Quantitative Analysis of Interfacial Area on Liquid-liquid Multiphase Flow of Transesterification Process in Cross-junction Microchannel Reactor

Key advantage of microfluidic technology in chemical processing is the high interfacial area which is especially important factors in multiphase reaction. The multiphase reaction like transesterification of vegetable oil and methanol to produce biodiesel are largely dependent on interfacial area for better mass transfer. However, little attentions have been given to the hydrodynamic factor which affects the interfacial area in a microchannel. In this study, the interfacial area from the droplet flow regime was studied by varying the parameter of methanol to oil ratio (M/O), total flow rate (QTotal) and catalyst concentration. The droplet flow was created by a cross-junction channel and photos were made to measure the size of the droplets with help of microscope. The maximum M/O ratio of 23 and lowest flow rate of 10 μL/min exhibited the highest interfacial area, where increasing M/O by 67% could increase the interfacial area by 23%. By varying the KOH catalyst concentration, the change in the interfacial area was very small, hence showing the lowest impact on the interfacial area of the droplet. Therefore, further analysis must be performed to investigate the impact of interfacial area and mass transfer coefficient on the reaction performance to produce highest yield of biodiesel in microchannel reactor

IoT-based smart wheelchair system for physically impaired person / Muhammad Afiq Mohd Aizam... [et al.]

Disabled persons usually require an assistant to help them in their daily routines especially for their mobility. The limitation of being physically impaired affects the quality of life in executing their daily routine especially the ones with a wheelchair. Pushing a wheelchair has its own side effects for the user especially the person with hands and arms impairments. This paper aims to develop a smart wheelchair system integrated with home automation. With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), a smart wheelchair can be operated using voice command through the Google assistant Software Development Kit (SDK). The smart wheelchair system and the home automation of this study were powered by Raspberry Pi 3 B+ and NodeMCU, respectively. Voice input commands were processed by the Google assistant Artificial Intelligence Yourself (AIY) to steer the movement of wheelchair. Users were able to speak to Google to discover any information from the website. For the safety of the user, a streaming camera was added on the wheelchair. An improvement to the wheelchair system that was added on the wheelchair is its combination with the home automation to help the impaired person to control their home appliances through Blynk application. Observations on three voice tones (low, medium and high) of voice command show that the minimum voice intensity for this smart wheelchair system is 68.2 dB. Besides, the user is also required to produce a clear voice command to increase the system accuracy

Rafflesia tuanku-halimii (Rafflesiaceae), a new species from Peninsular Malaysia

Rafflesia tuanku-halimii, a new species from Peninsular Malaysia, is herewith described and illustrated. It is related to R. azlanii and R. sharifah-hapsahiae by coalesced warts on it lobes. Rafflesia tuanku-halimii is different from them in having window covered by almost united rings and these rings almost wholly covering the window

Are the Normative Values of Sensorineural Acuity Level (SAL) Test Affected by Head Circumferences of Subjects?

Introduction: Sensorineural acuity level (SAL) test is believed to be helpful in estimating bone conduction thresholds in masking dilemma cases. However, before the SAL normative data can be used in clinical settings, there is a need to study the fundamental variable related to SAL normative data such as head circumference. As such, the purpose of the current study was to compare SAL normative values between subjects with bigger and smaller head circumferences at different frequencies. Materials and Methods: In this study, 48 healthy Malaysian adult subjects (aged between 18 and 50 years) were enrolled. Pure tone audiometry (PTA) and SAL test were subsequently conducted based on the recommended protocols. The SAL normative values were then compared between subjects with bigger and smaller head circumferences. Data analysis methods included paired t-test, effect size, and Bayesian approach. Results: No significant differences were noted in the SAL results when the two groups were compared, implying that the SAL normative data were not influenced by the head circumference (p > 0.05, BF10 = 0.232-0.708). Conclusions: Based on the findings of this study it appears that the SAL test results are not affected by the head sizes of the subjects. Future SAL test studies may use the normative SAL values established in the current study as a guide

Unraveling the Internationalization Barriers among Oil and Gas SMEs: A Path to Global Expansion

The remarkable expansion of globalization stands as one of the most significant phenomena in the twenty-first century, shaping both the business landscape and robust strategic approaches that prioritize the internationalization of domestic firms. In addition to large multinational corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) also recognize the vast opportunities international markets offer for business growth and development. Furthermore, SMEs that venture into global markets can strengthen their competitiveness and global presence by integrating valuable global experiences and incorporating their benefits into their domestic operations. Despite the potential, SMEs' involvement in the global market has remained disappointingly low, with little improvement since 2011. In light of this challenge, our study endeavors to unravel the multifaceted factors contributing to SMEs' internationalization dilemmas. Analyzing a total of 409 valid datasets, the findings highlighted the main factor behind SMEs' hesitancy to engage in internationalization: a lack of resources. Consequently, it becomes crucial for SMEs, particularly those in the Oil and Gas Equipment and Service segments, to focus on strengthening their resources to facilitate the internationalization process. Complementing this resource-centric approach, adjustments in managers' attitudes are equally crucial, as they have the potential to ignite SMEs' active engagement in international markets, ultimately contributing to national economic growth

Preparation of nano-silica powder from silica sand via sol-precipitation method

t. Silica in the nanoscale has interesting properties compared to its bulk counterpart that leads to a different range of applications. This is due to its low toxicity, high physical and chemical stability, large surface area to volume ratio and direct surface chemistry that allows to be combined or functionalized with a variety of functional species or molecules. Most researches used metal alkoxides or agricultural materials for the source of silica but very few researches attempted at preparing nano-silica powder from silica sand via the chemical method. In this research, the nano-silica powder is prepared via sol-precipitation method and its subsequent characterization. The materials used for this project were silica sand, sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid and distilled water. Surface morphology using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) of the silica sand was found to be irregular in terms of its size and shape. The average particle size of the silica sand determined by FESEM was found to be around 230 µm. The nano-silica has quartz SiO2 structures as demonstrated from XRD analysis. The synthesized nano-silica particle have a huge reduction in terms of size between 58 nm to 290 nm using FESEM. It was also found that the nano-silica particles were very agglomerated and had a spherical or globular particle shape. Hence, the silica sand can be an alternative precursor for synthesis of nano-silica particle by the solprecipitation method instead of using other chemical precursor

Perbandingan ciri anatomi daun Tetrastigma rafflesiae (Miq.) Planchon dan Tetrastigma pedunculare (Wall. ex Laws.) Planch. di Semenanjung Malaysia

Kajian ini bertujuan untuk melakukan kajian terhadap ciri anatomi daun Tetrastigma rafflesiae (Miq.) Planchon dan Tetrastigma pedunculare (Wall. ex Laws.) Planch. yang merupakan perumah kepada bunga pakma dan pakma tikus di Semenanjung Malaysia. Sampel daun diperoleh daripada habitat asal iaitu Gunung Bubu, Gerik, Perak. Teknik piawai dalam anatomi tumbuhan digunakan dan imbasan adalah menggunakan mikroskop cahaya dan mikroskrop imbasan elektron (SEM) dengan pemerhatian dilakukan meliputi bahagian petiol, tulang daun, lamina, epidermis dan peruratan daun. Hasil menunjukkan kehadiran trikom dan sel arenkima hanya terdapat pada T. pedunculare sahaja. Bilangan berkas vaskular medula pada T. rafflesiae adalah tunggal, manakala T. pedunculare adalah tiga. Oleh itu, ketiga-tiga ciri ini dapat membezakan dengan jelas kedua-dua spesies

Specific microRNAs among milk siblings: an epigenetics approach towards understanding the basis of milk kinship

Milk kinship is an Islamic belief described as a relationship established when infants receive breast milk from non-biological mothers. This form of kinship is said to bear a very close resemblance to blood relation whereby the recipients’ infants are regarded as milk siblings to the biological children of the breastfeeding mother. Any future marriage between these individuals is forbidden likewise between the recipient infant and the nursing mother herself as they are thought to have a form of consanguinity. The consanguinity formed by virtue of milk sharing might be due to the composition of human breast milk, especially milk microRNAs that are responsible for the epigenetic modulation of gene expression. miRNAs can regulate gene expression by modulating genome-wide epigenetic status of genes, and similarly-shared genes might be the basis that has led to milk kinship formation. Thus, the objective of the present study is to identify potential lactationspecific miRNAs that are similarly shared among milk siblings and their nursing mothers. The study began with molecular extraction of milk RNA from the nursing mothers and cell-free plasma RNA from all milk siblings and their nursing mothers. The RNAs extracted from both sample types were further analyzed using NanoString nCounter® miRNA Panel Analysis (NanoString Technologies, Seattle, WA) to measure the abundance of individual miRNAs biomarkers present within the samples. This study is expected to provide scientific explanation that could divulge the secrets behind milk kinship establishment with thorough presentation on the lactation-specific miRNAs shared between milk siblings. Hence, the way for future research would be paved, making the development of milk kinship identification tool possible

Specific MicroRNAs among milk siblings: an epigenetics approach towards understanding the basis of milk kinship

Introduction: Milk kinship is an Islamic belief described as a relationship established when infants receive breast milk from non-biological mothers. This form of kinship is said to bear a very close resemblance to blood relation whereby the recipients’ infants are regarded as milk siblings to the biological children of the breastfeeding mother. Any future marriage between these individuals is forbidden likewise between the recipient infant and the nursing mother herself as they are thought to have a form of consanguinity. The consanguinity formed by virtue of milk sharing might be due to the composition of human breast milk, especially milk microRNAs that are responsible for the epigenetic modulation of gene expression. miRNAs can regulate gene expression by modulating genome-wide epigenetic status of genes, and similarly-shared genes might be the basis that has led to milk kinship formation. Thus, the objective of the present study is to identify potential lactation-specific miRNAs that are similarly shared among milk siblings and their nursing mothers. Methods: The study began with molecular extraction of milk RNA from the nursing mothers and cell-free plasma RNA from all milk siblings and their nursing mothers. The RNAs extracted from both sample types were further analyzed using NanoString nCounter® miRNA Panel Analysis (NanoString Technologies, Seattle, WA) to measure the abundance of individual miRNAs biomarkers present within the samples. Expected Outcomes: This study is expected to provide scientific explanation that could divulge the secrets behind milk kinship establishment with thorough presentation on the lactation-specific miRNAs shared between milk siblings. Hence, the way for future research would be paved, making the development of milk kinship identification tool possible

Roles of human milk miRNAs and microbiota in infants gut: a systematic review

Early-life breastfeeding practice provides multiple advantages to infant subsequently contributing to significant short- as well as long-term positive health outcomes. The current notion suggested that in the first 1000 days of life, infant’s body is susceptible to external factors and highly inducible towards complex repertoire of components originated from mother’s milk. This condition permits diverse components of human breast milk ranging from microRNA and microbiome to larger size macronutrient to act by supplementing and supporting their under-developed body system in early life. Currently, the discoveries of milk miRNA as key effectors in multiple biological processes in different infant’s organs including gastrointestinal tract are growing rapidly. In addition, the perception on the translocation of bacteria from mother’s intestine to breast milk has given rise to the idea that these bacteria may as well dynamically transferred to the infant and provide protection to poor barrier integrity of their gut. Hence, the aim of this paper is to conduct a systematic review in order to collect, compile, and extract data related to human milk miRNAs and microbiota as well as their functions in infant’s gut following the relevant guidelines of Preferred Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA). A systematic search will be done on at least three databases such as Scopus, PubMed and Medline using relevant Medical Subject Headings (MESH) terms including human milk AND miRNA AND (microbiota OR microbiome) AND (infant OR child OR children) AND (gut OR intestine OR intestinal) from 2011 through 2021. From the databases, papers obtained will be sorted accordingly based on the objective, and inclusion and exclusion criteria and subject to Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool (CCAT) to further assess and ensure the quality, validity and eligibility of the research papers before reviewing thoroughly. This study is expected to provide a comprehensive presentation and information on the types of miRNAs and microbial species as well as their roles, functions and importance in boosting the system within infant’s gut. In depth, the miRNAs that capable of inducing genetic expression of their target genes or regulate particular important signalling pathways that would be beneficial in enhancing the immune system within infant’s gut may be presented in this study. Similarly, for some beneficial microbial species in the gut such as Lactobacilli with unique mechanisms and mode of actions in preventing the colonization of pathogenic bacterial within infant’s gastrointestinal tract and reduce clinical infection