bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structure of the menisci of leaky dielectric liquids during electrically-assisted evaporation of ions
Authors: Coffman Chase , Martínez-Sánchez Manuel , Higuera F. J. , Lozano Paulo C.
Published: December 2016

An understanding of the processes enabling field-assisted evaporation of ions from leaky dielectric liquids, i.e., liquids that are substantially less conductive than liquid metals, has historically been elusive in comparison to those of conventional electrohydrodynamic emission modes such as that of the cone-jet. While select ionic liquids have been shown to yield nearly monodisperse beams of molecular ions under certain conditions, the dearth of direct observation (visualization) and theoretical insight has precluded a fundamental appreciation for the inherent mechanics. In this paper, we present a family of equilibrium meniscus structures that shed measurable charge when the meniscus is large in relation to a characteristic emission scale. Such structures reside in a region of parameter space where empirical evidence suggests that steady emission may occur and also where stationary interfaces have not been reported before. In this regime, we show (i) that the macroscopic shape of the meniscus may vary only with the applied electric field; (ii) that the feeding flow is very germane to the emission characteristics, unlike liquid metal ion sources; and (iii) that while the balance of stresses governing the interface shape may in some cases be very similar to that of the classical Taylor cone, the widespread notion of a ubiquitous 49° half-angle is unfounded. Further study of this family may be helpful in elucidating a number of outstanding questions surrounding the pure ion mode.
Critical role of electron heat flux on Bohm criterion
Authors: Tang Xian-Zhu , Guo Zehua
Published: December 2016

Bohm criterion, originally derived for an isothermal-electron and cold-ion plasma, is often used as a rule of thumb for more general plasmas. Here, we establish a more precise determination of the Bohm criterion that are quantitatively useful for understanding and modeling collisional plasmas that still have collisional mean-free-path much greater than plasma Debye length. Specifically, it is shown that electron heat flux, rather than the isothermal electron assumption, is what sets the Bohm speed to be kB(Te∥+3Ti∥)/mi with Te,i∥ the electron and ion parallel temperature at the sheath entrance and mi the ion mass.
Ruddlesden-Popper interface in correlated manganite heterostructures induces magnetic decoupling and dead layer reduction
Authors: Belenchuk A. , Shapoval O. , Roddatis V. , Bruchmann-Bamberg V. , Samwer K. , Moshnyaga V.
Published: December 2016

We report on the interface engineering in correlated manganite heterostructures by octahedral decoupling using embedded stacks of atomic layers that form the Ruddlesden-Popper structure. A room temperature magnetic decoupling was achieved through deposition of a (SrO)2–TiO2–(SrO)2 sequence of atomic layers at the interface between La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 and La0.7Sr0.3Mn0.9Ru0.1O3 films. Moreover, the narrowing of the interfacial dead layer in ultrathin La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 films was demonstrated by insertion of a single (SrO)2 rock-salt layer at the interface with the SrTiO3(100) substrate. The obtained results are discussed based on the symmetry breaking and disconnection of the MnO6 octahedra network at the interface that may lead to the improved performance of all-oxide magnetic tunnel junctions. We suggest that octahedral decoupling realized by formation of Ruddlesden-Popper interfaces is an effective structural mechanism to control functionalities of correlated perovskite heterostructures.
Demonstration of flexible thin film transistors with GaN channels
Authors: Bolat S. , Sisman Z. , Okyay A. K.
Published: December 2016

We report on the thin film transistors (TFTs) with Gallium Nitride (GaN) channels directly fabricated on flexible substrates. GaN thin films are grown by hollow cathode plasma assisted atomic layer deposition (HCPA-ALD) at 200 °C. TFTs exhibit 103 on-to-off current ratios and are shown to exhibit proper transistor saturation behavior in their output characteristics. Gate bias stress tests reveal that flexible GaN TFTs have extremely stable electrical characteristics. Overall fabrication thermal budget is below 200 °C, the lowest reported for the GaN based transistors so far.
Production of potential fuel oils by Rhodococcus opacus grown on petroleum processing wastewaters
Authors: Saisriyoot Maythee , Sahaya Thanyarath , Thanapimmetha Anusith , Chisti Yusuf , Srinophakun Penjit
Published: December 2016

The wastewater of a petroleum processing facility was used to grow the oleaginous bacterium Rhodococcus opacus PD630 to produce microbial oils. Undiluted wastewater supplemented with molasses (20 g/l) and ammonium chloride (1 g/l) provided a maximum dry biomass concentration of nearly 6 g/l in a 96 h batch culture. The lipid concentration in the bacterial broth exceeded 3 g/l and the lipid content in the dry biomass was nearly 52% by weight. Biomass and oil production were further improved using a 96-h fed-batch fermentation instead of a batch culture. The final biomass concentration exceeded 7.2 g/l and the lipid concentration was nearly 4 g/l. The lipid content of the dry biomass exceeded 54% and the lipid yield on sugars was 0.33 g/g. The lipids were similar to vegetable oils. They contained mainly long chain C16 and C18 fatty acids. Potentially such lipids may be used to replace vegetable oils in production of biodiesel.
High power (60 mW) GaSb-based 1.9 μm superluminescent diode with cavity suppression element
Authors: Zia Nouman , Viheriälä Jukka , Koskinen Riku , Aho Antti , Suomalainen Soile , Guina Mircea
Published: December 2016

The characteristics and the fabrication of a 1.9 μm superluminescent diode utilizing a cavity suppression element are reported. The strong suppression of reflections allows the device to reach high gain without any sign of lasing modes. The high gain enables strong amplified spontaneous emission and output power up to 60 mW in a single transverse mode. At high gain, the spectrum is centered around 1.9 μm and the full width at half maximum is as large as 60 nm. The power and spectral characteristics pave the way for demonstrating compact and efficient light sources for spectroscopy. In particular, the light source meets requirements for coupling to silicon waveguides and fills a need for leveraging to mid-IR applications photonics integration circuit concepts exploiting hybrid integration to silicon technology.
Experimental evolution reveals hyperparasitic interactions among transposable elements
Authors: Robillard Émilie , Le Rouzic Arnaud , Zhang Zheng , Capy Pierre , Hua-Van Aurélie
Published: December 2016

Significance

Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences that colonize every genome and have a great impact on the genome evolution and structure. Here, we report experimental evolution results that confirm the intrinsic “selfish” properties of TEs in sexual populations. We also show how different kinds of copies from the same family strongly interfere: cheating nonautonomous copies parasitize autonomous ones, to the extent of endangering the survival of the whole TE family. These results nicely illustrate the “genome-ecology” analogy, according to which genome components are assimilated with interacting species in an ecosystem.
Covariation of axon initial segment location and dendritic tree normalizes the somatic action potential
Authors: Hamada Mustafa S. , Goethals Sarah , de Vries Sharon I. , Brette Romain , Kole Maarten H. P.
Published: December 2016

Significance

Neurons generate highly reliable and temporally precise action potentials with a spatial onset in the axon initial segment. The axon initial segment location relative to the soma is, however, highly variable across neurons within the same cell class. Here, we experimentally and theoretically investigated the structure–function relationship of axon distances in neocortical pyramidal neurons. We discovered a scaling principle between the size of the dendritic tree and the axon distance supported by the cable properties and electrophysiological recordings. The work reveals that axons are not randomly positioned but covary with dendrites normalizing the somatic action potential in the face of diverse cellular morphologies.
UV-B photoreceptor-mediated protection of the photosynthetic machinery in
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Allorent Guillaume , Lefebvre-Legendre Linnka , Chappuis Richard , Kuntz Marcel , Truong Thuy B. , Niyogi Krishna K. , Ulm Roman , Goldschmidt-Clermont Michel
Published: December 2016

Significance

Life on earth largely depends on the capture of light energy by plants through photosynthesis. Light is essential, but excess light is dangerous. Energy dissipation as heat is a major mechanism induced to protect the photosynthetic machinery. We report that UV-B perception by a specific photoreceptor in the nucleocytosolic compartment leads to protection of the photosynthetic machinery in the chloroplast of a green alga. The underlying mechanism is markedly different from the response to high light. UV-B photoreceptor-mediated signaling activates a safety valve, allowing the release of the excess energy as heat, helping the algae to cope with too much light energy.
The plant component of an Acheulian diet at Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov, Israel
Authors: Melamed Yoel , Kislev Mordechai E. , Geffen Eli , Lev-Yadun Simcha , Goren-Inbar Naama
Published: December 2016

Significance

Our knowledge of the diet of early hominins derives mainly from animal skeletal remains found in archaeological sites, leading to a bias toward a protein-based diet. We report on the earliest known archive of food plants found in the superimposed Acheulian sites excavated at Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov, Israel. These remains, some 780,000 y old, comprise 55 taxa, including nuts, fruits, seeds, vegetables, and plants producing underground storage organs. They reflect a varied plant diet, staple plant foods, seasonality, and hominins’ environmental knowledge and use of fire in food processing. Our results change previous notions of paleo diet and shed light on hominin abilities to adjust to new environments and exploit different flora, facilitating population diffusion, survival, and colonization beyond Africa.
Reprogramming cell fate with a genome-scale library of artificial transcription factors
Authors: Eguchi Asuka , Wleklinski Matthew J. , Spurgat Mackenzie C. , Heiderscheit Evan A. , Kropornicka Anna S. , Vu Catherine K. , Bhimsaria Devesh , Swanson Scott A. , Stewart Ron , Ramanathan Parameswaran , Kamp Timothy J. , Slukvin Igor , Thomson James A. , Dutton James R. , Ansari Aseem Z.
Published: December 2016

Significance

The ability to convert cells into desired cell types enables tissue engineering, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine; however, methods to generate desired cell types remain difficult, uncertain, and laborious. We developed a strategy to screen gene regulatory elements on a genome scale to discover paths that trigger cell fate changes. The proteins used in this study cooperatively bind DNA and activate genes in a synergistic manner. Subsequent identification of transcriptional networks does not depend on prior knowledge of specific regulators important in the biological system being tested. This powerful forward genetic approach enables direct cell state conversions as well as other challenging manipulations of cell fate.
Emergent oscillations assist obstacle negotiation during ant cooperative transport
Authors: Gelblum Aviram , Pinkoviezky Itai , Fonio Ehud , Gov Nir S. , Feinerman Ofer
Published: December 2016

Significance

When ants that cooperatively carry large food items encounter obstacles, they switch their collective motion from radial, nest-bound movement to nearly deterministic, tangential oscillations that facilitate obstacle circumvention. This oscillatory motion cannot be explained by a “wisdom-of-the-crowds” model in which all ants are informed of the direction to the nest and the collective motion reflects an average effort. Rather, oscillations emerge due to two, often conflicting, forces: Some ants pull the load toward the nest whereas others align their pull with the momentary direction of motion. Interestingly, these two forces suffice to generate both nest-bound and oscillatory motion without any requirement that individual ants directly sense the obstacle. This is an example of emergent problem solving at the group-level scale.
Epithelial self-healing is recapitulated by a 3D biomimetic E-cadherin junction
Authors: Cohen Daniel J. , Gloerich Martijn , Nelson W. James
Published: December 2016

Significance

Injured tissues can self-heal. The healing process requires that tissue first migrate into the injury site and, upon collision with other expanding tissue fronts, switch from migration to cell–cell adhesion to seal the injury mechanically. The minimum signal inducing this switch is unknown due to the complexity of natural healing interfaces. We made a 3D barrier that mimicked the edge of a tissue and induced healing tissues to collide with it. When we coated the barrier with E-cadherin, a key cell–cell adhesion protein, epithelial tissues behaved as if the barrier were a tissue and stably healed against the barrier. This work reveals a key role for E-cadherin in self-healing, and an alternate way to integrate objects into tissue.
Spop promotes skeletal development and homeostasis by positively regulating Ihh signaling
Authors: Cai Hongchen , Liu Aimin
Published: December 2016

Significance

Skeletal diseases place a huge burden on patients and society, and yet their genetic basis remains poorly understood. In this article, we identify Speckle-type POZ protein (Spop) as a regulator of skeletal development, loss of which leads to shorter digit bones and lower bone density. We also show that, in striking contrast to the current dogma positing Spop as a negative regulator of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling, Spop regulates skeletal development by promoting Indian Hedgehog (Ihh) signaling. Therefore, our work represents an important conceptual advance in the understanding of Ihh signaling and skeletal development and provides a potential new target for the diagnosis and intervention of bone diseases such as osteoporosis.
Anomalously high variation in postnatal development is ancestral for dinosaurs but lost in birds
Authors: Griffin Christopher T. , Nesbitt Sterling J.
Published: December 2016

Significance

Birds—the fastest growing terrestrial vertebrates—develop unlike all other living reptiles. As part of this postnatal developmental mode, birds possess a low amount of intraspecific variation, and the timing of the origin of this low variation is poorly constrained. By studying well-sampled growth series of nonavian dinosaurs and their closest relatives, we were able to identify this transition within Mesozoic theropod dinosaurs. Surprisingly, the earliest dinosaurs and their close relatives possessed an extremely high amount of variation, higher than either crocodylians or birds. This high variation is the ancestral dinosaurian scheme and was lost in more derived nonavian theropods, including
Allosaurus
and
Tyrannosaurus
. High variation could have contributed to the rise of dinosaurian dominance during the Triassic–Jurassic mass extinction.
Structural basis for glutathione-mediated activation of the virulence regulatory protein PrfA in
Listeria
Authors: Hall Michael , Grundström Christin , Begum Afshan , Lindberg Mikael J. , Sauer Uwe H. , Almqvist Fredrik , Johansson Jörgen , Sauer-Eriksson A. Elisabeth
Published: December 2016

Significance

Infection by the human bacterial pathogen
Listeria monocytogenes
is controlled mainly by the transcriptional activator PrfA, a member of the Crp/Fnr family. Here we report the crystal structures of PrfA in complex with glutathione (GSH) and in complex with GSH and its cognate DNA, the
hly
operator PrfA box motif. The structures provide detailed information and insight into how GSH interacts with PrfA and thus induces the correct fold of the HTH motif promoting PrfA DNA binding.
Cell size and growth regulation in the
Arabidopsis thaliana
apical stem cell niche
Authors: Willis Lisa , Refahi Yassin , Wightman Raymond , Landrein Benoit , Teles José , Huang Kerwyn Casey , Meyerowitz Elliot M. , Jönsson Henrik
Published: December 2016

Significance

How does a cell decide when to divide or initiate DNA replication? How does it regulate its own growth? These fundamental questions are not well understood in most organisms; this lack of understanding is particularly true for multicellular eukaryotes. Following classical studies in yeast, we have quantified the key aspects of cell growth and division dynamics in the
Arabidopsis
apical stem cell niche. Our results disprove various theories for plant stem cell size/cell cycle regulation, such as that cell cycle progression is triggered when a prefixed critical size is attained, and constitute the necessary first step in the development of integrative mechanistic theories for the coordinated regulation of cell cycle progression, cell growth, and cell size in plants.
Analysis of 138 pathogenic mutations in presenilin-1 on the in vitro production of Aβ42 and Aβ40 peptides by γ-secretase
Authors: Sun Linfeng , Zhou Rui , Yang Guanghui , Shi Yigong
Published: December 2016

Significance

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, but the cause of AD remains poorly understood. Using highly purified recombinant γ-secretase, we examined the effect of 138 AD-derived presenilin-1 (PS1) mutations on the production of β-amyloid peptides (Aβ42 and Aβ40). These 138 mutations cover virtually all AD-targeted amino acids in PS1. Our results reveal no significant correlation between the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio produced by a γ-secretase variant with a specific PS1 mutation and the mean age at onset of patients carrying this mutation. The comprehensive characterization of pathogenic PS1 mutations serves as a valuable resource for the analysis of γ-secretase activities and AD pathogenesis.
Vestibular schwannoma diagnosis
Authors: Di Giustino Fabio , Pecci Rudi , Vannucchi Paolo
Published: December 2016

Objective:

Gadolinium-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) constitutes the gold standard technique in detecting vestibular schwannomas (VS). The investigation aimed to verify whether it is possible to reach high sensitivity in the early diagnosis of VS, combining Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABRs) with other bedside and electrophysiological neuro-otological tests.

Methods:

Fifty-five patients suffering from VS smaller than 2 cm in major diameter, detected by gadolinium-enhanced MRI, were submitted to: Pure Tone Audiometry, Speech Audiometry, Vestibular Examination, Caloric Test, Head Shaking Test (HST), Head Impulse Test (HIT), Hyperventilation Test (HT), Vibration Test (VT), ABRs, Cervical Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (cVEMPs).

Results:

HST showed pathological results in 34 cases (61.82% sensitivity), HIT in 29 (52.73% sensitivity), HT in 38 (69.09% sensitivity), VT in 27 (49.1% sensitivity), ABRs in 35 (in 12 cases this examination was not conducted because of the high pure tone hearing threshold level, 81.39% sensitivity), cVEMPs in 34 (61.82% sensitivity). If we consider only symptomatic patients (54 out of 55), in all cases we observed at least one pathological test (100% sensitivity).

Conclusion:

In patients suffering from unilateral or asymmetrical sensorineural hearing loss, we suggest the use of bedside and electrophysiological tests in order to reduce the use of imaging to high suspicion cases of retrocochlear disease, lowering costs and waiting lists.
Measuring the impact of illness perception on NHS audiology service usage in presbycusis patients – a feasibility study
Authors: Wolber Lisa E. , Pryce Helen
Published: December 2016

Objective:

Coping behaviour in adult hearing loss is still not well understood. Despite the high prevalence of hearing loss in those over 65, many people do not seek help for hearing loss. The common sense model of illness perceptions suggests that illness perceptions are a strong predictor of adapted coping behaviours, including help-seeking and take-up of treatments.

This study aimed to determine the feasibility of using the brief illness perceptions questionnaire (bIPQ) to measure the impact of illness perception in predicting usage of NHS audiology services.

Study design:

Twenty-four volunteers were recruited from a standard NHS audiology outpatient clinic and illness perception was measured using the bIPQ. Two different recruitment strategies were explored and compared in terms of recruitment and retention rates. Comprehensibility of the questionnaire was assessed by Think Aloud Analysis in a subset of participants, while possible risks and burdens were monitored in structured telephone interviews.

Results:

The questionnaire is a comprehensive and quick tool to measure individual illness perception at minimal cost. We suggested minor adaptations of three questionnaire items to increase comprehension. Participants preferred to complete the questionnaire after their appointment at the clinic facilities rather than at home prior to their hearing assessment appointment. There were no identified risks or burdens to participants in this study.

Conclusions:

This approach met our criteria for feasibility. Understanding the impact of illness perception on patients’ coping behaviour in presbycusis could improve treatment outcomes and increase patient satisfaction, while promoting a more efficient and individualized audiology service.
3D impurity inspection of cylindrical transparent containers
Authors: Kragh Mikkel , Bjerge Kim , Ahrendt Peter
Published: December 2016

This paper presents a method for automatically detecting and three-dimensionally positioning particles based on sequences of 2D images of rotating cylindrical transparent containers. The method can be used in the manufacturing industry by distinguishing between particles residing inside or outside a closed container. A foreign particle on the inside is a cause of rejection, whereas a particle on the outside might represent harmless dirt. The proposed method detects, tracks and positions particles and classifies containers accordingly as either rejected or accepted. Experimental results have shown an accuracy of 85% on a test set of 20 containers and an average execution time per container of 1 s.
Co-pyrolysis of rice straw and polypropylene using fixed-bed pyrolyzer
Authors: Izzatie N I , Basha M H , Uemura Y , Mazlan M A , Hashim M S M , Amin N A M , Hamid M F
Published: December 2016

The present work encompasses the impact of temperature (450, 500, 550, 600 °C) on the properties of pyrolysis oil and on other product yield for the co-pyrolysis of Polypropylene (PP) plastics and rice straw. Co-pyrolysis of PP plastic and rice straw were conducted in a fixed-bed drop type pyrolyzer under an inert condition to attain maximum oil yield. Physically, the pyrolysis oil is dark-brown in colour with free flowing and has a strong acrid smell. Copyrolysis between these typically obtained in maximum pyrolysis oil yields up to 69% by ratio 1:1 at a maximum temperature of 550 °C. From the maximum yield of pyrolysis oil, characterization of pyrolysis product and effect of biomass type of the composition were evaluated. Pyrolysis oil contains a high water content of 66.137 wt.%. Furfural, 2- methylnaphthalene, tetrahydrofuran (THF), toluene and acetaldehyde were the major organic compounds found in pyrolysis oil of rice straw mixed with PP. Bio-char collected from co-pyrolysis of rice straw mixed with PP plastic has high calorific value of 21.190 kJ/g and also carbon content with 59.02 wt.% and could contribute to high heating value. The non-condensable gases consist of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane as the major gas components.
Effects of Biofuel and Variant Ambient Pressure on FlameDevelopment and Emissions of Gasoline Engine.
Authors: Hashim Akasha , Khalid Amir , Sapit Azwan , Samsudin Dahrum
Published: December 2016

There are many technologies about exhaust emissions reduction for wide variety of spark ignition (SI) engine have been considered as the improvement throughout the combustion process. The stricter on legislation of emission and demands of lower fuel consumption needs to be priority in order to satisfy the demand of emission quality. Besides, alternative fuel such as methanol-gasoline blends is used as working fluid in this study due to its higher octane number and self-sustain concept which capable to contribute positive effect to the combustion process. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of methanol-gasoline fuel with different blending ratio and variant ambient pressures on flame development and emission for gasoline engine. An experimental study is carried towards to the flame development of methanol-gasoline fuel in a constant volume chamber. Schlieren optical visualization technique is a visual process that used when high sensitivity is required to photograph the flow of fluids of varying density used for captured the combustion images in the constant volume chamber and analysed through image processing technique. Apart from that, the result showed combustion burn rate increased when the percentage of methanol content in gasoline increased. Thus, high percentage of methanol-gasoline blends gave greater flame development area. Moreover, the emissions of CO, NOX and HC are performed a reduction when the percentage of methanol content in gasoline is increased. Contrarily, the emission of Carbon dioxide, CO2 is increased due to the combustion process is enhanced.
Preliminary Analysis on Matric Suction for Barren Soil
Authors: Azhar A T S , Fazlina M I S , Aziman M , Fairus Y M , Azman K , Hazreek Z A M
Published: December 2016

Most research conducted on slope failures can broadly be attributed to the convergence of three factors, i.e. rainfall, steepness of slope, and soil geological profile. The mechanism of the failures is mainly due to the loss of matric suction of soils by rainwater. When rainwater infiltrates into the slopes, it will start to saturate the soil, i.e., reduce the matric suction. A good understanding of landslide mechanisms and the characteristics of unsaturated soil and rock in tropical areas is crucial in landslide hazard formulation. Most of the slope failures in unsaturated tropical residual soil in Malaysia are mainly due to infiltration, especially during intense and prolonged rainfall, which reduces the soil matric suction and hence decreases the stability of the slope. Therefore, the aim of this research is to determine the matric suction for barren soil and to model an unsaturated slope with natural rainfall to evaluate the effects of matric suction on rainfall intensity. A field test was carried out using the Watermark Soil Moisture Sensor to determine the matric suction. The sensor was connected to a program called SpecWare 9 Basic which also used Data Logging Rain gauge Watermark 1120 to measure the intensity and duration of rainfall. This study was conducted at the Research Centre for Soft Soil which is a new Research and Development (R & D) initiative by Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Parit Raja. Field observation showed that the highest daily suction was recorded during noon while the lowest suction was obtained at night and early morning. The highest matric suction for loose condition was 31.0 kPa while the highest matric suction for compacted condition was 32.4 kPa. The results implied that the field suction variation was not only governed by the rainfall, but also the cyclic evaporation process. The findings clearly indicated that the changes in soil suction distribution patterns occurred due to different weather conditions.
The relationship between unconfined compressive strength and leachate concentration of stabilised contaminated sediment
Authors: Aliyu Mohammed Kabir , Karim Ahmad Tarmizi Abd , Chan Chee -Ming
Published: December 2016

Solidification/Stabilization (S/S) treatment was used in this study to immobilise copper (Cu) in contaminated river sediment. The sediment was artificially contaminated by spiking the solution of Copper sulphate (CuSO4.5H2O) to so as to get an average of 1000 ppm target concentration. Portland composite cement and Rice husk ash (RHA) were used as S/S agents. The amount of cement added to the mixture was l0% and while rice husk ash at the rate of 5%, l0%, 15% and 20% to the total dry weight of the mixture and then was cured for 7, 14 and 28 days. The unconfined compressive strength test (UCS) and toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the S/S treatments. From the results obtained it indicates that the partial replacement of cement with RHA in the binder system has increased the strength and the leachate concentration of copper was less in the treated sediment samples if compared with the untreated ones.
Properties of Cement Mortar Containing Rubber Ash as Sand Replacement
Authors: Senin Mohamad Syamir , Shahidan Shahiron , Leman Alif Syazani , Hannan Nurul Izzati Raihan Ramzi
Published: December 2016

Discarded scrap tyres have become one of the major environmental problems nowadays. There has been increasing public worry about the mining of natural resources in recent years. In order to minimize the consumption of natural resources, rubber ash has been postulated as a potential material for partial replacement of sand in concrete materials especially for applications which are subjected to impact and vibration such as road and bridge construction. Thus, it contributes to the development of the construction industry in a sustainable way. This paper mainly emphasizes on the use of rubber ash from waste tyres in cement mortar. 100mm cubic specimens were produced by adding rubber ash volume ratios of 0%, 3%, 5% and 7% as sand replacement in M30 quality cement mortar. A compressive stress test and a density test were conducted at the end of 7, 14, and 28 days. The result shows that 5% is the optimum value for sand replacement in the cement mortar. Therefore, rubber ash is acceptable to be used as sand replacement.
Physical and Chemical Properties of Coal Bottom Ash (CBA) from Tanjung Bin Power Plant
Authors: Ramzi Nurul Izzati Raihan , Shahidan Shahiron , Maarof Mohamad Zulkhairi , Ali Noorwirdawati
Published: December 2016

The objective of this study is to determine the physical and chemical characteristics of Coal Bottom Ash (CBA) obtained from Tanjung Bin Power Plant Station and compare them with the characteristics of natural river sand (as a replacement of fine aggregates). Bottom ash is the by-product of coal combustion during the electricity generating process. However, excess bottom ash production due to the high production of electricity in Malaysia has caused several environmental problems. Therefore, several tests have been conducted in order to determine the physical and chemical properties of bottom ash such as specific gravity, density, particle size distribution, Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) and X- Ray Fluorescence (XRF) in the attempt to produce sustainable material from waste. The results indicated that the natural fine aggregate and coal bottom ash have very different physical and chemical properties. Bottom ash was classified as Class C ash. The porous structure, angular and rough texture of bottom ash affected its specific gravity and particle density. From the tests, it was found that bottom ash is recommended to be used in concrete as a replacement for fine aggregates.
Green Synthesis of Silicon Carbide Nanowhiskers by Microwave Heating of Blends of Palm Kernel Shell and Silica
Authors: Voon C H , Lim B Y , Gopinath S C B , Tan H S , Tony V C S , Arshad M K Md , Foo K L , Hashim U
Published: December 2016

Silicon carbide nanomaterials especially silicon carbide nanowhiskers (SiCNWs) has been known for its excellent properties such as high thermal stability, good chemical inertness and excellent electronic properties. In this paper, a green synthesis of SiCNWs by microwave heating of blends of palm kernel shell (PKS) and silica was presented. The effect of ratio of PKS and silica on the synthesis process was also studied and reported. Blends of PKS and silica in different ratio were mixed homogenously in ultrasonic bath for 2 hours using ethanol as liquid medium. The blends were then dried on hotplate to remove the ethanol and compressed into pellets form.. Synthesis was conducted in 2.45 GHz multimode cavity at 1400 °C for 40 minutes. X-ray diffraction revealed that β-SiC was detected for samples synthesized from blends with ratio of PKS to silica of 5:1 and 7:1. FESEM images also show that SiCNWs with the average diameter of 70 nm were successfully formed from blends with ratio of PKS to silica of 5:1 and 7:1. A vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism was proposed to explain the growth of SiCNWs from blends of PKS and silica.
A Preliminary Study On Chemical And Physical Properties Of Coconut Shell Powder As A Filler In Concrete
Authors: Leman Alif Syazani , Shahidan Shahiron , Senin Mohamad Syamir , Hannan Nurul Izzati Raihan Ramzi
Published: December 2016

Coconut Shell Powder were obtained from coconut shell that had been discarded and grinded until it become in a form of powder. This study were conducted to determine the chemical and physical properties of coconut shell powder to be used as a filler inside concrete. In order to do that, an experimental setup of X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Particle Size Distribution, Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM), Density, and Specific Gravity were conducted. The coconut shell powder consist mostly carbon (C) and potassium oxide (K2O). The presents of silicon dioxide (SiO2) is crucial in order to be mix with concrete. The size of the coconut shell is ranging from 600μm and below. From all the testing, it is show that the coconut shell powder can be use in mixing with concrete as a filler.
Impact of oxygenated additives to diesel-biodiesel blends in the context of performance and emissions characteristics of a CI engine
Authors: Mahmudul H.M. , Hagos Ftwi Y. , Mamat Rizalman , Abdullah Abdul A.
Published: December 2016

Butanol is receiving huge interest in the area of alternative fuel in the compression ignition (CI) engines. In this work, butanol is used as an oxygenated additive to diesel and biodiesel blend fuels to evaluate the performance and emission of CI engine. The commercially available pure diesel fuel (D100) and 80% commercially available diesel- biodiesel bled (5% biodiesel and 95% by volume) and 20% butanol (BU20) fuels were investigated to evaluate the effects of the fuel blends on the performance and exhaust emissions of a single cylinder diesel engine. The experiment was conducted at fixed load of 75% with the five engine speeds (from 1200-2400 rpm with an interval of 300 rpm). The engine performance parameters such as power, torque, fuel consumption and thermal efficiency and exhaust gas emissions such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and exhaust gas temperature were analysed from the experimental data. The results shows that although butanol addition has caused a slight reduction in power and torque values (11.1% and 3.5%, respectively), the emission values of the engine were improved. With respect to the exhaust gas temperature, CO and NOx emissions, of BU20 is reported to have reduction by 17.7%, 20% and 3%, respectively than the B100. Therefore, butanol can be used as a fuel additive to diesel-biodiesel blends.
Solvent Debinding of MIM Parts in a Polystyrene-Palm Oil Based Binder System
Authors: Asmawi R. , Ibrahim M.H.I , Amin A. M. , Mustafa N.
Published: December 2016

The influence of the leaching temperatures on the solvent debinding process of SS316L stainless steel alloy compact has been investigated. Solvent debinding process of injection moulded SS316L feedstock was conducted to eliminate palm kernel oil by using n- heptane solution at various temperatures of 40, 50 and 60°C and at different time duration up to 9 hours. The samples were prepared by injection molding a mixture of stainless steel SS316L alloy with waste polystyrene polymer and palm kernel oil at powder loading 60% vol. The weight loss percentages of palm kernel were calculated and the pore structure evolution was analyzed by scanning electron micrograph to observe the pores created after solvent extraction process. Results show that a complete diffusion of the palm kernel molecules out of the compact part best at 60°C within 6 hours of extraction time
Halal Supply Chain Management Streamlined Practices: Issues and Challenges
Authors: Kadir Muhammad Hijrah Abd , Rasi Raja Zuraidah Raja Mohd , Omar Siti Sarah , Manap Zariq Imran Abdul
Published: December 2016

The quickly developing worldwide halal in business sector has given a remarkable window of chance, which empowers Malaysia to the renowned halal centre in worldwide (known as Halal-hubs). Malaysia also has proactively taken a lead in halal activities, which is presently considered as the benchmark for a halal framework worldwide. Malaysia also set up the Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) which driving a wide range of halal activities since the demand of halal food has increased significantly which is very crucial for a Muslim in ensuring its authenticity and integrity. Even in parallel to this developments, many studies has been conducted because there are many issues still occurs in the food industry. The issue of consumer awareness and understanding the halal principles, mixing of halal and non- halal products, halal certification and logo compliance with Shariah law and lack of regulation and enforcement need the serious attention by all parties along the supply chain. The challenges occur mainly in the halal food segregation and halal traceability of the products. The unit of analysis in this study different halal stakeholders group which are JAKIM, Halal Development Centre (HDC), Raw Material Manufacturers, Retailers and Government Agencies. This paper attempt discusses the issues and challenges occurs in the halal supply chain and faced by the practitioners as well as the relevant parties involved in the industry especially for food products manufacturers. The study would like to give a basic information about the issues and challenges in the contribution of Halal Supply Chain Management (HSCM) as well as for the future studies.
Leachability of Arsenic (As) Contaminated Landfill Soil Stabilised by Cement and Bagasse Ash
Authors: Azhar A T S , Azim M A M , Aziman M , Nabila A T A
Published: December 2016

Contaminated soil with heavy metals, especially Arsenic (As) has become a major issue worldwide. As is reported to be a metal that affects human health and is related to have caused serious diseases that interrupts the nervous system, blood vessels and kidneys. However, proper treatment techniques such as Stabilization/Solidification (S/S) method can be employed and is capable of controlling these heavy metals from contaminating the soil strata and groundwater resources. This study is to investigate the leachability of Arsenic (As) in S/S method when bagasse ash (BA) is added to remedy contaminated Landfill soil. Cement is added at a proportion of 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% in sample weights without BA while in another sample; the cement replaces BA at a proportion of 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%. and 10%. All samples were allowed to harden and cured at room temperature for 7, 14 and 28 days. The effectiveness of the treatment was assessed by conducting Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP). Results indicate that pH and leachability are found to have major influence on metal release. The final pH after leaching tests showed improvements especially samples containing BA. In addition, the concentration of As in the SPLP test after the curing period of 28 days were detected to be below the leachability limit as regulated by WHO's Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality. As a whole, the results obtained from testing showed that sample containing 10% cement with 10% BA is the most effective and is the optimum mix since this proportion succeeded in minimising the leachability of As at total reduction by 100%, In conclusion, partial replacement of cement with BA in the binder system has been successful in reducing the leachability.
Determination Of Slope Instability Using Spatially Integrated Mapping Framework
Authors: Baharuddin I N Z , Omar R C , Roslan R , Khalid N H N , Hanifah M I M
Published: December 2016

The determination and identification of slope instability are often rely on data obtained from in-situ soil investigation work where it involves the logistic of machineries and manpower, thus these aspects may increase the cost especially for remote locations. Therefore a method, which is able to identify possible slope instability without frequent ground walkabout survey, is needed. This paper presents the method used in prediction of slope instability using spatial integrated mapping framework which applicable for remote areas such as tropical forest and natural hilly terrain. Spatial data such as geology, topography, land use map, slope angle and elevation were used in regional analysis during desktop study. Through this framework, the occurrence of slope instability was able to be identified and was validate using a confirmatory site- specific analysis.
Electrical Power Budgeting Analysis for LSA-02 UAV Technology Demonstrator
Authors: Pranoto F.S. , Wirawan A. , Purnamasari D.A.
Published: December 2016

This paper addresses the calculation of the LSA-02 UAV electrical power requirement as a technology demonstrator. To answer this issue, the method from ASTM F2490 Standard is used. By adopting that method, the condition of aircraft operation must be defined. Therefore, there are 2 aircraft conditions that will be investigated further. First, the LSA-02 aircraft will be fitted with EO/IR camera and support payload for conducting real-time surveillance system. The other condition is conducting the aerial photography mission to investigate the vegetation condition by equipping the aircraft with a multispectral camera. The results show that the real-time mission will need bigger electrical power requirement comparing to aerial photography mission. To support the mission without sacrificing the other electrical equipment for functioning, the onboard power generator system inside LSA-02 aircraft should be upgraded, at least with 3.5 kVA capacity.
Optical investigation of variability in body region dependent transcutaneous oxygen saturation
Authors: Philimon Sheena P , Huong Audrey K C , Hafizah W M , Ong P E , Ngu Xavier T I
Published: December 2016

This paper presents the use of multispectral imaging system to investigate variability in transcutaneous oxygen saturation (StO2) amongst different individuals and at different skin sites. Noncontact reflectance data are collected from central forehead, posterior forearm, thenar region of palm and proximal ankle of three healthy Asians. The prediction of the required StO2 value is via fitting Extended Modified Lambert (EMLB) model to the measured attenuation data using extinction coefficient of hemoglobin components in the wavelength range of 520 - 600 nm as its priori knowledge. The obtained results revealed a relatively high mean StO2 of 54 ± 1.9% at the palm of the hand site. This is followed by measurement at foot ankle and forehead with StO2 of 52.3 ± 2.4% and 51.2 ± 7.7%, respectively. Meanwhile the lowest reading of StO2 of 48.8 ± 5.1% is observed at the posterior forearm. Based on these findings, this work concluded that palm of the hand would provide considerably consistent measurement of StO2 among individuals. This is largely owing to the higher density of circulatory anastomosis at this skin site. This implied viability of using the developed strategy in the studies of microcirculation mechanism especially on wound at this skin region.
Feasibility Studies of Vortex Flow Impact On the Proliferation of Algae in Hydrogen Production for Fuel Cell Applications
Authors: Miskon Azizi , Thanakodi Suresh A/L , Nazar Nazatul Shiema Moh , Chong Marcus Wai Kit , Takriff Mohd Sobri , Kamarudin Kamrul Fakir , Norzali Abdul Aziz , Tawil Siti Nooraya Mohd
Published: December 2016

The instability of crude oil price in global market as well as the sensitivity towards green energy increases, more research works being carried out to find alternative energy replacing the depleting of fossil fuels. Photobiological hydrogen production system using algae is one of the promising alternative energy source. However, the yield of hydrogen utilizing the current photobioreactor (PBR) is still low for commercial application due to restricted light penetration into the deeper regions of the reactor. Therefore, this paper studies the feasibility of vortex flow impact utilizing magnetic stirring in hydrogen production for fuel cell applications. For comparison of results, a magnetic stirrer is placed under a PBR of algae to stir the algae to obtain an even distribution of sunlight to the algae while the controlled PBR of algae kept in static. The produced hydrogen level was measured using hydrogen sensor circuit and the data collected were communicated to laptop using Arduino Uno. The results showed more cell counts and hydrogen produced in the PBR under the influence of magnetic stirring compared to static PBR by an average of 8 percent in 4 days.
CMIS: Crime Map Information System for Safety Environment
Authors: Kasim Shahreen , Hafit Hanayanti , Yee Ng Peng , Hashim Rathiah , Ruslai Husni , Jahidin Kamaruzzaman , Arshad Mohammad Syafwan
Published: December 2016

Crime Map is an online web based geographical information system that assists the public and users to visualize crime activities geographically. It acts as a platform for the public communities to share crime activities they encountered. Crime and violence plague the communities we are living in. As part of the community, crime prevention is everyone's responsibility. The purpose of Crime Map is to provide insights of the crimes occurring around Malaysia and raise the public's awareness on crime activities in their neighbourhood. For that, Crime Map visualizes crime activities on a geographical heat maps, generated based on geospatial data. Crime Map analyse data obtained from crime reports to generate useful information on crime trends. At the end of the development, users should be able to make use of the system to access to details of crime reported, crime analysis and report crimes activities. The development of Crime Map also enable the public to obtain insights about crime activities in their area. Thus, enabling the public to work together with the law enforcer to prevent and fight crime.