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An algorithm for constructing super-large semantic networks has been developed in current work. Algorithm was tested using the “Cosmos” category of the Internet encyclopedia “Wikipedia” as an example. During the implementation, a parser for the syntax analysis of Wikipedia pages was developed. A graph based on list of articles and categories was formed. On the basis of the obtained graph analysis, algorithms for finding domains of high connectivity in a graph were proposed and tested. Algorithms for constructing a domain based on the number of links and the number of articles in the current subject area is considered. The shortcomings of these algorithms are shown and explained, an algorithm is developed on their joint use. The possibility of applying a combined algorithm for obtaining the final domain is shown. The problem of instability of the received domain was discovered when starting an algorithm from two neighboring vertices related to the domain.

CdSe quantum dot has great potential in various applications especially for emitting devices. One example potential application of CdSe quantum dot is security label for anti-counterfeiting. In this work, we present a practical approach of security label on paper using one and two colors of colloidal CdSe quantum dot, which is used as stamping ink on various types of paper. Under ambient condition, quantum dot is almost invisible. The quantum dot security label can be revealed by detecting emission of quantum dot using photoluminescence and cnc machine. The recorded quantum dot emission intensity is then analyzed using home-made program to reveal quantum dot pattern stamp having the word ’RAHASIA’. We found that security label using quantum dot works well on several types of paper. The quantum dot patterns can survive several days and further treatment is required to protect the quantum dot. Oxidation of quantum dot that occurred during this experiment reduced the emission intensity of quantum dot patterns.

The infrared (IR) spectra of different white copy paper types tend to appear indifferent. Discrimination between white copy papers could lead to the solution of forgery cases. In this preliminary study, three varieties of white paper were purchased from local stationery shops in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The papers were classified according to their manufacturers using Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) and sparse PLS-DA (sPLS-DA) models. The error rate for the two models on the training and the test data sets were estimated and compared. Results show that the performance of the two models are comparable. By including the first six latent variables in both models, classification accuracy as high as 100% can be achieved.

This paper presents the laboratory result on compaction characteristic for soft soil subgrade which was stabilized by using waste paper sludge ash (WPSA). The soft soil sample was collected from Banting Selangor, Malaysia named as Banting soft soil and classified as slightly sandy Clay with intermediate plasticity. Additive of WPSA is a finely waste product produced from the incinerated waste paper. In ASTM C618, this WPSA samples are categorized as Type-C fly ash due to the high free lime (CaO) content (>20%) and possesses some cementitious and pozzolanic, resulting in the self-cementing characteristics. Therefore no entire activators such as lime are required. Objectives of this study are to determine the dry density and moisture content of Banting soft soil stabilized by WPSA through the different energy and method of compaction and to determine the Atterberg limit properties of Banting soft soil stabilized using WPSA. Several percentage of WPSA (4%, 8%, 12% and 16%) was used to stabilize the soft soil...

The use of digital tools in algebra education is expected to not only contribute to master skill, but also to acquire conceptual understanding. The question is how digital tools affect students” thinking and understanding. This paper presents an analysis of data of one group of three grade seventh students (12-13 year-old) on the use of a digital tool for algebra, the Cover-up applet for solving equations in particular. This case study was part of a larger teaching experiment on initial algebra enriched with digital technology which aimed to improve students” conceptual understanding and skills in solving equations in one variable. The qualitative analysis of a video observation, digital and written work showed that the use of the applet affects student thinking in terms of strategies used by students while dealing with the equations. We conclude that the effects of the use of the digital tool can be traced from student problem solving strategies on paper-and-pencil environment which are similar to strategies while working with the digital tool. In future research, we recommend to use specific theoretical lenses, such as the theory of instrumental genesis and the onto-semiotic approach, to reveal more explicit relationships between students” conceptual understanding and the use of a digital tool.

Selection of the most significant variables, i.e. the wavenumber, from an infrared (IR) spectrum is always difficult to be achieved. In this preliminary paper, the feasibility of genetic algorithms (GA) in identifying most informative wavenumbers from 150 IR spectra of papers was investigated. The list of selected wavenumbers was then employed in Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). GA procedure was repeated 30 times to get different lists of variables. Then the performances of LDA models were estimated via leave-one-out cross-validation. A total of six to eight wavenumbers were identified to be valuable variables in the GA procedures. All the 30 LDA models achieve correct classification rates between 97.3% to 100.0%. Therefore the GA-LDA model could be a suitable tool for differentiating white papers that appeared to be highly similar in their IR fingerprints.

We successfully developed a method utilizing colloidal CdSe nanocrystalline quantum dot for anti-counterfeiting label on a piece of glossy paper. We deposited numbers and lines patterns of toluene soluble CdSe quantum dot using rubber stamper on a glossy paper. The width of line pattern was about 1-2 mm with 1-2 mm separation between lines. It required less than one minute for deposited CdSe quantum dot on glossy paper to dry and become invisible by naked eyes. However, patterned quantum dot become visible using long-pass filter glasses upon excitation of UV lamp or blue laser. We characterized photoluminescence of line patterns of quantum dot, and we found that emission boundaries of line patterns were clearly observed. The error of line size and shape were mainly due to defect of the original stamper. The emission peak wavelength of CdSe quantum dot was 629 nm. The emission spectrum of deposited quantum dot has full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 30-40 nm. The spectra similarity between deposited quant...

Infrared (IR) spectral data are always influenced by undesired random and systematic variations. As such, pre-processing of spectral data is normally required before chemometric modeling. Two most widely used pre-processing techniques, i.e. scatter-correction methods and spectral derivatives, were used to pre-process 150 IR spectral data of paper. The algorithms investigated in this preliminary study are Standard Normal Variate (SNV), Multiplicative Scatter Correction (MSC), Savitzky-Golay (SG) and Gap-Segment (GS). The visual examination of the clustering among three studied varieties of paper, i.e. IK Yellow, One Paper and Save Pack, is accomplished via Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Overall, separation of the three varieties of paper is greatly enhanced after pre-processing. The most significant improvement is obtained with pre-processing via 1st derivative using SG algorithms.

Polyaniline thin film has been prepared on paper by aniline vapor deposition technique. Ferric chloride has been used as polymerizing agent in this approach. The prepared films were studied through electrical resistivity and optical properties measurements. The electrical resistivity of the polyaniline film shows significant temperature dependence. The resistance sharply falls with the increase in temperature. The optical absorbance measurements shows characteristics absorbance peak indicating the formation of conducting emeraldine salt form of polyaniline. The optical energy band gap of the film was calculated from the transmittance spectra. The optical energy band gap and electrical conductivity of the polyaniline film is well suited for their applications in electronic devices.

In response to published reports about the decline in funding for space nuclear power, the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) approved a position paper in March 1995 that recommends (1) development and support of an integrated space nuclear power program by DOE, NASA and DoD; (2) Congressional support for the program; (3) advocacy of the program by government and industry leaders; and (4) continuation of cooperation between the U.S. and other countries to advance nuclear power source technology and to promote safety. This position paper has been distributed to various people having oversight of the U.S. space nuclear power program.

Recycled glass powder was added with ball clay and feldspar using ratio 90:5:5. The blend were mixed into different amount of paper fiber and cast into porous ceramic. Samples prepared with different compositions (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 wt % of paper fiber) were heat treated at constant temperature (750 °C) for an hour. Samples with high percentage of paper fiber gave the largest pore size in the ceramic body, meanwhile lower percentage of paper fiber produced ceramic body with smaller pore size.

A recent technology has been introduced into the paper industry that makes possible to produce paper materials by replacing the cellulose fibres by a mineral powder, achieving a more environmentally friendly product compared with conventional paper. The purpose of this work is to determine the possibilities of an air-coupled ultrasonic technique to study this kind of new materials in order to develop an ultrasonic system useful for quality control for this industry. In particular, air-coupled ultrasonic spectroscopy is specially well suited to this kind of materials because of the fact that no coupling liquid and no direct contact with the sample is employed. A through transmission technique is employed and Fourier analysis is performed to obtain both magnitude and phase spectra of the transmission coefficient. Properties in the thickness direction as well as in the paper plane are investigated. Different paper grades (from 120 to 400 g/m2) provided by Terraskin have been studied. Very high attenuation coeficientes and very low propagation velocities (and hence elastic constant) are obtained, this can be explained by considering the large porosity of this material (about 50%) and the microstrucutre: solid grains in contact with a variable amount of polymeric resin partially filling the pore space.

The Young’s modulus of buckypaper (BP) was improved via the addition of carbon nanocoils (CNCs). The Young’s modulus was the highest when the added amount of CNCs of the mass of the bucky paper was 11.9%. It is likely that the improved Young’s modulus was due to the higher Young’s modulus of the CNCs, compared with the multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) bundles. The helical structure of the CNCs also contributed to the improvement in the Young’s modulus. In the BP containing CNCs, the CNCs were anchored in the MWCNT matrix with superior entanglement, and this effect improved the Young’s modulus of the BP.

Prior work has established the existence of a color-performance relationship in achievement contexts and has demonstrated its presence in some undergraduate course examinations. This study examines the manifestation of such a relationship in an introductory, 430-student, calculus-based electricity and magnetism course during which the paper color used in examinations was varied. In this report, we analyze three separate exams and differentiate between students’ multiple choice, written response, conceptual, and computational performances. Also considered are factors such as the time students require to complete exams and their confidence levels prior to and immediately following assessment. Performance in all categories appears to be independent of paper color.

Organic catalyst has recently been identified as the potential substitution for expensive platinum electrocatalyst for fuel cell application. Numerous studies have shown that the nitrogen-containing carbon nanotubes (N-CNT) can be synthesized through spray pyrolysis or floating chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique using various type of organometallic as precursors. This paper presents the method of synthesis and the initial findings of the growth of N-CNT directly on carbon paper using a modified CVD technique. In this research, nickel (II) phthalocyanines (Ni-Pc) as precursor was dissolved in ethanol solvent, stirred and sonicated to become homogenized. The solution was poured into a bubbler and heated up to allow the mixture to vaporize. Subsequently, the solution vapor was flowed into the tubical reactor maintained at 900°C. Carbon paper sputtered with nickel nanoparticles was used as the substrate. The synthesized sample was examined through Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), At...

In this paper we present an application of two Computational Intelligence Algorithms, namely Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) Algorithm and Differential Evolution (DE) for finding and optimal solution to two optimization problems that occur in a paper industry. The first problem deals with the economic optimization of a hypothetical but realistic Kraft pulping process and in the second problem we have considered the optimization of Boiler load allocation problem. Both the problems form an integral part of paper making process. The simulation results show the efficiency and time effectiveness of DE and PSO.

Deviations of the electron function velocity distribution from Maxwellian behavior in the high energy range have been extensively studied during the past two decades. A brief review of the experimental techniques and findings on the subject is given in this paper. There are indications that the electron distribution function in thermonuclear plasmas could be significantly different from the Maxwellian one even near the thermal velocity range when particular circumstances occur. These reasons motivate a renewed effort in the measurements that could detect low energies distortions, among which is the new Oblique Electron Cyclotron Emission diagnostics that has entered operations during 2006 experimental campaign at JET and aims to resolve relatively small differences in the ECE spectra taken at three toroidal angles. Such measurements allow insight into the characteristics of the electron distribution function. First results of such experimental system are discussed in this paper, along with emission simulations.

Due to the rising difficulty of developing complex systems a lot of research has gone into the multi‐agent paradigm over the past decades, during which a vast array of approaches for developing such systems have been proposed. Despite this fact there seems to be a gap in the MAS community between solutions that provide for expressivity and those that offer generality. It is our opinion that embedding the MAS language into a functional language we can have the best out of both worlds: we can implement the desired semantics in an abstract way, allowing us to focus on the problem domain, i.e. complex, distributed MAS. Our approach is going to be layered: (i) we start from a statically typed functional language and build an EDSL that acts as an executable specification language for single agent entities; and (ii) develop a framework for workflow‐oriented coordination on top of the previous layer and investigate its use as a means of implementing agent organizations, focusing on coordination and communication.

We verify simulation results indicating that carbon ion irradiation increases the stiffness of single wall carbon nanotube bucky paper (SWCNT). 4 MHz longitudinal and 15 MHz shear ultrasonic signals were transmitted by means of dry‐coupled acoustic horns through 40±4 μm thick samples and the time‐of‐flight (TOF) through the samples was measured. From the TOF the velocity of the wave was determined and the out‐of‐plane elastic and shear moduli were calculated. The nonlinearity parameter B/A for the irradiated and reference sample was measured. The results indicated a significant increase both in the shear modulus (90 %) and in the longitudinal modulus (69 %) for certain irradiation doses as predicted by simulations. In addition, a 36% increase in the acoustic nonlinearity parameter (B/A) was observed. The investigated fluence range was 1⋅1013 to 3⋅1014 cm−2.

At the 2007 Physics Education Research Conference, a workshop on publishing and refereeing was held with a panel of editors from four different publishing venues: the physics education research section of the American Journal of Physics, the Journal of the Learning Sciences, Physical Review Special Topics–Physics Education Research, and the Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings. These editors answered questions from participants regarding publishing in their respective venues, as well as writing referee reports that would be useful to both journal editors and authors. This paper summarizes the discussion.

For the paper industry, stiffness properties are an important parameter for producing more efficiently a fibrous material like paper. Some stiffness properties of paper webs can be obtained in a non‐contact fashion using two lasers. The authors have developed an automated laboratory laser‐ultrasonics instrument for paper, described here. The results of non‐contact laser generation and detection of ultrasound are also presented. The paper grades investigated were heavy grades like linerboard, as well as copy paper.

Acoustic emission experiments in paper, a disordered material, give evidence for power‐law probability distributions of statistical quantities as event energies or intervals. Two setups, usual mode I tensile tests and a nip‐in‐peel one have been studied in our work. In both cases, even using the same material, we observe “criticality”. This has wide implications for theories of statistical fracture.

An important material property in the paper industry is the anisotropic stiffness distribution due to the fibrous microstructure of paper. Ultrasonic methods offer a means of determining the stiffness of sheets of paper from the anisotropic propagation characteristics of elastic Lamb waves along the machine direction (MD) and the cross direction (CD). Currently, piezoelectric ultrasonic methods are employed in the industry to measure the elastic polar diagram of paper through multiple contacting measurements made in all directions. This paper describes a new approach utilizing the INEEL Laser Ultrasonic Camera to provide a complete image of the elastic waves traveling in all directions in the plane of the paper sheet. This approach is based on optical dynamic holographic methods that record the out of plane ultrasonic motion over the entire paper surface simultaneously without scanning. The full-field imaging technique offers great potential for increasing the speed of the measurement and it ultimately pr...

On-line measurement of material properties is a goal of many manufactures for production improvement and quality control. In the paper industry, the elastic stiffness of the paper web needs to be accurately measured and controlled online. Currently, contact ultrasonic methods are employed to measure the elastic constants of paper offline. Piezoelectric transducers are placed in contact with the paper surface to generate and detect plate wave modes, known as Lamb wave modes, in the paper in both the machine and cross directions. Laser ultrasonics offers a new approach to making elastic wave measurements that does not require contacting the paper web. A pulsed laser generates ultrasound in the paper by delivering a high intensity short impulse to the paper through thermoelastic expansion. An optical interferometer is used to demodulate the small phase modulation that the elastic wave produces on a continuous probe laser beam. Difficulty in applying this approach to online measurements of rapidly moving pape...

It has been hypothesized that high triggering doses of hyperoxaluria induce crystal formation, while lower maintenance doses promote crystal growth. We confirmed this using minipumps secreting 30 to 60 μmol potassium oxalate per day to induce modest, continuous hyperoxaluria for 28 days after the triggering dose (288 μmol oxalate) was given as an i.p. injection or infused over 24hr. Calcium oxalate crystal deposition was induced in 6/6 rats. This hypothesis could explain the modest clinical correlation between oxalate excretion and calcium oxalate stone disease.

The mechanical and electrical properties of a bulk material made of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) are, due to weak intermolecular interaction, several orders of magnitude lower than those of the individual molecules themselves. We studied the effect of gamma‐irradiation on SWNT paper in air and under vacuum. For samples irradiated in air, changes in Young modulus and electrical conductivity were observed with maximum value for a dose of 170 kGy. Under vacuum there was only a small effect of irradiation. Raman studies of irradiated samples showed defects formation. Same experiments done with graphite showed similar results. A likely explanation of the results is that cross‐links between nanotubes were induced by irradiation in air.

In the 1933 Bohr and Rosenfeld’s famous article on electromagnetic field measurements they did not consider the measurement of a magnetic component in a given space‐time region, nor the measurement of two parallel magnetic components, nor the measurement of two non‐parallel magnetic components, nor the parallel measurement of one magnetic and one electric component, nor the non‐parallel measurement of one electric and one magnetic component, nor the non‐parallel measurement of one magnetic and one electric component in two different space‐time regions. This article covers the first one of these pending matters.

When the atomic physicist measures or computes, applications of their results may not be immediately obvious. However, atomic data form the basis of many mature and developing applications. Two of these applications and their dependence on data are reviewed here. In particular, the national standard for radiation exposure and the processing of the United States mail with radiation are discussed.

Microwave energy offers the drying/curing industry a new prospect in efficient and uniform drying. In paper drying, due to the fact that absorption power depends on loss factor, more heat is developed in wet areas thus resulting in automatic moisture profile correction. During drying the most important parameter is maintaining the pre-prescribed level of moisture content. The correlation equation between absorbed power and moisture contents has been developed, in order to program the controlling hardware related to the level of drying power.

Solar flares provide a unique site for the study of energy release and particle acceleration in astrophysics. This paper summarizes the charged particle and gamma ray aspects of the Workshop on High Energy Solar Physics held at the Goddard Space Flight Center in August 1995. The X‐ray aspects of the Workshop are summarized in another paper. Here are our highlights: (i) both the charged particle, and now also gamma ray observations have shown that stochastic acceleration due to gyroresonant interactions with plasma waves is very important in solar flares; (ii) CME driven shocks accelerate the particles observed in space from gradual flares; (iii) accelerated MeV/nucl ions can contain a large fraction of the energy released in flares; (iv) GeV ions are either trapped at the Sun or accelerated for hours; (v) nuclear gamma ray spectroscopy has become a tool for abundance determinations in the solar atmosphere; (vi) behind‐the‐limb flares can provide imaging information for solar gamma ray emission.

Today, oil pollution is a major problem that harm our environment. In this paper, the application of Casuarina Equisetifolia needle as an adsorbent for oil removal was studied. The Casuarina Equisetifolia needle were experimented to adsorb two categories of oil which are heavy and light oil. Light oil which are petrol and diesel while heavy oil are lubricant and used vegetable oil (UVO). There are three types of adsorbent used which are untreated, treated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and treated with hydrochloric acid (HCl). The adsorbents were treated with NaOH and HCl in order to increase the efficiency of oil adsorption because when it is already treated, the lumen or the pore size will increase. The objective of our study is to evaluate the performance of using Casuarina Equisetifolia needle in removing heavy and light oil waste from water. Next, the Casuarina Equisetifolia needle also experimented in oil retention, percentage of oil removal and reusability of it usage in oil absorption. In oil dynamic retention capacities at lowest packing density 0.002 g/cm3 for natural, NaOH treated and HCl treated were 33.80%, 31.14% and 31.1% respectively. While for highest packing density 0.009 g/cm3 for natural,NaOH treated and HCl treated were 77.61%, 10.37% and 7.91% respectively. The lowest packing density is better than high packing density because the result shown the stabilization of percentage of dynamic oil retention for treated adsorbents. For oil percentage removal, the results for the lowest mass which is 0.2g for natural, NaOH treated and HCl treated were 700%, 632% and 600% respectively. While for highest mass which is 1.0g for natural, NaOH treated and HCl treated were 106%, 200% and 165% respectively. In adsorbent reusability, the experiment showed the ability of Casuarina Equisetifolia needle for continuous absorption process which continuously occur for five stages in petrol, lubricant and UVO while four stages in diesel. In the conclusion, Casuarina Equisetifolia needle are effective and suitable as a natural adsorbent in removing oil.

Pineapple has been known for a number of beneficial biological activities such as anti-oxidative and anti-browning. Some of these bioactivities are contributed by enzymatic complex in pineapple and it can be found mainly in the skin extracted pineapple juice. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the pineapple juice as a pulping and bleaching agent in the process of papermaking. During pulping of pineapple leaf fibre, the mixture of pineapple juice/water was added together with a constant amount of 3% Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) at various concentration of pineapple juice (0%, 20%, 40%, 60% and 80%). Pineapple leaf fibre (PALF) was soaked several times with pineapple juice and NaOH during pulping and bleaching process in order to get the optimum results of the paper sheet obtained. The mechanical and physical properties of paper sheet were studied by measuring its tensile strength, tear resistance and water absorption. Comparatively, paper sheet produced from NaOH pulping shows better mechanical and physical properties than the mixture pulping of NaOH and pineapple juice. Additionally, pulping with higher concentration of pineapple juice tends to give long fibre rather than short fibre. Overall, the results of this study can be used as an alternative way in the production of paper and it also opens a door to utilize wisely the waste residue of pineapple in other sectors.

The needs for clean and safe water are growing as the population growing as well. This paper describes the variation of Wastewater Percentage and Pinch Point Temperature Difference (PPTD) on a 50 MW Steam Power Plant. After using the cooling water, not all water is discharged back to the sea, some of the water are used in throttling process where some of water will be vapor, and the other are merged with the water from water treatment and are going to be used for cooling cycle. It’s found that by decreasing the condenser pressure from 8.45 kPa to 6.45 kPa it will produce vapor that could be condense into Aquadest with SEC (Specific Energy Consumption) at best condition as much as 697.85 kJ for producing 1 kg of Aquadest on PPTD 4.3 °C. On that condition, Aquadest could be produced at 0.0178 kg/s rate and the efficiency of turbine increase about 0.16%. Another benefit of this system is that this system discharges cooler water from the process, and has less impact to the environment.The needs for clean and safe water are growing as the population growing as well. This paper describes the variation of Wastewater Percentage and Pinch Point Temperature Difference (PPTD) on a 50 MW Steam Power Plant. After using the cooling water, not all water is discharged back to the sea, some of the water are used in throttling process where some of water will be vapor, and the other are merged with the water from water treatment and are going to be used for cooling cycle. It’s found that by decreasing the condenser pressure from 8.45 kPa to 6.45 kPa it will produce vapor that could be condense into Aquadest with SEC (Specific Energy Consumption) at best condition as much as 697.85 kJ for producing 1 kg of Aquadest on PPTD 4.3 °C. On that condition, Aquadest could be produced at 0.0178 kg/s rate and the efficiency of turbine increase about 0.16%. Another benefit of this system is that this system discharges cooler water from the process, and has less impact to the environment.

The purpose of this paper is to study the Lean-TRIZ initiative within the context of service sector organizations. In addition, article has the objective to determine the Readiness Factors (RF) for the successful implementation of Lean- TRIZ in service sector organization. The research has utilized secondary data to justify the need for RF. Data from various indexed papers and conference papers were studied. The data thus obtained was coupled with the vast experience and the expertise of the authors in Lean implementation in service sector organization. The papers present RF which are essential for the sustainability of Lean-TRIZ in a service sector organization and provides a framework for the successful implementation. This is a theatrical paper based on the author’s vast experience in service sector organization and existing literature. Lean-TRIZ is still in embryonic stage with most of the academic literature only in conferences and there is a serious dearth in literature. Future researchers can focus on empirical studies in specific service sector organizations.

Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is pandemic. It has affected nearly 60 million people since the detection of the disease in 1981 to date. In this paper basic deterministic HIV/AIDS model with mass action incidence function are developed. Stability analysis is carried out. And the disease free equilibrium of the basic model was found to be locally asymptotically stable whenever the threshold parameter (RO) value is less than one, and unstable otherwise. The model is extended by introducing two optimal control strategies namely, CD4 counts and treatment for the infective using optimal control theory. Numerical simulation was carried out in order to illustrate the analytic results.

Most domestic wastewater produced that are untreated before discharge, is a major threat to the ecosystem, environment, and human health. As the sewerage generation increases with the population and economic growth in developing countries, the existing plants are undersized to cater and treat the sewerage discharges while outpacing the investments. Altogether, this study is focused on determining the feasibility of utilising the aerobic sequencing batch reactor (SBR) to remove the organic (COD, TSS) and nutrient (nitrate NO3−N, ammonia NH3−N, phosphorus PO43−) of synthetic domestic wastewater. The SBR was designed and fabricated with an active volume of 1.5 L, consisting of 66 % wastewater and 33 % sludge inoculum. It was operated in a fixed 48.0 h cycle time to assess the organic and nutrient removal. The operational parameters of the SBR reaction system per cycle were set at: fill 0.17 h, react 46.5 h, settle 1.0 h, decant 0.17 h and idle 0.17 h. The removal efficiencies of COD, TSS, NO3-N, NH3−N and PO43− were found to be 62 - 93%, 93 – 97%, 55 – 78%, 62 – 83%, and 76 – 100%, respectively. The bench-scale SBR meets the effluent discharge limit of COD, TSS, and NH3−N. Regardless, the discharge limits of NO3−N and PO43− were not met due to the destabilisation of denitrifiers and lack of anaerobic environment in the SBR. The denitrifiers were able to function better than nitrifiers under the aerobic environment as no anoxic condition was adequately provided. The obtained results will be useful for future expansion of this study, which the feasibility of textile wastewater treatment is focused.

The study focused on the treatment of real oilfield produced water from the East Baghdad field affiliated to the Midland Oil Company (Iraq) using an oil skimming process followed by a coagulation/flocculation process for zero liquid discharge system applications. Belt type oil skimmer was utilized for evaluating the process efficiency with various operating conditions such as temperature (17-40 °C) and time (0.5-2.5 hr.). Polyaluminum chloride (PAC) coagulant and polyacrylamide (PAM) flocculant was used to investigate the performance of the coagulation/flocculation process with PAC dosage (5-90 ppm) and pH (5-10) as operating conditions. In the skimming process, the oil content, COD, turbidity, and TSS decreased with an increase in temperature and time. The best temperature and time for oil skimming are 40 °C and 2.5 hr. which gives 95.8%, 94.9%, 31.5%, and 33.2% removal for oil content, COD, turbidity, and TSS respectively. In the coagulation/flocculation process, the optimum PAC dosage and pH are 55 mg/l and 6.4 which gives 100%, 96.5%, and 97.7% removal for oil content, turbidity, and TSS respectively.

The production of activated carbon using heat from microwave processing for activation time was successfully conducted and its performance in treating textile dye effluent was observed through various factors such as phosphoric acid loading used, contact time, dosage of activated carbon and pH. Activated carbon with phosphoric acid loading of 60% shown highest BET surface area that was 213.52 m2/g however, it obtained least thermal stability. The result indicated that about 97.11% of dye from textile effluent can be removed in only 90 minutes of contact time at pH 3 with the use of 2.0 g of produced activated carbon. The production of activated carbon using microwave processing can be an alternative way for activation process using conventional furnace heating. The used of rubber wood sawdust as the raw material for activated carbon production can solve the waste issue from sawmill as an example.

A petrochemical plant in Malaysia released Ammonia-nitrogen contamination beyond the allowable standard limit. It is Standard B, based on Environment Quality Act (EQA) 1974, to uphold the integrity of discharged water. Extended aeration activated sludge process (ASP) was proposed to treat Ammonia-nitrogen contamination in this study. Aligned objectives are to determine the impact of treating wastewater generated from the petrochemical plant using bench scale extended aeration activated sludge system at 20 percent of contamination, diluted with domestic wastewater of an average of 500 mg/L chemical oxygen demand concentration. Bench scale ASP was set up using 5000 mg/L initial biomass, a 20 liters’ influent tank with a heavy-duty mixer, connected to a pump via 10 mm tube at 0.1 rpm which is equivalent to 5 liters of water infused into the aeration tank for 24 hours consistently, and finally discharged into an effluent tank. Influent and effluent samples were monitored for Nitrate (NO3-1), Ammonia (NH3), and Total Phosphorus (PO43-).

In this paper the utilization of hypo sludge in bricks and its characteristics have been tested. Hypo sludge is a byproduct obtained in huge quantity from paper industry. The reference bricks are manufactured with the ingredients of cement, fly ash, quarry dust and lime. Hypo sludge contains high value of CaO, so that the study on hypo sludge partially replaced on lime in reference to bricks. Hypo sludge is traditional material used on lime in various percentages of 10%, 15% and 20%. The preliminary test conducted was compression and water absorption and the experimental results indicate with sustainability on environmental and also prevent the wastages.

Ligno-cellulosic biomass from sustainable sources has been used to produce light weight and high specific surface area (SSA) activated carbons (AC) for a multitude of applications; such as components in energy storage devices such as batteries and supercapacitors. While direct conversion from biomass has been studied heavily, such AC with relatively high surface area can be more effectively produced when leveraged as a co-product from a biorefinery. In this paper, we discuss the production of high specific surface area activated carbons from residual fiber (fiber remaining after extraction of C5-sugars) generated as part of a biorefinery. Our work showed that the AC produced from the residual fiber delivered an order of magnitude higher surface area than the one directly from corn pericarp fiber and soy hulls. These AC were evaluated as electrodes in electrical double layer capacitors for energy storage. These results, along with the benefits of using the residual fiber to produce AC, are highlighted in this paper.

Research in the field of Telecommunication is dynamic and continuously working towards the social community of the people. Among that predicting the customer’s who likes to switch from the current network provider is the most important part of telecom industry. However, there are a lot of research has done on this topic, but still more improvements and advancements are expected. In this position paper, we put forward the comparison model of different churn mining methods that intends to help in predicting the customer churn rate in a better way. This paper provides a benchmark of various mining algorithms and its methods for prediction of customer churn rate, which makes the telecommunication industry to setup the retention policies with the increase of their profit.