Penyelidik UTHM terima pengiktirafan KPT Tiga produk penyelidikan Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) telah dipilih untuk meraih anugerah penghargaan pada Malam Citra anjuran Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi (KPT) pada 05 Mac 2013 bertempat di Hotel Marriot, Putrajaya. Penghargaan ini diberikan atas sumbangan UTHM dalam menjayakan Pelan Tindakan Pembangunan Modal Insan Inovatif Tertiari (PTPMIIPT) yang diterajui oleh KPT. Majlis ini telah disempurnakan oleh Ketua Setiausaha KPT, Dato’ Ab. Rahim bin Md Noor yang mewakili Menteri Pengajian Tinggi, Dato  Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.  Majlis gilang-gemilang ini turut dihadiri  hampir keseluruhan wakil Institusi Pengajian Tinggi Awam yang bersama-sama menerima penghargaan melalui hasil produk masing-masing. UTHM yang diwakili oleh Timbalan Naib Canselor (Penyelidikan & Inovasi), Profesor Dr. Wahid bin Razally turut disertai oleh penyelidik universiti yang telah berjaya iaitu Profesor Madya Dr. Anika Zafiah bt. Muhd Rus bagi produk Catalytic Converter ;  Prof Madya Dr. Lee Yee Loon dengan produk Aerated Lightweight Concrete Technology In Block Form And Insitu Casting  dan Prof. Madya Dr. Mohd Saidin bin Wahab Dengan produk  A Method Of Producing A Dental Prosthesis. Majlis yang bertujuan untuk mengeratkan lagi hubungan antara KPT, IPTA, industri, pelabur, agensi kerajaan dan swasta ini, dilihat sebagai satu platform penting kepada penyelidik-penyelidik universiti ke arah penghasilan penyelidikan dan produk penyelidikan yang bakal  menggerakkan inovasi negara.

Terakhir dikemaskini ( Rabu, 13 Mac 2013 )

we're discussing the qualities of leadership using the acronym L-E-A-D-E-R-S. The fourth letter, "D," stands for doing.)

A leader must be action-oriented, turning his decisions into plans. "Decision" is just as important a "D" word as "doing." The two are linked in consciousness - and that's the rub. When you are about to make an important decision, what basis do you rely on? The topic is studied in departments of history, political science, and business, using various models. Modern leaders tend to be more educated than in past generations, so they are familiar with these models.

The main lessons drawn from the past tend to lead to the following conclusions:

1. Assess the ratio of risk to reward.

2. Know the situation. Gather as much external evidence as possible.

3. Judge your rival's tactics as best you can.

4. Gather a team, which shares the same values and goals.

5. Think outside the box to avoid conventional wisdom and the rigidity it brings.

6. Learn to trust your instincts.

7. Generate enthusiasm, loyalty, and esprit de corps among your followers.

This is good advice, much of it appealing to common sense. But they skew decision-making toward the cool-headed and rational. That's fine in the classroom; it bears little resemblance to decision-making in real life, which is fraught with stress, time pressure, deadlines, internal squabbles, conflicting aims, anxiety, and the pervasive confusion that afflicts "the fog of war" but hardly stops there.

Psychological studies have shown that emotions cannot be separated from reason, and experiments that attempt to isolate rational thinking have almost entirely failed. For example, buyers will pay too much for retail goods if they are in a bad mood or a good one. Bidders will go over their limit in the heat of auctions, and they will even pay more than an item is worth if there's a rival they want to beat. Buying a new dress and bidding on an antiques auction are minor, everyday decisions compared with the kind that leaders must make.

The focus necessarily turns to an arena that is hard to document and analyze in leadership courses. In this arena are intangibles of mood, psychology, group behavior, social dynamics, and so on. Skill in these areas is real and invaluable, and the lessons to be learned need to begin early on. They look different from the rational angle taken so often in case studies.

1. Know yourself. Tune in to how you feel. Don't try to be a rational robot, but don't make decisions overshadowed by anger, jealousy, and fear.

2. See the mood of the team as a reflection of your own as their leader.

3. Earn your group's loyalty by emphasizing hope, trust, stability and compassion, the four things that followers most want from a leader.

4. Learn the pitfalls of ego - self-importance, bravado, winning at all costs.

5. Never do what you know to be wrong - moral decisions aren't guaranteed to work, but the opposite is guaranteed to have high personal costs.

6. Fully recognize and reward the achievements of others. Honest praise and encouragement from the leader is a valued good, just like a salary bonus.

7. Promote diverse opinions, but make sure that they are positive contributions. Naysayers, messengers of gloom and doom, and worst-case scenario experts should be avoided. Realism isn't the same as bad news.

8. As leader, remember that you are the messenger of vision, and there's only one of you to do that job.

9. Don’t promote an atmosphere for gambling and gun-slinging. It will lead to dishonest representation of a situation's risks.

10. Catch yourself if you see that your followers fear you. Fear can create discipline, but the drawback is that others will be reluctant to tell you hard truths when you need to hear them.

All of these steps become natural when your goal is to live consciously - you would apply them in a family situation as much as in a corporate boardroom. They aren't "softer" than rational analysis but instead draw upon wider aspects of a leader's function - knowing yourself is as critical as knowing the data. In a world where resources are growing limited and competition extends globally, many more decisions will be made in the future based on consciousness of the whole situation and its human impact on everyone's life. This is a trend well worth joining as early as possible.

Deepak Chopra, MD is the author of more than 70 books with twenty-one New York Times bestsellers. FINS - Wall Street Journal, stated that “The Soul of Leadership”, as one of five best business books to read for your career. Co-author with Rudolph E. Tanzi, their latest New York Times bestseller, Super Brain: Unleashing The Explosive Power of Your Mind to Maximize Health, Happiness, and Spiritual Well-being (Harmony, November 6, 2012) is a new PBS special.

Professor Ravindra Gettu

July 13, 2011

Dr. Ravindra Gettu is a Professor of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai since 2004. He has a Ph.D. degree in Structural Engineering from Northwestern University. After his post-graduate studies in the US, he moved, in 1990, to Spain and became the Director of the Structural Technology Laboratory in Barcelona.

His areas of research have been fracture mechanics of concrete and rock, nonlinear behaviour of cement-based materials, high strength concrete, fibre reinforced concrete, self compacting concrete, and the effective use of chemical admixtures. In these and related areas, he has co-authored more than 300 publications. He is the Chairman of the Technical Activities Committee of RILEM, the International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Structures and Systems based in France.

Humans like to think we're a clever lot. Yet those magnificent, mighty brains that allow us to split the atom and touch the moon are the same stupid brains that can't start an assignment until the day before it's due.

We evolved from primitive creatures, but we never quite shed ourselves of their legacy. You know the clever, rational part of your brain you think of as your human consciousness? Let's call him Albert. He lives in your brain alongside an impulsive baby reptile called Rex:

(Rex is your basal ganglia, but that's not very catchy so I'm sticking with Rex).

Rex evolved millions of years ago - unsurprisingly enough, in the brains of reptiles - and his instincts guide and motivate you to this day. Hunger. Fear. Love. Lust. Rex's thoughts are primitive and without language.

Here's the bit you're not going to like. Rex makes the final call on all your decisions.Every. Single. One.

We like to think of Albert as "our true self" - the conscious part of your brain. He's the talking, reasoning part. When we decide to go to the gym or write that term paper, Albert made that decision. 

Rex does listen to Albert. Like a child, he will do a lot of what he's told, as long as he wants to. But if Rex prefers to crash on the sofa to watch Survivor and eat Cheetos, that's what you're going to do.

The incredible ascension of mankind that surrounds us is largely possible because we've developed systems to nurture our reptilian brains, to subdue, soothe and subvert them. 

Much of this this system we call "civilisation". Widely available food and shelter take care of a lot. So does a system of law, and justice. Mandatory education. Entertainment. Monogamy. All of it calms Rex down for long enough for Albert to do something useful - like discover penicillin, or invent Cheetos. 

Now let's look at your procrastination.

You're making a decision with your conscious mind and wondering why you're not carrying it out. The truth is the real decision maker - Rex - is not nearly so mature.

Imagine you had to constantly convince a young child to do what you wanted.  For simple actions, asserting your authority might be enough. "It's time for dinner". But if that child doesn't want to do something, it won't listen. You need to cajole it:

• Forget logic. Once you've decided to do something, logic and rationale won't help you. Your inner reptile can be placated, scared and excited. But it doesn't speak with language and cannot be reasoned with.
• Comfort matters. If you're hungry, tired or depressed your baby reptile will rebel. Fail to take care of yourself, and he'll wail and scream and refuse to do a damn thing you say. That's what he's for. Eat, sleep and make time for fun.
• Nurture discipline. Build a routine of positive and negative reinforcement. If you want a child to eat their vegetables, don't give them dessert first. Reward yourself for successes, and set up assured punishments for your failure. Classic examples include committing to a public goal, or working in a team - social pressure can influence Rex.  
• Incite emotion. Your reptile brain responds to emotion. That is its language. So get yourself pumped, or terrified. Motivational talks, movies and articles can work, for a while. I use dramatic music (one of my favourite playlists is calledMusic to conquer worlds by). Picture the bliss associated with getting something done, or the horrors of failing. Make your imagination vivid enough that it shakes you. We use similar tricks on children for a reason: "brush your teeth or they'll fall out".
• Force a start. The most important thing you can do is start. Much of Rex's instincts are to avoid change, and once you begin something those instincts start to tip into your favour. With enough time, you can even convince Rex tolove doing the things he hated. There's a reason we force kids to go to school or to try piano lessons.
• Bias your environment. Rex is short sighted and not terribly bright. If he sees a Facebook icon, he'll want it. It's like showing a child the start of a cool TV program immediately before bedtime. Design your environment to be free from such distractions: sign out of instant messenger, turn off notifications, turn off email. Have separate places for work and fun, and ideally separate computers (or at least accounts).

Once you know what to look for, you'll start to recognise the patterns and control them.

There's an impulsive baby reptile in your brain, and unfortunately he has the steering wheel. If you can be a good parent to him he'll mostly do what you say, and serve you well. Just remember who's in charge.

Recycled Package Topper

Recycled Package Topper

Ever get tired of the same ole bows on top of those presents? Well change it up a bit with this recycled package topper. This topper can be made from the card board rolls that you have left over after you have finished your wrapping paper and they are super simple to make.

Supplies
1-card board roll (or paper towel roll)
White glue
Ribbon (long enough to fit around your package)
Scissors (I used both plain and fancy edged)
X-acto knife
Scraps of colored or scrap book paper
Compass
Ruler

1. Take the card board roll and flatten it. Measure out eight 1.75" wide sections and cut them.
   
   
2. Put white glue on about a half inch of the bottom of one of the card board pieces then glue it to another of the card board pieces.
   
   
3. Continue glueing the card board sections together to form a circular star.
   
   
4. Cut a circle out of your scrap paper that is 2.5" round. (NOTE: I used scissors that had a fancy edge but regular scissors would work fine. I also cut a second 2" circle from another color and printed out a third circle with some holiday artwork but this is not necessary. Play around with different colors, patterns and textures of paper to get a look that appeals to you). Measure the area in the center of the star where the circle will cover and place glue on the edges and glue the paper to the center of the star.
   
   
5. Cut a 2" circle and cut 2 slits the width of your ribbon on each side. Thread the ribbon through the circle.
   
   
6. Measure the area in the center back of the star where the circle will cover and place glue on the edges and glue the backer with the ribbon to the back of the star.

Here is the finished product:


If you like the art I used for the center of my star, here it is an a few more, Happy Holidays!

Global Wind Power Market Guide: Economics, Technologies and Opportunities

 

With wind power leading the renewable industry, most countries are planning or implementing wind power growth strategies. This report details technology development in the global wind power market, outlines individual country programs and policies, and profiles onshore and offshore projects, and major industry players. [...]

Read Full Details Now

Among all renewable power technologies, wind power is established as a relatively mature technology and has tremendous potential for commercialization and mass production. The global wind power market recovered in 2011 setting a record for new wind power capacity of 4 GW, bringing the total to 239GW, with an output accounting for 3 percent of the total generation capacity in the world.

Data from the World Wind Energy Association shows that wind power now has the capacity to generate 430 TWh annually. Over 200 GW of new wind power capacity could come on line by December 2013. And wind power market penetration is predicted to reach 3.35 percent by 2013, and 8 percent by 2018.

In many developing countries, off-grid small wind power is an efficient and cost effective solution to power supply problems in remote regions. Small-scale wind power technologies now have applications including city road lighting, mobile communication base stations, offshore aquaculture and sea water desalination in several countries.

KEY FINDINGS:

- With the federal wind production tax credit due to expire on Dec. 31, 2012, and no clear political motivation for an extension, it looks as though US wind power may stall in early 2013.

- Many countries are planning their entire energy production around wind power. In 2010, Spain became Europe's leading producer of wind energy, achieving 42,976 GWh, and as of March 2011 wind was the Spain’s main energy source. Germany held the top spot in Europe for installed capacity, with a total of 29 GW as of December 2011.

- Together, China and India accounted for more than half of newly installed wind power in 2011. It was the second year in a row in which wind energy capacity growth was dominated by countries outside the OECD, and that trend is expected to continue in the next five years;

- While the market continues to diversify across all continents, it is at the same time plagued by continued slow economic growth and budget crises in the OECD, as well as the continuing credit crunch.

- The world market for wind energy experienced solid growth in the first half of 2011, recovering from weak 2010 growth. Total installed capacity worldwide reached 215 GW by the end of June 2011, and 239 GW by the end of 2011.

- The current analysis of the market suggests that as much as 85 GW of new capacity could come online in the next one to two years based on the project pipeline for wind power projects already in the process of being commissioned, constructed or which have secured financing. The United Kingdom could become a significant player in the European market in the coming years.

- In 2011, offshore wind power capacity in Europe grew by 866 MW, with 348 MW installed in the first half of the year. In 2011 there were 11 offshore wind farms under development in Europe, which, when all completed, will have a capacity of nearly 2.8 GW. This is likely to be just the beginning of the offshore expansion in Europe, as a total of 19 GW of offshore wind power projects have received planning approval, although it remains to be seen how much of this capacity will actually be constructed.

- The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) projects that new capacity additions will increase through 2015. New capacity additions are projected to grow from 41GW in 2011 to 62.5 GW in 2015. If these projections are realized, global installed wind capacity will reach 460 GW by 2015, 2.3 times the total installed capacity in 2010. World Wind Energy Association projections are even higher, anticipating a global capacity of 600 GW by 2015.

- The outlook in North America is uncertain, due to legislative uncertainties and the ongoing impact of weak economic fundamentals, but new capacity additions could increase to 12 GW in 2015.

- In Europe new capacity additions should increase to 14 GW by 2015 and total installed capacity to 146 GW by the end of that year.

- In Latin America new capacity additions are projected to grow strongly from 0.7 GW in 2010 to 5 GW in 2015, increasing cumulative installed capacity from 2 GW to 19GW. This rate of growth is less than the excellent wind resource could support, but encouraging developments in Brazil, Mexico and Chile are offset by a lack of political commitment and supportive policy frameworks elsewhere.

- The outlook for Africa and the Middle East is particularly uncertain, but new capacity additions could increase ten-fold from 0.2 GW in 2010 to 2 GW in 2015. Africa has an excellent wind resource, although it is not evenly distributed, and there is potential for Africa to see much stronger growth rates in the future.



FACTORS AFFECTING THE GLOBAL WIND POWER MARKET:

- The biggest uncertainty is the future of the US Production Tax Credit, and its impact on the world’s second largest wind market. Whatever happens, it seems likely that after a strong 2012, there is going to be a drop in 2013. How big a drop, how long it will last, and what effect it will have on both project and manufacturing investment, is the single largest variable affecting the overall market size in the next few years.

- Uncertainty about the future of carbon markets is a factor. There is little prospect of a revitalization of the CDM markets in the next five years, other than a modest new source of demand from Australia. The European ETS is flooded with credits from too generous allocations in the earlier periods and there is no certainty that it will be ‘fixed’ any time soon. However, new potential markets in South Korea and China may start to have an impact by the end of this period.

TRENDS:

- For the second year running, the majority of new installations were outside of the OECD, and this trend will no doubt continue. Most of the growth markets in the world now are outside the traditional markets in Europe and North America.

- While the Chinese market has now stabilized for a while, the Indian market is growing strongly as are Brazil and Mexico. There are also some bright spots in new ‘emerging’ markets in Eastern Europe, as the EU continues its steady if unspectacular march towards its 2020 targets. Canada and Australia are potentially substantial markets which could add significantly to global growth figures, and South Africa has now entered the market in earnest.

- Outlook for the coming period is a bit somber compared with previous forecasts, but this reflects the market realities from where the market was in late March 2012. Overall, the market should see average annual market growth rates of about 8% for the next five years, but with a strong 2012 and a substantial dip in 2013.

- Total installations for the 2012-2016 period should be about 255 GW, and cumulative market growth averaging just under 16%. This is well below the 28% average for the last 15 years, but substantial growth in difficult times. Overall, a total capacity is anticipated to be just under 500 GW by the end of 2016, with an annual market in that year of just under 60 GW.

- While the industry is expected to continue to grow during the coming five years, it’s not going to be easy. It will be especially tough for manufacturers, with chronic over supply adding to existing downward price pressure from general economic conditions to cut margins dramatically.

- The offshore market is likely to be driven by the United Kingdom and Germany, while France and Sweden also have significant projects in the pipeline. The interest in offshore wind is also increasing in China which already has around 150 MW in the water and has plans to deploy 5 GW by 2015 and 30 GW by 2020, while the United States has also discussed significant deployment.

- Asia, Europe and North America will continue to drive new capacity additions in the near future. China is likely to continue to dominate new capacity additions, as ambitious plans and supportive policies align. Although new capacity additions may not grow as rapidly as they have in recent years, China plans to reach 200 GW of installed capacity by 2020.

- India is likely to emerge as an important new market, with capacity additions of 2 GW to 3 GW per year. Overall, new capacity additions in Asia could increase from 21.5 GW in 2010 to 28 GW in 2015 (GWEC, 2011). This implies that by2015 Asia could have a total of 185 GW of installed wind capacity, displacing Europe as the region with the highest installed capacity.

This research report provides a comprehensive analysis of the World Wind Power Industry including:
- Overview of wind power technologies;
- Analysis of the global market for wind power followed by a country-by-country analyses;
- Analysis of onshore and offshore wind power by country
- Analysis of the Small-wind turbine market
- Profiles of major onshore and offshore wind farms;
- Profiles of major industry players

Top 10 countries for wind-energy production in 2011:
Country, GWs Added in 2011, Total GW
China 17.6 62.4
US 6.8 46.9
Germany 2.1 29
Spain 1 21.7
India 3 16.1
France 0.8 6.8
Italy 1 6.7
Canada 1.3 5.3
Portugal0.4 4.1
Denmark 0.2 3.9

High Rise Construction

Project Name:	Vista Bay Apartments
Location:	Butterworth, Penang
Built up:	115 units of Apartments, 1 Block of 19 Storeys
Number of GLOCS:	270,000 pieces
Developer:	Rikki Development Sdn Bhd
Year of Completion:	2008

Summary:
GLOC has the capacity to be safely used in high rise development including residential and commercial buildings, especially in partit non-load bearing structures and emergencycost that the The major escape routes.developer saves includes the usage of support beams internally that reduces the cost of construction.

Low Rise Development/ Building Modification

Project Name:	Richmont Residences
Location:	Jelutong, Penang
Built up:	94 units of 3-Storey Terrace Houses
Number of GLOCS:	300,000 pieces
Developer:	Richmont Development Sdn Bhd
Year of Completion:	2007

Summary:
GLOC has been proven to reduce the internal heat of residential homes with increased heat insulation and also higher sound absorption of up to 45dB. The Richmont Residences is located about 100 meters from a neighbourhood mosque and the noise level of the prayer chants heard can be low, or at times minimal by the residents from within their homes.

Government Buildings & Projects

Project Name:	Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN) Office
Location:	Sungai Petani, Kedah
Number of GLOCS:	130,000 pieces
Developer:	LHDN, Supervised by JKR
Year of Completion:	2011

Summary: GLOC is also proven to be a good solution for government projects and used by JKR as shown here in the Income Tax office in Kedah. The selection of GLOC to be used in this project which includes an auditorium and offices has been key in the following projects received to supply GLOCs to a few government schools in the Norther