Muhammad Adil Khattak, Mohammad Azfar Haziq Ayoub, Muhammad Ariff Fadhlillah Abdul Manaf, Mohd Faidhi Mahrul, Mohd Ridwan Mohd Juhari, Mira Idora Mustaffa, et al.
Energy supply security is a vital aim of energy policy in countries across the globe.
Global energy security is one of the main concerns as it depends on the concentrations
of the energy supplies political pressure from energy exporters. In Europe’s case,
energy security has been of large concern by the gas crisis which resulted from gas
prices and debts that caused the halt in Russian gas flowing through Ukraine’s
pipelines. The crisis coincidentally happened during the increasing concerns in the
nationalism resource of energy exporters as well as the circumstance involving high oil
prices. Europe’s economies were a huge concern as it was susceptible of energy
exporters’ political pressure and the rivalry with the resource demanding China. Energy
security, however, is still confused as it is shown in political actions. The focus of energy
security in the U.S. has originally been to reduce the susceptibility of it towards political
manipulation and that has tipped the politicians to voice out for the independence of
energy increasing shares of renewable energy. The plan of energy independence in
Brazil, however, had come to a reality as there were timeframes of politician
represented a rising share in fossil fuel supply imports and lowered shares of
renewable energy as to encourage energy security. For other countries, the energy
security they went for was the protection of the poor in countering the products price
instability while others highlight the prominence of defending the economy in contrast
of the disturbance in energy service supplies which is done by letting the prices of
products to increase in times of shortage. The paper will define the energy security
better in terms of the European Union as to shed some light on the issue. It will review
the European Union and the global energy security whilst including the implication of
oil market which will be concentrated in terms of EU, elaboration of the energy security
of EU in context of foreign relation, the physical security issues and challenges faced
by EU, and the elaboration of energy policy of EU.
Electrical Discharge Machining, EDM is one of the technologies used for surface
texturing such as the embedded micro-dimples on the metallic acetabular cup. During
the machining process, changes in the gap distance may lead to load changes from
open to short circuit. Limiting the load current under short circuit conditions and load
voltage under open circuit conditions is the requirement in this system. Power supply
is one of the elements that controls the process parameters which is related to improve
the machining condition as well as Material Removal Rate (MRR). A considerable
number of power supply design method were proposed for various EDM application.
This research proposed a Switch Mode Power Supply method implementing new
design of Flyback power supply which can stabilize the voltage during open circuit
condition as well as during discharge condition. Experimental studies were conducted
to verify the capability of Flyback power supply by machining eight micro-dimples in
lower position and twelve micro-dimples in upper position, both in circular
arrangement on metallic acetabular cup. Research conducted shows that the Flyback
power supply improve the consistency of MRR when compared to Linear power supply.
This may help to predict the machining time, thus improving the production of microdimples
in required time.
Yeast growth and biomass production are greatly influenced by the length of the
incubation period during cultivation. Therefore, this study was conducted to
investigate the growth kinetics of five Lipomyces starkeyi strains as determined by
biomass production. The five L. starkeyi strains, namely L. starkeyi ATCC 12659, L.
starkeyi MV-1, L. starkeyi MV-4, L. starkeyi MV-5 and L. starkeyi MV-8, were inoculated
in sterilized Yeast Malt broth, and, incubated for 192 hr at ambient temperature.
Biomass yields were assessed and calculated gravimetrically every 24 hr. Results
indicated that the optimal biomass production of L. starkeyi ATCC 12659, L. starkeyi
MV-1, L. starkeyi MV-4, L. starkeyi MV-5 and L. starkeyi MV-8 were at 120, 168, 144,
168 and 120 hr, with the concentrations of 6.64, 6.43, 9.78, 11.23 and 8.56 g/L,
respectively. These results indicate that each L. starkeyi strain requires specific
incubation period for the optimum production of fungal biomass. Therefore, by
cultivating each L. starkeyi strain at the predetermined incubation period, biomass
yields could significantly be improved for further downstream applications such as
single cell protein and lipid production.
Mechanical responses and failure of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite
laminates could be predicted using the validated finite element (FE) simulation. The
material constitutive and damage models employed in the simulation are developed
based on the properties of the unidirectional lamina, including those obtained
through tension tests. Such computational model assumes perfectly aligned fibers in
the lamina. In this respect, this paper examined the effect of fabrication-inherited
fiber misalignment on the tensile response of the unidirectional lamina. For this
purpose, a series of tension tests are performed on unidirectional carbon fiberreinforced
polymer (CFRP) composite lamina specimens with different gage lengths
ranging from 50 to 150 mm. Fiber misalignment is quantified to be 7o and represents
the nominal deviation of the fibers from the reference longitudinal axis direction.
Load-displacement responses of the specimens are compared. Results show that the
nominal tensile strength of the lamina is 1089±33 MPa. The elastic modulus,
however, increases from 36.96 to 55.93 GPa as the gage lengths vary from 50 to 150
mm, respectively. This is due to the induced bending effects on the reinforcing fibers
that is greater for longer gage lengths. Multiple fiber fracture events, each is depicted
in a noticeable load drop, are recorded throughout the tensile loading of long lamina
specimens. Although the load at fracture is accurately reproduced by the FE
simulation using the damage-based mesoscale model, the effect of fiber
misalignment could not be captured.
Bioethanol is one of the leading alternative biofuel to fossil fuels and can be use in
existing gasoline engines without any major modification. Bioethanol can be
produced from sugar containing biomass fermentation using different potential
strains. In this study, the gram negative, facultative anaerobic, rod shaped strain
‘Zymomonas mobilis’ was used as microorganism to produce bioethanol from sugar
cane molasses using anaerobic fermentation. The study was conducted to investigate
the optimized conditions for production of bioethanol through batch fermentation
process. The fermentation unit was designed to determine the effect of process
parameters such as fermentation temperature, pH, sugar concentration and supply of
nutrients. The Zymomonas mobilis produced 9.3% (v/v) bioethanol by utilizing 16
g/100mL sugar with the fermentation efficiency 92.5%. The fertilized based nutrients
were supplied to enhance the production of bioethanol yield. The bioethanol yield
produced by using this strain in optimized conditions is in good compromise with
previous study and also compared with commercially available yeast strain.
Interest in Indigenous Knowledge (IK) system has been particularly highlighted in
flood disasters, due to the likely increase of flood events resulting from
anthropogenic climate change through heavy precipitation, increased catchment
wetness, and sea level rise. Therefore, bringing IK of flood risk reduction into focus
and context to deepen the understanding of how people manage their own changing
circumstances can bring more pertinent information about flood risk reduction. This
paper reviews the significance of IK in flood risk reduction. Specifically, the paper
discusses IK flood forecasting, early warning signs, adaptation and coping strategies
in flood risk reduction around the world. The Methodological approach employed for
this paper is the review of existing literature on IK in flood Disaster Risk Reduction
(DRR), and then a summary of the outcomes of the studies reviewed was discussed.
However, it was deduced from the review undertaken, the need for an intensive
empirical study to be conducted to explore how efficient these strategies or
techniques are, in relation to flood risk reduction, which this paper strongly
recommends for further investigation. Additionally, the paper concludes by
emphasizing that although the IK of flood risk reduction is embedded in varied
regions around the globe, still there is a need for further study to be carried out in
order to unveil why the similarities and variations in flood risk reduction
practices/strategies between regions.
Recently natural polyphenol compounds (PCs) of plants, gained wide consideration of
scientists, companies and public people because of its unique pharmaceutical and
preservative benefits in the physiological system. They can prevent mortal and serious
diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and Alzheimer. However, defining a suitable
source of PCs and their proper, economic and efficient extraction method are still a
challenge. The aim of this study was to review PCs as an important antioxidant, the
significance of pomegranate as a source of natural PCs and its application in meat and
meat product. This study also covers different types of PCs extraction methods such as
solid-liquid extraction (SLE) method as a conventional extraction which using Soxhlet
apparatus and several solvents and advanced methods such as microwave-assisted
extraction (MAE), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), accelerated solvent extraction
(ASE), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and high hydrostatic pressure extraction
(HHPE). Simple and developed analytical method of PCs is also reviewed in the study.
SLE method is an easy and simple method but, it uses lots of chemicals and is not
suitable for all kinds of PCs extraction. UAE is using for quick extraction PCs, SFE is green
extraction method uses less solvent and have a good result but it needs high
technology. ASE method is a proper alternative for Soxhlet extraction method for its
quick result. MAE method has high extraction result but is not suitable for some
thermolabile PCs. Several parts of pomegranate showed antioxidant and antimicrobial
traits for shelf life extension of meat and meat product. Pomegranate peel is the
strongest antioxidant followed by pomegranate juice and seed. Pomegranate peel
prolonged chilled chicken meat shelf live up to three weeks.
Kaempferia galangal rhizome is one of the traditional medicinal plant species in
Zingiberaceae family and well known as “cekur” in Borneo. Rapid emergence of
multidrug resistance of V. cholerae biofilm has increased the failure of antibiotic
treatment in recent years. This research was designed to demonstrate the
antimicrobial activity of K. galangal rhizome extract against twenty six (n=26) V. cholera
biofilm which were isolated from outbreak in Limbang, Sarawak in 2016. K. galangal
rhizome was analyzed by methanol extraction and tested against biofilm of V. cholerae.
The susceptibility of V. cholerae towards K. galangal rhizome was evaluated using disk
diffusion method which showed a maximum zone of inhibition of 12.0 mm at 1000
mg/mL concentration. As a result, the MBEC50 of V. cholerae was between 125 mg/mL
to 250 mg/mL while more than 90% biofilm eradication (MBEC90) was achieved by 500
mg/mL extract concentration. Extract-treated cell showed change in the morphology
of V. cholerae by destruction of cell wall. K. galangal rhizome extract acts as a potent
antibiofilm agent with dual actions by preventing and eradicating the biofilm of V.
cholerae.