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RESEARCH INFORMATION FROM USM |
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Information Service for Commerce and Industry |
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MIDAS, Universiti Sains Malaysia |
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ADVISORY AIDED SYSTEM TO INSTITUTE OF HIGHER LEARNING (AAISTIH) BASED ON RULE-BASED & PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT
Mohd. Azam Osman, Maziani bt Sabudin, Shaiful Hisham Shaharuddin School of Computer Sciences USM Main Campus
ABSTRACT This paper discuss about the implementation and method used in AAISTIH. AAISTIH is a web-based database system that uses rule-based and personality assessment in assisting student to apply the suitable course in institute of higher learning in Malaysia. It is a system designed with one thing in mind: to guide and advice students in selecting the courses tailored to their interests and qualifications based on students academic qualifications and interests, using the rule-based approach in Artificial Intelligence.
AUTOMATIC GENERATION OF ANNOTATED TOPIC HIERARCHY
Chuah Choy Kim School of Computer Sciences USM Main Campus
ABSTRACT Nowadays, the rapid growth on online resources and the resulting information flood increasingly complicate the retrieval of information. In this paper, we describe a methodology to construct an annotated topic hierarchy. For each topic in topic hierarchy, a set of keywords is selected to represent the concept of the topic. The keywords are selected from the documents classify under the topic using feature selection method. This set of keywords can well represent the concept of the topic, thus can be used to annotate the topic. Furthermore, this set of keywords can also be used as concept to automatically classify new documents into the topic.
BIG PICTURE CODEC FOR MULTIMEDIA CONFERENCING SYSTEM
Sureswaran Ramadass National Advanced IPv6 Centre (NAv6) USM Main Campus
ABSTRACT A Video codec is a device or software module that enables the use of compression for digital video. Historically, video was stored as an analog signal on magnetic tape. Around the time when the compact disc entered the market as a digital-format replacement for analog audio, it became feasible to also begin storing and using video in digital format, transmitting compressed video and a variety of such technologies began to emerge. In this research, we worked on higher quality and high resolution video at low bit rate for video conferencing.
DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL ADSORPTION/FILTRATION MEDIA FOR WATER AND WASTE TREATMENT
Wan Saime Wan Ngah School of Chemical Sciences USM Main Campus
ABSTRACT In this study, the original chitosan, chitosan flakes were physically modified into chitosan beads and were chemically cross-linked with gluteraldedyde (GLA), epichlorohydrin (ECH) and alginic acid. Various ratios of the chitosan beads to cross-linking reagents were prepared based on the ratio of chitosan beads to cross-linking agent. These modifications of chitosan beads are to improve the chemical strength (upon acid and base), increase the mechanical strength and increase the adsorption capacity. Analytical techniques such as carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen elemental analysis, surface area and average pore diameter, infrared spectroscopy and scanning, electron microscopy have been used in order to characterize the chitosan and cross-linked chitosan beads. A batch adsorption system was applied to study the adsorption or removal of trace metal (Cr and Cu), synthetic organic compound (p-nitrophenol) and also organic compound (humic acid) using chitosan flakes, chitosan beads without cross-linking and cross-linked chitosan beads. Adsorption experiments were carried out as a function of pH, agitation period, agitation rate and others. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models were applied to describe the isotherms and isotherm constants. Based on the equilibrium data of the adsorption of p-nitrophenol on chitosan flakes and chitosan-GLA beads, the adsorption of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) ion on chitosan beads, the adsorption of humic acid on chitosan-ECH beads and the adsorption of Cu on chitosan-alginate beads, all the adsorbent beads studied are favorable adsorbents and it can be reused.
EXPLICIT SOLUTION OF A COUPLE SYSTEMS OF PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS ON A MESSAGE PASSING ENVIRONMENT
Norhashidah Hj. Mohd Ali School of Science Mathematical USM Main Campus
ABSTRACT A new concept of explicit methods, pointwise or groupwise, was extensively researched since the mid 1980s as they possess a quality which makes them amenable for use on parallel computers. Such attempts includes Yousif and Evans (1986), and Abdullah (1991), who explored the explicit group and the explicit decupled group methods respectively. In this work, the group iterative schemes, i.e. the four-point Explicit Group (EG) method and the four-point Explicit Decoupled Group (EDG) method are considered in solving several types of partial differential equation (pdes) in parallel. The equations under study are the more complicated p.d.e.s which are the general coupled system of elliptic pdes specifically the biharmonic and the two-dimensional steady-state Navier-Stokes equations. Biharmonic equation represents a variety of problem in both fluid dynamics and elasticity. While the Navier-Stokes equation describes the basic two dimensional, steady-state, viscous, incompressible flow problem which is one of the fundamental p.d.e. in fluid dynamics. These iterative algorithms were ported to run on a cluster of distributed memory parallel computer using Message-Passing Interface (MPI) programming environment. The parallel implementations of these methods in solving the coupled equations are described and the results of the numerical experiments are also discussed.
DETERMINATION OF FACTORS AFFECTING THE BIOCONVERSION EFFICIENCY OF PALM OIL PRODUCTS INTO MICROBIAL POLYHYDROXYALKANOATES (BIOPLASTICS)
K. Sudesh Kumar School of Distance Education USM Main Campus
ABSTRACT The aims of this research are to develop a novel approach for the production of P (3HB-co-4HB) using a mixture of palm oil products and 4HB related carbon sources. At the moment, P (3HB-co-4HB) is identified as the most appropriate biomaterial suitable for the medical and pharmaceutical applications. The drawback for the normal method for biosynthesis of this copolymer is the high cost of production. Therefore, the novel approach that was taken to synthesize this copolymer is by using a more cost effective one-stage culture, which uses palm oil products as the main carbon source. Therefore, the cost of production will be significantly reduced. The resulting P (3HB-co-4HB) copolymer with various 4HB compositions were then subjected to physical and chemical analyses. This study has revealed that a combination of palm oil products and 4HB precursors can be used to produce copolymers with low 4HB content.
MODIFICATION OF OIL PALM EFB FIBRE PULPING PROCESS WITH A MORE ECONOMICAL AND ENVIRONMENTALLY COMPATIBLE APPROACH TO ENABLE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SMALL-SCALE PULP MILLS
Leh Chen Peng School of Industrial Technology USM Main Campus
ASBRACT The modified pulping process was consisted of a simple pretreatment and a conventional pulping process. The effect of four simple pretreatments namely auto hydrolysis, mild acid hydrolysis, washing with detergent and mil alkaline soaking were studied in this study. From the results obtained, all the four pretreatments gave significant benefit to the conventional pulping process by producing pulp with similar yield and kappa number even though the milder pulping condition was employed (which normally is not adequate to be used to fully cook the oil palm EFB fiber to become pulp). In addition, the pulps produced by the modified 2-stage pulping process showed higher cellulose viscosity (18-22 as compared to 14 from the conventional pulping process), which is very important pulp property to the pulp mill if full bleached pulp is the targeted end product because it indicated that the pulp has larger allowance to experience further degradation during the subsequent bleaching process without causing detrimental effect on the paper strength. The modified pulping process especially mild alkaline soaking-soda AQ pulping is more economic then conventional pulping process where only 150oC is adequate to fully cooking the pulp and thus the pressure in the digester is also lower proportionally.
EXPLICIT SOLUTION OF A COUPLE SYSTEMS OF PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS ON A MESSAGE PASSING ENVIRONMENT
Norhashidah Hj. Mohd Ali School of Science Mathematical USM Main Campus
ABSTRACT A new concept of explicit methods, point wise or group wise, was extensively researched since the mid 1980s as they possess a quality which makes them amenable for use on parallel computers. Such attempts include Yousif and Evans (1986), and Abdullah (1991), who explored the explicit group and the explicit decupled group methods respectively. In this work, the group iterative schemes, i.e. the four-point Explicit Group (EG) method and the four-point Explicit Decoupled Group (EDG) method are considered in solving several types of partial differential equation (pdes) in parallel. The equations under study are the more complicated p.d.e.s which are the general coupled system of elliptic pdes specifically the biharmonic and the two-dimensional steady-state Navier-Stokes equations. Biharmonic equation represents a variety of problem in both fluid dynamics and elasticity. While the Navier-Stokes equation describes the basic two dimensional, steady-states, viscous, incompressible flow problem which is one of the fundamental p.d.e. in fluid dynamics. These iterative algorithms were ported to run on a cluster of distributed memory parallel computer using Message-Passing Interface (MPI) programming environment. The parallel implementations of these methods in solving the coupled equations are described and the results of the numerical experiments are also discussed.
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