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Fulltext The influence of agitation on oil substrate dispersion and oxygen transfer in Pseudomonas aeruginosa USM-AR2 fermentation producing rhamnolipid in a stirred tank bioreactor

Nur Asshifa MN, Zambry NS, Salwa MS, Yahya ARM

3 Biotech, 2017 Jul;7(3):189.
PMID: 28664380 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-017-0828-0

Water-immiscible substrate, diesel, was supplied as the main substrate in the fermentation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa USM-AR2 producing rhamnolipid biosurfactant, in a stirred tank bioreactor. In addition to the typical gas-aqueous system, this system includes gas-hydrocarbon-aqueous phases and the presence of surfactant (rhamnolipid) in the fermentation broth. The effect of diesel dispersion on volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient, k L a, and thus oxygen transfer, was evaluated at different agitations of 400, 500 and 600 rpm. The oxygen transfer in this oil-water-surfactant system was shown to be affected by different oil dispersion at those agitation rates. The highest diesel dispersion was obtained at 500 rpm or impeller tip speed of 1.31 m/s, compared to 400 and 600 rpm, which led to the highest k L a, growth and rhamnolipid production by P. aeruginosa USM-AR2. This showed the highest substrate mixing and homogenization at this agitation speed that led to the efficient substrate utilization by the cells. The oxygen uptake rate of P. aeruginosa USM-AR2 was 5.55 mmol/L/h, which showed that even the lowest k L a (48.21 h-1) and hence OTR (57.71 mmol/L/h) obtained at 400 rpm was sufficient to fulfill the oxygen demand of the cells. The effect of rhamnolipid concentration on k L a showed that k L a increased as rhamnolipid concentration increased to 0.6 g/L before reaching a plateau. This trend was similar for all agitation rates of 400, 500 and 600 rpm, which might be due to the increase in the resistance to oxygen transfer (k L decrease) and the increase in the specific interfacial area (a).

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles
Backtracking search algorithm in CVRP models for efficient solid waste collection and route optimization

Akhtar M, Hannan MA, Begum RA, Basri H, Scavino E

Waste Manag, 2017 Mar;61:117-128.
PMID: 28153405 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2017.01.022

Waste collection is an important part of waste management that involves different issues, including environmental, economic, and social, among others. Waste collection optimization can reduce the waste collection budget and environmental emissions by reducing the collection route distance. This paper presents a modified Backtracking Search Algorithm (BSA) in capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) models with the smart bin concept to find the best optimized waste collection route solutions. The objective function minimizes the sum of the waste collection route distances. The study introduces the concept of the threshold waste level (TWL) of waste bins to reduce the number of bins to be emptied by finding an optimal range, thus minimizing the distance. A scheduling model is also introduced to compare the feasibility of the proposed model with that of the conventional collection system in terms of travel distance, collected waste, fuel consumption, fuel cost, efficiency and CO2 emission. The optimal TWL was found to be between 70% and 75% of the fill level of waste collection nodes and had the maximum tightness value for different problem cases. The obtained results for four days show a 36.80% distance reduction for 91.40% of the total waste collection, which eventually increases the average waste collection efficiency by 36.78% and reduces the fuel consumption, fuel cost and CO2 emission by 50%, 47.77% and 44.68%, respectively. Thus, the proposed optimization model can be considered a viable tool for optimizing waste collection routes to reduce economic costs and environmental impacts.

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles
Fulltext Intra-articular Entrapment of Medial Epicondyle Fracture Fragment in Elbow Joint Dislocation Causing Ulnar Neuropraxia: A Case Report

Syed J, Zamri AR, Jamaluddin S, Ruben JK, Gopindran M

Malays Orthop J, 2017 Mar;11(1):82-84.
PMID: 28435584 MyJurnal DOI: 10.5704/MOJ.1703.016

Traumatic elbow dislocations in children are rare but most of them are complex dislocations, and in such dislocations, medial humerus epicondyle fractureis the most common associated injury. Fracture incarceration in the elbow joint occurs in 5-18% of medial humerus epicondyle fractures but ulnar neuropraxia is very rare. Open reduction internal fixation is indicated in medial humerus epicondyle fracture with fracture incarceration, ulnar neuropraxia, marked instability or open fracture. Operative treatment options include fragment excision and sutures, closed or open reduction and Kirschner wire fixation, open reduction and suture fixation, open reduction and smooth pin fixation, and open reduction and screw fixation. However, ulnar nerve transposition is debatable as good outcome had been reported with and without nerve transposition. We report a case of a 13-year old boy, who presented with right elbow dislocation and intra-articular entrapment of medial humerus epicondyle fracture fragment, complicated with sensory ulnar neuropraxia, following a fall onto his right outstretched hand in a motor vehicle accident. The elbow joint was reduced using close manipulative reduction but the fracture fragment remained entrapped post-reduction. The patient then underwent open reduction and screw fixation of the medial humerus epicondyle fracture without ulnar nerve transposition. He had good functional outcome six weeks after surgical intervention, with complete recovery of ulnar neuropraxia six months later. Currently, he is doing well at school and is active with his sporting activity.

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles
Fulltext A Multitasking Electrical Impedance Tomography System Using Titanium Alloy Electrode

Salama A, Malekmohammadi A, Mohanna S, Rajkumar R

Int J Biomed Imaging, 2017;2017:3589324.
PMID: 29225613 DOI: 10.1155/2017/3589324

This paper presents a multitasking electrical impedance tomography (EIT) system designed to improve the flexibility and durability of an existing EIT system. The ability of the present EIT system to detect, locate, and reshape objects was evaluated by four different experiments. The results of the study show that the system can detect and locate an object with a diameter as small as 1.5 mm in a testing tank with a diameter of 134 mm. Moreover, the results demonstrate the ability of the current system to reconstruct an image of several dielectric object shapes. Based on the results of the experiments, the programmable EIT system can adapt the EIT system for different applications without the need to implement a new EIT system, which may help to save time and cost. The setup for all the experiments consisted of a testing tank with an attached 16-electrode array made of titanium alloy grade 2. The titanium alloy electrode was used to enhance EIT system's durability and lifespan.

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles
Fulltext Fat embolism syndrome treated with methylprednisolone: a different perception or a misconception?

Mohd Shaffid Md Shariff, Hanizah Ngadiron, Firdaus Hayati, Affirul Chairil Ariffin

Borneo Journal of Medical Sciences, 2017;11(3):45-48.
MyJurnal

Fat embolism syndrome is manifested by the fat globule presence in the pulmonary and systemic circulation. A 34-year-old man was involved in a motor vehicle accident with a fracture of the left femur and avulsion fracture of the left posterior cruciate ligaments. He developed signs and symptoms that suggested an early diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome. Intravenous methylprednisolone administration was administered as part of the treatment. The role of methylprednisolone in a patient with fat embolism syndrome is controversial due to unproven effectiveness. In this case, fat embolism syndrome after a femur fracture was treated successfully with methylprednisolone.

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles
Fulltext Weakest bus frequency identification of power system via TFDI

Athraa Iessa, Noor Izzri Abdul Wahab, Norman Mariun

Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology, 2017;25(102):97-104.
MyJurnal

One of the concerns in power system preventive control and security assessment is to find the point where the voltage and frequency collapse and when the system forces a severe disturbance. Identifying the weakest bus in a power system is an essential aspect of planning, optimising and post-event analysing procedures. This paper proposes an approach to identify the weakest bus from the frequency security viewpoint. The transient frequency deviation index for the individual buses is used as the weakest bus identification as well as a frequency security indicator. This approach will help to determine the bus with the worst deviation, which helps to analyse the system disturbance, takes proper control action to prevent frequency failure, and most importantly, observes consumer frequency. The approach is applied to the WSCC 9 bus test system to show the feasibility of the method.

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles
Fulltext Cost implication analysis of concrete and Masonry waste in construction project

Kasvar, K.K., Nagapan, S., Abdullah, A.H., Ullah, K., Deraman, R., Yunus, R., et al.

Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology, 2017;25(105):177-184.
MyJurnal

Concrete and masonry waste are the main types of waste typically generated at a construction project. There is a lack of studies in the country regarding the cost implication of managing these types of construction waste To address this need in Malaysia, the study is carried out to measure the disposal cost of concrete and masonry waste. The study was carried out by a site visit method using an indirect measurement approach to quantify the quantity of waste generated at the project. Based on the recorded number of trips for waste collection, the total expenditure to dispose the waste were derived in three construction stages. Data was collected four times a week for the period July 2014 to July 2015. The total waste generated at the study site was 762.51 m3 and the cost incurred for the 187 truck trips required to dispose the waste generated from the project site to the nearby landfill was RM22,440.00. The findings will be useful to both researchers and policy makers concerned with construction waste.

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles
Fulltext Awareness on health and safety among municipal workers on solid waste collections: a case study in Malaysia

Sekhon PS, Karthigesu IT

Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 2017;17 Special(1):19-27.

Solid waste collection has been a major challenge for local council Municipal workers in urban areas where the population is growing rapidly and the need for local councils to ensure they provide service to clear solid waste in a timely manner without disrupting the existing system. This case study is a review of awareness of health and safety among municipal workers on solid waste collection. The study is an examination of such awareness in Malaysia which involves the Petaling Jaya City Council in the state of Selangor. We review the operating system of the Petaling Jaya City Council and the risks which are being exposed to the municipal workers in their daily operations. Health and Safety of municipal workers in the areas of public health, safety, and industrial hygiene has been a concern for a long time. In most cases the majority of municipal workers exposed are from the contractual aspect of outsourced labour. It is important to understand how large the area of a solid waste is and to identify, evaluate, and eliminate or control risks and hazards across the operation zone of the municipal workers which involves environmental and occupational demands. The data we find provides the latest perspectives on topics of widespread concern such contractors management, ergonomic safety, confined space, motor vehicle safety, machinery safety, fall hazard safety, electrical safety and emergency response. Management of legal requirements is also discovered to be important to ensure any organization conducting business is not in violation of any law, and if there is a change of process how is this being addressed. Finally, we look at the control measures needed to support a operation on a large scale where it will not endanger the health and safety of municipal workers when they are involved in solid waste management. The recommendation we have based on the review are to ensure there is a holistic approach and systems in place to address all the concerns that will be faced by the local municipal council in their daily operations and responsibilities at every level of the organization. Conclusion: Research material and data related to this area is limited and we hope future holistic research can be conducted to future enhance the study of health and safety effecting the municipal workers. Health and Safety management system and procedures are the key elements in ensuring a successful organization.

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles
Fulltext Incidence and demographical characteristics of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder due to motor vehicle accidents

Bahari R, Mohamad Alwi MN, Ahmad MR, Mohd Saiboon I

Malays Fam Physician, 2017;12(3):2-7.
PMID: 29527273 MyJurnal

Introduction: Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) are daily occurrences in Malaysia but the extent to which victims are psychologically affected is not well known. The objective of this study is to determine the incidence and demographic characteristics of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to MVAs at a university hospital in Malaysia.
Methods: Patients presenting to the emergency department from August to October 2014 due to MVA-related injuries were recruited. After a period of at least one month, they were followed-up and screened using the validated Malay Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist Civilian version. A score of 30 was chosen as the cut-off point for PTSD.
Results: In total, 112 patients presented to the emergency department following MVAs during the study period. Of these, 60.7% agreed for the follow-up. Among the respondents, the mean age was 26 years, 91.2% were males, 66.2% were married, 85.3% were Malays and 88.3% were Muslims. The calculated incidence of PTSD was 7.4%. There was no significant difference noted between the PTSD and non-PTSD groups.
Conclusion: A considerable number of MVA victims in Malaysia may develop PTSD after the accident. Further research is needed to explore the factors that contribute or protect to develop the condition.

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles
Fulltext Buckling up in Singapore: residency and other risk factors for seatbelt non-compliance - a cross-sectional study based on trauma registry data

Wong TH, Lim GH, Chow KY, Trauma Coordinators and Trauma Service Representatives, Zaw NN, Nguyen HV, et al.

BMC Public Health, 2016 05 14;16:402.
PMID: 27180046 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-3080-3

BACKGROUND: Seatbelt non-compliance is a problem in middle income countries, and little is known about seatbelt compliance in populations with a high proportion of non-residents. This study analyses the profile of seatbelt non-compliance in Singapore based on trauma registry data from five of the six public hospitals.
METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of seatbelt compliance of patients aged over 18 years, attending the emergency departments of five public hospitals in Singapore after road collisions from 2011-2014. Seatbelt data was obtained from paramedic and patient history.
RESULTS: There were 4,576 patients studied. Most were Singapore citizens (83.4 %) or permanent residents (2.4 %), with the largest non-resident groups from Malaysia, India, and China. Overall seatbelt compliance was 82.1 %. On univariate analysis, seatbelt compliance was higher in older patients (OR 1.02, 95 % CI 1.001-1.021, p

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles/statistics & numerical data
Fulltext A review of maturation diets for mud crab genus Scylla broodstock: Present research, problems and future perspective

Azra MN, Ikhwanuddin M

Saudi J Biol Sci, 2016 Mar;23(2):257-67.
PMID: 26981008 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2015.03.011

Study of broodstock maturation diets is important in order to increase the quality of berried females, which indirectly improve the larval quantity in the hatchery production of cultured species. This paper reviewed the studies on the maturation diets for mud crab broodstock, genus Scylla and compared independently to identify their effect on reproductive performance and larval quality. The broodstock is usually caught from the wild and held in the spawning or maturation tank for further use of hatchery seed production. Mud crab broodstock was fed either natural diet, artificial diet or mixed diet. Trash fishes were commonly used as a natural feed for mud crab broodstock; meanwhile artificial diets are from formulated fish meal and various kinds of feed. The results indicated that mud crab broodstock has a high dietary requirement for lipids, fatty acids and protein which are to be used during the maturation and breeding processes. However, the natural diet produce better larval quality compared to the artificial diet. The mixed diet is the better diet which resulted in better reproductive performances such as growth, survival, fecundity and maturation processes. This review also discusses the problems in the previous studies for the potential future research to develop very high quality and cost-effective formulated diet for the enhancement of broodstock and seed production technology. Information from this review can be useful in developing a better quality of crustacean broodstock's diet for commercial hatchery production.

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles
Fulltext A Lightweight Radio Propagation Model for Vehicular Communication in Road Tunnels

Qureshi MA, Noor RM, Shamim A, Shamshirband S, Raymond Choo KK

PLoS One, 2016;11(3):e0152727.
PMID: 27031989 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152727

Radio propagation models (RPMs) are generally employed in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) to predict path loss in multiple operating environments (e.g. modern road infrastructure such as flyovers, underpasses and road tunnels). For example, different RPMs have been developed to predict propagation behaviour in road tunnels. However, most existing RPMs for road tunnels are computationally complex and are based on field measurements in frequency band not suitable for VANET deployment. Furthermore, in tunnel applications, consequences of moving radio obstacles, such as large buses and delivery trucks, are generally not considered in existing RPMs. This paper proposes a computationally inexpensive RPM with minimal set of parameters to predict path loss in an acceptable range for road tunnels. The proposed RPM utilizes geometric properties of the tunnel, such as height and width along with the distance between sender and receiver, to predict the path loss. The proposed RPM also considers the additional attenuation caused by the moving radio obstacles in road tunnels, while requiring a negligible overhead in terms of computational complexity. To demonstrate the utility of our proposed RPM, we conduct a comparative summary and evaluate its performance. Specifically, an extensive data gathering campaign is carried out in order to evaluate the proposed RPM. The field measurements use the 5 GHz frequency band, which is suitable for vehicular communication. The results demonstrate that a close match exists between the predicted values and measured values of path loss. In particular, an average accuracy of 94% is found with R2 = 0.86.

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles
Fulltext Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Determination of the Effect of Experimental Parameters on Vehicle Agent Speed Relative to Vehicle Intruder

Shamshirband S, Banjanovic-Mehmedovic L, Bosankic I, Kasapovic S, Abdul Wahab AW

PLoS One, 2016;11(5):e0155697.
PMID: 27219539 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155697

Intelligent Transportation Systems rely on understanding, predicting and affecting the interactions between vehicles. The goal of this paper is to choose a small subset from the larger set so that the resulting regression model is simple, yet have good predictive ability for Vehicle agent speed relative to Vehicle intruder. The method of ANFIS (adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system) was applied to the data resulting from these measurements. The ANFIS process for variable selection was implemented in order to detect the predominant variables affecting the prediction of agent speed relative to intruder. This process includes several ways to discover a subset of the total set of recorded parameters, showing good predictive capability. The ANFIS network was used to perform a variable search. Then, it was used to determine how 9 parameters (Intruder Front sensors active (boolean), Intruder Rear sensors active (boolean), Agent Front sensors active (boolean), Agent Rear sensors active (boolean), RSSI signal intensity/strength (integer), Elapsed time (in seconds), Distance between Agent and Intruder (m), Angle of Agent relative to Intruder (angle between vehicles °), Altitude difference between Agent and Intruder (m)) influence prediction of agent speed relative to intruder. The results indicated that distance between Vehicle agent and Vehicle intruder (m) and angle of Vehicle agent relative to Vehicle Intruder (angle between vehicles °) is the most influential parameters to Vehicle agent speed relative to Vehicle intruder.

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles
Contaminant removal in septage treatment with vertical flow constructed wetlands operated under batch flow conditions

Jong VS, Tang FE

Water Sci Technol, 2016;73(4):909-15.
PMID: 26901735 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2015.563

Individual septic tanks are the most common means of on-site sanitation in Malaysia, but they result in a significant volume of septage. A two-staged vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) system for the treatment of septage was constructed and studied in Sarawak, Malaysia. Raw septage was treated in the first stage wetlands, and the resulting percolate was fed onto the second stage wetlands for further treatment. Here, the effects of a batch loading regime on the contaminant removal efficiency at the second stage wetlands, which included palm kernel shell within their filter substrate, are presented. The batch loading regime with pond:rest (P:R) period of 1:1, 2:2 and 3:3 (day:day) was studied. The improvement of the effluent redox condition was evident with P:R = 3:3, resulting in excellent organic matters (chemical oxygen demand and biochemical oxygen demand) and nitrogen reduction. The bed operated with P:R = 1:1 experienced constant clogging, with a water layer observed on the bed surface. For the P:R = 3:3 regime, the dissolved oxygen profile was not found to decay drastically after 24 hours of ponding, suggesting that the biodegradation mainly occurred during the first day. The study results indicate that a suitable application regime with an adequate rest period is important in VFCWs to ensure efficient operation.

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles
Histological analysis of motoneuron survival and microglia inhibition after nerve root avulsion treated with nerve graft implantation and minocycline: an experimental study

Wu W, Jafri M Abdullah, Faizul H Ghazali

Sains Malaysiana, 2016;45:1641-1648.

Motor vehicle accidents are the most common cause of injuries involving avulsion of the brachial plexus in humans,
resulting in debilitating motor dysfunction. Lack of an established animal model to test drug treatments hinders
the introduction of new pharmacological agents. Avulsion injury of cervical ventral roots can be replicated in rats,
resulting in a progressive loss of the motoneurons and increase in neurotoxic expression of microglia. This is a report
on the effect of prompt nerve implantation and minocycline treatment on the suppression of microglia activation and
survival of motoneurons. 20 adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were used for this study, which was approved by the
Animal Ethical Committee, USM (approval number /2011/(73)(346)). The animals underwent surgical avulsion of the
C6 nerve root, followed by reimplantation with peripheral nerve graft and treatment with intraperitoneal minocycline.
At 6 weeks postoperatively, immunohistochemistry using primary antibody Iba1 (microglia) and nicotinamide adenine
dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPh) with neutral-red staining (motoneuron) under flourescence microscopy
was performed at the C6 spinal cord segment and then quantified. This study showed significant reduction of microglia
expression in the study group; mean ranks of control and study group were 15.2 and 11.6, respectively; U=9.5, Z=3.02,
p<0.05. However, this did not translate into a significant increase of motoneuron survival in the combined group;
the mean ranks of control and study group were 40.6 and 41.6, respectively; U=44.5, Z=-.0378, p>0.05. This may
be due to the effect of the surgery; the surgery has the potential to cause additional trauma to the cord parenchyma,
leading to further motoneuron loss and an increase in scarring around the avulsed region, thus impeding regeneration
of the motoneuron.

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles
Fulltext The encapsulation of flavourzyme in nanoliposome by heating method

Jahadi M, Khosravi-Darani K, Ehsani MR, Mozafari MR, Saboury AA, Pourhosseini PS

J Food Sci Technol, 2015 Apr;52(4):2063-72.
PMID: 25829586 DOI: 10.1007/s13197-013-1243-0

The main objective of this study was to use heating method (HM) to prepare liposome without employing any chemical solvent or detergent. Plackett-Burman design (PBD) was applied for the screening of significant process variables including the lecithin proportion, the cholesterol/lecithin ratio, the pH of solution for liposome preparation, the enzyme/lecithin ratio, the stirring time, the process temperature, the speed of stirrer, the ratio of stirrer to the tank diameter, the application of homogenization, the method of adding enzyme and centrifugation conditions on the encapsulation efficiency (EE %) of liposome and the activity of liposomal Flavourzyme (LAPU(-1)) (P

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles
Relationship between vehicle count and particulate air pollution in Amman, Jordan

Alnawaiseh NA, Hashim JH, Isa ZM

Asia Pac J Public Health, 2015 Mar;27(2):NP1742-51.
PMID: 22899706 DOI: 10.1177/1010539512455046

The main objective of this cross-sectional comparative study is to observe the relationship between traffic-related air pollutants, particularly particulate matter (PM) of total suspended particulate (TSP) and PM of size 10 µm (PM10), and vehicle traffic in Amman, Jordan. Two study areas were chosen randomly as a high-polluted area (HPA) and low-polluted area (LPA). The findings indicate that TSP and PM10 were still significantly correlated with traffic count even after controlling for confounding factors (temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed): TSP, r = 0.726, P < .001; PM10, r = 0.719, P < .001). There was a significant positive relationship between traffic count and PM level: TSP, P < .001; PM10, P < .001. Moreover, there was a significant negative relationship between temperature and PM10 level (P = .018). Traffic volume contributed greatly to high concentrations of TSP and PM10 in areas with high traffic count, in addition to the effect of temperature.

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles/statistics & numerical data*
Fulltext Palm-based medium-and-long-chain triacylglycerol (P-MLCT): production via enzymatic interesterification and optimization using response surface methodology (RSM)

Lee YY, Tang TK, Phuah ET, Karim NA, Alwi SM, Lai OM

J Food Sci Technol, 2015 Feb;52(2):685-96.
PMID: 25694677 DOI: 10.1007/s13197-013-1065-0

Structured lipid such as medium-and long-chain triacylglycerol (MLCT) is claimed to be able to suppress body fat accumulation and be used to manage obesity. Response surface methodology (RSM) with four factors and three levels (+1,0,-1) faced centered composite design (FCCD) was employed for optimization of the enzymatic interesterification conditions of palm-based MLCT (P-MLCT) production. The effect of the four variables namely: substrate ratio palm kernel oil: palm oil, PKO:PO (40:60-100:0 w/w), temperature (50-70 °C), reaction time (0.5-7.5 h) and enzyme load (5-15 % w/w) on the P-MLCT yield (%) and by products (%) produced were investigated. The responses were determined via acylglycerol composition obtained from high performance liquid chromatography. Well-fitted models were successfully established for both responses: P-MLCT yield (R (2) = 0.9979) and by-products (R (2) = 0.9892). The P-MLCT yield was significantly (P 0.05). Substrate ratio PKO: PO (100:0 w/w) gave the highest yield of P-MLCT (61 %). Nonetheless, substrate ratio of PKO: PO (90:10w/w) was chosen to improve the fatty acid composition of the P-MLCT. The optimized conditions for substrate ratio PKO: PO (90:10 w/w) was 7.26 h, 50 °C and 5 % (w/w) Lipozyme TLIM lipase, which managed to give 60 % yields of P-MLCT. Up scaled results in stirred tank batch reactor gave similar yields as lab scale. A 20 % increase in P-MLCT yield was obtained via RSM. The effect of enzymatic interesterification on the physicochemical properties of PKO:PO (90:10 w/w) were also studied. Thermoprofile showed that the P-MLCT oil melted below body temperature of 37 °C.

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles
Fulltext Sound signatures and production mechanisms of three species of pipefishes (Family: Syngnathidae)

Lim AC, Chong VC, Wong CS, Muniandy SV

PeerJ, 2015;3:e1471.
PMID: 26734507 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1471

Background. Syngnathid fishes produce three kinds of sounds, named click, growl and purr. These sounds are generated by different mechanisms to give a consistent signal pattern or signature which is believed to play a role in intraspecific and interspecific communication. Commonly known sounds are produced when the fish feeds (click, purr) or is under duress (growl). While there are more acoustic studies on seahorses, pipefishes have not received much attention. Here we document the differences in feeding click signals between three species of pipefishes and relate them to cranial morphology and kinesis, or the sound-producing mechanism. Methods. The feeding clicks of two species of freshwater pipefishes, Doryichthys martensii and Doryichthys deokhathoides and one species of estuarine pipefish, Syngnathoides biaculeatus, were recorded by a hydrophone in acoustic dampened tanks. The acoustic signals were analysed using time-scale distribution (or scalogram) based on wavelet transform. A detailed time-varying analysis of the spectral contents of the localized acoustic signal was obtained by jointly interpreting the oscillogram, scalogram and power spectrum. The heads of both Doryichthys species were prepared for microtomographical scans which were analysed using a 3D imaging software. Additionally, the cranial bones of all three species were examined using a clearing and double-staining method for histological studies. Results. The sound characteristics of the feeding click of the pipefish is species-specific, appearing to be dependent on three bones: the supraoccipital, 1st postcranial plate and 2nd postcranial plate. The sounds are generated when the head of the Dorichthyes pipefishes flexes backward during the feeding strike, as the supraoccipital slides backwards, striking and pushing the 1st postcranial plate against (and striking) the 2nd postcranial plate. In the Syngnathoides pipefish, in the absence of the 1st postcranial plate, the supraoccipital rubs against the 2nd postcranial plate twice as it is pulled backward and released on the return. Cranial morphology and kinesis produce acoustic signals consistent with the bone strikes that produce sharp energy spikes (discrete or merged), or stridulations between bones that produce repeated or multimodal sinusoidal waveforms. Discussion. The variable structure of the sound-producing mechanism explains the unique acoustic signatures of the three species of pipefish. The differences in cranial bone morphology, cranial kinesis and acoustic signatures among pipefishes (and seahorses) could be attributed to independent evolution within the Syngnathidae, which warrants further investigation.

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles
New method for distance-based close following safety indicator

Sharizli AA, Rahizar R, Karim MR, Saifizul AA

Traffic Inj Prev, 2015;16(2):190-5.
PMID: 24827899 DOI: 10.1080/15389588.2014.921913

The increase in the number of fatalities caused by road accidents involving heavy vehicles every year has raised the level of concern and awareness on road safety in developing countries like Malaysia. Changes in the vehicle dynamic characteristics such as gross vehicle weight, travel speed, and vehicle classification will affect a heavy vehicle's braking performance and its ability to stop safely in emergency situations. As such, the aim of this study is to establish a more realistic new distance-based safety indicator called the minimum safe distance gap (MSDG), which incorporates vehicle classification (VC), speed, and gross vehicle weight (GVW).

Matched MeSH terms: Motor Vehicles/statistics & numerical data

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