This paper describes a study on the design, fabrication and testing of a prototype digging device for sweet potato tubers in bris soil. The soil texture was sandy soil (fine sand 94.53%), with mean moisture content of 9.16% and mean bulk density of 1.44 g-cm-3. The soil was prepared in a soil bin. Three types of soil digging tools were designed and fabricated to determine the optimum draft force. These were Flat or plane, V-shaped and Hoe type blades. Plane and V-shaped blades were 30 cm long, and 13 cm wide, while the Hoe type had three rods, 25 mm in diameter, 30 cm long and 6.5 cm wide with sharp cutting edge. The digging tools were tested in a soil bin filled with bris soil to determine the optimum draft force and area of soil disturbance. The results were analysed using statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA). Comparison between all blade types and blade depths to measured draft force and the area of soil disturbed showed that the highest draft of 0.54 kN-m-2 was caused by a flat or plane blade at the optimum depth of 20 cm when the area of soil disturbed was 0.180 m2 . The V-shaped blade had the mean draft of 0.51 kN-m-2, with area of soil disturbance of 0.185 m2 . Thebest choice was V-shaped blade with a rake angle of 30o at 20 cm. depth. The selected blade was fixed onto the sweet potato harvester and tested on bris soil planted with sweet potato of Telong and VitAto varieties. The harvesting efficiency of the machine in bris soil was 93.64% and 90.49% for Telong (Plot A) and VitAto (Plot B) varieties, respectively. The average ground speed and turning time during operation for plots A and B was 0.56 km-hr-1 and 102.7 s and 0.99 km-hr-1 and 81.22 s, respectively. The harvesting efficiencies for both plots showed no significant difference. The total productive time (harvesting time) and unproductive time (turning time) in plot A, at a tractor speed of 0.56 km.hr-1, was 14.8 hours for harvesting a hectare of sweet potato ( 0.068 ha.hr-1). In plot B, the total time for harvesting a hectare of sweet potato was 8.35 hours (0.12 ha.hr-1) at a tractor speed of 0.99 km.hr-1. The average harvesting time for both plots was 11.47 hr.ha-1. The average field work rate was 0.087 ha.hr-1 or 34 man-hr.ha-1 compared to manual harvesting of 150 man-hrs.ha-1.
β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) powders were synthesized by using various particles sizes (40 nm – 780 μm) calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and phosphoric acid (H3PO4) at room temperature (25 ˚C). The synthesized powders were characterized by using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) method. The purity of β-TCP powders were determined from XRD pattern while the crystallite size of β-TCP powders were calculated by using Scherrer equation. Results shows that the purity of β-TCP powders were ranged from 20.33 % to 81.94 % while the crystallite size of β- TCP powders were ranged from 0.04391 μm to 0.06751 μm. From this work, particle size of CaCO3 will influenced the purity but not the mean crystallite size of synthesized β-TCP.
Production of carbon dioxide from degraded woods especially Karas or Aquilariella Malaccensis using integrated pyrolysis-combustion is important for radiocarbon dating application. The effects of pyrolysis temperatures (300-400 0 C), retention times (20-35 minutes) and flow rates of argon (400- 1000 ml/min) on the production of carbon dioxide were studied. The experiments were arranged according to a 2 3 response surface central composite statistical design (CSD). This response surface methodology (RSM) was used to assess factor interactions and empirical models regarding carbon dioxide yield. The optimized yield of carbon dioxide was 82.57% for Karas and the optimum reaction conditions are 300 0 C of pyrolysis temperature, 20 minutes retention time and 982ml/min flow rates of argon. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) were conducted to assess the morphological characteristics of the woods and to look at the potential crystalline structure produced after the process took place, respectively.
Effects of organoclay concentration on the properties of radiation crosslinked natural rubber (NR)/ ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)/clay nanocomposites were investigated. The NR/EVA blend with a ratio of 40/60 was melt blended with different concentration of either dodecyl ammonium montmorillonite (DDA-MMT) or dimethyl dihydrogenated tallow quarternary ammonium montmorillonite (C20A). Composite of NR/EVA blend with unmodified clay (Na-MMT) was also prepared for comparison purposes. The composites were irradiated with electron beam (EB) at an optimum irradiation dose. The formation of radiation-induced crosslinking depends on the type and concentration of the organoclay used in the preparation of nanocomposites as measured by gel content. Changes in the interlayer distance of the silicate layers with the increase of organoclay concentration were shown by the XRD results. Variation in the tensile properties of the nanocomposites with the increase of organoclay concentration depends on the formation of crosslinking as well as reinforcement effect of the organoclay. Improvement in thermal stability of the NR/EVA blend was also observed with the presence of organoclay.
Elliptic curve cryptosystems (ECC) provides better security for each bit key utilized compared to the RSA cryptosystem. For this reason, it is projected to have more practical usage than the RSA. In ECC, scalar multiplication (or point multiplication) is the dominant operation, namely, computing nP from a point P on an elliptic curve, where n is an integer defined as the point resulting from adding P + P + ... + P, n times. However, for practical uses, it is very important to improve the efficiency of the scalar multiplication. Solinas (1997) proposes that the τ-adic Non-Adjacent Form (τ-NAF) is one of the most efficient algorithms used to compute scalar multiplications on Anomalous Binary curves. In this paper, we give a new property (i.e., Theorem 1.2) of τ-NAF(n) representation for every length, l. This is useful for evaluating the maximum and minimum norms occurring among all length-l elements of Z(τ). We also propose a new cryptographic method by using randomization of a multiplier n to nr an element of Z(τ). It is based on τ-NAF. We focused on estimating the length of RTNAF(nr) expansion by using a new method.
The Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) is a large iconic tree indigenous to Africa where it is found in many countries. The Baobab tree has various uses, as it produces food and non-food products such as medicines, fuel, timber and fodder. This research is focused on the characterization of the Baobab fruit shells in terms of lignin (54.08%), cellulose (24.87%) and hemicellulose (21.05%) content, as well as proximate analysis such as ash content (5.17%), moisture content (6.48%), volatile matter (86.73%) and carbon content (1.22%). This assessment will play a vital role in exploring the benefits of utilizing baobab fruit shells in the production of activated carbon as well as set a foundation for future research.
The oil quality parameters of the seed oil of Baobab (Adansonia digitata) were evaluated using standard methods of analysis. The Iodine value, Peroxide value, Saponification value were 86 g/100g, 4.08 mEq/Kg, 188 mg/g, respectively, for seed oil. The oil content of the kernel was higher 23% compared to the hulls that contain 5.4% oil. The kernel oil contains substantial quantities of calcium, potassium, and magnesium, which were found to be 4116, 2339 and 1629 mg/Kg, respectively. The fatty acid profile showed that oleic and linoleic were the major unsaturated fatty acids, whereas palmitic was the major saturated acid. The oil also, showed considerable amount of total phenolic content (TPC) and worthy antioxidant activity. Baobab oil has great nutritional and industrial potentials. It is therefore recommended that more and advanced research should be undertaken for this abundant source of natural nutritious oil.
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.
Nowadays, the applications of tracking moving object are commonly used in various
areas especially in computer vision applications. There are many tracking algorithms
have been introduced and they are divided into three groups which are generative
trackers, discriminative trackers and hybrid trackers. One of the methods is TrackingLearning-Detection
(TLD) framework which is an example of the hybrid trackers where
combination between the generative trackers and the discriminative trackers occur. In
TLD, the detector consists of three stages which are patch variance, ensemble classifier
and KNearest Neighbor classifier. In the second stage, the ensemble classifier depends
on simple pixel comparison hence, it is likely fail to offer a better generalization of the
appearances of the target object in the detection process. In this paper, OnlineSequential
Extreme Learning Machine (OS-ELM) was used to replace the ensemble
classifier in the TLD framework. Besides that, different types of Haar-like features were
used for the feature extraction process instead of using raw pixel value as the features.
The objectives of this study are to improve the classifier in the second stage of detector
in TLD framework by using Haar-like features as an input to the classifier and to get a
more generalized detector in TLD framework by using OS-ELM based detector. The
results showed that the proposed method performs better in Pedestrian 1 in terms of
F-measure and also offers good performance in terms of Precision in four out of six
videos.
This paper presents a development of an expert system to be used as an advisory in finding the solution to problems which are normally solved by human experts. The E-ACTIVETRANS is developed to help young engineers/planners in designing a new cycle lane in urban areas and also to help in reallocation of an existing roadway space for cycle lanes. This system has three sub-systems: Planning on Strategies to Shift from Passive Transportation to Active Transportation, Design on Bicycle Facilities and Examples of Successful Implementation. This paper focuses on the design of bicycle facilities whereby the prototype was developed based on data acquired from the domain experts who are involved in bicycle facility module design, as well as the initial text analysis obtained during the domain familiarisation stage. The validation of the system was performed through a comparison of knowledge content in E-ACTIVETRANS based on expert opinion. The average level of acceptance is 91 percent which validates the system and knowledge of the experts.
Congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV) or clubfoot is a complex deformity of the foot that is characterised by four main deformities; forefoot cavus and adductus, hindfoot varus and ankle equinus. Currently, the Ponseti method is the most general and recognized treatment with a high success rate of over 90%. The treatment involves gentle manipulation and serial casting. However, the casting method could create complications for the patients such as soft-tissue damage and inconvenience in following the treatment schedule especially for those living far away from hospital. The aim of this research is to develop an adjustable corrective device for clubfoot treatment based on the techniques in the Ponseti method and at the same time attempt to eliminate the side-effects. The prototype consists of six adjustable movements from six different mechanisms to correct the four deformities. The prototype was developed using 3D printing method and the main material used is polylactic acid (PLA), rubber, aluminium and cotton fabric with sponge. The total weight of the prototype is around 300 g.
Post Weld Impact Treatment (PWIT) is necessary in order to improve the tensile shear and hardness strengths on the welded joints of spot welding process. PWIT can be performed via Low Blow Impact Treatment (LBIT), which is the main focus in this research. In this present study, two plates of low carbon steel (LCS) with dimensions of 110 mm × 45 mm × 1.2 mm underwent a resistance spot welding. All welded samples were later tested for their mechanical properties by performing the tensile-shear, hardness test and qualitative analysis. Tensile shear test was conducted on the spot welded area for both treated and untreated samples using crosshead speed of 2 mm/min, while hardness test was performed using 1 kgf load Vickers hardness indenter. The effects of LBIT on tensile-shear properties, hardness and fatigue strength were evaluated and it was found that the implementation of LBIT increased the tensile shear strength, fatigue strength and hardness on the welded joint significantly.
Augmented renal clearance (ARC) is a phenomenon where there is elevated
renal clearance and defined by creatinine clearance more than 130ml/min. ARC results
in changes of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic of antimicrobial therapy being
administered, which may result in its subtherapeutic dose. We evaluated the
prevalence, risk factors and outcome of ARC in critically ill patients with sepsis. (Copied from article).
Currently, it is almost impossible to diagnose a patient at the onset of
sepsis due to the lack of real-time metrics with high sensitivity and specificity. The
purpose of the present study is to determine the diagnostic value of model-based insulin
sensitivity (SI) as a new sepsis biomarker in critically ill patients, and compare its
performance to classical inflammatory parameters. (Copied from article).
Corneal power or keratometric value represents two-third of total
refractive power of the eye. It is an important parameter in intraocular lens calculation.
Purpose of the study was to evaluate repeatability and agreement of keratometric
measurements obtained from a six points-based keratometry device; IOLMaster 500 (Carl
Zeiss Meditec AG, Jena, Germany) and two Placido disc-based keratometry devices;
Atlas Topographer 995 and 9000 models (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Jena, Germany). (Copied from article).
Controlled humidity environment is of significance in many scientific researches and experiments. In most laboratory-scale atmospheric chambers, an electrical temperature-based control system is used to adjust humidity. Since these chambers are not affordable in every laboratory, other low cost chambers using nitrogen gas or silica gel are used to adjust humidity. In this paper, a mechanism was developed to control the relative humidity in closed lab-scale chambers. Humidification is done by spraying water through a blower fan while de-humidification is by pumping air through silica gel as well as nitrogen gas injection. A Mamdani type fuzzy controller was designed to control the components and relative humidity. The results show the proposed system and controller can adjust and maintain relative humidity from 41% to 100% with maximum overshoot of 1% and the maximum range of error of steady state of 1.2 %.
A programmable CMOS delay line circuit with microsecond delay range and adjustable duty cycle is proposed. Through circuit simulation, approximately 2μs delay range can be achieved using 10-bit counter operating at a clock frequency of 500MHz. Utilising synchronous counters instead of synchronous latches has significantly reduced the large occupied active silicon area as well as the huge power consumption. The generated coarse time delay has shown excellent linearity and immunity to PVT variations. The proposed CMOS delay line is designed using a standard 0.13μm Silterra CMOS technology. The active layout area is (101 x 142) μm2, and the total power consumption is only 0.1 μW.
The Gleason grading system assists in evaluating the prognosis of men with prostate cancer. Cancers with a higher score are more aggressive and have a worse prognosis. The pathologists observe the tissue components (e.g. lumen, nuclei) of the histopathological image to grade it. The differentiation between Grade 3 and Grade 4 is the most challenging, and receives the most consideration from scholars. However, since the grading is subjective and time-consuming, a reliable computer-aided prostate cancer diagnosing techniques are in high demand. This study proposed an ensemble computer-added system (CAD) consisting of two single classifiers: a) a specialist, trained specifically for texture features of the lumen and the other for nuclei tissue component; b) a fusion method to aggregate the decision of the single classifiers. Experimental results show promising results that the proposed ensemble system (area under the ROC curve (Az) of 88.9% for Grade 3 versus Grad 4 classification task) impressively outperforms the single classifier of nuclei (Az=87.7) and lumen (Az=86.6).
Hb Malay was first described in 1989 following an investigation of anaemia in a 22-year-old Malay gentleman who was homozygous for this chain variant. This Hb variant is caused by AAC AGC mutation at codon 19 of the globin gene resulting in the substitution of serine for asparagine [1]. The mutation creates cryptic RNA splice site in exon 1 of the -globin gene leading to an abnormal RNA processing. Thus, this mutation not only produces variant haemoglobin but also a mild + thalassemia phenotype [2].
Haemolytic Disease of Foetus and Newborn (HDFN) and Haemolytic Transfusion Reaction (HTR) may occur due to antibodies against Kidd antigen. In Malaysia, the prevalence of RBC alloimmunization due to Kidd antibody for cases of HDFN and HTR have been reported [1-2] however there is insufficient data in Hospital Umum Sarawak (HUS).The aim of this study is to determine whether Kidd alloimmunization causes HDFN and HTR. Indirectly categorize Kidd phenotype blood in regular blood donors.