Effects of feeding angles and cutting speeds of a mower knife with serrated edges on the pulverization of sweet potato vines

A study was conducted to test the effects of three different speeds of 1830, 2066 and 2440 rpm of a mower knife with serrated edges and two different feeding angles of 45° and 90° on the pulverization of sweet potato vines. The results indicated that all the treatments were significant at 99% significance level for the pulverized percentage of sweet potato vines remaining on the sieve. The best result was for the 45° feeding angle with lowest vine pulverized percentage of 47.20%. The second speed of 2066 rpm had the finest vine pulverized percentage of 57.47%. The best performance for overlapping effect between feeding angle and speed of mower was achieved by the 45° feeding angle and a mower speed of 1830 rpm resulting in an average percentage of 44.45 % of pulverized vines

Hybrid Palm Oil Mills Maintenance System

This paper proposes a technique that enhances snapshot model for cause of failure and decision analysis in order to easily assist maintenance engineers during identification and definition of the actual maintenance problem. The technique is a hybrid of failure mode, effect and criticality analysis, information technology and decision analysis into the snapshot model. A tool that automates the hybrid of snapshot modelling for cause of failure and decision analysis is also developed. This tool aims to ensure maintenance engineers can conduct snapshot modelling with little or without the help of operation research experts to facilitate in the cause of failure and decision analysis process

Knowledge Discovery Database (KDD)-Data Mining Application in Transportation

In this paper, an understanding and a review of data mining (DM) development and its applications in logistics and specifically transportation are highlighted. Even though data mining has been successful in becoming a major component of various business processes and applications, the benefits and real-world expectations are very important to consider. It is also surprising to note that very little is known to date about the usefulness of applying data mining in transport related research. From the literature, the frameworks for carrying out knowledge discovery and data mining have been revised over the years to meet the business expectations. In this paper, we apply CRISP-DM for formulating effective tire maintenance strategy within the context of a Malaysian's logistics company. The results of applying CRISP-DM for tire maintenance decisions are presented and discussed

Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, serotype distribution and virulence determinants among invasive, non-invasive and colonizing Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus) from Malaysian patients

A total of 103 group B streptococci (GBS) including 22 invasive, 21 non-invasive, and 60 colonizing isolates were collected in a Malaysian hospital (June 2010–October 2011). Isolates were characterized by conventional and molecular serotyping and analyzed for scpB, lmb, hylB, cylE, bac, bca and rib gene content. Antimicrobial susceptibility to penicillins, macrolides, lincosamides, quinolones and tetracyclines was determined using disk diffusion and the MICs for penicillin were determined by E-test. Molecular serotyping for all eight serotypes (Ia, Ib, II–VII) was in full accordance with conventional serotyping. Overall, taking CS and MS together, serotype VI was the most common capsular type (22.3 %) followed by VII (21.4 %), III (20.4 %), Ia (17.5 %), V (9.7 %), II (7.7 %) and IV (1 %). Susceptibility to beta-lactam antimicrobials was prevalent (100 %). Resistance rates for erythromycin, clindamycin and tetracycline were 23.3 %, 17.5 % and 71.8 %, respectively. PCR-virulence gene screening showed the presence of cylE, lmb, scpB and hylB in almost all the isolates while rib, bca, and bac genes were found in 29.1 %, 14.6 % and 9.7 % of the isolates. Certain genes were significantly associated with specific serotypes, namely, rib with serotypes Ia, II, III and VI; bca and bac with serotypes II and III. Furthermore, serotype Ia was significantly more common among patients with invasive infections (p < 0.01) and serotype VI isolates were significantly more common among carriers (p < 0.05). In summary, serotype distribution correlates with virulence gene content will be useful in epidemiological studies and design of vaccines

Design-management interactions of Malaysia's Kerian Irrigation Scheme

Irrigation design / Irrigation management / Performance evaluation / Irrigation systems / Agricultural production / Farmer participation / Case studies / Malaysia

The non-admissibility of the principle of therapeutic privilege in clinical trials

The objective of this paper is to examine the issue of non-admissibility of the principle of therapeutic privilege in clinical trials.In medical treatment, doctors could decide not to disclose information for the best interest of the patients by adopting the principle of therapeutic privilege.This principle exempts doctors from disclosing risky information at his discretion especially if by doing so will cause harm or trauma to patients.However, this principle is not recognised in clinical trials. Instead, the need to obtain patient’s consent by way of informed consent has been mandatorily imposed as a way to protect the patients.The doctor-investigator must disclose full information pertaining to the trial to the patient.This paper is a library based collating literature review data. Qualitative methodology and analysis were used in this paper. This paper revealed that despite the fact that the principle of therapeutic privilege has not been recognised in clinical trials, the attitude of patients that placed high hopes on doctor-investigator has indirectly encouraged the latter not to disclose information by adopting this principle.This paper implies that the doctor investigator practices the principle of therapeutic privilege, an act of paternalism that has been brought into the process of consent taking in clinical trials.In conclusion, the Good Clinical Practice Training Curriculum by the Ministry of Heath Malaysia is suggested to be improvised and further enhanced

Physicochemical properties and thermal behavior of binary blends of Madhuca longifolia seed fat and palm oil as a lard substitute

Fat extracted from pork is prohibited under halal and kosher food regulations. A study was carried out on Madhuca longifolia seed fat and palm oil to compare their physicochemical, solidification and melting characteristics to formulate halal alternative lipid substitutes. Various blends of Madhuca longifolia (ML) and palm oil (PO) was formulated in order to become similar to lard (LD). A total of three binary blends were prepared: ML:PO (97:3; w/w), ML:PO (95:5), ML:PO (93:7), and identified by the mass ratio of ML to PO. The fat blends were compared with LD in terms of the fatty acid and triacylglycerol compositions using gas chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography, respectively. In addition, the fat blends also being studied for thermal properties using differential scanning calorimetry and solid fat content using p-nuclear magnetic resonance. Although there were considerable differences between LD and the fat blends with regard to fatty acid and triacylglycerol compositions, some similarities were seen regarding to thermal properties and solid fat content profiles. The blend of ML:PO (97:3) displayed closer similarity to LD with respect to melting transition at -3.59°C and its solid fat content profile showed the least difference to that of LD throughout the temperature range measured

Effects of cutting speeds and moisture content on grass chopping (pulverizing)

A study was conducted at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, MARDI, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia, to investigate the effects of Vertical Mower with double sided knife at four different speeds of 2000, 2200, 2500 and 2700 rpm, with two grass moisture contents at 20.37% and 57.07% wet base (wb%) during grass chopping (pulverizing). The results obtained showed that all the treatments were significant at 99% significance level for the percentage of grass leave area and the percentage of length of stem. The best results obtained were at a mower speed of 2500 rpm and 20.37% of grass moisture content which resulted in average values of 81.03% for the percentage of the leave area and 82.08% for the percentage of the length of the stem

Melastoma malabathricum (L.) Smith Ethnomedicinal Uses, Chemical Constituents, and Pharmacological Properties: A Review

Melastoma malabathricum L. (Melastomataceae) is one of the 22 species found in the Southeast Asian region, including Malaysia. Considered as native to tropical and temperate Asia and the Pacific Islands, this commonly found small shrub has gained herbal status in the Malay folklore belief as well as the Indian, Chinese, and Indonesian folk medicines. Ethnopharmacologically, the leaves, shoots, barks, seeds, and roots of M. malabathricum have been used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery, hemorrhoids, cuts and wounds, toothache, and stomachache. Scientific findings also revealed the wide pharmacological actions of various parts of M. malabthricum, such as antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, antidiarrheal, cytotoxic, and antioxidant activities. Various types of phytochemical constituents have also been isolated and identifed from different parts of M. malabathricum. Thus, the aim of the present review is to present comprehensive information on ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical constituents, and pharmacological activities of M. malabathricum