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This paper presents a multi-objective version of the Cat Swarm Optimization Algorithm called the Grid-based Multi-objective Cat Swarm Optimization Algorithm (GMOCSO). Convergence and diversity preservation are the two main goals pursued by modern multi-objective algorithms to yield robust results. To achieve these goals, we first replace the roulette wheel method of the original CSO algorithm with a greedy method. Then, two key concepts from Pareto Archived Evolution Strategy Algorithm (PAES) are adopted: the grid system and double archive strategy. Several test functions and a real-world scenario called the Pressure vessel design problem are used to evaluate the proposed algorithm's performance. In the experiment, the proposed algorithm is compared with other well-known algorithms using different metrics such as Reversed Generational Distance, Spacing metric, and Spread metric. The optimization results show the robustness of the proposed algorithm, and the results are further confirmed using statistical methods and graphs. Finally, conclusions and future directions were presented..

This study was carried out to evaluate the awareness and use of improved sesame production practices in Peri-urban areas of Dutse, Jigawa State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was employed to select the respondents for the study from five districts that make up peri-urban areas of Dutse. Data were collected through the use of structured questionnaires administered to 165 respondents out of which only 159 were found to be useful. Data collected were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means and ranking. Finding from the study revealed that the means of age was 38.7 years. All were male, 85% were married and 76.7% had formal education. The mean household size was 10 persons whereas the mean farm size and mean farming experience was 2.2 hectares and 14 years, respectively. About 59% do not belong to any association. The result of Logit regression analysis indicated that out of the twelve variables modelled and regressed as explanatory variables, only three were found to have significantly influenced the adoption of improved sesame production practices of the farmers. These are level of education (0.062), farm size (0.091) and access to credit (0.031). The main problems encountered by the respondents were lack of processing machines (71.7%), poor capital base (58.5%) and non-availability of loans to farmers (57.9%). The study recommended the formation of associations that could lead to taking advantage of such associations in aiding increased funding by governmental or non-governmental lending agencies and other financial institutions which could alleviate these major problems bedevilling sesame production in the study area.

This study aimed to investigate the genetic characterization of strains of Clariid fish species in some river bodies in Kano State using microsatellite markers.One hundred and seventy seven Clariid fish samples (Clariasgariepinus and Heterobranchuslongifilis) were collected from six rivers (Thomas, Ghari, Tiga dam, Duddurun Gaya, Karaye and Bagwai) in Kano state. Blood sample was taken from each fish sample by severing the caudal peduncle and drained into FTA cards for DNA extraction, Polymerase Chain Reaction and electrophoresis to determine genetic variation between the Clariid fish populations.Genealex 6.4 software package was used to analyse the resolve bands from DNA extraction to determine their base pair and genetic variation. Results showed that the Fst values ranged from 0.00 to 0.66, Fit ranged from -0.04 to 0.12, Fis ranged from -0.35 to -0.26. It indicated a large number of gene flow (exchange) among the populations with a range of 0.46 to 0.87. There was an established magnitude of genetic divergence (91.86%) among the populations as shown by the result of the percentage polymorphism which depends on the number of alleles detected per locus and their frequencies. It can be concluded that since there was no inbreeding as shown in the study, none of the population exhibited genetic uniqueness. The populations had a high genetic differentiation between populations but moderate differentiation within populations. The populations were outbred populations; an indication that relatives avoided mating in the population.

The in vitro anti coccidial activities of n-butanol and aqueous fractions of Khaya senegalensis, Gueira senegalensis and Tamarindus indica leaves extracts on Eimeria tenella parasite was studied by observing the effects of the plant extracts on the sporulation of the Eimeria tenella oocysts. Drug resistance and consumer demanding decrease in the use of drugs in animals have generated interest in alternative strategies to control the avian disease one of which is herbal intervention studies. Fresh faecal samples were collected from infected birds and their oocysts load determined. Dilutions of the extracts (100mg, 250mg, 400mg, 550mg, 700mg and 850mg per ml) in distilled water were prepared and placed in separate well labelled petri dishes. 100 oocysts were added to each petri dish and the set up was left at ambient temperature on the laboratory table and monitored twice daily (9.00am and 3.00pm) to observe the sporulation of the oocysts over a 72 hours period. Laboratory sporulation medium (2.5% Potassium dichromate) and Amprolium were used for comparison. The phytochemical result implied that the active ingredients were present mainly in the n-butanol and crude extract fractions with the nbutanol fraction of the Khaya senegalensis extract containing phenols and flavonoids which have antioxidant effects. The in vitro study showed that the n-butanol fraction of K senegalensis (100mg/ml) and the aqueous fraction of Tamarindus indica (100mg/ml) extracts had similar effects to those obtained using Amprolium which was considered as the standard by inhibiting the sporulation of Eimeria tenella oocysts. It is therefore recommended that more work needs to be done to determine the anti coccidial activities of these extracts in vivo. Key words: Eimeria tenella, sporulation, in vitro, extracts

High relative humidity and ambient temperature are one of the constrains to efficient thermoregulatory responses of rabbits in the tropics during the early-rainy season. The study investigated the effect of age on diurnal thermoregulatory responses in rectal (RT), ear (ET) and skin temperatures (ST) of rabbits during the early-rainy season. Seventeen apparently healthy rabbits were divided into three groups of 5 weaners, 6 growers and 6 adults. Physiologic parameters of RT, ET and ST of the rabbits were recorded concurrently with thermal environmental parameters of dry-bulb (DBT) and wet-bulb readings, at 07:00, 10:00, 13:00, 16:00 and 19:00 h, once per week for three weeks. Result revealed that RT, ET and ST were higher in adult compared to weaner or grower rabbits. The RT and ST were higher in adult than weaner rabbits at 13:00, 16:00 and 19:00 h. The ET was higher in adult than the weaner rabbits at 07:00 h. However, there was no significant (P > 0.05) difference in physiological parameters between the weaner and grower rabbits. The DBT positively correlated with ET in all age groups (Weaners r = 0.960, P < 0.01; Growers r = 0.975, P < 0.01; Adult r = 0.942, P < 0.05). The ST of weaner (r = 0.904; P < 0.05) and grower (r = 0.997; P < 0.01) rabbits positively correlated with DBT. It was concluded that there was age- dependent effect on diurnal thermoregulatory responses and RH negatively impacted on heat dissipation ability of the rabbits. It is recommended that adequate ventilation should be provided in rabbit house to reduce the negative impact of high RH on heat dissipation ability of rabbits during the early-rainy season. L'humidité relative élevée et la température ambiante sont l'une des contraintes aux réponses thermorégulatrices efficaces des lapins sous les tropiques pendant la saison des pluies. L'étude a étudié l'effet de l'âge sur les réponses thermorégulatrices diurnes dans les températures rectales (RT), de l'oreille (ET) et de la peau (ST) des lapins pendant la saison des pluies précoces. Dix-sept lapins apparemment en bonne santé ont été divisés en trois groupes de 5 sevrés, 6 cultivateurs et 6 adultes. Les paramètres physiologiques de RT, ET et ST des lapins ont été enregistrés en même temps que les paramètres environnementaux thermiques des lectures de bulbe sec (DBT) et d'ampoule humide, à 07:00, 10:00, 13:00, 16:00 et 19:00 h, une fois par semaine pendant trois semaines. Le résultat a révélé que rt, ET et ST étaient plus élevés chez les adultes par rapport aux lapins sevrés ou de producteur. Le RT et le ST étaient plus élevés chez les lapins adultes que chez les lapins sevrés à 13 h, 16 h et 19 h. L'ET était plus élevé chez les adultes que chez les lapins sevrés à 7 h. Cependant, il n'yavait aucune différence significative (P > 0.05) dans les paramètres physiologiques entre le sevreur et les lapins de producteur. Le DBT était en corrélation positive avec l'ET dans tous les groupes d'âge (Sevreurs r = 0.960, P < 0.01; Producteurs r = 0.975, P < 0.01; Adulte r = 0.942, P < 0.05). Le ST du sevreur (r = 0.904; P < 0.05) et producteur (r = 0.997; P < 0.01) lapins positivement corrélés avec DBT. On a conclu qu'il y avait un effet dépendant de l'âge sur les réponses thermorégulatrices diurnes et que l'HR avait un impact négatif sur la capacité de dissipation thermique des lapins. Il est recommandé d'assurer une ventilation adéquate dans la maison du lapin afin de réduire l'impact négatif d'une HR élevée sur la capacité de dissipation thermique des lapins pendant la saison des pluies

In recent years several swarm optimization algorithms, such as Bat Algorithm (BA) have emerged, which was proposed by Xin-She Yang in 2010. The idea of the algorithm was taken from the echolocation ability of bats. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide the reader with a full study of the Bat Algorithm, including its limitations, the fields that the algorithm has been applied, versatile optimization problems in different domains, and all the studies that assess its performance against other meta-heuristic algorithms. Approach: Bat Algorithm is given in-depth in terms of backgrounds, characteristics, limitations, it has also displayed the algorithms that hybridized with BA (K-Medoids, Back-propagation neural network, Harmony Search Algorithm, Differential Evaluation Strategies, Enhanced Particle Swarm Optimization, and Cuckoo Search Algorithm) and their theoretical results, as well as to the modifications that have been performed of the algorithm (Modified Bat Algorithm (MBA), Enhanced Bat Algorithm (EBA), Bat Algorithm with Mutation (BAM), Uninhabited Combat Aerial Vehicle-Bat algorithm with Mutation (UCAV-BAM), Nonlinear Optimization)... Findings: Shed light on the advantages and disadvantages of this algorithm through all the researches that dealt with the algorithm in addition to the fields and applications it has addressed in the hope that it will help scientists understand and develop it. Originality/value: As far as the research community knowledge, there is no comprehensive survey study conducted on this algorithm cover{\i}ng all its aspects. Keywords: Swarm Intelligence; Nature-Inspired Algorithms; Metaheuristic Algorithms; Optimization Algorithms; Bat Algorithm., Comment: 25 pages, Review paper

This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of two lines of broiler breeders under selection. The traits of interest were fertility, body weight and survival rate. A total of 120 day-old broiler chicks were hatched from two lines of broiler breeder chickens under selection (Sire and Dam lines). The chicks were hatched from a population of breeder hens and cocks with a mating ratio of 1 broiler cock to 6 broiler hens (1:6). Eggs were collected and pedigreed according to the lines and sire information. The eggs were weighed on a Camry model digital sensitive scale in grams. Eggs were set and hatched in a Buckeye incubator. Each hatched chick was tagged and weighed at hatching and then weekly up to 8 weeks. Data were analyzed using general linear model (GLM). Correlation and regression analysis were based on pooled data from both lines. Results showed that the lines differed with respect to fertility (67.67% and 83.00%), hatchability (77.79 and 49.00) and survival rate (77.78 and 94.14). Also changes in body weight increased as their ages increased with the dam line being superior. There was a low R2 value of between 0.05-0.33 when egg weight and hatch weight were pooled and considered as independent variables. In conclusion the lines were superior to each other differently as the sire line had better egg weight and hatchability while the dam line was better in fertility, survival rate and body weight performance. This variation in traits can be used in selection for hybrid strain in the broiler.

The study was conducted with the objective of evaluating the effect of egg size (small, medium and large) and lines on egg and hatch weight, fertility, hatchability, embryonic mortality and infertile eggs of broiler breeders under selection. A total of 120 broiler chicks were hatched from three different egg sizes (40 chicks per egg size as indicated) from breeder parents at 40 weeks of age. The broiler breeders were mated in a ratio of 1:6. Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance in a complete randomized design. The result showed that significant (p

Ayam broiler merupakan jenis ayam pedaging yang dimana sebagai penghasil daging ayam dengan konversi pakan yang rendah, yang menjadikan ayam jenis ini dijadikan sebagai lahan bisnis yang bagus dan menjanjikan. Walaupun ayam broiler merupakan salah satu lahan bisnis yang bagus dan diharapkan akan tetapi, di peternakan Indonesia, terutama di kandang-kandang perumahan masih memiliki beberapa masalah. Salah satunya adalah bau kandang yang menyengat hal ini karena tidak adanya suhu dan kadar gas amonia pada kandang ayam. Bau kandang yang menyengat oleh naiknya kadar gas amonia karena pengaruh suhu yang tidak ideal, yang dimana hal ini dapat mempengaruhi kinerja hewan ternak dari proses pertumbuhan hingga proses. Jika suatu kandang ternak tidak ada pada kondisi berkala maka pada suhu dan gas amonia pada kandang ayam dapat mengakibatkan kematian bagi hewan ternak. Berdasarkan permasalahan tersebut penulis merancang sistem pemantauan dan pengendalian suhu dan kadar gas amonia pada kandang ayam berbasis mikrokontroller NodeMcu. Alat yang dibuat ini menggunakan beberapa komponen yaitu NodeMCU ESP8266 sebagai mikrokontroller, untuk sensor dan aktuator menggunakan DHT11, MQ135, LCD 16x2, Relay 2 channel, DC Fans, dan platform Antares. Hasil pembacaan dari sensor DHT11 dan MQ135 ini akan dimonitoring dan dikirim ke database Antares dan hasil outputnya akan ditampilkan melalui LCD 16x2, secara bersamaan mikrokontroller Node MCU akan mengirimkan perintah ke relay untuk menghidupkan DC fans. DC fans akan bekerja jika sensor suhu dan ammonia membaca nilai lebih dari atau sama dengan 30 ℃ dan 20 ppm (part per million), dan DC fans akan berhenti bekerja jika sensor membaca di bawah dari 30 ℃ dan 20 ppm.

Sterile nutrient agar (NA) plates were exposed to the inner and outer environment of the laboratory for 15 minutes before the commencement of laboratory work in the morning and after closure of activities in the evening after which the plates were incubated at 37oC for 24 hours. Antibiotic susceptibility of the bacterial isolates was done using agar well diffusion technique. The aerial bacterial load outside the laboratory was found to be higher than inside the laboratory. Bacteria isolated include members of the genus Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Salmonella, Micrococcus, Streptococcus, Proteus and Escherichia. Bacillus subtilis had the highest frequency of occurrence (31.0%) followed by alpha haemolytic streptococcus (19.0%) while the least frequency of occurrence was shown by Proteus bulgaricus and Proteus species (1.7%). All the bacteria were sensitive to antibiotics tested except Micrococcus luteus. They were equally found to be sensitive to the anti-microbial agent (antiseptic and disinfectant) tested except for the hand sanitizer to which most isolates displayed high resistance. The presence of a wide variety of pathogenic microorganisms in the laboratory shows that the environment requires regular cleaning and disinfection to enhance the safety of staff and students using the laboratory. J. bio-sci. 26: 41-48, 2018

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) also known as Adult Polycystic Kidney Disease (APKD) is one of the most common systemic hereditary diseases. The disease usually presents between 20 to 39 years of age, although milder forms may not present until over 60 years and absence of renal failure has been rarely observed in some patients up to 80 years of age. Three distinct gene defects have been implicated in the pathogenesis of APKD designated as PKD1, PKD2, and PKD3. Patients with APKD may be asymptomatic, or may usually present with hypertension (in 50-70% of cases), renal insufficiency, and the complications of multiple cysts (haematuria, pain and infection) or as an abdominal mass discovered on incidental clinical or imaging examination. APKD is said to be rare in Africans. Case report: We report a case of an incidental finding of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) in a 52-year-old normotensive man with a normal renal function test. Haematuria, dysuria and low-grade fever were the presenting complaints. The role of radiology in the diagnosis and management of ADPKD was highlighted. Conclusion: Although APKD is rare in Africans, a high index of suspicion for the disease is essential for the diagnosis of the disease especially in elderly patients with a family history of APKD who present with haematuria associated with multiple renal cysts.

One popular example of metaheuristic algorithms from the swarm intelligence family is the Bat algorithm (BA). The algorithm was first presented in 2010 by Yang and quickly demonstrated its efficiency in comparison with other common algorithms. The BA is based on echolocation in bats. The BA uses automatic zooming to strike a balance between exploration and exploitation by imitating the deviations of the bat’s pulse emission rate and loudness as it searches for prey. The BA maintains solution diversity using the frequency-tuning technique. In this way, the BA can quickly and efficiently switch from exploration to exploitation. Therefore, it becomes an efficient optimizer for any application when a quick solution is needed. In this paper, an improvement on the original BA has been made to speed up convergence and make the method more practical for large applications. To conduct a comprehensive comparative analysis between the original BA, the modified BA proposed in this paper, and other state-of-the-art bio-inspired metaheuristics, the performance of both approaches is evaluated on a standard set of 23 (unimodal, multimodal, and fixed-dimension multimodal) benchmark functions. Afterwards, the modified BA was applied to solve a real-world job scheduling problem in hotels and restaurants. Based on the achieved performance metrics, the proposed MBA establishes better global search ability and convergence than the original BA and other approaches

Tourism contributes to the conservation and protection of mountainous areas, and even the characteristics and activities of tourism also affect the environmental sustainability of an area. This study aims to identify tourist characteristics, their opinion towards a sustainable environment, their activities conducted at the park and environmental impacts. Overall, 383 respondents agreed to participate, and the response has been analysed using the relative importance’s of these activities, and environmental impacts were quantified by the relative importance index method. Most of them visited Mount Kinabalu to experience natural sightseeing and hiking activity. Majority of them know environmental concern but feeling that KNP is rather crowded. Overall, the most popular activities were mount climbing and wildlife sightseeing by domestic and international tourist. The result of the study also has shown that noise and air pollution were ranked as the most important environmental impacts factors. Considering mountain tourism is an attraction and contributor to the economy of Sabah, there must be effective preventive measures. Because of that, planning, implementing and strengthening new policies and rules for tourist activities regarding the conservation and protection will help to minimize the impacts of tourism. Through the results of the study using the Relative Importance Index (RII) analysis, it is hoped that it will be able to help provide suggestions and solutions to balance the impacts of tourism in Mount Kinabalu towards sustainability.

National parks serve as rural ecotourism attractions, even though this area is very fragile. Therefore, conservation management must be implemented to ensure the balance of the environment is maintained. This study aims to study the relationship between park management, issues and tourist satisfaction in a protected area, Kinabalu Park. Moreover, this study considers the mediating role of environmental issues on the relationship between park management and tourist satisfaction. Overall, 351 respondents agreed to participate. A questionnaire survey was administered to visitors of Malaysia’s Kinabalu National Park. In total, 351 completed questionnaires were returned and have been analysed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the resultant data using SmartPLS 2.0. The results showed that park management has a strong effect on tourist satisfaction and environmental issues. The results also revealed that environmental issues play a mediating role in the relationship between park management and tourist satisfaction. The findings of this study make a significant contribution to our current understanding of the importance of park management, especially in the protected area as well as addressing the existing issues and provide positive satisfaction to tourists. Through the results, it will significantly contribute to the conservation and management of the protected area to be more sustainable in the future.

Effective conservation measures are essential to protect nature and wildlife which act as flagship attraction for ecotourism to flourish. The study focuses on conservation management of natural forests and wildlife by multiple stakeholders in Lower Kinabatangan Sabah. Rare and endangered wildlife species is the main attraction for ecotourism development in this area. The study employed a mixed method research by integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches. Analyses revealed contradictory findings whereby local indigenous communities were unaware about progress of established Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary and thereby requested for enhancing current conservation management. However, other stakeholders reported that the sanctuary fulfilled its objectives. The study further proposed solutions to improve current conservation by considering the viewpoints of all stakeholders involved in conservation initiatives in the Lower Kinabatangan Sabah.

In this study, the ionic liquid as additive on recycle high density polyethylene/bamboo filler (rHDPE/BF) using different concentration (0.2 wt.%, 0.4 wt.% and 0.6 wt.%) of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate (EMImSCN) and 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium chloride (OMImCl) ionic liquid was performed. The bamboo filler were reinforced with in rHDPE matrix using extrusion method and undergo injection molding process for sample preparation. For comparison purpose, rHDPE/BF composites with both of ionic liquid were tested under flexural and charpy impact test respectively. Result indicate that the present of 0.4 wt.% with OMImCl of ionic liquid on rHDPE/BF composites with better matrix/filler interlocking characteristics shows better mechanical performance compared with EMImSCN ionic liquid on rHDPE/BF composites. The field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) was used to analyze the fractured surface on the impact test. The FESEM test revealed fractured surface of rHDPE/BF composites has better adhesion between the filler and matrix with the presence of additives as the gaps between filler and matrix was reduced.

This article is concerned with the impact properties of rice husk (RH) reinforced low density polyethylene (LDPE) specifically for injection moulded parts. In this study, the RH/LDPE composites with different loadings of 5, 10, and 15 wt.% rice husks were feed into injection moulding machine and the moulded parts were tested using compact Charpy impact tester. The results showed that the impact strength properties of the RH/LDPE composites were strongly affected by the rice husk filler loadings. Furthermore, the impact properties of the tested RH/LDPE composite specimens showed increasing trend as the filler loading increased, up to 15 wt.% rice husk loading.

In this study, the effect of milling speed and compaction pressure on the densification and morphology of CuZn-Gr composite was evaluated. The composite was prepared by using powder metallurgy technique. The effect of the microstructural and compaction were determined based on different milling speed in thus research. The different milling speeds that involved were 175 rpm, 200 rpm, 225 rpm, and 250 rpm. Meanwhile, the different compaction pressures that used in this study were 127.53, 250, 374.67, and 500 MPa. The properties of the milled powder gave the result to green density and densification parameter. The peak XRD of Cu and Zn broadened as milling time increased. The milled powder at 250 rpm has lowest crystallite size and highest internal strain. As the milling speed is increase, the pattern of powder mixture diminished and become smaller due to the well homogenizing powders during milling. Besides, after compaction, 200 rpm and 250 rpm have optimum green density and densification parameter with increasing compaction pressure.

Nowadays, there are lot of concrete waste were produced from demolition, destruction and others. The usage of concrete is not environmentally friendly due to depletion of reserve natural resources, high energy consumption and disposal issues. Construction debris give a large fraction of solid waste disposal problem, and constitutes the large component. By recycling concrete waste for brick production as replacement the other materials, it can reduce the usage of natural resources and disposal problem that have been occur. The aim of this study to determine the sustainability of the recycled concrete by producing a brick using recycled coarse concrete aggregate at nominal size 10mm. An experiment done by comparing the result of the control specimen using 100% natural sand with specimen that have replaced the sand with recycled concrete aggregate for 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100%. The result showed the optimum recycled concrete to produce a brick is at 90% replacement of RCCA where the compressive strength and flexural was achieved 9.7MPA and 3.53MPA respectively with 16133.33 kg/m3 of density. The water absorption of green brick is 9.23% and the cost of brick have been reduced from Rm0.26 to 0.20.

This study is about the effect of alkaline treatment on bamboo filler reinforced with recycle high density polyethylene (rHDPE) composites. The alkaline treatment was done by sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at three different concentrations (2.5 wt.%, 5.0 wt.% and 7.5 wt.%) for two hours at room temperature. The bamboo filler and rHDPE was compound with the extrusion method and the granule was form. The granule of rHDPE/bamboo filler composites was inject by using injection molding to produce the sample of end product. The samples of rHDPE/bamboo filler was tested using conventional universal testing machine. Field emission electron microscopy (FESEM) was used to analyze the morphology of filler and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for characterization of functional group in the filler and composites. The result showed that the flexural properties of rHDPE/bamboo filler composites were slightly affected by the alkaline treatment on the bamboo filler.

Kenaf fibre mat (KFM) reinforced polypropylene (PP) biocomposites have been prepared using sandwich structure and hot press moulding technique. To enhance the interfacial bonding between PP and kenaf fibre, KFM was chemically treated with two different chemicals which are 5% hydrogen peroxide and 2% silane. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) was used to characterize the chemical constituents in both treated and untreated kenaf fibres. Universal tensile machine (UTM) was used to determine mechanical properties (tensile and flexural strength, tensile and flexural modulus) of both treated and untreated KFM-PP biocomposites. Water absorption test was also conducted in order to evaluate its water-resistance performance. The result shows that peroxide treatment demonstrated the highest performance in mechanical and water absorption properties compared to other chemical treatment. SEM morphological studies proved that almost all treated KFM showing good fibre-matrix interfacial adhesion which less fibre pull out, void and and small interface gap. Thus, the chemical treatment on KFM improved fibre-matrix adhesion, which also contributed to the enhancement of mechanical properties and physical properties compared to untreated KFM reinforced PP biocomposites.

In this work, the influences of different concentration of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) (3, 6 and 9 wt.%) on the flexural and impact properties of linear low-density polyethylene / date seeds (LLDPE/DS) composites were examined. The LLDPE / DS ratio was fixed at 90/10 wt.% and the size of DS particles was measured at 125 - 250 micro m. The process used to synthesize the composites id extrusion followed by injuction molding process. Results showed that the presence of NaOH particularly at 6 wt.% concentration has improved the flexural and impact properties of the composite. This is due to bonding of the date seeds particles with the LLDPE matrix that reflected posativelly on the mechanical properties of the composite. However, the using of high NaOH concentration (9 wt.%) has shown an opposite trend, the increasing of surface roughness of the fiber after 9% NaOH treatment has reduced the flexibility of the composite and made it stiffer and more rigid, which in turn made it easy to break during mechanical test.

The study aim to improve the mechanical properties of recycled high density polyethylene (rHDPE) reinforced with bamboo filler (BF) by incorporating support of ionic liquids (ILs). The rHDPE/BF composites were produced by using injection molding process with different types of ILs in imidazolium based at three concentrations which is 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 wt.%. The rHDPE/BF with ILs was compound with twin-screw extruder and undergoes injection molding process. The effects of ILs were characterized for mechanical, chemical and morphological properties of composites using tensile test, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The results indicated that mechanical properties of the composites were improved by addition of ILs as additive. From the FTIR spectroscopy test, the presences of ILs were detected in the composites as it will improve the properties of composites. Finally, FESEM of fractured surface revealed better adhesion between the filler and matrix with the presence of additives.

Injection moulding is one of the most widely used processes in manufacturing plastic products, which has developed into a mature technology. Injection moulding is greatly preferred in manufacturing industry because it can produce complex-shaped plastic parts with good dimensional accuracy in very short cycle times. This article is concerned with the tensile properties of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) reinforced with alkaline treated rice husk (RH) specifically for injection moulded parts. In this study, the RH/LDPE composites with different loadings of 5, 10, and 15 wt.% treated RH were feed into injection moulding machine and the moulded parts were tested using conventional universal testing machine. The results showed that the tensile and flexural properties of the RH/LDPE composites were strongly affected by the filler loadings. Furthermore, all the tensile and flexural properties of the RH/LDPE composites showed increasing trend as the filler loading increased, up to 15 wt.% treated RH.

This study main objective is to compare the effect of different concentration on surface treatments of natural fibrous material, bamboo filler (BF) by using acetic acid (CH3COOH). The application of surface treatment on natural fibrous material can improve the compatibility with polymer matrix material. Different concentration on surface treatment by using CH3COOH were applied at 0 wt.%, 2.5 wt.%, 5.0 wt.% and 7.5 wt.%. After the application of surface treatments, the fibrous materials were combined with polymer matrix material, particularly recycled high density polyethylene (rHDPE), by twin screw extruder and injection moulding. The mechanical test was performed to evaluate the influence of different concentration of surface treatments on rHDPE/BF composites. The experimental results shows that the surface treatment by using CH3COOH on BF strongly affect the mechanical properties of the final composite materials by increasing the flexural strength ultimately at 5.0 wt.% concentration CH3COOH with the highest flexural strength. The morphology of treated BF by using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) show that the lignin, wax and other impurities was removed from BF.

The effect of electron beam irradiation on the properties of LLDPE/CY biocomposites were studied. In powder form, CY was mixed with linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), prior to being fed into a twin-screw extruder and subsequently into an injection moulding machine to produce LLDPE/CY biocomposite dumbbell specimens. LLDPE/CY biocomposites with composition ratios of 5% to 20 wt% were studied. Electron beam irradiation (EBI) was applied on the LLDPE/CY biocomposites for crosslinking purposes, using a 1.5 MeV electron beam accelerator within the dosage range of 0–150 kGy. The tensile of the composites were investigated and tensile fractured surfaces were observed by using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Based on the results, the radiation at 100 kGy caused the optimum absorption by the LLDPE/CY biocomposites.

In this research, the non-woven kenaf fibre mat reinforced polypropylene composites (NWKFMRPP) were fabricated by the compression moulding method with different layers of kenaf fibre (KF) mat. The pure polypropylene (PP) matrix was used to prepare the composites to serve as control. Two types of maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) coupling agent which is MAPP1 (Polybond 3200) and MAPP2 (Orevac CA100) also have been used to enhance the adhesion between fibre and matrix. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to characterize the chemical constituents in pure PP and the NWKFMRPP composites. Then, tensile and flexural test were used to determine the mechanical properties by using a universal testing machine (UTM). Water absorption and thickness swelling test were also been carried out to reveal the physical properties of pure PP and NWKFMRPP composites. Overall, the result shows that the increment in KF layers has given a significant improvement in modulus properties but at the expense of strength properties. Besides, the percentage of water absorption increased when the layer of KF increased. However, the presence of both MAPP1 and MAPP2 coupling agents successfully enhanced its mechanical and water absorption properties as a result of the improvement of the fibre-matrix adhesion between the KF and PP matrix.

The potential of Cyperus Odoratus (CY) as a filler was studied. In powder form, CY was mixed with linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), prior to being fed into a twin screw extruder and subsequently into an injection moulding machine to produce LLDPY/CY biocomposite dumbbell specimens. LLDPE/CY biocomposites with composition ratios of 5% to 20 wt% were studied. The natural soil burial of LLDPE/CY biocomposites were carried out for 1 year and the samples were collected and measured after 3, 6, and 12 months for degradability tests, by means of tensile tests and morphological study. Within the 1-year exposure to soil burial test, the tensile strength and Eb of the composites decreased, while their Young’s modulus increased. The presence of CY filler in the composites significantly accelerated the degradation of the LLDPE/CY biocomposites.

In this article, wood plastic composite (WPC) is a composite material made up from bamboo as filler (BF) and high-density polyethylene and recycle high density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic as matrix. This research was conducted in order to investigate the mechanical properties of HDPE/BF and rHDPE/BF composites with different filler loading (5 wt.%, 10 wt.%, 15 wt.% and 20 wt.%). From the morphology test by using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), the bonding between filler and matrix to 10 wt.% show a positive effect and have a great bonding. The, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) used to analyze the functional group in the bamboo filler which contain lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose. The flexural test was conducted to study the mechanical properties of rHDPE/BF composites. Based on the flexural test result, the HDPE/BF and rHDPE/BF composites with 10 wt.% BF show the highest flexural result as decreasing filler loading will reduce the strength of the composites.

In Malaysia, conservation of heritage buildings is initiated by the government and private sector. The establishment of National Heritage Department of Malaysia in year 2006 has shown the government’s effort to appreciate the existing of heritage buildings in Malaysia. The Department will ensure every requirement in National Heritage Act 2005 will be complied by respective Authorities. In addition, the listing of George Town and Malacca as UNESCO Heritage site on 7 July 2008 has put Malaysia as of the country to promote heritage tourism.The designation of George Town, Penang, along with Malacca, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) on July 7, 2008 was a boast achievement, particularly for Penangites and Malaysian generally. The status has elevated Penang to international status in terms of cultural heritage tourism and expected to draw more tourists to the area. The impacts of tourism to the local community are inevitable. However, in conservation practice of course has some challenges in the process.

The timber or wooden base is a significant material in traditional Malay houses from structure to architecture craftsmanship of the buildings. Due to the material natural condition the problem perceive to be very particularly dealing with common wood base treat namely rot, decay and broken material. The study purpose is to identify existing defect facing by the traditional house via the house component namely roof system, ceiling, wall, beam, column, floor boards, balustrade and stairs. Visual impact assessment (VIA) method used to identifies defect area followed by natural infrared heat radiation test to the defective area. The preliminaries finding indicates the timber species namely Intsia palembanica Miq or well known in local community as a ‘Merbau’, with a low surface temperature range in 25.1°C at minimum census compare to surrounding census at 31.2°C. Due to the huge gap in surface calibration leads to consistent treat in dampness activity causes rotten and decay in timber material in the houses.

Coal and coal-fired power plants are crucial for supplying global energy demand. However, coal-fired power plants produce significant quantities of bottom ash as by-products. Through these power plants, it produces approximately 18 tons of bottom ash each day. Malaysia has the challenging task of dealing with an increasing amount of waste generated by power plants each year. The high cost of construction and operation of incineration plants coupled with a lack of landfills have given rise to the need for waste minimization and recycling. The use of coal ash in concrete is a new dimension in concrete mix design and if applied on large scale can revolutionize the construction industry, by economizing the construction cost and decreasing the ash content. The used of the coal bottom ash in the concrete brick can reduce the wastage of the coal bottom ash in Malaysia, beside that the cost of the housing can be reduced. In addition, the sustainability in the housing construction in Malaysia can be achieved using the wastage material in the construction.