Archives-December 

The conventional electric grid is continuously shifted towards technological transformation of Smart Grid. The gradually increasing electricity cost, inadequate infrastructure, electricity losses at various stages, carbon footprint and climate changes are some of the major player for paradigm shift towards smart grid. The smart grid is next generation grid network that promises advantage such as decentralized control, digitalization, flexibility, intelligence, resilience, sustainability, and customization. In this article, we are put forth some of pioneer development and challenges faced in the smart grid environment. This article also discusses the smart grid development regarding with Indian perspectives.

In modern conditions of globalization and development of information technology, information processing activities have come to be seen as essential to the success of organizations. Information is not only an asset, it is also crucial to making key business decisions, whereas information systems is technology required for information processing. The application of information systems technology in businesses and organizations has opened up new possibilities for running and managing organizations, as well as improved management decision making. Improving information management practices is a key focus for many organizations, across both the public and private sectors. This is being driven by a range of factors, including a need to improve the efficiency of business processes, the demands of compliance regulations and the desire to deliver new services. In many cases, ‘information management’ has meant deploying new technology solutions, such as content or document management systems, data warehousing or portal applications. The work of managers in small and medium-sized enterprises is very information-intensive and the environment in which it is done is very information rich. But are managers able to exploit the wealth of information which surrounds them? And how can information be managed in organizations so that its potential for improving business performance and enhancing the competitiveness of these enterprises can be realized? The purpose of this paper is to give an understanding of the role that information systems have in decision making and to discuss the possibility of how managers in organizations can make the best use of information systems. This paper provides a framework of effective use of information systems and offers an alternate approach to investigate the impact that information systems technology have in management decision making.

The purpose of this study was to establish effects of strategic innovation management on competitiveness in the hotel industry. The specific objectives of the study were to; determine the effects of products and service innovations on competitiveness in hotel industry and establish effects of technology innovations on competitiveness in hotel industry. The study adopted Organizational Performance Model (OPI) developed by Kenya Institute of Management. OPI model was developed to promote organizational excellence and competitiveness in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The study was done in seven selected hotels in Nakuru town which were selected based on the ratings by international booking companies namely; Eagle Palace Hotel, Hotel Waterbuck, Midland Hotel, Merica Hotel, Emboita Hotel, Milele Resort, and Avenue Suites Hotel. Simple random sampling was used to select 44 support staff. Purposive sampling was used to select heads of departments in the five departments in each hotel giving a sample of 35 HODs and one overall manager in each hotel giving a sample of 7 managers hence an overall sample size of 86 respondents. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data. Questionnaires were used to collect data from the heads of department and support staff while interviews were used to collect data from the managers. The questionnaires were coded and analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequencies and percentages and inferential statistics using regression model to test the strength of association between the independent and dependent variables. The analysis was done with the aid of SPSS version 20. The data from the interviews were analyzed using content analysis. The findings and recommendations of the study are to provide empirical information to the government of Kenya in policy formulation for revamping the tourism sector. The findings are also to be of significance to the managers in the hotel industry in formulating innovative strategic plans. Finally, the study will contribute to the existing literature on strategic management practices in the hotel industry. The study established that product/ service innovations significantly predict competitiveness in the hotel industry (?1= 0.583, P= 0.00). Technology innovations significantly affect competitiveness in the hotel industry (?2= 0.098, P= 0.033). The researcher recommends that as the hotels innovate their products and services, they should design to meet the needs of particular target customers. The researcher recommends that; the hotel managers should place more emphasis on product and service innovation in order to remain competitive, investment in technology by the management to enhance their competitiveness, as the hotels innovate their products and services, they should design to meet the needs of particular target customers.

Polycrystalline bulk samples of La_0.5Ca_0.5MnO₃ were synthesized by solid state reaction method to explore their structural, electrical and magnetic properties. The Rietveld treatment of the X-Ray diffraction (XRD) profiles clearly indicated that the XRD patterns are well fitted with Orthorhombic structure. Raman peaks revealed their finger print positions and irreducible representations at the Brillouin zone center as presented by the group theory. Resistivity ‘?’ measurements revealed that  ? first increases as temperature ‘T’ decreases, exhibits a peak at T = Tp (Tp is the temperature corresponding to the resistivity peak), which is around 150 K in the present compound and then decreases as T is further reduced below Tc (Tc is the ferromagnetic curie temperature). For T > Tc, the resistivity shows activated transport as in an insulator. Magnetization study revealed that both a paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition and an antiferromagnetic transition are involved. Possible mechanism contributing to these processes such as activated transport and Zener double exchange has been discussed.

The ligand 3,8-Dimethyl-5,6-benzo-4,7-diazadeca-3,7-diene-2,9-dione dioxime was synthesized by the condensation of o-phneylenediamine with diacety monoxime in a 1:2 mole ratio. It has been isolated in the solid state and characterized by CHN, IR, and NMR spectra. The ligand is a neutral compound and on complexation with metal ions loses one of the oxime protons with the concomitant formation of the intramolecular hydrogen bond. Six coordinate Co(III) complex, four coordinate square planar Ni(II) complex and five coordinate square pyramidal Cu(II) complex are synthesized by the reaction of the respective metal chlorides. All these complexes are characterized by infrared, electronic spectroscopy and conductivity measurements. Indirect evidence for the formation of intra-molecular hydrogen bond in these complexes is obtained by replacing the hydrogen bonded proton by the BF2 group by treating the complex [Cu (DO)(DOH) bzo) Cl] with BF3OEt2.

In this article neuro-fuzzy systems for active management of packet queue of the output port of a router of a telecommunication network are considered. The employment of this systems allows reduction of average packet delay in a queue of the output port of a router and lowering of the probability of packet discard.

Enthusiastic interest to protect their environments for improved agricultural production has led rural communities to adopt a desert encroachment control strategies through community participation. Thus, the present study attempts to compare the perceptions, participation and empowerment between socio-demographic characteristics of the participants of afforestation programme in Toshia community, Nigeria. Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 150 participants who were purposively selected. The data was analysed using t-test for the comparison and analysis. The results of the study revealed that there were significant differences in perception, participation and empowerment between ethnic groups, age and education level of the participants. The study suggests a guidance for community development professionals with a strategy for assessing the community and developing a principle based approach outreach, perception and participation.

Since one of the factors contributing to the understanding of the Qur'an, the words appear, it is clear that any change in the Arab derivation of a word or a variation of it, and turned to talk to other characters may lead to a change in meaning As a result, the interpretation of it. The author, wants to know whether the effect of the interpretation of the readings, such as fundamental changes in the concept and meaning of the Quran, so that he can decree the provisions of Sharia, or religious principles alter or causing minor changes and negligible in the interpretation and meaning of the verse is?. For this purpose, the expression of the sheer size of ten readings, Reading dispute that, in such a way to understand the meanings of the verses, and interpret it had an effect were selected according to the quality of the impact of differences in the interpretation of collected, various readings in the verses of monotheism is examined. At the end of the research and studies carried out in this thesis, the following results were obtained: Some differences in readings, has little effect on their interpretation, and most of the different dialects of Arabic, but some impact on their interpretation so may lead to change in order to be legal and religious. If the difference in some theological and religious issues, stemming from the differences in readings. Reasons and justifications for some time, after Imams life readings discussed, and not because of actual readings and more was learned that inductive and discretion. Although some commentators, on the basis of his interpretation have Hafs narration, but no other verse based on the readings, have been interpreted.

Extracurricular activities have a lot of influences on the growth of spirit and happiness in students; furthermore, they give essential training to them indirectly. Most students and their parents are not aware of the existence and function of such centers which are related to and controlled by education departments. This study attempted to investigate the influences of the classes of the students’ research houses on the spirit and the educational achievement of the students. Two parallel questionnaires each containing fifteen questions were distributed among 77 students who were attending the classes of these houses and 21 parents. Some interviews also were run. The data gathered were then analyzed. The results showed that the subjects and especially the students were satisfied with the efficiency of these houses.

Chemical industries are continuously faced with increasing challenges of safety requirements in plant design and operation. Consequently, more and more attention has been focused on developing greener, safer and efficient chemical processes employing process intensifying methodologies and equipment. While engineered safety devices can be added on to a plant as risk mitigation measures, safety is most reliably ensured by developing inherently safer techniques. This paper reviewed some of the process intensification approaches that could be utilized by chemical industries to improve inherent safety in plant design and operation protocols. Although the potentials of the techniques described in this review for intensification of chemical processing have already been proven in the laboratories, however their application on the industrial scale still presents a difficult challenge.