bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydroxyapatite Extracted from Waste Fish Bones and Scales via Calcination Method
Authors: Mustafa N. , Ibrahim Mohd Halim Irwan , Asmawi Rosli , Amin Azriszul Mohd
Published: July 2015

A hydroxyapatite is known as one of vital materials and common use in biomedical field and concentrated in clinical area. In relation to the above, the development of hydroxyapatite powder becomes an attractive research lines due to simplify in produce it. Thus in this paper the researcher stress out about Hydroxyapatite powder gained from the natural sources or so called as the waste of Tilapia bone and scales. The raw bones of and scale were undergo to crushing process to form in powder size (0.2 mm) then analysed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) to identified the mineralogy of raw bone. Moreover the powder of fish bone and scales also go through to Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) machine to analyse the microstructure of the powder while EDS act as device to determine the chemical composition of the sample powder. Sample powder then forward calcination process at selected temperature range to as a cheaper method in obtained hydroxyapatite raw sources. The range of calcination temperatures are between 800°C to 1000 °C. The sample preparation were analysed in both condition before and after calcination process by using XRD, SEM and EDS. The HAP crystalline composition of tilapia bones for raw powder and at 800 °C are similar with HAP pattern (JDS 00-009-0432) and the chemical reaction is Ca5(PO4)3(OH) then at temperature 900 and 1000 similar to HAP pattern (JDS 00-055-0592) with chemical reaction equal to Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2.
Determination of Mist Flow Characteristic for MQL Technique Using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Computer Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
Authors: Rahim E.A. , Dorairaju Hemarani , Asmuin Norzilawati , Mantari M.H.A.R.
Published: July 2015

In recent years, minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) machining is regarded as a promising method for reducing machining cost and cutting fluid, while improving cutting performance. However the effectiveness and the working principle of MQL are still questionable with very few explanations provided. The aim of this study is to determine the optimum distance between the nozzle and tool tip and appropriate flow pattern of the mist flow for minimum quantity lubricant using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Computer Fluid Dynamic (CFD) for optimizing the spraying conditions thus reducing the lubricant consumption. The spray from the nozzle with outlet diameter of 2.5mm is analysed using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to measure the mist flow velocity and identify the flow pattern. The input pressure of 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4MPa will be discharged throughout the experiment. Higher pressure produce more mass flow rate which helps in reducing the cutting force and cutting temperature efficiently and prolong tool life. Thus the appropriate distance can reduce lubricant consumption and increase the cooling and lubricating ability with best nozzle position. The applied distance increases the efficiencies of MQL applied during machining process.
The Effects of Voltage Flow and pH Value in Alkaline Electrolyser System to Performance
Authors: bin Rosley Mohammad Nazry , bin Tamaldin Noreffendy , Abdollah M.F.B. , Zulfattah Z.M.
Published: July 2015

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effects of voltage flow (V) in the alkaline electrolyser system and the pH value (pH) of the electrolyte used in the electrolyser. The output measurement of both investigated factors in in the flow rate of the hydrogen gas produced by the system per minute (ml/min). The voltage flow was altered in the system by altering the voltage supply from the workbench power supply ranging from 11V to 14V. The pH value of the electrolyte solution in the electrolyser was altered by the addition of Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) in the distilled water. The pH value samples of the tested solution ranging from 13.0 to 14.0 pH value due to the limitation of the electrolyser used in this experiment. The results found that, the hydrogen gas produced per minute increases with voltage flow in the system. The flow rate of the hydrogen gas produced however only increases when the solution’s pH value reaches at 14 pH level and unreactive below the value.
The Storage Effect on Fuel Properties and Emission for Variety Biodiesel Blends
Authors: Humairak Yusof , Tamaldin Noreffendy , Abdollah M.F.B. , Ali M.F. , Khalid Amir
Published: July 2015

In this paper, storage effect on biodiesel properties for high blending ratio and the emission are evaluated. The blend level of biodiesel is denoted as B, followed by the percentages of pure biodiesel. The samples used are conventional diesel (STD), B80, B90 and B100 were stored at ambient temperature (24 °C) for nine week. The properties of biodiesel, acid value, flash point, viscosity, density and water content were measured according to ASTM D6751 biodiesel fuel standard. Results show there are no significant effects on it properties while stored in long duration at ambient temperature. Meanwhile, increasing biodiesel ratio is found to enhance the combustion process, resulting in decreased the HC for emissions.
The Development of Wave Energy Conversion Device to Generate Electricity
Authors: Lafsah M.D. , Ibrahim Mohd Zamri , Albani Aliashim
Published: July 2015

The wave energy is one of promising resource for generating electricity in this country. A wave energy conversion system was designed and fabricated; the prototype was tested and its performance was analyzed. The invention herein proposed a system operated by wave resource. This configuration allows the wave resource working to generate electricity. Wave power device operated by the movement of floaters with varying speed connected to the mechanical racks. These mechanical racks move gears and pulleys, which giving forces to the pulley’s belts to rotate. This pulley’s belts connected to the electric generator that produces the electricity. The final system was tested in the coastal area near to Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) campus. The measurement results clearly show that the available wave resource could be harness into useful work for electric power generation.
Generation Revenue Assessment in Malaysia Electricity Supply Industry
Authors: Ngadiron Zuraidah , Radzi N.H. , Yassin Zaris
Published: July 2015

Restructuring of electricity supply industry had begun in early 20th centuries. Malaysia Electricity Supply Industry (MESI) has aimed to change its structure to a wholesale market model in 2005. Started in 1992, Independent Power Producers (IPPs) were introduced and since then MESI had applied the Single Buyer Model until today. Even though, the Single Buyer Model had passed several process of evolution, it still a form of imperfect competition in which there is only one buyer and many sellers of a product. Therefore, other alternatives of electricity market model for MESI have been proposed, in order to carry on the MESI previous plan towards restructuring. This paper discusses three electricity market models; Single Buyer Market Model, Pool Market Model and Hybrid Market Model. The case study is carried out to compare the three market models in term of generation revenue. Data from 14 IPP and load profiles in MESI is used for the case study and the result will be discussed.
The Effect of Storage Container and Light Exposure on Biodiesel Characteristics Derived by Crude Palm Oil
Authors: Khalid Amir , Manshoor Bukhari , Sapit Azwan , Razali Mohd Azahari , Zaman Izzuddin , Anuar M.D.
Published: July 2015

This study investigated the effect of types of storage container used to store biodiesel blend (B5) under different storage duration and environment. The biodiesel samples were stored in plastic and glass container under indoor condition with exposure to fluorescent light for 12 weeks. These samples were monitored and the properties tests were recorded for weekly basis. The effects of storage conditions on properties of biodiesel, experimental testing on density, viscosity, acid value, water content and flash point were discussed in detail. Analysis of this study showed that different storage duration, condition and container used gave a significant effect toward the changes of water content, acid value and viscosity. Sample stored in a glass container under indoor without being exposed to any form of light condition recorded the best quality while sample stored in a plastic container under outdoor condition had the worst quality. A long period of storage would decrease the quality of biodiesel due to exposure to direct sunlight, oxidization between ambient oxygen and double bond biodiesel, hydrolysis process between the ambient air and methyl ester and condensation within the storage tank.
Experimental Study of the Ignition Process and Combustion of Biodiesel-Water-Air Rapid Mixing Derived from Waste Cooking Oil, Crude Palm Oil and Jatropha Oil in Burner Combustion
Authors: Suardi Mirnah , Azman Norazwan , Samsudin Dahrum , Amirnordin Shahrin Hisham , Mansor Norani , Khalid Amir
Published: July 2015

The prospects of fossil oil resources and strengthen of future emission regulation have raised keen attention together with the issue of renewable alternative fuel. As one of the different solutions to these problems, emulsion fuel technology in biodiesel has received close attention because it may provide better combustion efficiency and would contribute to a reduction in emissions, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) or particulate matter (PM).The solution of this issue is by using Biodiesel fuel as an alternative fuel from waste cooking oil (WCO), crude palm oil (CPO) and Jatropha Oil (JPO). In addition, Waste cooking oil is one of the most economical options for producing biodiesel due to the biodegradable properties and preserves energy. This study focuses on the observation of ignition and combustion characteristics of biodiesel-water-air rapid mixing of biodegradable fuel using internally rapid mixing injector in burner combustion. In this research, the relation of mixture formation, burning process and flame development of biodiesel were investigated in detail. The parameters include equivalent ratio, water content and mixture formation are studied. The flame development is analysed in term of flame longest for testing. The result shows that equivalent ratio and water content affect the combustion. Increasingly of water content will reduce the flame length and increase the probability of misfire.
Optical Technique Using Nano-Spark Lightsource for Macro and Microscale Image Acquisition to Study Diesel Spray Atomization
Authors: Sapit Azwan , Razali Mohd Azahari , Jaat M. , Mohammad Akmal Nizam , Khalid Amir , Manshoor Bukhari
Published: July 2015

Atomization and fuel-air mixing is an important process in diesel combustion. It directly affects the combustion and emission of diesel engine. Optical technique has the advantage of being unobtrusive in nature when compared to other technique. nanospark unit that has spark duration of 30ns was used as a lightsource to capture high resolution spray image using still film camera. The very short duration of the spark freeze the fast movement of the spray droplet, and sharp image of fuel droplet to be successfully captured by the camera, and then analyzed for sizing and spatial distribution. In addition, by using a more elaborate optical setup, dual image of the same spray can be captured, with a very short time interval between each of them. This provides the means to study dynamic behaviors of the diesel spray and also the droplets, as the progression of the spray and trajectory and velocity of the droplet can be analyze from these images. With the proposed optical technique and optical arrangement, microscopic detail of the diesel engine spray can be captured. Critical data such as droplet sizing can be extracted from this high resolution image. Furthermore, by introducing a more sophisticated optical arrangement coined dual-nano spark photography method, the droplet dynamic behaviors such as flying angle and velocity can be study.
Effects of Nozzle Diameter on the Spray Characteristics of Premix Injector in Burner System
Authors: Hisham Amirnordin Shahrin , Ismail Salwani , Yii Shi Chin Ronny , Mansor Norani , Fawzi Mas , Khalid Amir
Published: July 2015

An essential component of the injector nozzle geometry is to see the results spray atomization and mixture formation of the fuel-air combustion to improve performance, and reduce pollution from a burner. Studies involving the injectors in the combustion burner are still in a small proportion, particularly in the premix injector type. Thus, this study involves the efforts to determine the appropriate diameter of the premix injector where the injector spray characteristics is produced by using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Multiphase of the volume of fluid (VOF) cavitations flow in the nozzle is determined through steady simulation while Eulerian-Eulerian two-fluid approach is used for performing mixing of Jatropha oil and air. Further simulation is conducted using a spray with a discrete phase injection at the outflow hole injector nozzle. The investigation involves the modification of nozzle geometry on three different sizes of 0.8 mm, 1.0 mm and 1.5 mm with the analysis focused on nozzle flow characteristics of the injector. The results indicate that a small changes in injector gives high impact to the spray and combustion of a burner. This shows the importance of nozzle dimensions which influences the nozzle flow and affects the spray characteristics, hence influence the combustion and emission of the burner system.
Effects of Annealing Temperature of TiO2 Thin Film Deposited by Spray Pyrolysis Deposition Method for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) Application
Authors: Abd Hamed Noor Kamalia , Adam Nur Ain , bin Ahmad Mohd Khairul
Published: July 2015

Titaniumdioxide (TiO2) Thin Films Have been Fabricated and Deposited on Ftoglass Substrates by Spray Pyrolysis Deposition (SPD) Method. the TiO2thin Films were Annealed at Four Different Temperatures for an Hour. Thetemperature was Set at 100°C, 300°C, 400°C and 500°C. Surface Morphology Andelectrical Properties of TiO2 Thin Films were Investigated Usingfesem and 2 Point- Probe I-V Measurement, Respectively. the FESEM Result Shows Thatthe Grain Size of the Tio2 increases when Annealed Temperatureincreases. for XRD Test Shows that the Crystallinity Improved with Theincreasing of Annealing Temperature. when the Annealing Temperature Increases,the Electrical Properties of TiO2 Also Change. the Result Shows Thatthe Optimum Temperature for Annealing of TiO2 Thin Film was 400°C.
Influence of Different Solvents on the Formation of Uniform Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) Thin Film by Sol-Gel
Authors: Sahdan Mohd Zainizan , Alias Mohamad Syafiq , Lias Jais , Abdul Malek Mohd Firdaus , Nafarizal Nayan
Published: July 2015

Uniform Titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin film is essential for application in high performance solar cells. A low cost approach using TiO2nanopowder extracted from tin mining waste to deposit TiO2thin films is demonstrated in this paper. Furthermore, the influence of different solvents (ethanol, acetone, isopropanol and ethylene glycol) on the formation of uniform TiO2thin films in sol-gel technique is studied. The films were characterized by an atomic force microscope (AFM), ultra violet – visible spectrometer (UV-Vis) and a current-voltage (I-V) measurement system. The correlations of the structural, optical and electrical behavior to the type of solvent used were discussed in details.
Hydrophilic Indicates Surface Morphology Quality of TiO2/CdS Nanocomposite Film
Authors: Mohsin Ali Kamel , Bidin Noriah , Aadim Kadhim A.
Published: July 2015

Engineering and decoration on the surface of metal oxide semiconductor (TiO2) for increasing activity is challenging. Thus a novel method is introduced to determine surface morphology quality subsequently improving the photocatalytic behaviour. TiO2films are fabricated via laser deposition technique at various CdS thickness. Microstructural characterization and optical behaviours are characterized by felid emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). The hydrophilic property of TiO2/CdS nanocomposite film (NCF) is examined via contact angle measurements. The grain density is found linearly increased with the contact angle. A mutual relationship is revealed between hydrophilic property and crystallization with respect to the CdS thickness. Thus, surface morphology of nanocomposite quality is quantified based on the hydrophilic measurement
Humidity Sensor - A Review of Nanostructured Zinc Oxide (ZnO) - Based Humidity Sensor
Authors: Ismail A.S. , Mamat M.H. , Rusop Mohamad
Published: July 2015

We have reviewed humidity sensors based on the Zinc oxide (ZnO) humidity sensor. There are only a few papers reviewing on the ZnO humidity sensor. The characteristics, structures, advantages, and fabrication methods of ZnO have been studied to understand the suitability of the ZnO to be applied at different kind of condition such as for extreme environment, low level humidity detection, and very high humidity level circumstances. The electrical and physical properties of ZnO humidity sensors such as sensitivity, response time, stability, uniformity, and crystallinity have also been discussed in this review. ZnO nanostructures have been widely used for humidity sensors because of its’ good stability, high sensitivity for humidity-sensing, low cost, and has a wide band gap. Sol-gel preparation method is commonly used to for ZnO humidity sensor fabrication since it can produce a film with high uniformity, simple process and low cost. Keywords: Humidity Sensor, Metal Oxide, Semiconducting Type, Ceramic Type, Humidity-Sensing, Band Gap, Sol-Gel Preparation Method.
2D and 3D Analyses of Metal Oxide Thin Films Examined by Atomic Force Microscope
Authors: Faezahana Mokhter , Nafarizal Nayan , Low Jia Wei , Norhidayah Che Ani , Sahdan Mohd Zainizan , Ahmad Mohd Khairul , Md Shakaff Ali Yeon , Ammar Zakaria , Ahmad Faizal Mohd Zain
Published: July 2015

Atomic force microscope (AFM) is a useful tool to capture the two- and three-dimensional image of height and size of nanostructured thin film. It operate by measuring the forces between a sharp tip and surface of the measured sample. In addition, AFM is equipped with powerful software for image processing to interpret experimental results in detail. For example, by using the height and scanning length parameters of measured sample, average roughness and root mean square roughness can be evaluated. In the present works, the effect of image flattening process toward the surface roughness and surface fluctuations of metal oxide thin films will be presented. Set of samples were prepared by magnetron sputtering deposition and sol-gel coating techniques. In gas sensor industries using metal oxide thin film, surface roughness of metal oxide thin films are very important in order to improve the sensitivity and respond time of gas sensor. Therefore, optimization of thin film deposition and characterization are very important. The correlation between the three-dimensional image and thin film deposition and image processing parameters will also be presented.
Optimization of Single Phase E-Core Hybrid Excitation Flux Switching Machine
Authors: Zakaria Siti Nur Umira , Sulaiman Erwan , Aizat Mohamed Mubin
Published: July 2015

Research and development on hybrid excitation flux switching machines (HEFSM) for various applications have been carried out in the last years. The designed HEFSM consist of permanent magnet (PM) and DC field excitation coil (DC-FEC) which is located on the stator core as their main flux sources, while a single piece rotor gives the advantages of robust rotor structure. Since most of the designed HEFSMs utilize three-phase windings, more complicated design and control system are required to run the motor. Thus, a new design of single-phase E-Core HEFSM with several advantages of much simpler converter size and smaller battery package due to small voltage capacity when compared with conventional three-phase system is proposed. Consequently, the size of overall configuration systems will also be reduced resulting in reducing total weight and cost. In this paper, initial performances of 4S-4P, 4S-6P, 4S-8P and 4S-10P E-Core HEFSM topologies are analysed. Since 4S-10P design gives highest torque and power performances, deterministic design optimization approach is conducted to enhance much higher and optimum performances. As conclusion, the optimized E-core HEFSM with 4S-10P topology has achieved maximum torque and power of 208.857Nm and 47.31 kW, respectively.
Performance Comparison of 12S-14P Inner and Outer Rotor Field Excitation Flux Switching Motor
Authors: Othman Syed Muhammad Naufal Syed , Sulaiman Erwan , Khan Faisal , Husin Zhafir Aizat , Mazlan Mohamed Mubin Aizat
Published: July 2015

Hybrid excitation flux switching machines (HEFSMs) have a several advantages such as robust rotor structure, high torque and power capabilities, and high efficiency suitable for light load and heavy industry applications. However, the general structure of HEFSMs employed with three main flux sources namely permanent magnet (PM), field excitation coil (FEC) and armature coil located on the stator body causes high manufacturing cost. Therefore, a new non-PM field excitation flux switching machine (FEFSM) consists of rugged rotor structure suitable for high-speed operation with capability to keep similar torque and power density of HEFSM is proposed and examined. In this paper, performances of both outer and inner rotor 12S-14P FEFSMs are analyzed and compared. As conclusion, the inner-rotor topology provides much higher torque and power when compared with outer rotor configuration.
Comparative Performance of FE-FSM, PM-FSM and HE-FSM with Segmental Rotor
Authors: Soomro Hassan Ali , Sulaiman Erwan , Khan Faisal
Published: July 2015

Flux switching machines (FSMs), new type of electric machines with unique operating principles have been introduced and published recently. FSMs contain armature and excitation sources on the stator with robust rotor structure. According to rotor structure FSMs can be classified into two types namely salient pole rotor and segmental pole rotor. Various topologies have been studied and published using both rotor structures, however salient pole rotor has a demerit of less torque generation due to longer flux path resulting flux leakage surrounding the rotor. In this paper a new structure of hybrid excitation FSM (HEFSM) with segmental rotor is proposed and a comparative analysis with the invented field excitation FSM (FEFSM) and permanent magnet FSM (PMFSM) is presented. Initially, coil arrangement tests are examined to confirm the operating principle of HEFSM with segmental rotor. Moreover, the cogging torque, induced voltage, magnetic flux, torque at various armature current densities and power characteristics are observed based on 2D-finite element analysis (FEA).
Performance Analysis of 12S-10P HEFSM with Various Flux Bridges
Authors: Jafar Nurul Ain , Sulaiman Erwan , Rahimi Siti Khalidah
Published: July 2015

Flux switching machine (FSMs) with several advantages of robust rotor structure, high reliability, high efficiency and high torque density have been develop in recent years. Among several types of FSM, HEFSM gives extra advantage at variable flux capabilities suitable for higher load conditions. However, the developed C-Type has a problem of separated stator core which lead to difficulty in manufacturing design as well as flux leakage to the outer stator. In order to solve the problem, iron flux bridges have been introduced to the stator core. Because of that, the separated stator core becomes the single piece of core. In this paper, various topologies of iron flux bridges is introduced and overviewed. Performances of torque at various flux bridge is analyzed and compared. This analysis is verified by Finite Element Analysis (2D-FEA).
Definition of Engineering Asset Management: A Review
Authors: Somia Alfatih M.S. , Leong M. Salman , Hee Lim Meng
Published: July 2015

The terminology of "Asset Management" (AM) has been widely used in many organizations. It has been generally accepted and defined as a cost effective approach for asset operation, maintenance, upgrade, and disposal. It covers many scopes and topics spanning from financial, IT, human resources, and also physical engineered assets. Engineering asset management (EAM) is the management of engineering assets and it provides guidelines on the effective usage of all the physical engineered assets within the organization. It is deemed essential to understand the concept of effective EAM and practices in an organization. This paper provides a review on the definition and concepts of AM and EAM with the aim of providing good insights and understanding on this topics.
A Study on Melt Flow Index on Copper-ABS for Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) Feedstock
Authors: Isa Noor Mu'izzah Ahmad , Sa'ude Nasuha , Ibrahim M. , Hamid Saiful Manar , Kamarudin Khairu
Published: July 2015

This paper presents of Polymer Matrix Composite (PMC) as feedstock used in Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) machine. This study discussed on the development of a new PMC material by the injection molding machine. The material consist of copper powder filled in an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), binder and surfactant material. The effect of metal filled in ABS and binder content was investigated experimentally by the Melt Flow Index (MFI) machine. Based on the result obtained, an increment of copper filled in ABS by volume percentage (vol. %) effected on melt flow index results. With highly filled copper in PMC composites increase the melt flow index results. It was concluded that, the propensity of the melt flow allow an internal force in PMC material through the injection molding and FDM machine.
Evaluation of Whole Body Vibration and Back Pain Problem among Light Rapid Transit (LRT) Drivers
Authors: Azlis-Sani Jalil , bin Zaid Muhammad Firdaus , Yahya Musli Nizam , Ismail S.M. Sabri S.M. , Ahmad Tajedi Noor Aqilah , Aziz Roseni Abdul , Zein Raemy Md
Published: July 2015

A cross sectional study was conducted to evaluate whole body vibration (WBV) and back pain problem among light rail transit (LRT) driver. This study was carried out to determine exposure level of whole body vibration and identify back pain problem due to whole body vibration exposure among LRT driver. Standardized Nordic questionnaire was used for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms, to identify the prevalence of back pain, information about health history, working time duration, and working experiences was obtained from 52 drivers of light rail transit (LRT) train. HVM 100 Larson Davis was used to measure whole body vibration measurement of eight LRTs with different vehicle number. The measurement of whole body vibration was done during operation working time. The data collected from HVM 100 were transferred to the Blaze software for getting the vibration magnitude of the experiment while data collected from survey were analyzed by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for statistical analysis. The analysis of graph patterns and the differentiation of magnitude value from each LRT were studied to determine the exposure level of vibration. A high prevalence of back pain (82.7%) among LRT drivers was found and high daily exposure level was obtained. The finding showed that, there are relations between back pain and daily vibration exposure which resulted in a correlation coefficient of 0.709, with significant at α = 0.05. In conclusion, it was expected that the individuals subjected to the high vibration levels would tend to report back pain.
SMA Actuated Finger Exoskeleton Device for Rehabilitation of Acute Paresis Patient
Authors: Rahim Abdul Hakim Ab. , Lachmann Andreas , Low Cheng Yee , Amin Adam Tan Mohd
Published: July 2015

Functional recovery of upper limb after stroke is crucial to restore the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL). This paper presents a robotic rehabilitation approach based on repetitive exercise aimed to help stroke survivors relearn the skills of finger flexion and extension at the comfort of their home. The finger rehabilitation device deploysShape Memory Alloy(SMA) wires as an actuation approach to deliver three degrees of freedom per finger module. The advantages and challenges of using SMA wires rather than conventional actuators are discussed. A prototype of the finger rehabilitation device was built using PLA material and experiments have been conducted for the purposes of feasibility study. Tests conducted on the wires suggest that it has to have sufficient weight and also has to be stretching at high temperature rather than room temperature in order to have an optimum range of recovery.
Behavior of Fire Exposed Concrete-Filled Double Skin Steel Tubular (CFDST) Columns under Concentric Axial Loads
Authors: Mohd Zuki S.S. , Jayaprakash J. , Shahidan Shahiron , Chong Yong Ong
Published: July 2015

This paper presents the result of an experimental investigation of axial behavior of concrete-filled double skin steel tubular (CFDST) columns exposed to high temperature under the action of monotonically applied concentric axial loads. The columns were exposed to ASTM E-119 standard fire curve until 600°C and kept constant for two different exposure time (i.e., 60 and 90 minutes). Failure patterns and reduction in strength, ductility and stiffness of CFDST columns are reported. Factors influencing the strength, ductility and stiffness of CFDST columns during fire exposure, i.e., exposure time, temperature of concrete core and temperature of inner steel tube, are also discussed.
Strength Development of Fine Grained Mortar Containing Palm Oil Fuel Ash as a Partial Cement Replacement
Authors: Wan Yusof Wan Yuslinda , Adnan Suraya Hani , Jamellodin Zalipah , Mohammad Noor Shuhada
Published: July 2015

This study was focusing on the utilization of Palm Oil Fuel Ash (POFA) and the effect of fine sand to develop the strength of the mortar. The flexural and compressive strength of fine grained mortar (FGM) with the addition of POFA and the sand usage with a size less than 1 mm were investigated. Then, the optimum percentage of POFA as a replacement material for cement was determined. Cement was partially replaced with POFA at various percentage of 0 % to 40 % by weight of cementitious materials with three (3) samples for each percentage. The laboratory test was conducted for this study are divided into two which are properties of samples (X-ray fluorescence and particle size analyzer), and hardened mortar (compressive and flexural strength). The prism specimens size are 40 mm x 40 mm x 160 mm and were tested at the age of 7 and 28 days according to BS EN 196-1:2005: Method of Testing Cement. The results showed that the highest flexural and compression strength is at 10 % due to a factor which is the effect of POFA and fine sand produce a strong bond between the particles with the longer curing time, that is after 14 days. This is indicated that an additional of 10 % POFA in FGM is the optimal percentage of POFA as a replacement for cement.
Effect of Annealing on Optical and Structural Properties of Rutile TiO2 Nanoarrays
Authors: Mayabadi A.H. , Waman V.S. , Funde A.M. , Pathan H.M. , Jadkar S.R.
Published: July 2015

One dimensional rutile-TiO2 nanoneedles (NNs) and nanorods (NRs) were grown directly on transparent conductive Fluorine-doped SnO2-coated (FTO) glass substrates using Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD) method. Titanium (III) chloride was used as the precursor, followed by annealing at 200°C. The heat treatment leads to the conversion of TiO2 nanoneedles into nanorods. Optical studies revealed that rutile-TiO2 thin films have a high absorption coefficient and a direct bandgap which decreased slightly (3.14-3.09 eV) by applying heat treatment .The ease of deposition of rutile-TiO2 nanocomposite with different morphologies at low temperature provides a new insight for potential applications in solar cells, sensors, catalysis and separation technology.
Nanocarriers for Delivery of Herbal Based Drugs in Breast Cancer - An Overview
Authors: Wani Kirtee , Tarawadi Kirtan , Kaul-Ghanekar Ruchika
Published: July 2015

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women all over the world. Despite advanced treatment modalities, the systemic toxicity remains a major side effect resulting into patient morbidity and mortality. Recently, natural products are being targeted for drug discovery because of their major role in cancer prevention and treatment. Plants have been the main source of natural compounds that are being used in medicine. However, most of the herbal bioactives are hydrophobic in nature resulting into their limited bioavailability and in turn their therapeutic efficacy. To overcome this problem, different nanocarriers such as nanoparticles, nanocapsules, liposomes, quantum dots, phytosomes, dendrimers and nanoemulsions have been conjugated with anticancer herbal bioactives. Such nanochemotherapeutic agents exhibit increased bioavaibility, enhanced pharmacological activity and stability with reduced systemic toxicity. While majority of the reviews focus upon herbal loaded nanoformulations for various biological applications, this report is an attempt to particularly highlight the potential of nanotechnology in the delivery of herbal bioactives for breast cancer management.
Effects of Reaction Parameters on the Growth and Optical Properties of PbSe Nanocrystals
Authors: Ouma Immaculate L.A. , Mushonga Paul , Onani Martin O.
Published: July 2015

Colloidal syntheses of PbSe nanocrystals (NCs) have been widely investigated and the properties of nanocrystals have been shown to vary with reaction conditions, time, concentration and chemistry of reagents as well as the surfactants used. In this work the effects of reaction temperature, solvents, ligand purity, lead and selenium sources on the optical and structural properties of PbSe nanocrystals were investigated. PbSe NCs synthesized at 90 °C were observed to be spherical and had a narrower size distribution as compared to those synthesized at higher temperatures. 1-octadecene, trioctylphosphine and oleylamine were investigated as solvents for NC synthesis with the non-coordinating solvent octadecene showing the fastest growth rate with medium sized NCs. The coordinating solvents trioctylphosphine and oleylamine produced larger and smaller NCs respectively; this could be attributed to solvent interference during NC nucleation and growth phases. Oleate ligands were used during these syntheses and the ligand purity was not observed to have a significant effect on the NC optical and structural properties. The selenium precursor used affected the NC size and their optical properties while the lead source influenced both the NC shape and size. Lead acetate produced cubic NCs which were larger than the spherical NCs obtained when lead oxide was used.
Modification of Polyaniline-Based Gas Sensor by Electrophoretic Deposition of Metal Nanoparticles in Ionic Liquids
Authors: Kunzo Pavol , Lobotka Peter , Kováčová Eva
Published: July 2015

Nanoparticles synthesized in various ionic liquids (ILs) were immobilized by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) at the surface of a gas sensor made of thin polyaniline (PAni) film. We used pulsed DC voltage to overcome electrochemical treatment in IL-based electrolytes. In spite that EPD is commonly used for synthesis of nanoparticle films or coatings, here we just functionalized the surface of PAni by scattered nanoparticles. Immobilized nanoparticles were observed by SEM imaging and dynamic responses of gas sensors functionalized by different nanoparticles (Ni, Ni-Fe and Ag-Cu) were compared. Using the EPD technique, sensitivity or selectivity of a gas sensor based on PAni can be improved easily.
Electrophoretic Deposition of Lignin Reinforced Polymer Coatings
Authors: de Riccardis M. Federica , Carbone Daniela , Cuna Daniela
Published: July 2015

Composite coatings based on PEEK and Lignin were obtained by EPD. The addition of Lignin had some beneficial effects, the most relevant being an increased coating adhesion on conductive substrates. Before using in EPD suspensions, Lignin was functionalised by a carbonyl group. This functionalisation produced chemical interactions between PEEK powder and Lignin, and, as a consequence, better results in terms of both EPD efficiency and adhesion coating. Moreover, the addition of Lignin increased the hydrophobicity of PEEK coatings when they were thermally treated at temperature lower than the melting point of PEEK.
Light Directed Electrophoretic Deposition for Additive Manufacturing: Spatially Localized Deposition Control with Photoconductive Counter Electrodes
Authors: Pascall Andrew J. , Mora Jeronimo , Jackson Julie A. , Kuntz Joshua D.
Published: July 2015

Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) has traditionally been viewed as a thin film deposition technique for coating conductive surfaces. Recently, there have been reports of producing functional parts with EPD to near net shape, often containing gradients in material properties normal to the conductive deposition surface. By using reconfigurable electrode systems, a few researchers have gone beyond purely out-of-plane gradients and demonstrated gradients in material properties in the plane of the deposition electrode, a necessary condition for 3D additive manufacturing. In this work, we build upon a previously published technique called light directed electrophoretic deposition (LD-EPD) in which the deposition electrode is photoconductive and can be activated with light, leading to a patterned deposit. Here, we demonstrate that the LD-EPD technique can also lead to patterned deposits on any conductive surface by utilizing the photoconductive electrode as the counter electrode. This eliminates several issues with standard LD-EPD by allowing the potentially expensive photoconductive electrode to be reused, as well as mitigates post-processing material compatibility issues by allowing deposition on any conductive surface. We also detail the results of a finite element simulation of the deposition process in LD-EPD systems that captures key features seen experimentally in the final deposit.
Electrophoretic Vinyl Polymers Prepared via Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization and Smart Coating on Metals
Authors: Kameyama Tomomi , Takasu Akinori
Published: July 2015

We found non-ionic polymer containing ester and sulfonyl group, poly (ester-sulfone), showed anode-selective electrophoresis under the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) condition. In this paper we investigated an electrophoretic behavior of vinyl porymer having sulfonyl group in the side chains and compared with the main chain type of poly (ester-sulfone). Herein, we synthesized new poly (methacrylate) containing pendent sulfone to investigate the electrophoretic behavior.
Microfibres Containing Laminates Prepared by EPD: Kinetics of Co-Deposition
Authors: Hadraba Hynek , Chlup Zdeněk , Drdlík Daniel , Cihlář Jaroslav
Published: July 2015

The aim of this work was preparation of alumina laminates and fibre reinforced alumina containing zirconia micro-fibres inside the inter-layer interface. Electrophoretic deposition was performed from concentrated isopropanolic suspensions stabilised by monochloracetic acid containing mixture of alumina powder and certain amount of zirconia micro-fibres. A method for in-situ monitoring of deposited amount of mixture of particles and fibres mass was applied to control deposition kinetics. Two different approaches for composite deposition were applied: pre-milling of powders mixture prior electrophoretic deposition and milling of suspension containing stabilization aid. Applying the optimised procedure the alumina laminates were prepared consisting of fibres in the interlayer boundary affected dramatically fracture response of these materials.
Fabrication of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) Electrolytes by Electrophoretic Deposition (EPD) and Optimizing the Process
Authors: Azarian Borojeni Iman , Raissi Babak , Maghsoudipour Amir , Kazemzad Mahmood , Talebi Tahereh
Published: July 2015

Fabrication of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) electrolytes by Electrophoretic Deposition (EPD) was the target of our study. For such purpose, thin layers of Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) were electrophoritically deposited on pre-sintered NiO-YSZ pellets. A thin graphite film on each pellet was painted to make it conductive and can act as a working electrode for EPD. In this research acetylacetone-ethanol mixture (1:1 by vol.) was selected as the solvent and by applying different electrical fields (25, 50, 75, 100V/cm) in different deposition times (6, 3, 2, 1.5 min respectively), the obtained layers were examined. It was revealed that although electrical field multiplied deposition time remained constant in our experiments, the thicknesses of the deposited films were increased with increasing the applied electrical field which could not be explained easily by the Hamaker equation. For the next step, sintering of the deposited layers which prepared by applying 75 V/cm electrical field during 2 minutes was investigated. It was found that although the sintering processes were activated at 1250oC, 2 hours soaking time was not enough to produce a non-permeable layer. On the contrary, the layer which sintered at 1400oC for 2 hours was dense and crack-free. The thickness of the obtained layer was about 7μm and this layer seemed to be suitable for electrolyte of SOFCs.
Use of expressed sequence tag microsatellite markers for population genetic research ofHelicoverpa armigera(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from India
Authors: Venkatesan Thiruvengadam , Sridhar Vaddi , Tomason Yan R. , Jalali Sushil Kumar , Behere Gajanan T. , Shanthi Rajagopalan M. , Kumar Ravinder , Vajja Venkata Gopinath , Nimmakayala Padma , Reddy Umesh K.
Published: July 2015

Cotton bollworm,Helicoverpa armigera(Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a serious pest of several crops throughout the world, representing millions of United States of America dollars worth of damage. This pest can adapt to various cropping systems in a wide geographical range and has high migratory potential. It features high fecundity and can develop resistance to almost all insecticides used for its management. Several investigations to develop microsatellite markers forH. armigerahave not been successful because of the paucity of microsatellites in the lepidopteran genome. As well, collections ofH. armigerafrom cotton fields of southern and western India were not yet studied for molecular genetic diversity. The current study aimed to screen publicly available expressed sequence tag resources for simple sequence repeats and assess their potential as DNA markers for assessment of gene flow between collections of southern and western India. We identified 30 polymorphic microsatellites for potential use in diversity analysis ofH. armigeracollections. Genetic diversity analysis revealed that the collections were widely diverse with population differentiation index (Fst) of 0.17. Furthermore, gene flow analysis revealed a mean frequency of private alleles of 11% within the collections. The microsatellite resources we developed could be widely used for molecular diversity or population genetic research involving this important pest of cotton and food crops.
Plantkunde-onderrig in Gautengse skole: ’n Opwindende uitdaging?
Authors: Abrie Amelia L.
Published: July 2015

A positive attitude in teachers and learners can create a life-long interest in plants. Worldwide, Botany is seen as an unpopular subject and studies in the United States of America and elsewhere have shown that learners find the subject boring. Plant blindness, soöcentrism and soöchauvinism are widely blamed for this situation. In this study, the status of Botany in secondary schools in Tshwane, Gauteng, was investigated, using interviews with teachers and learner questionnaires. Life sciences teachers are positive about their subject, but some of the participants revealed negative attitudes towards the Botany content. The teachers agreed that the learners, with a few exceptions, did not like plant studies and this finding was confirmed by the questionnaires that were completed by the learners. A number of challenges, increasing the difficulties of teaching Botany were identified. Krathwohl, Bloom and Masia’s classification of the affective domain and the holistic approach to Life Sciences education were employed to provide perspective to the findings.
Inadequacy of 12-Week Miltefosine Treatment for Indian Post-Kala-Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis
Authors: Ghosh Susmita , Das Nilay Kanti , Mukherjee Shibabrata , Mukhopadhyay Debanjan , Barbhuiya Jayashree Nath , Hazra Avijit , Chatterjee Mitali
Published: July 2015

Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a chronic dermatosis that generally occurs after apparent cure of visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania donovani. In view of the prolonged treatment regimens necessary for PKDL, noncompliance is a major limitation; an optimal regimen is yet to be defined, but 12 weeks of therapy with miltefosine is generally recommended. We performed a single-arm open-label trial of miltefosine administered daily for 16 weeks in 27 patients in Kolkata with PKDL. After 4 weeks of treatment, nine patients were lost to follow-up because of unacceptable side effects, including severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Of the 18 remaining patients, seven completed 12 weeks of therapy and 11 completed 16 weeks of therapy. Three of the seven who received 12 weeks of therapy and none of the 11 who received 16 weeks of therapy experienced disease relapse. Our results suggest that a 16-week course of miltefosine is required for reliable cure of PKDL. Further, the study highlighted the urgent need for a multicentric randomized controlled trial of 12 versus 16 weeks of treatment with miltefosine for PKDL so as to achieve the goal of elimination of leishmaniasis in south Asia.
Cost-Effectiveness of Surveillance for Bloodstream Infections for Sepsis Management in Low-Resource Settings
Authors: Penno Erin C. , Baird Sarah J. , Crump John A.
Published: July 2015

Bacterial sepsis is a leading cause of mortality among febrile patients in low- and middle-income countries, but blood culture services are not widely available. Consequently, empiric antimicrobial management of suspected bloodstream infection is based on generic guidelines that are rarely informed by local data on etiology and patterns of antimicrobial resistance. To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of surveillance for bloodstream infections to inform empiric management of suspected sepsis in low-resource areas, we compared costs and outcomes of generic antimicrobial management with management informed by local data on etiology and patterns of antimicrobial resistance. We applied a decision tree model to a hypothetical population of febrile patients presenting at the district hospital level in Africa. We found that the evidence-based regimen saved 534 more lives per 100,000 patients at an additional cost of $25.35 per patient, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $4,739. This ratio compares favorably to standard cost-effectiveness thresholds, but should ultimately be compared with other policy-relevant alternatives to determine whether routine surveillance for bloodstream infections is a cost-effective strategy in the African context.