Investigation ofLevoglucosan Production from Pyrolysed Rubber Seed Kernel

Process intensification is defined as improvement of process mainly reaction by any possible means to increase the overall productivity. This work presents the study of intensification methods that can be applied to biodiesel synthesis using Jatropha seed via in-situ transesterification. Jatropha is selectedas the source of the biodiesel due to it inedible properties and high oil contents. The small percentage of acid value in the seeds only required single step transesterification process. The Jatropha seeds will be extracted chemically (in situ) to preserve the quality and getting high yield on instant with transesterification process. Transesterification is a method to reduce the oils viscosity and the best practiced in biodiesel production than other methods. The process can be catalyzed either by acid, alkalis or enzyme. The utilization of biodiesel in replacing the existing diesel from fossil resources, contributes in solving many environment problems. For process intensification, the effect of ultrasonic will be investigated. The method claims to increases the chemical reaction speed by cavitations effect giving sufficient activation energy for the transesterification process. Besides that, the investigation on the effect of heterogeneous catalyst towards the production efficiency will also be performed. All the research and findings obtained will be applied to find the optimum parameters for biodiesel production in lab scale

Exploring English language learning styles of Malay students at the International Islamic University Malaysia

This study investigates the learning styles of Malay students at the International Islamic University Malaysia. Participants in this research were 153 undergraduate Malaysian students of Malay ethnicity enrolled in two degree programmes at the university. Their learning styles were investigated through an analysis of their responses to Learning Styles Indicator (LSI) which had questions grouped under three modalities: Project Orientation, Group Activity Orientation and Individual Activity Orientation. This instrument has been validated in several studies. The study was mainly motivated by concerns about the standards of English of graduates of Malaysian universities. Results of the current study suggest Group Orientation as the preferred learning style for students from both the English Language and Literature and the Economics and Management Sciences compared to the other two orientations. Language proficiency is poorer in explaining learning orientations compared to the language spoken at home by the students. Generally, gender does not help differentiate student preferences of learning orientations. These results also suggest strong cultural influences on the students’ learning styles. The main implication of the study is that there is a need for language educators to adjust their instructional style to suit the learning styles of the students. Key words: Learning styles, project orientation, group activity orientation, individual activity orientatio

Deformed Complex Hermite Polynomials

We study a class of bivariate deformed Hermite polynomials and some of their properties using classical analytic techniques and the Wigner map. We also prove the positivity of certain determinants formed by the deformed polynomials. Along the way we also work out some additional properties of the (undeformed) complex Hermite polynomials and their relationships to the standard Hermite polynomials (of a single real variable).Comment: 12 page

Analysis Effectiveness VOIP Over MPLS-IPVPN For State Government Network

The performance of the Voice over IP (VoIP) protocol is of interest when planning for public access. The technologies, which work well for limited use often, fail to scale-up to the user requirements. High-quality VoIP services are required as for the Internet communications to be an alternative towards Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The deployment of VoIP in the Internet network does not promise a good Quality of Service (QoS), since Internet is a kind of best-effort networks. The privacy consideration is also of importance when provisioning voice services on the Internet; particularly from the business use perspective. A full study, which comes up with a definitive set of recommendations would require considerable work over a substantial period of time, however some information on the performance may be obtained by reenacting the most commonly occurring conditions in the lab to ascertain the sensitivity of the VoIP to its key QoS parameters. The aim of this project is to analyze effective VOIP technique and analyze the performance of VoIP communications by observing the QoS parameters variation with respect to the some of the pertinent communication aspects on State Government Network. The aspect chosen in this regard comprise the call signaling protocols, the networking environments, and VPN protocols. Some similar studies have also been used as a comparative measurement towards the results obtained from this research

Design, formulation and implementation of an English Language curriculum fom an Islamic Perspective

Curriculum development plays an important role in any educational enterprise.It spells out the crucial components which make up the curriculum and the detailed process in attaining the ultimate objectives of the curriculum. It is crucial that the English language curriculum reflects the aims, educational purpose and Islamic ethos of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). The paper will look into how to accomplish the philosophy, vision and mission of the University, offering suggestions concerning the key components or critical elements that will constitute the foundation of a language curriculum, with a focus on the role of the educator in facilitating language education as well as content factors that are necessary for the development of a language curriculum from an Islamic perspective

Comparison of low-pass filters for SPECT imaging

In single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging, the choice of a suitable filter and its parameters for noise reduction purposes is a big challenge. Adverse effects on image quality arise if an improper filter is selected. Filtered back projection (FBP) is the most popular technique for image reconstruction in SPECT. With this technique, different types of reconstruction filters are used, such as the Butterworth and the Hamming. In this study, the effects on the quality of reconstructed images of the Butterworth filter were compared with the ones of the Hamming filter. A Philips ADAC forte gamma camera was used. A low-energy, high-resolution collimator was installed on the gamma camera. SPECT data were acquired by scanning a phantom with an insert composed of hot and cold regions. A Technetium-99m radioactive solution was homogenously mixed into the phantom. Furthermore, a symmetrical energy window (20%) centered at 140 keV was adjusted. Images were reconstructed by the FBP method. Various cutoff frequency values, namely, 0.35, 0.40, 0.45, and 0.50 cycles/cm, were selected for both filters, whereas for the Butterworth filter, the order was set at 7. Images of hot and cold regions were analyzed in terms of detectability, contrast, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The findings of our study indicate that the Butterworth filter was able to expose more hot and cold regions in reconstructed images. In addition, higher contrast values were recorded, as compared to the Hamming filter. However, with the Butterworth filter, the decrease in SNR for both types of regions with the increase in cutoff frequency as compared to the Hamming filter was obtained. Overall, the Butterworth filter under investigation provided superior results than the Hamming filter. Effects of both filters on the quality of hot and cold region images varied with the change in cutoff frequency

Problem-based learning in the English language classroom

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the problem-based learning approach (PBL) on students in language classes in two areas: course content and language development. The study was conducted on 128 students, grouped into the experimental and control groups, and employed an experimental research design. The syllabus, textbook, and instructor were controlled for both groups. The findings of the study showed that in terms of course content, both groups improved but in terms of language the PBL group showed more improvements. The PBL group showed improvements in the post-writing test, that is, their essays were richer in terms of support and arguments for each point, while the non-PBL did not show much difference in their post-writing test. This indicates that students could still acquire the course content with minimal content instruction. The limitations of the study and suggestions for further research are offered at the end of the paper. Keywords: Problem-Based Learning, traditional approaches, Content-Based Instruction, proficienc