Prediction of sand mass and organic matter distribution via in situ measured wet sediment bulk density profile

The objective of the study is to develop a spatial prediction model of sand mass and organic matter distribution in an urban stormwater holding pond using in situ measured wet sediment bulk density profile data to spatially distinguish the most likely contaminated sediment deposit areas. The wet bulk density profiles of deposited sediment at 25 locations in the Berembang (Malaysia) stormwater holding pond were measured using a single-probe nuclear density gauge. The sand and organic matter compositions of the surface sediment sample, 5 cm thickness from the bed surface, were determined. Discriminant analysis (DA) was conducted to generate two Fisher’s linear discriminant functions for the prediction of sand mass and organic matter composition areas, respectively. The linear discriminant functions generated better area classifications of surface organic matter composition compared to the sand mass distribution using wet sediment bulk density data measured at more than 15 cm depth levels.     

Denitrogenation of carbazole by a novel strain Bacillus Clausii BS1 isolated from Egyptian Coke

In this study, an effective enrichment technique was applied to isolate different bacterial strains with capabilities to denitrogenate carbazole (CAR), as a model compound for nitrogenous polyaromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs). Twenty-four different CAR-denitrogenating bacterial strains were isolated from mineral coke samples. From all, a Gram +ve bacterial isolate designated BS1 showed a higher biodenitrogenation (BDN) efficiency relevant to the well-known biodenitrogenating bacterium strain Pseudomonas resinovorans CA10, recording 77.15 and 60.66% removal of 1000 ppm CAR with the production of 119.79 and 102.43 ppm anthranilic acid, and 121.19 and 90.33 ppm catechol, as by-products, respectively. BS1 was identified by 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis to be Bacillus clausii BS1 (NCBI GenBank Accession no. KF985981) with a similarity of 99.14%. The CAR-BDN pathway was also elucidated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis (GC/MS), which proved further metabolism of catechol to muconic acid.     

Effect of V2O5–TeO2 Glass Addition on Dielectric Properties of CaCu3Ti4O12 Ceramics Prepared by Solid State Method

CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ (CCTO) is well known to have colossal dielectric constant in the range of 10⁵. However, CCTO has considerably high dielectric loss values (tanδ > 0.1) at room temperature and 1 kHz. In this work, addition of glass to CCTO was suggested in order to improve its dielectric properties. The effect of V₂O₅–TeO₂ (VT) glass addition on microstructure and dielectric properties of CCTO ceramics were investigated. Dielectric measurements were carried out for (1 ? x) CCTO-(x) V₂O₅–TeO₂ (x = 0, 0.03, 0.05, 0.10) samples in the frequency range of 10²–10⁶ Hz using impedance spectrometer. Electron micrographs showed that low melting VT glass addition facilitated the grain growth of CCTO. As VT glass amount increased, dielectric constant decreased. The drop, though within reasonable values (~10⁵), may related to the presence of grain boundary glassy phase which itself has low dielectric constant. However, the dielectric loss of the composite has decreased after VT glass addition. The low melting V₂O₅–TeO₂ glass aided in liquid phase sintering and improved the grain boundary resistance which resulted in decreased leakage currents.     

Contractors' perception of the use of costs of quality system in Malaysian building construction projects

While conforming on the findings of prior researches regarding quality cost system in building companies, current research successfully illustrates the contractors' perceptions on the importance of the quality cost system and the barriers that may constrain the implementation of the system for recording and collecting quality cost data. A postal and email surveys were undertaken on Malaysian building companies, focusing on the benefits and difficulties associated with the implementation of quality cost system. Statistical analyses based on Chi-Squared test and Relative Importance Index techniques were used to investigate the significance of the findings and determine the relative importance of the factors. The most important benefit of measuring quality costs is “getting management attention and increase quality awareness” as perceived by the sample of the study. The possible barriers that may affect the management's decision to implement quality cost system are identified and grouped into three categories, which are culture and knowledge; system; and company. The study suggests that the level of the site staff's knowledge should be as important as that of the management to successfully collect and record quality costs data. The findings of this research will raise the level of awareness and sensitize managers and those involved with building industry about the importance of quality cost system and collecting quality costs data.     

Fatty acid and amino acid composition of three local Malaysian Channa spp. fish

The objective of this current study was to analyze the biochemical compositions of three Malaysian Channa spp. fish. The proximate analysis revealed that the protein content of Channa lucius, Channa micropeltes and Channa striatus was 19.9%, 22.1%, 23.0% (% of dry weight), respectively. The total lipid content was generally high, ranging from 5.7% to 11.9% and crude ash ranged from 1.0% to 1.8%. The major amino acids were glutamic acid, aspartic acid and lysine, ranging from 9.7% to 21.7%, and the most abundant fatty acid in Channa spp. was C16:0, ranging from 25.6% to 30.4%. The other major fatty acids detected were C22:6, C18:1 and C18:0. The level of arachidonic acid (C20:4) was unusually high in C. striatus (19.02%). The levels of DHA in these fish would also explain the use of Channa spp., especially C. striatus, which has been used for centuries for reducing pain, inflammation and promote wound healing in Malaysia.     

A rapid, sensitive and economic method for the detection, quantification and confirmation of aflatoxins.

A rapid, sensitive and economic method for the detection, quantification and confirmation of aflatoxins is described. Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2, are extracted by methanol/water (85 + 15) and partitioned into methylene dichloride. The methylene dichloride solution is cleaned up on a polypropylene column, filled with 0.5 g silica gel 60. The aflatoxins are eluted with chloroform-acetone (90:10) and are detected using bidirectional thin-layer chromatography (TLC) with aluminium silica gel foil. The mean recovery of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 in corn samples was 73, 78, 80, and 64%, respectively; the limit of detection was 0.5 micrograms/kg. The results can also be confirmed by derivative formation using trifluoroacetic acid on the TLC plate. The method has been applied to a wide range of foods with good results.     

Use of a Reflectance Spectroscopy Accessory for Optical Characterization of ZnO-Bi(2)O(3)-TiO(2) Ceramics

The optical band-gap energy (E(g)) is an important feature of semiconductors which determines their applications in optoelectronics. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the electronic states of ceramic ZnO and the effect of doped impurities under different processing conditions. E(g) of the ceramic ZnO + xBi(2)O(3) + xTiO(2), where x = 0.5 mol%, was determined using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer attached to a Reflectance Spectroscopy Accessory for powdered samples. The samples was prepared using the solid-state route and sintered at temperatures from 1140 to 1260 °C for 45 and 90 minutes. E(g) was observed to decrease with an increase of sintering temperature. XRD analysis indicated hexagonal ZnO and few small peaks of intergranular layers of secondary phases. The relative density of the sintered ceramics decreased and the average grain size increased with the increase of sintering temperature.     

Mangrove Oyster (Crassostrea belcheri) as a Biomonitor Species for Bioavailability of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) from Sediment of the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia

ABSTRACT

Rapid industrialization and urbanization in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia has caused increasing pollution particularly of petroleum and petroleum by-products. Surface sediment and mangrove oyster (Crassostrea belcheri) were collected from five mangrove ecosystems in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and investigated for bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Sampling locations were selected from both remote areas with few or no previous records of petroleum pollution such as Pulau Merambong and polluted areas that are under international attention such as Klang mangrove ecosystem. PAH fractions were obtained through soxhlet extraction and two-step column chromatography and the fractions were injected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for analysis. The concentrations of PAHs ranged from 151 to 4973 ng g^?1 dw in the sediments, while from 309 to 2225 ng g^?1 dw in the oysters. When tested for diagnostic ratios, a predominance of pyrogenic source PAHs was detected in the sediments, whereas PAHs in the oysters had mixed petrogenic and pyrogenic sources. A significant correlation (p < 0.05) was found between high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs in the sediments and oysters and biota accumulation factors (BAFs) of PAHs were approaching or exceeding unity indicating the ability of mangrove oyster in bioaccumulation of PAHs. Overall, this study indicates that mangrove oyster (C. belcheri) can be used as a biomonitor species for PAHs in an aquatic environment.     

Gel,thermal, and X‐ray diffraction characterization of virgin,scrapped polyethylene and its blends

The characterizations of virgin and scrapped polyethylene samples (VPE and SPE) and VPE/SPE blends were studied using different analytical techniques. The obtained data regarding crosslink density demonstrated that the radiation‐induced crosslinking of VPE, SPE, and VPE/SPE samples increased as a result of increasing irradiation dose, blending VPE with SPE, and loading the VPE/SPE blend with trimethylol propane triacrylate (TMPTA). The use of differential scanning calorimetry technique was aimed at revealing the effect of sample composition (VPE, SPE, and VPE/SPE) and also the effect and type of irradiation on the melting temperature (T_m) and the heat of transformation (ΔH_f). The melting temperature and heat of transformation increased with increasing either irradiation dose or loading the polymeric samples with TMPTA. In addition, the application of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to study the degradation characteristics of the polymeric samples in terms of onset temperature (T_i), temperature at maximum weight loss (T_s), and activation energy (E_a). The TGA results showed that the irradiation (EB and γ‐rays) and loading of polymeric samples with TMPTA led to a thermally stable polymeric matrix with higher T_i, T_s, and E_a values. The blank SPE sample or those blend rich in SPE matrix were highly thermally stable than that blank VPE one. The X‐ray diffraction investigation illustrated that VPE samples undergoes phase transformation between orthorhombic, monomclinic, and/or hexagonal as a result of irradiation. POLYM. COMPOS. 27:709–717, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Effect of nitrogen and zinc fertilization and plant growth retardants on cottonseed, protein, oil yields, and oil properties

The increase in the population in Egypt makes it imperative to explore promising approaches to increase food supply, including protein and oil, to meet the needs of the Egyptian people. Cotton is the principal crop of Egyptian agriculture. It is grown mainly for its fiber, but cottonseed products are also of economic importance. Cottonseed is presently the main source of edible oil and meal for livestock in Egypt. Field experiments were conducted in two successive seasons at the Agricultural Research Center (Giza, Egypt) on cotton (Gossypium barbadense L. cv. Giza 75) to determine the effect of nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate (107 and 161 kg of N/ha applied as ammonium nitrate containing 33.5% N in two equal doses at 6 and 8 wk after sowing), together with foliar applications of plant growth retardants (mepiquat chloride “Pix”, chloromequat chloride “Cycocel”, and daminozide “Alar”, each applied once at 288 g active ingredient/ha, after 75 d from sowing) and zinc (Zn) (applied in chelated form after 80 and 95 d from sowing at 48 g of Zn/ha) on seed, protein and oil yields and oil properties of cotton. The higher N-rate, as well as the application of all growth retardants and Zn, resulted in an increase in cottonseed yield, seed protein content, oil and protein yields/ha, seed oil refractive index, unsaponifiable matter, and total unsaturated fatty acids (oleic and linoleic). These treatments tended to decrease oil acid value, saponification value, and total saturated fatty acids. The seed oil content tended to decrease as N-rate increased and increased with the application of all growth retardants and Zn. There were some differences between Pix, Cycocel, and Alar regarding their effects on the studied characters. The highest increase in seed, oil, and protein yields/ha was found with Pix, followed by Cycocel. The Cycocel treatment gave the lowest total saturated fatty acids oil content, followed by Alar.