The occurrence of tool wear in machining is a natural phenomenon that cause failure. The deformation during cutting at the interface between the tool face and workpiece tends to generate high cutting ...temperature. The application of flood coolant to reduce the friction at the tool-work piece may create several environmental problems. The introduction of Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) as an alternative technique which is the process of pulverizing a very small amount of oil (< 30ml/h) can be regarded as replacement of dry machining while it may also be considered as an alternative to flood cooling. The effect of vegetable oil lubricant and cutting speed on tool wear and surface integrity were the research scope. Three machine speed; 120, 141, and 174 m/min were used in the experimental setup on mild steel and carbon steel on work material using cemented carbide tools. The result of surface roughness and tool wear using canola oil mixing with 2 weight percent (wt%) of Zinc-dialkyl-dithio-phosphate (ZDDP) were compared against synthetic oil coolant. Comparison results show that canola oil mix can perform better compare to the synthetic oil coolant in term of surface finish. From tool wear perspective, canola oil mix show 26.5% smaller area compare to the synthetic oil coolant.
The sand casting process still continues today due to the cost-effectiveness of materials and processes. There is a wide variety of castings related to composition and size, but silica sand is widely ...available from coastal line mining and has a negative impact on the environment. Moreover, waste from waterjet cutting of non-ferrous and ferrous metals is practically unhazardous and may potentially be used in sand casting mould. The aim of this paper is to optimize the proportion of coal dust, water and bentonite added to the silica sand mixture and the waterjet cutting abrasive waste as a new way of handling waste with the potential to be used in sand casting manufacturing. The method used was L9 orthogonal array optimization and the composition was qualitatively measured using a green compression strength test and a green shear strength test. Factors were evaluated using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) to find the the critical factors while confirmation test was conducted for the optimal material proportion. The study concluded that the ideal ratio for silica sand mixture with waterjet abrasive waste is bentonite-12%, coal dust-5%, and water-7% for green compression strength while bentonite-12%, coal dust-6%, water-7% for green shear strength. With proper selection, the incorporation of waterjet abrasive waste into the green sand mixture is promising to potentially be used in green sand mould casting without undermine the quality of mould.
This paper covers a total of 82 bibliometric studies on single journals (62 studies cover unique titles) published between 1998 and 2008 grouped into the following fields; Arts, Humanities and Social ...Sciences (12 items); Medical and Health Sciences (19 items); Sciences and Technology (30 items) and Library and Information Sciences (21 items). Under each field the studies are described in accordance to their geographical location in the following order, United Kingdom, United States and Americana, Europe, Asia (India, Africa and Malaysia). For each study, elements described are (a) the journal’s publication characteristics and indexation information; (b) the objectives; (c) the sampling and bibliometric measures used; and (d) the results observed. A list of journal titles studied is appended. The results show that (a)bibliometric studies cover journals in various fields; (b) there are several revisits of some journals which are considered important; (c) Asian and African contributions is high (41.4% of total studies; 43.5% covering unique titles), United States (30.4% of total; 31.0% on unique titles), Europe (18.2% of total and 14.5% on unique titles) and the United Kingdom (10% of total and 11% on unique titles); (d) a high number of bibliometrists are Indians and as such coverage of Indian journals is high (28% of total studies; 30.6% of unique titles); and (e) the quality of the journals and their importance either nationally or internationally are inferred from their indexation status.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette's syndrome are highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorders that are thought to share genetic risk factors. However, the identification of definitive ...susceptibility genes for these etiologically complex disorders remains elusive. The authors report a combined genome-wide association study (GWAS) of Tourette's syndrome and OCD.
The authors conducted a GWAS in 2,723 cases (1,310 with OCD, 834 with Tourette's syndrome, 579 with OCD plus Tourette's syndrome/chronic tics), 5,667 ancestry-matched controls, and 290 OCD parent-child trios. GWAS summary statistics were examined for enrichment of functional variants associated with gene expression levels in brain regions. Polygenic score analyses were conducted to investigate the genetic architecture within and across the two disorders.
Although no individual single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) achieved genome-wide significance, the GWAS signals were enriched for SNPs strongly associated with variations in brain gene expression levels (expression quantitative loci, or eQTLs), suggesting the presence of true functional variants that contribute to risk of these disorders. Polygenic score analyses identified a significant polygenic component for OCD (p=2×10(-4)), predicting 3.2% of the phenotypic variance in an independent data set. In contrast, Tourette's syndrome had a smaller, nonsignificant polygenic component, predicting only 0.6% of the phenotypic variance (p=0.06). No significant polygenic signal was detected across the two disorders, although the sample is likely underpowered to detect a modest shared signal. Furthermore, the OCD polygenic signal was significantly attenuated when cases with both OCD and co-occurring Tourette's syndrome/chronic tics were included in the analysis (p=0.01).
Previous work has shown that Tourette's syndrome and OCD have some degree of shared genetic variation. However, the data from this study suggest that there are also distinct components to the genetic architectures of these two disorders. Furthermore, OCD with co-occurring Tourette's syndrome/chronic tics may have different underlying genetic susceptibility compared with OCD alone.
Biobutanol offers several merits that make it as top-tier fuels to be discovered. Due to energy and environmental concern, traditional biobutanol production using Acetone-Butanol-Ethanol (ABE) ...fermentation have been revamped. An important facet for biobutanol production is selection of feedstock as a substrate. Currently, lignocellulosic biomass has attracted much interest globally due to its sustainable supply and non competitiveness with food. Cellulosic biobutanol production can be generated by using lignocellulosic residue such as agricultural crops and residue. Moreover, finding efficient pretreatment is another vital parameter in biobutanol production process. This review will briefly update the recent trends for lignocellulosic biomass as a substrate and feasible pretreatment that can be used for production of biobutanol.
•This review shows the important of biobutanol as a source of energy in the future.•This review paper provide utilization of common and novel lignocellulosic biomass as a feedstock to produce biobutanol.•This article evaluating the recent promising pretreatment used for biobutanol production.
Pivotal to brain development and function is an intact blood-brain barrier (BBB), which acts as a gatekeeper to control the passage and exchange of molecules and nutrients between the circulatory ...system and the brain parenchyma. The BBB also ensures homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS). We report that germ-free mice, beginning with intrauterine life, displayed increased BBB permeability compared to pathogen-free mice with a normal gut flora. The increased BBB permeability was maintained in germ-free mice after birth and during adulthood and was associated with reduced expression of the tight junction proteins occludin and claudin-5, which are known to regulate barrier function in endothelial tissues. Exposure of germ-free adult mice to a pathogen-free gut microbiota decreased BBB permeability and up-regulated the expression of tight junction proteins. Our results suggest that gut microbiota-BBB communication is initiated during gestation and propagated throughout life.
•Rice husk ash is a potential natural coagulant for POME treatment.•CF process for POME pretreatment by rice husk ash and alum are optimized by RSM.•Coagulants and flocs were characterized using ...FTIR.
A Coagulation-Flocculation (CF) process was used as a pretreatment for Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) prior to the subsequent biological processes. In this study, Rice Husk Ash (RHA) was used to explore its potential as a coagulant, in comparison with aluminium sulphate (alum), Al2(SO4)3, for the removal of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Total Solid (TS) from POME. Important process parameters including coagulant dosage, initial pH and settling time were optimized using Box–Behnken design in Response Surface Methodology (RSM). All the coagulants and coagulated flocs were characterized by using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). POME treated with RHA yielded COD and TS removals up to 52.38% and 83.88%, respectively, under the following optimum conditions: 6.0 g of RHA, initial pH of 3.6 and settling time of 57.00 min. Meanwhile, alum under optimum conditions (6.5 g alum, initial pH of 6.0 and settling time of 41.69 min) produce slightly higher removals of chemical oxygen demand and total solids at 52.36% and 84.94% respectively. The results have shown that RHA is capable of becoming an alternative to alum and efficiently treated POME at its natural pH at relatively lower levels compared to treatment using alum. The present study shows that RHA can be utilized as a new cost-effective coagulant for palm oil mill effluent treatment.
Objective
To determine the association between maternal lipaemia and neonatal anthropometrics in Malaysian mother–offspring pairs.
Design
Prospective observational cohort study.
Setting
Single ...tertiary multidisciplinary antenatal clinic in Malaysia.
Population
A total of 507 mothers: 145 with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM); 94 who were obese with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) (pre‐gravid body mass index, BMI ≥ 27.5 kg/m2), and 268 who were not obese with NGT.
Methods
Maternal demographic, anthropometric, and clinical data were collected during an interview/examination using a structured questionnaire. Blood was drawn for insulin, C‐peptide, triglyceride (Tg), and non‐esterified fatty acid (NEFA) during the 75‐g 2‐hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) screening, and again at 36 weeks of gestation. At birth, neonatal anthropometrics were assessed and data such as gestational weight gain (GWG) were extracted from the records.
Main outcome measures
Macrosomia, large‐for‐gestational‐age (LGA) status, cohort‐specific birthweight (BW), neonatal fat mass (NFM), and sum of skinfold thickness (SSFT) > 90th centile.
Results
Fasting Tg > 95th centile (3.6 mmol/L) at screening for OGTT was independently associated with LGA (adjusted odds ratio, aOR 10.82, 95% CI 1.26–93.37) after adjustment for maternal glucose, pre‐gravid BMI, and insulin sensitivity. Fasting glucose was independently associated with a birthweight ratio (BWR) of >90th centile (aOR 2.06, 95% CI 1.17–3.64), but not with LGA status, in this well‐treated GDM cohort with pre‐delivery HbA1c of 5.27%. In all, 45% of mothers had a pre‐gravid BMI of <23 kg/m2 and 61% had a pre‐gravid BMI of ≤ 25 kg/m2, yet a GWG of >10 kg was associated with a 4.25‐fold risk (95% CI 1.71–10.53) of BWR > 90th centile.
Conclusion
Maternal lipaemia and GWG at a low threshold (>10 kg) adversely impact neonatal adiposity in Asian offspring, independent of glucose, insulin resistance and pre‐gravid BMI. These may therefore be important modifiable metabolic targets in pregnancy.
Tweetable
Maternal lipids are associated with adiposity in Asian babies independently of pre‐gravid BMI, GDM status, and insulin resistance.
Tweetable
Maternal lipids are associated with adiposity in Asian babies independently of pre‐gravid BMI, GDM status, and insulin resistance.
•Durian skin fibre (DSF) reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) was extruded and injection moulded.•DSF content and pre-treatment were investigated for the properties of PLA-DSF composites.•Surface ...modified DSF produced biocomposite with similar performance to PLA.
Durian skin waste generated by durian fruit or Durio zibethinus Murray show potential as a new reinforcement based-natural fibre. Similar to other lignocellulosic fibre, durian skin fibre (DSF) is capable in reinforcing polylactic acid (PLA) through extrusion and injection moulding processes for various applications. In current study, the effects of fibre content and pre-treatment using 4% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) on DSF were investigated on impact and thermal properties of PLA biocomposites. Treated DSF significantly enhanced the properties of PLA biocomposites as compared to untreated biocomposite. PLA can be replaced by 30wt% DSF for similar impact performance. Thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) demonstrated that pre-treated DSF improved the thermal stability of PLA biocomposite. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed the presence of pre-treated DSF minimally enhanced the glass transition temperature (Tg), crystallization temperature (Tc) and melting temperature (Tm) relative to untreated DSF which suggests on better reinforcement with NaOH pre-treatment.
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