Pencirian keseragaman campuran dan sifat reologi bahan suapan merupakan elemen penting dalam melaksanakan proses pengacuan suntikan seramik. Kesesuaian bahan suapan yang dibangunkan dapat mengurangkan masalah yang timbul ketika proses pengacuan suntikan, penyahikatan dan pensinteran. Justeru itu, kajian ini dijalankan untuk mengenal pasti pembebanan serbuk yang optimum berdasarkan kepada keseragaman campuran dan sifat reologi bahan. Pencirian keseragaman campuran ditentukan berdasarkan kepada nilai tork yang rendah dan berkeadaan mantap. Kajian reologi pula dilakukan dengan menggunakan mesin reometer rerambut. Ujian dijalankan pada julat suhu 150 dan 170oC dengan beban kenaan antara 20 dan 90 kgf. Bahan suapan yang digunakan terdiri daripada kombinasi serbuk seramik alumina-zirkonia bersama bahan pengikat polietilena berketumpatan tinggi, lilin parafin dan asid stearik. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahan suapan bersifat pseudoplastik dengan pencampuran bahan yang seragam dalam tempoh kurang daripada 30 min. Hasil keputusan juga mendapati pada pembebanan serbuk 57% isi padu adalah yang paling optimum untuk proses pengacuan suntikan seramik berdasarkan kepada nilai kelikatan, indeks hukum kuasa dan tenaga pengaktifan aliran yang rendah.
The study was aimed to determine the variation in taxonomic diversity of Polynemus paradiseus based on morphometric and meristic analyses of samples collected from three coastal rivers of Bangladesh (Payra, Tentulia and Kirtonkhola). A total of 105 individuals ranging at 10-20 cm in total length (TL) and 7.91-60.64 g in body weight (BW) were sampled using Been nets and Kachal and Veshal nets. Significant differences were observed in 24 out of 25 morphometric measurements and 6 out of 10 meristic counts among the populations. In morphometric measurements, the first discriminant function (DF1) was accounted for 78.6% and the second discriminant function (DF2) was accounted for 21.4% of among groups variability, explaining 100% of total among group variability. A dendrogram based on morphometric data showed that the Tentulia and Kirtankhola populations showed high degree of overlapping and these two populations were highly different from Payra river population. The canonical graph also showed that the populations of Tentulia and Kirtankhola rivers were more closely related comparing with Payra river population for isometric condition. These findings may provide useful information for the conservation and sustainable management of this important fish.
Pengecaman senjata api semakin serius dan amat penting di dalam bidang penyiasatan jenayah khususnya untuk tempoh dua dekad ini. Dalam makalah ini, suatu sistem untuk pengecaman senjata api berasaskan tapak kelongsong peluru telah diperkenalkan. Tapak kelongsong peluru adalah satu daripada penunjuk yang amat penting dalam membantu menyelesaikan masalah pengecaman pistol. Peluru yang telah digunakan akan meninggalkan lebih daripada 30 ciri yang amat berharga pada tapak kelongsong bagi membantu pihak tertentu mengecam pistol yang telah diguna. Ciri-ciri tersebut sebagai suatu gabungan membentuk apa yang dikenali sebagai kesan cap jari bagi pistol. Lantaran itu, kajian ini adalah untuk mendapatkan fitur yang sesuai bagi pengecaman senjata api. Terlebih dahulu imej tapak kelongsong peluru ini telah ditemberengkan kepada tiga bahagian, membentuk tiga set imej yang berlainan. Imej-imej ini juga dilakukan prapemprosesan untuk membentuk tiga set imej lagi. Fitur-fitur seterusnya disaring daripada imej asal tapak kelongsong peluru dan imej yang telah melalui prapemprosesan. Dua puluh fitur yang berbeza secara signifikan telah diperoleh dan dikirakan untuk imej-imej asal dan yang telah dilakukan prapemprosesan. Kesemua pemprosesan telah dilakukan menggunakan pengaturcaraan MATLAB. Suatu skim berdasarkan analisis korelasi seterusnya telah diperkenalkan untuk pencarian fitur berdasarkan konsep meminimumkan lewahan data tetapi memastikan ciri-ciri unik tersimpan. Fitur-fitur yang berkorelasi tinggi akan digugurkan pasangannya dan hasilnya tinggal cuma tujuh fitur sahaja. Ketujuh-tujuh fitur ini telah diuji sebagai suatu vektor fitur untuk mengelaskan lima pistol daripada model yang sama menggunakan analisis diskriminan. Hasil pengelasan menunjukkan lebih 80% daripada imej-imej tapak kelongsong peluru itu telah dikelaskan dengan jayanya.
Kajian lakuan maternal Landak Raya (Hystrix brachyura) di dalam kurungan telah dijalankan selama dua bulan dengan enam sesi pemerhatian, iaitu Sesi Pemerhatian 1-6 (SP 1 –SP 6). Kaedah pemerhatian yang digunakan adalah kaedah fokal berterusan dan sampel menggunakan seekor ibu dan anak Landak Raya. Lakuan yang telah dikenalpasti ialah rehat, menyusu, gerak, jilat anak dan makan. Terdapat perbezaan yang bererti (p<0.05) untuk aktiviti rehat dan menyusu bagi peratus masa yang diperuntukkan bagi SP 1 hingga SP 6. Manakala untuk aktiviti lain (gerak, jilat anak dan makan) didapati tiada perbezaan bererti (p>0.05) untuk peratus masa yang diperuntukkan untuk SP 1 hingga SP 6. Lakuan utama pada bulan pertama (SP 1 - SP 3) adalah rehat dan diikuti oleh menyusu, tetapi sebaliknya pada bulan kedua (SP 4 - SP 6) yang menunjukkan lakuan menyusu lebih tinggi dan diikuti oleh rehat. Ibu Landak Raya mempunyai enam puting susu yang terletak pada bahagian sisi lateral kiri. Anak Landak Raya lebih cenderung memilih puting susu di bahagian hadapan (T1 dan T2) semasa aktiviti menyusu berlangsung. Dalam kajin ini tidak dapat dikenalpasti waktu penceraian susu bagi anak Landak Raya kerana sehingga SP 6 berlangsung, lakuan menyusu masih berterusan, malahan kadar tempoh menyusu semakin meningkat.
Aluminium in drinking water comes from natural sources and the alum used as coagulant in the water treatment process. Exposure to aluminium has been implicated in dialysis dementia, Parkinson and Alzheimer’s disease. Drinking water containing aluminium was considered to be one of the main sources of Al intake into human body. For this reason, the removal of aluminium from drinking water is vital to our health. In this study, removal of aluminium was carried out by using a chelating resin. To achieve the purpose, two chelating resin iontosorb oxin (IO) and polyhydroxamic acid (PHA) were used. The effects of concentration, pH, stirring time and resin amount was investigated. The concentration range varied between 10 and 500 ppb, pH range was between 2 and 12, stirring time between 5 and 60 minutes, and resin amount between 100 and 1500 mg. The optimum conditions of these resins were determined in a batch system. The results obtained showed that the optimum condition to remove aluminium for polyhydroxamic acid and iontosorb was pH 5-8 and pH 4-9; concentration range between 50-500 ppb, and 150-500 ppb, resin amount 200 mg and the stirring time was 20 minutes, respectively.
The present study describes population structure (length-frequency distribution-LFD) and biometric relationships including length-weight relationship (LWR), length-length relationship (LLR), Fulton’s condition factor (K), relative weight (Wr) and form factor (a3.0) of Puntius sophore wild populations from three major rivers of different geographical locations of Bangladesh. A total of 784 specimens were caught by traditional fishing gear from March 2010 to February 2011. For each individual, the total length (TL), fork length (FL) and standard length (SL) were measured by digital slide calipers. Individual body weight (BW) was also taken by a digital balance. The results showed significant differences in TL-frequency distributions among populations (p<0.05), with larger mean TL size (6.92 ± 1.21 cm) was recorded from the Rupsha River. The coefficient b of the LWR was close to the isometric value (b≈3.000) in these rivers of Bangladesh, although it suggested negative allometric growth in the Padma River (b≈2.900). The results also indicated that the LWRs were highly correlated (r2>0.921). Fulton’s condition factor (K) showed significant variations (p<0.001) among the populations, with best performance by the Padma River, followed by the Jamuna and Rupsha River; whereas, relative weight (Wr) was close to 100 for all the populations, indicating the balance habitat with food availability relative to the presence of predators. The estimated values of a3.0 were as 0.0158, 0.0142 and 0.0152 for P. sophore in the Jamuna, Padma and Rupsha River. These results will be useful for fishery biologists and conservationists to suggest adequate regulations for sustainable fishery management and conservation its numerous stocks in the region.
Population biology including population structure, reproduction, length-weight relationship and condition factor of a commercially important clupeid freshwater fish, Gudusia chapra was studied in the Old Brahmaputra River, Bangladesh during January-December 2009. In the present study, a total of 2032 specimens (1091 male; 941 female) were collected. The overall sex ratio showed significant difference from the expected value 1:1 (male: female = 1:0.86, χ2 = 11.07, p<0.001). Length-frequency distribution showed a size predominance of females over males, where mean female size consistently exceeded that of males throughout the year. Female size at first sexual maturity was estimated as 8.3 cm in standard length (SL). Monthly gonadosomatic index (GSI) was higher during March-September with a peak in April, indicating this was the main spawning season. The allometric coefficient b of the length-weight relationship (LWR) indicated negative allometric growth in males and females, but the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed significant differences in slope and intercept between the sexes (p<0.001). Fulton’s condition factor by months and SLs varied in both sexes and was attributed to variations in GSI with maturity.
Linear time series models are not able to capture the behaviour of many financial time series, as in the cases of exchange rates and stock market data. Some phenomena, such as volatility and structural breaks in time series data, cannot be modelled implicitly using linear time series models. Therefore, nonlinear time series models are typically designed to accommodate for such nonlinear features. In the present study, a nonlinearity test and a structural change test are used to detect the nonlinearity and the break date in three ASEAN currencies, namely the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR), the Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) and the Thai Baht (THB). The study finds that the null hypothesis of linearity is rejected and evidence of structural breaks exist in the exchange rates series. Therefore, the decision to use the self-exciting threshold autoregressive (SETAR) model in the present study is justified. The results showed that the SETAR model, as a regime switching model, can explain abrupt changes in a time series. To evaluate the prediction performance of SETAR model, an Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model used as a benchmark. In order to increase the accuracy of prediction, both models are combined with an exponential generalised autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (EGARCH) model. The prediction results showed that the construct model of SETAR-EGARCH performs better than that of the ARIMA model and the combined ARIMA and EGARCH model. The results indicated that nonlinear models give better fitting than linear models.
Central obesity reduction through effective treatment is desirable everywhere in the world including Pakistan. The current study intends to provide effective intervention programs to reduce central obesity among Pakistani women. Through randomized control trial study fourteen females (N= 14, WHR= .897 ± .030) were recruited by employing penal data technique with simple randomization. The sample distributed into two equal groups from online randomization. The experimental group received 10-week sessions of modified cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) along with supervised and unsupervised exercise execution, plus supervised diet management plan. As a contrast, the control group received 10-week sessions without offering standard treatment. The results found that the intervention group or experimental group significantly reduced waist circumference (-2.33 inches) while control group reduced (-0.36 inches) within 10 weeks, F=42.82, p
Terdapat dua jenis permineralan bijih besi di kawasan Ladang Toh Pawang, Kedah iaitu bijih besi primer dan sekunder. Kepekatan Pb dan Cr yang amat rendah ditemui dalam bijih besi primer (bdl) manakala Cu ditemui sebagai bendasing (60-93 μg/g). Kepekatan Cr dan Cu meningkat di persentuhan antara jasad rejahan bijih besi dengan batuan sekitar. Kepekatannya masing-masing ialah sebanyak 27-30 μg/g and 242-294 μg/g. Pengayaan logam-logam tersebut disebabkan oleh penggantian metasomatik apabila magma likat yang panas berinteraksi dengan batuan syal Formasi Mahang yang kaya besi. Secara umum, kepekatan Pb dan Cr dalam bijih besi sekunder lebih tinggi berbanding dengan pemineralan bijih besi primer yang mana masing-masing berjulat 3-7 μg/g and 121-151 μg/g. Kepekatan Cu di dalam bijih besi primer dan sekunder hampir sama. Taburan Pb, Cr dan Cu di dalam bijih besi sekunder berpunca daripada luluhawa batuan syal Formasi Mahang yang kaya besi. Ketika proses permukaan berlaku, logam-logam berat tersebut telah dijerap daripada air bawah tanah lalu turut terenap bersama-sama dengan bijih besi sekunder.
Kajian ini dijalankan bagi menentukan kesan penambahan kalsium karbonat (CaCO3) dan sukrosa ke atas ekstrak roselle dengan menggunakan Kaedah Respon Permukaan. Sebanyak 21 perlakuan digunakan berdasarkan reka bentuk eksperimen Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD). Penentuan nilai pH dan Briks telah dijalankan. Bagi nilai pH, model yang didapati adalah 4.03+0.39x1-8.20x2-0.05x1 2-4.16x2 2-0.02x1x2 dengan nilai x1 adalah kalsium karbonat dan nilai x2 adalah sukrosa. Nilai positif pada kepekatan kalsium menunjukkan penambahan kalsium meningkatkan nilai pH ekstrak roselle. Model untuk Briks adalah 8.91 + 0.23x1 + 2.20x2. Nilai positif pada kepekatan kalsium dan sukrosa menunjukkan penambahan kalsium dan sukrosa meningkatkan nilai Briks ekstrak roselle. Penilaian sensori dengan menggunakan panel terlatih (n=8) menunjukkan penambahan sukrosa meningkatkan penerimaan keseluruhan terhadap ekstrak Roselle. Manakala, kesan penambahan kalsium karbonat telah mengurangkan penerimaan keseluruhan kerana ia merendahkan rasa masam.
Bioremediation of crude oil using biostimulation and/or bioaugmentation was done by simulation study in the green house under uncontrolled environment temperature. In this study, the soil with indigenous microbes was spiked with Tapis crude oil at 200 g/kg. The microbial density of the amended soils was augmented by addition of fresh inoculum of microbial consortium which consist of Pseudomonas aeruginosa UKMP-14T, Acinetobacter baumannii UKMP-12T and seed culture two strains of fungi, Trichoderma virens UKMP-1M and Trichoderma virens UKMP-2M at ratio 1:1:1:1 (v/w). The amendment soil was added with 20% (v/w) of standardize consortium inoculum, 20% (w/w) of dried empty fruit bunch (EFB) and the effect of EFB was compared with 0.7% commercial fertilizer (v/w) which contain NPK (8:8:1). Soil with indigenous microbes was used as a control. Results showed total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) degradation for treatment added with NPK fertilizer was 70.36%, addition with EFB bulking agent 68.86% and addition of both NPK and EFB was 100% at day 30 of incubation. The control plot, 62% of TPH degradation was achieved after 30 days incubation.
A clear understanding on the fundamental mechanism in solid state self-healing resin system might significantly improve the optimization of healing performance. The focus of this study was to prove the diffusion (through thermal inter-diffusion) of a linear healing agent within the network matrix resin. The results had demonstrated that 45 to 21 percentage recoveries in fracture toughness (K1C) were observed within the third healing cycles of the healable resin. Based on the optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIM) analyst; the diffusion of healing agent was also demonstrated by the change in the morphology and chemical images of the healing agent on the fracture surface specimen, before and after healing process.
We studied the problem of heat transfer for Falkner-Skan boundary layer flow past a stationary wedge with momentum and thermal slip boundary conditions and the temperature dependent thermal conductivity. The governing partial differential equations for the physical situation are converted into a set of ordinary differential equations using scaling group of transformations. These are then numerically solved using the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg fourth-fifth order numerical method. The momentum slip parameter δ leads to increase in the dimensionless velocity and the rate of heat transfer whilst it decreases the dimensionless temperature and the friction factor. The thermal slip parameter leads to the decrease rate of heat transfer as well as the dimensionless temperature. The dimensionless velocity, rate of heat transfer and the friction factor increase with the Falkner-Skan power law parameter m but the dimensionless fluid temperature decreases with m. The dimensionless fluid temperature and the heat transfer rate decrease as the thermal conductivity parameter A increases. Good agreements are found between the numerical results of the present paper with published results.
In this paper, the optimal homotopy asymptotic method (OHAM) is applied to obtain an approximate solution of the nonlinear Riccati differential equation. The method is tested on several types of Riccati differential equations and comparisons that were made with numerical results showed the effectiveness and accuracy of this method.
Miopia pada kebiasaannya didefinisi sebagai sfera setara ≥ -0.50 D dalam banyak kajian yang dilaporkan. Namun demikian tidak banyak laporan berkaitan kesensitifan dan kekhususan definisi miopia yang dipilih apabila penyelidik melaporkan prevalen dan taburan miopia dalam populasi yang dikaji. Objektif kajian ini adalah membezakan kesensitifan and kekhususan setiap definisi miopia yang dipilih, iaitu -0.50 D, -0.75 D dan -1.00 D dan untuk mengenal pasti kebolehan definisi tersebut meramalkan ralat refraksi miopia pada akuiti penglihatan kurang daripada log MAR 0.3 (6/12) dalam kalangan pelajar Melayu. Seramai 866 orang pelajar Melayu berumur antara 7-10 tahun mengambil bahagian dalam penyelidikan ini. Akuiti penglihatan diukur menggunakan carta log MAR dan ralat refraksi diukur menggunakan retinoskopi tanpa sikloplegia. Keputusan kami menunjukkan kesensitifan dan kekhususan definisi miopia yang dipilih iaitu ≥ -0.50 D adalah 54.5% dan 97.8%, untuk definisi miopia ≥ - 0.75 D adalah 71.1% and 97.5% dan untuk definisi miopia ≥ -1.00 D adalah 83.3% dan 97.2%. Luas lengkok ROC untuk setiap definisi miopia -0.50 D, -0.75 D dan -1.00 D ialah 0.676, 0.839 and 0.957. Kesimpulannya, kajian ini menunjukkan definisi optimum miopia untuk pelajar sekolah Melayu berumur antara 7-10 tahun ialah ≥ -1.00 D, dengan menggunakan kaedah retinoskopi tanpa sikloplegia. Definisi ini boleh mengenal pasti 95.7% pelajar mempunyai akuiti penglihatan kurang daripada log MAR 0.3 dan ia mempunyai gabungan kesensitifan (83.9%) dan kekhususan (95.7%) terbaik.
The paper making industry is characterized by high rate of water consumption and hence high rate of wastewater generation. The purpose of this research was to assess and optimize the existing complete mix activate sludge treatment plant that is used to treat the high strength paper mill effluent with the highest possible efficiency at a reasonable cost. The collected paper mill wastewater is equalized in an equalization tank before being pumped to the treatment plant. The treatment plant includes chemical treatment unit, complete mix activated sludge and granular media filtration unit. The results showed that effluent of a chemical treatment unit was found to be relatively similar to the laboratory simulated plain sedimentation unit. It can be concluded that addition of chemical coagulant can be eliminated with an overall saving of chemical addition costs. The complete mixing activated sludge achieved good removal of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Furthermore, the results showed that the plant is operated under low BOD:P ratio. The treatment efficiency of the plant can be improved by increasing the phosphorous dose to the plant to have BOD:P ratio of 100:0.5 to 100:1. It was found that 50% of the treated effluent is recycled to the manufacturing process, however this percentage can be increased through proper plant optimization and control of nutrient addition to the activated sludge unit.
Mutations in the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome can potentially lead to vaccination failure, diagnostic escape, and disease progression. However, there are no reports on viral gene expression and large hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) antigenicity alterations due to mutations in HBV isolated from a Bangladeshi population. Here, we sequenced the full genome of the HBV isolated from a clinically infected patient in Bangladesh. The open reading frames (ORFs) (P, S, C, and X) of the isolated HBV strain were successfully amplified and cloned into a mammalian expression vector. The HBV isolate was identified as genotype C (sub-genotype C2), serotype adr, and evolutionarily related to strains isolated in Indonesia, Malaysia, and China. Clinically significant mutations, such as preS1 C2964A, reverse transcriptase domain I91L, and small HBsAg N3S, were identified. The viral P, S, C, and X genes were expressed in HEK-293T and HepG2 cells by transient transfection with a native subcellular distribution pattern analyzed by immunofluorescence assay. Western blotting of large HBsAg using preS1 antibody showed no staining, and preS1 ELISA showed a significant reduction in reactivity due to amino acid mutations. This mutated preS1 sequence has been identified in several Asian countries. To our knowledge, this is the first report investigating changes in large HBsAg antigenicity due to preS1 mutations.
Orbital cellulitis is a clinical diagnosis. Once the diagnosis is made, an empirical antibiotic is started, and in most cases, the clinical improvement can be observed within 24-48 hours. We discuss treatment options in managing orbital cellulitis in a 34-year-old male in which no improvement was seen despite being started on empirical broad-spectrum antibiotic. Patient had a prior history of being bitten by an insect in the left upper eyelid while doing gardening about 5 days prior to admission. The patient developed left orbital cellulitis a few days following the insect bite. Patient was started empirical broad-spectrum antibiotic immediately, but no improvement observed. Culture and sensitivity taken from the upper eyelid grew methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) which was sensitive to vancomycin. Patient was treated with intensive fourteen days of intravenous vancomycin. The infection resolved as evidenced by clinical improvement and reduction of white blood cells count.
The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between goal orientation and aggressiveness among under 18 handball players in Negeri Sembilan. This study used survey method using Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionaire (TEOSQ) and The Judgement About Moral Behavior in Youth Sport Questionaire (JAMBYSQ). The respondents are the Under 18 handball players that represent eight districts in Negeri Sembilan (n = 192, 96 male and 96 females). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (percent, frequency, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (t-test) and correlation. The findings showed that the orientation pattern of the female players were higher than the male players for both the task orientation and the ego. The results of the t-test showed that female handball players have higher levels of cognitive and somatic anxiety than male players. However, from the aspect of aggression, the findings showed that female players are more likely to show aggressive action compared to male. In conclusion, the findings showed that there was a significant relationship between goal orientation and aggression among under 18 handball players. Indirectly, this study stressed the importance of goal orientation. Coaches also need to put more focus on the task-orientation compared to ego-orientation.