Percentage difference of resistivity of nanoparticles in determining crude oil using sand-pack experimental method

Nanoparticle with its nanoscale can be used as a data collector in every part of the development of the petroleum field. By having a hydrophilic condition for the nanoparticles, it can move to the targeted area in the water zone. The hydrophilic condition will differentiate between oil zone and water zone. The objective of the study is to use the hydrophilic nanoparticles to detect the oil and water zones using sand-pack displacement test. An experiment using the sand-pack method was done to show that the hydrophilic nanoparticles can be used to collect data. The nanoparticles used were aluminum oxide (Al) and nickel zinc ferrite oxide (NiZnFeO). The results showed that for NiZnFeO, at 3-inch distance from the injection point, the percentage difference increased from 15% to 25%, while for Al2O, the nanoparticles also showed the same increment but different in values, which were from 6% to 15%. This is shown by the significant change of resistivity percentage at the 3-inch distance. To conclude, the use of both types of nanoparticles that have hydrophilic nanoparticles can show the significant changes for resistivity at internal short front face of well reservoir with oil zone only

The effect of the job demand and perceived job burnout in the context of academicians’ role performance / Raja Mayang Delima Mohd Beta... [et al.]

With the high demands on research outputs, academicians are under pressure to cope with their teaching responsibilities as well as other managerial and administrative responsibilities that may affect their in-role and extra-role performance.Four hundred and thirty-one (431) academicians from twenty (20) Malaysian public universities were sampled which drawn from a stratified sampling process.The study examined the factors affecting in-role and extra-role performance among academicians in Malaysian public universities. There were two (2) proposed affecting factors that being examined; namely job demands as independent factor, perceived job burnout as the mediating factor and religious personality as a moderating factor.The job demands, in-role performance and extra-role performance questionnairerevised by Bakker (2014), while the perceived job burnout questionnaire by Demerouti (2010) and religious personality questionnaire by Krauss (2007) were adopted and adapted. The Job demands-resources theory of burnout guided the study through a quantitative research design.Data were analysed using SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 23.0 approaches of structural equation modelling to test the hypothesised model. The findings of this study largely supported the hypothesised relationships proposed in the theoretical model especially the mediating effect of perceived job burnout between job demands towards in-role and extra-role performance. The study concluded that all research objectives were successfully answered and achieved.Future studies applying the proposed model are therefore recommended to be conducted at the institutions of higher learning across Malaysia in order to verify these findings

Assay for heavy metals using an inhibitive assay based on the acetylcholinesterase from Channa striatus

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is usually used as an inhibitive assay for insecticides. A lesser known property of AChE is its inhibition by heavy metals. In this work we evaluate an AChE from brains of striped snakehead (Channa striatus) wastes from aquaculture industry as an inhibitive assay for heavy metals. We discovered that the AChE was inhibited almost completely by Hg2+, Ag2+ and Cu2+ during an initial screening. When tested at various concentrations, the heavy metals exhibited exponential decay type inhibition curves. The calculated IC50 for the heavy metals Hg2+, Ag2+, Pb2+, Cu2+ and Cr6+ were 0.08432, 0.1008, 0.1255, 0.0871, and 0.1771, respectively. The IC50 for these heavy metals are comparable and some are lower than the IC50 values from the cholinesterases from previously studied fish. The assay can be carried out in less than 30 minutes at ambient temperature

PENDEKATAN PENEGUHAN BAGI AKTIVITI HAFALAN AL-QURAN DALAM KALANGAN PELAJAR DI PERINGKAT MENENGAH RENDAH

ABSTRACTMemorization is one of the mental functions generated by neuronal activities of the human central nervous system. Memorization activity involves the learning process after receiving external stimulation, such as information about something new, followed by the formation of memory, and its retention in the brain. This memory can then be accessed to be used, such as to recite al-Quran verses without visual or auditory aid. Through observation of performance or behavior of concerned individuals, it is found that external factors, like reinforcements in the form of reward (either positive reward or negative reward) and/or punishment are expected to have effects on efficiency of memory. This article discussed the changes to a specific behavior after being reinforced through targhib, tsawab, tarhib and ‘uqubah approaches, as stated in the Islamic perspective and also practiced in the sample school, which is a religious secondary school in Terengganu. Discussed results from the study are the implementation of the common reinforcement practice involving reward (either positive reward or negative reward) and/or punishment in al-Quran memorization process in the school. The qualitative research method employed involved structured interviews as the main data source. A total of six (6) teachers and ten (10) students in lower secondary level were interviewed. It was discovered that activities that were commonly practiced as reinforcement to improve al-Quran memorization performance by students in the school included all positive reward, negative reward and punishment provision. Good practices and effective approaches based on reinforcement concept and/or punishment in the learning process as identified in this study are shared with education practioners for general improvement of the education system in Malaysia.Keyword: Reinforcement; Memorization; Punishment; Positive Reward; Negative Rewar

Preliminary survey of insect diversity and population abundance during flowering and fruiting season in Mangifera odorata (Kuini) orchard, Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia

A preliminary survey of insect population in Kuini (Mangifera odorata) orchard was conducted between February 2016 and May 2016 in MARDI, Sintok, Malaysia. Collection of insects were done using two different methods namely yellow sticky trap (YST) and sweep net. A total of 857 arthropods were collected during flowering season and 1,454 arthropods during fruiting season. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics while mean comparisons were done using t-test. Thysanoptera recorded the highest percentage (31.65%) of total catch during flowering season, while Blattodea and Neuroptera recorded as the lowest with 0.23% respectively. During fruiting season, the highest recorded insect was Diptera (79.92%) while Thysanoptera and Lepidoptera recorded the lowest percentage (0.07%). The Shannon-Weiner diversity index (H’), Simpson Diversity Index (D) and Margalef’s Diversity Index (d) were for insects during flowering season were of 3.01, 0.87 and 12.44 respectively. Conversely, H’, D and d value for insects during fruiting season were 2.61, 0.83 and 7.28 respectively. Results obtained from this study will be used as baseline for future insect pest and biological control related studies

CFD validation effect of YP/PV from laboratory-formulated SBMDIF for productive transport load to the surface

Several technical factors contribute to the flow of cuttings from the wellbore to the surface of the well, some of which are fundamentally due to the speed and inclination of the drill pipe at different positions (concentric and eccentric), the efficacy of the drilling mud considers plastic viscosity (PV) and yield point (YP), the weight of the cuttings, and the deviation of the well. Moreover, these overlaying cutting beds breed destruction in the drilling operation, some of which cause stuck pipes, reducing the rate of rotation and penetration. This current study, while it addresses the apropos of artificial intelligence (AI) with symmetry, employs a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation model to validate an effective synthetic-based mud-drilling and to investigate the potency of the muds’ flow behaviours for transporting cuttings. Furthermore, the study examines the ratio effects of YP/PV to attain the safe transport of cuttings based on the turbulence of solid-particle suspension from the drilling fluid and the cuttings, and its velocity–pressure influence in a vertical well under a concentric and eccentric position of the drilling pipe. The resulting CFD analysis explains that the YP/PV of SBM and OBM, which generated the required capacity to suspend the cuttings to the surface, are symmetric to the experimental results and hence, the position of the drill pipe at the concentric position in vertical wells required a lower rotational speed. A computational study of the synthetic-based mud and its potency of not damaging the wellbore under an eccentric drill pipe position can be further examined

Ab-initio protein structure prediction of Leucosporidium antarcticum antifreeze proteins using I-TASSER simulations

Organisms living in cold environment produce some Antifreeze Protein (AFP) which exhibit special functions as a result of cold adaption. AFP is currently being identified in many organisms such as bacteria, plants, fish, and fungi that exposed to freezing stress. Due to the limited structural information from fold library, it gave a big challenge in its structure prediction. Therefore, this study seeks to predict the three-dimensional (3D) model of the Leucosporidium antarcticum antifreeze protein by using homology modeling, threading and ab-initio methods. As low of percentage of sequence identity, not more than 25% (‘twilight zone’) and poor results in threading methods, the search proceeded with ab-initio method by using I-TASSER simulations, where 5 predicted models were obtained. All the models were then evaluated with PROCHECK and Verify3D servers. Ramachandran Plot showed that the residues in most favored regions were 75.2% with only 4 residues in disallowed regions (Ser21, Phe29, Ala100 and Ala114). For the Verify3D, the structurally and functionally important residues in AFP have scored from 0.30-0.60. These results suggest that ab-initio methods as I-TASSER may soon become useful for low-resolution structure prediction for proteins that lack of close homologue of known structure

Mechanical and thermal properties of binary blends poly lactic acid (PLA) and recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE)

In this work, plastic bottles made of high-density polyethene (HDPE) have been recycled and blended with poly(lactic acid) (PLA). The aim of the work is to prepare a binary blend of PLA and Recycled HDPE (rHDPE) at 90:10 blend ratio by using a twin-screw extruder. The blends were compression moulded and characterized in terms of mechanical and thermal properties. It was found that the rHDPE increased the tensile modulus of the binary blend. Fracture morphology demonstrated that the blend of rHDPE and PLA is immiscible. In terms of thermal property, as measured by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), the glass transition temperature of the binary blend showed a lower value, whereas the crystallization process was significantly improved

DNA SEQUENCE DESIGN FOR DNA COMPUTATION BASED ON BINARY PARTICLE SWARM OPTIMIZATION

Abstract. Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) has certain unique properties such as selfassembly and self-complementary in hybridization, whic

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London