Drying kinetics,energy consumption, and quality of paddy (MAR-219) during drying by industrial inclined bed dryer with or without the fluidized bed dryer.

The performances of industrial dryers, namely the inclined bed dryer (IBD) and the fluidized bed dryer (FBD) combined with IBD, in terms of drying kinetics, energy consumption, and quality of paddy were investigated in this study. Drying parameters used in a single-stage paddy drying using IBD and a two-stage drying using FBD combined with IBD were analyzed to assess the existing performances of the drying techniques. The overall performances of the current drying practices exhibited inconsistent results with the operating parameters, such as drying air temperature, drying time, and air flow rate among the drying process lines. Distinct variations in moisture reduction and energy consumption of the drying systems were identified. Poor performance of the industrial fluidized bed dryer was observed in the case of drying in low capacity that caused higher specific energy consumption. However, the quality of milled rice obtained from both drying systems was found to be almost similar. Minimal process time (i.e., up to 24.5% less) was found in the paddy dried with FBD as the first-stage drying, followed by IBD as the second-stage drying

Energy and rice quality aspects during drying of freshly harvested paddy with industrial inclined bed dryer

The performance evaluation of any industrial dryer regarding energy consumption and product quality should be assessed to check its present status and to suggest for further efficient operation. An investigation was carried out to evaluate the impact of drying temperature and air flow on energy consumption and quality of rice during paddy drying with industrial inclined bed dryer (IBD) with average holding capacity of 15 ton in the selected complexes of Padiberas Nasional Berhad (BERNAS)-the national paddy custodian of Malaysia. In reducing paddy moisture content (mc) from 22% to 23% wet basis (wb) down to around 12.5% wb, the final mc, the specific electrical (in terms of primary energy) and the specific thermal energy consumption were found to be varied between 1.44 to 1.95 MJ/kg water evaporated and 2.77 to 3.47 MJ/kg water evaporated, respectively. Analysis revealed that the specific electrical energy consumption was around 20% lesser and the specific thermal energy consumption of IBDs was around 10% higher during drying with air temperature of 41–42 °C than drying with 38–39 °C in reducing paddy mc from 22% to 23% (wb) down to around 12.5% (wb). However, paddy being with almost same initial mc dried using drying temperature of 38–39 °C, IBDs yielded 1–4% higher head rice yield while milling recovery and whiteness were comparable at acceptable milling degree and transparency. The bed air flows between 0.27 and 0.29 m3 m−2 s−1 resulted in higher head rice yield slightly while its effect on drying time was not prominent so much. For paddy with initial moisture content below 23% wb, it is recommended that drying air temperature should not be higher than 39 °C in order to maintain rice quality at reasonable energy consumption

Overall energy requisite and quality feature of industrial paddy drying

Energy consumption and rice quality are the main concerns of millers and must be assessed to ascertain suitable industrial drying strategy. In this article, industrial paddy drying methods as usually practiced in the BERNAS paddy drying complexes of Malaysia have been evaluated. The analysis showed that the specific electrical and thermal energy consumption varied between 16.19 kWh to 22.07 kWh and 787.22 MJ to 1015.32 MJ, respectively, in single-stage paddy drying (SSPD) using an inclined bed dryer (IBD) to dry each tonne of freshly harvested paddy with average moisture content of 23.35 ± 0.86% wb. On the other hand, the energy consumptions for two-stage paddy drying (TSPD) with a fluidized bed dryer (FBD) followed by IBD were 21.37 kWh/t to 30.69 kWh/t and 666.81 MJ/t to 1083.42 MJ/t, respectively. SSPD at 35–39°C and TSPD using FBD at 120°C as the first stage, followed by IBD as the second stage at lower temperature of 35–39°C yielded 2–3.6% higher head rice yield than paddy-dried by a single stage with IBD using comparatively higher temperature of 40–44°C. Therefore, IBD is recommended to be operated using a temperature of 35–39°C both in single-stage drying and second-stage drying of paddy after fluidized bed drying to obtain quality rice

Application of simulation in determining suitable operating parameters for industrial scale fluidized bed dryer during drying of high impurity moist paddy

A systematic approach has been developed for selecting the suitable drying parameters to be used for drying of high moisture and high impurity paddy with an industrial fluidized bed paddy dryer (10–20 t h−1 capacity) based on targeted specific air flow rate and residence time during two typical paddy drying seasons. A mathematical model was developed by modifying an existing model and was simulated and validated with observed industrial drying data as well as data reported in the literature. Comparison between the observed and simulated results showed that the mathematical model is capable of predicting outlet paddy moisture content and air temperature well. Suitable operating parameters were determined for reducing any initial paddy moisture content (mc) down to 24–25% dry basis (db), the safe mc level after fluidized bed drying to maintain rice quality, to achieve maximum possible throughput capacity of the dryer with corresponding energy consumption. Based on these criteria, bed thickness at 10 cm, specific air flow rate of 0.05 kg kg−1 s−1 (for corresponding bed air velocity of 2.3 m s−1), air temperature of 150 °C and residence time of 1.0 min were found to be suitable drying conditions for reducing paddy mc from 30 to 24.30% (db) in one season while the maximum throughput capacity of 15.7 tonne per hour (t h−1) might be achieved. The specific electrical and thermal energy were 0.48 and 6.15 MJ kg−1 water evaporated, respectively. On the other hand, the dryer capacity was found to be limited to 7.4 t h−1 during drying paddy of higher initial mc (35% db). This approach might provide easy and comprehensive guidelines for selecting suitable sets of operating parameters for any industrial fluidized bed dryer at its possible maximum throughput capacity for drying of freshly harvested high moist paddy with a high level of impurities

Drying performances and milling quality of rice during industrial fluidized bed drying of paddy in Malaysia

Field investigation on the operation of an industrial fluidized bed paddy dryer of 25 t/h capacity available in a processing complex of Padiberas Nasional Berhad (BERNAS) of Malaysia was carried out to assess its drying characteristics, energy consumption and quality of product during two paddy harvesting seasons. A grain drying simulation model was used to predict dryer performance which can be used as a basis for improving drying operations. For the first season (August-September), average drying rate was found to be 538 kg moisture/h to reduce moisture content (mc) from 36.98± 0.89% dry basis (db) to 27.58±0.79% (db) at 100-120°C of drying air temperature with a feed rate (capacity) of 7.75 t/h. In the second season (February-March), average drying rate was found to be 435 kg moisture/h to reduce mc from 28.14 ±0.68% (db) to 22.54 ± 0.69% (db) at 78-90°C drying air temperature with a feed rate of 9.5 t/h. The thermal and electrical energy consumptions were obtained as 7.57 and 0.97 MJ/kg water removed, respectively, for the first season, while 5.92 and 1.2 MJ/kg water removed for the second season. Higher head rice yield and whiteness and lower milling recovery were achieved during the first season than the second season at acceptable milling degree and transparency. Meanwhile, simulation results indicated that the dryer performed better in terms of increased drying capacity during the second than the first season; the dryer could be operated at 150°C to achieve almost double throughput capacity up to 20 t/h for the second season, while for the first season, high mc hindered the capacity to be at or below 7.75 t/h even when using higher a temperature of 160°C to reduce moisture to the desired final moisture of 24-25% (db). proportion of slower vehicles based on users’ opinion poll

Appraisal on social perception pertaining to communication and psychology

The most complex mysteries we face in life are understanding people. We spend a lot of time thinking about others, trying to understand why they do what they do, whether they mean what they say and how they feel about us. Social psychologists refer to this process as social perception and it is a very central aspect of our existence as social beings. A socially competent person can make note of other people’s facial expressions, tone of voice, posture, gestures, words, and the like, and on the basis of these clues, make reasonably accurate judgments about that person’s state of mind, emotions, and intentions. Socially competent people then use these inferences about other people’s inner states to make good decisions about how to behave socially. Social perception is an important component of social competence and social success. In addition to social perception, socially competent people must have knowledge of social rules, roles, routines, and scripts in their social lives. Furthermore, they must make use of this knowledge and of these scripts in their decision making and acting. They also have a concern for other people and make it a habit to adjust their behaviour based on the needs of others. Finally, they have the confidence needed to interact socially and accept the vulnerability associated with potential rejection. This paper will discuss what is social perception, social perception aspects of non-verbal communication, attribution and impression formation and also some suggestion on how social perception affected cultures

Synthesis and molecular docking of 2,4,5-trisubstituted- 1,3-thiazole derivatives as antibacterial agents = Sintesis dan penyatuan molekul terbitan 1,3-tiazol berpenggantian-2,4,5 sebagai agen antibakteria

The emergence of antibiotic resistance against bacterial strains has attracted great interest in the discovery and development of new antibacterial agents. Thiazole derivatives have been widely used in the biological as well as pharmacological fields and their efficiency as pharmaceutical drugs are well established. In this study, a series of thiazole derivatives were synthesized in reaction between 3-chloroacetyl acetone and ammonium thiocyanate followed by incorporating selected amines in one-pot synthesis manner. The compounds were structurally characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR), Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Their antibacterial properties were screened using disc diffusion technique against selected Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus epidermidis) as well as Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) with T3 exhibited the most potent antibacterial activity. Molecular docking studies were also performed against Glucosamine-6-phosphate (GlcN-6-P) synthase which is known as the essential building block of most bacteria. The docking result displayed that T3 exhibited the minimum binding energy of -7.09 kcal mol-1 as compared to T1 and T2 with -6.49 and -6.76 kcal mol-1, respectively which is in agreement with antibacterial result. The output of this preliminary study will contribute in structural enhancement in drug discovery. ******************************************************************************************* Kewujudan rintangan terhadap bakteria telah menarik minat dalam penemuan dan perkembangan agen antibakteria yang terkini. Terbitan tiazol telah digunakan dengan meluas dalam bidang biologi dan farmakologi di mana keberkesanannya sebagai ubat farmaseutikal telah ditemui. Dalam kajian ini, terbitan tiazol telah disintesis dengan menindakbalaskan α-haloketon (3-kloroasetil aseton), ammonium tiosianat dan beberapa sebatian amina terpilih secara sintesis satu pot. Produk tindak balas yang terhasil telah dicirikan dengan Transformasi Fourier-Inframerah (FTIR), Proton Resonans Magnet Nukleus (1H NMR), UltralembayungSinar Nampak (UV-Vis) serta Kromatografi Gas-Spektrometer Jisim (GC-MS). Sifat antibakteria sebatian ini telah disaring menggunakan teknik serapan cakera terhadap bakteria Gram-positif (Bacillus cereus dan Staphylococcus epidermidis) dan Gram-negatif (Escherichia coli dan Pseudomonas aeruginosa) dengan T3 menunjukkan aktiviti antibakteria yang paling berkesan. Penyatuan molekul telah dilakukan terhadap enzim Glukosamina-6-fosfat sintase (GlcN-6-P) yang merupakan unsur binaan penting bagi kebanyakan bakteria. Merujuk kepada keputusan penyatuan molekul, T3 menunjukkan tenaga pengikatan yang paling minima iaitu -7.09 kcal mol-1 berbanding T1 dan T2 masing-masing pada -6.49 dan -6.76 kcal mol-1 , menunjukkan nilai-nilai ini bersetuju dengan keputusan saringan antibakteria. Keputusan kajian awal ini akan menyumbang kepada penambahbaikan struktur untuk penghasilan ubat

Structural rearrangement of mesostructured silica nanoparticles incorporated with ZnO catalyst and its photoactivity: effect of alkaline aqueous electrolyte concentration

ZnO-incorporated mesostructured silica nanoparticles (MSN) catalysts (ZM) were prepared by the introduction of Zn ions into the framework of MSN via a simple electrochemical system in the presence of various concentrations of NH4OH aqueous solution. The physicochemical properties of the catalysts were studied by XRD, 29Si MAS NMR, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, FE-SEM, TEM, FTIR, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Characterization results demonstrated that the alkaline aqueous electrolyte simply generated abundant silanol groups on the surface of the catalysts as a consequence of desilication to form the hierarchical-like structure of the MSN. Subsequent restructuring of the silica network by the creation of oxygen vacancies and formation of Si-O-Zn during the electrolysis, as well as formation of new Si-O-Si bonds during calcination seemed to be the main factors that enhanced the catalytic performance of photodecolorization of methyl orange. A ZM prepared in the presence of 1.0 M NH4OH (ZM-1.0) was determined to be the most effective catalyst. The catalyst displays a higher first-order kinetics rate of 3.87 × 10-1 h-1 than unsupported ZnO (1.13 × 10-1 h-1) that prepared under the same conditions in the absence of MSN. The experiment on effect of scavengers showed that hydroxyl radicals generated from the three main sources; reduced O2 at the conduction band, decomposed water at the valence band and irradiated H2O2 in the solution, are key factors that influenced the reaction. It is also noted that the recycled ZM-1.0 catalyst maintained its activity up to five runs without serious catalyst deactivation

Kinetic Study of Natural Anticancer Drug (Zerumbone) Release from Zeolite Y-Gelatin Hybrid for Oral Controlled Delivery

A hybrid of zeolite Y-gelatin film as an oral dosage form for the natural anticancer drug was achieved by homogenously incorporating the drug-loaded zeolite Y into the gelatin solution. Drug ability was analyzed using computational and experimental approaches, drug encapsulation efficiency via the BET method, and possible interactions by FTIR analyses. Zerumbone released was done in both pH 1.2 and pH 7.4 mimicking the human gastrointestinal tract conditions for 24 hrs and subjected to kinetics study via suitable mathematical models to determine what governs the drug release with the results indicating that a sustained delivery of once-daily oral dosage form could be achieved

Mechanical property and quality aspects of rice dried in industrial dryers

The influence of drying methods on selected mechanical properties and qualities of MR219 rice variety has been investigated. The results showed significant effects of drying methods on bending strength and head rice yields while the average bending strength of paddy were 28.6–31.8 MPa. The effect of drying methods on apparent modulus of elasticity of rice was not significant (204.5–222.4 MPa). The fracture energy of rice varied significantly under control drying but not with industrial drying methods. Higher temperature in drying by IBD contributed in making the grains tougher, where the effect of FBD temperature was positive toward the development of fracture energy inside rice kernel. IBD at temperature above 40 °C resulted in lower bending strength in rice kernels which affected head rice yield. Two stage paddy drying practices with FBD using temperature of 115–125 °C as first stage is still acceptable, and inclined bed dryer either as single stage or as second stage after FBD should be operated at temperature of <40 °C to maintain head rice yield. The whiteness and milling recovery of rice achieved from different drying methods were comparable