Preparation and Performance Test of PEFB Reinforced Box Waste Coated Superhydrophobic Coating for Shoe Sole Application

The study presents preparation and performance test of Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (PEFB) reinforced box waste coated superhydrophobic coating for shoe sole application. The main purpose of this analysis is to determine the optimal composition of PEFB reinforced with box waste for use in shoe soles. In this study, the use of PEFB and box waste is to replace the synthetic materials in the application of the shoe sole. Additionally, environmental problems can be reduced by using waste PEFB as a value-added product rather than biomass waste. Sample preparation involved grinding of PEFB fibers and box waste, blending processes of different PEFB percentages at 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% mixed with 50% box waste. Followed by the process of mixing with epoxy and hardener, and finally coated with superhydrophobic coating using a spray gun method. Epoxy resin and hardener are used as binders for the bonding between the PEFB fiber matrix and the box waste to be applied to the shoe sole. The study was carried out in both mechanical and physical studies. The test for tensile strength showed 40% PEFB reinforced with 50% box waste with 181.36N maximum load and 16.70% of strain. The 40% PEFB composition showed the optimum bursting pressure to 13.62kgf and the abrasion resistance had a lower weight loss of 0.28 g. The 80% higher proportion of PEFB indicates a lower density of 1.06g/cm3 and a higher porosity of up to 0.44%. It is also revealed that 40% of box waste provided the best composition for the application of the shoe soles

Development of slope monitoring device using accelerometer

There are many types of instruments that have been used for monitoring the high risk slopes as a precaution to prevent the loss of lives. Unfortunately, there is no such works of installation slope monitoring instrumentation as detectors and preventive actions before the slope failure. Automatic Wireless Accelerometer Monitoring System (AWAM) is a new device of monitoring system using accelerometer, introduced in this research. It is more efficient than conventional techniques and less expensive. The application and operation of this system does not interrupted by physical obstacles, different climate conditions, and the construction works at site. In addition, no contact is required since the accelerometers are installed on the slope. Consequently, geomorphology limitations are not considered as limitations of the system operation. This paper discusses the sensor database system by AWAM and shows the effectiveness of the device to monitor slope failures and act as a warning sign. It was presented in two parts; the first part consisted of the physical modelling calibration test from sensor database system (AWAM device) and from load cell test while the second part discussed on the numerical model simulated by using software (Slope/W and LimitState) and the data from vane shear test. The AWAM device can be used as a monitoring system to detect soil movements. However, accelerometer was able to give AWAM’s readings if the device is moving in tilting modes

Determination of ultra-morphological changes of trichophyton rubrum treated with hydroxychavicol

Introduction: Trichophyton rubrum is a common pathogenic fungal species that is responsible for causing infection of human skin, hair and nail. The antifungal-resistant strains however, complicate the treatment regime. Hydroxychavicol (HC) is one of the main compounds from the Piper betel leaf that have antifungal potential and its mechanism of action has yet to be studied. This study was carried out to determine the antifungal properties of HC against Trichophyton rubrum using transmission electron microscope (TEM) on gross and ultrastructure of Trichophyton rubrum hypha. Methods: Broth dilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of HC and miconazole (MI) against the Trichophyton rubrum (ATCC 28188). Trichophyton rubrum was treated with HC and MI at concentrations of 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/mL for 1, 3, 5 and 7 days continuously. Results: The MIC results of the HC and MI against Trichophyton rubrum were 0.00048 mg/mL and 0.000061 mg/mL respectively. MFC results showed 0.0019 mg/mL for HC and 0.000061 mg/mL for MI. Microscopically, the fungi structures became more severely damaged at increasing treatment duration. The cell wall of the fungi treated with HC showed a rough surface, shrinkage and demolition similar to that of the MI treated group. The fungi organelles were also demolished and disorganized. Conclusions: This study reveals that HC has the ability to inhibit Trichophyton rubrum growth and it has the potential to be an antifungal agent especially in treating dermatitis. KEYWORDS: Piper betel, Trichophyton rubrum, hydroxychavicol, miconazole, antifunga

The approach of value innovation towards superior performance, competitive advantage, and sustainable growth: A systematic literature review

The value innovation strategy of pursuing differentiation and low cost has diverged and correlated with various notions and perspectives, which adds complexity and ambiguity to the current knowledge of value innovation. Thus, this study uses a systematic literature review methodology to identify key scientific contributions to the field of value innovation by providing a structured reliable overview of the current knowledge. This study aims to integrate the findings of previous research on value innovation to identify where conclusions converge and diverge and highlight emerging trends and gaps in the literature. This study seeks to answer the research question, “How can value innovation be an approach for superior performance, competitive advantage, or sustainable growth?” In this context, results are achieved through analyzing and synthesizing 73 empirical articles on value innovation literature published from 1997 to January 2021. Particularly, this study contributes to the extant literature by providing an integrative framework that summarizes the literature findings and addressing thematic classifications of the value innovation process. This study also helps further improve research on value innovation by identifying gaps and suggesting a conceptual model to mitigate those gaps

Ultra-Morphological Changes of Trichophyton Rubrum Treated with Hydroxychavicol

Trichophyton rubrum is a common pathogenic fungal species that is responsible for causing infection on human skin, hair and nail. The antifungal-resistant strains complicate the treatment regime. Hydroxychavicol (HC) is one of the main compounds from Piper betel leaf that have antifungal potential and its mechanism of action has not been studied yet. The objective of this preliminary study to determine the antifungal properties of HC against T. rubrum using transmission electron microscope (TEM) on gross and ultrastructure of T. rubrum hypha. T. rubrum was treated with HC and miconazole (MI) at concentrations of 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/mL for 1, 3, 5 and 7 days continuously. Generally, fungi structures became more severely damaged at increasing treatment duration. Microscopically, the fungi’s cell wall treated with HC showed a rough surface, shrinkage and demolition similar to the MI treated group. The fungi organelles were also demolished and disorganized. This study revealed that HC has the ability to inhibit T. rubrum growth and has potential to be an antifungal agent for skin infections

Compositional and expression analyses of the glideosome during the Plasmodium life cycle reveal an additional myosin light chain required for maximum motility

Myosin A (MyoA) is a Class XIV myosin implicated in gliding motility and host cell and tissue invasion by malaria parasites. MyoA is part of a membrane-associated protein complex called the glideosome, which is essential for parasite motility and includes the MyoA light chain MTIP, and several glideosome-associated proteins (GAPs). However, most studies of MyoA have focused on single stages of the parasite life cycle. We examined MyoA expression throughout the Plasmodium berghei life cycle in both mammalian and insect hosts. In extracellular ookinetes, sporozoites and merozoites, MyoA was located at the parasite periphery. In the sexual stages, zygote formation and initial ookinete differentiation precede MyoA synthesis and deposition, which occurred only in the developing protuberance. In developing intracellular asexual blood stages, MyoA was synthesized in mature schizonts and was located at the periphery of segmenting merozoites, where it remained throughout maturation, merozoite egress and host cell invasion. Besides the known GAPs in the malaria parasite, the complex included GAP40, an additional myosin light chain designated essential light chain (ELC) and several other candidate components. This ELC bound the MyoA neck region adjacent to the MTIP binding site, and both myosin light chains co-located to the glideosome. Co-expression of MyoA with its two light chains revealed that the presence of both light chains enhances MyoA-dependent actin motility. In conclusion, we have established a system to study the interplay and function of the three glideosome components, enabling the assessment of inhibitors that target this motor complex to block host cell invasion

Review on Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Algorithm for Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) for Ground Disturbance Detection

Fiber break because of third-party intrusion has become one of the challenges in maintaining the fiber-based communication link, especially those buried underground. Hence, we investigate the feasibility of using Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) system to sense possible surrounding activities that might cause fiber break. This paper reviews the current digital signal processing (DSP) algorithm used in the DAS system designed to detect ground disturbance, highlighting the specific design parameters for each technique. These parameters include identification rate, classification accuracy, detection accuracy, training time, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The algorithms used are near-field beamforming, phased-array beamforming, image edge detection, gaussian mixture model (GMM), gaussian mixture model - hidden Markov model (GMM-HMM), faster region-based convolutional neural networks (R-CNN), transfer learning, dual-stage recognition network, group convolutional neural network (100G-CNN), and support vector machine (SVM). By reviewing the existing techniques used in the DAS system for ground disturbance detection, we can determine the best DSP algorithm that should be implemented for fiber break prevention, enabling us to design a DAS system specifically for it in the near future

Effects of layering sequence and gamma radiation on mechanical properties and morphology of Kevlar/oil palm EFB/epoxy hybrid composites

The present study evaluates the tensile and flexural properties, including the morphological features of gamma radiated Kevlar/oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB)/epoxy hybrid composites fabricated using hand lay-up method with different layering sequences. The fabricated hybrid composites were exposed to different gamma radiation doses: 25 kGy, 50 kGy and 150 kGy. Mechanical (tensile and flexural) and morphological properties were evaluated by using universal testing machine and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Results obtained indicated that tensile strength of hybrid composites were effected by layering sequence. The layering sequence involving the use of EFB as core material yielded better mechanical performance compared to the layering pattern when Kevlar served as the core material. The tensile and flexural properties of hybrid composites showed an improvement for irradiated samples at a low radiation level. Hybrid composites displayed decrease in tensile strength at 50 kGy whereas flexural strength still showed an improvement. However, at 150 kGy, the tensile and flexural properties exhibited significant degradation. FESEM of tensile fracture composites showed the exist of fibre pull out and voids. However, at 150 kV bigger and ruptured voids were observed. It can be concluded from this finding that mechanical performance of Kevlar/EFB/Kevlar hybrid composites after Gamma radiation, has made it as promising material for automotive, aerospace and construction applications

The effect of value innovation in the superior performance and sustainable growth of telecommunications sector : Mediation effect of customer satisfaction and loyalty

The telecommunications industry has recognized innovation as the key to growth and survival. Globalization, liberalization, and privatization, the terms most commonly associated with this sector, have resulted in fierce competition, making it more difficult for telecommunications firms to increase their market share and, as a result, their customer base, sales volume, and, ultimately, profits. The new success strategy is differentiation through innovation, with the aim of breaking out of the competition and creating an uncontested market. This can be accomplished by providing high-value, innovative services that result in customer satisfaction and promote customer loyalty. The primary goal of this study was to create and validate a conceptual model of value innovation and its impact on firm performance and long-term growth by examining the mediation effect of customer satisfaction and loyalty. The empirical analysis results were based on 304 respondents who completed a paper-based survey provided to employees of Yemeni mobile service providers using a convenience non-probability sampling technique. SmartPLS 3 was used to test the hypothesized relationships using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-PM). As a result, the findings empirically validated the theoretical research model, confirming the importance of the value innovation approach to achieving company performance and long-term growth by promoting customer satisfaction and loyalty. Finally, we have provided a discussion of the study’s theoretical contributions, managerial implications, and future research directions

The effectiveness of pro-math challenge module to improve knowledge, perception, attitude and inclination of students in mathematics subject / Anis Zafirah Azmi ... [et al.]

This paper presents an empirical finding from a research that implementing a Pro-Math Challenge module for form three students in Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Gunung Rapat Setia, Ipoh, Perak Malaysia. The objective of this study is to identify the effectiveness of the module in improving students’ mathematical knowledge, which categorized as the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) proficiencies. Implemented in a STEM program, the students’ responses on the module were analyzed with a questionnaire survey to measure four criteria namely knowledge, perception, attitude and inclination. The results from a Wilcoxon Signed-rankas test have revealed that each of the criteria has a statistically significant difference on the increment of students’ understanding after the Pro Math Challenge module was implemented. Overall, half of the students strongly agree that the Pro-Math Challenge module implemented in the STEM program was beneficial to them and has given a good impact to them