Effect of Testing Rate on Adhesion Properties of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber/Standard Malaysian Rubber Blend-Based Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive

The dependence of loop tack, peel strength, and shear strength of NBR/SMR L blend-based pressure-sensitive adhesives on the rate of testing was investigated using coumarone-indene resin and toluene as the tackifier and solvent, respectively. A 40% NBR content in the NBR/SMR L blend was used throughout the experiment.The adhesion properties weremeasured by a Lloyd Adhesion Tester operating at different rates of testing. The result indicates that loop tack, peels strength, and shear strength increase with the rate of testing due to the viscoelastic response of the adhesive. At low testing rate, the failure mode is cohesive in nature whereas adhesion failure mode occurs at higher testing rates. Adhesion properties also increase with the increase in adhesive coating thickness, an observation which is attributed to the wettability of the adhesive and viscoelastic behavior of the rubber blend

Dependence of Adhesion Property of Epoxidized Natural Rubber (ENR 25)/Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Rubber Blend Adhesives Crosslinked by Benzoyl Peroxide

The loop tack, peel strength, and shear strength of crosslinked epoxidized natural rubber (ENR 25)/ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM) blend adhesives were investigated. Coumarone-indene resin, toluene, and benzoyl peroxide were used as the tackifier, solvent, and crosslinking agent, respectively, throughout the experiment. The adhesive was coated on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate using a SHEEN hand coater at 6

Dependence of Adhesion Properties on Blend Ratio of Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Rubber/Standard Malaysian Rubber Blend Adhesive

Viscosity, tack and, peel and shear strengths of ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM)/standard Malaysian rubber (SMR L) blend adhesive were studied using various blend ratios of the two rubbers, ranging from 0 to 100% EPDM. Coumarone-indene resin, toluene, and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) were used as the tackifier, solvent, and coating substrate, respectively. The tackifier content was fixed at 40 parts per hundred parts of rubber (phr). A SHEEN hand coater was used to coat the adhesive on PET film at four coating thicknesses, that is, 30, 60, 90, and 12

Adhesion Properties of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber/Standard Malaysian Rubber Blend Based Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive

Viscosity and adhesion properties of NBR/SMR L blend based pressure-sensitive adhesive were investigated using coumaroneindene resin, toluene, and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) as tackifier, solvent, and coating substrate, respectively. Coumaroneindene resin content was fixed at 40 parts per hundred parts of rubber (phr) in the adhesive formulation.The ratio of NBR/SMR L blend used was 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% of NBR content. Four different thicknesses, that is, 30, 60, 90, and 12

Adhesion Properties of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber/Standard Malaysian Rubber Blend Based Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive

Viscosity and adhesion properties of NBR/SMR L blend based pressure-sensitive adhesive were investigated using coumarone-indene resin, toluene, and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) as tackifier, solvent, and coating substrate, respectively. Coumarone-indene resin content was fixed at 40 parts per hundred parts of rubber (phr) in the adhesive formulation. The ratio of NBR/SMR L blend used was 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% of NBR content. Four different thicknesses, that is, 30, 60, 90, and 120 µm, were used to coat the PET film. The viscosity of adhesive was determined by a Brookfield viscometer, whereas loop tack, peel strength, and shear strength were measured using a Lloyd Adhesion Tester operating at 30 cm/min. Result indicates that the viscosity, loop tack, and shear strength of blend adhesives increase with % NBR. However, for peel strength, it indicates a maximum at 40% NBR blend ratio for the three modes of peel tests. In all cases, 120 µm coated sample consistently exhibits the highest adhesion values compared to the other coating thicknesses, an observation which is associated with the higher volume of adhesive in the former system

CFD methodology development for Singapore Green Mark Building application

In the recent decade, investigation on the total building performance has become increasingly important for the environmental modelling community. With the advance of integrated design and modelling tool and Building Information Modelling (BIM) development, it is now possible to simulate and predict the building energy efficiency, air quality & health assessment, risk analysis & mitigation scenario for our urban planning analysis; all seamlessly in a single urban digital platform. In order to achieve the national goal of at least 80% of the buildings in Singapore to be green by 2030, Singapore Government has introduced the new BCA Green Mark 2015 scheme for accelerating the green building agenda. During the recent third Green Building Masterplan announced in 2015, it was decided to engage building tenants and occupants more actively to drive energy consumption behavioural change and to address the well-being of the people. Following up from this Masterplan, it is important for both the stakeholders and agency to jointly develop Performance Driven and Scientific Based Simulation Methodology and Evaluation Parameters as a frame work to evaluate the building design based on Singapore's hot and humid climate and densely-built-up urban areas for the Green Mark 2015 Scheme. In this paper, we will present the methodology and perform a baseline case study for the natural ventilation performance with the typical Non-Residential Building (NRB) industrial building. This can be resulted in the comprehensive CFD Quality Check List for the Environmental Sustainable Design (ESD) consultant in order to maintain modelling result accuracy. Demonstration on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) using Air Exchange Effectiveness (AEE) as performance indicator will also be illustrated

ToyBox Study Malaysia: improving healthy energy balance and obesity-related behaviours among pre-schoolers in Malaysia

The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity is increasing in Malaysia and currently nearly 10% of children aged between 6 months and 12 years are overweight and almost 12% are obese. Early interventions to prevent excess weight gain are needed. ToyBox Study Malaysia is a feasibility project, funded by the Medical Research Council Newton-Ungku Omar Fund, to assess the practicalities of adapting the existing European ToyBox Study intervention programme to the Malaysian kindergarten setting. The main aims of all ToyBox programmes are related to improving four key energy balance-related behaviours, namely drinking water, eating healthy snacks and meals, reducing sedentary behaviour and increasing physical activity. Using stratified sampling, the ToyBox Study Malaysia intervention will be delivered and compared to usual practice by assessing behaviour, physical activity and health-related outcomes as measured by questionnaires, accelerometry and anthropometry. It is hoped that the evidence-based ToyBox Study Malaysia will help to achieve healthier energy balance-related behaviours in the children and their families and provide lifelong benefits to health. This article provides information on the dietary patterns, physical activity levels and prevalence of overweight and obesity in Malaysian children, and the approach of the ToyBox Study Malaysia

Process evaluation of a kindergarten-based intervention for obesity prevention in early childhood: the Toybox study Malaysia

BackgroundToybox is a kindergarten-based intervention program that targets sedentary behavior, snacking and drinking habits, as well as promoting physical activity in an effort to improve healthy energy balance-related behaviors among children attending kindergartens in Malaysia. The pilot of this program was conducted as a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 837 children from 22 intervention kindergartens and 26 control kindergartens respectively. This paper outlines the process evaluation of this intervention.MethodsWe assessed five process indicators: recruitment, retention, dosage, fidelity, and satisfaction for the Toybox program. Data collection was conducted via teachers’ monthly logbooks, post-intervention feedback through questionnaires, and focus group discussions (FGD) with teachers, parents, and children. Data were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods.ResultsA total of 1072 children were invited. Out of the 1001 children whose parents consented to join, only 837 completed the program (Retention rate: 88.4%). As high as 91% of the 44 teachers and their assistants engaged positively in one or more of the process evaluation data collection methods. In terms of dosage and fidelity, 76% of parents had received newsletters, tip cards, and posters at the appropriate times. All teachers and their assistants felt satisfied with the intervention program. However, they also mentioned some barriers to its implementation, including the lack of suitable indoor environments to conduct activities and the need to make kangaroo stories more interesting to captivate the children’s attention. As for parents, 88% of them were satisfied with the family-based activities and enjoyed them. They also felt that the materials provided were easy to understand and managed to improve their knowledge. Lastly, the children showed positive behaviors in consuming more water, fruits, and vegetables.ConclusionsThe Toybox program was deemed acceptable and feasible to implement by the parents and teachers. However, several factors need to be improved before it can be expanded and embedded as a routine practice across Malaysia

MMS Study of the Structure of Ionâ Scale Flux Ropes in the Earth’s Crossâ Tail Current Sheet

This study analyzes 25 ionâ scale flux ropes in the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observations to determine their structures. The high temporal and spatial resolution MMS measurements enable the application of multispacecraft techniques to ionâ scale flux ropes. Flux ropes are identified as quasiâ oneâ dimensional (quasiâ 1â D) when they retain the features of reconnecting current sheets; that is, the magnetic field gradient is predominantly northward or southward, and quasiâ 2â D when they exhibit circular cross sections; that is, the magnetic field gradients in the plane transverse to the flux rope axis are comparable. The analysis shows that the quasiâ 2â D events have larger core fields and smaller pressure variations than the quasiâ 1â D events. These two types of flux ropes could be the result of different processes, including magnetic reconnection with different dawnâ dusk magnetic field components, temporal transformation of flattened structure to circular, or interactions with external environments.Plain Language SummaryMagnetic flux ropes are fundamental magnetic structures in space plasma physics and are commonly seen in the universe, such as, astrophysical jets, coronal mass ejections, and planetary magnetospheres. Flux ropes are important in mass and energy transport across plasma and magnetic boundaries, and they are found in a wide range of spatial sizes, from several tens of kilometers, that is, ionâ scale flux ropes, to tens of millions of kilometers, that is, coronal mass ejections, in the solar system. The ionâ scale flux ropes can be formed during magnetic reconnection and are hypothesized to energize electrons and influence the reconnection rate. Previous examinations of the structure of ionâ scale flux ropes were greatly limited by measurement resolution. The unprecedented Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission high temporal and spatial resolution measurements provide a unique opportunity to investigate flux rope structures. By employing multispacecraft techniques, this study has provided new insights into the magnetic field variations and dimensionality of ionâ scale flux ropes in the Earth’s magnetotail. The results are consistent with the evolution of ionâ scale flux ropes from initially flattened current sheetâ like flux ropes near the time of formation into lower energy state with circular cross section predicted by theory and termed as the â Taylorâ state.Key PointsIonâ scale flux ropes are observed to have either flattened or circular cross sections using MDD and GS reconstructionAnalysis of 25 flux ropes show that circular crossâ section flux ropes have stronger core field and smaller thermal pressures than flattened flux ropesThe two types of flux ropes may be the results of reconnection, temporal evolution, or interactions with external environmentPeer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150544/1/grl59049.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150544/2/grl59049_am.pd

Multiple Traits for People Identification

Present biometric systems mostly rely on a single physical or behavioral feature for either identification or verification. However, day to day use of single biometries in massive or uncontrolled scenarios still has several shortcomings. These can be due to complex or unstable hardware settings, to changing environmental conditions or even to immature software procedures: some classification problems are intrinsically hard to solve. Possible spoofing of single biometric features is an additional issue. Last but not least, some features may occasionally lack the requisite of universality. As a consequence, biometric systems based on a single feature often have poor reliability, especially in applications where high security is needed. Multimodal systems, i.e., systems that concurrently exploit multiple features, are a possible way to achieve improved effectiveness and reliability. There are several issues that must be addressed when designing such a system, including the choice of the set of biometric features, the normalization method, the integration schema and the fusion process, and the use of a measure of reliability for each subsystem on a single response basis. This chapter describes the state of the art regarding such issues and sketches some suggestions for future work