Realiti maya dalam pendidikan sains: Potensi dan implikasi terhadap pengajaran dan pembelajaran sel haiwan

Kertas kerja ini bertujuan untuk membincangkan potensi dan aplikasi sistem pembelajaran baru yang dibina dengan menggunakan teknologi realiti maya. Teknologi realiti maya adalah satu teknologi baru yang amat berpotensi untuk digunakan secara meluas dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran. Potensi realiti maya termasuklah keupayaan untuk mempersembahkan bahan pembelajaran dalam bentuk tiga dimensi (3D), menyokong pembelajaran dalam konteks pandangan orang pertama (first person perspective), visualisasi konsep yang abstrak, menyokong persembahan bahan pembelajaran dalam pelbagai dimensi, menyokong pembelajaran aktif dan menyokong pembelajaran penerokaan. Namun demikian sebagaimana teknologi instruksional yang lain, realiti maya bukanlah satu ubat yang sesuai digunakan dalam semua situasi pembelajaran. Dalam kertas kerja ini, cadangan dibuat untuk menerapkan penggunaan realiti maya dalam pembelajaran sains. Satu prototaip perisian instruksional berasaskan realiti maya telah dibangunkan dan dinilai di kalangan guru pelatih sains. Hasil daripada penilaian mendapati bahawa responden berpandangan positif terhadap penggunaan teknologi realiti maya dalam pembelejaran sains

Axisymmetric stagnation-point flow over a stretching/shrinking plate with second-order velocity slip

AbstractThe axisymmetric stagnation point flow over a stretching/shrinking surface with second-order slip and temperature jump is studied numerically. The governing partial differential equations are transformed into ordinary (similarity) differential equations. These equations along with the corresponding boundary conditions are solved numerically using a boundary value problem solver bvp4c in Matlab software. It is observed that dual (first and second) solutions exist for the similarity equations. The effects of different parameters on the velocity and the temperature distributions as well as the skin friction coefficient and the Nusselt number are analyzed and discussed

Identification And Binding Characterisation Of Peptide-Bearing Phages Towards Recombinant Protease (Ns6) Of Murine Norovirus

Norovirus infections are considered the most common causes of epidemic and sporadic cases of acute gastroenteritis worldwide. To date, there are no licensed therapeutic intervention measures either in terms of vaccines or drugs available for these highly contagious human pathogen. Targeting non-structural viral protein such as protease is relevant due to their well conserved regions along with its critical functions in viral replication. In this study, the active site mutant version of MNV NS6 protease (C139A NS6) was cloned, overexpressed and purified before being used as target in biopanning/selection employing the Ph. D-7TM Phage Display Peptide Library kit (NEB) which was validated in streptavidin panning. After six rounds of biopanning, several peptide phages that are specific towards C139A NS6 were isolated and identified successfully. Upon identification of peptide phage, the peptide sequences were screened using online peptide databases and results indicated that all the sequences were unique and did not possess common motif with any published peptides to date. Three peptide phage clones with highest number of hits were tested for their binding specificity towards purified C139A NS6 using ELISA. It was observed that clones carrying peptide sequence QTEKNPL had the highest binding affinity towards C139A NS6 as compared to other clones and irrelevant phage control. Tertiary structure of C139A NS6 and binding interaction of the selected peptides (ADARYKS, QTEKNPL and NSKLVLG) with C139A NS6 receptor were predicted using I-TASSER and CABS-dock software, respectively

Effect of cylinder deactivation strategies on engine performances using one-dimensional simulation technique

In order to meet consumer and legislation requirements, big investments on key technology strategies have been made to ensure fuel consumption is reduced. Recent technologies for gasoline engines are lean combustion technologies (including direct injection and homogenous charged compression ignition), optimizing intake and exhaust valve timing with valve lift and also cylinder deactivation system (CDA) have been practised to improve the engine efficiency. The purpose of this study is to investigate the engine behavior when running at different cylinder deactivation (CDA) strategies. One-dimensional engine model software called GT-Power is used to predict the engine performances. Five strategies were considered namely normal mode, spark plug off mode, cylinder deactivation mode, intake normal with exhaust off mode, and intake off with exhaust normal mode. Engine performance outputs of each strategy are predicted and compared at BMEP of 3 bars with engine speed of 2500 rpm. Also, the effect of CDA strategies on in-cylinder pressure and pumping loss are performed. The study shows that all of these cylinder deactivation strategies are capable of reducing the pumping loss (PMEP) and fuel consumption, thus increasing the thermal efficiency of the engine. The results suggest that the most beneficial strategy for activating CDA is for the case whereby both the intake and exhaust valves are kept closed. This CDA mode capable of increasing brake thermal efficiency up to 22% at entire engine speeds operation. This strategy successfully reduced the BSFC. It was found that most of these cylinder deactivation strategies improve the engine performance during part load engine condition

Experimental Studies Of Spray And Combustion Characteristics Of Biomass Derived Fuels In A Constant Volume Combustion Chamber

Concern with fossil fuel depletion and environmental degradation promotes the use of renewable energy sources in particular biomass derived fuel for automotive and power generation applications. In this study, spray characteristics of Refined Palm Oil (RPO) were studied in a Constant Volume Combustion Chamber (CVCC), and compared to conventional fuel such as gasoline and diesel. For gaseous fuel, Producer Gas (PG) derived from biomass gasification were studied as its usage in IC engines degrades the engine performance at about 30-35 %. An optical CVCC with spray measurement setup was used to measure spray tip penetration, spray cone angle and spray area of liquid fuel (gasoline, diesel and palm oil blends). Injection starting pressure was varied by increasing or decreasing the thickness of adjusting shims of the injector. The starting injection pressures were studied at 20, 30 and 34 MPa. For Compressed Producer Gas (CPG) combustion and optimization study, it was tested at different Mass Increase Factor (MIF) of 0, 25 and 50 % of the air and fuel mixture. The optimization was conducted using Design of Experiments (DOE) method

Effects of Heat Generation/Absorption on a Stagnation Point Flow Past a Stretching Sheet Carbon Nanotube Water-Based Hybrid Nanofluid with Newtonian Heating

This study investigates the mathematical modelling of heat generation/absorption effect on the convective flow of single wall carbon nanotube-copper (SWCNT-Cu)/water hybrid nanofluid towards a stagnation point past a stretching sheet with Newtonian heating. The set of governing equations in the form of non-linear partial differential equations are first transform using the similarity transformation technique then solved numerically by the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg (RKF45) method in Maple software. The numerical solutions were obtained for the surface temperature, the heat transfer coefficient and the skin friction coefficient as well as the velocity and the temperature profiles. The features of the flow and heat transfer characteristics for various values of the stretching parameter, the conjugate parameter, the nanoparticle volume fraction parameter and the heat source/sink parameter are analyzed and discussed. It is found that effects of hybrid nanoparticles are more significant for lower stretching parameter and for large conjugate parameter values, as well as the heat generation/absorption

MHD stagnation-point flow over a stretching/shrinking sheet in a micropolar fluid with a slip boundary

The problem of stagnation point flow over a stretching/shrinking sheet immersed in a micropolar fluid is analyzed numerically. The governing partial differential equations are transformed into a system of ordinary (similarity) differential equation and are then solved numerically using the boundary value problem solver (bvp4c) in Matlab software. The effects of various parameters on the velocity and the angular velocity as well as the skin friction coefficient and the couple stress are shown in tables and graphs. The noticeable results are found that the micropolar and the slip parameters decrease the skin friction coefficient and the couple stress in the existence of magnetic field. Dual solutions appear for certain range of the shrinking strength. A stability analysis is performed to determine which one of the solutions is stable. Practical applications include polymer extrusion, where one deals with stretching of plastic sheets and in metallurgy that involves the cooling of continuous strips

The effect of torrefaction on oil palm empty fruit bunch properties using microwave irradiation

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Effect of torrefaction on oil palm empty fruit bunch pelletization

This paper focuses on the properties of raw and torrified pellet from EFB by varying different parameters including energy consumption, moisture adsorption, Meyer  hardness test and pellet density. To save storage space and transport costs, it can be compressed into fuel pellets of high physical and energetic density. The pelletizing  properties were determined using single pellet press and pellet stability was determined by compression testing. Pelletization of raw and torrified empty fruit bunch (EFB) from compression single pellet press (SPP) was investigated to quantify the energy consumption and pellet properties including moisture adsorption, pellet density and Meyer hardness. Energy consumption for torrified EFB pellet were significantly higher than those for raw EFB pellet, while the moisture adsorption rate of torrified EFB pellets increased with increasing the severity of torrefaction.Keywords: oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) torrefaction; pelletization

Long-Term Influence of the Practice of Physical Activity on the Self-Perceived Quality of Life of Women with Breast Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: There is still no consensus on the most suitable interventions for exercise practice in breast cancer survivors. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a two-year physical activity intervention (strength, aqua fitness and aerobic exercise programs) on the self-perceived quality of life and physical functionality of female breast cancer survivors. Methods: A randomized, controlled, experimental trial with a sample of 316 women (63 +/- 7 years), who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The evaluations were performed using the Rikli & Jones Senior Fitness Test, and the Short Form 12 Health Survey (SF-12). Results: The participants in the strength program showed statistically significant improvements in all the items of the SF-12. The aqua fitness program obtained significant improvements in Physical Functioning and Limitations, Pain and Emotional Limitations, General Health, Vitality, Social Functioning and the physical and mental components of the SF-12. The participants in the aerobic program showed a progressive deterioration of Vitality and Mental Health. Conclusion: When assigning breast cancer survivors to an exercise program, the preferential or predominant activity should include strength exercises. On the other hand, as the second choice, those patients with particularly low levels of Vitality or Physical Limitations will show greater improvement with an aqua fitness program