Environmental impact assessment of glucose production from paddy milling waste, known as empty and partially filled paddy grain (EPFG) in Malaysia, was performed using life cycle assessment (LCA). ...Three scenarios were conducted based on system expansion of the process. The LCA was conducted using ReCiPe methodology at midpoint and endpoint levels. The results indicate that enzymatic hydrolysis phase is the hotspot in the conversion system due to enzyme production. In addition, the agriculture phase also contributed to negative impacts, especially towards climate change. An improved environmental load was observed in scenario 2 when all EPFG fractionation was utilised to replace fossil-based electricity. Sensitivity analysis showed an increase in glucose yield leads to reduced environmental impact. Thus, the LCA study suggests that the conversion process of EPFG could further benefit and improve the paddy industry waste management with low impact contribution to the environment compared to other feedstock used for glucose production.
Background
The global commitment to climate change mitigation enforces the worldwide development of renewable energy sources. Therefore, various studies have investigated the growth of renewable ...energy in Malaysia, most commonly based on biogas and hydropower. In this article, the dynamics of Malaysia’s renewable energy development is critically examined by using the latest official national reports and other reliable resources.
Results
The study reveals the influencing factors that shape renewable energy growth in a developing country endowed with substantial biomass resources, such as Malaysia. Likewise, it evaluates the evolution of renewable energy in the electricity sector. In 2017, renewable energy represented about 3.5% of the Malaysian electricity generation mix with 1122 MW of installed capacity. A closer look into the renewable energy resources, i.e. biomass, biogas, solar and small hydro power, revealed that over 47% of the grid-connected power generation came from solar photovoltaic (PV) energy. While solar PV capacity continues to accelerate, the development of other renewable resources, especially biomass, is seeing growth at a significantly slower pace. This article investigates the underlying causes of the skewed development rate as well as the potential strategies that may be adopted to promote a diversification of renewable energy resources. In light of this, introduction of a new national bioenergy policy is proposed, through which four essential programmes could be implemented: (i) enhanced bioenergy conversion efficiency and waste management, (ii) biomass co-firing in coal power plants, (iii) conversion of biogas to biomethane and bio-compressed natural gas (bio-CNG), (iv) large-scale biomass power plants. A total of 4487 MW of additional power could be connected to the grid upon successful implementation of a large-scale biomass power plant programme.
Conclusions
The establishment of a comprehensive and inclusive national bioenergy policy will lead towards a sustainable future of renewable energy development in Malaysia.
Since one of the influential factors that affects the spray distribution pattern is the spray boom movements which are mostly induced by soil unevenness, most of the recent sprayers are equipped with ...suspensions for improving the uniformity of spray application in the field. This paper investigates the suitability of improving the sprayer suspension dynamics performance by employing a robust intelligent control scheme, namely active torque control (ATC) based method in reducing the undesired vibration through a simulation study. The ATC scheme with a self-tuning fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative (PID) (ATC-STF-PID) controller was first designed and simulated. Then an artificial intelligence (AI) method using iterative learning (IL) was embedded and implemented into the ATC loop to compute the estimated inertial parameter of the system; this scheme is known as ATCAIL. Thereafter, the performance of the ATCAIL scheme is later compared to the ATC with artificial neural network (ATCANN), ATC-STF-PID and STF-PID controllers in time and frequency domains. The results of simulation work affirm that ATC-based schemes can improve the system performance of the active rolling suspension in relation to roll vibration suppression. In other words, both the ATCAIL and ATCANN schemes show better responses in comparison to the ATC-STF-PID controller scheme. The results also imply that the ATCAIL scheme is indeed effective in suppressing the vibration of a sprayer boom structure.
The most common technique of protecting crops from diseases is by applying a chemical process whereby a mixture of chemicals and water are sprayed onto the crops via a sprayer. Nowadays, modern ...sprayers are generally implemented to suspension systems for reducing the unwanted vibration of the spray boom structure to improve the uniformity of spray distribution in the agricultural field environment. This paper serves to present a new alternative to address and resolve the vibration control problem of the moving sprayer structures. The application of an active torque control (ATC) method to cancel the undesired vibration of the sprayer boom is thus proposed. As a continuation from Part I that deals with the modeling and simulation aspect, Part II explains the practical facet of the study through the implementation of ATC and iterative learning (ATCAIL) control scheme to an experimental spray boom structure as a basis to validate the effectiveness and robustness of the scheme as simulated and described at length in Part I. A sprayer boom suspension system test rig was specifically designed and developed to verify this control scheme that was principally chosen due to its ease of implementation through the exploitation of simple proportional–integral–derivative (PID), ATC and iterative learning algorithms. The system performance was evaluated and compared to the PID and ATC–PID control schemes for benchmarking. The results demonstrate the capability of the practical ATCAIL scheme to improve the vibration suppression in both time and frequency domains, thereafter guaranteeing a more uniform spray distribution of chemicals on a bumpy terrain. The experimental outcomes are in good agreements with the simulation counterpart.
Photobacterium
species are Gram-negative coccobacilli which are distributed in marine habitats worldwide. Some species are unique because of their capability to produce luminescence. Taxonomically, ...about 23 species and 2 subspecies are validated to date. Genomes from a few
Photobacterium
spp. have been sequenced and studied. They are considered a special group of bacteria because some species are capable of producing essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, antibacterial compounds, lipases, esterases and asparaginases. They are also used as biosensors in food and environmental monitoring and detectors of drown victim, as well as an important symbiont.
Small-scale business owners are among those who were very affected when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country. This group supports their families solely through daily sales profits. However, when the ...country began implementing the Movement Control Order (MCO) from March 2020 to May 2020, it was difficult for this group to survive. Some of them were unable to do business at all, while the majority experienced a significant decline in sales. This study aims to measure the ability of small-scale business owners to survive before and after the COVID-19 period. GIS software (ArcMap 10.4.1) was used to map the ability of small-scale business owners to survive before and after the pandemic. Data were obtained through face-to-face questionnaires conducted throughout the state of Kedah. Findings indicated that several districts have successfully managed the pandemic for economic survival. This was achieved through a well-collaborated effort by the government and NGOs to strengthen certain aspects of these small-scale business and revive their growth. Future work should focus on studying the actions taken by successful business owners in coping with the pandemic environment.
Due to the increasing importance of caregivers in the treatment outcomes of patients with mental illness, this study aimed to systematically review studies investigating the former's caregiver burden ...and determine its prevalence. An open search, without filters, was conducted. Articles were selected from Medline, Scopus, and PubMed from inception to 30 April 2022 using the PRISMA protocol. Subgroup analyses examined the between-group differences by study setting, measurements used, and disorder type. A total of 5034 caregivers from 23 countries were included in this review. Thirty-nine studies were included in the systematic review, and, among them, twenty-six were deemed eligible for meta-analysis. The overall pooled prevalence of caregiver burden among caregivers of individuals with mental illness was 31.67% (95% CI = 26.22-37.12). Pooled prevalence was the highest among care recipients receiving treatment in a hospital setting (36.06%; 95% CI = 22.50-49.63), followed by the community and clinic settings. Caregiver prevalence values were higher for burden measured using the Zarit Burden Interview (38.05%; 95% CI = 27.68-48.43). compared with other instruments, and for carers of care recipients with psychosis (35.88%; 95% CI = 27.03-44.72) compared with those without. Thus, targeted interventions should focus on caregivers of patients in hospital settings and with psychotic symptoms.
The STEP (STandard for the Exchange of Product model data) is a worldwide standard for exchanging products between diverse computer systems and industrial applications. STEP files (ISO 10303) contain ...3D data in the universal data format with a boundary representation (B-rep) that allows the exchange of data models between CAD, CAM, and CNC systems. Traditionally, G-code generation relies on CAM software as an add-on, which incurs significant installation costs. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of an Integrated Interface System (I2S) for Tool Path Generation (TPG) for the CNC milling operations utilizing neutral STEP files.The algorithm was interpreted in Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) programming and produced a computer interface system that is capable to convert STEP file geometric data to G-code format.The geometric features of the sample block were modeled using a 3D CAD model. The result was validated using machining simulation, and the machining is performed on a three-axis CNC milling machine with a PC-based controller.In modern manufacturing systems based on Open Architecture Controller (OAC), the development of the I2S provides an alternative to generating machining tool paths and G-code by intercepting CAM software.
The thickness of an oil film lubricant can contribute to less gear tooth wear and surface failure. The purpose of this research is to use artificial neural network (ANN) computational modelling to ...correlate spur gear data from acoustic emissions, lubricant temperature, and specific film thickness (λ). The approach is using an algorithm to monitor the oil film thickness and to detect which lubrication regime the gearbox is running either hydrodynamic, elastohydrodynamic, or boundary. This monitoring can aid identification of fault development. Feed-forward and recurrent Elman neural network algorithms were used to develop ANN models, which are subjected to training, testing, and validation process. The Levenberg-Marquardt back-propagation algorithm was applied to reduce errors. Log-sigmoid and Purelin were identified as suitable transfer functions for hidden and output nodes. The methods used in this paper shows accurate predictions from ANN and the feed-forward network performance is superior to the Elman neural network.
Depression and anxiety are prevalent mental health issues worldwide, especially among parental caregivers. By expanding the family stress model, this cross-sectional study investigated the relevant ...factors associated with depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and satisfaction with life among Malaysian parental caregivers of adolescent psychiatric patients. Data were collected through questionnaires (N = 207) across five major public hospitals through convenience sampling. Participants answered questionnaires measuring financial strain, caregiver burden, relationship quality, belief in mental illness, perceived COVID-19 stress, satisfaction with health services, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and life satisfaction. Findings revealed that relationship quality among spouses, COVID-19 stress and caregiver burden were significantly correlated with anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms and satisfaction with life. The multiple regression model also suggested that depressive symptoms (β = .613, p < .001), anxiety symptoms (β= .657, p < .001) and relationship quality among spouses (β = .264, p < .001) were the most influential predictors of anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms and satisfaction with life respectively. By addressing the mental health needs of parental caregivers, this study can contribute to improving the overall quality of care and support provided to adolescent patients and their caregivers in Malaysia and beyond.
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