. Therefore, in this study, distilled water was used as a natural solvent in the sample preparation. Pitaya peel is a form of potential fruit waste, especially in the food industry. Notably, its liquid extract can be applied as natural colouring and it contains beneficial active compounds that have commercial value. Wastage during the processing of food is inevitable and disposal can be a major problem for the industry and the society. Negative impacts such as pollution to the environment, hazards to human health, and loss of income to the waste generator may occur. Thus, extraction can be an effective solution for minimising waste produced by the food processing industry. Food waste often contain several usable substances of high value including some of that are beneficial for health such as mineral contents and phenolic compounds. The aim of this research was to find the optimal operating parameters for extraction of total phenolic content (TPC) from pitaya peel using MAE method. These parameters were the (1) weight of the sample, (2) temperature, (3) power, and (4) extraction time. In this research, the results showed that the best condition for the parameters of MAE were at the power of 400 W, temperature of 45 °C, and 20 min contact time when extracting 1.2 g pitaya peel in 50 mL distilled water. These figures were validated through statistical analysis using SPSS with Bonferroni post hoc tests. The TPC presented in the liquid extract was measured in GAE/g. In addition, the Inhibitory Concentration (IC50) of the liquid extract was determined by applying the best condition for the parameters of MAE and DPPH reagent as the synthetic free radical. The IC50 value obtained in this research was 0.52 mg/mL.
CHARACTERIZATION OF ULTRA-HIGH-PERFORMANCE CEMENTITIOUS COMPOSITE INCORPORATING CARBON NANOTUBES
Authors: Lim J. L. G. , Raman S. N. , Hamid R. , Zain M. F. M. , Lai F. C.
Published: February 2018

Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) is a type of concrete with unique mechanical and durability characteristics, developed to meet the global demand for extreme construction. Typically, UHPC is produced using customized mix design and subjected to special curing condition. Concrete is a brittle material in nature, where UHPC has its drawbacks in terms of lower tensile strength ratio and brittleness. Carbon nanotubes (CNT) is a potential candidate to act as nano-reinforcement in UHPC matrix, to create a denser and a more ductile Ultra-High-Performance Cementitious Composite (UHPCC) system. The consistent dispersion of CNT in the cementititious matrix is a challenge due to their high aspect ratio and its agglomerating behavior. This paper presents on the fundamental UHPCC mix design which optimizes on its packing density with fewer constituent materials. The mechanical strength and microstructure characteristics of three types of UHPCC developed with CNT, which were produced with different dispersion methods are reported. It was found that stable CNT dispersion enhanced the microstructure characteristics of the UHPCC matrix, and achieved higher compressive and flexural strengths compared to control specimens without CNT.
SYNTHESIS, SPECTROSCOPIC INVESTIGATION AND CATALYTIC STUDIES OF NICKEL(II) AROMATIC AZOMETHINE COMPLEXES
Authors: Ahmad Shahrul Nizam , Bahron Hadariah , Mohd Tajuddin Amalina , Syed Abd Kadir Syed Abdul Illah Alyahya
Published: February 2018

Coupling reaction between aryl halide and terminal alkyne in Sonogashira coupling reaction is important due to its extensive application in the resynthesis of natural products, production of drugs, dyes, and polymers. Efforts to increase rate of reaction has involved exploration of new catalysts. The current catalysts such as phosphine-based complexes are costly, air-sensitive and environmentally harmful. Nickel(II) Schiff base complexes were synthesized by reacting aromatic Schiff base ligands 2,2'-((1E,1'E)-(1,2-phenylenebis(azanylylidene))bis(metha-nylylidene))diphenol (L1H), 2,2'-((1E,1'E)-(1,2-phenylenebis(azanylylidene))bis(methanylylidene))bis(4-fluorophenol) (L1F), and 2,2'-((1E,1'E)-(1,2-phenylenebis(azanylylidene))bis-(methanylylidene))bis(4-methylphenol) (L1M) with nickel(II) acetate tetrahydrate to form NiL1H, NiL1F and NiL1M. The chemical structures were elucidated through physicochemical and spectral techniques namely elemental analysis, melting point, FTIR, 1H and 13C NMR, magnetic susceptibility and molar conductivity. All nickel(II) complexes were tested as catalysts in homogenous Sonogashira reaction between iodobenzene and phenylacetylene in DMSO for 12 hours at 140 oC. NiLF, a new nickel(II) complex, converted the highest percentage of iodobenzene (91%) while NiLH and NiLC converted 78% and 83% of iodobenzene, respectively.
ANALYSIS PERFORMANCE OF TRIANGLE MICROSTRIP ANTENNA FOR BASIC CONSTRUCTION OF CIRCULARLY POLARIZED-SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR APPLICATION
Authors: Purnomo Muhammad Fauzan Edy , Kitagawa Akio
Published: February 2018

The development of radar technology, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Circularly Polarized-Synthetic Aperture Radar (CP-SAR) and geostationary satellite, demanding needs of communication facilities and infrastructures that have variety platforms, which can generate processed data with high resolution and better image quality for all types of explored terrain. Owing to the antenna embedded on the body of geostationary satellite, its shape should be compact, small, and simple configuration, i.e. the equilateral triangle with and without truncated-tip c1, c2, c3, and c3s antennas using probe and microstrip-line feed with low-power at S-band (2.5 GHz - 2.9 GHz). The Method of Moments (MoM) is chosen in the numerical analysis for fast calculation. The performance results for c2 and c3 antennas are almost same, for instance the values of gain and axial ratio (Ar) for each antenna are consecutive of 6.8 dBic and 0.42 dB. Moreover, the performance results for c1, c3, and c3s antennas at the each resonant frequency are relatively different, as follows: c1 antenna operates at the frequency 2.76 GHz, gain RHCP = 6.66 dBic, Ar = 2.91 dB, the operation frequency of c3 antenna is 2.9 GHz, gain LHCP = 6.98 dBic, Ar = 3.02 dB, and for c3s antenna has the operation frequency of 2.5 GHz, gain LHCP = 6.08 dBic, Ar = 1.75 dB. The results for both simulation and measurement of equilateral triangle antenna, especially for Ar bandwidth below 3-dB are about 0.02 GHz and 0.015 GHz, respectively. Furthermore, the results of the 3 dB-Ar beamwidth for simulation and measurement in elevation plane consecutively are about 120° and 80°.
Hibiscus sabdariffa (ROSELLE) POLYPHENOL-RICH EXTRACT PREVENTS THE AORTIC OXIDATIVE DAMAGE IN TYPE 1 DIABETIC RATS
Authors: Mohammed Yusof Nur Liyana , Budin Siti Balkis , Mohamad Nasir Sharifah Niza , Yusoff Nur Afizah , Mohd Fauzi Norsyahida , Zainalabidin Satirah
Published: February 2018

Diabetes mellitus complications mainly occur due to the oxidative stress-related condition. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the protective effect of the polyphenol-rich extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa (roselle) (HPE) on the aorta of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups (n=6/group); non-diabetes control (NDM), diabetes (DM), diabetes treated with HPE (DM+HPE) and metformin (DM+MET). HPE and metformin were given orally at the dose of 100mg/kg and 150mg/kg respectively for eight weeks duration. At the end of the experiment period, blood pressure was measured before the rats were sacrificed. Blood was taken for measurement of plasma glucose and lipid levels whilst aorta was excised for oxidative stress and histological evaluation. Results showed that HPE treatment reduced plasma glucose level, blood pressure and improved dyslipidemia significantly (p<0.05) in DM+HPE group compared to DM group.  Malondialdehyde (MDA) and advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP) levels were significantly decreased (p<0.05) while GSH level was significantly increased (p<0.05) in DM+HPE group compared to DM group. No histological changes observed in the aorta of all diabetic groups compared to NDM group. In conclusion, HPE might have a potential in minimizing the risk of vascular damage in diabetic conditions.
SPEED CONTROL OF BLDC MOTOR WITH SEAMLESS SPEED REVERSAL CAPABILITY USING MODIFIED FUZZY GAIN SCHEDULING
Authors: Pothorajoo Satishrao , Daniyal Hamdan
Published: February 2018

Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) motors have gained popularity in recent years due to their high-power density. Many type of speed controller techniques have been developed and Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controller has been the most widely used. However, PID’s performance deteriorates during nonlinear loads conditions. Over the past five years, controllers have been developed to overcome this limitations in BLDC speed control, however the solutions are focusing on forward motoring only. In this paper, a speed controller for BLDC with seamless speed reversal using Modified Fuzzy Gain Scheduling is proposed. The proposed controller regulates the speed using Fuzzy Gain Scheduling 49 base rules. The controller was tested for six test cases and compared to PID and Self-Tuning Fuzzy PID controller. It is found out the proposed controller yields lowest steady state error, ess of 0.025 % during step-changing speed test case. Overall, Modified Fuzzy Gain Scheduling BLDC speed controller outperforms the other two similar controllers in variable speed conditions. The controller has potential to be used as bidirectional drive in highly dynamic load conditions.
PHOTOCATALYTIC REMOVAL OF PHENOL OVER MESOPOROUS ZnO/TiO2 COMPOSITES
Authors: Lee Khang Klinsmann Cheong , Mohd Hatta Mohd Hayrie , Ling Lee Siew , Yuliati Leny
Published: February 2018

A series of mesoporous ZnO/TiO2 composites were successfully synthesized using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide surfactant. The composites of different Zn:Ti molar ratios (0.5:1, 0.75:1, and 1:1) were prepared by impregnating ZnO onto mesoporous TiO2. XRD results verified co-existence of both anatase TiO2 and hexagonal wurtzite ZnO in the ZnO/TiO2 composites. Based on the Tauc plots, all the composites showed almost the same band gap energy of approximately 3.21 eV. The fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results successful covering of ZnO on the surface of the TiO2 as the hydrophilicity property of TiO2 decreased remarkably with the loading of ZnO in the composites. N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms of the samples exhibited type-IV isotherm with a hysteresis loop. The Barrett-Joyner-Halenda pore size distribution revealed that the average pore size of the composites was around 3.6 nm, indicating the formation of mesopores dominantly in the samples. The photocatalytic removal of phenol over the samples under UV light irradiation after 3 h decreased in the order: ZnO/TiO2 composites > anatase TiO2 (with surfactant) > anatase TiO2 (without surfactant) > ZnO. The composite with Zn:Ti molar ratio of 0.75:1 has achieved the highest photocatalytic activity of 36.5% in the removal of phenol under UV light irradiation for 3 h.
NUMERICAL EVALUATION OF CONCRETE FILLED STAINLESS STEEL TUBE FOR SHORT COLUMNS SUBJECTED TO AXIAL COMPRESSION LOAD
Authors: Abd Mutalib Azrul , Mussa Mohamed Hamza , Abusal Khaleel Mohammad Khaleel
Published: February 2018

Recently, the concrete filled stainless steel tubes (CFSST) columns are widely applied in modern construction due to its aesthetic appearance, high corrosion resistant and less construction cost. The current study aims to evaluate the behavior of CFSST column with square hollow section (SHS) numerically under axial compressive load by using ABAQUS software. A good consistency had achieved between the numerical and experimental test results in terms of load-displacement behaviour and ultimate strength with a maximum difference equal to 2%. Intensive parametric studies had been conducted to determine the effects of stainless steel tubes and concrete properties on the ultimate load capacity of CFSST column. The results proved that the stainless steel tube thickness (t) capable to increase the strength of column by143.59% at t = 10 mm as compared with t = 2 mm, whereas a slight effect had observed for the variation of stainless steel proof stress ( ). On the other hand, the higher values of concrete strength (fc′) obviously reduced the lateral expansion of CFSST column at initial load and led to increase the ultimate load capacity by 34.18 % at fc′ = 80 MPa as compared with  fc′ = 30 MPa. Furthermore, the design strengths calculated according to the Eurocode 4 for concrete filled steel tube (CFST) column appeared a good agreement with the numerical results within an average difference value 2.49%, hence, it could consider as the most rational design method to determine the ultimate strength of CFSST column.
OXIDATIVE STRESS AND MORPHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF BONE MARROW IN MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE-TREATED RAT
Authors: Yahya Nor Janna , Abd Hamid Zariyantey , Abu Hanipah Erni Norfardila , Ajik Esther Mathias , Yusoff Nur Afizah , Taib Izatus Shima
Published: February 2018

Excess consumption of monosodium glutamate (MSG) was reported to cause oxidative stress on brain, liver and renal and altered haematological parameters. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the effect of MSG on oxidative stress status on bone marrow of rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=24) weighing between 160-200 g were divided randomly into three groups: Control which was given distilled water (1 mg/kg), MSG 60 and MSG 120 which were given 60 mg/kg MSG and 120 mg/kg MSG, respectively. All substances were oral force fed for 28 days consecutively. At the end of the study, bone marrow cells were isolated by flushing technique for measurement of the oxidative stress status and bone marrow smear observation. Results showed that the superoxide dismutase activity and protein carbonyl level were significantly increased in MSG 120 group than to control and MSG 60 groups (p<0.05). Conversely, glutathione level had declined significantly in both MSG groups as compared to control group (p<0.05). The malondialdehyde level was not significantly affected in MSG groups than to control group. Bone marrow smear indicated no evidence of morphological alteration in all groups. In conclusion, MSG at both doses caused oxidative stress on bone marrow after 28 days of exposure.
ANALYSIS OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS AND MORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS IN INDONESIAN RODENT TUBER MUTANT CLONES OF PEKALONGAN ACCESSION USING GC-MS
Authors: Purnamaningsih Ragapadmi , Sianipar Nesti Fronika
Published: February 2018

Rodent tuber (Typhonium flagelliforme Lodd.) is one of the considerable potential Indonesian medicinal plants. There are many origins of rodent tuber plants in Indonesia such as Pekalongan. Increasing genetic diversity of rodent tuber’s Pekalongan accession had been done by using gamma irradiation. Its produced 23 clones of the 7th generation of mutant plants. The focus of this study was on the analysis of biomass and bioactive compounds from those clones using GC-MS. The aim of this study was to determine new bioactive compounds which affect as anticancer in the 7th mutant generation of rodent tuber plant Pekalongan accession. The result showed that 8 mutant clones of rodent tuber had higher biomass than the control. 10 bioactive compounds were detected in the leaves from 7 mutant clones (20-1-1-2-2-3, 20-1-2-2-1-3, 20-1-2-1-2-2, 20-1-2-4-5, 20-1-1-1-3, 20-4-2-1-1-1, 20-1-2-1-2-6) and 7 bioactive compounds in the tubers from 9 mutant clones (20-1-1-2-2-3, 20-1-2-2-1-3, 20-1-2-1-2-2, 20-1-2-4-5, 20-1-1-1-3, 20-4-2-1-1-1, 20-1-2-1-2-6, 20-1-2-2-4-3, 20-1-2-2-3). The bioactive compounds in the mutant clones was 4 times greater than the control. Phytol isomer and eicosane were found as new bioactive compounds in the leaves. 5 new bioactive compounds were found in the tubers for example Hexadecanoic acid ethyl ester, octadecadienoic acid, squalene, beta, eicosane and octacosane. Gamma irradiation is an effective technique to increase the huge numbers of bioactive compounds which can be applied as anticancer, antitumor and antimicobial herbal medicine.
COMPARATIVE STUDY ON PYROLYSIS BEHAVIOR AND KINETICS OF TWO MACROALGAE BIOMASS (ULVA CF. FLEXUOSA AND HY. EDULIS) USING THERMOGRAVIMETRIC ANALYSIS
Authors: Roslee Amira Nabila , Munajat Nur Farizan
Published: February 2018

Preliminary pyrolysis studies of macroalgae biomass (Ulva cf. flexuosa and Hy. edulis) which were collected from several coastlines of Peninsular Malaysia were performed by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The corresponding kinetic parameters were calculated through three model-free methods, namely Kissinger, Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS), and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO). The TGA curves of both species exhibited three degradation stages: dehydration, devolatilization, and residual decomposition. The devolatilization stage is where the main pyrolysis occurred at a temperature around 150-590oC and released the total volatiles of 56.93% and 54.92% for Ulva cf. flexuosa and Hy. Edulis.  The calculation of activation energy from Kissinger method for Ulva cf. flexuosa was 180.24 kJ/mol while 194.86 kJ/mol for Hy. edulis. The apparent activation energies for KAS and FWO methods are increased by increasing the pyrolysis conversion with average activation energies of 241.17 kJ/mol and 253.65kJ/mol for Ulva cf. flexuosa, while for Hy. edulis, are 244.75 kJ/mol and 258.9 kJ/mol. This study provides the basis for the further application for designing and modeling in thermochemical conversion system of macro algae biomass.
PENCIRIAN SESAR-SESAR MAJOR DI SEKITAR SEMENANJUNG MALAYSIA BERDASARKAN TEKNIK SATELIT GRAVITI
Authors: Bahrudin Nurul Fairuz Diyana , Hamzah Umar
Published: February 2018

Major fault structures of Peninsular Malaysia were interpreted by satellite gravity data obtained from EGM2008. Filtering including THD, TVD, TDR, TDX and Euler Deconvolution inversion techniuques were applied to the data and successfully delineated the major faults especially located in the area separating the granite and sedimentary rock such as Bok Bak, Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Tinggi and Lebir faults. The main finding of this research is the boundary separating the western and eastern belt of Peninsular Malaysia namely the Bentong-Raub Suture by the abrupt changes of gravity anomalies between the two belts. The average depths and dips of Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Tinggi and Seremban faults were estimated by gravity inversion 3D Euler Deconvolution.
DESIGNING A MAINTENANCE FREE MULTI-CHANNEL WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK PROTOCOL
Authors: Ghazali Nur Syazwani , Baharun Sabariah , Islam A. K. M. Muzahidul , Wada Koichi
Published: February 2018

Wireless sensors are low powered device that is scattered to monitor its surroundings. These energy-constrained devices are usually constructed in a hierarchical structured manner where after sometime some of the nodes may deplete energy resulting disruption of the routing topology in a wireless sensor network. A faulty parent node may cause the reconstruction of the network’s routing topology if a maintenance solution is not provided to the protocol. Thus this study focuses on the maintenance free environment for a multi-channel wireless sensor network. A tree-based solution is proposed for the multi-channel protocol and a route diversion is proposed for the maintenance solution. The multi-channel characteristics is used as a tool to determine the route diversion of the children node. A simulation is built to compare the proposed protocol with existing tree-based multi-channel protocol. The result of the proposed protocol shows an improvement to the packet delivery rate by 15%.
EFFECTS OF BEATING ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF MALAYSIAN DURIAN (DURIO ZIBETHINUS MURR.) RIND CHEMI-MECHANICAL (CMP) PULP AND PAPER
Authors: Masrol Shaiful Rizal , Ibrahim Mohd Halim Irwan , Adnan Sharmiza , Ahmad Tajudin Muhammad Syauqi Asyraf , Abdul Raub Radhi , Abdul Razak Siti Nurul Aqma , Md Zain Siti Nur Faeza
Published: February 2018

The effects of beating on the characteristics of pulp and paper derived from durian rind under chemi-mechanical pulping (CMP) method were investigated. All process and characteristic tests were conducted according to Malaysian International Organization for Standardization (MS ISO) and Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI). The unbeaten durian rind CMP pulp (control pulp) was beaten by using PFI mill at three (3) different beating levels; 1000, 2000 and 3000 revolutions. It was found that durian rind CMP pulp drainage time was increased (longer time) and freeness level was decreased as the beating revolutions were increased compared to the control pulp. The result shows that paper bulk density and overall mechanical characteristics (tensile index, tear index, burst index and folding no.) of 60 gsm durian rind CMP hand sheets were increased with the increment of beating revolutions.
Ultrasound to depict anatomical abnormality: an example of potential alliance of rehabilitation professionals.
Authors: Coraci Daniele , Cruciani Arianna , Giovannini Silvia , Bernetti Andrea , Santilli Valter , Padua Luca
Published: February 2018

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Ultrasound Guided Injection for Medial and Lateral Pterygoid Muscles: A Novel Treatment for Orofacial Pain
Authors: Chen Yunn Jy , Chang Pei-Hsuan , Chang Ke-Vin , Wu Wei-Ting , Özçakar Levent
Published: February 2018

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Extensor pollicis longus (EPL) tendon rupture as a complication of distal radius fracture: the role of ultrasound examination
Authors: Romano Nicola , Fischetti Aldo , Mussetto Ilaria , Marino Marzia , Muda Alessandro
Published: February 2018

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Ultrasound applications for regional anaesthetists – thinking outside the box
Authors: Iohom Gabriela
Published: February 2018

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Athlete Perceptions of Coaching Effectiveness and Athlete-Level Outcomes in Team and Individual Sports: A Cross-Cultural Investigation
Authors: Mohd Kassim Ahmad F. , Boardley Ian D.
Published: February 2018

This research aimed to investigate whether athletes’ perceptions of their coach’s effectiveness on dimensions of coaching efficacy (i.e., motivation, technique, character building) predicted indicators of their competence, confidence, connection, and character in athletes from the UK and Malaysia. Athletes from team (volleyball, UKn = 46, Malaysian = 49; hockey, UKn = 34, Malaysian = 47; and basketball, UKn = 50, Malaysian = 50) and individual (squash, UKn = 47, Malaysian = 44; table tennis, UKn = 48, Malaysian = 47; and golf, UKn = 44, Malaysian = 47) sports completed questionnaires assessing the study variables. Multiple-regression analyses controlling for athletes’ sex, sport experience, and sport type showed in both samples that perceived motivation effectiveness positively predicted athletes’ connection and sport confidence, perceived technique effectiveness positively predicted their sport competence, and perceived character-building effectiveness positively predicted their moral identity. Thus, athletes’ perceptions of their coach may have important implications for athletes’ sport experiences in team and individual sports even in divergent cultures. Results are discussed in terms of their relevance for the coaching efficacy model and the athlete-level outcomes resulting from effective coaching.
Compounds with Potential Activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Sao Emani C. , Williams M. J. , Wiid I. J. , Baker B. , Carolis C.
Published: February 2018

The high acquisition rate of drug resistance by
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
necessitates the ongoing search for new drugs to be incorporated in the tuberculosis (TB) regimen. Compounds used for the treatment of other diseases have the potential to be repurposed for the treatment of TB. In this study, a high-throughput screening of compounds against thiol-deficient
Mycobacterium smegmatis
strains and subsequent validation with thiol-deficient
M. tuberculosis
strains revealed that
ΔegtA
and
ΔmshA
mutants had increased susceptibility to azaguanine (Aza) and sulfaguanidine (Su);
ΔegtB
and
ΔegtE
mutants had increased susceptibility to bacitracin (Ba); and
ΔegtA
,
ΔmshA
, and
ΔegtB
mutants had increased susceptibility to fusaric acid (Fu). Further analyses revealed that some of these compounds were able to modulate the levels of thiols and oxidative stress in
M. tuberculosis
. This study reports the activities of Aza, Su, Fu, and Ba against
M. tuberculosis
and provides a rationale for further investigations.
Concrete in Canada: 50 years of progress — present concerns
Authors: Aïtcin Pierre-Claude , Wilson William , Mindess Sidney
Published: February 2018

Over the past 50 years, concrete in Canada has evolved from a simple robust material to a complex composite with impressive improvements in the material properties. Due to the development of water reducers and silica fume, the performance of concrete has improved from the conventional 30 MPa concrete before the CN Tower (1973) to the ultra-high strength 200 MPa concrete used in the Passerelle de Sherbrooke (1998). This paper retraces this evolution of concrete with a focus on both the technical improvements and the important structures built with these technologies. Recent progress in blended cements and poly-carboxylate ether superplasticizers is also presented, along with the concerns and current challenges to ensure an optimized and safe use of these new concrete admixtures.
Investigation on the cooling medium effect in the characterization of asphalt binder with the bending beam rheometer (BBR)
Authors: Cannone Falchetto Augusto , Moon Ki Hoon , Wang Di , Riccardi Chiara
Published: February 2018

In this paper, the possibility of using air as an alternative cooling medium for testing asphalt binder in the bending beam rheometer (BBR) is considered and evaluated. For this purpose, five asphalt binders were characterized with the BBR; creep stiffness, m-value, performance grade (PG), thermal stress, and critical cracking temperature were computed both for ethanol and air. In addition, the rheological Huet model was fitted to the experimental measurements to further investigate the effect of the cooling medium. It was found that air measurements result in stiffer materials, with higher low PG, higher thermal stress, and critical cracking temperature. The parameters of the Huet model confirm such a stiffening effect when air is used. Based on the material response observed in this study, further research is recommended before potentially replacing ethanol with air in the BBR, as the latter appears to provide a substantially different material grading.
Feature Matching Based on Triangle Guidance and Constraints
Authors: Liu Hongmin , Zhang Hongya , Wang Zhiheng , Zheng Yiming
Published: February 2018

For images with distortions or repetitive patterns, the existing matching methods usually work well just on one of the two kinds of images. In this paper, we present novel triangle guidance and constraints (TGC)-based feature matching method, which can achieve good results on both kinds of images. We first extract stable matched feature points and combine these points into triangles as the initial matched triangles, and triangles combined by feature points are as the candidates to be matched. Then, triangle guidance based on the connection relationship via the shared feature point between the matched triangles and the candidates is defined to find the potential matching triangles. Triangle constraints, specially the location of a vertex relative to the inscribed circle center of the triangle, the scale represented by the ratio of corresponding side lengths of two matching triangles and the included angles between the sides of two triangles with connection relationship, are subsequently used to verify the potential matches and obtain the correct ones. Comparative experiments show that the proposed TGC can increase the number of the matched points with high accuracy under various image transformations, especially more effective on images with distortions or repetitive patterns due to the fact that the triangular structure are not only stable to image transformations but also provides more geometric constraints.
Optimized Fuzzy Clustering Algorithms for Brain MRI Image Segmentation Based on Local Gaussian Probability and Anisotropic Weight Models
Authors: Zhang Ting
Published: February 2018

Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) image segmentation is one of the critical technologies of clinical medicine, and is the basis of three-dimensional reconstruction and downstream analysis between normal tissues and diseased tissues. However, there are various limitations in brain MRI images, such as gray irregularities, noise, and low contrast, reducing the accuracy of the brain MRI images segmentation. In this paper, we propose two optimization solutions for the fuzzy clustering algorithm based on local Gaussian probability fuzzy C-means (LGP-FCM) model and anisotropic weight fuzzy C-means (AW-FCM) model and apply it in brain MRI image segmentation. An FCM clustering algorithm is proposed based on AW-FCM. By introducing the new neighborhood weight calculation method, each point has the weight of anisotropy, effectively overcomes the influence of noise on the image segmentation. In addition, the LGP model is introduced in the objective function of fuzzy clustering, and a fuzzy clustering segmentation algorithm based on LGP-FCM is proposed. A clustering segmentation algorithm of adaptive scale fuzzy LGP model is proposed. The neighborhood scale corresponding to each pixel in the image is automatically estimated, which improves the robustness of the model and achieves the purpose of precise segmentation. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that the proposed LGP-FCM algorithm outperforms comparison algorithms in terms of sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. LGP-FCM can effectively segment the target regions from brain MRI images.
Applications of L systems to group theory
Authors: Ciobanu Laura , Elder Murray , Ferov Michal
Published: February 2018

L systems generalize context-free grammars by incorporating parallel rewriting, and generate languages such as EDT0L and ET0L that are strictly contained in the class of indexed languages. In this paper, we show that many of the languages naturally appearing in group theory, and that were known to be indexed or context-sensitive, are in fact ET0L and in many cases EDT0L. For instance, the language of primitives and bases in the free group on two generators, the Bridson–Gilman normal forms for the fundamental groups of 3-manifolds or orbifolds, and the co-word problem of Grigorchuk’s group can be generated by L systems. To complement the result on primitives in rank 2 free groups, we show that the language of primitives, and primitive sets, in free groups of rank higher than two is context-sensitive. We also show the existence of EDT0L languages of intermediate growth.
PHOTONIC BAND GAPS PROPERTIES OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL TERNARY SUPERCONDUCTOR PHOTONIC CRYSTALS
Authors: ELSAYED HUSSEIN A.
Published: February 2018

In the present communication, by means of the frequency-dependent plane wave expansion method, we theoretically demonstrate the photonic band structures of a new type of two-dimensional (2D) annular photonic crystals (PCs) called 2D ternary superconductor PCs created by square and triangular lattices. Our idea is based on the appearance of the interfacial layer through a number of experimental works. We mainly investigate the maximization of the photonic band gap (PBG) using two types of ternary superconductor PCs. Type I in which an interfacial layer of Nb low temperature superconductor (LTSC) is encircled by cylindrical rods and a background material of two different dielectric materials. Type II is composed of cylindrical rods of Nb enclosed with an interfacial layer and a background material of the same dielectric materials used in type I. With the calculated photonic band structures, it can be found that the PBG can be significantly enlarged using the ternary structures more than the conventional (binary) structures. In addition, the different distributions of the constituent materials of the ternary structures have a distinct effect on the width of the PBGs.
STUDY OF Co/Sn MULTILAYER SYSTEM WITH VARIOUS TIN LAYER THICKNESS AND REFLOW TEMPERATURES
Authors: KHAN ABDUL FAHEEM , HASEEB A. S. M. A.
Published: February 2018

Co–Sn–Co multi-layer films with various Sn-layer thicknesses have been deposited by using the electrodeposition technique. The deposition was performed at room temperature on gold coated silicon substrates. The thickness of Sn layer was kept [Formula: see text]4.5, 2.5, 1.5 and 1[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m, while the thickness of each Co layer was fixed to [Formula: see text]0.75[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m. The Sn layer was sandwiched between two Co layers. The total thickness of the films was [Formula: see text]6, 4, 3, 2.5[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m, respectively. The intended ratio of Sn was about 25 at.% while Co was about 75 at.%. The separation inside the Sn-layer has been observed at higher Sn-layer thicknesses with increasing reflow temperature. It may be due to the combined effect of thermal stress arising during cooling from elevated reflow temperatures and solidification shrinkage in the thick Sn layer due to the formation of IMC CoSn2. However, 1[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m has been found to be a critical thickness, which remains intact when sandwiched between two cobalt layers. The structure of these multi-layer films was studied as a function of temperature. It has been observed from X-ray diffraction (XRD) that the as-deposited films exhibit strong peaks belonging to elemental Co and Sn. At temperatures of 270–290∘C, CoSn2 begins to appear and grow at the interfaces and in the middle of Sn layer with the decrease in elemental Sn. However, sufficient amount of Co is still present in pure form as is evident by the XRD and field emission scanning electron microscopy images at all temperatures. This study confirms that only one reaction product, viz. CoSn2, formed in as-deposited during reflow at temperatures 270–290∘C for a fixed time of 10[Formula: see text]min, although several other stable IMCs, e.g. Co3Sn2, CoSn, CoSn2, CoSn3 exist in the Co–Sn system at 250∘C according to phase diagram. It is not uncommon that all the thermodynamically stable IMCs do not form in the system due to kinetic reasons. Accordingly, the formation of IMCs through interfacial reaction has been discussed in this paper.
The second cohomology group of simple Leibniz algebras
Authors: Adashev J. Q. , Ladra M. , Omirov B. A.
Published: February 2018

In this paper, we prove some general results on Leibniz 2-cocyles for simple Leibniz algebras. Applying these results, we prove the triviality of the second Leibniz cohomology for a simple Leibniz algebra with coefficients in itself, whose associated Lie algebra is isomorphic to [Formula: see text].
The first module (σ,τ)-cohomology group of triangular Banach algebras of order three
Authors: İnceboz Hülya , Arslan Berna
Published: February 2018

The notion of module amenability for a class of Banach algebras, which could be considered as a generalization of Johnson’s amenability, was introduced by Amini in [Module amenability for semigroup algebras, Semigroup Forum 69 (2004) 243–254]. The weak module amenability of the triangular Banach algebra [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are Banach algebras (with [Formula: see text]-module structure) and [Formula: see text] is a Banach [Formula: see text]-module, is studied by Pourabbas and Nasrabadi in [Weak module amenability of triangular Banach algebras, Math. Slovaca 61(6) (2011) 949–958], and they showed that the weak module amenability of [Formula: see text] triangular Banach algebra [Formula: see text] (as an [Formula: see text]-bimodule) is equivalent with the weak module amenability of the corner algebras [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] (as Banach [Formula: see text]-bimodules). The main aim of this paper is to investigate the module [Formula: see text]-amenability and weak module [Formula: see text]-amenability of the triangular Banach algebra [Formula: see text] of order three, where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are [Formula: see text]-module morphisms on [Formula: see text]. Also, we give some results for semigroup algebras.
Two-sided tilting complexes for Brauer tree algebras
Authors: Kozakai Yuta , Kunugi Naoko
Published: February 2018

In this note, we construct two-sided tilting complexes corresponding to one-sided tilting complexes for Brauer tree algebras.
Malcev algebras corresponding to smooth almost left automorphic Moufang loops
Authors: Carrillo-Catalán Ramiro , Rasskazova Marina , Sabinina Liudmila
Published: February 2018

In this note, we introduce the concept of an almost left automorphic Moufang loop and study the properties of tangent algebras of smooth loops of this class.
The diameter of power graphs of symmetric groups
Authors: Pourghobadi Kobra , Jafari Sayyed Heidar
Published: February 2018

The power graph of a group [Formula: see text] is the simple graph [Formula: see text], with vertex-set [Formula: see text] and vertices [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are adjacent, if and only if [Formula: see text] and either [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] for some positive integer [Formula: see text]. The proper power graph of [Formula: see text], denoted [Formula: see text], is the graph obtained from [Formula: see text] by deleting the vertex [Formula: see text]. In [On the connectivity of proper power graphs of finite groups, Comm. Algebra 43 (2015) 4305–4319], it is proved that if [Formula: see text] and neither [Formula: see text] nor [Formula: see text] is a prime, then [Formula: see text] is connected and [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we improve the diameter bound of [Formula: see text] for which [Formula: see text] is connected. We show that [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text]. We also describe a number of short paths in these power graphs.
Primitive to non-primitive BCH codes: An instantaneous path shifting scheme for data transmission
Authors: Shah Tariq , Ansari Asma Shaheen , Perveen Riffat , Kazmi Anam , de Andrade Antonio Aparecido
Published: February 2018

In this paper, we present constructions of primitive and non-primitive BCH codes using monoid rings over the local ring [Formula: see text], with [Formula: see text]. We show that there exist two sequences [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] of non-primitive BCH codes (over [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively) against primitive BCH codes [Formula: see text] of length [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] (over [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]), respectively. A technique is developed in an innovative way that enables the data path to shift instantaneously during transmission via the coding schemes of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The selection of the schemes is subject to the choice of better code rate or better error-correction capability of the code. Finally, we present a decoding procedure for BCH codes over Galois rings, which is also used for the decoding of BCH codes over Galois fields, based on the modified Berlekamp–Massey algorithm.
Isotropy of orthogonal involutions in characteristic two
Authors: Nokhodkar A.-H.
Published: February 2018

A totally singular quadratic form is associated to any central simple algebra with orthogonal involution in characteristic two. It is shown that the given involution is isotropic if and only if its corresponding quadratic form is isotropic.
A global existence of classical solutions to the hydrodynamic Cucker–Smale model in presence of a temperature field
Authors: Ha Seung-Yeal , Kim Jeongho , Min Chanho , Ruggeri Tommaso , Zhang Xiongtao
Published: February 2018

We present a hydrodynamic model for the ensemble of thermodynamic Cucker–Smale (TCS) particles in the presence of a temperature field, and study its global-in-time well-posedness in Sobolev space. Our hydrodynamic model can be formally derived from the kinetic TCS model under the mono-kinetic ansatz, and can be viewed as a pressureless gas dynamics with non-local flocking forces. For the global-in-time well-posedness, we assume that communication weight functions are non-negative and non-increasing in their arguments and initial data satisfy non-vacuum conditions and suitable regularity in Sobolev space. In this setting, we use the method of energy estimates and obtain the global existence of classical solutions in any finite time interval. We also present an asymptotic flocking estimate using the Lyapunov functional approach.
Quasi-normal modes for Dirac fields in the Kerr–Newman–de Sitter black holes
Authors: Iantchenko Alexei
Published: February 2018

We provide the full asymptotic description of the quasi-normal modes (resonances) in any strip of fixed width for Dirac fields in slowly rotating Kerr–Newman–de Sitter black holes. The resonances split in a way similar to the Zeeman effect. The method is based on the extension to Dirac operators of techniques applied by Dyatlov in [Quasi-normal modes and exponential energy decay for the Kerr–de Sitter black hole, Commun. Math. Phys. 306(1) (2011) 119–163; Asymptotic distribution of quasi-normal modes for Kerr–de Sitter black holes, Ann. Henri Poincaré 13(5) (2012) 1101–1166] to the (uncharged) Kerr–de Sitter black holes. We show that the mass of the Dirac field does not have an effect on the two leading terms in the expansions of resonances. We give an expansion of the solution of the evolution equation for the Dirac fields in the outer region of the slowly rotating Kerr–Newman–de Sitter black hole which implies the exponential decay of the local energy. Moreover, using the [Formula: see text]-normal hyperbolicity of the trapped set and applying the techniques from [Asymptotics of linear waves and resonances with applications to black holes, Commun. Math. Phys. 335 (2015) 1445–1485; Resonance projectors and asymptotics for [Formula: see text]-normally hyperbolic trapped sets, J. Amer. Math. Soc. 28 (2015) 311–381], we give location of the resonance free band and the Weyl-type formula for the resonances in the band near the real axis.