Impak pameran dan perkhidmatan pandu lalu terhadap pinjaman buku baharu: kajian berasaskan Return on Investment (ROI)

The Library has purchased 10,050 copies of printed books for UKM researchers from 2009 to 2013. Nevertheless, the study found only 4,864 (48.4%) of books were borrowed. This problem should be overcome due to the fact that the estimated cost of books purchasing is RM8.72 million compared to the value of the books that were borrowed (RM4.5 million). A preliminary study was conducted by the Management Quality Improvement Team (QIT) with regards to borrowing transactions using Return on Investment (ROI) and Cost Benefit Ratio (CBR) methods. Several suggestions on how to increase books circulation were presented by the Management QIT to the Library. Two suggestions were implemented by the Innovative and Creative Group (ICG) KLIK in 2014/2015 which included new books display and Drive-Thru@PTSL service. The study has proved that new books display and Drive-Thru@PTSL service have increased the borrowing transaction rate from 1.6% up to 46.8% in nine months

Catalytic studies featuring palladium(II) benzoylthiourea derivative as catalyst in Sonogashira reaction

A benzoylthiourea derivative (LTU) and its metal complexation of palladium(II) chloride (MLTU) has been successfully synthesized and characterized via typical spectroscopic and analytical techniques namely IR, 1H and 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, UV-Visible and Gas Chromatography Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID). The Infrared spectrum for LTU shows four significant bands of interest namely ν(N-H), ν(C=O), ν(C-N) and ν(C=S) and the values were observed within the range. The 1H NMR spectrum for the compound shows expected protons for N-H at δH 10.95 ppm and δH 11.15 ppm while the 13C NMR spectrum shows resonances of carbonyl (C=O) carbon and thiones (C=S) at δC 168.26 ppm and δC 180.56 ppm, respectively. From UV-Vis spectrum, it shows the presence of n-pi* and pi→pi*electronic transitions which are expected to be attributed from the phenyl ring, carbonyl (C=O) and thiones (C=S) chromophores. Complexation of LTU with palladium(II) chloride was done to afford MLTU which in turn, was tested as homogeneous catalyst in Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction. The reaction was monitored by GC-FID at 6 hours reaction period. The percentage conversion of 4-bromoacetophenone to the coupled product was 75.73% indicated that MLTU can act as an ideal potential catalyst in the Sonogashira reactio