Pembinaan konstruk instrumen penilaian pasca penghunian untuk perumahan bertingkat yang dibina menggunakan kaedah Sistem Binaan Berindustri (IBS)

Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) is an activity of the building evaluation process with a focus on quality, operational performance and satisfaction of the occupants. The POE is important to evaluate completed and occupied buildings to identify weaknesses and potential for future improvement. To date, there have been various variations of POE instruments and tools to evaluate occupied buildings. However, the POE instrument for assessing high-rise housing constructed using the industrialized building system (IBS) method has not been developed specifically. In this regard, this study aims to discuss the construction of an effective POE instrument to measure the quality and performance of high-rise housing built using the IBS method. For this purpose, the 3 round Delphi method was adapted by involving 15 experts selected based on their background and experience related to IBS. The results of a three-round Delphi study found that 33 out of all sub-constructs were dropped because of low mean scores (<4.2 in two rounds) while 75 sub-constructs were identified as final items. The results of the Delphi study also found that all 10 constructs were 1) Spatial; 2) Design and aesthetics; 3) Physical; 4) Building materials; 5) Quality of work; 6) Comfort and well-being; 7) Environment and health; 8) Maintenance; 9) Value and 10) Cost is the most significant construct for developing PPP instruments. Accordingly, an effective Post-Occupancy Assessment Instrument for measuring the quality, performance and value of a home built using the IBS method should include all of these constructs

A model for the continuous q-ultraspherical polynomials

We provide an algebraic interpretation for two classes of continuous $q$-polynomials. Rogers' continuous $q$-Hermite polynomials and continuous $q$-ultraspherical polynomials are shown to realize, respectively, bases for representation spaces of the $q$-Heisenberg algebra and a $q$-deformation of the Euclidean algebra in these dimensions. A generating function for the continuous $q$-Hermite polynomials and a $q$-analog of the Fourier-Gegenbauer expansion are naturally obtained from these models

Thin shell wormhole due to dyadosphere of a charged black hole

To explain Gamma Ray Bursts, Ruffini argued that the event horizon of a charged black hole is surrounded by a special region called, the Dyadosphere where electric field exceeds the critical value for $e^+$ $e^-$ pair production. In the present work, we construct a thin shell wormhole by performing a thought surgery between two dadospheres. Several physical properties of this thin shell wormhole have been analyzed.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures. Accepted in Mod.Phys.Lett.

Distorted wurtzite unit cells: Determination of lattice parameters of non-polar a-plane AlGaN and estimation of solid phase Al content

Unlike c-plane nitrides, ``non-polar" nitrides grown in e.g. the a-plane or m-plane orientation encounter anisotropic in-plane strain due to the anisotropy in the lattice and thermal mismatch with the substrate or buffer layer. Such anisotropic strain results in a distortion of the wurtzite unit cell and creates difficulty in accurate determination of lattice parameters and solid phase group-III content (x_solid) in ternary alloys. In this paper we show that the lattice distortion is orthorhombic, and outline a relatively simple procedure for measurement of lattice parameters of non-polar group III-nitrides epilayers from high resolution x-ray diffraction measurements. We derive an approximate expression for x_solid taking into account the anisotropic strain. We illustrate this using data for a-plane AlGaN, where we measure the lattice parameters and estimate the solid phase Al content, and also show that this method is applicable for m-plane structures as well

An Improved Slant Path Attenuation Prediction Method in Tropical Climates

An improved method for predicting slant path attenuation in tropical climates is presented in this paper. The proposed approach is based on rain intensity data R_0.01 (mm/h) from 37 tropical and equatorial stations; and is validated by using the measurement data from a few localities in tropical climates. The new method seems to accurately predict the slant path attenuation in tropical localities, and the comparative tests seem to show significant improvement in terms of the RMS of the relative error variable compared to the RMS obtained with the SAM, Crane, and ITU-R prediction models

The shape of equality: discourses around the Section 28 repeal in Scotland

This article focuses on conceptualizations of equality in the discourses deployed in the campaign to repeal Section 28 in Scotland. I use the parliamentary debates and two newspapers: the Daily Record, which supported the campaign to Keep the Clause, and The Guardian, which supported repeal, to exemplify the different discursive articulations around equality and citizenship. I suggest that the Scottish example provides further evidence of the ways in which liberalism naturalizes heterosexuality as the standard for citizenship and thus bequeaths a hierarchy of 'equality' and citizenship in the realm of sexuality, wherein lesbian and gay citizenship is either rendered invalid or characterized as 'special rights'. However, within the narrow confines of the parliamentary debates, more expansive and differentiated notions of citizenship and equality are evident. Whilst I conclude that the 'shape' of equality achieved through the repeal has been moulded to support institutionalized heterosexuality - with Section 28 replaced by statutory guidelines on sex education which advocate marriage - I also suggest equality is contested, both through the recognition of transformations in heterosexual family forms and the appeal to non-discrimination as a democratic principle. It is possible, therefore, that current destabilizations of the heterosexual social order simultaneously destabilize the precepts of liberal democracy

Purification and characterization of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. G1

A cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) was successively purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation, and affinity chromatography on a-CD (epoxy)-Sepharose 6B column. The specific activity of the CGTase was increased approximately 2200-fold, from 8.43 U/mg protein to 18,866 U/mg protein. SDS-PAGE showed that the purified CGTase was homogeneous and the molecular weight of the purified CGTase was about 75 kDa. The molecular weight of the enzyme that was estimated by gel filtration under native condition was 79 kDa. This has indicated that Bacillus sp. G1 CGTase is a monomeric protein. The isoelectric point (pI) of the enzyme was about 8.8. Characterization of the enzyme exhibited optimum pH and temperature of 6.0 and 60 8C, respectively. The enzyme was stable from pH 7.0 to 9.0 and retained its high activity up to 60 8C. However, in the presence of 20 mM Ca2+, the purified CGTase is able to prolong its thermal stability up to 70 8C. CGTase was strongly inhibited by ZnSO4, CuSO4, CoCl2, FeSO4, FeCl3 and EDTA. Km and Vmax for the purified enzyme were 0.15 mg/ml and 60.39 mg bcyclodextrin/( ml min), respectively, with soluble starch as substrate. In cyclodextrin production, tapioca starch was found to be the best substrate used to produce CDs. The enzyme produced g- and b-CD in the ratio of 0.11:0.89 after 24 h incubation at 60 8C, without the presence of any selective agents