Leachate treatment by using composite coagulant made from polyaluminium chloride (PAC) and tapioca starch (TS)

Landfill leachate is considered as the highly polluted liquid that is produced from infiltration of water through municipal solid waste. Coagulation and flocculation are commonly used in the leachate treatment. This study investigates the effectiveness of composite coagulant PACTS made from polyaluminum chloride (PAC) and tapioca starch (TS) in the removal of colour, turbidity, suspended solids (SS), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia from Simpang Renggam landfill. PAC was selected as a primary coagulant since it has superiority at a lower dosage and applicable at wider pH value compare to other chemical coagulants. While, TS as a natural coagulant is available in abundance, cheaper, environmentally friendly and has ability to improve the coagulation efficiency. A series of jar test were carried out to determine pH and dose for single, dual and composite coagulants. From the result analysis, the highest percentage removal of PAC at optimum condition as single coagulant (dose 2.5 g/L at pH 7) in term of SS, turbidity, colour, COD and ammonia were 92%, 77%, 94%, 37% and 32 %, respectively. Whereas TS coagulant, at optimum condition (dose 2.5 g/L at pH 8) shows 35%, 13%, 30%, 0% and 38% removals correspondingly. Also, in dual coagulants, the percentage removal of suspended solids, turbidity, colour, COD and ammonia of dual coagulant (dose PAC 1.5 g/L and dose TS 0.2g/L at pH 5) was 90%, 74%, 87%, 40% and 17% in that order. Furthermore, under the composite coagulant method, the PACTSb with dose 1.5 g/L at pH 5 was selected as an optimum ratio, dose and pH for composite coagulant. The percentage removal as regards SS, turbidity, colour, COD and ammonia (98%, 83%, 86%, 46% and 28%) increased when compared with a single and dual coagulant methods. These are indications that the combination of chemical coagulant (PAC) and natural coagulant (TS) as a composite coagulant was able to combine the best properties of both coagulants and increase the coagulation efficiency

Development tracking for model making and rapid prototyping practise based in Industrial Design Education Design Studio / Hasnul Azwan Azizan...[et al.]

This study is conducted to better understand the benefits of the Conventional Model Making (CMP) in Industrial Design learning at higher institutions in today’s industrial innovation. The emergence of technology such as three-dimensional printing (3DP) or Rapid Prototyping in the possess challenges in the design education. This trend changes the conventional ways of making products which indirectly affected the CMP process. The study will focus on how the CMP process is conducted by students and what they can learn from the process compared to the three-dimensional printing (3DP). The researcher will conduct a focus group study to understand this phenomenon

Development of Ecotourism Products in Kilim Geopark Based On Tourist Perceptions

Tourism development in Kilim Geopark had a significant impact on the growth of local businesses and has indirectly increased the living standards of the local community. The sustainability of tourism products is crucial to increase the number of tourists in the future and to retain the status of the Geopark. This paper aims to identify the level of tourist satisfaction with the tourism products offered at Kilim Geopark in terms of natural attraction, services, facilities, and product prices. Moreover, this paper discusses the extent of eco-tourism product development in the Kilim Geopark and how to maintain the current level of tourist satisfaction. Based on 341 completed questionnaires, this study reveals that the majority of tourists are interested in new ecotourism products offered at Kilim Geopark. However, significant differences between the levels of satisfaction arise concerning tourism products. Non-Malaysian tourists are perceived to be more satisfied compared to Malaysian tourists based on certain products and selected services. As an emerging tourist attraction, several measures should be considered to improve the competitiveness while maintaining the future development of ecotourism products in Kilim Geopark

Konsep Maqamat Al-Yaqin Menurut Ibn `Ata’ Allah Dan Kaitannya Dengan Resiliensi [The Concept Of Maqamat Al-Yaqin According To Ibn `Ata' Allah And Its Relation To Resilience]

The identification of Ibn `Ata Allah and his work has been the subject of extensive research conducted by scholars worldwide. According to Ibn `Ata Allah, associating partners with Allah SWT is considered shirk. This theological perspective views the act of attributing individuals or entities as allies to God as a form of polytheism. Allah SWT is attributed with wahdaniyyah, which means that Allah SWT is One in His Essence, His Attributes, and His Actions. This implies that nothing can ever be identical or equal to the essence, attributes, and actions of Allah SWT. This principle is deeply ingrained in the perspective of tawḥid practiced by Muslims. This article examines Maqamat al-Yaqin (the stages of certainty) from the perspective of Ibn `Ata Allah, a renowned Sufi figure. This study explores his understanding of the concepts of tawḥid and taṣawwuf and discusses his arguments in his book al-Tanwir fi Isqat al-Tadbir, regarding the significance of Maqamat al-Yaqin. This study employed a library research methodology to gather data and information. In the data analysis process, data reduction techniques were used to select and prioritize significant elements based on the available data, aiming to provide a clearer description of the data. The findings of this study demonstrate that the exploration of Maqamat al-Yaqin, as examined by Ibn `Ata Allah, has proven advantageous to Muslims by redirecting readers’ attention from the concern of shirk to a sense of appreciation and fortitude in the earthly realm. Moreover, this research indicates the potential alleviation of stress in individuals’ lives.Riwayat hidup Ibn `Ata’ Allah dan hasil karya beliau telah diterokai oleh pengkaji di dalam dan luar negara. Menurut Ibn `Ata’ Allah bahawa sesiapa yang tadbir bersama-sama Allah SWT adalah syirik. Ini adalah kerana bagi Ibn `Ata’ Allah sekiranya tadbir kita bersama dengan tadbir Allah maka ianya syirik kerana mengadakan sekutu bagi Allah. Allah SWT itu bersifat dengan wahdaniyah yang bererti Allah itu Esa pada zatNya, sifatNya dan perbuatanNya. Ini bermakna tiada sesuatu pun yang akan menyamai zat, sifat dan perbuatan Allah SWT. Ianya telah menjadi pemikiran dan kepercayaan dalam perspektif ilmu tauhid yang diamalkan sebagaimana pegangan ahli sunnah wal Jamaah. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji tentang Maqamat al-Yaqin yang dilihat daripada sisi pemikiran seorang tokoh sufi yang terkenal iaitu Ibn `Ata Allah. Artikel ini menyentuh tentang konsep pemikiran beliau di dalam bidang tauhid dan tasawuf, hujah-hujah beliau dalam kitab al-Tanwir fi Isqat al-Tadbir dalam menonjolkan penghayatan terhadap Maqamat al-Yaqin tersebut. Pendekatan kualitatif yang digunakan dalam kajian ini disusuli metode pengumpulan data dan kemudian metode analisis data. Manakala kaedah penganalisisan data menggunakan reduksi data bagi memilih dan memfokuskan pada hal-hal penting berdasarkan data yang ada bagi menggambarkan sesuatu data dengan lebih jelas Hasil kajian menunjukkkan perbahasan Maqamat al-Yaqin yang digunakan Ibn `Ata’ Allah telah memberi manfaat kepada orang Islam dengan mengalihkan tujuan pembaca daripada isu syirik semata-mata kepada penghayatan bagaimana untuk resiliensi di dunia. Di samping, hasil kajian ini dapat mengurangkan tekanan dalam kehidupan

Memelihara keselamatan negara Malaysia: peristiwa Lahad Datu, Sabah

Pilihan raya adalah salah satu kriteria bagi negara demokrasi. Malaysia adalah sebuah negara demokrasi semenjak mencapai kemerdekaan pada tahun 1957. Seperti kebanyakan negara baharu yang sedang membangun, perjalanan Malaysia menuju demokrasi penuh dengan cabaran memelihara keselamatan negara. Pasca pilhanraya ketiga, 1969, menyaksikan peristiwa berdarah 13 Mei, sementara pra pilihanraya ke-13 pula telah mengejutkan negara apabila sekumpulan angkatan bersenjata menceroboh Lahad Datu, Sabah, pada 9 Februari 2013. Lebih kurang sembilan orang dari pihak berkuasa dan enam rakyat awam yang terkorban dalam kejadian berdarah tersebut. Objektif kajian ini adalah untuk menganalisa bagaimanakah peristiwa Lahad Datu memberi impak terhadap keselamatan negara Malaysia. Kajian ini menghujahkan lokasi geostrategik dan geofizikal Sabah, ketidakcukupan anggota keselamatan dan juga ancaman dari Jamalul Kiram III Sultan Sulu berketurunan Suluk yang tidak diiktiraf, adalah antara faktor peristiwa Lahad Datu. Ekoran dari kejadian tersebut, Kawasan Keselamatan Khas Pantai Timur Sabah (ESSCOM) telah diwjudkan untuk memelihara keselamatan sempadan Malaysia Timur. Begitu juga isu domestik seperti pendatang asing, ancaman maritim dan tuntutan bertindih, masih menjadi isu. Peristiwa dan isu ini menunjukkan kajian ke atas Sabah semakin penting dan memerlukan perhatian kerana kepelbagaian isu domestik yang belum selesai

First records of morphological diversity and ecology of periphytic cyanobacteria from Tukun River, Penang Forest Reserve, Malaysia

Despite the abundance of streams and rivers in Malaysia, the algal communities of these lotic ecosystems have remained largely unstudied. In a one-year floristic survey conducted from December 2014, 24 cyanobacterial morphospecies were identified for the first time from Tukun River, Penang Forest Reserve. Ten morphospecies were identified directly from field specimens while the remaining 14 morphospecies were identified only in cultures derived from the field samples. A total of 17 morphospecies; Leptolyngbya cf. boryana, L. cf. foveolarum, L. valderiana, Chroococcus cf. cohaerens, C. cf. disperses, C. cf. membraninus, C. cf. minutus, C. cf. varius, Gloeocapsopsis cf. crepidinum, Geitlerinema cf. tenuius, Phormidium simplicissimum, Dolichospermum sp., Fischerella sp., Homoeoptyche repens, Nematoplaca inscrustans, Scytonema hofmanii and S. stuposum are new records for Malaysia. Crusts were the most dominant macroscopic forms (seven morphospecies) followed by mats (three morphospecies). Scytonema was the most frequently encountered genus, occurring at 8/9 sampling sites. The presence of heterocytous cyanobacteria (S. stuposum, S. hofmanni) in 8/9 sampling sites is consistent with the low nitrate levels (< 0.74 mg/L) recorded throughout the study stream. Chroococcales were dominant in both upper and middle parts of the stream. The morphospecies present showed distinct distribution patterns despite apparently minimal variations in ecological parameters such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH and conductivity between the sampling sites. This study provides important new baseline information in understanding the diversity of periphytic cyanobacteria not only in Penang Island but more widely in Malaysia. This information can make a useful contribution in biomonitoring stream health

DeepFinder : An integration of feature-based and deep learning approach for DNA motif discovery

We propose an improved solution to the three-stage DNA motif prediction approach. The three-stage approach uses only a subset of input sequences for initial motif prediction, and the initial motifs obtained are employed for site detection in the remaining input subset of non-overlaps. The currently available solution is not robust because motifs obtained from the initial subset are represented as a position weight matrices, which results in high false positives. Our approach, called DeepFinder, employs deep learning neural networks with features associated with binding sites to construct a motif model. Furthermore, multiple prediction tools are used in the initial motif prediction process to obtain a higher number of positive hits. Our features are engineered from the context of binding sites, which are assumed to be enriched with specificity information of sites recognized by transcription factor proteins. DeepFinder is evaluated using several performance metrics on ten chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) datasets. The results show marked improvement of our solution in comparison with the existing solution. This indicates the effectiveness and potential of our proposed DeepFinder for large-scale motif analysis. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Multilevel optimization for dense motion estimation

This research has been oriented towards the design of a new technique for fast and reliable dense motion estimation. We used variational models of optical flow computation to estimate the dense motion in a sequence of images.We have been interested in developing a multilevel optimization solver to produce accurate optical flow estimation for real-time applications.To the best of our knowledge, two-ways multilevel optimization techniques are used for the first time in the context of a computer vision problem. We evaluated the performance of different optimization techniques developed in the context of optical flow computation with different variational models.In particular, based on truncated Newton methods (TN) that have been an effective approach for large-scale unconstrained optimization, we developed the use of efficient multilevel schemes for computing the optical flow.More precisely, we evaluated the performance of a standard unidirectional multilevel algorithm - called multiresolution optimization (MR/Opt), to a bidrectional multilevel algorithm - called full multigrid optimization (FMG/Opt).The FMG/Opt algorithm treats the coarse grid correction as an optimization search direction and eventually scales it using a line search. Experimental results on three image sequences using four models of optical flow with different computational efforts show that the FMG/Opt algorithm outperforms significantly both the TN and MR/Opt algorithms in terms of the computational work and the quality of the optical flow estimation

Modeling of soft tissue deformation using mass spring method with nonlinear volume force

Soft tissues displayed two phases of deformation, linear behavior during small deformation and nonlinear behavior during large deformation. Mass Spring Method (MSM) is one of the preferred methods for simulating soft tissue deformations. MSM-based models provide simpler calculations that allow realtime interaction. However, only a small number of MSM models are capable of simulating two phases of soft tissue deformation. This study introduces a new approach to modeling the deformation. The conventional MSM model, which is governed by Hooke’s law, is coupled with the nonlinear volume force defined using the conical spring methodology. The nonlinear volume force is triggered by a change in volume in the structure of the MSM model. With the implementation, at small deformation where volume change is also small, only the Hooke’s law equation is activated resulting in linear deformation. Whereas, during large deformation, nonlinear deformation occurs as a result of a large change in the MSM volume. Analyzes conducted show that the proposed model can simulate the two phases of deformation. The proposed model can also control each phase independently, which shows that it has a high degree of flexibility on modeling various of soft tissue deformation

Application of Sagnac Interferometer for Temperature Monitoring: Experimental Study

Temperature sensors have been widely used in industries and they have found applications in food processing units, medical devices, chemical handling processes, automotive and agriculture. In the market, there currently exist many varieties of temperature sensors including thermocouples, resistor temperature detectors, infrared sensor, thermistor, thermometer and optical temperature sensor. Of these technologies, optical temperature sensors have the edge in that they are free from electromagnetic interference, low weight, compact, high sensitivity, high signal-to-noise ratio and excellent stability. In this work, optical temperature sensor based on Sagnac interferometer is experimentally demonstrated. The Sagnac interferometer consists of a 3.5 cm polarization maintaining fiber that acts as a sensor head, a polarization controller and a 3 dB coupler. Experiments are carried out in which an amplifier noise being the input light for the Sagnac interferometer and the transmission spectrum of the output light is observed for the output. Throughout the experiment, the sensor head is placed in an oven for temperature variation. Based on the measurements on the output spectrum, it is found that the spectrum dips shifts to the shorter wavelength from 1554.96 nm to 1528.56nm as the temperature is varied from 30 °C to 45 °C. The spectrum dip is found to be inversely proportional to the temperature with the obtained sensitivity of 1.766 nm/°C. This Sagnac-based optical sensor is promising for detecting temperature especially in the harsh environment