Reduction of Fuel Consumption and Exhaust Pollutant Using Intelligent Transport Systems

Greenhouse gas emitted by the transport sector around the world is a serious issue of concern. To minimize such emission the automobile engineers have been working relentlessly. Researchers have been trying hard to switch fossil fuel to alternative fuels and attempting to various driving strategies to make traffic flow smooth and to reduce traffic congestion and emission of greenhouse gas. Automobile emits a massive amount of pollutants such as Carbon Monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM), and oxides of nitrogen (NOx). Intelligent transport system (ITS) technologies can be implemented to lower pollutant emissions and reduction of fuel consumption. This paper investigates the ITS techniques and technologies for the reduction of fuel consumption and minimization of the exhaust pollutant. It highlights the environmental impact of the ITS application to provide the state-of-art green solution. A case study also advocates that ITS technology reduces fuel consumption and exhaust pollutant in the urban environment

RIS-aided Mixed RF-FSO Wireless Networks: Secrecy Performance Analysis with Simultaneous Eavesdropping

The appearance of sixth-generation networks has resulted in the proposal of several solutions to tackle signal loss. One of these solutions is the utilization of reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), which can reflect or refract signals as required. This integration offers significant potential to improve the coverage area from the sender to the receiver. In this paper, we present a comprehensive framework for analyzing the secrecy performance of a RIS-aided mixed radio frequency (RF)-free space optics (FSO) system, for the first time. Our study assumes that a secure message is transmitted from a RF transmitter to a FSO receiver through an intermediate relay. The RF link experiences Rician fading while the FSO link experiences M\'alaga distributed turbulence with pointing errors. We examine three scenarios: 1) RF-link eavesdropping, 2) FSO-link eavesdropping, and 3) a simultaneous eavesdropping attack on both RF and FSO links. We evaluate the secrecy performance using analytical expressions to compute secrecy metrics such as the average secrecy capacity, secrecy outage probability, strictly positive secrecy capacity, effective secrecy throughput, and intercept probability. Our results are confirmed via Monte-Carlo simulations and demonstrate that fading parameters, atmospheric turbulence conditions, pointing errors, and detection techniques play a crucial role in enhancing secrecy performance.Comment: No comment

Estabilidad oxidativa y composición del aceite de semillas de comino negro, irradiadas con microondas, en condiciones de oxidación acelerada

The present work evaluated the impact of microwave pre-treatment on the storage stability, fatty acids and triacylglycerol contents in black cumin seed oil (BCO) during storage at 62 ºC. During storage, the oxidative indicator values (free acidity, peroxide value, p-anisidine value, TOTOX, specific extinctions and thiobarbituric acid) for the oils increased faster in untreated oil samples than in the microwaved samples. The degradation rate of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and triacylglycerol species (LLL and OLL) during storage were higher in untreated samples compared to treated ones, indicating that oxidation proceeded more slowly in the treated samples. During storage, the generation of hydroperoxides, their degradation and the formation of secondary oxidation products as investigated by FTIR, were lower in the treated oils. In conclusion, microwave pre-treatment prior to oil extraction reduced the oxidative degradation of oil samples, thereby increasing the storage stability of BCO.En el presente trabajo se evaluó el impacto del pretratamiento de las semillas de comino negro con microondas sobre la estabilidad durante el almacenamiento, los ácidos grasos y las especies de triacilgliceroles del aceite de las semillas de comino negro (BCO) durante el almacenamiento a 62 ºC. Durante el almacenamiento de los aceites, los indicadores oxidativos (acidez libre, peróxidos, p-anisidina, TOTOX, extinciones específicas y ácido tiobarbitúrico) aumentaron más rápidamente en los aceites de semillas sin tratar que en los de las muestras tratadas con microondas. La degradación durante el almacenamiento de los ácidos grasos poliinsaturados (PUFA) y las especies de triacilgliceroles (LLL y OLL) fue mayor en las muestras no tratadas en comparación con las tratadas, lo que indica que la oxidación avanzó más lentamente en las muestras tratadas. Durante el almacenamiento, la generación de hidroperóxidos, su degradación y la formación de productos de oxidación secundarios investigados por FTIR, fueron menores en los aceites tratados. En conclusión, el pretratamiento con microondas de las semillas antes de la extracción del aceite redujo la degradación oxidativa de los aceites, lo que aumentó la estabilidad de almacenamiento de BCO

In vitro effects of salicylic acid, calcium and copper ions on growth and sporulation of Ganoderma boninense

The in vitro effects of single and combined application of calcium ion (Ca2+), copper ion (Cu2+) and salicylic acid (SA) were evaluated on growth and sporulation of Ganoderma boninense. In poison medium test, T7-(Ca+Cu+SA) showed effective control of G. boninense in-vitro with EC50 and EC90 values of 1500+150+150 ppm and 2000+200+200 ppm, respectively. However, in dipping test, T3-(SA) showed effective control for G. boninense in-vitro with EC50 and EC90 values of 50 ppm and 200 ppm, respectively. Interestingly, T7 (Ca+Cu+SA) indicate effective control of G. boninense at low concentration, 500+50+50 pmm as shown by EC90 analysis. Pre treatment of Ganoderma -infected rubber wood block with 500 ppm Ca + 50 ppm Cu + 50 ppm SA reduced the number (20.14%), size (1.20 cm2) and weight of basidiocarp (0.80 g) compared to the control. This was followed by a significant reduction in weight loss of the Ganoderma–infected rubber wood block (41.85%) suggesting the inhibition of the degradative enzymatic activity of the fungus. The mixture of Cu, Ca and SA had potential to suppress growth of G. boninense in vitro.Keywords: Ganoderma boninense, calcium chloride, copper- ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), salicylic acid, EC50 and EC9

Prediction of Soil Anisotropic Stress-Strain Behaviour Incorporating Shear Strength Using Improvise Normalised Stress-Strain Method

Currently the soil anisotropic stress-strain behaviour can be predicted accurately at any effective stress using the Rotational Multiple Yield Surface Framework. This framework incorporates the developed of mobilised shear strength within the body of the soil mass whenever the soil is subjected to anisotropic compression. However the accuracy of the framework can be improvised since the failure axial strain is not unique but increases as the effective stress increases. This improved method s call normalised strain method. This method is applied to predict the stress-strain behaviour of granitic residual soil grade V from Kuala Kubu Baharu. The improve accuracy of this method will be presented in comparison with the conventional method

Prospects of tourism in Malaysia: A situational study focusing on socio-cultural and environmental aspects

Malaysia is perhaps one of the most unique countries of the world, being strategically situated on the gate-way location of global routes with a wonderful eco-environmental setting. Being a pluralistic society, it inherits its own traditional culture with harmonious integration of the diverse ethnic groups living in a very peaceful and politically stable situation. With all its economic potentials, Malaysia has recently emerged as a newly-developed nation with a huge infrastructural growth in its industrial and manufacturing sectors. Due to these developments and other eloquent features, people from abroad become largely attracted to this land and thus, they frequently arrive here as visitors and tourists. As recently as in the year 2005, it is reported that at least 16.7 million international tourists from outside visited Malaysia bringing about 30 billion ringgit in terms of foreign currency in this country (see Badruddin et.al. 2007). At present, tourism may be regarded as the largest service-oriented industry in Malaysia contributing a great economic share in the national GDP and provides employment to a bulk of the population in the country. It brings civic pride and social prestige for Malaysia by making a kind of international linkages in global context. It takes Malaysian culture abroad and people from outside can get the touch of the unique Muslim heritage in Malaysian context. Based on this positive assumption, this proposed research will generate information in regard to knowing about the present situation of tourism in Malaysian context. Side by side, it is also recognized that tourism often damages eco-environments of a particular region of the country, which are over-used by the tourists. The natural habitats are dislocated, and also there occurs enormous social impacts on local values and community culture. From that perspective the paper is designed to deal with the issue of tourism in Malaysia from both positive and negative perspectives; and thus it will generate a discourse to conceptualize a rational framework for Malaysian tourism

Effect of powdered seed of Nigella sativa administration on sub-chronic and chronic lead acetate induced hemato-biochemical and histopathological changes in Sprague Dawley rats

Lead acetate (PbAC) toxicity can occur by either ingestion or inhalation from contaminated surfaces or from the environment. Nigella sativa is a natural product with immense pharmacological properties, which include antioxidant, antibacterial, and antianemia properties. It has been showed to counter the effect of PbAC-induced hematological and biochemical changes in short-term studies. This study hypothesized that the N. sativa (NS) administration will ameliorate the deleterious effects of chronic PbAC toxicity in rats. A total of 75 Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups of 25 rats, and each group was further sub-divided into five groups of five rats each. Group 1 rats (negative control) were given distilled water, group 2 (positive control; PC) were given 10 mg/kg of lead acetate (PbAC) daily, and groups 3 (T1), 4 (T2), and 5 (T3) were each given 10 mg/kg of PbAC followed by graded concentrations of powdered seeds of NS; 100, 150, and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Five rats in each group were euthanized at 30, 60, and 90 days for collection of whole blood and selected organs. Whole blood was collected after euthanized via cardio puncture and used to evaluate the complete blood profile, while plasma was used for biochemical analysis. Tissue samples of the liver and kidney were fixed with 10% buffered formalin, processed, and stained with H&E and periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) for the liver. Aggression and fear were increased in the PbAC-exposed group and absent in the T3 group. There was a lower (p < 0.05) red blood cell count (RBC), packed cell volume (PCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and lymphocyte count in the PC and T1 groups only. Biochemical analysis revealed elevated (p < 0.05) liver enzyme and creatinine levels in the PC and T1 groups on day 90 for AST and day 30 for ALT and creatinine. The level of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was higher (p < 0.05) in the PC at 30 and 60 days of sampling. Other parameters, such as WBCs, prothrombin, urea, and cholesterol, were not significant in all groups. Histopathological lesions in the liver and kidneys were more severe in the PC and T1 groups, while the T2 and T3 groups showed mild lesions resulting from N. sativa administration. There was a decrease (p < 0.05) in the total PAS-stained area signifying glycogen depletion in the PC, T1, and T2 groups at 60 days and a higher distribution of the PAS-stained areas (p < 0.05) in the T3 group. At 90 days, the PC group had a lower (p < 0.05) distribution of PAS-stained areas in comparison to the other groups. The results showed the therapeutic potential of N. sativa extract in modulating both hematological and biochemical alterations induced by chronic lead acetate administration in rats

Hybrid Chirp Signal Design for Improved Long-Range (LoRa) Communications

Long-range (LoRa) communication has attracted much attention recently due to its utility for many Internet of Things applications. However, one of the key problems of LoRa technology is that it is vulnerable to noise/interference due to the use of only up-chirp signals during modulation. In this paper, to solve this problem, unlike the conventional LoRa modulation scheme, we propose a modulation scheme for LoRa communication based on joint up- and down-chirps. A fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based demodulation scheme is devised to detect modulated symbols. To further improve the demodulation performance, a hybrid demodulation scheme, comprised of FFT- and correlation-based demodulation, is also proposed. The performance of the proposed scheme is evaluated through extensive simulation results. Compared to the conventional LoRa modulation scheme, we show that the proposed scheme exhibits over 3 dB performance gain at a bit error rate of 10−4