Co-composting of palm oil mill wastes.

Co-composting is one of the important bio-waste treatments in the palm oil industry for achieving sustainable process and zero waste. However, improper conditions of composting may cause several problems such as gas emission, bad odour, low quality product, production delay and high handling cost. Enhancing the efficiency of waste composting becomes a vital issue to overcome these problems. This review provides information on the practices and developments related to co-composting of the palm oil mill waste. The description on a typical palm oil mill process and the wastes generated, i.e. empty fruit bunch and palm oil mill effluent, as composting substrates are given. The common windrow composting system is described. The recent venture of using microorganisms in composting processes are also covered under the pretext of several researchers’ interpretation that composting can be accelerated by the introduction of microorganism to the process through its influence on the physical, dynamic and biological behaviours of organic material. The criteria of choosing functional microbes for fast composting are discussed

Acceleration effects of microbial inoculum on palm oil mill organic waste composting.

ABSTRACT The acceleration effects of inoculum in composting of empty fruit bunches were investigated. Composting of empty fruit bunches fibres in two sizes, 4 cm and 2 cm length, were treated with microbial inoculum consisting of Agromonas, Aspergillus, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Celhdomonas, Chaetomium, Clostridium, Coprinus, Microbispora, Penicillium, Pseudomonas, Thermoactinomyces, Trichoderma and Trichurus in separate laboratory scale in-vessel of 30 liters volume. A control without inoculum with 4 cm length empty fruit bunches was also conducted in parallel. The compost piles were shift-turned weekly. Parameters such as moisture content, temperature, pH, and electrical conductivity were used to monitor the composting processes. The carbon-nitrogen ratio, UV-vis spectrophotometer test, and germination test were used to assess the maturity of compost. The results showed that the inoculum was effective in reducing the C/N ratio by 54% compared to control 46% and rapidly increasing the UV-vis absorption ratio in first three weeks. By using functional microbes, the composting of empty fruit bunches was reduced to 5 weeks compared to 9 weeks for those without inoculation. The acceleration effect was more prominent for the 2 cm length samples

Acute morphine induces matrix metalloproteinase-9 up-regulation in primary sensory neurons to mask opioid-induced analgesia in mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite decades of intense research efforts, actions of acute opioids are not fully understood. Increasing evidence suggests that in addition to well-documented antinociceptive effects opioids also produce paradoxical hyperalgesic and excitatory effects on neurons. However, most studies focus on the pronociceptive actions of chronic opioid exposure. Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) plays an important role in neuroinflammation and neuropathic pain development. We examined MMP-9 expression and localization in dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) after acute morphine treatment and, furthermore, the role of MMP-9 in modulating acute morphine-induced analgesia and hyperalgesia in mice.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Subcutaneous morphine induced a marked up-regulation of MMP-9 protein in DRGs but not spinal cords. Morphine also increased MMP-9 activity and mRNA expression in DRGs. MMP-9 up-regulation peaked at 2 h but returned to the baseline after 24 h. In DRG tissue sections, MMP-9 is expressed in small and medium-sized neurons that co-express mu opioid receptors (MOR). In DRG cultures, MOR agonists morphine, DAMGO, and remifentanil each increased MMP-9 expression in neurons, whereas the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone and the MOR-selective antagonist <smcaps>D</smcaps>-Phe-Cys-Tyr-<smcaps>D</smcaps>-Trp-Arg-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH₂(CTAP) suppressed morphine-induced MMP-9 expression. Notably, subcutaneous morphine-induced analgesia was enhanced and prolonged in <it>Mmp9 </it>knockout mice and also potentiated in wild-type mice receiving intrathecal injection of MMP-9 inhibitors. Consistently, intrathecal injection of specific siRNA targeting MMP-9 reduced MMP-9 expression in DRGs and enhanced and prolonged morphine analgesia. Subcutaneous morphine also produced heat hyperalgesia at 24 h, but this opioid-induced hyperalgesia was not enhanced after MMP-9 deletion or inhibition.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Transient MMP-9 up-regulation in DRG neurons can mask opioid analgesia, without modulating opioid-induced hyperalgesia. Distinct molecular mechanisms (MMP-9 dependent and independent) control acute opioid-induced pronociceptive actions (anti-analgesia in the first several hours and hyperalgesia after 24 h). Targeting MMP-9 may improve acute opioid analgesia.</p

Summary of Baseline Household Survey Results: Ek Phnum district Battambang province Cambodia

The household baseline survey conducted from December 2014 to January 2015 collected data from 140 households in seven villages, including Rohal Suong village, in the Ek Phnum district, Battambang province, Cambodia. This is part of the baseline data collection activities in Rohal Suong Climate Smart Village of CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security. The objective is to collect household baseline data where the data to be collected five and 10 years after on the same households will be compared to capture changes that may occur over time. Results showed that the households were highly dependent on farming and small livestock raising for food and income and had access to small landholdings. Households also diversified income sources by engaging in off-farm work, and experienced hunger, especially in the months of October to December. Farming was characterized by low crop and commercialization index. Climate change-related factors, particularly drought and flooding, were the main factors identified to influence farming decisions. Adaptation and mitigation measures need to be enhanced. Information on extreme weather events were commonly available, but not weather forecasts. Providing the farmers with correct information can help them make good farming decisions

How E-Servqual Affects Customer\u27s Online Purchase Intention?

With the boom of Internet, Internet has become one of the consumers’ online shopping channels. However, there is different in online shopping situation is because of consumers in different cultures and countries have different online shopping behavior is worth to discuss. This study is to explore the Internet users’ online shopping situation in developing country, Malaysia, and 118 questionnaire respondents were collected. Statistical analysis software SPSS 17.0 and AMOS 6.0 were used to analyze the impact on e-service quality, satisfaction, trust, and purchase intention. The model fit of this study was in an acceptable level, and this indicates that the theoretical model of this study supports the description of e-service quality for e-retailers that online shopping situation will be effected by trust and satisfaction. The result of this study will be available for those who interested in developing a transnational e-retailer as a reference, as well as academic research on cross-cultural comparative analysis

Relationship between teaching quality factors and employability among Technology Management students

Education system within higher education institution (HEI) is constantly evolved to enhance students’ employability in respond to the change of social-economy and technological revolution. Empirical research revealed that teaching quality is extremely important for the development of students’ employability attributes. Hence, one of the biggest challenges for HEI is to continuously improve teaching quality with the aim to enhance student employability. This study examined the influence of teaching quality on the employability of Technology Management students. Three important factors for teaching quality are identified from literature review comprising of learner quality, learning environment quality and content quality. This study used quantitative method to collect data via online questionnaire with 60 Technology Management students from a Business School within Malaysia responded. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS in term of normality, reliability, descriptive and Pearson correlation test. Finding from this study reveals that learning environment quality, content quality and learner quality are important, significant and positively correlated with employability. The main implication of this study is students’ employability could be assessed based on teaching quality directly instead of via students’ academic performance or employability attribute

Strategy to reduce solar power fluctuations by using battery energy storage system for UTeM's grid-connected solar system

Recent years have witnessed the increasing uptake of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations, ranging from a few kilowatts for residential rooftops to a few megawatts for large-scale solar farms. One of the key challenges for the solar PV systems is its dependency on the solar energy, which is intermittent in nature and highly unpredictable. In this regard, battery energy storage system (BESS) is regarded as the effective solution that can smoothen the output power fluctuation from the solar PV system. Hence, this work utilized BESS that had fast response time with high power and energy density to reduce the solar output fluctuations from a real grid-connected solar system installed at the campus rooftop. The characteristic of the PV power fluctuation and the BESS storage requirement to smooth out the fluctuation within the allowable limit were determined and analyzed. More importantly, actual solar irradiance data with an interval of one minute was utilized in this work. The findings suggest that BESS with 66% of the installed solar capacity and 21% of the average daily solar generation of the installed system are required to smoothen the solar fluctuation that exceeds the ramp rate limit of 10%/min

Relationship between teaching quality factors and employability among technology management students

Education system within higher education institution (HEI) is constantly evolved to enhance students’ employability in respond to the change of social-economy and technological revolution. Empirical research revealed that teaching quality is extremely important for the development of students’ employability attributes. Hence, one of the biggest challenges for HEI is to continuously improve teaching quality with the aim to enhance student employability. This study examined the influence of teaching quality on the employability of Technology Management students. Three important factors for teaching quality are identified from literature review comprising of learner quality, learning environment quality and content quality. This study used quantitative method to collect data via online questionnaire with 60 Technology Management students from a Business School within Malaysia responded. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS in term of normality, reliability, descriptive and Pearson correlation test. Finding from this study reveals that learning environment quality, content quality and learner quality are important, significant and positively correlated with employability. The main implication of this study is students’ employability could be assessed based on teaching quality directly instead of via students’ academic performance or employability attribute

Comparison assessment between SIM and MRM mode in the analysis of 3-MCPD ester, 2-MCPD ester and glycidyl ester

The detection of 3- and 2-MCPD ester and glycidyl ester was transformed from selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode to multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode by gas chromatography triple quadrupole spectrometry. The derivatization process was adapted from AOCS method Cd 29a-13. The results showed that the coefficient of determination (R2) of all detected compounds obtained from both detection mode was comparable, which falls between 0.997 and 0.999. The limit of detection and quantification (LOD and LOQ) were improved in MRM mode as compared to SIM mode. In MRM mode, the LOD of 3- and 2-MCPD ester was achieved 0.01 mg/kg while the LOQ was 0.05 mg/kg. Besides, LOD and LOQ of glycidyl ester were 0.024 and 0.06 mg/kg respectively. A blank spiked with MCPD esters (0.03, 0.10 and 0.50 mg/kg) and GE (0.06, 0.24 and 1.20 mg/kg) were chosen for repeatability and recovery tests. MRM mode showed better repeatability in area ratio and recovery with relative standard deviation (RSD %) < 5% for 2-, 3-MCPD ester at 0.5 mg/kg and GE at 1.2 mg/kg. Quantification of 22 food samples from different category were performed by repeated injections in both detection modes. Briefly, the contaminants from crude palm oil, mustard and olive oil were present in minute amount which below the LOD or LOQ in both detection modes. Sample from chocolate and infant formula products showed certain level of MCPD esters and GE, and their detection was more precisely quantitated based on MRM mode. Besides, margarine products showed a higher level of contaminations due to the high fat content in these products. MRM mode detection was proven to provide precise data with low RSD % in different food matrices. MRM mode detection was robust and selective for MCPD esters and GE analyses, it should be applied to determine the concentration of MCPD esters and GE contaminations in food

Nuclear factor κB-inducing kinase activation as a mechanism of pancreatic β cell failure in obesity

The nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway is a master regulator of inflammatory processes and is implicated in insulin resistance and pancreatic β cell dysfunction in the metabolic syndrome. Whereas canonical NF-κB signaling is well studied, there is little information on the divergent noncanonical NF-κB pathway in the context of pancreatic islet dysfunction. Here, we demonstrate that pharmacological activation of the noncanonical NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK) disrupts glucose homeostasis in zebrafish in vivo. We identify NIK as a critical negative regulator of β cell function, as pharmacological NIK activation results in impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in mouse and human islets. NIK levels are elevated in pancreatic islets isolated from diet-induced obese (DIO) mice, which exhibit increased processing of noncanonical NF-κB components p100 to p52, and accumulation of RelB. TNF and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL), two ligands associated with diabetes, induce NIK in islets. Mice with constitutive β cell-intrinsic NIK activation present impaired insulin secretion with DIO. NIK activation triggers the noncanonical NF-κB transcriptional network to induce genes identified in human type 2 diabetes genome-wide association studies linked to β cell failure. These studies reveal that NIK contributes a central mechanism for β cell failure in diet-induced obesity