Numerous research studies have been persistently conducted to improve the performance of diesel engines (CI engines) running on alternative fuels. The poor performance of CI engines due to the high ...viscosity of alternative fuels limits their applications. Several techniques and measures have been introduced, such as preheating the fuel before being supplied to the engine, changing the injection methods, altering the combustion chamber design, and modifying the piston to improve engine performance while running on higher viscosity fuel. These techniques effectively enhanced engine performance and reduced emission, but their performance is still lower than those of petro-diesel engines. Improving the in-cylinder airflow characteristics in the combustion chamber could potentially address the problem of poor performance. Nevertheless, studies investigating the appropriate methods to overcome poor performance are limited. The in-cylinder airflow characteristics are vital for improving the air-fuel mixing process. Changes in the airflow characteristics can generate more turbulence inside the combustion chamber. An increase in the turbulent flow in the combustion chamber will enable the break-up of higher viscosity fuel during injection and mix well with the in-cylinder airflow. From the literature, the commonly used methods to enhance and stimulate the turbulent flow in the combustion chamber are by using a guide vane device, throttling the intake manifold, modifying the combustion chamber, and changing the intake manifold design. This paper briefly reviews various techniques for improving the in-cylinder airflow characteristics in CI engines running on fuel with higher viscosity (FHVs).
•The importance of in-cylinder airflow characteristics in improving the performance of alternative fuel-based CI engines is elucidated.•Different methods to improve in-cylinder airflow characteristics are reviewed.•The role of guide vane design parameters towards improving the combustion efficiency of FHVs is established.
To plants, copper is vitally essential at low concentrations but extremely toxic at elevated concentrations. Plants have evolved a suite of mechanisms that modulate the uptake, distribution, and ...utilization of copper ions. These mechanisms require copper‐interacting proteins for transporting, chelating, and sequestrating copper ions. In this study, we have systematically screened for copper‐interacting proteins in Arabidopsis roots via copper‐immobilized metal affinity chromatography (Cu‐IMAC). We also compared Arabidopsis root metalloproteomes with affinity to Cu‐IMAC and Zn‐IMAC. From the identities of 38 protein spots with affinity to Cu‐IMAC, 35 unique proteins were identified. Functional classification of these proteins includes redox/hydrolytic reactions, amino acid metabolism, glutathione metabolism, phosphorylation, translation machinery, membrane‐associated proteins, and vegetative storage proteins. Potential copper‐interacting motifs were predicted and scored. Six candidate motifs, H‐(X)5‐H, H‐(X)7‐H, H‐(X)12‐H, H‐(X)6‐M, M‐(X)7‐H, and H‐(X)3‐C, are present in Cu‐IMAC‐isolated proteins with higher frequency than in the whole Arabidopsis proteome.
Laser beam forming has emerged as a new and very promising technique to form sheet metal by thermal residual stresses. The objective of this work is to investigate numerically the effect of ...rectangular beam geometries, with different transverse width to length aspect ratio, on laser bending process of thin metal sheets, which is dominated by buckling mechanism. In this paper, a comprehensive thermal and structural finite element (FE) analysis is conducted to investigate the effect that these laser beam geometries have on the process and on the final product characteristics. To achieve this, temperature distributions, deformations, plastic strains, stresses, and residual stresses produced by different beam geometries are compared. The results suggest that beam geometries play an important role in the resulting temperature distributions on the workpiece. Longer beam dimensions in the scanning direction (in relation to its lateral dimension) produce higher temperatures due to longer beam–material interaction time. This affects the bending direction and the magnitude of the bending angles. Higher temperatures produce more plastic strains and hence higher deformation. This shows that the temperature-dependent yield stress plays a more dominant role in the deformation of the plate than the spread of the beam in the transverse direction. Also, longer beams have a tendency for the scanning line to curve away from its original position to form a concave shape. This is caused by buckling which develops tensile plastic strains along both ends of the scanning path. The buckling effect produces the opposite curve profile; convex along the tranverse direction and concave along the scanning path.
The number of children born in Malaysia with autism has increased in recent years. According to a 2015 National Health survey interview, 1 in 45 children have shown autistic symptoms. Various therapy ...approaches have been used to improve the self-development of autistic children. However, most of the methods applied less emphasized religious and spiritual development. This article presents the need to include religious elements in therapy process, as well as the usability of Dhikr Psychotherapy Model in the development of Muslim children with autism. This article collected its data using the literature study method and expert questionnaires using the Fuzzy Delphi Method approach. The study found that the Dhikr Psychotherapy Model has a significant effect in helping the development of Muslim autistic children.
Environmental education research (EER) rarely includes women's perspectives. This means that in environmental education research, an entire knowledge source is largely ignored. This study employed a ...methodology called Participatory Rural Appraisal, a methodology new to the field of EER, of Kenyan teachers from the Maasai Mara region to understand the tensions around environmental views. The purpose of this work was to examine, through the use of a participatory methodology, the conceptions of the environmental of these teachers and to uncover gendered tensions. The analysis included a continuous, thematic review that included the participants during the analysis. The findings included the following themes: Why are people doing what they are doing? Who is or is not acting? How do we move forward? This research documented gendered tensions such as the burdens of responsibility, the power imbalance disadvantaged women feel regarding solving environmental issues, and the blame that is directed at both men and women as a result of these burdens and power imbalances. This methodology provided a way for participants to understand each other's viewpoints in layered ways, and pointed to gender issues throughout that sometimes caused blame. However, it also helped the participants think about how to work together.
Combinatorial is another sub-topic and sub ordinate of Golden Mean theory. This paper is part of on-going research of modular construction system (MCS) in Malaysia. Objectives of the research were to ...propose an appropriate scheme and concept for sustainable design for modular home based on research findings.The researcher conducted case study (Personnel Expert Interviews) to collect data of MCS in Malaysia. Proposed combinatorial design for spatial planning of home design has been carried out by the researcher at the end of analysis as design experimental yet need validation from computer science experts. Combinatorial in modular architecture is the theory of conceptual design for future building design process of MCS. The researcher discuss in details and to clarify the proportion combinatorial for MCS in aspect of building forms and arrangements through proposed combinatorial formula. In Malaysia, design technique should relate to local culture, weather, and available materials sources as mentioned by the experts. Combinatorial design of modular architecture is an alternative design for compact affordable home. This combinatorial geometry (3D module) repeated, duplicate and can be oriented in a few ways to forming combinatorial models of building design. Pattern A and B are considered to be the best in economic aspects and practicality in term of shape of green. Proposed concept possibly can improve user decision making (digital design process) e.g. building players to plan their building lifecycle projects in term of economical design, green shape, reduced construction time and cost. Thus, it may be able to promote user friendly design, fast track construction, and quality based product, less wastage and varied of design selection can be chosen of the user.
Intrathecal morphine (ITM) has proven to be excellent in reducing postoperative pain. However, its use is associated with the occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). In this study, we ...wish to compare the efficacy between the combination therapy of granisetron and dexamethasone versus granisetron alone on the occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in parturients undergoing elective Caesarean delivery.
This is a prospective double-blinded, randomised controlled trial (RCT) involving 126 parturients of American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) physical status I and II undergoing elective Caesarean deliveries. Subjects were randomly allocated into 2 groups (n = 63), to either receive a combination of 1 mg intravenous (IV) granisetron plus 4 mg IV dexamethasone (Group A) or to receive 1 mg IV granisetron (Group B). They were assessed at 1, 4, 8, 12 and 24-hour postoperatively. Episodes of nausea, retching, vomiting and the requirement of rescue antiemetics at these time intervals were recorded.
There are no statistically significant differences in the occurrence of nausea, retching and vomiting between both groups at 1, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h postoperatively. The usage of rescue antiemetics were similar in both groups of subjects.
The use of granisetron is comparable with the use of granisetron and dexamethasone in the prevention of PONV in parturients receiving intrathecal morphine for elective Caesarean section.
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