A new species of Reticulitermes Holmgren, 1913 (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) from the southeastern United States

Reticulitermes nelsonae, a new species of subterranean termite (Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae) is described from Sapelo Island, Georgia, United States of America, with specimens also found in North Carolina and Florida. The adult and soldier castes are described and illustrated to distinguish R. nelsonae from the four described Reticulitermes spp. known to occur in the southeastern United States

Maximising utility savings through appropriate implementation of combined heat and power scheme

Combined Heat And Power (CHP) Scheme, Also Known As Cogeneration Is Widely Accepted As A Highly Efficient Energy Saving Measure, Particularly In Medium To Large Scale Chemical Process Plants. The Advantages Of A CHP Scheme For A Chemical Plant Are Two-Fold: (I) To Drastically Reduce Electricity Bill From On-Site Power Generation (Ii) To Save On Fuel Bills Through Recovery Of The Quality Waste Heat From Power Generation For Process Heating. In Order To Be Effective, A CHP Scheme Must Be Placed At The Right Temperature Level, In The Context Of An Overall Process System. Failure To Do So Might Render A CHP Venture Worthless. This Paper Describes The Procedure For An Effective Implementation Of A CHP Scheme Using An Ethyl Benzene Process As A Case Study. A Key Visualisation Tool In Pinch Analysis Technique Known As The Grand Composite Curve Is Used To Guide CHP Integration, And Allows It To Be Optimally Placed Within The Overall Process Scenario. The Study Shows That Appropriate CHP Integration With The Ethyl Benzene Process Above The Pinch Can Potentially Result In Significant Savings On Electricity Cost Of Up To 87%

A proposed algorithm of random vector in measuring similarity for network topology of Bursa Malaysia

The stock market is a complex system where the interrelationships between the stocks are complicated because it is in multivariate time series setting which consists of opening, highest, lowest and closing prices. Basically, the Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) is applied to measure the similarity between two or more univariate time series of stocks. However, the economic information from other variables may inaccurate if the analysis is conducted by applying single variable only. Therefore, multi-dimensional of stocks are considered in this thesis. The similarities between two or more multi-dimensional of stocks are quantified by using Random Vector (RV) coefficient. Based on the preliminary analysis, the computational of RV coefficient is difficult, time-consuming, and tedious when a large number of stocks are involved. Hence, to ease the calculation process and improve the computational efficiency of RV coefficient, an algorithm is proposed. The proposed algorithm is able to measure the similarities among all pairs of stocks in Bursa Malaysia at once. The calculation process of RV coefficient among all pairs of stocks can be shortened and eased as the proposed algorithm consists of time complexity of order of O(n2). The behaviors and interactions among the stocks in Bursa Malaysia are then determined by using the Forest of all possible minimum spanning trees. In this thesis, MK Land Holdings Berhad was found out to be the predominant stock in Bursa Malaysia as it displays a star-like structure and is located at the central hub of the network

Preparation and Characterization of Polypyrrolepolyethylene Glycol Conducting Polymer Composite Films

Polypyrrole-polyethylene glycol (PPy-PEG) conducting polymer composite films were electrochemically prepared on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) glass electrode from an aqueous solution containing pyrrole monomer, p-toluene sulfonate dopant and poly (ethylene glycol) as an insulating polymer. The PPy-PEG composite films prepared from different process conditions were characterized by Fourier Transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, electrical conductivity measurement, photoacoustic spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and optical microscopy. The FT-IR study of PPy-PEG composite films shows the evidence of the incorporation of PEG in PPy structure forming PPy-PEG composite films. The highest electrical conductivity of 61 S/cm and thermal diffusivity of 7.88 x 10-7 m2s-1 were shown by the PPy-PEG composite film prepared from 0.20 M pyrrole, 0.10 M p-toluene sulfonate and 1 x 10-3 M PEG at 1.20 volt (vs SCE) at room temperature among all the PPy-PEG composite films produced. The conductivity data of PPy-PEG shows that with the increase in PEG concentration in the pyrrole solution, the electrical conductivity of the prepared PPy-PEG film increased up to certain level due to the increase in conjugation length and later it decreased with further increase in PEG concentration, which is again linked with the decrease in conjugation length. The measured values of thermal diffusivity and electrical conductivity for the PPy- PEG composites films showed that there was a correlation between thermal diffusivity and electrical conductivity. Both thermal diffusivity and electrical conductivity showed a similar peak for the same process condition in respective composite films. The XRD results of PPy-PEG composite films showed that the films were amorphous with very little order. The optical micrographs of PPy-PEG showed the globular surface morphology. The changes in globular surface morphology with the change in process condition of the film preparation indicated that the process parameters used to prepare the composite films had a strong influence over the surface morphology

Development of a Capacitance Sensor System to Measure Ultra-Low Water Content in Crude Oil

The capacitance sensor system had been applied in various applications including measurement of water content in crude oil. The purity of crude oil is graded based on the water content found in it. The lesser the amount of water detected, the higher the purity of crude oil. The determination of water content is crucial as it directly reflects the quality of crude oil. However, the capacitance sensor system is limited to a high water concentration measurement. In this project, a higher resolution measurement is introduced which utilizes the capacitance sensor system based on phase angle conversion. The presence of water inside the crude oil is indicated by the change in capacitance value and results in a phase shift. The sensor system is capable of detecting a very small change of capacitance, meaning it is able to measure ultra-low water content inside the crude oil

A Study of Malaysian Audit Market Concentration

This study presents the extent and nature of audit market concentration of companies listed in KLSE in year 2008 and 2009. Given the current interest in auditor choice, this study also analyzed in detail at the individual audit firm level and by industry sector and market segments. Auditor concentration that measured in this study can use to determine current audit structure. The link between concentration measures with competitiveness is more complex than often assumed. In this study, I only focus on concentration measures and do not make any inferences about the competitive aspect of the market. The Big Four firms held more than 80% of the market share (based on audit fees) in both years 2008 and 2009. KPMG retained its position as a 'dominant firm' while Deloitte is the 'least dominant firm' among the Big Four firms. The Big Four hold 100% share of 3 sectors (fixed line telecommunications, life insurance and tobacco) in 2008 and increase to 4 sectors (bank, exchange traded funds, life insurance and tobacco) in 2009.The main concerns of auditor concentration are reduction in audit firm choice that will lead to increase of conflict of interest and issues concerning the governance and accountability of audit firms

Effect Of Gelucire 44/14 On The Oral Bioavailability Of Cyclosporin A [RM666.C978 L73 2007 f rb ].

Kajian ini dijalankan untuk mengkaji kesan Gelucire® 44/14 terhadap biokeperolehan oral bagi satu drug polipeptida lipofilik model, ciclosporin A. Formulasi Gelucire® 44/14 mengandungi ciclosporin A dengan nisbah drug kepada Gelucire® 44/14 1:4, 1:10, 1:14 dan 1:20 telah berjaya disediakan melalui teknik lebur-fusi. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of Gelucire® 44/14 on the oral bioavailability of a model lipophilic polypeptide drug, cyclosporin A. Gelucire® 44/14 formulations of cyclosporin A at drug to Gelucire® 44/14 ratios of 1:4, 1:10, 1:14 and 1:20 (w/w) were successfully prepared using a heatfusion method

Encapsulated Contrast Agent Markers for MRI-based Post-implant Dosimetry

Low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy involves the implantation of tiny radioactive seeds into the prostate to treat prostate cancer. The current standard post-implant imaging modality is computed tomography (CT). On CT images, the radioactive seeds can be distinctively localized but delineation of the prostate and surrounding soft tissue is poor. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides better prostate and soft tissue delineation, but seed localization is difficult. To aid with seed localization, MRI markers with encapsulated contrast agent that provide positive-contrast on MRI images (Sirius MRI markers; C4 Imaging, Houston, TX) have been proposed to be placed adjacent to the negative-contrast seeds. This dissertation describes the development of the Sirius MRI markers for prostate post-implant dosimetry. First, I compared the dose-volume histogram and other dosimetry parameters generated by MIM Symphony (a brachytherapy treatment planning system that allow the use of MRI images for treatment planning; MIM Software Inc., Cleveland, OH) and VariSeed (a widely used brachytherapy treatment planning system; Varian Medical Systems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA), and found the dosimetry between both brachytherapy treatment planning systems to be comparable. To gain more insight into the MRI contrast characteristics of the Sirius MRI markers, I measured the Sirius MRI marker contrast agent\u27s spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxivities, and studied the relaxation characteristics\u27 dependence on MRI field strength, temperature, and orientation. From the Sirius MRI marker\u27s contrast agent relaxation characteristics, I systematically studied the effect of varying MRI scan parameters such as flip angle, number of excitations, bandwidth, field of view, slice thickness, and encoding steps, on the Sirius MRI markers\u27 signal and contrast, as well as image noise, artifact and scan time. On patients implanted with Sirius MRI markers, I evaluated the visibility of the Sirius MRI markers and image artifacts. Lastly, I semi-automated the localization of markers and seeds to more enable the efficient incorporation of Sirius MRI markers as part of the clinical post-implant workflow. Ultimately, the Sirius MRI markers may change the paradigm from CT-based to MRI-based post-implant dosimetry, for a more accurate understanding of dose-response relationships in patients undergoing low dose rate prostate brachytherapy

NEW HOPE FOR CONSUMERS OF DIGITAL COPYRIGHT MATERIAL IN HONG KONG

Articles 139 and 140 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong state that protection should be given to intellectual property rights in Hong Kong. It comes as no surprise then that Hong Kong has a suite of legislation dealing with each of the major intellectual property regimes, namely copyright, trade marks, patents and registered designs. The copyright regime is enshrined in the Copyright Ordinance (Cap 528) and like most other jurisdictions, registration is not a pre-requisite for obtaining copyright protection, nor are there any formalities that need to be complied with before copyright protection is afforded to a work in Hong Kong. The Copyright Ordinance gives protection to a wide range of creative outputs including literary works (including computer programs), dramatic, musical and artistic works, sound recordings, films, broadcasts, published editions as well as rights in performances and moral rights. Hong Kong is a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and its intellectual property laws generally meet the requirements set out in the WTO Agreement on the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (TRIPs)