Intelligent home: SMS based home security system with immediate feedback

A low cost Short Message System (SMS) based Home security system equipped with motion, smoke, temperature, humidity and light sensors has been studied and tested. The sensors are controlled by a microprocessor PIC 18F4520 through the SMS having password protection code for the secure operation. The user is able to switch light and the appliances and get instant feedback. Also in cases of emergencies such as fire or robbery the system will send alert message to occupant and relevant civil authorities. The operation of the home security has been tested on Vodafone- Fiji network and Digicel Fiji Network for emergency and feedback responses for 25 samples. The experiment showed that it takes about 8-10s for the security system to respond in case of emergency. It takes about 18-22s for the occupant to switch and monitor lights and appliances and then get feedback depending upon the network traffic

Generic skills requirements (KSA model) towards future mechanical engineers using discriminant analysis

Generic Skills is a basic requirement that engineers need to master in all areas of Engineering. This study was conducted throughout the peninsular Malaysia involving small, medium and heavy industries using the KSA Model. The objectives of this study are studying the level of requirement of Generic Skills that need to be mastered in order to become a competitive Mechanical Engineer and identifying the most dominant Generic Skills required by the industry/employer towards the future of the Mechanical Engineer. The set of questionnaires distributed to respondents was analyzed using software XLSTAT2014 software to obtain Descriptive Statistics and Discriminant Analysis (DA) as required to achieve the objective of the study. This study will guide all future engineers, especially in the field of Mechanical Engineering in Malaysia to penetrate the job market according to the current market needs.Keywords: generic skills; KSA model; mechanical engineers; discriminant analysi

Stop bullying! Does gender influence bullying and bully victims?

The problem and the aims of the study. Every student should not be afraid to go to school because of harassment and parents should not be worried that their children will be bullied while at school. This study aimed to examine whether gender influences Malaysian school students of being bullies or bully victims

The level of Marzano higher-order thinking skills among polytechnic students

This study aims to identify polytechnic students' level of Marzano Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) based on two dimensions, 'Extension and Refinement of Knowledge' and 'Meaningful Use of Knowledge,' and to analyze the difference in the students' level of Marzano HOTS based on these two dimensions depending on the students' demographic factors. This study design was a survey using quantitative methods. A total of 313 students were randomly selected as the survey sample. A questionnaire in the form of closed-ended questions was used as the research instrument. Data were analyzed using frequency percentage and MANOVA test. The findings showed no significant differences in the eight HOTS in the dimension of 'Extension and Refinement of Knowledge' with the gender and socio-economic status (SES) factors. However, there were significant differences in the eight HOTS with the academic achievement factor. Meanwhile, based on the dimension of 'Meaningful Use of Knowledge,' the findings showed no significant differences in the five HOTS in this dimension with the gender and academic achievement factors. The paper includes implications of the Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) for students to improve their academic performance. In future research, the authors can further identify university students' HOTS levels in the technical area

Temperature and strain feedback control for shape memory alloy actuated composite plate

There are several input variables that can be used to control the deflection of a shape memory alloy (SMA) composite system such as the resistance or temperature of the SMA actuator and position or strain of the composite plate. It is common to control the actuator directly, however SMA is nonlinear and it exhibits hysteresis which may result in inaccurate control of the plate’s deflection. Thus controlling the plate’s deflection may be more effective by using input measurement from the composite plate. The aim of this study is to propose the optimal feedback variable deflection control of a fiberglass composite plate system using SMA actuators. Two types of variables were investigated which were temperature of the SMA actuator and strain of the composite plate. The feedback control system for SMA actuated composite plate was implemented with different types of sensors; thermocouple and strain gauge. When current is supplied to the SMA actuator, it will contract and produce a force that will deflect the composite plate. During this process, the SMA actuator’s temperature changes with the current supplied and the strain of the composite plate changes during deflection due to torsion and bending. Thus, it is proposed to use these variables as the input to the feedback of the smart composite plate system to control the movement of the plate. Using the adopted control technique of the experimental test bench presented here, the strain feedback system was more effective and energy efficient compared to the temperature feedback for the control of morphing composite plate

Potential of sea level rise impact on South China Sea: a preliminary study in Terengganu, Malaysia

The effect of the sea level rise was involved the existence of sea water intrusion and coastal erosion phenomenon in the coastal of Terengganu. This study aim to determine fluctuation of high and low tides of the South China Sea in their relation to water quality value of Marang and Paka Rivers as well as from wells monitoring along the Terengganu Coast. Sampling was carried out twice during high and low tides, first in November 2012 and was repeated in November 2015. For the river quality study, it involves six parameters and involves nine parameters for well survey. Two-way t-test was used under statistical analysis to differentiate between two samplings. The result of the study can be assured that sea level rise resulting in decreased concentration of salinity, EC and TDS from upstream to downstream as a result of qualitatively rise of sea level at Terengganu beach as an impact of global warming events.Keywords: Marang and Paka Rivers; water quality parameter; well water quality; sea level rise; South China Se

Air quality modelling using chemometric techniques

The datasets of air quality parameters for three years (2012-2014) were applied. HACA gave the result of three different groups of similarity based on the characteristics of air quality parameters. DA shows all seven parameters (CO, O3, PM10, SO2, NOx, NO and NO2) gave the most significant variables after stepwise backward mode. PCA identifies the major source of air pollution is due to combustion of fossil fuels in motor vehicles and industrial activities. The ANN model shows a better prediction compared to the MLR model with R2 values equal to 0.819 and 0.773 respectively. This study presents that the chemometric techniques and modelling become an excellent tool in API assessment, air pollution source identification, apportionment and can be setbacks in designing an API monitoring network for effective air pollution resources management

Metal concentration at surface water using multivariate analysis and human health risk assessment

This study defined the concentration of metals in Kerteh and Paka River water and their potential health risk towards human. 54 water samples were collected and analyzed using ICP-OES. Results revealed that most of the stations in Kerteh River gave the higher concentration of Cd, Cu, Zn, Co, Ni, As, Cr and Pb compared to Paka River. However As, Cr and Pb have exceeded the permissible limit of Malaysia standard for all stations in both rivers. Cd, Cu, Zn, Co and Ni were below than Malaysian standard permissible levels during the sampling period. The principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that both geogenic and anthropogenic sources were responsible to possible metals contamination in both rivers. Moreover, risk assessments for all metals were within the safe limits, except for As in the Kerteh River for both adult and child as well as to Paka River for both genders

Heat transfer and electrical discharge of hybrid nanofluid coolants in a fuel cell cooling channel application

Hybrid nanofluid coolants is a new approach for advanced thermal management of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cells. Due to the high electrical conductivity of nanofluids, electrical discharge when a nanofluid coolant is used in a fuel cell is a concern and needs to be fundamentally studied. The objective is to obtain experimental correlations between heat transfer and electrical discharge rates of a nanofluid coolant in the form of a novel electro-thermal transfer ratio as a reference for future progress. A hybrid of 1%v TiO2 and SiO2 nanoparticles dispersed in a water and ethylene glycol (40:60) base fluid mixture was tested. The heated surface temperatures of the cooling channel were at 60 °C and 70 °C while the electrical power was nominally discharged through the test section at 0.7 V and 3 A. Under laminar flow, the concurrent changes to the temperature profile and active current were observed. The cooling was improved for the 40:60 hybrid TiO2:SiO2 nanofluid coolant with an enhancement factor of up to 2 times while the measured electrical current was visibly lower than the nominal current. The electro-thermal transfer ratio reduced exponentially with Reynolds number, indicating that electrical discharge strength into the coolant reduced at higher flow rates compared to the rate of heat transfer. These preliminary findings provide a new improved perspective in the assessment of nanofluid coolants for fuel cell systems and electrically-active systems in general

SMS based flood level monitoring system

This paper demonstrates the design process, implementation and experimental verification of a Flood Level Monitoring system. The main objective of the proposed system is to be able to read the water level at every second, display it to the supervisor and alert the affected populace and relevant authorities by means of an alarm and short message system (SMS) when the level of water surpasses a user defined threshold. Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network has been used for sending the mobile messages. Peripheral Interface Controller (PIC) microprocessor is used to read in the input from the sensor and then display the result. The measuring system is based upon the theory of pressure being applied to liquids. Furthermore, the collated data is useful to the meteorologist for investigating and monitoring the cause of flooding with respect to time and weather patterns. This warning system is deemed to be a faster method of alerting the relevant authorities and the vulnerable residence