Abstract: Scheduled waste management is very important in
environmental and health aspects. In delivering services, highway
industry has been indirectly involved in producing scheduled wastes.
This paper aims to define the scheduled waste, to provide a
conceptual framework of the scheduled waste management in
highway industry, to highlight the effect of improper management of
scheduled waste and to encourage future researchers to identify and
share the present practice of scheduled waste management in their
country. The understanding on effective management of scheduled
waste will help the operators of highway industry, the academicians,
future researchers, and encourage a friendly environment around the
world. The study on scheduled waste management in highway
industry is very crucial as highway transverse and run along
kilometers crossing the various type of environment, residential and
schools. Using Environmental Quality (Scheduled Waste)
Regulations 2005 as a guide, this conceptual paper highlight several
scheduled wastes produced by highway industry in Malaysia and
provide a conceptual framework of scheduled waste management that
focused on the highway industry. Understanding on scheduled waste
management is vital in order to preserve the environment. Besides
that, the waste substances are hazardous to human being. Many
diseases have been associated with the improper management of
schedule waste such as cancer, throat irritation and respiration
problem.
Abstract: In this article, the radial displacement error correction
capability of a high precision spindle grinding caused by unbalance
force was investigated. The spindle shaft is considered as a flexible
rotor mounted on two sets of angular contact ball bearing. Finite
element methods (FEM) have been adopted for obtaining the
equation of motion of the spindle. In this paper, firstly, natural
frequencies, critical frequencies, and amplitude of the unbalance
response caused by residual unbalance are determined in order to
investigate the spindle behaviors. Furthermore, an optimization
design algorithm is employed to minimize radial displacement of the
spindle which considers dimension of the spindle shaft, the dynamic
characteristics of the bearings, critical frequencies and amplitude of
the unbalance response, and computes optimum spindle diameters
and stiffness and damping of the bearings. Numerical simulation
results show that by optimizing the spindle diameters, and stiffness
and damping in the bearings, radial displacement of the spindle can
be reduced. A spindle about 4 μm radial displacement error can be
compensated with 2 μm accuracy. This certainly can improve the
accuracy of the product of machining.
Abstract: Abstract—[Tris (1,10-phenanthroline) lanthanum(III)]
trithiocyanate is a new compound that has shown high ability for
stopping the synthesis of DNA and also acting as a photosensitizer.
Nowadays, the radiation dose assessment resource (RADAR) method
is known as the most common method for absorbed dose calculation.
177Lu was produced by (n, gamma) reaction in a research reactor.
177Lu-PL3 was prepared in the optimized condition. The
radiochemical yield was checked by ITLC method. The
biodistribution of the complex was investigated by intravenously
injection to wild-type rats via their tail veins. In this study, the
absorbed dose of 177Lu-PL3 to human organs was estimated by
RADAR method. 177Lu was prepared with a specific activity of 2.6-3
GBq.mg-1 and radionuclide purity of 99.98 %. Final preparation of
the radiolabelled complex showed high radiochemical purity of >
99%. The results show that liver and spleen have received the highest
absorbed dose of 1.051 and 0.441 mSv/MBq, respectively. The
absorbed dose values for these two dose-limiting tissues suggest
more biological studies special in tumor-bearing animals.
Abstract: Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) have been used
widely through evolution theory to discover acceptable solutions that
corresponds to challenges such as natural resources management.
EAs are also used to solve varied problems in the real world. EAs
have been rapidly identified for its ease in handling multiple
objective problems. Reservoir operations is a vital and researchable
area which has been studied in the last few decades due to the limited
nature of water resources that is found mostly in the semi-arid
regions of the world. The state of some developing economy that
depends on electricity for overall development through hydropower
production, a renewable form of energy, is appalling due to water
scarcity. This paper presents a review of the applications of
evolutionary algorithms to reservoir operation for hydropower
production. This review includes the discussion on areas such as
genetic algorithm, differential evolution, and reservoir operation. It
also identified the research gaps discovered in these areas. The results
of this study will be an eye opener for researchers and decision
makers to think deeply of the adverse effect of water scarcity and
drought towards economic development of a nation. Hence, it
becomes imperative to identify evolutionary algorithms that can
address this issue which can hamper effective hydropower
generation.
Abstract: Parboiled rice was developed to produce rice, which
has a low glycemic index for diabetics. However, diabetics also have
a chromium (Cr) deficiency. Thus, it is important to fortify rice with
Cr to increase the Cr content. Moreover, parboiled rice becomes
rancid easily and has a musty odor, rendering the rice unfavorable.
Natural herbs such as pandan leaves (Pandanus amaryllifolius
Roxb.), bay leaves (Syzygium polyanthum [Wigh] Walp) and
cinnamon bark powder (Cinnamomon cassia) are commonly added to
food as aroma enhancers. Previous research has shown that these
herbs could improve insulin sensitivity. The purpose of this study
was to evaluate the effect of herbal extract coatings on the cooking
quality and the preference level of chromium fortified - parboiled rice
(CFPR). The rice grain variety used for this experiment was Ciherang
and the fortificant was CrCl3. The three herbal extracts used for
coating the CFPR were cinnamon, pandan and bay leaf, with
concentration variations of 3%, 6%, and 9% (w/w) for each of the
extracts. The samples were analyzed for their alkali spreading value,
cooking time, elongation, water uptake ratio, solid loss, colour and
lightness; and their sensory properties were determined by means of
an organoleptic test. The research showed that coating the CFPR with
pandan and cinnamon extracts at a concentration of 3% each
produced a preferred CFPR. When coated with those herbal extracts
the CFPR had the following cooking quality properties: alkali
spreading value 5 (intermediate gelatinization temperature), cooking
time, 26-27 min, color value, 14.95-15.00, lightness, 42.30 – 44.06,
elongation, 1.53 – 1.54, water uptake ratio , 4.05-4.06, and solid loss,
0.09/100 g – 0.13 g/100 g.
Abstract: Software testing has become a mandatory process in
assuring the software product quality. Hence, test management is
needed in order to manage the test activities conducted in the
software test life cycle. This paper discusses on the challenges faced
in the software test life cycle, and how the test processes and test
activities, mainly on test cases creation, test execution, and test
reporting is being managed and automated using several test
automation tools, i.e. Jira, Robot Framework, and Jenkins.
Abstract: Electronic mediums such as websites, feeds, blogs and
social media sites are on a daily basis influencing our decision
making, are improving our productivity and are shaping futures of
many consumers and service/product providers. This research
identifies that both customers and business providers heavily rely on
smart phone applications. Based on this, mobile applications
available on iTunes store were studied. It was identified that fruit and
vegetable related applications used by consumers can broadly be
categorized into purchase applications, diaries, tracking health
applications, trip farm location and cooking applications. On the
other hand, applications used by farmers can broadly be classified as:
weather tracking, pests / fertilizer applications and general social
media applications such as Facebook. To blur this farmer-consumer
application divide, our research utilizes Context Specific
eTransformation Framework and based on it identifies characteristic
future consumer-farmer applications will need to have so that the
current divide can be narrowed and consequently better farmerconsumer
supply chain link established.
Abstract: Revenue leakages are one of the major challenges
manufacturers face in production processes, as most of the input
materials that should emanate as products from the lines are lost as
waste. Rather than generating income from material input which is
meant to end-up as products, losses are further incurred as costs in
order to manage waste generated. In addition, due to the lack of a
clear view of the flow of resources on the lines from input to output
stage, acquiring information on the true cost of waste generated have
become a challenge. This has therefore given birth to the
conceptualization and implementation of waste minimization
strategies by several manufacturing industries. This paper reviews the
principles and applications of three environmental management
accounting tools namely Activity-based Costing (ABC), Life-Cycle
Assessment (LCA) and Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) in
the manufacturing industry and their effectiveness in curbing revenue
leakages. The paper unveils the strengths and limitations of each of
the tools; beaming a searchlight on the tool that could allow for
optimal resource utilization, transparency in production process as
well as improved cost efficiency. Findings from this review reveal
that MFCA may offer superior advantages with regards to the
provision of more detailed information (both in physical and
monetary terms) on the flow of material inputs throughout the
production process compared to the other environmental accounting
tools. This paper therefore makes a case for the adoption of MFCA as
a viable technique for the identification and reduction of waste in
production processes, and also for effective decision making by
production managers, financial advisors and other relevant
stakeholders.
Abstract: Wheat is the first and the most important grain of the
world and its bakery property is due to glutenin and gliadin qualities.
Wheat seed proteins were divided into four groups according to
solubility including albumin, globulin, glutenin and prolamin or
gliadin. Gliadins are major components of the storage proteins in
wheat endosperm. It seems that little information is available about
gliadin genes in Iranian wild relatives of wheat. Thus, the aim of this
study was the evaluation of the wheat wild relatives collected from
different origins of Zagros Mountains in Iran, in terms of coding
gliadin genes using specific primers. For this, forty accessions of
Triticum boeoticum and Triticum urartu were selected for this study.
For each accession, genomic DNA was extracted and PCRs were
performed in total volumes of 15 μl. The amplification products were
separated on 1.5% agarose gels. In results, for Gli-2A locus three
allelic variants were detected by Gli-2As primer pairs. The sizes of
PCR products for these alleles were 210, 490 and 700 bp. Only five
(13%) and two accessions (5%) produced 700 and 490 bp fragments
when their DNA was amplified with the Gli.As.2 primer pairs.
However, 93% of the accessions carried allele 210 bp, and only 8%
did not any product for this marker. Therefore, these germplasm
could be used as rich gene pool to broaden the genetic base of bread
wheat.
Abstract: The UK is leading in online retail and mobile
adoption. However, there is a dearth of information relating to mobile
apparel retail, and developing an understanding about consumer
browsing and purchase behaviour in m-retail channel would provide
apparel marketers, mobile website and app developers with the
necessary understanding of consumers’ needs. Despite the rapid
growth of mobile retail businesses, no published study has examined
shopping behaviour on fashion mobile apps and websites. A mixed method approach helped to understand why fashion
consumers prefer websites on smartphones, when diverse mobile
apps are also available. The following research methods were
employed: survey, eye-tracking experiments, observation, and
interview with retrospective think aloud. The mobile gaze tracking
device by SensoMotoric Instruments was used to understand
frustrations in navigation and other issues facing consumers in
mobile channel. This method helped to validate and compliment
other traditional user-testing approaches in order to optimize user
experience and enhance the development of mobile retail channel.
The study involved eight participants - females aged 18 to 35 years
old, who are existing mobile shoppers. The participants used the
Topshop mobile app and website on a smart phone to complete a task
according to a specified scenario leading to a purchase. The
comparative study was based on: duration and time spent at different
stages of the shopping journey, number of steps involved and product
pages visited, search approaches used, layout and visual clues, as
well as consumer perceptions and expectations. The results from the data analysis show significant differences in
consumer behaviour when using a mobile app or website on a smart
phone. Moreover, two types of problems were identified, namely
technical issues and human errors. Having a mobile app does not
guarantee success in satisfying mobile fashion consumers. The
differences in the layout and visual clues seem to influence the
overall shopping experience on a smart phone. The layout of search
results on the website was different from the mobile app. Therefore,
participants, in most cases, behaved differently on different
platforms. The number of product pages visited on the mobile app
was triple the number visited on the website due to a limited visibility
of products in the search results. Although, the data on traffic trends
held by retailers to date, including retail sector breakdowns for visits
and views, data on device splits and duration, might seem a valuable
source of information, it cannot explain why consumers visit many
product pages, stay longer on the website or mobile app, or abandon
the basket. A comprehensive list of pros and cons was developed by
highlighting issues for website and mobile app, and recommendations
provided. The findings suggest that fashion retailers need to be aware of
actual consumers’ behaviour on the mobile channel and their expectations in order to offer a seamless shopping experience. Added
to which is the challenge of retaining existing and acquiring new
customers. There seem to be differences in the way fashion
consumers search and shop on mobile, which need to be explored in
further studies.
Abstract: In this study, students’ learning has been investigated
and satisfaction in one of the course offered at Qatar University
Foundation Program. Innovative teaching has been implied
methodology that emphasizes on enhancing students’ thinking skills,
decision making, and problem solving skills. Some interesting results
were found which could be used to further improvement of the
teaching methodology. In Fall 2012 in Foundation Program Math
department at Qatar University has started implementing new ways
of teaching Math by introducing MyMathLab (MML) as an
innovative interactive tool in addition of the use Blackboard to
support standard teaching such as Discussion board in Virtual class to
engage students outside of classroom and to enhance independent,
active learning that promote students’ critical thinking skills, decision
making, and problem solving skills through the learning process.
Abstract: This study aims to assess the students' needs for the
tour planning e-guide. The study is developing on the contribution
and importance of the Educational Tour Planning Guide (ETP) is a
multimedia course ware as one of the effective methods in teaching
and learning of environmental science among the students in primary
schools of the Ministry of Education, Malaysia. It is to provide the
student with knowledge and experience about tourism, environmental
science activities and process. E-guide to ETP also hopes to
strengthen the student understanding toward the subject learn in the
tourism environmental science. In order to assess the student's needs
on the e-Guide to Educational Tour Planning in Environmental
Science, the study has produced a similar e-Guide to ETP in the form
as a course ware to be tested during the study. The study has involved
several steps in order to be completed. It is such as the formulation of
the problem, the review of the literature, the formulation of the study
methodology, the production of the e-Guide to ETP, field survey and
finally the analyses and discussion made on the data gathered during
the study. The survey has involved 100 respondents among the
students in standard six primary schools in Kluang Johor. Through
the findings, the study indicates that the current tested product is
acceptable among the students in learning environmental science as a
guide to plan for the tour. The findings also show a slight difference
between the respondents who are using the e-Guide to ETP, and those
who are not on the basis of the e-Guide to ETP results. Due the
important for the study, the researcher hopes to be having a fair
discussion and excellence, recommendation for the development of
the product of the current study. This report is written also important
to provide a written reference for the future related study.
Abstract: Polylactic acid (PLA) is the most commercially
available bio-based and biodegradable plastic at present. PLA has
been used in plastic related industries including single-used
containers, disposable and environmentally friendly packaging owing
to its renewability, compostability, biodegradability, and safety.
Although PLA demonstrates reasonably good optical, physical,
mechanical and barrier properties comparable to the existing
petroleum-based plastics, its brittleness and mold shrinkage as well as
its price are the points to be concerned for the production of rigid and
semi-rigid packaging. Blending PLA with other bio-based polymers
including thermoplastic starch (TPS) is an alternative not only to
achieve a complete bio-based plastic, but also to reduce the
brittleness, shrinkage during molding and production cost of the
PLA-based products. TPS is a material produced mainly from starch
which is cheap, renewable, biodegradable, compostable, and nontoxic.
It is commonly prepared by a plasticization of starch under
applying heat and shear force. Although glycerol has been reported as
one of the most plasticizers used for preparing TPS, its migration
caused the surface stickiness of the TPS products. In some cases,
mixed plasticizers or natural fibers have been applied to impede the
retrogradation of starch or reduce the migration of glycerol. The
introduction of fibers into TPS-based materials could reinforce the
polymer matrix as well. Therefore, the objective of the present
research is to study the effect of starch type (i.e. native starch and
phosphate starch), plasticizer type (i.e. glycerol and xylitol with a
weight ratio of glycerol to xylitol of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and
0:100) and fiber content (i.e. in the range of 1-25 %wt) on properties
of PLA/TPS blend and composite. PLA/TPS blends and composites
were prepared using a twin-screw extruder and then converted into
dumbbell-shaped specimens using an injection molding machine. The
PLA/TPS blends prepared by using phosphate starch showed higher
tensile strength and stiffness than the blends prepared by using native
one. In contrast, the blends from native starch exhibited higher
extensibility and heat distortion temperature (HDT) than those from
the modified starch. Increasing xylitol content resulted in enhanced
tensile strength, stiffness and water resistance, but decreased
extensibility and HDT of the PLA/TPS blend. Tensile properties and
hydrophobicity of the blend could be improved by incorporating
silane treated-jute fibers.
Abstract: This study, tries to suggest a design method based on
displacement using finite difference numerical modeling in
reinforcing soil retaining wall with steel strip. In this case, dynamic
loading characteristics such as duration, frequency, peak ground
acceleration, geometrical characteristics of reinforced soil structure
and type of the site are considered to correct the pseudo static method
and finally introduce the pseudo static coefficient as a function of
seismic performance level and peak ground acceleration. For this
purpose, the influence of dynamic loading characteristics,
reinforcement length, height of reinforced system and type of the site
are investigated on seismic behavior of reinforcing soil retaining wall
with steel strip. Numerical results illustrate that the seismic response
of this type of wall is highly dependent to cumulative absolute
velocity, maximum acceleration, and height and reinforcement length
so that the reinforcement length can be introduced as the main factor
in shape of failure. Considering the loading parameters, geometric parameters of the
wall and type of the site showed that the used method in this study
leads to efficient designs in comparison with other methods, which
are usually based on limit-equilibrium concept. The outputs show the
over-estimation of equilibrium design methods in comparison with
proposed displacement based methods here.
Abstract: Household waste form a larger proportion of waste
generated across the state, accumulation of organic waste is an
apparent problem and the existing dump sites could be overstress.
Niger state has abundant arable land and water resources thus should
be one of the highest producers of agricultural crops in the country.
However, the major challenge to agricultural sector today is loss of
soil nutrient coupled with high cost of fertilizer. These have
continued to increase the use of fertilizer and decomposed solid waste
for enhance agricultural yield, which have varying effects on the soil
as well a threat to human livelihood. Consequently, vegetable yield
samples from poultry droppings, decomposed household waste
manure, NPK treatments and control from each replication were
subjected to proximate analysis to determine the nutritional and antinutritional
component as well as heavy metal concentration. Data
collected was analyzed using SPSS software and Randomized
complete Block Design means were compared. The result shows that
the treatments do not devoid the concentrations of any nutritional
components while the anti-nutritional analysis proved that NPK had
higher oxalate content than control and organic treats. The
concentration of lead and cadmium are within safe permissible level
while the mercury level exceeded the FAO/WHO maximum
permissible limit for the entire treatments depicts the need for urgent
intervention to minimize mercury levels in soil and manure in order
to mitigate its toxic effect. Thus, eco-agriculture should be widely
accepted and promoted by the stakeholders for soil amendment,
higher yield, strategies for sustainable environmental protection, food
security, poverty eradication, attainment of sustainable development
and healthy livelihood.
Abstract: The Greater Athens Area (GAA) faces photochemical
and particulate pollution episodes as a result of the combined effects
of local pollutant emissions, regional pollution transport, synoptic
circulation and topographic characteristics. The area has undergone
significant changes since the Athens 2004 Olympic Games because
of large scale infrastructure works that lead to the shift of population
to areas previously characterized as rural, the increase of the traffic
fleet and the operation of highways. However, few recent modelling
studies have been performed due to the lack of an accurate, updated
emission inventory. The photochemical modelling system
MM5/CAMx was applied in order to study the photochemical and
particulate pollution characteristics above the GAA for two distinct
ten-day periods in the summer of 2006 and 2010, where air pollution
episodes occurred. A new updated emission inventory was used
based on official data. Comparison of modeled results with
measurements revealed the importance and accuracy of the new
Athens emission inventory as compared to previous modeling
studies. The model managed to reproduce the local meteorological
conditions, the daily ozone and particulates fluctuations at different
locations across the GAA. Higher ozone levels were found at
suburban and rural areas as well as over the sea at the south of the
basin. Concerning PM10, high concentrations were computed at the
city centre and the southeastern suburbs in agreement with measured
data. Source apportionment analysis showed that different sources
contribute to the ozone levels, the local sources (traffic, port
activities) affecting its formation.
Abstract: The present study examined how translation teachers
develop final tests as measures for checking on the quality of
students’ academic translation in Iranian context. To achieve this
goal, thirty experienced male and female translation teachers from the
four types of the universities offering the program were invited to an
in-depth 30-minute one-session semi-structured interview. The
responses provided showed how much discrepancy exists among the
Iranian translation teachers (as developers of final translation tests),
who are least informed with the current translation evaluation
methods. It was also revealed that the criteria they use for developing
such tests and scoring student translations are not theory-driven but
are highly subjective, mainly based on their personal experience and
intuition. Hence, the quality and accountability of such tests are under
serious question. The results also confirmed that the dominant
method commonly and currently practiced is the purely essay-type
format. To remedy the situation, some suggestions are in order. As
part of the solution, to improve the reliability and validity of such
tests, the present summative, product-oriented evaluation should be
accompanied with some formative, process-oriented methods of
evaluation. Training the teachers and helping them get acquainted
with modern principles of translation evaluation as well as the
existing models, and rating scales does improve the quality of
academic translation evaluation.
Abstract: In the present study, analysis of heat transfer is carried
out in the slip flow region for the fluid flowing between two parallel
plates by employing the asymmetric heat fluxes at surface of the
plates. The flow is assumed to be hydrodynamically and thermally
fully developed for the analysis. The second order velocity slip and
viscous dissipation effects are considered for the analysis. Closed
form expressions are obtained for the Nusselt number as a function of
Knudsen number and modified Brinkman number. The limiting
condition of the present prediction for Kn = 0, Kn2 = 0, and Brq1 = 0
is considered and found to agree well with other analytical results.
Abstract: Extreme formation is a theoretical concept of selfsustain
flight when a big airliner is followed by a small UAV glider
flying in the airliner wake vortex. The paper presents results of a
climb analysis with the goal to lift the gliding UAV to airliners cruise
altitude. Wake vortex models, the UAV drag polar and basic
parameters and airliner’s climb profile are introduced at first.
Afterwards, flight performance of the UAV in a wake vortex is
evaluated by analytical methods. Time history of optimal distance
between an airliner and the UAV during a climb is determined. The
results are encouraging. Therefore available UAV drag margin for
electricity generation is figured out for different vortex models.
Abstract: The present study focused on the investigation of the
effects of roughness elements on heat transfer during natural
convection in a rectangular cavity using numerical technique.
Roughness elements were introduced on the bottom hot wall with a
normalized amplitude (A*/H) of 0.1. Thermal and hydrodynamic
behaviors were studied using computational method based on Lattice
Boltzmann method (LBM). Numerical studies were performed for a
laminar flow in the range of Rayleigh number (Ra) from 103 to 106
for a rectangular cavity of aspect ratio (L/H) 2.0 with a fluid of
Prandtl number (Pr) 1.0. The presence of the sinusoidal roughness
elements caused a minimum to maximum decrease in the heat
transfer as 7% to 17% respectively compared to smooth enclosure.
The results are presented for mean Nusselt number (Nu), isotherms
and streamlines.