Online system for automatic tropical wood recognition

There are more than 3000 wood species in tropical rainforests, each with their own unique wood anatomy that can be observed using naked eyes aided with a hand glass magnifier for species identification process. However, the number of certified personnel that have this acquired skills are limited due to lenghty training time. To overcome this problem, Center for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (CAIRO) has developed an automatic wood recognition system known as KenalKayu that can recognize tropical wood species in less than a second, eliminating laborious manual human inspection which is exposed to human error and biasedness. KenalKayu integrates image acquisition, feature extraction, classifier and machine vision hardware such as camera, interfaces, PC and lighting. Grey level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) is used for feature extraction. The features are trained in a back-propagation neural network (BPNN) for classification. This paper focusses more on the database development and the online testing of the wood recognition system. The accuracy of the online system is tested on different image quality such as image taken in low light condition, medium light condition or high light condition

Job opportunities recommendation for visually impaired people using natural language processing

This paper highlights the importance of job recommendation system and its function in helping job seekers to find available job opportunities. As various efforts focusing on job recommendation systems for sighted people, this study aims to explore how Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques can assist visually impaired people in finding the suitable job. In this paper, we propose a job recommendation model architecture that enables the job seekers to get the most suitable job match for their profile and also allows the employers to identify qualified individuals for specific job position. The solution is based on an NLP program that will be hosted through an Application Programming Interface (API) service and connected to the Web interface. A comprehensive procedure in the proposed architecture is divided into three layers: input layer, data processing layer, and output layer. The proposed solution is expected to help visually impaired people get the result for the job that matches their qualifications and experiences and also for the employer to find a suitable candidate for the advertised position

Systematic review of common factors used to measure individuals’ career choice

Many individuals are faced with the challenge of a career choice that is appropriate for them. This is due to the fact that decisions are made up of a variety of subjective judgments. As a result, selecting a career path without first assessing an individual’s suitability as a foundational step can result in an unfavorable outcome. This paper aims to investigate and summarize the evidence of common factors used in the domain of career guidance. This study adapts Systematic Literature Review (SLR) techniques by utilizing research questions and Boolean search strings to identify prospective studies from three established databases that are related to the research area. In this study, 28 articles, consisting of 17 journals and 11 conference proceedings, were selected through a systematic process. All articles underwent a rigorous selection protocol to ensure content quality according to formulated research questions. We categorize and document the common factors in career selection which can benefit in the development of a career decision-making system that helps individuals visualize their future career path

New feature extraction for wood species recognition system via statistical properties of line distribution

A key to wood identification is the distinguishable features found on the cross-sectional surface of each tree species. The surface pattern on the wood cross-section may look very similar to non-experts. However, trained experts may identify wood species based on distinct and discriminant features of the pattern. An automatic wood recognition system based on machine vision to emulate the experts, the KenalKayu has been developed with high classification accuracy. Unfortunately, when more wood species were added into the system's database, the accuracy of the system reduced. It is important for the system to have a customized feature extractor solely for wood pattern such as the statistical properties of pores distribution (SPPD) which has been proven to increase the system's accuracy. As the wood surface pattern is not only defined by pores, but lines as well, this paper presented additional new feature extraction method based on statistical properties of line distribution (SPLD) to capture the discriminant line features of each species. When used alone as feature extractor, the SPLD managed to get 88% accuracy, and the number increases to 99.5% when combined with SPPD features and 100% when combined with both SPPD and Basic Grey Level Aura Matrix features. It shows that the SPLD is an essential customized feature extractor for wood identification purposes

Engineering Behavior of Concrete with Recycled Aggregate

Concrete is extensively used as construction materials in Malaysia. Concrete contributes suitable feature for construction industry for instance durability, adequate compressive strength, fire resistance, availability and is economic as compared to other construction materials. Depletion of natural resources and disposal of construction and demolition waste remarkably claim environmental threat. In this paper, the engineering behavior, durability, and concrete microstructure of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) on short-term concrete properties were investigated. The studied concrete at design mix proportion of 1:0.55:2.14:2.61 (weight of cement :coarse aggregates :sand :water) used to obtain medium-high compressive strength with 20%, 50%, and 100% of RCA. Results show that for the same water/cement ratio, RCA replacement up to 50% still achieved the targeted compressive strength of 25 MPa at 28 curing days. Addition, at similar RCA replacement, the highest carbonation depth value was found at 1.03 mm which could be attributed to the pozzolanic reaction, thus led to lower carbonation resistance. Scanning electron microscopy microstructure shows that the RCA surface was porous and covered with loose particles. Moreover, the interfacial transition zone was composed of numerous small pores, micro cracks, and fissures that surround the mortar matrix. On the basis of the obtained results, recommendable mineral admixtures of RCA are necessary to enhance the quality of concrete construction

Engineering Behavior of Concrete with Recycled Aggregate

Concrete is extensively used as construction materials in Malaysia. Concrete contributes suitable feature for construction industry for instance durability, adequate compressive strength, fire resistance, availability and is economic as compared to other construction materials. Depletion of natural resources and disposal of construction and demolition waste remarkably claim environmental threat. In this paper, the engineering behavior, durability, and concrete microstructure of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) on short-term concrete properties were investigated. The studied concrete at design mix proportion of 1:0.55:2.14:2.61 (weight of cement :coarse aggregates :sand :water) used to obtain medium-high compressive strength with 20%, 50%, and 100% of RCA. Results show that for the same water/cement ratio, RCA replacement up to 50% still achieved the targeted compressive strength of 25 MPa at 28 curing days. Addition, at similar RCA replacement, the highest carbonation depth value was found at 1.03 mm which could be attributed to the pozzolanic reaction, thus led to lower carbonation resistance. Scanning electron microscopy microstructure shows that the RCA surface was porous and covered with loose particles. Moreover, the interfacial transition zone was composed of numerous small pores, micro cracks, and fissures that surround the mortar matrix. On the basis of the obtained results, recommendable mineral admixtures of RCA are necessary to enhance the quality of concrete construction

Experimental Validation of the HVAC Humming-type Noise and Vibration in Model and Vehicle System Levels

The presence of noises in the vehicle cabin is an annoyance phenomenon which is significantly affected by the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. There are very limited studies reported on the specific type of noise characterisation and validation for both model and vehicle system levels. The present study developed a model of HVAC system that reflects the operation as in real vehicle, and the investigation of the HVAC components were carried out individually to determine which component contributes to the humming-type noise and vibration. The study was conducted under two conditions; idle speed of engine (850 rpm) and operating condition (850-1400 rpm). A ixed blower speed and full-face setting were applied throughout the experimental process. Three different sensors were used for the experiment, which are: accelerometer, tachometer, and microphone. From the results, the compressor and AC pipe components have contributed the most in generating the noise and vibration for both the model and vehicle systems. The findings also highlight that the humming-type noise and vibration were produced in the same operating frequency of 300-400 Hz and 100-300 Hz for idle and operating conditions, respectively, and this result was validated for both model and vehicle system levels

A Lab-scale HVAC Hissing-type Noise and Vibration Characterization with Vehicle System Validation

Heating, ventilation and air conditional (HVAC) system provides a cold ventilation for the comfort of the driver and passengers in a vehicle. However, the vibration induced by the HVAC contributes to a reasonable level of noise emission, and hissing is one of the critical noises. So far, the characterization of hissing noise from the vehicle is least to be reported compared to other type of noises. Hence, this paper investigates the occurrence of hissing noise from several HVAC components. A lab-scale HVAC system was developed to imitate the real-time operations of the vehicle HVAC system. Two engine conditions, namely as ambient and operating conditions, were tested at speed of 850 rpm and 850-1400 rpm, with the blower speed maintained constantly at one level. The result shows that the hissing noise from the labscale HVAC was produced at frequency range of 4000-6000 Hz. The finding also highlights that the main component contributors of noise emission are an evaporator and a thermal expansion valve. The validation with a real vehicle system showed a good consensus whereby the hissing noise was produced at the similar operating frequency ranges. Also, the hissing noise was found to be louder when in an operating condition which could be taken into consideration by the vehicle manufacturers to improve the HVAC design

Impact of Multidisciplinary Heart Failure Clinic on Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy and Clinical Outcomes

Background: Heart failure (HF) is associated with recurrent hospital admissions and high mortality. Guideline-directed medical therapy has been shown to improve prognosis for patients who have HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Despite the proven benefits of guideline- directed medical therapy, its utilization is less than optimal among patients with HF in Malaysia. Objective: To determine the impact of a multidisciplinary team HF (MDT-HF) clinic on the use of guideline-directed medical therapy and patients’ clinical outcomes at 1 year. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in a single cardiac centre in Malaysia. Patients with HFrEF who were enrolled in the MDT-HF clinic between November 2017 and June 2020 were compared with a matched control group who received the standard of care. Data were retrieved from the hospital electronic system and were analyzed using statistical software. Results: A total of 54 patients were included in each group. Patients enrolled in the MDT-HF clinic had higher usage of renin–angiotensin system blockers (54 [100%] vs 47 [87%], p < 0.001) and higher attainment of the target dose for these agents (35 [65%] vs 5 [9%], p < 0.001). At 1 year, the mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was significantly greater in the MDT-HF group (35.7% [standard deviation 12.3%] vs 26.2% [standard deviation 8.7%], p < 0.001), and care in the MDT-HF clinic was significantly associated with better functional class, with a lower proportion of patients categorized as having New York Heart Association class III HF at 1 year (1 [2%] vs 14 [26%], p = 0.001). Patients in the MDT-HF group also had a significantly lower rate of readmission for HF (4 [7%] vs 32 [59%], p < 0.001). Conclusions: Patients who received care in the MDT-HF clinic had better use of guideline-directed medical therapy, greater improvement in LVEF, and a lower rate of readmission for HF at 1 year relative to patients who received the standard of care. Keywords: heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, target dose, multidisciplinary clinic, heart failure hospitalization, guideline-directed medical therapy RÉSUMÉ Contexte : L’insuffisance cardiaque (IC) est associée à des hospitalisations récurrentes et à une mortalité élevée. Il a été démontré qu’un traitement médical orienté par des lignes directrices améliore le pronostic des patients atteints d’insuffisance cardiaque avec fraction d’éjection réduite (ICFER). Malgré les avantages éprouvés du traitement médical orienté par des lignes directrices, son utilisation est loin d’être optimale chez les patients atteints d’IC en Malaisie. Objectif : Déterminer l’incidence d’une clinique d’IC en équipe multidisciplinaire (IC-ÉM) sur l’utilisation d’un traitement médical orienté par des lignes directrices et les résultats cliniques des patients à 1 an. Méthodes : Cette étude rétrospective a été menée dans un seul centre cardiaque en Malaisie. Les patients atteints d’ICFER inscrits à la clinique d’IC-ÉM entre novembre 2017 et juin 2020 ont été comparés à un groupe témoin apparié ayant reçu des soins standard. Les données ont été extraites du système électronique de l’hôpital et analysées à l’aide d’un logiciel statistique. Résultats : Au total, 54 patients ont été inclus dans chaque groupe. L’utilisation d’inhibiteurs du système rénine-angiotensine était plus élevée chez les patients inscrits à la clinique d’IC-ÉM (54 [100 %] contre 47 [87 %], p < 0,001) et la dose cible pour ces agents était mieux atteinte (35 [65 %] contre 5 [9 %], p < 0,001). Á 1 an, la fraction d’éjection ventriculaire gauche (FÉVG) moyenne était significativement plus élevée chez les patients ayant reçu des soins dans la clinique d’IC-ÉM (35,7 % [écart type 12,3 %] contre 26,2 % [écart type 8,7 %], p < 0,001), et les soins prodigués dans la clinique d’IC-ÉM étaient significativement associés à une meilleure classe fonctionnelle, avec une proportion plus faible de personnes classées comme ayant une IC de classe III selon la New York Heart Association à 1 an (1 [2 %] contre 14 [26 %], p = 0,001). Le taux de réadmission pour IC des patients du groupe IC-ÉM était aussi significativement plus faible (4 [7 %] contre 32 [59 %], p < 0,001). Conclusions : L’utilisation du traitement médical orienté par des lignes directrices chez les patients ayant reçu des soins dans la clinique d’IC-ÉM était meilleure, leur FÉVG s’est améliorée dans une plus grande mesure, et leur taux de réadmission pour IC à 1 an était plus faible par rapport aux patients ayant reçu les soins standard. Mots-clés : insuffisance cardiaque avec fraction d’éjection réduite, dose cible, clinique multidisciplinaire, hospitalisation pour insuffisance cardiaque, thérapie médicale orientée par des lignes directrices