Modified laplace transform and its properties

In this paper we propose a new definition of the modified Laplace transform La(f(t)) for a piece-wise continuous function of exponential order which further reduces to simple Laplace transform for a = e where a a ≠ 1 and a > 0. Also we prove some basic results of this modified Laplace transform and connection with different functions. © 2020, International Scientific Research Publications. All rights reserved

Determination Of Magnetizing Characteristic Of A Single-phase Self Excited Induction Generator

The magnetizing characteristic of a Self Excited Induction Generator (SEIG) defines relationship between its magnetizing reactance and air-gap voltage. The characteristic is essential for steady state, dynamic or transient analysis of SEIGs as the magnetizing inductance is the main factor responsible for voltage build-up and its stabilization in these machines. In order to obtain essential data to get this characteristic the induction machine is subjected to synchronous speed test. The data yielded by this test can be utilised to extract complete magnetizing behaviour of the test machine. In this paper a detailed study is carried out on a single phase induction machine to obtain its magnetizing characteristic. The procedure of performing synchronous speed test to record necessary data has been explained in detail along with relevant expressions for the calculation of different parameters. The magnetizing characteristic for the investigated machine is reported in the paper.qscienc

Resolution of asthmatic symptoms following successful endoscopic resection of tracheal mucoepidermoid carcinoma

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is a rare tumour of the trachea accounting for up to 0.2% of reported primary lung malignancy. We report a case of a 54-year-old man, ex-smoker, whose presentation mimicked adult onset asthma with cough and wheezing, which did not respond to conventional treatment. He had occasional haemoptysis and weight loss in which CT scan performed for malignancy screening showed a protruding mass in the distal trachea causing endobronchial obstruction. Bronchoscopic intervention was performed to relieve the obstruction that resulted in resolution of asthmatic symptoms. Histological diagnosis confirmed MEC. This case emphasised the importance of a high index of suspicion in an unusual presentation of a common disease and the pivotal role of bronchoscopic intervention in malignant central airway obstruction

Western Tarsier Cephalopachus bancanus at Matang Wildlife Centre, Sarawak

The huge, forward-facing eyes, large ears and small body size immediately identify this animal as a tarsier. The Western Tarsier Cephalopachus bancanus is the only species currently recognized on the island of Borneo: it mainly inhabits lowland areas, but there are montane records up to 1200 metres elevation

Microsatellite DNA polymorphism of Macaca fascicularis populations in Malaysia

A total of 386 long-tailed macaques (M. fascicularis) from 17 populations in Malaysia was analysed using eight polymorphic microsatellite loci on a microfluidic-based platform (Agilent DNA 1000 Chips on the Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer) to identify and evaluate the genetic polymorphism and population structure. The microfluidic-based chip platform provides simple, reliable and cost effective approach for microsatellite studies. Genetic diversity estimates showed that the Peninsular Malaysian populations are slightly more diverse than their Bornean conspecifics. Furthermore, weak population structuring among the peninsula populations suggest that they comprise of genetically contiguous populations. The Sarawak and Labuan populations were differentiated from the peninsula populations except for the Sabah population which is due to the low sample number from the latter. Interestingly, no matching genotype was found among all samples indicating that the loci set can be used for individual identification of M. fascicularis

Finite element analysis of unreinforced masonry walls with different bond patterns

Masonry is the oldest building material, yet it is also the least understood due to the non-linear and composite nature of masonry, which consists of brick units, mortar, and unit-mortar contact. In this paper, the response of a two-dimensional masonry wall with a window opening subjected to an in-plane lateral pushover loading is simulated by varying the interface properties of brick such as crushing, elastic, cracking, and shear properties. The simplified micro-modeling technique with the Engineering Masonry model for bricks and linear stiffness properties for the interfaces in the bed and head joints is employed to investigate the geometric nonlinear behavior of the masonry wall. The pushover curves obtained from the numerical simulations indicate that there is a significant influence on the lateral load response of the wall due to elastic, crushing, and shear parameters while the cracking parameters have less impact on the ductile capacity of the structure. Moreover, the study is also extended to examine the effect of bond patterns such as English, Stretcher, Flemish, and Header bond with varied aspect ratios of 1,1.5 and 0.75. In all four bond patterns, it was observed that the walls with lower aspect ratios exhibited higher strength. Further, in comparison to the other bond patterns, walls with the Flemish bond pattern demonstrated higher strengths at both lower and higher aspect ratios

Small Mammals

The Bornean tropical rainforests harbour some of the most remarkable diversity of flora and fauna in the world (Jennings et al., 2015; Sodhi et al., 2004). Tropical biodiversity is highly threatened by land conversion for agricultural purposes. This calls for greater conservational prioritization (Wilcove & Koh, 2010; Fitzherbert et al., 2008) as many have become fragmented and disconnected. There are a total of 247 species of mammals recorded in Borneo, and small mammals make up approximately 81%, which can be sub-categorized into bats, shrews, treeshrews, rats, mice, squirrels and flying squirrels (Phillipps & Phillipps, 2016). Borneo is regarded as one of the biodiversity hotspots, sustaining a high concentration of endemism, including approximately 19% of mammals (5% of the 99 bats species and 26 Rodentia), 20% of snakes and 6% of birds (Mohd-Azlan & Lawes, 2011).

Genetic diversity of the cave roosting dusky fruit bat, Penthetor lucasi from Sarawak

Previous studies have revealed a high genetic divergence in Penthetor lucasi population in Sarawak, indicating it may consist of multiple genetic lineages. However, these studies are not accompanied by morphological data from the studied population suggesting this may be an effect of isolation by distance, especially with small sampling coverage. Here, we provide information based on D-loop sequence analysis from 32 individuals of Penthetor lucasi collected from four different regions in Sarawak. Our results revealed a high haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity, suggesting that these populations are possibly recovering from a recent geological and climatic event. However, neutrality test and mismatch distributions showed longterm population stability with no population subdivision observed among the studied populations. The moderate to high level of gene flow found in this study indicates that Penthetor lucasi population is likely panmictic. Meanwhile, the low level of genetic divergence value among and within populations could account for the absence of species complexity in this study. Our result highlighted the importance of sampling coverage in proper assessment of species diversity especially in species with wide distribution

Effect of alkaline and benzoyl chloride treatments on the mechanical and morphological properties of sugar palm fiber-reinforced poly(lactic acid) composites

The present study deals with the effects of alkaline and benzoyl chloride treatments of sugar palm fibers (SPFs) on the mechanical and morphological properties of SPF-reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites. Seven different parameters of SPFs were compared, which were untreated, three alkaline solution concentrations of 4%, 5%, and 6% for alkaline treatment, and 50 ml benzoyl chloride-treated SPFs at three different soaking durations of 10, 15, and 20 min. Composites of 30 wt.% SPF–reinforced 70 wt.% PLA were prepared by using a Brabender plastograph mixer and a hot press. The tensile, flexural, and impact properties of the SPF/PLA composites were improved after alkaline and benzoyl chloride treatments on the SPFs. However, the best tensile, flexural, and impact properties of the composites were observed at 6% alkaline treatment of SPF; the morphological analysis also supported this. The 6% alkaline treatment of the SPF/PLA composite demonstrated the highest tensile, flexural, and impact strength values of 17.08 MPa, 32.34 MPa, and 4.39 kJ/m2, respectively. These treated SPF/PLA composites could be appropriate for automobile component applications