Grid Connected With Micro Solar Generator

Nowadays, the need of renewable energy sources in on the rise because of the acute energy crisis in electricity generation due to increasing consumption demand and populations. Thus, energy from the sun is the best option for the generation of electricity as it is available everywhere, pollution-free as well as is free to harness. Therefore, objective of this dissertation is to generate simulation framework of the grid connected micro solar generator and analyse its efficiency and performance which can benefits to both educational institutions and industrial field. A framework system has been done to extract maximum obtainable solar power from the photovoltaic array and converted it into alternating current before deliver to the utility grid through controlling and synchronization mechanisms. The system includes photovoltaic array, maximum power point tracker (MPPT), DC-DC boost converter, three-phase inverter, modulation techniques, voltage source controller (VSC) controller and utility grid. Overall findings indicate the implementation of the developed framework can be useful for the further investigation and improvement of the grid connected photovoltaic (GCPV) system. In addition, result also indicate that framework system have a lower total harmonic distortion of 1.17%. The simulation studies are carried out in Simulink MATLAB environment

Performance of PFA-Cement-Sand stabilized column in soft soil / Mohamad Shakri Mohmad Shariff

Renewable and eco-friendly development are vital concepts to be considered for ground improvement methods in construction practices. One of the method to achieve this is by implementing usage of waste material in construction. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to use Pulverized Fuel Ash (PFA) in stabilized column by studying the impact of this waste material against strength parameters of the stabilized column. small shear box (SSB) and big shear box (BSB) tests were conducted to determine shear strength parameters while unconfined compression test (UCT) are carried out to determine unconfined compressive strength (qu). Results have shown that by using PFA, strength parameters can be improved while for qu, the highest value recorded is close to the concrete grade 20 (G20). Plate load test was conducted on PFA-cement-sand column. 6 steel-tanks with dimension of 800 mm x 800 mm x 1500 mm containing soft soil collected from Klang Valley, Selangor are prepared. The columns (included sand and cement columns) are then installed and left for 28 days for curing process before plate-load test is conducted. Results for allowable load capacity (qa) of PFA-cement-sand column recorded almost 4 times higher load capacity at 3.37 kN compared to cement column (0.95 kN) and sand column (0.29 kN). Numerical analysis with PLAXIS software is then conducted to calibrate with the experimental test results. Further tests are conducted using PLAXIS to analyse the effect of various column dimension on qa. Data from laboratory test and PLAXIS analysis is then used to train the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to predict qa and strength parameters. The ANN trained for this study provides a high value of regression, where R > 0.92 which indicates high level of accuracy. In conclusion, the PFA-cement-sand column has proved that the strength parameters of column can be increased by using PFA and can provide better solution compared to other stabilized columns such as cement and sand column. In fact, this column can produce a high qu, similar to concrete even though it uses low percentage of cement and without any crushed stone. In addition to that, the ANN model trained in this study will assist in designing stabilized column by predicting the strength parameters and allowable load capacity based on various input parameters without any calculation

Potential Therapeutic Effects of Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil as neuroprotective agent against neurotocixity induced opioid

Morphine is used as analgesics medication to reduce pain by inhibting transmission of pain impulses especially in spinal cord and modulation of central pain processing. Unfortunately, the increase abuse of opioids such as morphine or heroin often leads to various side effects such as addiction, tolerance and physical dependence. One of the proposed mechanisms that lead to morphine dependency and withdrawal is oxidative stress. Recent research has shown that olive fruit oil contains phenolic compounds which have higher antioxidant properties. In current study, we are trying to explore the ability of Olea Europaea (Olive) fruit oil to increase the antioxidant activity level subsequently alleviate morphine dependence and withdrawal. Better understanding on the effect of olive fruit oil on oxidative stress produced by olive to morphine dependency and withdrawal need to be further explored especially on the cellular and molecular level

Obesity among urban primary schoolchildren

Three urban public primary schools in the district of Petaling, Selangor were surveyed for obesity amongst the schoolchildren and factors related to it. The prevalence of obesity amongst primary schoolchildren, with the mean age of 8.91 years was 9.5%. In addition, it was more prevalent among the boys (p<0.05) as compared to the girls. However, there was no difference with regards to ethnicity, being breastfed, physical activity, time spent watching television or fast food intake in relation to obesity among these primary schoolchildren. A larger community study is required to determine if other specific factors and dietary energy intake are associated with obesity amongst primary schoolchildren, especially in rural or less urbanised regions

The need to particularise the concept of spirituality within mental health services in Malaysia

People with mental health problem in Malaysia require access to spiritual care from their mental health services. However, the literature, which is dominated by Western scholars, brings the broad conception of spirituality into debate, which does not fit the paradigm of the religious worldview in countries such as Malaysia. This paper provides a narrative overview of the tensions inherent in the concept of spirituality as delivered in the literature. It begins a discussion on the place of spirituality in mental health care while highlighting the problematic concept of spirituality currently seen in the literature. This paper thus provides recommendations for future research on the need for particularising the concept of spirituality within mental healthcare in Malaysia

Children's experience in healthcare decisions: an overview

This article attempts to provide an overview of issues related to children’s participation in decisions relating to health care. It sets the discussion in the context of current debate about children’s participation in health care decisions and explores the extent to which children want to participate in the decision. This article concludes that children mostly occupy a minimal role in communication and decisions regarding their care. The patterns of participation of children in communication and decisions are differing and fluctuate between the children and within the same child throughout their hospitalisation, depending on the participating child, their preferences, and requirements at a particular time

A Robust Panel Unit Root Test in the Presence of Cross Sectional Dependence

Problems arise in testing the stationarity of the panel in the presence of cross sectional dependence and outliers. The currently available panel unit root tests are very much affected by the presence of outliers. As such, this article introduces an alternative test which is robust to outliers and cross sectional dependence. The performance and robustness of the proposed test is discussed and comparisons are made to the existing tests via simulation studies

Global sourcing strategy of electrical and electronics foreign multinationals in Malaysia / Siti Halijjah Shariff, Osman Mohamad and T Ramayah

Multinationals will source from within their company (intra) as well as from independent supplier (inter) and these suppliers may be located locally or overseas. This study highlights the percentage of components sourced from intra-domestic, intra-foreign, interdomestic, and inter-foreign sources by electrical and electronic foreign multinationals in Malaysia. These global sourcing strategies were found to be different among the different nationality of the parent company for the electrical and electronic foreign multinationals. However, the dependency on sourcing from parent country or from its subsidiaries in foreign country was not reduced even when the product is at the maturity stage

Interventions for obesity among schoolchildren: a systematic review and meta­-analyses

Background: Childhood overweight and obesity has emerged as a major public health threat worldwide with challenges in its management. This review assessed the effectiveness of interventions for childhood overweight and obesity. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using CINAHL, EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO and SPORTDiscus databases to retrieve articles published from 1st January 2000 to 31st December 2017. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies comparing different strategies in managing overweight and obesity among schoolchildren (6 to 12 years of age) were included. The main outcomes of interest were reductions in weight related variables included anthropometry and body composition measurements. All variables were analysed using random effects meta-analyses. Results: Fourteen studies were reviewed, 13 were RCTs and one was a quasi-experimental study. The risk of bias for randomisation was low risk for all of RCTs except for one, which was unclear. The risk of bias for randomisation was high for the quasi-experimental study. Most interventions incorporated lifestyle changes and behavioural strategies such as coping and problem solving skills with family involvement. The meta-analyses did not show significant effects of the intervention in reducing weight related outcomes when compared with controls. Conclusion: Meta-analyses of the selected studies did not show significant effects of the interventions on weight related outcomes among overweight and obese schoolchildren when compared with controls. The role of interdisciplinary team approaches with family involvement using behaviour and lifestyle strategies to curb obesity among schoolchildren is important