bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of Microwave-Assisted Ethanol Pre-Treatment Towards Delignification Efficiency of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch
Authors: Gill Ashvinder Singh , Wong Kam Huei , Lim Steven , Pang Yean Ling , Shuit Siew Hoong
Published: February 2024

Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) such as the oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) has emerged as one of the sustainable alternative renewable bio-resources in retrieving the valuable bioproducts such as lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. The natural recalcitrance of LCB by the disarray of lignin is overcome through the combinative application of organosolv pre-treatment followed by microwave irradiation, which helps to break down LCB into its respective components. This physicochemical treatment process was conducted to evaluate the effect of ethanol solvent, microwave power and duration against delignification and the total sugars yield. The highest delignification rate was obtained with lowest amount of lignin left in OPEFB sample of 0.57% for samples pre-treated with ethanol, subjected to reaction time of 90 minutes and microwave power of 520 W. Microwave power functions to increase the temperature of the ethanol organic solvent utilized, which in turn helps break the protective lignin layer of OPEFB. On the other hand, the data on surface morphology supports this data finding, where OPEFB samples pre-treated with 55 vol% of solvent subjected to similar microwave duration and power is observed to have higher opened and deepened surface structure, in which higher thermal degradation lead to more lignin being removed in order to expose and extract the total sugars. Therefore, it can be concluded that ethanol pre-treatment in combination with microwave irradiation can serve as a novel integrated method to optimize the delignification process from OPEFB.
Awareness of using Plastic Brick in Brunei Construction Industry
Authors: Rahman Md Motiar , Faizal Atikah
Published: February 2024

Plastics form a considerable part of wastes, which are not managed properly, but create many environmental and health problems. A part of such wastes can be used as plastic bricks, to offer effective management of plastic wastes, and reduced emissions, materials and energy cost. A questionnaire survey assessed awareness of Brunei construction industry through 73 responses using 13 relevant key benefits. The Cronbach’s Alpha suggested the reliability of the observed sample. Statistical t-tests confirmed that all the benefits are statistically significant, and of high general importance. Despite different priority of various groups of respondents, ANOVA results showed that they broadly agreed on the priority of importance of various factors. Such results were interpreted to have some good awareness of Brunei construction industry on using plastic bricks. Factor analysis extracted three interrelated components, suggesting a consolidated and holistic approach for wider adoption of plastic bricks in construction. The next step is to undertake further research of identifying and assessing large scale benefits, problems/challenges and relevant strategies for wider adoption of plastic bricks, and using larger sample size.
The Impacts of ICT and innovation on Carbon Dioxide Emissions in G20 Countries
Authors: Lee Hui Shan , Yap Le Ting , Lee Sin Yee , Har Wai Mun
Published: February 2024

The G20 countries collectively account for a substantial portion of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, as they represent the world’s major economies and industrial powers. The continual growth in CO2 emissions exacerbates the greenhouse effect, which negatively influences the environment and ecosystems by raising temperatures, altering weather patterns, and increasing sea levels. To effectively address global climate action, it is imperative to tackle and reduce CO2 emissions in G20 nations. The objective of this study is to investigate the impacts of ICT and innovation on CO2 emissions in G20 countries. Using panel quantile regression, we analyze data spanning from the year 2000 to 2019 to derive meaningful results. The findings demonstrate a strong positive association between ICT and CO2 in nations that fall between the 10th and 40th quantiles. The countries with carbon dioxide emissions falling between the 30th and 90th quantiles also showed a strong positive correlation between patent applications and CO2. The conclusion of this study shows that innovation and ICT do not always reduce CO2, especially at levels of CO2 emission below the 40th quantile. As a result, depending on the country’s CO2 level, different ICT and innovation-related initiatives may have different effects on CO2. The novelty of this study reveals that the relationship between ICT, innovation, and CO2 emissions is underscored by varying levels of CO2 emissions.
End-of-life waste management practices: A brief review
Authors: Roslim Nurul Ahsha Binti Haji , Rahman Md Motiar , Yusof Ismawi Hj Md
Published: February 2024

Effective management of construction and demolition waste is one of the key aspects of sustainable construction. As such, many studies have been conducted on waste management in construction in general, however, only a very few focusing on demolition or the end-of-life (EOL) phase of buildings. Understanding and managing EOL waste is important, e.g., to avoid illegal landfills, but critical to implement Circular Economy (CE) in construction. CE aims to create a regenerative built environment to make buildings more adaptable for the future and allows reclaiming of useable materials and components from old buildings to further use elsewhere, especially with the help of Building Information Modeling (BIM). Therefore, this study was designed to assess the construction industry awareness of EOL waste management, identify relevant issues/barriers, and a set of strategies to overcome those barriers and implement CE in construction. This paper specifically focused on the outcomes of a systematic literature review extracting relevant issues/barriers and strategies. A total of twenty-three barriers/issues in six groups and twenty-one strategies in four groups have been extracted. The six groups of issues/barriers are policy, sociological, expenses, technology, research and development, and time-related barriers. Among these, sociological barriers, particularly the lack of awareness, education, and publicity are perceived to be the major issues. Among the four groups of strategies, i.e. policy, organisational, technological, research, and development; Formulation of policies and setting goals specifically in achieving sustainable EOL waste management are mostly suggested/cited by previous authors than others. While a summarised discussion on these groups and individual factors will be presented in the paper, the next stage of the study is to refine the various factors and conduct a structured questionnaire survey of the construction industry participants, to tap experiential knowledge and suggestions.
Bearing capacity of Percut Sei Tuan clay stabilized with palm shell ash
Authors: Endriani Debby , Bawadi Nor Faizah , Waruwu Aazoki , Ritonga Ahmad Hafizullah
Published: February 2024

Improvements to the bearing capacity of the soil have been carried out and developed at this time, one of which is the stabilization of clay soils. There are several alternatives to solve low soil bearing capacity, one of which is using geo-synthetic materials but has a weakness in terms of high cost. Another alternative is to add palm shell ash as a stabilizing agent. The effect of adding palm shell ash has not been thoroughly studied, so further research is needed. The material added is palm shell ash with a variation of 0%, 4%, 8%, 10%, and 12% in each test. The tests carried out in the laboratory were water content (w), specific gravity test (Gs), Atterberg limit test, sieve analysis (sieve analysis), soil compaction test, and CBR (California Bearing Ratio) test. The CBR test was carried out by curing the soil for 1, 3, 5, and 7 days with a mixture of palm shell ash before compaction. The soil in this study belongs to the A-7-5 group. The CBR (California bearing ratio) value increased with the increase in the palm shell ash percentage in the mixture after curing the soil. The highest CBR value was in the variation of 12% palm shell ash with a 7-day curing period of 6.92% with a soil bearing capacity of 5.06.
The Effect of Seismic Design on Total Cost of Structural Work for Medium Rise Apartment Building
Authors: Zulkhibri N S , Adiyanto M I , Roslan H A
Published: February 2024

People believed Malaysia did not experience earthquakes because the country is not in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Then, an earthquake of magnitude M
w 6.0 struck Ranau, Sabah, meaning Malaysia was no longer safe from seismic catastrophes. This is especially true when most buildings in Malaysia are not made to withstand the shaking that comes from earthquakes. Considering the seismic design will mean using higher steel reinforcement, immediately raising costs. Hence, this paper studies the cost effect on Sabah’s 6-story reinforced concrete (RC) apartment building. The study had three levels of reference peak ground acceleration: α
gR = 0.08 g, 0.12 g, and 0.16 g, and the soil type was D which was classified as Ductility Class Medium (DCM). In the comparison between the non-seismic and seismic models, the findings suggested that the amount of steel reinforcement per 1 m3 of concrete increased by 7% and 31%, respectively. Other than that, the cost increment of structural work increased by 3.3% to 12.7% compared to the non-seismic model.
The Effect of Cross Sectional Properties of Concrete Column on the Repair Material: A Review
Authors: Ali Saleh Ahmed Alhaj , Zahid M.Z.A. Mohd , Razak S.M. , Rahim Nur Liza , Johari Izwan
Published: February 2024

The utilization of Ultra High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) as a material for repairing concrete structures holds immense promise and potential. UHPFRC usage in concrete has been a significant rise in the interest surrounding the enhancement and renovation of concrete structures, particularly focusing on columns. UHPFRC has showcased remarkable bonding potency with concrete, along with an impressive capacity to renew the load-bearing capability of compromised reinforced concrete columns. However, the limited application of UHPRFC as a repair material for concrete columns is primarily attributable to a lack of comprehension regarding the influence of shape and size effects, particularly as they pertain to square and rectangular columns. In this paper, the factors behind the impact of cross-sectional properties on the effectiveness of UHPFRC as a repair material is presented. Therefore, it can be adopted by researchers to explore the UHPFRC potential in structural rehabilitation applications especially for concrete columns. It is believed that the relationship between the cross-sectional area, aspect ratio, and corner radius ratio of the column and repair material is a vital parameter affecting the performance of repaired columns.
Utilizing Eco-Zno from green synthesis of Musa Acuminata peels and graphene oxide for removal of Cephalexin (CFX) antibiotic in water
Authors: Ee W , Mohamed R M S R , Al-Gheethi A , Khamidun M H , Heshammuddin N A
Published: February 2024

Cephalexin (CFX) antibiotic concentration has been used as a marker for identifying emerging pollutants (EPs) in the non-medical setting due to its significant ability to cause antimicrobial resistance with the highest risk quotient. This study aimed to determine the characteristics of Eco-Zinc Oxide-Graphene Oxide (Eco-ZnO/GO) nanocomposite (NC) from green synthesis of Musa Acuminata by using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX). The focus of the study is to optimize the efficiency of Eco-ZnO/GO NC from green synthesis of M. Acuminata for removal of CFX by using adsorption. The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) will be used as well to analyzed the adsorbent dosage, irradiation time, and pH value to obtain the optimum condition of the efficiency of Eco-ZnO/GO for the removal of CFX. The average particle sizes for Eco-ZnO and GO were determined to be 10 nm and 300 nm, respectively, by using FESEM. It is deduced that the optimization factors of adsorbent dosage to 100 mg/L, irradiation time to 120 min, and intial concentration of CFX to 100 mg/L could achieve the mean removal of CFX by 22.17 %. The study contributed to the new knowledge of using nanocomposite materials to remove CFX in the water. However, more thorough studies are needed to obtain higher removal capacity.
Reduction of Microplastic in Wastewater Via Electrocoagulation Process
Authors: Kasmuri Norhafezah , Rosli Mohd Syafiq , Zaini Nurfadhilah , Nayono Satoto Endar
Published: February 2024

In recent years, microplastic has become an emerging contaminant that has endangered the ecosystem and public health. This environmental issue has been discovered in the atmosphere, soil, and water bodies. These sources of pollutants can be either primary or secondary. The primary sources of microplastic are the clothing and cosmetic industry, plastic manufacturing plants, fishing businesses, shipping lines, sewage treatment plants, car tires and air blasting. Moreover, microplastic emission from secondary sources involves degrading large plastic particles to smaller elements under mechanical fragmentation and ultraviolet. Microplastic can be defined as plastic particles of different shapes that are less than 5mm. It can be denoted that this microplastic has been detected in the wastewater effluent and needs to be sufficiently removed from the conventional methods. Therefore, this research aims to determine the reduction rate of microplastic in wastewater via the electrocoagulation process. The wastewater effluent was taken from the wastewater treatment plant, Universiti Teknologi MARA Campus Dengkil. The characteristics of the wastewater effluent have been determined for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia-nitrogen, total suspended solids (TSS), turbidity and E.coli. The microplastic employed in the experiment was polystyrene (PS). A duration of 60 and 120 minutes were taken to reduce the PS. Additionally, the analysis using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) has been done to observe the chemical structure of the PS polymer. The results showed that the maximum percentage of reduction for COD was 100%, TSS with a value of 80%, ammonia-nitrogen of 98% and turbidity of 46%. Besides, the removal of PS has achieved 82% using this technique. It can be found that electrocoagulation can be a promising method for reducing the microplastic in the water environment, especially in the wastewater treatment plant.
Analysis of Algae and Bacteria Mixture in Removing Pollutants from Laundry Wastewater
Authors: Rodzi Nur Atikah Amirah Mat , Kasmuri Norhafezah , Zaini Nurfadhilah , Azri Noor Azreen Abu , Nayono Satoto Endar
Published: February 2024

Laundry detergents contain high nutrients, especially phosphate and nitrogen compounds. High concentrations of these nutrients can cause eutrophication to the water bodies and are toxic to aquatic organisms. Thus, this study aims to identify the characteristics of laundry wastewater and to enhance the treatment for the pollutants using algae and bacteria mixture. Moreover, the removal efficiency for this pollutant has been determined after the batch experiment. The characteristics of laundry wastewater were evaluated using in-situ and laboratory analysis. The in-situ testing included pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen (DO) parameters. Laboratory experiments consist of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), ammonia-nitrogen, nitrite-nitrogen, and nitrate-nitrogen. The results were recorded for the parameters before and after treatment. It can be revealed that the concentration of 2 g of algae had recorded 61% COD removal. For the concentration of 0.5 g algae, the highest percentage of removal recorded was 79.2% for ammonia-nitrogen. For total suspended solids (TSS), a maximum of 79% has been removed for a 0.5 g algae mixture. An average of 90% removal has been detected for 2 g algae and 1 g algae concentrations, respectively. Therefore, these algae and bacteria mixtures can be considered green technology to biodegrade the pollutants and enhance the quality of the laundry wastewater.
Effect of Flowrate and Pressure on the Crossflow Filtration in Textile Wastewater Treatment by Commercial UF Membrane
Authors: Chan See Yi , Chong Kok Chung , Chong Woon Chan , Lai Soon Onn , Pang Yean Ling , Mah Shee Keat
Published: February 2024

Textile industries are one of the greatest wastewater producers as they require a significant amount of water to be used in the dyeing and finishing processes of textile manufacturing. The number of unit operations in the technological process, the product range, the bath ratio, the mass of fiber in relation to the bath volume, and the finishing machine are some variables that will affect water consumption in the textile industry. As a result, generally, a typical textile plant may consume a volume of water between 100,000 and 300,000 m3 annually. As textiles address a substantial portion of human requirements, it is predicted that by 2050, there will be 160 million metric tonnes, three times as much clothing as there is today. Membrane technology in wastewater treatment is a recent interest arising technique and garnering the industrial application’s interest, owing to its ease of setup and low energy requirement. Crossflow membrane filtration is commonly used in the industry, attributed to its tangential flow across the membrane mechanism, leading to low fouling. This study investigated the textile wastewater’s effluents using crossflow ultrafiltration (UF) membrane filtration. The effect of the operating parameter in terms of pressure and flowrate of the crossflow system were performed to evaluate it permeate flux performance. The study’s outcome reveals pressure increases from 2 bar to 4 bar, the water flux enhances dramatically from 156.26 L/m2hr to 591.98 L/m2hr, and the water flux further increases constantly from 4 bar to 10 bar. On the other hand, the flowrate positively affects the permeate flux, where the flux was enhanced from 651.01 L/m2hr to 726.08 L/m2hr when adjusting the flow rate from 2 LPM to 6 LPM. The results from this study suggested that crossflow membrane filtration system could be commercially feasible due to its permeate flux performance.
The Influence of Stilling Basin Length on Velocity Changes Using Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis
Authors: Riyanto Didit Puji , Hakim Febri Fahmi , Arisanto Pranu
Published: February 2024

There are many ways to model hydraulic structures. Making prototype of hydraulic structures are costly, so alternative methods need to make an efficient model. Computational Fluid Dynamics is reliable to perform the variations model of hydraulic structures, which means enabling to create of many simulations without dangering people and safely at the cost. This paper discussed the influence of the stilling basin length variation on velocity changes. The stilling basin model draws on a 3-dimensional computer-aided design with three differences in length and export files as .stl. The analysis of Computational Fluid Dynamics is using Simflow open-source CFD software. The simulation is performed at a constant Flow Rate of 65 m3/s. There are three points of velocity monitoring, namely P1, P2, and P3. The position of P1 is located at the center of the stilling basin. P2 and P3 are located at the bottom and the top of the End Sill. The final stage of simulation showed that the stilling basin with the 10 meters length has a velocity at P1, P2, and P3 of 9.43, 7.16, and 5.25 m/s. Other velocity results for 9.5 meters length (P1, P2, P3) are approximately 9.55, 7.92, and 5.78 m/s. The last case using 9 meters length has results of 9.61, 8.30, and 5.83 m/s of velocity. The conclusions of the results showed that shortening the stilling basin length is affecting an increase in the velocity.
Velocity Distribution and Bed Profile Variation for Inbank Flow in a Meandering Channel
Authors: Kamal Wan Nor Afiqa Wan Mustafah , Jumain Mazlin , Ibrahim Zulkiflee , Sa’ari Radzuan , Makhtar Md Ridzuan , Jamaludin Azanni Nur Izzati , Sharom Mohamad Syukri , Ali Siti Nurhayati Mohd
Published: February 2024

Meandering is relatively a common river planform in Malaysia. The sediments transported along the channel due to erosion and deposition are the main reason of meandering river formation. This resulted when the outer bend experienced higher velocities while lower velocities occurred at the inner bend which resulting in sedimentation processes along the river. Hydraulic characteristics in meandering river are considerably more complex and unique as compared to the straight river. Therefore, an experimental investigation was conducted in the Hydraulic Laboratory, UTM Johor Bahru to enhance the understanding of the hydraulics behaviour and morphological changes of an inbank flow in a sand bed meandering channel. Flow classification, streamwise velocity distribution and bed profile changes are addressed in this paper. The findings prevailed that the maximum velocity reduced up to 10% from the upstream to downstream due to the resistance from the meanders. Furthermore, erosion and deposition processes along the channel highly influenced by the velocity distribution. The maximum velocity shifted toward the outer and decreased at the inner of the meander resulting in the deposition and erosion. Higher erosion and deposition were observed at the outer and inner bends, respectively during high flow discharge.
Assessing Hydrological Response in the Timah-Tasoh Reservoir Sub-Catchments: Calibration and Validation using the HEC-HMS Model
Authors: Nordin N A S , Hassan Z , Noor N M , Kamarudzaman A N , Ahmadni A S A
Published: February 2024

Hydrological modelling is a tool that is frequently used for assessing the hydrological response of a basin as a result of precipitation. It is also a vital component as water resources and environmental planning management. The study deals with calibrating and validating the hydrological response in the sub-catchments of the Timah-Tasoh reservoir using the hydrological model named Hydrologic Engineering Center – Hydrologic Modelling System (HEC-HMS). This study uses the SCS Curve Number, the SCS Unit Hydrograph, the constant monthly baseflow, and lag routing for the model development. The model was simulated for ten (10) years for calibration and nine (9) years for validation. The model calibration and validation efficiency were assessed using the coefficient of correlation (R). The findings show that the HEC-HMS model performs satisfactorily in simulating the observed daily inflow series, with the R-value of 0.4902-0.5139 during calibration and 0.5047-0.5559 during validation process. Thus, the result obtained from this study can be used as a preliminary development of hydrological modelling of the catchment of the Timah-Tasoh reservoir and can be used for extend application such as water inflow forecasting, impact of land use to the reservoir and others.
Assessing the Influence of Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) Changes on Hydrological Response of the Timah-Tasoh Reservoir
Authors: Nordin N A S , Hassan Z , Noor N M , Kamarudzaman A N , Ahmadni A S A
Published: February 2024

Changing patterns in land use and land cover (LULC) is potentially due to development pressure. Due to the increase in LULC change, it alters natural ecosystems and changing the composition of the natural ecosystem services. This study provides evidence to support the hypothesis that LULC can influence both inflow and discharge. The objectives of the study were to measure the impact of LULC change on inflow of the Timah-Tasoh reservoir. The study area land cover was reclassified into five categories which included agriculture, built-up areas, forest, vacant land, and water bodies. Based on the effect of LULC on hydrological response, it is observed that the catchment is not sensitive to changes in LULC. Two mains of LULC scenarios were used including deforestation and afforestation. With an increase in CN to 89.26 (deforestation), the inflow rate increases by 2% (342.20 m3/s) compared to the present inflow rate. Meanwhile, the inflow rate will decrease to 0.21% (334.80 m3/s) if the CN value is 80.02 (afforestation). Thus, by using this study’s results, a better method and parameters compatible with another hydrological modelling can be developed for future study.
Hydrological Modelling with HEC-HMS in Krueng Peudada Sub-Watershed Bireuen Regency
Authors: Akmal  , Yulia  , Khaira Husnul
Published: February 2024

The flood that occurred in Krueng Peudada was influenced by several factors, such as watershed conditions. Heavy rains caused Krueng Peudada to overflow so that a number of villages adjacent to the river were submerged. Based on these problems, to minimize the occurrence of flooding in Krueng Peudada building, namely by carrying out occurrence of flooding in Krueng Peudada to be used to obtain peak discharge as a reference in building planning in Krueng Peudada using HEC-HMS (Hydrologic Engineering Center’s Hydrologic Modelling System). The benefit of the research is that the resulting model can be useful as a guide in calculating flood discharge considerations. The scope of this research includes the research location at Krueng Peudada using annual maximum daily rainfall data, calculating the return period of rainfall using of Gumbel probability distribution, Normal Log, Normal, and Pearson III Log as the basis for calculating the discharge and continuing the calculation of the hours with Manonobe and ABM. The results of calculations of the Nakayasu Synthetic Unit Hydrograph Method and running from HEC-HMS found that the flow that occurred in the Krueng Peudada two sub-watershed was 2903m3/second and 2723,0 m3/second, it can be concluded that in determining watershed management the flood discharge obtainded has error as much as 6,2%. The difference in the results obtained is due to the number of sub-watersheds in the watershed based on different flows and the value of the curve number for each area of the sub-watershed.
Evaluation of Changes in the Function of Green Open Spaces in Public Facilities in the City of Banda Aceh (Case Study: Blang Padang Field Area)
Authors: Marlina Henny , Aini Qurratul
Published: February 2024

The existence of the Blang Padang Field as a green open space (RTH) in Banda Aceh City based on its natural weight, is included in the category of non-natural areas or built areas. This built area has ecological, social and recreational functions for the surrounding community in Banda Aceh City. This area is used as a tourism zone and public open space, where this area is often used as a gathering location or meeting friends for people who live and visit the city of Banda Aceh. People usually enjoy the atmosphere of the Blang Padang field by spreading mats or sitting directly on the green grass. Based on the type of open space, the Blang Padang field is included in the public open space category. According to the Regulation of the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency of the Republic of Indonesia Number 14 of 2022, the proportion of green public open space in the city park consisting of at least 85% green cover and the rest being environmentally friendly non-green cover. This proportion can provide a balanced urban ecosystem which can increase the availability of clean air needed by people in urban areas. In addition, clean air can also increase the value of the beauty and comfort of a city. The condition of the Blang Padang Field area is currently starting to be used as an area of economic activity, causing a decrease in ecological quality, such as increasing air temperature and urban environmental pollution. The focus of this research is to evaluate the percentage of pavement area and green area in the Blang Padang Field area. The results can determine changes in function that occur in green open space in the area. The research method used is descriptive quantitative method. Data collection techniques were carried out through observation, interviews, literature studies and documentation studies. The results showed that the area of Blang Padang is 95,521m2 (9.5 Ha). The pavement area is 28,442m2 (2.8 Ha) with a percentage of 29.77% of the total area. Based on the results obtained, the most concerning factor is the increase in the permanent pavement area. The use of pavement on the Blang Padang field has exceeded the minimum required limit. The pavement area is used as parking facilities for both two- and four-wheeled wheels, culinary facilities and sports facilities.
Safety Practice Assessment Plan Review in Railway Engineering Industrial Towards Sustainable Construction
Authors: Chinniah Yugeswaran , Norsyakilah Romeli , Soleha Abdul Rahim Nur , Amierah Harun Nur , Afiq Abd Ghapar Muhammad Aizat
Published: February 2024

The emerging growth of the universal railway development has inspired many nations, including Malaysia, as a crucial strategy for construction sustainable by improving the domestic transportation network and boost economic competitiveness. It serves as the foundation of a city’s public transportation system, to convey huge numbers of people effectively. An organization’s sustainable development strategy should be examined in conjunction with other factors such, occupational safety, and health. Hence, implementation safety practice assessment plan review in railway engineering industrial towards sustainable construction is important. This study was focused on the objectives of (i) to identify safety practice assessment for improvement strategy in railway industrial engineering, (ii) to investigate safety practice assessment challenges in railway engineering industry, and (iii) to analyses safety practice assessment elements in railway engineering industrial. There are 20 journals listed, with 100 articles selected articles were dissected and then the variables on challenges in safety practice has been identified. From the results of the framework, recommendation to improve safety practice assessment plan for future railway engineering industrial to sustain construction can establish. Thus, the research will be helpful for them to understand better upon the procedures and possible safety issues, and able to practice safety procedures to avoid undesired accidents to assist Malaysian construction sustainability. In addition, for the existing literatures, this research will be an additional input for the lacking details related to safety practices in railway project sites.
Soil Contamination Assessment at Pasir Gudang Industrial Area
Authors: Lat Diana Che , Mat Yusof Doris Asmani , Rashid Ammar Mohd , Yasin Mohd Hanafie , Hamid Hazrul Abdul , Razali Roslizayati , Ali Nazri , Jais Ismacahyadi Bagus Mohamed
Published: February 2024

The problem of soil contamination around industrial areas in recent years might be due to arbitrary industrialization, unproper irrigation practices, modern industrialization practices, and the indiscriminate use of fertilizer and pesticides that contribute to environmental degradation. Such anthropogenic activity always results in depletion of soil and water quality, such as deterioration of soil quality and pollution of soil and surface water, which result in a variety of health hazards. Therefore, there is a need to study a comprehensive approach to land quality issues in industrial areas. In this study, contamination indices and soil quality guidelines were used to evaluate the contamination status of soils around the Pasir Gudang industrial area. Soil samples were collected at the selected locations near industrial, riverside, residential, and educational areas. The data generated in the current study will be very useful for safe monitoring of the area by authorities and planners in land resource management.
Elucidation of the Influence of Construction Waste Causative Factors and Strategies towards Sustainable Construction Waste Management Improvement
Authors: Ishak Nurfadzillah , Azizan Muhammad Azizi , Rahim Nur Soleha Abdul , Harun Nur Amierah
Published: February 2024

The uncontrolled generation of construction waste happened due to the rapid development of the construction industry become one of the significant environmental issues in Malaysia. Therefore, sustainability was applied in construction waste management strategies. Sustainability in construction waste management emphasized the relevance of co-development in the economy, environment, and society and helped to achieve harmony in the economy, environment, and society. Therefore, this research was conducted with the aims to identify the causative factors of construction waste, determine the construction waste management strategies, and discover the relationship between the causative factors of construction waste and construction waste management strategies towards sustainable construction waste management improvement. In this regard, this research was conducted quantitatively using the questionnaire as a research medium to obtain feedback from the construction organizations on the causative factors and management strategies of construction waste towards sustainable construction waste management improvement. The developed questionnaire was distributed via a virtual method among project managers as representatives of construction organizations operating in Penang. As a result, 29.6 percent of the response rate was accepted. The analysis showed that the management factor, regulation factor and prevention strategy was important factors and strategies for sustainable construction waste management improvement and found that there was a strong relationship between them. Finally, this research outlined strategies to achieve sustainable construction waste management improvement in the construction industry and create a better environment.
Relationships between Air Pollutants and Meteorological Factors during Southwest and Northeast Monsoon at Urban Areas in Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Ramli Norazrin , Rubini Mahiesha , Noor Norazian Mohamed
Published: February 2024

People who currently live in urban areas are subjected to significantly higher levels of exposure to air pollution. Pollutant concentrations in the air change according to the weather, the locations of the many sources of pollution, and the topography of the area. This study examines the link between meteorological parameters (ambient temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed) and daily air pollutant concentrations in four monitoring stations at Peninsular Malaysian cities (Seberang Perai, Pasir Gudang, Batu Muda, and Kemaman) during southwest and northeast monsoon. Pearson Correlation Analysis analyzed air quality data over two years (January 2016 - January 2018). The study found that PM10 concentrations were highest at all monitoring locations. At all monitoring locations, climatic parameters correlated with NO2, PM10, and CO. Air pollution and meteorological conditions correlate weakly to moderately during the southwest monsoon. The investigation found that weather conditions affect O3 most during the dry season. CO and climatic parameters correlated weakly at all four monitoring stations during the northeast monsoon. PM10 correlated positively with ambient temperature and negatively with relative humidity and wind speed at all four stations. The northeast monsoon correlation values were weak to moderate. This study will help officials identify optimal air pollution controls for metropolitan areas during monsoon seasons in line with SDG-11, which promotes sustainable cities and communities.
3D modeling of normal skin and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. A comparative study in 2D cultures, spheroids, and 3D bioprinted systems
Authors: Kurzyk Agata , Szumera-Ciećkiewicz Anna , Miłoszewska Joanna , Chechlińska Magdalena
Published: February 2024

The current cancer research and drug testing are primarily based on 2D cell cultures and animal models. However, these methods have limitations and yield distinct drug response patterns. This study addressed this gap by developing an innovative in vitro human three-dimensional (3D) normal skin model and a multicellular model of human cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) using 3D bioprinting technology. Comparative analyzes were performed between bioprinted 3D-cSCC model, consisting of HaCaT keratinocytes, primary normal human dermal fibroblasts and A431 cancer cells (tricellular), bioprinted 3D-A431 model composed of A431 cancer cells only (monocellular), A431 cancer cell spheroids, and conventional 2D models. The models were structurally characterized by light microscopy, immunofluorescence (LIVE/DEAD assay, confocal microscopy) and immunohistochemistry (hematoxylin/eosin, p63, vimentin, Ki67, epidermal growth factor receptor stainings). The spatial arrangement of the 3D models was analyzed using the ARIVIS scientific image analysis platform. All models were also functionally assessed by cetuximab (CTX) response testing with the MTS assay. 3D-cSCC models were maintained for up to 16 weeks. Morphological and histological examinations confirmed the presence of skin-like layers in the bioprinted 3D models of normal skin, and the intricate and diverse features of the bioprinted skin cancer model, replicating the critical in vivo characteristics. In both mono- and tricellular bioprinted tumor constructs, there was a gradual formation and continuous growth of spheroid-like clusters of cancer cells, significantly influencing the morphology of the models. Cancer cells in the 3D bioprinted constructs showed reduced sensitivity to CTX compared to spheroids and 2D cultures. This study underscores the potential of 3D multicellular models in elucidating drug responses and gaining a better understanding the intricate interplay of cellular components within the tumor microenvironment. Developing the multicellular 3D tumor model paves the way for new research critical to advancing fundamental cancer research and future clinical applications, particularly drug response testing.
Effect of antenna helicity on discharge characteristics of helicon plasma under a divergent magnetic field
Authors: SUN 孙 Meng 萌 , XU 徐 Xiaofang 晓芳 , WANG 王 Chenwen 陈文 , YIN 尹 Xianyi 贤轶 , CHEN 陈 Qiang 强 , ZHANG 张 Haibao 海宝
Published: February 2024

The characteristics of the blue core phenomenon observed in a divergent magnetic field helicon plasma are investigated using two different helical antennas, namely right-handed and left-handed helical antennas. The mode transition, discharge image, spatial profiles of plasma density and electron temperature are diagnosed using a Langmuir probe, a Nikon D90 camera, an intensified charge-coupled device camera and an optical emission spectrometer, respectively. The results demonstrated that the blue core phenomenon appeared in the upstream region of the discharge tube at a fixed magnetic field under both helical antennas. However, it is more likely to appear in a right-handed helical antenna, in which the plasma density and ionization rate of the helicon plasma are higher. The spatial profiles of the plasma density and electron temperature are also different in both axial and radial directions for these two kinds of helical antenna. The wavelength calculated based on the dispersion relation of the bounded whistler wave is consistent with the order of magnitude of plasma length. It is proved that the helicon plasma is part of the wave mode discharge mechanism.
Multi-bit MRAM based high performance neuromorphic accelerator for image classification
Authors: Verma Gaurav , Soni Sandeep , Nisar Arshid , Kaushik Brajesh Kumar
Published: February 2024

Binary neural networks (BNNs) are the most efficient solution to bridge the design gap of the hardware implementation of neural networks in a resource-constrained environment. Spintronics is a prominent technology among emerging fields for next-generation on-chip non-volatile memory. Spin transfer torque (STT) and spin-orbit torque (SOT) based magnetic random-access memory (MRAM) offer non-volatility and negligible static power. Over the last few years, STT and SOT-based multilevel spintronic memories have emerged as a promising solution to attain high storage density. This paper presents the operation principle and performance evaluation of spintronics-based single-bit STT and SOT MRAM, dual-level cells, three-level cells (TLCs), and four-level cells. Further, multi-layer perceptron architectures have been utilized to perform MNIST image classification with these multilevel devices. The performance of the complete system level consisting of crossbar arrays with various MRAM bit cells in terms of area, energy, and latency is evaluated. The throughput efficiency of the BNN accelerator using TLCs is 26.6X, and 3.61X higher than conventional single-bit STT-MRAM, and SOT-MRAM respectively.
Clinical dashboard development and implementation to standardize data capture and reporting across health-system specialty pharmacies
Authors: Fitzpatrick Casey , Kantoris Carson , Giavatto Carly , Lopez-Medina Ana I , Mourani Jessica , Hardin Brandon , Mayol Torres Hector , Skrtic Amber , Rosa Erica
Published: February 2024

Purpose

To describe the development and implementation of clinical dashboards to standardize data capturing and reporting across multiple partner health systems.

Between July and September 2020, clinical dashboards were developed and implemented across multiple partner health-system specialty pharmacies (HSSPs) located throughout the United States. The dashboards were developed via collaboration between personnel involved in clinical subcommittees, clinical outcomes, data analytics, information technology, and clinical and central operations. Utilizing a cloud-scale business intelligence service, patient clinical data documented in a shared patient management system was utilized to create customizable dashboards that displayed patient-reported outcome measures, collected laboratory or test results, and completed pharmacist interventions. Separate dashboards were developed for several disease states and/or medication classes. Based on specialty pharmacy recommendations, medical literature, and clinical guidelines, internally developed disease-specific protocols defined data included in the dashboards and ensured consistent data collection amongst partner health systems. Having access to real-time clinical information allows health systems to closely monitor performance metrics, track patient outcomes, and identify operational gaps.

Conclusion

Accurately capturing and reporting clinical metrics using clinical dashboards can assist HSSPs in delivering high-quality care. Having access to clinical outcome measures allows HSSPs to better understand the impact of their services on patients’ health and quality of life. Health systems can utilize this data to analyze trends and recognize areas of opportunity so that measures can be taken to improve patient care.
Liquid Crystals: A Phenomenological Approach to Complexity of University Students' Identity Formation Through Translanguaging Perspective
Authors: Hori Yaeko , Sugihara Yumi , Wei Li
Published: February 2024

In a world with existential issues, inequalities/injustice are (re)emerging in varying degrees around the globe, and yet, each of us strives to sustain our life with our own disappointments/griefs and desires/hopes. Then, identity formation research should elucidate how a human being makes sense of multifaceted voices/dimensions (‘selves’ and ‘(social) identities’) and what propels each to sustain/envision one’s desires/hopes in the future. Thus, based upon the legacy of identity-related research in applied linguistics, we present longitudinal research by a phenomenological approach focusing on ‘international students’ in Japan. In developing the approach, we utilized translanguaging as a holistic conceptualization of human communication and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis as methodology (interview analysis contextualized with observation and on/off line correspondence data). As a result, the first author interpreted that each student’s life theme/moral aspiration served as a pivot around which various categories/features revolved (solidified/loosened). In such dynamic relationalities, perceptions/ideologies towards named language(s)/identity categories transformed. We argue it is important to interpret why and how each uses/creates categories/labels/binaries as reference points in expressing oneself—not as objective/scientific but as (inter)subjective evidence.
Deciphering Depressor Anguli Oris for Lower Face Rejuvenation: A Prospective Ultrasound-based Investigation
Authors: Zhang Mengyuan , Yang Yuyan , Dong Ruijia , Wang Liquan , Sun Yixin , Li Yunzhu , Wang Zhaojian , Xu Ruichen , Yang Wenqian , Jin Lin , Huang Jiuzuo , Yu Nanze , Long Xiao
Published: February 2024

Background

The depressor anguli oris muscle (DAO) is a pivotal treatment target when creating a harmonic jawline. However, evidence of its live morphology remains scarce.

Objectives

In this study we aimed to reevaluate the DAO with a facile ultrasound analysis and thereby guide safer and more effective botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injection.

Methods

A prospective ultrasound assessment was conducted in 41 patients. Morphology of the DAO and its relative position to neighboring structures were appraised at the ubiquitous facial landmark, the labiomandibular fold (LMF). Three-dimensional images were captured before and after the patient received the BTX-A injection based on sonographic evidence.

Results

The skin-to-muscle depths of the DAO on average (measured from the medial to lateral border) were 5.26, 5.61, and 8.42 mm. The DAO becomes thinner and wider from zone 1 to zone 3 (P < .001). Overlapping lengths of the DAO and the depressor labii inferioris increased from zone 1 to zone 3: 4.74, 9.68, 14.54 mm (P < .001). The medial border of the DAO was located at 4.33, 6.12, 8.90 mm medial to the LMF (zone 1-3), and no muscle fibers of the DAO were observed in zone 1 or zone 2 in nearly one-third of patients. Improvement of the mouth corner downturn angle upon receiving BTX-A injection at zones 2 and 3 were 88.3%, 32.3%, and 14.7% for the neutral, maximum smile, and down-turning mouth corner expressions.

Conclusions

This work established an informative ultrasound portrait of the DAO and structures in the perioral region, which suggested the LMF as a convenient landmark for locating the DAO. Injection at the middle and lower thirds of the LMF at a 4- to 5-mm depth is recommended.