Innovating instruction of Malay grammar through a word list program

The dilemma of teaching and/or learning grammar in a language that is often considered ‘dry’ and dull often happens not just to students, but also to teachers.One of the factors that contribute to this problem is the lack of appeal that could intrigue students to learn, understand and gradually master the grammar of a language. Consequently, the teaching and learning of grammar which ought to be “alive” will become irrelevant, namely to the new generation of IT literate students.Thus, this study attempts to present a new method of teaching and learning grammar, taking into account the interests and preferences of students who are quite familiar to the world of information technology.If previously the teaching and learning of grammar, particularly the grammatical system, was closely related to the description of rules (right and wrong) and formulas (rules) with the aid of grammar and dictionary, the new method proposed will expose students to a computer software program based on the list of words that can assist students in understanding the grammar system more comprehensively, effectively and interestingly. For a start, this study will show how the antconc word list program enables students to understand the complex meaning of a particular lexeme selected from the corpus.Students will then learn to produce sentences from the complex meanings which they have identified from the word list program

On the Use of 3dB Qualification Margin for Structural Parts on Expendable Launch Vehicles

The standard random vibration qualification test used for Expendable Launch Vehicle components is Maximum Predicted Environment (MPE) + 6dB for a duration of 4 times the service life of the part. This can be a severe qualification test for these fatigue-sensitive structures. This paper uses flight data from several launch vehicles to establish that reducing the qualification approach to MPE+3dB for the duration of the peak environment (1x life) is valid for fatigue-sensitive structural components. Items that can be classified as fatigue-sensitive are probes, ducts, tubing, bellows, hoses, and any non-functional structure. Non-functional structure may be flight critical or carry fluid, but it cannot include any moving parts or electronics. This reduced qualification approach does not include primary or secondary structure which would be exclusively designed by peak loads, either transient or quasi-static, that are so large and of so few cycles as to make fatigue a moot point

EC-IoT : an easy configuration framework for constrained IoT devices

Connected devices offer tremendous opportunities. However, their configuration and control remains a major challenge in order to reach widespread adoption by less technically skilled people. Over the past few years, a lot of attention has been given to improve the configuration process of constrained devices with limited resources, such as available memory and absence of a user interface. Still, a major deficiency is the lack of a streamlined, standardized configuration process. In this paper we propose EC-IoT, a novel configuration framework for constrained IoT devices. The proposed framework makes use of open standards, leveraging upon the Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP), an application protocol that enables HTTP-like RESTful interactions with constrained devices. To validate the proposed approach, we present a prototype implementation of the EC-IoT framework and assess its scalability.The research from DEWI project (www.dewi-project.eu) leading to these results has received funding from the ARTEMIS Joint Undertaking under grant agreement n 621353 and from the agency for Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO). The research from the ITEA2 FUSE-IT project (13023) leading to these results has re- ceived funding from the agency for Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO)

The application of structural reliability techniques to plume impingement loading of the Space Station Freedom Photovoltaic Array

A new aerospace application of structural reliability techniques is presented, where the applied forces depend on many probabilistic variables. This application is the plume impingement loading of the Space Station Freedom Photovoltaic Arrays. When the space shuttle berths with Space Station Freedom it must brake and maneuver towards the berthing point using its primary jets. The jet exhaust, or plume, may cause high loads on the photovoltaic arrays. The many parameters governing this problem are highly uncertain and random. An approach, using techniques from structural reliability, as opposed to the accepted deterministic methods, is presented which assesses the probability of failure of the array mast due to plume impingement loading. A Monte Carlo simulation of the berthing approach is used to determine the probability distribution of the loading. A probability distribution is also determined for the strength of the array. Structural reliability techniques are then used to assess the array mast design. These techniques are found to be superior to the standard deterministic dynamic transient analysis, for this class of problem. The results show that the probability of failure of the current array mast design, during its 15 year life, is minute

Analisis berasaskan korpus dalam menstruktur semula kedudukan makna teras leksikal setia

Kekreatifan penutur memanipulasi penggunaan leksikal telah menyebabkan semakin banyak makna baru timbul dan makna-makna ini ada yang berpotensi untuk dirakamkan dalam kamus. Keadaan ini menyebabkan suatu penstrukturan makna bagi sesuatu leksikal perlu dijalankan untuk menyusun semula kedudukan makna sedia ada dan makna-makna baru tersebut. Proses penstrukturan semula boleh dimulakan dengan meneliti kedudukan makna teras bagi sesuatu leksikal, sama ada wajar dikekalkan, patut diganti kedudukannya dengan makna pinggiran atau makna baru yang berpotensi untuk dirakam, atau juga digugurkan kerana makna tersebut tidak lagi relevan dengan keadaan semasa. Kajian ini akan cuba menstruktur semula kedudukan makna teras leksikal berkaitan nilai iaitu setia. Tatacara analisis kajian ini dijalankan ialah dengan meneliti setiap ayat yang menggunakan leksikal setia. Makna leksikal tersebut dapat ditentukan dengan memahami keseluruhan konteks ayat. Setiap makna yang diramalkan terhasil akan dikelompokkan dalam kategori makna berasaskan domain yang mendasari makna leksikal tersebut. Hasil dari pengelompokan ini, akan diketahui jumlah makna yang paling kerap digunakan dalam data, dan juga dapat dikenal pasti makna apa yang diramalkan lebih berkesan atau lebih berupaya untuk menjelaskan makna-makna yang lain. Hasil kajian mendapati, makna teras leksikal setia masih kekal dalam bentuk metaforikal iaitu teguh hati. Dari data korpus yang dijadikan sandaran, didapati makna teguh hati sebagai makna teras setia bukan sahaja dapat menunjukkan kepelbagaian bentuk penggunaan, malah terdapat bukti yang dapat menjelaskan perkaitan motivasi struktur konseptual dalam menetapkan makna teguh hati sebagai makna teras leksikal setia

The Effect of Carbofuran and Endosulfan on the African Catfish, Clarias Garieplnus

This study was undertaken to determine the toxic effects of sub-lethal concentrations of carbofuran and endosulfan on some behavioural, morphological, biaccumulation, biochemical, histopathological, and molecular aspects of the freshwater African catfish, Clarias gariepinus. The toxicity of carbofuran and endsulfan was ascertained by estimating the LC₅₀. The calculated 96-h LC₅₀ values of carbofuran and endosulfan for juveniles of Clarias gariepinus were found to be 10.4 p.p.m and 2l.6 p.p.b respectively, under tropical condition. The test fish swam erratically, struggled to breath, often swam to the surface, followed by loss of equilibrium. The color of the skin became progressively pale during the period of the test, The liver glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) and acetycholinesterase (AchE) were determined photometrically. Within 16 days of treatment, the activity levels of GOT and GPT were significantly (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.001) increased by 203% and 121% for carbofuran and 167% and 195% for endosulfan respectively, whereas, AchE activity levels were inhibited following exposure to the test pesticides. With no exceptions, the in vivo and in vitro effects of carbofuran and enosulfan on GOT, GPT and AchE were qualitatively similar. The pesticide concentration in the tissues was in the order of liver> intestine> gill> brain> muscle. The highest concentration of the test pesticides (353.47 µg/g carbofuran and 1409.35 µg/g endosulfan) were found in the liver 24 hours after treatment. Liver lesions were observed following exposure to both pesticides. The evidence of pesticide accumulation was elucidated by necrosis and damaged fish liver. The depletion in the protein content was observed following exposure to carbofuran and endosulfan. The RNA concentrations were significantly decreased in Clarias gariepinus exposed to both pesticides, whereas, DNA concentrations tend to remain constant. The DNA molecular weight of the control fish was found to be about 16832 bp, whereas, the DNA molecular weights of carbofuran and endosulfan exposed fish were 14505 and 14505 bp respectively. The liversomatic index decreased to 2.11 for carbofuran and 1.59 for endosulfan in comparison to control. The biochemical, molecular, bioaccumulation, histological, behavioural and morphological techniques employed in this study may be used to detect and assess any pesticidal pollution in the aquatic environment at an early stage of pollution

Preparation and Characterization of Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Grafted Sago Starch

The graft copolymerization of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) onto sago starch (sago starch-g-PMMA) was carried out using ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) and potassium persulfate (PPS) as initiators. PMMA was first grafted onto sago starch using CAN as an initiator under nitrogen gas atmosphere. The maximum percentage of grafting (%G) was detennined to be 2460/0 when the optimum conditions (reaction temperature: 70 DC, reaction period: 2 hrs, the amount of CAN: 2.0 mmoles, the amount of nitric acid: 0.4 mmoles, and the amount of methyl methacrylate (MMA): 141 mmoles). When PPS was used as an initiator, the maximum % G achieved was 900/0. The optimum conditions for this initiator were as follows: reaction temperature: 50 oC, the amount of monomer: 47 mmoles, the amount of PPS: 1.82 mmoles, and reaction period: 1.5 hr. The copolymers produced were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometry (FTIR) , differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The FTIR spectra of the copolymers clearly indicated the presence of characteristic peaks of PMMA and sago starch, which suggested that PMMA had been successfully grafted on the sago starch. DSC and TGA thermograrns showed that the copolymerization products were made up of two different polymers. The copolymers of vanous percentages of grafting were hydrolysed with 0.5 M hydrochloric acid and the viscosity measurements of PMMA produced were carried out using Ubbelohde viscometer. The average molecular weight (Mv) of PMMA grafted onto the sago starch (2460/0G) prepared by using CAN as the initiator was 4.3xlO4, and from PMMA grafted sago starch (900/00) prepared by using PPS as the initiator was 1.3x 104. Biodegradability studies of sago starch-g-PMMA and sago starch were carried out by a-amylase enzyme. The rate of degradation of sago starch was higher than the rate of degradation of sago starchg- PMMA. Maximum biodegradation of the sago starch was achieved after 3 days of incubation, while for the copolymer was 7 days