Irradiation effect on in vitro organogenesis, callus growth and plantlet development of Gerbera jamesonii

The present work was carried out to study the effects of gamma irradiation on in vitro growth of explants, callus and the formation of shoots and plantlets. Irradiation is known to exhibit or inhibit the differentiation of cells and growth of plants in vitro, which helps in producing new plant varieties. Gamma irradiation is one of the physical mutagens that are widely used for mutation breeding. A gradual decline was observed in the number of shoots regenerated from irradiated petiole explants compared to control. Numbers of shoots regenerated from irradiated petiole explant cultured on Murashige & Skoog medium supplemented with 2.0 mg L-1 BAP and 0.5 mg L-1 NAA was reduced to 6.6 +/- 0.9 from 7.5 +/- 0.4 (control) when explants were exposed to 20 Gray of irradiation dose. Similar observation was reported on effects of gamma irradiation on in vitro propagated plantlets. Gradual decline was observed based on plant height as the dose of gamma irradiation increased. A significant decline was observed in the fresh weight of irradiated callus compared to control. In this case, growth responses of callus were strongly influenced by the radiation dose. The fresh weight of callus was reduced to 76.4 +/- 2.2 compared to 89.7 +/- 0.5 of control when callus tissues were exposed to 20 Gy

Occupational noise reduction in CNC striping process

Occupational noise hearing loss with high level exposure is common occupational hazards. In CNC striping process, employee that exposed to high noise level for a long time as 8-hour contributes to hearing loss, create physical and psychological stress that reduce productivity. In this paper, CNC stripping process with high level noises are measured and reduced to the permissible noise exposure. First condition is all machines shutting down and second condition when all CNC machine under operations. For both conditions, noise exposures were measured to evaluate the noise problems and sources. After improvement made, the noise exposures were measured to evaluate the effectiveness of reduction. The initial average noise level at the first condition is 95.797 dB (A). After the pneumatic system with leakage was solved, the noise reduced to 55.517 dB (A). The average noise level at the second condition is 109.340 dB (A). After six machines were gathered at one area and cover that area with plastic curtain, the noise reduced to 95.209 dB (A). In conclusion, the noise level exposure in CNC striping machine is high and exceed the permissible noise exposure can be reduced to acceptable levels. The reduction of noise level in CNC striping processes enhanced productivity in the industry

Germination and plantlet regeneration of encapsulated microshoots of aromatic rice (Oryza sativa L. Cv. MRQ 74)

Plant tissues such as somatic embryos, apical shoot tips, axillary shoot buds, embryogenic calli, and protocom-like bodies are potential micropropagules that have been considered for creating synthetic seeds. In the present study, 3-5 mm microshoots of Oryza sativa L. Cv. MRQ 74 were used as explant sources for obtaining synthetic seeds. Microshoots were induced from stem explants on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 1.5 mg/L benzylaminopurine (BAP). They were encapsulated in 3% (w/v) sodium alginate, 3% sucrose, 0.1 mg/L BAP, and 0.1 mg/L α-Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Germination and plantlet regeneration of the encapsulated seeds were tested by culturing them on various germination media. The effect of storage period (15-30 days) was also investigated. The maximum germination and plantlet regeneration (100.0%) were recorded on MS media containing 3% sucrose and 0.8% agar with and without 0.1 mg/L BAP. However, a low germination rate (6.67%) was obtained using top soil as a sowing substrate. The germination rate of the encapsulated microshoots decreased from 93.33% to 3.33% after 30 days of storage at 4°C in the dark. Therefore, further research is being done to improve the germination rate of the synthetic seeds

Effect of double-pass superfluorescence on an erbium doped fibre amplifier

Effect of double-pass superfluorescence that clamps a population inversion of the fibre amplifier to have a fixed gain is presented. All optical gain­clamping in an erbium doped fibre amplifier is demonstrated using a broadband fibre Bragg grating that reflects the amplified spontaneous emission centred at 1530 nm with a 14 nm bandwidth. The proposed amplifier has an input dynamic range of -5 dBm in order to maintain the gain-clamping effect. Experiments on an eight-channel wavelength division multiplexing system shows that gain clamped at 21 dB. Gain flatness is less than 0.6 dB across all channels and gain variation is about 0.2 dB over the input signal power range

Techniques for Interface Stress Measurements within Prosthetic Sockets of Transtibial Amputees: A Review of the Past 50 Years of Research

The distribution of interface stresses between the residual limb and prosthetic socket of a transtibial amputee has been considered as a direct indicator of the socket quality fit and comfort. Therefore, researchers have been very interested in quantifying these interface stresses in order to evaluate the extent of any potential damage caused by the socket to the residual limb tissues. During the past 50 years a variety of measurement techniques have been employed in an effort to identify sites of excessive stresses which may lead to skin breakdown, compare stress distributions in various socket designs, and evaluate interface cushioning and suspension systems, among others. The outcomes of such measurement techniques have contributed to improving the design and fitting of transtibial sockets. This article aims to review the operating principles, advantages, and disadvantages of conventional and emerging techniques used for interface stress measurements inside transtibial sockets. It also reviews and discusses the evolution of different socket concepts and interface stress investigations conducted in the past five decades, providing valuable insights into the latest trends in socket designs and the crucial considerations for effective stress measurement tools that lead to a functional prosthetic socket

Development and Expert Review of iZakat Kedah Mobile Application

Zakat is a mandatory practice in Islam. The purpose of zakat is to help the society, share the endless boons of Allah and assists the unfortunate people to have a better quality of life. The concept of Zakat is to purify the Muslim wealth and soul. Calculation of Zakat is based on the total savings of a Muslim during one lunar (Islamic) year. Even though, paying Zakat is compulsory for all Muslims however, the knowledge of zakat and the calculation of zakat is still insufficiently explored by the Muslims themselves. Based on the initial study that has been carried out, most of the Muslims still blur and confuse in understanding the concept of zakat and the calculation of zakat. Therefore, iZakat Kedah mobile application has been developed to provides understanding of the zakat income and the calculation of zakat. Thus, this paper focuses on the development of iZakat Kedah mobile application which has been carried out through comparative analysis study and the evaluation of the proposed application through expert review method. Findings of the study indicates that most of the experts agreed that the iZakat Kedah mobile application provides useful knowledge in terms of zakat information and zakat calculation to the public particularly for Muslims

Properties of hooked steel fibers reinforced alkali activated material concrete

In this study, alkali activated material was produced by using Class F fly ash from Manjung power station, Lumut, Perak, Malaysia. Fly ash then was activated by alkaline activator which is consisting of sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Hooked end steel fibers were added into the alkali activated material system with percentage vary from 0 %-5 %. Chemical compositions of fly ash were first analyzed by using X-ray fluorescence (XRF). All hardened alkali activated material samples were tested for density, workability, and compression after 28 days. Results show a slight increase of density with the addition of steel fibers. However, the workability was reduced with the addition of steel fibers content. Meanwhile, the addition of steel fibers shows the improvement of compressive strength which is about 19 % obtained at 3 % of steel fibers addition. © 2016 The Authors, published by EDP Sciences

Properties of Hooked Steel Fibers Reinforced Alkali Activated Material Concrete

In this study, alkali activated material was produced by using Class F fly ash from Manjung power station, Lumut, Perak, Malaysia. Fly ash then was activated by alkaline activator which is consisting of sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Hooked end steel fibers were added into the alkali activated material system with percentage vary from 0 % – 5 %. Chemical compositions of fly ash were first analyzed by using x-ray fluorescence (XRF). All hardened alkali activated material samples were tested for density, workability, and compression after 28 days. Results show a slight increase of density with the addition of steel fibers. However, the workability was reduced with the addition of steel fibers content. Meanwhile, the addition of steel fibers shows the improvement of compressive strength which is about 19 % obtained at 3 % of steel fibers addition

Properties of Hooked Steel Fibers Reinforced Alkali Activated Material Concrete

In this study, alkali activated material was produced by using Class F fly ash from Manjung power station, Lumut, Perak, Malaysia. Fly ash then was activated by alkaline activator which is consisting of sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Hooked end steel fibers were added into the alkali activated material system with percentage vary from 0 % – 5 %. Chemical compositions of fly ash were first analyzed by using x-ray fluorescence (XRF). All hardened alkali activated material samples were tested for density, workability, and compression after 28 days. Results show a slight increase of density with the addition of steel fibers. However, the workability was reduced with the addition of steel fibers content. Meanwhile, the addition of steel fibers shows the improvement of compressive strength which is about 19 % obtained at 3 % of steel fibers addition

A Review on the Manufacturing of Lightweight Aggregates Using Industrial By-Product

The waste materials from industrial are one of the concern issues in sustainable development. Recycle and reduce the waste material is one of the strategies to produce the better sustainable system. One of the methods is by using the waste materials to produce artificial aggregate. There are wide applications of artificial aggregate, for instance construction, agriculture, geotechnical fill, waste water, drainage and many more. Physical properties such as bulk density, specific gravity, unit weight, porosity and water absorption are important criteria. The performance of the artificial aggregate varies, depending on the application