A new egg parasitoid for possible biological control of the asiatic maize borer in Malaysia

A species of egg parasitoid tentatively identified as Trichogramma papilionis Nag. was found attacking egg masses of Ostrinia furnacalis Guenee. The life cycle of the parasitoid was completed within 9 days; the egg, larval and pupal stages lastedfor 2,4 and 3 days, respectively. The female: male sex ratio was 3:1, higher than the usual 2:1 sex ratio for Trichogramma spp. Superparasitism was observed whereby 3 individuals were produced from one . host egg. All eggs were parasitized in 4 days at 2:1 (host: parasitoid) ratio. The female parasitoid showed a high degree of searching efficiency and normally parasitized all eggs in a batch before continuing her search for the next egg batch. The female spent 40% of the time searching on the upper surface of a maize leaf, 30% on the lower surface and 30% on the leaf edges. The female searching and parasitization behaviour followed the Type III functional response curve. The female parasitoid showed positive response to the odour ofthe maize leaf, indicating a possibility that a kairomone or contact communication chemical is involved. T. papilionis appeared to be a very efficient egg parasitoid of O. furnacalis and a good candidate for a biological control programme of the pest

The Relationship between Organizational Politics, Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intention in the Maritime-Related Agencies in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia

The study aimed to examine the relationship between organizational politics, employee’s job satisfaction and turnover intention in the public maritime-related agencies in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The study utilized cross sectional research design. An enumeration of entire population (census) was conducted on 140 employees from Royal Malaysian Custom and Department of Fisheries in Terengganu. Data for the study were collected through questionnaire. 140 set of questionnaire were distributed and 109 copies were returned. Preliminary analyses were performed to ensure violation of assumptions of normality, linearity and homogeneity which enables us to analyze the data with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and SmartPLS softwares. The findings revealed a significant association between organizational politics, employee’s job satisfaction and turnover intention. The study therefore recommended that the agencies should actively focus on positive political behaviour that will fuel workers’ job satisfaction and they should ensure proper pay structure including pay performance and other bonuses that will lead to employee job satisfaction and reduce turnover intention. Finally, the findings of this study could assist the public maritime-related agencies in the area of organizational politics that would promote employee job satisfaction.     Keywords: organizational politics, job satisfaction, turnover intentio

Common Errors Made in Learning English Prepositions While Writing Essays by Iraqi Students

This study examines the most important commonly errors made in learning English prepositions while writing essays by Iraqi students of English as a foreign language. It  suggests some solutions to help them recover and overcome their errors. All the students come from non-English speaking background and hardly communicate in English outside  school. The study was carried out at preparatory schools in Diwaniya governorate in Iraq. Seventy essays were collected from two secondary schools and analyzed in relation to the theories of  Contrastive Analysis and Error Analysis. A detailed classification of the most common errors, their analysis, and the comparison of the total number of inter-lingual and intra-lingual errors are given place in this study. The study  aims to find out answers to the following research questions: 1.What are the types of prepositional errors committed while writing English Essays by Iraqi final year EFL senior secondary school students? 2.What are the causes/sources of prepositional errors committed while writing English Essays by Iraqi final year EFL senior secondary school students? 3.What is the effect of Arabic language interference on learning English language prepositions as used by Iraqi final year EFL senior secondary school students in Iraq? 4.What should be the appropriate method in teaching English prepositions to Iraqi EFL senior secondary school students? This study intends to use a qualitative content analysis of the students’ written essays in accordance with the Error Analysis approach. For this, the researcher intends to explore and analyze the written productions of the final year students’ essays. Thus, the results of the study identify the kinds of prepositional errors Iraqi students commit in writing as well as their sources and causes in Dewaniyah governorate in Iraq. This study has shed light on the manner in which students internalize the rules of the target language. Such an insight into language learning problems is useful to teachers as it provides information on common troubles confronted in language learning which can be used in the preparation of effective teaching materials. Keywords: error analysis , contrastive analysis DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-32-04 Publication date: November 30th 201

Vers l'évaluation des données pariétales fluctuantes avec des méthodes de frontières immergées

International audienceImmersed boundary conditions (IBC) has reached a sufficient level of maturity to allow the simulation of compressible high Reynolds number flows around complex geometries. However, the reconstruction of physical quantities at the wall of geometries introduced using IBC is far from being straightforward. The difficulty to obtain a prediction as accurate as for classical body-fitted approaches originates from the intrinsic mismatch between immersed boundaries and the underlying mesh. To tackle this issue, a novel method to compute global loads and to provide precise wall data in the view of spectral analyses is introduced. First, this method is assessed for the investigation of highly unsteady separating compressible flows of two space launcher afterbody configurations using Zonal Detached Eddy Simulation (ZDES). Then, the results are compared against validated numerical simulations using a classical body-fitted approach. Finally, the present method successfully returns wall quantities with IBC consistent with classical methodologies and without additional time-consuming operations.Les méthodes de frontières immergées ont atteint un niveau suffisant de maturité pour permettre la simulation des écoulements compressibles à haut nombre de Reynolds sur des géométries complexes. Cependant la reconstruction des valeurs pariétales introduites pas une approche de frontières immergées est un problème complexe. La principale difficulté provient de la dissociation intrinsèque à la méthode entre le maillage de fond utilisé durant la simulation et l’objet immergé. Afin de résoudre ce problème, une nouvelle méthode a été développée afin de permettre le calcul des efforts aérodynamiques et de permettre l’analyse spectrale des données pariétales sur une paroi modélisée par une approche de frontières immergées. Cette méthode a été appliquée afin de simuler l’écoulement autour de deux arrière-corps de lanceurs spatiaux en utilisant la Zonal Detached Eddy Simulation (ZDES). Les grandeurs pariétales fluctuantes sur les parois modélisées par une approche de frontières immergées ont été comparées à des calculs obtenus par des méthodes classiques. Les résultats ont montré que l’approche proposée permet d’évaluer les grandeurs pariétales modélisées par des approches de frontières immergées

Earthquake catalog-based machine learning identification of laboratory fault states and the effects of magnitude of completeness

Machine learning regression can predict macroscopic fault properties such as shear stress, friction, and time to failure using continuous records of fault zone acoustic emissions. Here we show that a similar approach is successful using event catalogs derived from the continuous data. Our methods are applicable to catalogs of arbitrary scale and magnitude of completeness. We investigate how machine learning regression from an event catalog of laboratory earthquakes performs as a function of the catalog magnitude of completeness. We find that strong model performance requires a sufficiently low magnitude of completeness, and below this magnitude of completeness, model performance saturates

Optimization of growth media components for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production from organic acids by Ralstonia eutropha.

We employed systematic mixture analysis to determine optimal levels of acetate, propionate, and butyrate for cell growth and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production by Ralstonia eutropha H16. Butyrate was the preferred acid for robust cell growth and high PHA production. The 3-hydroxyvalerate content in the resulting PHA depended on the proportion of propionate initially present in the growth medium. The proportion of acetate dramatically affected the final pH of the growth medium. A model was constructed using our data that predicts the effects of these acids, individually and in combination, on cell dry weight (CDW), PHA content (%CDW), PHA production, 3HV in the polymer, and final culture pH. Cell growth and PHA production improved approximately 1.5-fold over initial conditions when the proportion of butyrate was increased. Optimization of the phosphate buffer content in medium containing higher amounts of butyrate improved cell growth and PHA production more than 4-fold. The validated organic acid mixture analysis model can be used to optimize R. eutropha culture conditions, in order to meet targets for PHA production and/or polymer HV content. By modifying the growth medium made from treated industrial waste, such as palm oil mill effluent, more PHA can be produced

Preparation of high performance SPEEK/Cloisite 15A nanocomposite membrane via advanced membrane formulation method

Sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK)/Cloisite 15A® nanocomposite membranes were prepared via solution intercalation method. For better dispersion of nanoclay in the polymer matrix, the solution intercalation method was modified and a compatibilizer was introduced. The state of nanoclay dispersion was determined by FESEM. The effect of the solution formulation preparation method and compatibilizer on the performance properties such as proton conductivity and methanol permeability of all membranes was studied. FESEM analysis confirmed that SPEEK/Cloisite 15A® nanocomposite membrane prepared via modified solution intercalation method and in the presence of compatibilizer was the best membrane in terms of its morphological structure. Due to its well nanoclay distribution in polymer matrix, this kind of membrane exhibited the highest selectivity owing to its high proton conductivity and low methanol permeability. SPEEK/Cloisite 15A® with compatibilizer prepared via modified solution intercalation method was found to be the best membrane

Sustainable biofuel: policy view for commercial aviation in Malaysia

The depletion of fossil fuel and the fuel price have urged the world to discover alternative ways of replacing existing fuel with renewable energy for sustainability, hence benefitting the environment. A series of test and scheduled flights have been carried out over the years. This paper views the biofuel policy available in Malaysia, as well as in other developing countries with regards to commercial aviation. To understand and emphasize the importance of having a biofuel policy, the aviation industries need to work in line with the government by reviewing the related policies of biofuel and the authority's concern related to the environment. In future, Malaysia will need to abide by the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), thus creating the urgency in utilising the alternative energy. By viewing the various incentives available from the United States and EU, that can be a benchmark towards the recommendable policy that might be carried out in Malaysia

Quality of life satisfaction among converted Kelantan Chinese Muslims

This article investigates the quality of life of the Kelantan Chinese Muslim community before and after conversion to Islam, focusing on their level of satisfaction in term of economic aspect. This research was carried out using the sequential explanatory mixed method design involving 75 respondents selected for quantitative and five respondents for qualitative. The sampling method adopted was convenience and snowball samplings. The research data was collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The results revealed that respondents were moderately satisfied before conversion and satisfied after conversion. Besides that, there is no significant difference of quality of life before and after conversion to Islam (F = 0.868, p = 0.355) and it was not influenced by the period of conversion to Islam (F = 0.832, p = 0.589). This analysis indicates numerous respondents are still moderately satisfied in their quality of life even though the average data shows they are satisfied after conversion