Energy of Cayley graphs for alternating groups

Let G be a finite group and S be a subset of G where S does not include the identity of G and is inverse closed. A Cayley graph of a finite group G with respect to the subset S is a graph where the vertices are the elements of G and two vertices a and b in G are adjacent if ab−1 are in the set S. For a simple graph, the energy of a graph can be determined by its eigenvalues. Let Γ be a simple graph. Then by the summation of the absolute values of the eigenvalues of the adjacency matrix of the graph, its energy can be determined. This paper presents the Cayley graphs of alternating groups with respect to the subset S of valency 1 and 2. From the Cayley graphs, the eigenvalues are computed by using some properties of special graphs and then used to compute their energy

Thermal-induced defects and optimization of casting process

A casting process in the general industry is prone to produce varied defective parts, which happens majorly due to the factor of thermal and flow. These factors can cause major quality problems and drop in product performance during operational condition if left untreated.Thus, this paper presents these type of problems encountered in casting by applying analytical technique to forecast the behaviors of inclusions in molten material in a mold, determining the effect of parameter and process change during pouring, and analyze the pattern and provide the best decision in regards to the process of manufacturing. The use of computer-aided tool, also known as Manufacturing Analysis (in this case, an analysis of solidification and fluidity of molten material) technologies, is developed and utilized to enable a study on reduction of thermal–based defects in manufacturing on a casting product. Assessment is made based on temperature distribution, filling and solidification time, and the presence of porosity in a sample product, while optimization is performed on the same product but with different process parameters such as gate size, location, melt temperature and such. The results are varied with improvement in one area, but might worsen in another area. Thus, the final outcome is discussed and measured for its feasibility and possibility for multiple improvement process to be integrated together

A design framework for SMEs resilience in Malaysia

Over a years SMEs in Malaysia have had a significant impact on city growth by producing successful entrepreneurs as well as enhancing the competitiveness and efficiency of the business market. In Malaysia, the government and the private sectors are important entities in attracting potential entrepreneurs to venture into SMEs, especially among rural entrepreneurs. The contribution of the SME sector is very significant to the country's business market growth by producing successful entrepreneurs through their involvement in this sector throughout the years. However, the challenges of global market uncertainty due to the protracted health crisis that has struck the world's business market, including Malaysia, particularly the small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Hence, this paper aims to identify the factors for SMEs' resilience in facing the business market challenges in Malaysia. Besides that, this paper also provides an overview of the business market challenges Malaysian SMEs entrepreneurs in terms of movement restrictions, business operation, revenue uncertainty, people's purchasing power and others. Finally, this paper recommends an appropriate framework that integrates the factors for SMEs' resilience with the identified business market challenges in Malaysia

Authenticity testing and detection of Eurycoma longifolia in commercial herbal products using bar-high resolution melting analysis

The present study demonstrated High Resolution Melting (HRM) analysis combined with DNA barcode (Bar-HRM) as a fast and highly sensitive technique for detecting adulterants in Eurycoma longifolia commercial herbal products. Targeting the DNA barcoding of the chloroplastic region-ribulose biphosphate carboxylase large chain (rbcL) and the nuclear ribosomal region-internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2), PCR amplification and HRM analysis using saturated Eva green dye as the source of fluorescence signals, was accomplished by employing a real-time cycler. The results were further validated by sequencing to identify unknown sequence from Genbank database and to generate phylogenetic tree using neighbour joint (NJ) analysis. Both of the DNA markers exhibited a distinguishable melting temperature and shape of the normalised curve between the reference and the adulterants. In the case of species identification, ITS2 was more successful in differentiating between species. Additionally, detection of admixture sample containing small traces of targeted E. longifolia DNA (w/v) can be detected as low as 5% for rbcL and less than 1% for ITS2, proving the sensitivity and versatility of the HRM analysis. In conclusion, the Bar-HRM analysis is a fast and reliable technique that can effectively detect adulterants in herbal products. Therefore, this will be beneficial for regulatory agencies in order to regulate food safety issues

A Novel Multi-Objective Optimization Approach with Flexible Operation Planning Strategy for Truck Scheduling

Data Availability Statement: Not applicable.The transportation system plays an important role in the open-pit mine. As an effective solution, smart scheduling has been widely investigated to manage transportation operations and increase transportation capabilities. Some existing truck scheduling methods tend to treat the critical parameter (i.e., the moving speed of the truck) as a constant, which is impractical in real-world industrial scenarios. In this paper, a multi-objective optimization (MOO) algorithm is proposed for truck scheduling by considering three objectives, i.e., minimizing the queuing time, maximizing the productivity, and minimizing the financial cost. Specifically, the proposed algorithm is employed to search continuously in the solution space, where the truck moving speed and truck payload are chosen as the operational variables. Moreover, a smart scheduling application integrating the proposed MOO algorithm is developed to assist the user in selecting a suitable scheduling plan. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed MOO approach is effective in tackling the truck scheduling problem, which could satisfy a wide range of transportation conditions and provide managers with flexible scheduling options.European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant 869529 (Dig_IT)

Simulation of fuel economy for Malaysian urban driving

By understanding the implications of real-world driving conditions, improved fuel economy via a strategy of key technologies can be implemented to assist fuel economy validation during development programs. Vehicles in real-world driving conditions regularly travel at idle, low and medium speeds, particularly for urban driving, and this has a crucial weight in overall vehicle fuel economy, given the residencies at the lower engine speed and load region. This paper presents the validation of the derived engine conditions representing Malaysian actual urban driving in an attempt to formulate representative fuel economy data. The measurements were conducted through on-road urban driving within Kuala Lumpur to establish representative driving conditions. The effectiveness of the proposed conditions was then validated in terms of fuel economy using a simulation. The discrepancy between the fuel economy in the proposed conditions and the real-world measurements has improved, falling to 11.9% compared to 43.1% reported by the NEDC

Histopathological and cholinesterase changes in the gills of Clarias gariepinus as a result of cadmium exposure

Aim : The cholinesterase (ChE) based inhibition and histopathological studies from fish were investigated and represented in this study to develop as one of the great potential biomarkers for heavy metals monitoring. Methodology : In this study, the histopathological study of gills were observed a under microscope. The capability of ChE extracted from the gills of Clarias gariepinus was assessed for declining Cd. ChE was purified through affinity chromatography and continued with the optimisation and inhibition study (IC50) of cholinesterase. Results : Histopathological study of gills was carried out and several changes such as aneurysm, necrosis and lamella fusion were noted. Purification fold obtained from purified enzyme was 1.15 with 30% a yield specific activity 20.726. The optimum temperature for purified AChE was 35°C along with acetylthiocholine iodide (ATC) as a preferable substrate that had the highest Vmax value of 0.5452 U mg'1 and the lowest Km value of 0.0311 mM. The optimum pH was observed to be 10 of Tris-HCl as a medium. Meanwhile, the IC50 of cadmium was 6.808 mg ľ with R2 value of 0.9532. Interpretation : The result of the study can be used as a tool for further developing a biomarker for the detection of heavy metals in aquatic ecosystems. In addition, the baseline data provided can also be used for designing a kit, which would give rapid and accurate result

Effect of fly ash as partial cement replacement on workability and compressive strength of palm oil clinker lightweight concrete

Environmental pollution caused by waste disposal namely palm oil clinker and fly ash from palm oil industry and coal power plant respectively needs to be resolved. The present investigation explores the influence of fly ash (FA) as partial cement replacement on workability, compressive strength and flexural strength of palm oil clinker lightweight aggregate concrete. A total of five types of mixes consisting 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% FA as cement replacement were used. All specimens were subjected to curing process by immersing it in water until the testing date. Concrete specimens were subjected to compressive strength and flexural strength test at 7 and 28 days. Incorporation of fly ash as partial cement replacement influences the fresh and hardened properties of this lightweight aggregate concrete. This novel finding shows that integration of up to 20% FA increases workability and contribute to strength enhancement of palm oil clinker lightweight aggregate concrete

Incident type 2 diabetes attributable to suboptimal diet in 184 countries

The global burden of diet-attributable type 2 diabetes (T2D) is not well established. This risk assessment model estimated T2D incidence among adults attributable to direct and body weight-mediated effects of 11 dietary factors in 184 countries in 1990 and 2018. In 2018, suboptimal intake of these dietary factors was estimated to be attributable to 14.1 million (95% uncertainty interval (UI), 13.814.4 million) incident T2D cases, representing 70.3% (68.871.8%) of new cases globally. Largest T2D burdens were attributable to insufficient whole-grain intake (26.1% (25.027.1%)), excess refined rice and wheat intake (24.6% (22.327.2%)) and excess processed meat intake (20.3% (18.323.5%)). Across regions, highest proportional burdens were in central and eastern Europe and central Asia (85.6% (83.487.7%)) and Latin America and the Caribbean (81.8% (80.183.4%)); and lowest proportional burdens were in South Asia (55.4% (52.160.7%)). Proportions of diet-attributable T2D were generally larger in men than in women and were inversely correlated with age. Diet-attributable T2D was generally larger among urban versus rural residents and higher versus lower educated individuals, except in high-income countries, central and eastern Europe and central Asia, where burdens were larger in rural residents and in lower educated individuals. Compared with 1990, global diet-attributable T2D increased by 2.6 absolute percentage points (8.6 million more cases) in 2018, with variation in these trends by world region and dietary factor. These findings inform nutritional priorities and clinical and public health planning to improve dietary quality and reduce T2D globally. (c) 2023, The Author(s)