Nowadays in construction development, the needs of construction materials that have a unique reinforced concrete design with good quality, reasonable market price, and easy installation techniques has been prioritized. Therefore, this study aimed to produce an alternative new construction material that can fulfill the requirements. The U-shaped composite spacer block (UCop) through the production of Cement Bonded Particle Board (CBPB) as a specimen block was produced from the wood waste of carpentry work combined with Shorea spp. (Seraya red and white) particle size approximately 0.4mm - 2.00 mm. Then it was mixed together with Portland cement by using a ratio 1:2.5. The mixture was then added with Ammonia Chloride (Al2SO4) and Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) act as additives for this product. The physical and mechanical tests were conducted in this study. The results were showed that the thickness expansion was achieved an average of 1.79 %, which was passed the minimum requirement of MS934:1986 standards. However, the flexural strength did not meet the minimum standards. The poor mixing technique was attributed to the results. However, UCop still could contribute as an alternative solution in ease the concrete pouring process using a special binder, giving the spacer block any resistance to formwork of columns or beams is filled with concrete. The high-impact innovations of this product in construction such as it can help the process to be more efficient and to reduce construction costs, next indirectly preserve the nature.
The preparation technique during synthesizing process and heat treatment plays an important role in the properties of the ceramic materials. In this paper, ceramic perovskite-type oxide based on Ba (Ce,Zr)O3 was prepared by sol-gel method and sintered via two-step sintering (TSS) technique. In the TSS, the sintered pellet was undergoing twice heat treatment. The first temperature profile was set at T1= 1400°C and the second temperature were varied at T2 = 1150°C, 1200°C, 1300°C and 1350°C, respectively. XRD results showed that all samples TSS1 to TSS5 exhibit single-phase of cerate-zirconate ceramics except for the pellet sintered at 1300°C (TSS4). The crystalline peaks for single-phase sintered pellets were matched to the standard compound Ba(Ce,Zr)O3 . On the other hand, the presence of secondary phases of CeO2 , Ba2ZrO4 and BaCO3 along with the main phase of Ba(Ce,Zr)O3 were detected in TSS4. SEM analysis revealed that the samples formed clear and compact grains with submicron sizes whereby the size of grain decreased from 336.4 to 192 nm as the second sintering temperature increased. This paper attempts to show that the implementation of different sintering profile in TSS method was found to give significant effect on the phase and morphology of solid solution of Ba(Ce,Zr)O3 .
The location of Sarawak State in the equatorial region makes it an area of high rainfall. For this reason, hydroelectric power plants have been built in several catchments in Sarawak, especially in the Kapit area. This needs to be harnessed to improve the economy and social living standards of the people of Sarawak in particular. This paper presents the land cover change by analyzing the stratification change for 30 years (1985-2018) at Bakun Dam, Sarawak. This study uses Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 satellite data. Both data have to go through pre-processing such as geometric, radiometric, and atmospheric corrections. In this study, Normalized Water Difference Index (NDWI) is used to classify water areas, built human areas, and vegetation areas. Overlay analysis was applied to identify areas that had changed over the 30 years in the study area. The results showed the greatest changes from vegetation areas to water bodies for 30 years. The results showed that the most affected land cover was forest cover with a reduction of 740 km², which shifted mainly to water bodies with 669.9 km² and human development with an area of 68.7 km². The study area is less populated and anthropogenic influences are rather low, but deforestation is observed in the upper river basin. These events would change the hydrological behavior of these catchments in the future. Land cover mapping is very important to provide information to those responsible for planning sustainable development. In addition, land cover maps are important for land use planning and land use regulation to avoid land-use conflicts.
Assistive technology is initiated to aid those visually impaired to fulfil their tasks independently, rapidly, and easily. As such, tactile map is an assistive technology that has been widely used for navigation to enable those visually impaired to visualize the geographical information about a particular place. Nevertheless, its usability and availability in Malaysia are scant. This paper aims to investigate the usability issues of tactile map, identify the requirements and proposed a conceptual prototype named TacTalk. Qualitative research method in the form of face to face interviews were carried out with the visually impaired residing at Saint Nicholas’ Home for the Blind in Penang. Results from the findings identified four emerging usability issues: poor design of tactile map due to limited space, misinterpretation of information, complexity of symbols used and difficulty in memorizing directions. The proposed solution, ‘TacTalk’, refers to a ‘talking tactile map’ incorporated with audio support. TacTalk is comprised of two components, which are: a tactile map with built-in buttons, and a mobile application that plays the audio files. There is a connection between the buttons on the map and the TacTalk mobile application via Bluetooth. An audio instruction is played when the button is pressed by the user. The results of this work hope to overcome the fear of the visually impaired to travel alone. Hopefully, it can inspire and empower them to explore the use of assistive technology in future.
Interactive learning is a pedagogical model that encourages students to be part of the lesson instead of passive observers, quietly sitting at a desk taking notes or memorizing information. Students interact with the material, each other and the teacher in an active way. The new emerging technologies that can overcome some of the potential difficulties in this area includes computer graphics, augmented reality, computational dynamics, and virtual worlds. Therefore, the manufacturing industry relies on new design concepts and methods undertake the challenges in integrating technologies to expedite the march towards industrial revolution 4.0.This paper reviews and investigates the current context of the use of interactive learning such as Virtual Reality(VR),Augmented Reality(AR),Computer aided design and manufacturing(CADCAM), computer graphics, computational dynamics and new emerging technologies that effect on students and lectures in learning and teaching environments for Manufacturing Engineering. Interactive learning is part of the factors that could influence the self-learning and regulations environments.
Layered double hydroxide (LDH)-based nanocomposite, created by interacting LDH with another nanoparticles usually applied in the area of environmental, catalytic, industrial and biomedical field. In this study, a new herbicide delivery system was developed through the intercalation of Magnesium Aluminiumlayered double hydroxide (MAN host) with 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (4-CPA). This intercalation was done by using co-precipitation method at pH 10 with different concentration of 4-CPA which were 0.5 M and 0.7 M. The successful intercalation was obtained at 0.7 M Magnesium Aluminium-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MAC) and had been confirmed through several analysis. Firstly, the XRD pattern shows expansion of basal spacing shifted from 8.9 Å to 9.3 Å. This result supported by the FTIR-ATR spectrum that shows the disappearance nitrate peak (NO3 - ) and appearance of carboxylate ion (COO- ) peak at 1596 cm-1 . Furthermore, this intercalation was validated with the result of surface morphology by FESEM. The controlled release study of 4-CPA from 0.7 M MAC shown sodium carbonate solution released the percentage of 4-CPA higher than tap water. This study has signifies MAC as a safer agent of agrochemicals by reducing the dosage of herbicide in the agriculture field and protect the herbicide through encapsulation system.
This research presents an improved and more effective approach for data acquisition of recirculation aquaculture system (RAS). The previous research, the system uses manual methods to take the important data from RAS and it wastes the time and also gets late response from the fish farmer if the data is not in the good condition. As a result, fog computing technology is applied to overcome all these problems and acts as advance data acquisition system to keep data safely by sharing the processed data in fog computing for every tanks and analyze the data to make an accurate control/decision in the real time. Besides, open source technology plus embedded system based will be integrated for this research because its benefits such as small size, low cost, light weight, portable, high efficiency and low power consumption. This research has achieved the objectives which are design a data collecting system for RAS, design a data processing system using fog computing and integrate, test and validate automatic data collection and processing strategy for recirculation aquaculture system (RAS). The data collecting system for RAS, RaspDAQ is developed by connecting Raspberry Pi 3 to temperature sensor (LM35DT) using analogue digital converter (ADC) MCP3002, water level sensor (HC-SR04), Rpi camera module, LEDs and buzzer. Software and program are built using Python and Apache server to run every functions of RaspDAQ. While third Raspberry Pi 3 is setup as data processing system, RaspFog using PHP, Apache and MySQL server. Both RaspDAQ and RaspFog are based on Raspbian operating system. After that, RaspDAQ1 and RaspDAQ2 are connected to RaspFog using WiFi technology to send sensors data in real time. The received data are stored and plotted using Highcharts.com graph. The data collecting system, RaspDAQ and data server and processor, RaspFog has been tested and validated. At the same time, users can see the graph output in the real time for temperature, water level sensor and real condition using Rpi camera module of RaspDAQ1 and RaspDAQ2 by browsing RaspFog website. From the observation, data has been transferred from RaspDAQ to RaspFog in a short duration which is less than 15 seconds. Consequently, the efficiency of data acquisition process has been improved from manual system to fog computing technology successfully.
This study investigates metal removal rate (MRR) of the biomaterial by using discharge machine Neuar CNC A50 Electrical Discharge Machine Die Sinking (EDM DS). The purpose of this study is to compare machining curvature cup for material SKD 11 and stainless steel with shape curvature cup acetabular. The result showed that electrode wear is higher when high current is applied. For each applied current 0.5A and 3.0A could result electrode wear of 0.236 mm, 0.246 mm and 0.269 mm respectively. Mean time of complete discharged for each pit with 0.3mm depth with supply 0. 5A is 6.51 minutes; 1. 5A is 3.54 minutes and 3A is 1.52 minutes. The biggest mean parameter of the pit is 0.356 mm, with 3A of current is applied. From this study, it can be concluded that low current set may give lower electrode copper wear. The experiment will help a researcher to discharge biomaterial types of metal with small size of copper electrode use of EDM DS Neuar for discharge multi hole or micro pit.
Synthetic fibers such as glass fiber and carbon fiber are traditionally used as reinforcement in engineering composites. The increasing of environmental concerns has led to the use of natural fibers as renewable alternatives reinforcement. Among them, coconut meat husk fiber which abundant availability can be used as reinforcement fiber. However, the coconut meat husk fiber, same as other natural fibers, has the issues of fiber/matrix bonding and moisture absorption. Chemical treatments are needed to modify the surface of fiber, aiming at improving the adhesion with polymer matrix and reducing the hydrophilicity of the fiber. Alkalization was used in this study to treat the coconut meat husk fiber. The effects of chemical treatments for 1hr and 24 hr treatment time on the coconut meat husk fibers reinforced composites were investigated. A result showed that the 24 hr alkali treatment gave the highest tensile stenght compared to the 1hr treatment and RO water.
Natural fiber reinforced composites are recognized as better materials for structural components due to their inherent properties. However, milling these materials presents a number of problems, such as surface delamination, which appeared during the machining process, associated with the characteristics of the material and the cutting parameters. Therefore, in this study, machining parameters and the influence of the banana fibers under delamination were investigated. Result showed that machining parameters has a significance effect on the delamination of banana fiber reinforced polyester composites.
The purpose of this study is to compare the tensile strength between additional polystyrene into coconut meat husk reinforced fiber composite. Composite were produced by using hand layup technique. It is seen that with the additional of polystyrene into the coconut meat husk reinforced polyester composites showed the increment tensile strength value compared to the non-added polystyrene which indicates that effective stress transfer between the fiber, matrix and polystyrene.
This paper is about the reduction of the overall size of metal blanking sheet that is being used to form a stamping product or car body panel of a car manufacturer in Malaysia. The current blanking sheet produces extra waste which will be recycled and does not contribute to increase productivity but increases inventory cost. The reduction in the blanking sheet size will lead to the reduction of raw material hence reduced the production cost. However, the reduced size of blanking sheet could affect the yield strength of the product. The study of the yield strength and yield improvement of the product are done by simulating stress analysis by using CATIA software. The results show that the new proposed size of the metal blanking sheet provides accuracy of the product dimension as well as maintaining the yield strength of the product and it reduced a significant amount of metal scrap which is nearly 4% of material weight and save around 10% of inventory cost.
Exposure to any type of stressors either environmental, chemical or perceived stressors, results in a series of physiological responses in animals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of thermal stress on physiological responses in red hybrid tilapia. Adult red hybrid tilapia were previously exposed to gradual increment of water temperature in thermoregulated recirculating tanks at a rate of 1oC/8 h from 28 to 31oC and kept for 1, 7 and 14 days. Cortisol, HMG-CoA reductase, total protein and osmolality were determined. Plasma cortisol and HMG-CoA levels were significantly increased in the heat-stressed groups compared to nonstressed groups. Osmolality was also significantly higher (p
Being the most abundant element on earth, aluminium has become one of the major restricting factors that affect the growth and development of plants. The first target of aluminium toxicity is the root apex which would in turn affect the overall growth of the plants. In this study, the effect of various concentrations of aluminium (Al) on the growth of Lobelia chinensis was determined. Nodal explants of L. chinensis were cultured on MS medium containing various concentrations of aluminium chloride (AlCl3) (0, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 and 20 µM) with 1250.0 μM ion phosphate and pH was adjusted to 4.6. It was observed that both the growth of shoot and root decreased with the increasing concentrations of Al.
The problem of constructing such a continuous function is called data fitting. Many times, data given only at discrete points. With interpolation, we seek a function that allows us to approximate f(x) such that functional values between the original data set values may be determined. The process of finding such a polynomial is called interpolation and one of the most important approaches used are Lagrange interpolating formula. In this study, researcher determining the polynomial interpolation by using Lagrange interpolating formula. Then, a mathematical modelling was built by using MATLAB programming to determine the polynomial interpolation for a given points using the Lagrange method. The result of the study showed that the manual calculating and the MATLAB mathematical modelling will give the same answer for evaluated x and graph.