Archives-September 2016

Carawey is biennial plant. It is a widely used and incredibly useful plant. The seeds are used for culinary purposes and medicinal treatment. It’s seeds oil was extracted by cold extraction method used two solvents, n-hexane and petroleum ether. Extracts has been investigated by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) technique. Total of 45 compounds were detected for n-hexane extract and 62 compounds likewise for petroleum ether. The two solvent extracts showed a chemical composition correlation. The most abundant compounds detected are hexadecanoic acid; Estragole; 9,12- octadecandienoic acid ; 9-octadecanoic acid; Stearatric acid, D-Limonene, octadecanal, Eicosanoic acid, 11-Eicosanoic acid, dodec-9-ynyl Cyclohexanecarboxylicacid, 7-hexadecanoic acid, 9- octandecanone, 10- nonadecanone and anethole . Besides there are some new compounds that have not been previously reported.

This project investigate the ability of banana musa L peel for adsorption of lead and copper ions from refinery petroleum wastewater. The main functional groups in banana peel were identified by FTIR, Elements composition of used medium has been characterized by Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP). Lead and copper were determined in refinery petroleum wastewater and their standard solutions before and after passing on banana peel medium by using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry technique (AAS). The adsorption isotherm fitted by Freundlich model at 38 oC and pH=5.5. The FTIR spectrum revealed that the main functional groups in banana peel are OH, C-H stretching, carboxylic acids and amino groups. Elements composition of banana peel medium was found to be Fe, Cu, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pd, Sr, Ti, V and Zn. The banana peel showed high ability to uptake lead and copper ions from refinery petroleum wastewater and their standard solutions. The R2 of leaner shape of adsorption isotherm for lead and copper ions was found to be 0.999 and 1 respectively. The concentration of lead and copper ions in refinery wastewater was reduced from 0.091, 0.060 ppm to 0.027 , 0.013 ppm respectively, after being passed through banana peel medium.

D.H.Lawrence is considered to be the most original writer of the first half of this century. He belongs to a period which was “a rich period of creative innovation and experiment in English Literature”. The novels of Lawrence have emphasized the meaning of sex and its important role in human behaviour ever since the beginning of literature, man has always been reluctant to talk about sex. Sex has always been a taboo. Lawrence wants men and women to think sex fully, completely, honestly and cleanly. Thus he expects the human race to have a proper respect for sex.

The present research is motivated by the changing roles of continuous improvement programs as a result of changes in organizational environments. Focus on the changing demands made on organizational infrastructure for continuous improvement program is under consideration. Visual process control is applied in a financial section of a company. The success of Six Sigma programs depends to a large extent on motivating employees, training them and coordinating their efforts in projects as well as implementing changes resulting from projects. Managers are interviewed (Total 12) and on the basis of score the improvement are analyzed.

The primary goal of TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) programme is to change the culture of the company’s maintenance policy by involvement of all employees toward the maintenance system of the company. The present paper aims to reduce unplanned stoppage, breakdown the accidents and losses obstructing equipment effectiveness. Prior to induce the TPM in the industry a review is being done by researcher and real time Overall equipment effectiveness is measured and shown to management of companies. Real time TPM is being implemented for an effective maintenance of the company and consecutive six month data is collected to see the change. Due to effective maintenance and employee involvement for one purpose has enforced the management for continuous improvement in the company through the systematic implementation of TPM.

The present paper identifies the critical success factors while the implementation of TQM, to evaluate their impact on the primary measures as expressed by the operational performance and the secondary measures as organizational performance, and to find out the effect of the operational and organizational performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a selected industrial sector using the semi structured interview approach. A total 297 samples are identified for analysis. 139 responses received with all detail. Respondent’s profiles are quality managers and deferent sectors are targeted. A focus is needed on analyzing various techniques and strategies to be adopted by the Indian companies.

Field equations of Saffman’s dusty gas with pressure-dependent viscosity and variable number density through isotropic porous media of variable porosity are developed in this work. The porous microstructure, the Darcy resistance and the Forchheimer micro-inertial effects are accounted for in the intrinsic volume averaging process.

The size and aggregation state of soil can be influenced by different soil management processes. The objective of this work was to determine the influence of three tillage practices; Manual clearing (MC), Plough tillage (PT) and Conventional tillage (CT) with vetiver grass strips (VGS) spaced at surface interval of 0 m (control), 5 m and 10 m. Soil samples were collected at (0-0.05 m) depth after each growing seasons in 2004 to 2006. Soil organic carbon was determined in the laboratory. Water stable aggregates (WSA) and mean weight diameter (MWD) were determined by wet sieving in 2004 to 2006. Soil organic carbon was significantly higher by 3.7 and 4.8%, respectively on both PH and CT than MC in 2005. Mean weight diameter was significantly increased on 10 m VGS than the control by 3.5% but similar to 5 m VGS. The result showed that tillage both (MC and PT) significantly increased water stable aggregate only in 2004 growing season by 20 and 16%, respectively. Appreciable but not significant increases in mean of WSA over the three years were 1 and 2.7% on 5 m and 10 m , respectively. The study showed that tillage and vetiver grass strips may have immediate and subsequent effects on soil aggregation.

Abstract Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of structurally related proteins that degrade most if not all components of the extracellular matrix and basement membranes in a zinc dependent manner at a physiological PH. Cadmium is one of environmental pollutants arising from electroplating, fertilizers, pigment and plastic manufactures, most animals with scrotal testes are susceptible to cadmium–induced testicular toxicity. In this sense, This study conducted to investigate the effect of cadmium chloride (CdCl2) injection with different dose on the quantitative expression of MMP-2 and immunohistochemistry of male rats testes. 30 male Wister rats were conducted in this study , control group received saline IP (n = 10), CdCl2 treated group (n=10) were injected IP with of 5 mg/kg B.W., the third group (n= 10) which injected IP of CdCl2 in dose 10 mg / kg BW. The injections were twice per week continued for 3 weeks. The animals were euthanized and testicular tissues were collected and used for RNA extraction and real time PCR for quantitative expression of MMP-2 and immunohistochemical demonstration. We have found MMP-2 in control groups expressed in the leydig cells and sertoli cells and different stages of spermatogenesis. After injection of CdCl2 (5mg) of male rats showed decrease the quantity and expression of MMP-2 in the testicular tissue P<0.05 compare with control group, the group injected with (10mg) CdCl2 recorded more decrease of MMP-2 expression (P<0.01). In conclusion, our results highlight that cadmium directly cause reduction the quantity of MMP-2 in the testes without induced any inflammation in testicular tissue, the reduction of MMP-2 interfere with down regulation of reproductive activity that may lead to infertility due to environmental exposure to toxic metals of male.

Drought in Kenya is not a new phenomenon. Drought is likely to become even more pronounced during the twenty first century due to climate variability whose impacts include unpredictable weather and seasons; increased frequency and intensity of droughts, floods and wind storms; warmer temperatures, resulting in heat stress, and sea level rise. Little is known and documented about Evaluation of drought mitigation and response strategies in Kenya. This study sought to contribute to closing this knowledge gap with a case study from Makueni County, Kenya. The County is located in the semi-arid environment, which is most often deficient in available moisture for meaningful agricultural engagements. Consequently, one of the unique features of the semi-arid Makueni County is vulnerability to drought events. The objective of this study was to evaluate the mitigation and response strategies adopted for drought Management in Makueni County, Kenya. To achieve the objectives of the study, both primary and secondary data were collected through a descriptive field survey design using focus group discussions, informal meetings, administration of household and institutional questionnaires, field observations, and a critical review of published and unpublished materials. Priority rank of use was used to identify the strategies. The findings of this study are anticipated to inform decision makers, development and Humanitarian actors in Kenya, whose interest is to mitigate, and respond to drought disasters on Kenyans lives, economy and development as a whole. Drought mitigation and timely responses not only saves lives but also saves funds, hence can be used to revamp the economy of the country to significant heights.