Archives-December  

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of antioxidant additives (hypotaurine and cysteine) in different concentrations to the cryopreserving media on the semen cytological parameters pre freezing and post thawing (motility, membrane integrity, morphology, acrosome integrity and viability).The experiment was done on 30 ejaculates collected by artificial vagina method from 5 boer goat bucks during April to May 2011. After collection, ejaculates qualifying standard criteria were pooled. Pooled ejaculates were washed for seminal plasma removal and then diluted in medium based on Tris in which antioxidants were added in various concentrations (hypotaurine 5, 10 and 20mM; cysteine 5, 10 and 20mM) or without antioxidants (control). The diluted semen was cooled at 4ºC, filled in 0.25ml French straws and then stored in liquid nitrogen. The results showed that semen quality did not differ (P < 0.05) in terms of morphology and acrosome integrity with antioxidants supplementation after cooling. Hypotaurine and cysteine significantly improved the characteristics of boer goat semen motility, membrane integrity, morphology, acrosome integrity and viability after cryopreservation. Addition of hypotaurine at 10mM and cysteine at 5mM concentration leads maximum improvement in liquid and frozen boer goat sperm cytological characteristics.

The study investigates the effect of Staff Socio-Mobility skills on Library Staff Productivity in seven Academic Libraries in South West, Nigeria. The focus of the study is to identify socio-mobility skills of staff, determine the effect of staff socio-mobility skills on staff productivity in these libraries. The sample population consisted of 150 librarians, and a descriptive survey was adopted for the study with the questionnaire used as the main instrument of data collection. However, a total number of 113 copies of the questionnaire were returned, thus giving a response rate of 75%. The findings revealed that majority of the respondents agreed that library resources management has positive effect on their productivity. Librarians at Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAB) have higher productivity than those in each of the other academic libraries. In order to determine the effect of socio-mobility skills on library staff productivity, an hypothesis was formulated and tested and it shows there is no significant effect of staff socio-mobility skills on staff productivity in the selected academic libraries. The study concluded that library staff should be encouraged to attend seminars, trainings, and workshops in order to improve their socio-mobility skills, and librarians should ensure they publish regularly in learned journals to enhance their productivity.

Eutrophication is a worldwide environmental problem attributed to direct or indirect discharge of untreated or partially treated effluents from a variety of industries including slaughter-houses. Nutrient-rich water compromises its suitability for various uses and threatens human and environmental health. A study was carried out to assess the impact of effluents from Dagoreti slaughter-houses on the water quality of Kavuthi stream, one of the tributaries of Nairobi River. Samples of effluent effluents from the slaughter-houses and water from Kavuthi stream were collected in 2010 for the determination of both temporal and spatial variation of various eutrophication parameters: total phosphates (TP), soluble reactive phosphates (SRP), ammonium (NH4), nitrate (NO3) and nitrite (NO2). A mean concentration of 5.14± 0.30 mgL-1 for TP, 2.80±0.37mgL-1 for SRP, 18.27± 0.93 mgL-1 for NH4-N, 8.88±0.25 mgL-1 for NO3-N and 1.63±0.22 mgL-1 for NO2-N were recorded for the effluent from the slaughter-house. Significant differences were observed between sampling occasions and sites (p<0.05) along the stream. On average, 1.52±0.08 mgL-1 for TP, 0.68±0.05 mgL-1 for SRP, 5.34± 0.41 mgL-1 for NH4-N, 4.36±0.20 mgL-1 for NO3-N and 0.46±0.05 mgL-1 for NO2-N for the water samples along Kavuthi stream were recorded. Despite the significantly high concentrations of these nutrients in sites downstream of the effluent discharge point as compared to upstream sites, their levels were within the limits stipulated by National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) - Water Quality Regulation for effluent discharge into the environment and source of water for domestic purpose. The study recommends that the slaughter-house operators adopt appropriate effluents treatment interventions and effluent discharge guidelines in order to safeguard human and environmental health.

In present paper, we investigated the water samples taken from sewage treatment plant (STP) at Habak of famous Dal lake Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir). Comparative analysis was carried out for inlet of the STP and outlet discharged into the Dal Lake. Some essential physico-chemical parameters like pH, electrical conductivity (EC), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD),chemical oxygen demand (COD),dissolved oxygen (DO),chloride (Cl-),total alkalinity (TA),total hardness (TH),total solids (TS), total dissolved solids (TDS),total suspended solids (TSS) were studied. TS,TDS and TSS were determined by oven dry method, COD was determined by reflux digestion method, BOD was estimated by Azide modification of Winkler method, TA as HCO3-,TH (Calcium, Ca2+, Magnesium,Mg2+) and Chloride (Cl-), were estimated by standard titrimetry. For major and minor trace element (TE) determination, energy dispersive x-ray (EDAX) facilities attached to Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were employed. It was observed that the concentration of TS, TSS, TE, BOD and COD reduces but the Dissolved Oxygen (DO) increases after treatment at STP. It was found that the contents or proportions of most of the parameters (TS, TSS, TE, BOD and COD) decrease whereas the dissolved oxygen was found to increase after treatment. Various possibilities are explored vis a vis the current observed data.

Quantum chemical calculations of energies, geometrical structures and electronic absorption spectra of 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole (DAT) were carried out by ab initio HF/6-311+G(d,p), DFT (B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p)). The optimized geometric bond lengths and bond angles obtained by HF method show best agreement with the experimental values. Comparison of the observed fundamental vibrational frequencies of DAT with calculated results by HF and density functional methods indicates that B3LYP is superior to the scaled Hartree-Fock approach for molecular vibrational problems. The difference between the observed and scaled wave number values of most of the fundamentals is very small. A detailed interpretation of the FT-IR and FT- Raman, NMR spectra of DAT was also reported. Thermodynamic properties were also calculated and discussed. UV–vis spectrum of the compound was recorded and the electronic properties, such as HOMO and LUMO energies, were performed by time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) approach. Finally the calculations results were applied to simulated infrared and Raman spectra of the title compound which show good agreement with observed spectra. The Mulliken charge analysis indicates that the nitrogen atoms of the triazole ring and the amino group attached to the ring are the main reactive centers of 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole. And the temperature dependence of the thermodynamic properties of constant pressure (Cp), entropy (S) and enthalpy change (?H0?T) for DAT were also determined.

Thisstudy compares the heat transfer coefficients for film and dropwise condensation of steam.Copper tube was coated with oleic acid to promote dropwise condensation of steam rather than a continuous film. Excellent dropwise condensation was observed when the cooling surface was coated with oleic acid, and this helps to enhance droplet formation without wetting the surface.The experimental results shows that the value of overall heat transfer coefficient is 50000 W/m2K in dropwise and 12500W/m2K in filmwise condensation.Thus, theoverall heat transfer coefficients during dropwise condensation are approximately four times greater than those during filmwise condensation at the same surface subcooling degrees.

In India nature and pattern of industrialization has been undergoing complete change in the post reform era. In a market driven economy, survival and growth of entrepreneur will mean continuous up gradation and creation of the competitiveness in a globalised world, challenges of development of competitiveness are many. For this , the new age entrepreneur needs building up core capabilities constantly in order to improve quality of products, penetrate into new markets, creating brand images, sourcing new resources, upgrade skills and innovating new technology. While success of entrepreneurship much depends upon the technical and managerial skills, it also depends on his/her capability to process and organize resources efficiently. At present there are 350 SMEs clusters in India spread over traditional as well as modern sectors. Fast growing industrial states such as Gujarat, Tamilnadu and Delhi and NCR region have witnessed a large number successful SMEs induced by favorable state policies, market growth, both domestic and international market. Yet in vast majority of the areas, SMEs are not viable due to lack of technical knowledge, inability to access changing mood of the market, inability to bear financial and market risks. All these have constrained them to share the benefits of market economy. Due to inherent constraints embedded in size of operation, development of entrepreneurship in the SME sector is conditional to the development of favourable Government policies creating external economic environment.

Plants are an integral part nature. These are the life sustaining force on the earth. Local communities regularly use medicinal plants for treatment of diseases, wounds, fractures and other ailments. Tribal areas in the district of Nagaur were visited to collect informations on ethnomedicinal plants used by local people, Vendors, Ojha, Bhopa, Bhagat, Vaidyas and Sadhus. The preset investigation in aimed to create awareness about the ethnomedicinal value of the plants and their uses to draw the attention of pharmacologists, phyto chemists and pharmaceutical.

Previous tests on PVC-concrete composite columns showed that most of tested columns had failure regions near the top or bottom of the columns. Therefore it is intended, in this study, to reinforce the ends of these columns in an attempt to improve their behavior. A series of unreinforced and partially reinforced PVC-concrete composite columns were tested under axial compressive loading. It was found that the strength of partially reinforced PVC-concrete composite column is greater than that of corresponding unreinforced column by about 3%, and that the ultimate strain of partially reinforced PVC-concrete composite column is less than that of corresponding unreinforced column by about 4.4%. Although the increase in strength was unnoticeable, the steel reinforcement at the ends was adequate to prevent failure to occur at these ends.

In recent days most of the automotive parts are manufactured with different materials which will increase the weight of the vehicle and the materials also cannot be recycled. But with the European union and Asian countries stringent norms on automotive end life i.e the parts should be recycled. This made the researchers to use natural fibers in composite materials. With their low cost, low density, stiffness, high specific strength and biodegradable characteristics, they are considered as perfect replacement for conventional fibers. This has resulted in creation of more awareness about the use of natural fibers based materials mainly composites. The properties of the composites mainly depend on the interfacial adhesion between the matrix and the fibers. The present study aims at the mechanical properties namely tensile strength, flexural strength and impact strength of the composites. In the present work the composite is produced with good compressive strength (Egg shell) and tensile strength (coconut coir) materials and is further tested for various mechanical properties. The results indicated that these composites are very good for automotive applications.