bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterisation of Biogenic Amines in Fish Collected from Sarawak Using Gas Chromatography
Authors: Munir Muhammad Abdurrahman , Assim Zaini , Ahmad Fasihuddin
Published: March 2019

Determination of five biogenic amines (heptylamine, histamine, tyramine, cadaverine and spermidine) in fish was optimised and validated using gas chromatography – flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) followed by confirmation using mass spectrometry (MS). The biogenic amines were derivatised using BSA (N, O-bis (trimethylsilyl) acetamide) + TMCS (trimethylchlorosilane) as a derivatisation agent. The linear working range was between 0.9995 – 0.9999. The limit of detection (LODs) were in the range of 1.20 – 2.90 μg/mL. The efficiency of recovery for every biogenic amines, which ranged between 98.41 – 116.39%, indicated that analytical procedure can be used to extract biogenic amines in fish. Using GC-FID, the concentration of five biogenic amines were simultaneously determined in fresh and salted fish samples such as mackerel (Scomberomorus guttatus), sardine (Sardinella gibbosa), whiptail (Himantura walga), gourami (Trichogaster pectoralis) and toli shad (Tenualosa toli). Histamine is found in fresh mackerel (S. guttatus) and sardine (S. gibbosa) at concentration of 5.96 and 2.69 mg/kg, respectively. Salted sardine (S. gibbosa) has histamine concentration of 8.95 mg/kg. All histamine concentrations detected were below 50 mg/kg (FDA regulation) which is below the permissible threshold associated with scombroid poisoning. Cadaverine was detected in fresh sardine (S. gibbosa), whiptail stingray (H. walga) and salted gourami (T. pectoralis) with concentration of 4.96, 146.39 and 18.80 mg/kg, respectively. None of them has biogenic amines, and histamine within FDA regulation levels (below 50 mg/kg).
Antifungal Properties of Elephantopus scaber L. (Asteraceae) Against Crop Pathogenic Fungi
Authors: Hussin Nor Ain , Bolhassan Mohamad hasnul , Kuok San Yeo Freddy
Published: March 2019

Harmful effect of synthetic fungicides towards environment and other organisms have become important issues nowadays. Research on the plant product to be developed as an alternative for synthetic fungicides has attracted interest of many scientists. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of antimicrobial properties of Elephantopus scaber L. from the family Asteraceae against six crop pathogenic fungi viz., Glomerella cingulata (Stoneman) Spauld. & H. Schrenk, Fusarium oxysporum Schltdl., Pyricularia oryzae Cavara, Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc., Pestalotiopsis sp., and Colletotrichum sp. Three different concentrations of E. scaber crude extract- 1%, 5% and 15%, were used in fungal growth inhibition test. At 15% (w/v) concentration, the mycelia growth of Colletotrichum sp., F. solani, and P. oryzae were significantly retarded. It indicates that the extract of E. scaber could potentially be used as a biofungicide.
Isolation and Characterization of Avirulence Genes in Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Jee Mui Sie , Whye Kit Lim Leonard , Azelin Dirum Martina , Che Hashim Sara Ilia , Masri Muhammad Shafiq , Ying Tan Hui , San Lai Lee , San Yeo Freddy Kuok , Hui Chung Hung
Published: March 2019

Magnaporthe oryzae is a fungal pathogen contributing to rice blast diseases globally via their Avr (avirulence) gene. Although the occurrence of M. oryzae has been reported in Sarawak since several decades ago, however, none has focused specifically on Avr genes, which confer resistance against pathogen associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) in host. The objective of this study is to isolate Avr genes from M. oryzae 7’ (a Sarawak isolate) that may contribute to susceptibility of rice towards diseases. In this study, AvrPiz-t, AVR-Pik, Avr-Pi54, and AVR-Pita1 genes were isolated via PCR and cloning approaches. The genes were then compared with set of similar genes from related isolates derived from NCBI. Results revealed that all eight Avr genes (including four other global isolates) shared similar N-myristoylation site and a novel motif. 3D modeling revealed similar β-sandwich structure in AvrPiz-t and AVR-Pik despite sequence dissimilarities. In conclusion, it is confirmed of the presence of these genes in the Sarawak (M. oryzae) isolate. This study implies that Sarawak isolate may confer similar avirulence properties as their counterparts worldwide. Further R/Avr gene-for-gene relationship studies may aid in strategic control of rice blast diseases in future.
Variations and Hybridization Compatibility of Single Basidiospore Isolates of Pleurotus sajor-caju (Fr.) Sings
Authors: Jessica Lee Ying Fung , Bolhassan Mohamad Hasnul , Kuok San Yeo Freddy
Published: March 2019

Pleurotus sajor-caju (Fr.) Sings, a mushroom of the family Pleurotaceae, is gaining popularity due to its high nutrient content and capability of growing on various agricultural wastes. There is a need to breed new strain of P. sajor-caju to meet the rising demands of the increasing human population. Strain improvement is achievable through selection and hybridization. Unfortunately, there is limited information regarding the genetic variations of P. sajor caju in Malaysia. Therefore, this study is of interest to document the morphological variations of single basidiospore isolates and to generate hybrids. A total of 200 single basidiospore isolates (SB) obtained from a commercialized strain of P. sajor-caju were obtained from local supermarket in Kuching, Sarawak, and cultured individually on potato dextrose agar. These 200 SBs were characterized morphologically and divided into three main groups based on colony morphology i.e. scattered, rough and smooth. Variations can still be observed in each main group. From each main group, SBs representing the variations were further categorized based on their colony diameter growth after 7 days of post inoculation (CD-7dpi), i.e. slow growing CD-7dpi (SGCD-7), medium fast growing CD-7dpi (MFGCD-7) and fast growing CD-7dpi (FGCD-7). Ten FGCD-7 and ten SGCD-7 isolates were selected for hybridization. The selected SBs were hybridized in all possible pairings without repetition. Sixteen hybridized isolates were recognized and characterized based on CD-7dpi. For all FGCD-7 pairings, SGCD-7 pairings, and between FGCD-7 and SGCD-7 pairings, hybridized isolates had higher CD-7dpi than at least one of its parents were identified. The new hybridized isolates are interesting materials for future study.
Preliminary Assessment of Corbicula fluminea in Saiburi River, Southern Thailand
Authors: MOHAMAD SHAMSUL ZAWEEN NAJJAH , RAK AWENG EH , HAJI SAMAE SUKREE , SYED OMAR SHARIFAH AISYAH , AHMAD AFIP LIYANA
Published: March 2019

This study was conducted to determine the habitat characteristics and availability of existing C. fluminea in Saiburi River, which is in the southern part of Thailand. Saiburi River is one of the locations for C. fluminea harvesting in Southeast Thailand. In total, 329 individuals of C. fluminea were collected from Saiburi River by dragging the dredge using a clam dredge, approximately 1 m measured by the quadrat. The most abundant size found ranged between 11 and 20 mm in length with the highest density of 290 per m2 and mean density of 196 per m2. In this study, a total of seven physical, chemical and biological parameters (pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, phosphate, sediments and phytoplankton) were analyzed in five selected sampling points. The results for pH (6.7+0.15); temperature (34°C); dissolved oxygen (8.1+0.10 mg/L); nitrate (0.1+0.7 mg/L); phosphate (0.1+0.7 mg/L); sediments (loamy sand); phytoplanktons (29 species belong to 22 different families) were recorded. Therefore, the present report provides the information on the habitat of C. fluminea.Keywords: Corbicula fluminea, water quality, habitat, phytoplankton, Saiburi River
POLITICALLY CONNECTED BANKS: SOME INDONESIAN EVIDENCE
Authors: Sutopo Bambang , Trinugroho Irwan , Damayanti Sylviana Maya
Published: March 2019

We investigate the impact of being politically connected on bank performance and cost of funding. We study 89 Indonesian banks over the 2001-2008 period disentangled into politically connected banks which can be state-owned banks and private banks as well as non-politically connected banks. Controlling for bank fundamental factors and time effect, we do find that political connections improve bank performance. Moreover, our results provide evidence that politically connected banks are benefited by getting a lower cost of funding. Finally, our result reveals that political connections are less valuable for foreign banks. Keywords: Political Connections; Performance; Cost of Funding; Foreign Banks; Indonesia.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF INTRA-INDUSTRY TRADE IN THE SAARC REGION
Authors: Tariq Bilal , Ab. Rahim Rossazana
Published: March 2019

In the setting of globalization, the rising importance of international financial institutions and international relations as well as the emergence of environmental issues has inspired a new sense of political and economic interaction. Owing to these interactions, mode of trade has changed and it has resulted in the world trade reforms. Therefore, trade of differentiating goods is being appreciated and encouraged in developing economies. In the context of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the intra-industry trade is increasingly replacing inter-industry trade. The environmental effects of the aftermath of expansion in intra-industry trade i.e. scale effect, selection effect and technique effects in the SAARC region are to be assessed in this study. The overall results of this study indicate that if intra-industry trade is expanded, it yields positive impacts on the environment. At the one hand, the disintegration of trade induced environmental effects, implies that the scale effect is hazardous for the environment. On the other hand, the trade induced selection and technique effects are beneficial for the environment in the case of SAARC region.Keywords: Intra-Industry Trade; Environmental Effect; SAARC.
THE DEBT-EQUITY CHOICE OF JAPANESE FIRMS
Authors: Chong Terence Tai-Leung , Law Daniel Tak-Yan , Yao Feng
Published: March 2019

Prior studies on the debt-equity choice of firms focus on capital market oriented economies. This paper examines whether firms in Japan, the world’s largest bank-oriented economy, adjust their debt-equity choice towards the target. We find that the leverage ratios of Japanese firms do adjust slowly towards their target levels. The adjustment speed has dwindled after the Asian Financial Crisis. In contrast to existing literature, we show that an increase in tangible assets reduces the leverage ratio of firms in Japan. It is also found that the effect of financial deficit is persistent while the market timing effect is not.Keywords: Debt-equity Choice; Pecking Order Theory; Market Timing Theory; Trade-Off Theory.
EXPLORING THE ROLE OF THE TYPE OF SERVICE ENCOUNTER IN INTERNET SHOPPING
Authors: Barrera Ramón Barrera , García Antonio Navarro , Altamira Borja Sanz
Published: March 2019

In the context of electronic commerce B2C, two different service encounters can take place: 1) service encounters without incidents during which customers get the service for themselves and without the presence of employees and 2) service encounters with incidents with interpersonal and non-interpersonal interactions. The model proposed is based on the service quality-satisfaction-loyalty intention chain and it is evaluated through a sample of 718 online shoppers. The results obtained reflect that 1) the type of the service encounter has a moderating effect in these relationships. In this sense, the effects are stronger when incidents take place and are satisfactorily resolved; 2) regardless of the type of service encounter, reliability is the most important dimension in the assessing of a Website’s service quality, followed by the recovery of the electronic service when the service encounter takes place with incidents; 3) furthermore, consumers who have had no incident during the service encounter perceive a greater service quality, show higher levels of satisfaction and loyalty intentions toward the Website than those who have had a problem during the service provision.Keywords: Electronic Service Quality; Online Shopping Behavior; Satisfaction; Loyalty Intentions.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMAN CAPITAL AND DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION OF MALAYSIAN PUBLIC LISTED COMPANIES
Authors: Nik Ahmad Nik Mohd Naqiuddin , Nawawi Anuar , Puteh Salin Ahmad Saiful Azlin
Published: March 2019

A lot of previous study on directors’ remuneration unable to find conclusive evidence of what are the determinants of directors’ remuneration. Beside, many studies also fail to documented evidence on the relationship between directors’ remuneration with corporate performance. Due to this, this study tries to examine the determinants of directors’ remuneration from the human capital perspectives. Age, tenure and qualification were selected to test whether these factors contribute to the level of remuneration paid to the directors. Based on Malaysian listed companies, an ordinary least square regression analysis was employed to determine the predicted relationship. It was found that only age and tenure have significant positive relationship with total remuneration. This implicates that human capital elements do contribute to the amount of remuneration paid to the top executive of the company. This outcome also implies that the company may pay their directors based on the individual characteristics and background which possibly the reason of the existence of pay-for-performance non-relationship.Keywords: Human Capital; Directors’ Remuneration; Age; Tenure; Qualification.
CO-OPETITION TO PROMOTE GROWTH OF BATIK SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
Authors: Pinasti Margani , Adawiyah Wiwiek Rabiatul
Published: March 2019

Co-opetition is cooperation and also the competition between businesses in the same industry or in other words between competitors. The phenomenon of co-opetition, which is also called ‘sleeping with the enemy’, is becoming increasingly important with the wider of global competition. The purpose of research presented in this paper is to analyze the co-opetition strategy among small and medium industries. This research was conducted in the form of case studies of small and medium batik industries in the region of Central Java, Indonesia. The right co-opetition strategy would promote growth and strengthen the sustainability of Central Java batik SMEs to face global competition.The research approach applied is action research. The location of this research is in six districts in Central Java, namely Banyumas, Cilacap, Purbalingga, Banjarnegara, Kebumen and Wonosobo. In those six districts, there are batik SMEs that have the potential to grow rapidly. The results of this study indicate that batik SMEs in the region of Central Java agreed to collaborate in the form of the Central Java Batik Society 'DjamurDwipa'. The batik SME entrepreneurs in Central Java realize that they are partners in the Society and they are also competitors engaged in the same industry. For small and medium scale entrepreneurs, their collaboration is expected to increase their capability, create and capture value, get the benefit of networking. The Central Java Batik Society 'DjamurDwipa' in this study becomes one of the case models of co-opetition among small and medium industries. Review of the co-opetition among small and medium industries in this study indicate that the competitors do not always have a negative impact. Collaboration with competitors, namely co-opetition, could be able to create a synergy that can encourage the growth of small and medium industries.Keywords: Co-opetition; Colaboration; Competitor; Batik; Small Medium Enterprises.
MEDIATING ROLE OF ACCESS TO FINANCE ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRATEGIC ORIENTATION ATTRIBUTES AND SMEs PERFORMANCE IN NIGERIA
Authors: Ibrahim Murtala Aminu , Mohd Shariff Mohd Noor
Published: March 2019

In spite of recognized significant contribution of SMEs to nations’ economy, Nigerian SMEsperformance is below expectation. This is because SMEs in Nigeria today faces severe limitationsin financing, management skill, marketing, modern technology and technical expertise. Theobjective of this study is to investigate the mediating role of access to finance on the positiverelationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO), market orientation (MO), learningorientation (LO), technology orientation (TO) and SMEs performance in Nigeria. A sample sizeof 522 SMEs operating in Kano, Kaduna and Sokoto states of Nigeria were selected usingstratified simple random sampling techniques. Partial Least Squares-Structural EquationModelling was used to analyze the data. Hence, the data analysis was conducted using SmartPLS3.0. The results of path analysis indicate that access to finance mediates the positive relationshipbetween MO, LO, TO and the performance of small and medium enterprises in Nigeria. This isan important additional explanation for the existence of the relationship between these strategicorientations and firm performance. The results further suggest that SMEs need to use theirstrategic activities to improve their ability to obtain finances in order to perform well. Finally,recommendations for further research are also discussed.Keywords: SMEs; Strategic Orientation; Nigeria; Access to Finance; Firm Performance.
MICROFINANCE AND RURAL POVERTY ALLEVIATION: A REALITY?
Authors: Kasali Taofeek Aremu , Ahmad Siti Aznor , Lim Hock-Eam
Published: March 2019

It is a truism that if Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) play their expected role, poverty will reduce and there will be more employment opportunity and adequate economic development particularly in the rural areas. Poverty is more devastating in Sub-Saharan Africa than the rest of the world. This paper examines the contributions of microfinance towards the rural poverty reduction. To achieve this objective, the study adopted multi-stage random sampling technique to collect primary data through the structured questionnaire. A total sample of 1,134 microfinance loan beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries were used as respondents from three (Ogun, Osun and Oyo states) out of six states in South- West Nigeria. Statistical Percentage Techniques were used to describe the characteristics of the sample from the study. The results revealed that microfinance has marginal effects on the rural poor in Southwest Nigeria. Policy makers are advised to provide adequate infrastructural facilities that will encourage MFIs to establish branches in the rural areas. MFIs should endeavor to create more awareness to the rural poor with realistic loan procedure that will encourage the poor to access microcredit loan.Keywords: Economic Development; Poverty; Microfinance Institutions; rural poor; Nigeria.
EFFECT OF ENGLISH PROFICIENCY ON SOCIAL CAPITAL AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AMONG ECONOMIC STUDENTS
Authors: Hamzah Muhammad Sodbir , Abdullah Hussin , Ahmad Mazida
Published: March 2019

The use of English language becomes increasingly important, either in educational sector or working sector. The role of social capital should be taken into consideration in helping the students to achieve their academic success. Previous findings indicated that students with limited use of English faced problems in advance subjects. Thus, this study examines the effect of English language proficiency towards social capital and academic achievement. This study employed the survey research design and the sample comprised of 81 undergraduate students enrolled in Economics courses from year two and three in Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). The instruments were adapted based on the constructs in the structural model developed. The data has been analysed using Structural Equation Modelling to enable simultaneous analysis of all the constructs and estimate the magnitude of the direct and indirect effects between the constructs. The findings show that there is a significant direct effect of English Language Proficiency (ELP) towards Academic Achievements (AA) and Social Capital Outside Family (SCOF), and from social capital outside family towards academic achievements. The mediating effect of social capital outside family towards English Language Proficiency (ELP) and Academic Achievement (AA) among economics students in UUM was significant. The findings suggest for more activities geared towards increasing students’ English language proficiency to help them to increase their academic achievements.Keywords: English Language Proficiency; Social Capital; Academic Achievement.
UNOBSERVABLE EFFECTS AND SPEED OF ADJUSTMENT TO TARGET CAPITAL STRUCTURE
Authors: Matemilola Bolaji Tunde , Noordin Bany Ariffin Amin , Wan Ngah Wan Azman Saini , Md Nassir Annuar
Published: March 2019

The paper investigates whether unobservable firm-specific effects such as managerial ability is a major component of the target capital structure. We apply the system generalized method of moments that accounts for unobservable firm-specific effects. Our results reveal that unobservable firm-specific effects such as managerial ability are a major component that explains most of the cross-sectional variation in firms’ capital structure in Malaysia.Keywords: Capital Structure; Unobservable Effects; System GMM; Malaysia.
Character Recognition Through Wild Association: an alternative in Learning Chinese Script for Beginners
Authors: LAM Kai-Chee , ANG Lay-Hoon , Kuan Wee-Ling , Hoe Foo-Terng
Published: March 2019

Learning Chinese characters can be a daunting experience for the non-native learners. This quantitative study aims to experiment the effectiveness of ‘Wild Association’ on learners’ ability to learn Chinese characters, and to determine whether these learners who use ‘Wild Association’ demonstrate higher achievement in character recognition and character writing compared to learners who study Chinese characters by drilling. Consisting of 98 learners from the elementary level of Mandarin proficiency course in UNIMAS, the learners used their own imagination to learn Chinese characters, and at the same time, relating their own experience in doing so. Learners’ performance was measured through the pre-test and post-test in the form of dictation and character-recognition worksheet. The results indicate that ‘Wild Association’ is effective in helping learners to recognise and write characters, and is especially more effective in helping learners to recognise characters. However, learners who underwent traditional drilling approach still outperformed those who employed ‘Wild Association’. It can be concluded that ‘Wild Association’ is a possible alternative for teaching characters in the initial stage, when characters are still foreign to learners. The result implies that ‘Wild Association’ suits the learning style of learners nowadays.
Sago Bark as Renewable Energy
Authors: K.H. Chong , P.L. Law , A.R.H. Rigit , R. Baini , F.S. Shanti
Published: March 2019

Much research has been done on the determination of the heating value of biomass waste, but currently no research is being done on the heating value of sago bark. In Malaysia, sago bark is an abundant waste product from sago starch extraction. This study presents the moisture content and heating value determination of paddy straw, empty fruit bunch (EFB), sago bark, oil palm kernel shell (OPKS), and wood chips. The moisture content and heating value of the investigated biomass were determined according to the British Standard EN 1477-2:2009 and bomb calorimeter, accordingly. It was observed that paddy straw recorded the highest moisture content at 97.75% wt. This was followed by EFB 95.34% wt., sago bark 96.05% wt., OPKS 95.28% wt. and wood chips 11.61% wt. In the dry state, wood chips had the highest heating value, with a value recorded as approximately 22.41 MJ kg-1, followed by OPKS 21.40 MJ kg-1, sago bark 19.56 MJ kg-1, EFB 17.82 MJ kg-1 and paddy straw 15.33 MJ kg-1. Current experimental trials suggest that the heating value of sago bark makes it suitable for use for co-firing with coal power generation.
Effect of Types of Weir on Discharge
Authors: Caroline L L , R Afshar Nasser
Published: March 2019

The measurement of discharge is one of the main concerns in hydraulic engineering. The study of types of weir on discharge is important as the knowledge of the accurate measurement of discharges helps in understanding of the flow mechanism as well as designing the hydraulic structures for future. Structures such as rectangular weir, vee notch weir and crump weir are placed in a channel to measure the flow rate. By using Bernoulli’s equation, weir equation are derived and used to determine the flow rate. The main objective is to determine the optimum discharge for different types of weirs. This discharge is important in designing the hydraulic structure. Overestimated discharge may cause failure to the structure and if the discharge is underestimated, it may not fulfill the design requirements. The studies are experimented from maximum flow to minimum flow by measuring head over the weir for different working sections; flat and slope of 1:2400 and different height of partially opened sluice gate of 4cm and 6cm for crump drowned condition. The result shows that the coefficient of discharge, Cd decreases when the head of water above the crest increases; except for crump weir in which Cd is independent of the head. Meanwhile, the velocities when slope is 1:2400 are higher as compared to flat.
Concrete Containing Palm Oil Fuel Ash (POFA) and Oil Palm Shell (OPS) Subjected to Elevated Temperatures
Authors: Jong L.Y. , Teo D. C. L.
Published: March 2019

Nowadays, waste products such as Palm Oil Fuel Ash (POFA) and Oil Palm Shell (OPS) are produced in large quantities from the agriculture industry on a daily basis. Improper disposal of the agriculture wastes at landfills contributes to environmental pollution. The cost of construction material increases when the demand is high. Therefore, reutilization of these waste products not only reduces the cost of construction material but also minimizes waste disposal problem. In this research, waste POFA and OPS as cement and aggregate replacement respectively are used to produce a ?greener? concrete. This paper presents the effects of elevated temperatures on POFA OPS concrete. A concrete made from OPS aggregates (0% POFA) was also produced as a comparison. From the results obtained, it was observed that the formation of hair-line cracks on the surface of POFA OPS concrete specimen was less visible than OPS concrete specimen. All concrete specimens experience mass loss after being subjected to elevated temperatures. In terms of compressive strength, both OPS concrete and POFA OPS concrete specimen experienced a decrease in strength after being subjected to elevated temperatures. However, the POFA OPS concrete specimen showed better strength performance as compared to OPS concrete specimen at elevated temperatures of 200˚C to 500 ˚C.
Effect of Tidal Fluctuation on the Stability of Estuarine Structures in Sarawak
Authors: Kaniraj S.R. , Lee L.J. , Taib S.N.L.
Published: March 2019

Several incidents of lateral movement and failures of estuarine structures have been reported in Sarawak. These structures located in very soft and deep sedimentary soils are usually supported on pile foundations. There is a 4 to 7 m daily tidal fluctuation in these locations, the effect of which on the ground and the piles is usually neglected in design. A study has been undertaken to formulate improved approaches for the design of riverine and estuarine structures. The validation of a theoretical model requires data on ground movement and pore water pressure changes due to tidal fluctuation. Accordingly, piezometers and inclinometer casings were installed at the sites of two structures where a bridge and jetty are proposed to be constructed. The inclinometers measure the lateral movement of the river banks and a pile installed in the riverbed. The piezometer and inclinometer readings are being recorded periodically. The paper explains the background of the study, case histories of failures, soil conditions at the two sites, details of instrumentation, results of measurement, and the interpretations.
Building Water Sensitive Urban Design : Modelling of Green Roof
Authors: Ling K.W. , Mah2 D.Y.S.
Published: March 2019

This project evaluates green roofs as a stormwater management tool. The goal of the project is to develop a computer aided stormwater model incorporating green roof, and evaluate its effectiveness. Specifically, the influence of media type, media depth, duration of rainfall event and average reoccurrence interval are investigated in design rainfall. The finalised model is then validated based on observed rainfall for the months of January and February of 2014. Results indicate that the green roofs are capable of removing 73.5% and 86.9% of the monthly rainfall volumes for January and February 2014, respectively, from a roof through retention. Water retention by green roofs effectively increases the time to reach the peak runoff, and slows the peak flows for a watershed. There are seasonal considerations as more runoff is generated during the month of January (northeast monsoon season) compared with the month of February (normal weather). Green roof is also effective in retaining 100% of several storms of less than 10 mm. The results demonstrate that the proposed extensive green roof for the study area functions as an excellent bio-retention system for stormwater control. The results of this research are in tandem with those of other researches performed throughout the world on hydrologic characteristics of green roof.
WATER SUPPLY RESOURCES AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN SARAWAK AND OTHER COUNTRIES
Authors: Mahyan Nur Rasfina , Selaman Onni Suhaiza
Published: March 2019

The rapid urbanization faced by Sarawak has raised the concern on whether the current water supply isadequate to cater for the increasing demands in future. This study focuses on identifying the potential options of watersupply resources and management practices for Sarawak in future. The water supply resources and management practicesfrom other countries are reviewed as to provide guidance for Sarawak in improving their water supply resources andmanagement practices. The desk study is performed by collecting data and information from existing resources such asinternet, government agencies, journal papers, and published reports. In this study, five types of water resources wereconsidered to be used by studied countries including surface water, groundwater, desalinated water, rainwater and reclaimedwater. The usage of surface water is recorded as the highest among all resources for both in Sarawak and other countries. Interms of water storage system, the difference between Sarawak and other countries are not significant as they adoptedalmost the similar systems such as reservoir and well. Ideally, there are three proposed potential options regarding watersupply resources for Sarawak in future namely rainwater harvesting, desalinated water and reclaimed water. Nonetheless,most of the management practices in other countries had already been practiced by Sarawak itself but may differ in terms oftechnologies and method of applications. Thus, effective water resources management must be supported by understandingof the availability of the resource itself in order to address the probable challenges in future.
POZZOLANIC PROPERTIES OF GLASS POWDER IN CEMENT PASTE
Authors: Tamanna Nafisa , Mohamed Sutan Norsuzailina , Tuladhar Rabin , Teo Ching Lee Delsye , Yakub Ibrahim
Published: March 2019

This paper investigates the formation of Calcium Silicate Hydrate (C-S-H) as a product ofpozzolanic reactions in a cement paste with cement partially replaced with crushed recycled glass at therate of 10% and 20%. Three different particle sizes for crushed glass used in this study were in therange of 150-75μm, 75-38μm and lower than 38μm; and a water to cement ratio of 0.45 was used for allspecimens. This study showed that the formation of Calcium Hydroxide Ca(OH)2 is decreased while theformation of C-S-H is increased simultaneously at 90 days for 75-38μm and <38μm glass powder. Theuse of waste glass as a partial cement replacement improves the cement strength through the formationof C-S-H due to the pozzolanic reaction with Ca(OH)2 improving the strength of the mortar.
ANALYSIS OF COMBINED FOOTINGS ON EXTENSIBLE GEOSYNTHETIC-STONE COLUMN IMPROVED GROUND
Authors: Maheshwari Priti
Published: March 2019

Analysis of combined footings resting on an extensible geosynthetic reinforced granular bed on stone column improved ground has been carried out in the present work. Various components of soil-foundation system have been idealized using lumped parameter modeling approach as: combined footing as finite length beam, granular layer as nonlinear Pasternak shear layer, geosynthetic reinforcement as elastic extensible membrane, stone columns as nonlinear Winkler springs and foundation soil as nonlinear Kelvin body. Hyperbolic constitutive relationships have been adopted to represent the nonlinear behavior of various elements of a soil-foundation system. Finite difference method has been employed to solve developed governing differential equations with the help of appropriate boundary and continuity conditions. A detailed parametric study has been conducted to study the effect of model parameters like applied load, flexural rigidity of footing, configuration of stone columns, ultimate bearing resistance of foundation soil and stone columns, tensile stiffness of geosynthetics and degree of consolidation on response of soil-foundation system by means of deflection and bending moment in the footing and mobilized tension in geosynthetic layer. These parameters have been found to have significant influence on the response of footing and the geosynthetic reinforcement layer. To quantify this, results have been nondimensionalized to produce design charts for ready use for the analysis of combined footings resting on such a soilfoundation system.
Toner Used In The Development of Foamed Concrete For Structural Use
Authors: Shawnim P. A. , Mohammad F.
Published: March 2019

This paper investigates the effect of toner as a new material on enhancing compressive strength and permeability of foamed concrete (FC). The aim is to develop the FC through testing the reaction of toner with the cement of the FC, to produce a hydrophobic lightweight FC to use for structural elements. Foamed concrete is generally made of ordinary Portland cement (OPC), sand, foaming agent, and water with a well spread pore structure. The experiment was carried out on 100 mm cubes. Results for toner inclusion of all the mixes, when added in the right quantities, showed high improvement for water penetration and compressive strength in comparison to the published data on FC for the use as structural material, which is a step forward in the advancement of FC to meet the aim of this research.
The Effect of Reinforcement, Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) and The Effect of Reinforcement, Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) andThe Effect of Reinforcement, Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) and Fly Ash On The Strength of Foam Concrete
Authors: M. F. Rosli , A. Rashidi , E. Ahmed , N. H Sarudu
Published: March 2019

Foam concrete is a type of lightweight concrete. The main characteristics of foam concrete are its low density and thermal conductivity. Its advantages are that there is a reduction of dead load, faster building rates in construction and lower haulage and handling costs. This research was conducted to investigate the compressive strength and flexural strength of reinforced foam concrete. The use of fly ash and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) as cement and sand replacement were also included in the production of reinforced foam concrete. There were two types of reinforcements used to reinforce the foam concrete namely plastic and wire mesh. Physical failure mode, compressive strength and flexural strength of samples were compared and analyzed. The replacement percentages for both fly ash and EPS were varied between 0-50% and 0-40% respectively. The study showed that it is feasible to reinforce the foam concrete and the best result was obtained from wire mesh reinforcement. The study also showed that the optimum replacement level for both fly ash and EPS was 30% based on compressive and flexural strength results.
AI and the Form of Capital – Preliminary Notes on the Media Culture of Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Schröter Jens , Ernst Christoph
Published: March 2019

Recently there is much talk about the coming possibilities of “Artificial Intelligence” or “Robotics”. But these technological developments are embedded in a media culture. The recent data surge is at once the precondition for machine learning as is the analysis of this data one of the goals of AI-research. The economicand ideological forms of society shape the media culture of AI. In this essay, we try to sketch these implications for understanding AI as a central topic of recent digital media culture.
Prohexadione-Calcium Application during Vegetative Growth Affects Growth of Mother Plants, Runners, and Runner Plants of Maehyang Strawberry
Authors: Kim Hyeon Min , Lee Hye Ri , Kang Jae Hyeon , Hwang Seung Jae
Published: March 2019

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) is an important horticultural crop that is vegetatively propagated using runner plants. To achieve massive production of runner plants, it is important to transfer the assimilation products of the mother plant to the runner plants, and not to the runner itself. Application of prohexadione–calcium (Pro–Ca), a plant growth retardant with few side effects, to strawberry is effective in inhibiting transport of assimilates to runners. This study aimed to determine the optimum application method and concentration of Pro–Ca on the growth characteristics of mother plants, runners, and runner plants for the propagation of strawberry in nurseries. Pro–Ca was applied at the rate of 0, 50, 100, 150, or 200 mg·L−1 (35 mL per plant) to plants via foliar spray or drenching under greenhouse conditions at 30 days after transplantation. Petiole lengths of mother plants were measured 15 weeks after treatment; growth was suppressed at the higher concentrations of Pro–Ca regardless of the application method. However, the crown diameter was not significantly affected by the application method or Pro–Ca concentration. The number of runners was 7.0 to 8.2, with no significant difference across treatments. Runner length was shorter at higher concentrations of Pro–Ca, especially in the 200 mg·L−1 drench treatment. However, fresh weight (FW) and dry weights (DW) of runners in the 50 mg·L−1 Pro–Ca drench treatments were higher than controls. Foliar spray and drench treatments were more effective for runner plant production than the control; a greater number of runner plants were produced with the 100 and 150 mg·L−1 Pro–Ca foliar spray treatment and the 50 and 100 mg·L−1 drench treatment. The FW and DW of the first runner plant was not significantly different in all treatments, but DW of the second runner plant, and FW and DW of the third runner plant were greatest in the 50 mg·L−1 Pro–Ca drench treatment. These results suggested that growth and production of runner plants of Maehyang strawberry were greatest under the 50 mg·L−1 Pro–Ca drench treatment.
The Sewage Sludge Biochar at Low Pyrolysis Temperature Had Better Improvement in Urban Soil and Turf Grass
Authors: Tian Yanfang , Cui Liu , Lin Qimei , Li Guitong , Zhao Xiaorong
Published: March 2019

In recent years, continuous efforts have been made to understand the impact of biochar on arable soil fertility. Little is known about whether the biochar derived from municipal sewage sludge has positive impacts on urban soil. In this study, we pyrolyzed spray-dried municipal sewage sludge at 200 °C, 300 °C, 500 °C, and 700 °C for 2 h in a muffle furnace and then amended it into an urban soil to grow turf grass in pots. The outcomes demonstrated that biochar incorporation caused remarkable increases in soil organic C, black C, total N, available P, and K by 3–8, 7–25, 2–9, 10–19, and 1.4–2 times, respectively. The dry matter of turf grass increased by 43–147%, probably due to the nutritional improvement after biochar addition. The turf grass grown in biochar-added soil had 4–70% lower heavy metals than that in the control, although the soils had much higher total heavy metals, which might imply that biochar amendment reduced the bioavailability of heavy metals. Considering the cost of biochar production and its impacts on both urban soil and grass, it would be alternative to convert the spray-dried municipal sewage sludge into biochar at 200 °C for 2 h and then used as an urban soil amendment.
Water Stress Permanently Alters Shoot Architecture in Common Bean Plants
Authors: Durigon Angelica , Evers Jochem , Metselaar Klaas , de Jong van Lier Quirijn
Published: March 2019

The effects of water stress on crop yield through modifications of plant architecture are vital to crop performance such as common bean plants. To assess the extent of this effect, an outdoor experiment was conducted in which common bean plants received five treatments: fully irrigated, and irrigation deficits of 30% and 50% applied in flowering or pod formation stages onwards. Evapotranspiration, number and length of pods, shoot biomass, grain yield and harvest index were assessed, and architectural traits (length and thickness of internodes, length of petioles and petiolules, length and width of leaflet blades and angles) were recorded and analyzed using regression models. The highest irrigation deficit in the flowering stage had the most pronounced effect on plant architecture. Stressed plants were shorter, leaves were smaller and pointing downward, indicating that plants permanently altered their exposure to sunlight. The combined effect of irrigation deficit and less exposure to light lead to shorter pods, less shoot biomass and lower grain yield. Fitted empirical models between water deficit and plant architecture can be included in architectural simulation models to quantify plant light interception under water stress, which, in turn, can supply crop models adding a second order of water stress effects on crop yield simulation.
Brexit and Animal Welfare Impact Assessment: Analysis of the Threats Brexit Poses to Animal Protection in the UK, EU and Internationally
Authors: McCulloch Steven P.
Published: March 2019

The British people voted in a 2016 referendum to leave the European Union (EU). Brexit presents both threats and opportunities to animal protection in the United Kingdom (UK), EU and internationally. This paper discusses threats to animal protection in terms of five criteria. These are first, political context; second, regulatory changes; third, economic and trade factors; fourth, institutional and capacity-related factors; and fifth, EU and international considerations. The EU has the most progressive animal welfare laws in the world. The Conservative Government delivering Brexit has a mixed record on animal protection. Major time and resource constraints inherent in Brexit risk negatively impacting animal protection. Brexit is projected to have a negative economic impact, which is generally associated with lower animal welfare standards. The development of Brexit policy suggests there to be a substantial risk that the major threat of importing lower welfare products to the UK will materialise. Brexit will reduce the political influence of the progressive animal protection lobby in the EU. Post-Brexit, the politically and economically weakened EU and UK risks a detrimental impact on animal protection on an international scale. Brexit poses substantial threats to animal protection, with a high risk that many threats will materialise. Further research is needed to assess the opportunities presented by Brexit to judge whether Brexit will be overall positive or negative for animal protection.
Coin Recognition Approach in Social Environments Using Virtual Organizations of Agents
Authors: Sales Mendes André , Villarrubia González Gabriel , De Paz Juan Francisco , López Barriuso Alberto , Lozano Murciego Álvaro
Published: March 2019

Social systems have gained relevance during the last decade, trying to provide intelligent environments where humans and machines collaborate to resolve a social problem. The main objective of this paper is to obtain an intelligent system specifically designed to help dependent and/or visually disabled people to count money more easily by using a mobile phone camera. The proposed system incorporates an image recognition system for classifying coins by using homography to transform images previously for classification tasks. The main difficulty in the appliance of these techniques relies on the fact that camera position and height are unknown. This process allows changing the perspective of the images in order to calculate different meaningful variables such as diameter and colour employed later to perform classification and counting tasks. The system uses the information of the variables as inputs for classification algorithms that allow us to identify the amount and type of coins. The system has been tested with euro coins. This paper presents the results obtained.
Influence of CeO2 Addition to Ni–Cu/HZSM-5 Catalysts on Hydrodeoxygenation of Bio-Oil
Authors: Wang Wenhe , Zhang Changsen , Chen Guanghui , Zhang Ruiqin
Published: March 2019

Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of bio-oil is a method of bio-oil upgrading. In this paper, x%CeO2–Ni–Cu/HZSM-5 (x = 5, 15, and 20) was synthesized as an HDO catalyst by the co-impregnation method. The HDO performances of x%CeO2–Ni–Cu/HZSM-5 (x = 5, 15, and 20) in the reaction process was evaluated and compared with Ni–Cu/HZSM-5 by the property and the yield of upgrading oil. The difference of the chemical composition between bio-oil and upgrading oil was evaluated by GC-MS. The results showed that the addition of CeO2 decreased the water and oxygen contents of upgrading oil, increased the high heating value, reduced acid content, and increased hydrocarbon content. When the CeO2 addition was 15%, the yield of upgrading reached the maximum, from 33.9 wt% (Ni–Cu/HZSM-5) to 47.6 wt% (15%CeO2–Ni–Cu/HZSM-5). The catalytic activities of x%CeO2–Ni–Cu/HZSM-5 (x = 5, 15, and 20) and Ni–Cu/HZSM-5 were characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption–desorption, NH3-Temperature-Programmed Desorption, H2-Temperature-Programmed Reaction, TEM, and XPS. The results showed that the addition of CeO2 increased the dispersion of active metal Ni, reduced the bond between the active metal and the catalyst support, increased the ratio of Bronsted acid to total acids, and decreased the reduction temperature of NiO. When the CeO2 addition was 15%, the activity of catalyst reached the best. Finally, the carbon deposition resistance of deactivated catalysts was investigated by a Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, and the results showed that the addition of CeO2 could improve the carbon deposition resistance of catalysts. When the CeO2 addition was 15%, the coke deposition decreased from 41 wt% (Ni–Cu/HZSM-5) to 14 wt% (15%CeO2–Ni–Cu/HZSM-5).
Bacterial Foraging-Based Algorithm for Optimizing the Power Generation of an Isolated Microgrid
Authors: Hernández-Ocaña Betania , Hernández-Torruco José , Chávez-Bosquez Oscar , Calva-Yáñez Maria B. , Portilla-Flores Edgar A.
Published: March 2019

An Isolated Microgrid (IMG) is an electrical distribution network combined with modern information technologies aiming at reducing costs and pollution to the environment. In this article, we implement the Bacterial Foraging Optimization Algorithm (BFOA) to optimize an IMG model, which includes renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, as well as a conventional generation unit based on diesel fuel. Two novel versions of the BFOA were implemented and tested: Two-Swim Modified BFOA (TS-MBFOA), and Normalized TS-MBFOA (NTS-MBFOA). In a first experiment, the TS-MBFOA parameters were calibrated through a set of 87 independent runs. In a second experiment, 30 independent runs of both TS-MBFOA and NTS-MBFOA were conducted to compare their performance on minimizing the IMG using the best parameter tuning. Results showed that TS-MBFOA obtained better numerical solutions compared to NTS-MBFOA and LSHADE-CV, an Evolutionary Algorithm, found in the literature. However, the best solution found by NTS-MBFOA is better from a mechatronic point of view because it favors the lifetime of the IMG, resulting in economic savings in the long term.