Ungku Omar Polytechnic

The increasingly widespread use of composite materials for structural materials forces composite materials to have superior mechanical properties, one of which is impact strength. The material’s impact strength was determined by calculating the impact energy obtained from the impact test. Many things impact the strength of composite materials. Many studies have been conducted on the mechanical properties of composite materials. However, the above research has not investigated the influence of the morphology of the second phase on the mechanical properties of resin composite materials. The morphology of the second phase used as reinforcement in composite materials can be particles, short fibers, or continuous fibers. The shape (morphology) of the second phase affects the impact strength of the composite material. Therefore, this study was intended to examine the effect of the morphology of Coir Coconut fiber as the second phase (reinforcement) combined with the percentage of its content in epoxy resin matrix composite on the impact strength, as well as to determine the optimum morphology and the percentage of the second phase. The study was designed using the full factorial. Furthermore, the data on the impact strength of the specimens were analyzed to obtain a regression model for the relationship between the morphology of the second phase and the percentage of the content of the second phase on the impact strength. With this regression model, it is possible to predict the impact strength of various morphological forms of the second phase and optimize the optimum content of the second phase.

The construction sector plays a crucial role in Malaysia's socio-economic growth, as high-rise building construction projects contribute approximately 4.7% to 7.2% of the national GDP annually. Despite their importance, project delays continue to present a significant challenge, frequently caused by subpar workmanship, a shortage of labour, ineffective site management, financial limitations, and adverse weather conditions. To capture a diverse range of perspectives from construction professionals, the study used a substantial sample size during data collection, thus bolstering the credibility and applicability of its findings. A carefully designed questionnaire, informed by insights from an initial study, was employed to conduct the survey. The questionnaire consisted of 43 delay factors commonly found in the research literature and seven additional factors from the initial pilot survey. Participants assessed the importance of each delay factor by utilising a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "not significant" to "extremely significant. " The aim was to determine the order and significance of factors causing delays in construction endeavours. Significant findings suggest that a lack of staff, financial challenges, insufficient planning, client approval delays, material scarcity, and ineffective site management primarily cause delays. The challenges have a notable effect on stakeholders, resulting in delays, monetary setbacks, and, in some cases, project rejection. The study emphasises the capability of combining Construction Drone Technology (CDT) with Building Information Modelling (BIM) to address these delays efficiently. The integration significantly improves real-time monitoring, logistics planning efficiency, minimisation of material wastage, and fosters better communication among project teams. Moreover, there is a focus on training project stakeholders, such as consultants and contractors, to improve their grasp of delay factors and strategies for mitigation.

Abstrak: Pendekatan dan strategi dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran adalah amat penting untuk pelajar dapat menguasai kemahiran yang diperlukan pada abad ke-21 ini selaras dengan proses pelaksanaan transformasi pendidikan. Kajian ini dijalankan untuk melihat kesan pelaksanaan model ik-PBM bagi kursus Pengajian Islam terhadap pemikiran kritis pelajar. Pendekatan kuantitatif dengan reka bentuk kuasi-eksperemen digunakan melibatkan kaedah ujian pra dan pasca terhadap kumpulan rawatan dan kumpulan kawalan yang terdiri dari 64 orang pelajar di salah sebuah politeknik. Kajian ini menggunakan instrumen Malaysian Critical Thinking Skill Instrument-MyCT yang telah diuji kesahan dan kebolehpercayaan item instrumen menggunakan Model Rasch. Manakala kaedah analisis data adalah menggunakan statistik deskriptif yang melibatkan skor min dan sisihan piawai, seterusnya ujian-t sampel bersandar dan tidak bersandar menggunakan perisian IBM Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS) versi 27. Dapatan menunjukkan terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan antara kumpulan rawatan dan kawalan, dengan nilai p .000 (p ˂ .05). Manakala dapatan nilai kesan saiz kumpulan rawatan terhadap ujian kemahiran kritis mencapai tahap yang tinggi (ƞ2 = 0.29). Kesimpulannya dapatan ini menunjukkan model ik-PBM dapat meningkatkan tahap pemikiran kritis

Pepper is one of the most significant agricultural products in Sarawak, Malaysia currently in the fifth largest pepper producer in the world after Vietnam, India, Brazil and Indonesia. Black pepper and white pepper both come from the same plant, but they are prepared differently. Black pepper is made by cooking dried unripe fruit, meanwhile white pepper is made by cooking and drying the ripe seeds. The production contributes to the aspects of economy and plantation rate of the state. However, the process of pepper through manual work is time consuming and a tough process which requires commitment and hard labor from the farmers. Therefore, the objective of this research is to fabricate the Mini Multi-Function Pepper Machine for small or medium enterprise by reducing the time of drying process. This fabrication machine consists of all the procedures involved in the production of white pepper, which are soaking, heating, drying and grinding process. Through the operation observed, this machine was able to undergo production in 208 to 300 minutes for 300g of white pepper, in comparison to the traditional way that needs approximately 1 to 4 weeks to undergo one production batch of white pepper.

Stabilization of clayey soils with lime has shown that small amounts of lime considerably improve the workability whereas larger amounts of lime only improve the strength which requires several months or years and is thus considered the long-term treatment. Nanoparticles are excellent candidate materials for soil improvement. Due to their smaller dimensions, nanoparticles possess a very high specific surface and react more actively with other particles in the soil matrix. The existence of even a minute amount of these nanoparticles can result in extraordinary effects on the engineering properties of soil. Thus, this study was carried out to validate the chemical effectiveness of nanolime additives as soil stabilizer. Lime and nanolime were chosen as additive to investigate its reactivity on silty clayey soil. The results of pH test revealed that the pH increased proportionally, changing from 4.07 (acidic range) to about 7.85 and 12.47 for a dose of 1.0% of lime and nanolime, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) tests were run for original and treated soil samples to characterize the mechanisms of chemical improvement. Nanolime shows superiority in soil improvement compared with lime even at the dosage of 0.5%. The results indicate that nanoparticles have higher specific surface area and this will lead to a larger amount of water encompass the outer surface of particles. Due to higher ability of nanolime to flocculate and agglomerate, it could fill the micro and nano pores as well which dramatically enhances the chemical properties of the soil.

Due to their noninvasive and extremely sensitive temperature measurement capabilities, fluoro-optical temperature sensors have garnered significant interest. Nonetheless, optimising performance in terms of accuracy and range remains a challenge. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the performance of fluoro-optical temperature sensors via design optimisation and novel calibration techniques. Beginning with linearity assumptions, temperature dependencies, and restricted temperature ranges, the limitations of existing calibration methods are identified. To surmount these limitations, a novel calibration technique incorporating multi-point calibration, dynamic calibration curve adjustments, machine learning algorithms, or self-calibration approaches is proposed to compensate for nonlinearity, temperature dependencies, drift, and ageing effects. In addition, design optimisation strategies for fluoro-optic temperature sensors, including fluorophore selection, optical setup optimisation, and thermal management and signal processing considerations, are investigated. These alterations seek to improve the sensor's sensitivity, response time, and overall performance. The proposed calibration techniques and design optimisations are implemented and assessed via simulations employing synthetic temperature data and sensor response models. Utilising performance evaluation metrics such as mean measurement error and maximum measurement error, the efficacy of the proposed techniques is determined. Compared to conventional calibration methods, the results demonstrate significant improvements in precision and range. The novel calibration technique resolves limitations effectively, resulting in reduced measurement errors and enhanced long-term stability. Enhanced design optimisation improves sensor performance, resulting in increased sensitivity and quicker response times. This paper offers valuable insights for researchers and practitioners seeking to improve the performance of fluoro-optical temperature sensors in a variety of applications, such as industrial process monitoring, biomedical research, and environmental monitoring.

Human comfort is important not only in a building but also in the engine room of a ship. This issue has been discussed for a long time to ensure that seafarers onboard ships can work with good performance and comfort. In this assessment, the indoor air quality (IAQ) in the engine room area of 55.2 square meters and 2.54 m high on a medium-sized vessel was investigated. The present IAQ status of this study attempts to provide information in the engine room during the engine running ongoing task. This assessment included visual observations, chemical contaminant parameters (carbon dioxide), and physical condition parameters (air velocity) were measured using a thermal comfort multi-station, TCM. This device was able to record eight indoor parameters, i.e. the air velocity, CO2 level, air pressure, relative humidity, sound level, air temperature, luminance, and globe temperature. The monitoring of CO2 levels in indoor air as well as the air movements in the engine room are used as one part of determining the effectiveness of a ventilation strategy and providing information on indoor air quality in compliance with IAQ standards and guidelines. The recorded data were compared with corresponding parameters in the Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality set by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Ministry of Human Resources, Malaysia, Malaysia DOSH 2010, Guide for Crew Habitability on Ships from American Bureau of Shipping, ABS 2016, and American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Standard Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality from Air-Conditioning Engineers, ASHRAE 2016. The assessment is conducted to evaluate the exposure of the engine crews to the carbon dioxide contaminant and to recommend further appropriate control measures to prevent or reduce risks. Based on the assessment conducted, it shows that the average 3-h CO2 concentration did not exceed the ceiling point recommended by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Ministry of Human Resources, Malaysia, 2010. However, due to the exhaust system leakage factor and the inefficiency of the ventilation in the engine room caused the CO2 gas to accumulate.

Charcoal has been among the alternative energy sources that are used worldwide. The famous feedstock in producing charcoal is normally wood. Yet, due to certain circumstances varieties of raw materials have been used to make charcoal. Even so, suitable processing methods need to be considered so that the feedstock is fully utilized. Major drawbacks that need to be considered for charcoal are in terms of low-density, low fixed carbon, high ash, contamination, moisture content and many more. These problems are addressed and being partially solved by using coconut shell as the feedstock and pyrolysis method as the process of producing coconut shell charcoal. This paper focuses on the works that have been carried out in the last decade for producing charcoal. Different types of material sources are presented with a focus on approaches in developing charcoal. Pyrolysis or thermal decomposition of feedstock under low temperature is believed to prove better characteristics of coconut shell charcoal. This is because by applying indirectly the low temperature heating process could enhance the charcoal benefit. Nevertheless, it is important to be aware of any beneficial nutrient from coconut shell after pyrolysis process or any technologies which can offer better solutions to charcoal problems.

The interactive model of a district cooling system in a cogeneration plant is the model that allows researchers, students, and lecturers to know how the system of district cooling works. Basically, the method of teaching with chalk and talk from the lecturer to explain how the system run resulted in low understanding. This is because the real plant of the district cooling is huge and located far from the Institute of Politeknik Ungku Omar. In the program structure of Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (air conditioning and refrigeration), students in semester 4 must study the course of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration System which consists of the subtopic for district cooling system. Therefore, an interactive model of the district cooling system in cogeneration plants is developed for teaching and learning material. The most interesting part of this model is the synchronization between the models with the mobile application. Thus, the lecturer can explain with an attractive mode and the students can access and easily understand the function of each component of the district cooling system. The application is only available on android devices. From the pre- and post-test of using the interactive model, it is shown that the results of the theory test for Air Conditioning and Refrigeration System increased by 44%.

This project was conducted to design a cold room at an external warehouse, with the aim to increase the efficiency of inventory report cross-checking and to develop a standard operation procedure (SOP) for material movement. The data obtained is based on observation and a pilot test simulation before setup the actual design of the cold room. To execute this project, one design of the cold room has been designed to accommodate excess material at a minimum of 100 pallets. Therefore, material can be stored in the cold room with a specific temperature. The outcomes for the cold design can optimize space and accommodate more material in the cold room. This project also aims to increase the efficiency of the cross-checking inventory report between the internal and external warehouses and to develop a new SOP for movement of materials. To increase efficiency of the cross-checking report, one method has been suggested and some observations have been performed for movement of materials concept for SOP development in this project. The outcomes of this project are that one can store a higher volume of excess raw material to the cold room and a higher efficiency of the cross-checking inventory report between both warehouses.

Ankle injury is one of the physical injuries that commonly occur during physical related activities, especially in sports. Currently, there are established treatments for ankle rehabilitation at the hospital. This treatment involves range of motion exercises and endurance exercises. However, current treatment requires patients to visit to hospital frequently which is very repetitive in nature. Ankle rehabilitation robots are developed to enhance ankle strength, flexibility and proprioception after injury and promote motor learning and ankle plasticity in patients with drop foot. This article reviews the types of actuators used in ankle rehabilitation and discusses the evolution of industrial robotics towards rehabilitation.

Pelajar di Institusi Pendidikan Tinggi perlu dipupuk dan dilibatkan dalam aktiviti kesukarelawanan selari dengan keperluan melahirkan modal insan yang holistik. Kajian tinjauan kuantitatif ini bertujuan melihat bidang yang diceburi oleh pelajar dalam aktiviti kesukarelawanan, ciri-ciri kesukarelawanan pelajar, faktor dan kesan melibatkan diri dalam aktiviti kesukarelawanan. Kajian dijalankan dalam kalangan 961 orang pelajar secaradalam talian. Data dianalisis secara deskriptif dan inferensi. Hasil kajian mendapati pelajar paling banyak terlibat dalam aktiviti dalam bidang keagamaan, pelajar mempunyai ciri-ciri kesukarelawan yang sangat baik, faktor utama pelajar melibatkan diri dalam aktiviti kesukarelawanan adalah kerana ingin meningkatkan kemahiran diri (SM=4.44; SP=0.60), kesan pelajar melibatkan diri dalam aktiviti kesukarelawanan berada pada tahap sangat tinggi dengan skor min keseluruhan adalah 4.32 (SP=0.55), terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan kesan melibatkan diri dalam aktiviti kesukarelawanan berdasarkan gender dimana skor pelajar lelaki (SM=4.26, SP=0.59) berbanding pelajar perempuan (SM=4.39, SP=0.51) dengan nilai t=-3.617, P=0.000, pelajar menunjukkan persetujuan yang tinggi dalam saranan dan cadangan yang diberikan dan mengemukakan banyak cadangan dan pandangan berkaitan aspek yang dikaji. Kajian mendapati pelajar mempunyai kesediaan dalam melaksanakan aktiviti kesukarelawan dan mempunyai kecenderungannya dalam aktiviti kesukarelawanan. Kajian berkala dan melibatkan pelbagai konstruk perlu dilakukan bagi melihat lebih terperinci aspek kesukarelawanan dalam kalangan pelajar

Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) is also one of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDG 5). This fifth goal aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. One of the SDG5 goals is to enhance the use of enabling technologies, particularly information and communications technology, to promote women’s empowerment. According to the Groupe Speciale Mobile Association's (GSMA) Connected Women Programme (2015), approximately 1.7 billion women do not own a mobile phone. Enabling independent mobile ownership and use is currently one of the most important issues facing women with regard to SDG5. Therefore, this paper aims to explore various key issues and challenges related to mobile technology use and women’s engagement in Malaysian higher education to achieve gender equality. A qualitative method was used for the study. Semi�structured interviews were conducted with eight female and two male lecturers from public higher learning institutions in Malaysia. The research findings revealed that the respondents viewed the adoption and use of mobile technologies as critical to improving the use of ICT to promote the role of women in higher education. Therefore, the desire to work towards true gender equality within our academic communities and institutions is needed now, with the hope that more ways will be created beyond our universities, in our nations, and in our communities, to realise this human right in our world.

As the fourth industrial revolution guides humanity toward the next stage of civilization, there have been various changes across multiple domains of life. The youngest generations now face a new era in which unexpected problems continuously arise and evolve. Consequently, innovation is needed, especially in psychology and technology. This innovation is important because of the increasing number of issues that plague human life, especially psychological problems, trauma, and phobias. However, modern psychology has not kept pace with these developments. Based on this, the researchers developed a tool called IP-Light Technologies. This tool was developed using a research and development approach. Product testing in the form of prototypes is limited and widely carried out in West Nusa Tenggara, West Sumatra, DKI Jakarta, and Bali. As a result of testing, the final prototype was widely produced. The perceptual light prototype comprises a set of lamps and a multiplicity of LED lights extending in horizontal wings spaced concerning the main handle; an elongated handle extending from the main handle in the opposite direction, vertically to horizontally; a linear array of illuminated displays located on the display surface of the handle; and numerous control switches mounted on the casing. The device further comprises a power supply, and control circuit wherein the LEDs on both wings are arranged in an array configured so that the combination of each bulb may project high-intensity light. A lamp clip with a spring design can be clipped on the edge of a table or any other surface.

Biogeotechnology is a subfield of geotechnical engineering that utilizes microbial approaches to improve the engineering parameters of soil. The use of biological processes in the soil reclamation process shows great potential in terms of sustainability and environmental friendly compared to treatment using chemicals such as cement and lime. These additives are recognized to have less ideal environmental impacts due to, in particular, the high quantities of greenhouses that are typically created during production. In this case, one of the potential environmentally friendly and sustainable material options is to use biopolymers obtained from living organisms for soil stabilization, especially in tropical residual soils. However, the physical characteristics of biopolymers fluctuate significantly depending on their types and compositions. The primary purpose of this research is to examine the effects of small quantities of biopolymers on the physical parameters of residual soil (1%, 2%, 4%, and 5%), namely xanthan gum and guar gum. Atterberg limits, optimum water content, maximum dry density, pH, and specific gravity are among the parameters discussed in this research. The shear strengths of both treated and untreated soil at various curing times were experimentally investigated by performing an unconfined compressive strength test. A small amount of biopolymers increased the pH values, reduced the maximum dry density, improved the optimum moisture content, decreased the specific gravity, and also increased the plasticity index. Furthermore, the unconfined compressive strength results highlight that the strength of the soil tends to improve with the addition of biopolymers, highlighting its promising potential for sustainable engineering.

This paper presents an investigation of the drilling performance of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite based on the thrust force, temperature, and delamination factor (at entry and exit of the hole). High-speed steel (HSS), solid carbide (SC), and solid carbide Balinit® Helica coated (SCBH) twist tools were used for the drilling process. Other drilling parameters were high spindle speeds (12,000, 15,000, and 18,000 rpm), feed rate (300, 500, and 700 mm/min), and laminate thickness (3, 5, and 7 mm). ANOVA and response surface methodology were developed to examine the drilling process based on input and output parameters. Results showed that delamination was observed in the form of matrix debonding, uncut fibers, and fiber pull-out. The best drilling performance was achieved by the SC and SCBH tool at a low feed rate (300 rpm) and high speed (18,000 rpm), and high laminate thickness (7 mm).

Background: The kinematic effects of gestes have not previously been studied. The mechanism(s) by which these sensory tricks modify dystonic movement is not well understood. Objectives: A kinematic investigation of the geste phenomenon in patients with dystonia. Methods: Twenty-three patients with dystonia associated with a geste were studied. Twenty-nine healthy controls also participated. Fifteen seconds of finger tapping was recorded by electromagnetic sensors, and the task was repeated with geste. Separable motor components were extracted using a custom-written MATLAB script. Performance with and without geste was compared using Wilcoxon signed ranks testing. Results: Speed and fluency of finger tapping is impaired in dystonia. When patients executed their geste, speed of movement (amplitude × frequency) increased (P < 0.0001), and halts decreased (P = 0.007). Conclusions: That gestes improve not only dystonic muscle contraction but also the efficiency of voluntary movement suggests a broad influence at the premotor control stage.

Deposits are like the bloodline for banks as they determine banks' lending capacity and a country's economic savings. However, the existence of a dual banking system poses a challenge to Malaysian Islamic banks competing for deposits. Despite this problem, few investigations were done to comprehensively identify the factors that could help banks attract deposits, particularly for Islamic banks. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap on deposits of 16 Islamic banks in Malaysia. Secondary data from the bank's annual reports and the Department of Statistics of Malaysia from 2015 to 2019 were analyzed, comprising Islamic Bank Deposits and seven predictors in an empirical model using STATA. The result shows a strong model fit with 92% R squared value that Return on Assets, bank concentration, and Business Enterprise Depositor affect Islamic Bank Deposits positively and significantly while Capital Adequacy Ratio showed negative and significant influence on the deposits. These factors are strongly effective to deposits, significant at 1% level. In contrast, Financing Deposit Ratio and Gross Domestic Product do not significantly influence Islamic deposits. Contrary to economic theory, this study found that an increase in inflation encourages customers to increase their saving deposits in Malaysian Islamic banks. The findings from this study are unique to Malaysian Islamic banks. They indicate important policy implications for Islamic banks practitioners, namely, to increase their focus on business enterprise customers, improve bank's market share and profitability in order to increase deposits while taking advantage of high inflationary period to attract more depositors.

Current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic pneumonia caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is spreading worldwide at an accelerated rate, with estimate reproductive number of 2-2.5, indicating that two or three individuals may be infected with index patient cases. It is totally risky for vulnerable groups and communities where there are insufficient healthcare facilities to treat the infection, causing severe public health emergency. This study further highlights the review of COVID-19 in reopening Malaysia's borders and bringing together the latest options about drafting to reopen the country. Malaysia's border controls have been tightened to deter imported cases, mitigate locally transmitted cases, and increase the capacity of Malaysian health care facilities. There is not a sample size of this study. The purpose of this writing is to examine the possible outbreak of COVID-19 Malaysia in the event of reopening the national border and the safety and security issue related to COVID-19. The literature search was conducted via google scholar in order to find out the suitable articles for reference. The aim of the study is to express an opinion that can be viewed by tertiary maternity units capable of treating those affected by the pandemic while ensuring the protection of the people at its core.

In this study, ceramic foams were produced using starch consolidation casting method. This research focused on the preparation of alumina-based ceramic foam by using corn starch as a pore-forming agent. Preparation of alumina based ceramic foam is studied to observe the effect of the addition of corn starch on its physical, mechanical and morphological properties. The composition of the suspension used included 64–58 wt.% alumina, 55 wt.% deionised water and other materials, such as silica and polyethylene glycol (PEG), were used as additive and dispersing agent respectively. Corn starch was added at 4, 6, 8 and 10 wt.%. The samples were preheated for gelation and coagulation processes, then dried and sintered at 1250 °C for 2 h. The ceramic foam gave a linear shrinkage from 1.07% to 3.39%. The obtained flexural strength was between 0.594 and 1.996 MPa. The average total porosity ranged from 54.05% to 70.70%. This study found that the suitable amount of corn starch in alumina foam is 4 wt.% because the resulting porosity values and flexural strength are appropriate for ceramic foams.