Archives-August 2012

Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System is a regional navigation system for Indian Region This system consists of seven satellites each generating navigational message in binary notation at stipulated time based on the data uploaded periodically from the control segment. Each satellite sends data in two bands viz. S and L5. Ground ranging stations receive Range and navigation data from IRNSS satellites. The data received is in properiately packed binary format and needs to be extracted to engineering units for further processing. The measurement data logs are received for every 1 second and the navigation data logs are received at every 12 seconds from each satellite. Since the logs are stored in the little Endian format and the packet headers are in big Endian format, endianness has to be considered for accurate data extraction. These logs after decoding are sent in UDP packets to the receiver which in turn stores the data in the shared memory for its readers. The reader process fetches the data from the memory and stores it to a file.

In Accra (Ghana), it is estimated that, plastic waste takes about 16.5% of the waste stream. In the past two decades, plastics have become the most favoured materials in the food and water packaging industry, contributing to an increase in their proportions in the waste stream in the region. Much earlier in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the use of paper in conventional packaging gave way most especially to polyethylene (low density, linear low density and high density polyethylene) film bags and other plastics as stringent quality standards were required in food and water packaging industries so as to minimize the incidence of food and water related epidemics. In recent years the use of plastics packaging for water and food has become favorable and very convenient. The public has therefore developed a strong desire for the use of plastics since it is less expensive, portable and can easily be carried from one place to another. After using the content, these plastics are indiscriminately discarded, littering the whole environment. These plastics however constitute a major proportion of the waste generated throughout the country, replacing leaves, glass and metals as a cheaper and more efficient means of packaging. In addition plastics collect around the city, choking gutters and drainages, threatening small animals in rivers and streams, affecting soil fertility and polluting beaches and other water bodies since resources available for the management of this waste and, for that matter plastic waste, are inadequate making it difficult to effectively and efficiently manage the waste generated.

The study was conducted to study the effects of the use of pieces of rubber as a partial substitute in bitumen flexible pave ACW 14. Bitumen is one of the binder materials used in construction of roads and pave has increased prices and costs to achieve it. As a result of increasing economic and traffic load, road bitumen structure designed should have the durability and capability services play a key role in the communication network, the most important. Objective of this study is to reduce the quantity of bitumen used and replaced with pieces of rubber. Therefore, many efforts have been undertaken to improve the quality of the existing bitumen. In this study, modified bitumen grade 80/100 pricking is done with the addition of various pieces of rubber per cent content. Percentage of rubber used is 0%, 3%, 6%, 9%, 12% and 15% of the total amount of bitumen used. ACW 14 mixes compacted with mechanical junkie and tested values Marshall Stability. Potential ACW 14 modified with a mixture of rubber elasticity modulus obtained by studying, scorching and Maximum Load and then compared with the control capabilities through a mixture of ACW 14 Indirect Tensile Test. Once the three parameters were studied, the percentage of rubber content can be determined that the optimal content of 12% rubber. Based on studies conducted, it found pieces of rubber bitumen ability to increase capacity by an increasing in the occurrence of Blowing Point Temperature Index and pricking of altered samples. It also can decrease the value of pricking. In addition the ability of a mixture of slip resistance also showed good results through the slip resistance test. Overall analysis carried out shows, the addition of pieces of rubber in the mixture can enhance the capability of the mixture 14 as ACW pave flexible.

External assistance is considered a significant factor in the economic development of Bangladesh in order to bridge the gap between savings and investments along with balance of payment situation. From the viewpoint of understanding vulnerability, there is analytical interest in the potential impact of contingent liabilities on an economy. Sustainable debt is the level of debt which allows a debtor country to meet its current and future debt service obligations in full, without recourse to further debt rescheduling, avoiding accumulation of arrears, while allowing an acceptable level of economic growth. Currently Bangladesh is spending a significant portion of its potential resources and revenue in terms of debt service. Although the country is solvent in external debt burden, there exist concerns for future stability of this sustainability without hampering the necessary expenditure in other important sectors. In Bangladesh the financial support from donor has tended to decline, reflecting more difficult budgetary conditions and a general disappointment with the results of external aid among development partners.

The study was carried out to evaluate various selected crops which were used as intercrops to control fruit drop in hot pepper (Capsicum frutescens). A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used. There were six treatments and four replications. The treatments were control (pepper), Pepper-tomato, Pepper-mint, Pepper-citronella, Pepper-onion and Pepper-garden eggs intercrops. It was observed that there were significant differences between the mean total number and weight of harvested marketable pepper fruits but the other means were not significantly different for the other parameters that were observed. Pepper-citronella recorded the highest number of harvested pepper fruits. Pepper-tomato intercrop recorded the least number of harvested pepper fruits. Percentage fruit drop in the pepper fruit was high in all treatments.

Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) is a gap graded special mix consists of up to 80% by weight of coarse aggregate and 8 - 12% by weight of filler. The high proportion of coarse aggregate provides an interlocking stone-on-stone skeleton that resists permanent deformation. Since SMA contains large amount of filler, this paper presents an evaluation of the effects of filler type and particle size on the permanent deformation properties of SMA mixtures incorporating granite aggregates, 80/100 penetration grade asphalt, and four different fillers (limestone as control, ceramic waste, coal fly ash, and steel slag). The selected fraction of filler (10% by the total weight of aggregate) was blended in three different proportions 100/0, 50/50, and 0/100 passing the 75 and 20 micron. To determine permanent deformation characteristics of bituminous mixtures by repeated cyclic axial load indirect tensile testing using the Universal Testing Machine (UTM) in accordance with procedures outlined in BS-EN 12697-25:2005. The Repeated Load Axial Test (RLAT) and Resilient Modulus test were carried out on twelve different SMA mixtures using Marshall cylindrical samples to evaluate the effects of filler types and filler particle size on the SMA mixture deformation properties. The results and the analysis of the fundamental parameters of permanent deformation and resilient modulus have indicated the improved stiffness and the potential benefits in terms of high temperature rutting (increased stiffness and elastic response) of laboratory blended and proprietary of SMA mixtures incorporating ceramic waste and steel slag fillers with medium size particles (50/50 proportion) compared to the control mix. The coal fly ash mixtures are the least susceptible to permanent deformation.

Service sectors such as banking, healthcare, hospitals, retail etc in India are facing an immense pressure from customers in providing the services at a faster rate with a greater quality. At present, service sectors are increasingly becoming a customer centric service provider. Integration of Lean and Six Sigma is a kind of quality and time enhancing strategy that can help service sectors to win the customer loyalty and growth. However, Lean Six Sigma itself is only not enough to meet the rapidly increasing competition, but also, the integration between Lean Six Sigma and the knowledge management is very important. The study examines the achievable benefits by the use of knowledge management and also gives the critical analysis of the impact of Lean Six Sigma in service sectors and the customer satisfaction by providing the products and services at the best quality within the least time (customer available time). The article provides “5 I” (5 I – Identify, Investigate, Improve, Implement and Impart) approach with Lean and Six Sigma combination and the tools and techniques to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the services and products that provide. In this article “5 I” approach explains the use of tools and methodology to be adopted to streamline the process and also to improve the quality in the output. The 5I approach with the tool box explained in the article interim will help in growth of service sectors in India in achieving effectiveness and efficiency. It also provides the customer satisfaction by providing the services faster, greater quality and lesser cost.

This paper presents the theoretical framework underlying the analysis of EFL reading instructional methods in relation to preparation for content area reading in English within the EFL context. The framework used in this paper is based on Richards and Rodgers’s (2001) model of method of analysis of language teaching which was adapted to suit the analysis of the method of EFL reading instruction reflected in EFL curriculum documents. At the level of Approach, the analysis of method of EFL reading instruction was described in terms of theories of SLA and L2 reading theories. At the level of Design, the analysis of method of EFL reading instruction was described in terms of types of reading tasks, the level of cognitive demand of reading tasks, and types and length of reading passages.

The paper attempts at introducing Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) as an advanced analytical technique in the area of social and behavioural research. Although other multivariate analytical techniques are equally being employed by the social and behavioural scientist, SEM provides a more holistic analysis and handles complex models. A literature review was conducted and consequently, the procedure, merits and demerits of SEM were revealed. It was concluded that the SEM is superior to other multivariate analytical techniques such as Analysis of Variance, Multivariate Analysis of Variance, Factor Analysis and Regressions.

The formal-logical analysis of the Boltzmann distribution on the basis of probability theory and Gibbs quantum canonical distribution is proposed. It is shown that the Boltzmann distribution function is neither a reliable result of probability theory nor a consequence of Gibbs quantum canonical distribution. Conclusion is that the Boltzmann distribution function has no statistical and physical meaning, and the concept “Boltzmann distribution” should be abolished.