Archives-December 

Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott can provide a solution to the problems of hunger, inadequacy and food insecurity facing many developing countries such as DR Congo, as it is adapted to humid tropical climates and is richer in nutrients than most root and tuber crops. However, its large-scale culture is confronted with the unavailability of propagation material related to its mode of multiplication and growth. In fact, the pronounced dominance imposed by the terminal bud inhibits bud burst and the development of lateral buds that can be used during planting. To try to solve this problem, a study was carried out by experimenting the PIF method in Kisangani. It consisted in evaluating the longevity of the bulbs in relation to their size, to estimate the production of the offspring with regard to the longevity of the mother bulbs and to evaluate the temporal evolution of the vigor of the obtained shoots. The observations made were based respectively on the diameter of the mother bulbs, the neck diameter of the weaned offspring, the lifespan of mother bulbs and the order of weaning. It was then established the relationship between the longevity of the mother bulbs and their size, the number of offspring formed and the lifespan of the mother bulbs and finally between the diameter of offspring formed and the order of weaning. The results obtained showed that: The longevity of the mother bulbs was independent of their size (P = 0,905);There is a positive correlation between the longevity of mother bulbs and the number of offspring formed. This relationship was translated by the equation: Number of offspring formed = 0,847 + 0,004X (X = longevity of mother bulbs). This equation indicates that the number of offspring formed increases moderately with the longevity of the mother bulbs (r = 0,346). The longevity of the bulb explains to 10,9% the increase in the number of the offspring formed (R2 = 0,109);There were no significant differences between the tested substrates with respect to the longevity of the mother bulbs (P = 0,227);There is a close relationship between the weaning order and the vigor of trained and weaned offspring.

Of the 2,900 species of flowering plants in Kotagiri hill of Nilgiri biosphere reserve in Southern India, 126 species from 37 families are endemic, they are listed by plant species.

Synthetic dyes are essential raw materials in numerous industrial processes, which include textile, food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. However, they constitute environmental pollutants when discharged as wastewater effluents without adequate treatment. This work is focused on the treatment of a dye, Eosin Red, through the photocatalytic degradation process using anatase nano titanium dioxide. The light source for this experiment is an 8 W monochromatic UV bulb, which provides wavelength of sufficient energy to overcome the anatase titanium dioxide band energy of 3.2 eV. Dye concentration reduction was determined using a UV/Vis Spectrophotometer, with 519 nm as the wavelength of maximum absorbance of Eosin Red dye. The result obtained showed a significant degree of ER photodegration and highlighted the dependence of the photodegradation process on some influencing parameters like initial concentration of dye, catalytic loading, contact time, and pH. The kinetic study in this research indicates that the photodegradation of Eosin red dye strongly follows pseudo-first-order kinetics, as is evident in the R2 and k’ values of 0.998 and 0.0115 min-1 respectively of 10ppm Eosin red 

The effect of antioxidant additive on engine performance, combustion and emission of a diesel engine fuelled with methyl ester of calophyllum biodiesel is studied. The antioxidant is mixed in various proportions from 50 mg to 200 mg with methyl esters of calophyllum biodiesel. It has been observed that the anti-oxidant mixture at 200 mg proportion is effective in controlling NOx and HC emission without any modification in the engine. Further there is a reduction in other emission such as CO and smoke of about 48% and 28.57 % respectively at full load condition when compared to the diesel fuel.

Polymer matrix composites (PMC) materials had acquired much attention in the field of Aeronautics over the recent decades as high strength-lightweight materials. These abundantly available fibres are embedded with a light polymer matrix resulting in a high strength and light weight fibre reinforced polymer composites. In this paper, we have investigated the mechanical behaviour of fabricated composite materials with seven different combinations consists of Bamboo/E-glass fiber as a reinforcing agents and polyester as a polymer matrix. Several tests have been carried out to enhance the properties such as tensile strength, flexural strength, hardness and impact strength and it was compared for different orientations (±30º). It is reported that the hybridization of the constituents with 20% of Glass, 10% of Bamboo shows better Tensile strength, Flexural strength and Hardness number than other combinations examined.

Thermal performance of shell-and-heat-pipe heat exchanger (S-HPHE) and shell-and baffled heat-pipe heat exchanger (S-BHPHE) have been experimentally investigated. Methanol (CH3OH) has been used as working fluid of heat pipe. The mass flow rate of water on the shell side was varied from 30 lph to 60 lph, while on the condenser side it has been varied from 10 lph to 60 lph for all mass flow rate of hot water on the shell side of the heat pipe heat exchanger with baffles and without baffles. Heat input to the heat exchanger has been varied by varying the power input in the range of 1kW to 4kW. The results showed that, based on the shell-side flow rate and temperature of hot water, the effectiveness of heat-pipe heat exchanger with rectangular baffles is higher than that of the heat exchanger without baffles. The performance of heat-pipe heat exchanger with rectangular baffles with 1:1 ratio of mass flow rate of hot and cold water has shown minimum effectiveness. The shell and baffled heat-pipe heat exchanger (S-BHPHE) with 1:0.5 ratio of mass flow of hot and cold water shows the best performance.

Nowadays, airline industry has a very delicate and significant role in sustainable development of countries as the successful performance of this branch of industry can create a strong motivation for other industries of a country by doing its mission, objectives and strategies. Using a suitable evaluation framework like Balanced Scorecard can relate to strategic plans and objectives, evaluate different areas of the organization, as well as presenting a full report of organizational performance. However, in countries where the organizations are significantly influenced by the cultural-religious factors of society, the standard Balanced Scorecard model cannot work out. Thus, in this research, we aim to extend the model by adding “culture and values” perspective as a new and determinant factor. In order to do this, we identified the indictors of the model and localized it by library studies and interviewing the managers and experts of several airlines. Then, the most important functional indicators in areas such as financial, customer and market, internal business processes, learning and growth and culture and values were identified and a questionnaire containing 267 indicators in 5 components for determining the significance of each indicator were randomly distributed among 110 managers and experts of the airlines. The components and indicators of the questionnaire were tested by parametric T-student. Consequently, using TOPSIS technique as one of the MADM decision making techniques, the components and indicators were weighted and ranked. The results show that the “culture and values” is the most important component. According to this, we designed a performance evaluation model for airlines which reflects the values and cultural circumstance of a specific country and it seems that using this model can be applied by all other countries with the similar cultural, social, political and economic context.

The term 'political participation' has a broad inclusive meaning. It is not only related to 'Right to Vote', but simultaneously relates to participation in: decision making process, political activism, political consciousness, etc. Political activism and voting are the strongest areas of women's political participation. Participation in decision-making process is the real tool of women empowerment. Women are going to play a crucial role in selecting their political representative. Politicos can no longer ignore these sections of the society as a large number of youth and women are getting enrolled their names in voters list since 2008 assembly election. As per the electoral rolls (2015), a total of 1.33 crore people are eligible to vote in Delhi of which over 72 lakh are men and around 59 lakh are women. Out of the 673 candidates in the fray for Delhi Assembly elections, only 66 are women. While there were assurances galore on women’s safety in the national capital ahead of the polls, the number of tickets given to women candidates by the three leading political parties was in sharp contrast to the population of women voters in Delhi. In 2015 assembly election female poll percentage was 66.50% which is slightly less than the male poll percentage which was 67.64%. In this election all the Political parties emerged with a women-oriented political agenda to attract women voters. For the purpose of study spatial perspective approach and aggregate data analysis methods were applied to understand female voters’ behavior and their participation in 70 assembly constituencies of Delhi. 

The present investigation was undertaken with a view to develop a fast dissolving tablet of Metoprolol Tartrate which offers a new range of product having desired characteristics and intended benefits prepared by direct compression methodusing different concentrations of superdisintegrant. In the present work Fast dissolving tablets of metoprolol tartrate were prepared by direct compression super disintegrants such as sodium starch glycolate, croscarmellose sodium and crospovidone. All the tablets of metoprolol tartrate were subjected to weight variation, hardness, friability, in vitro dispersion, drug polymer interaction, drug content uniformity, and in vitro drug release The drug release from tablets of metoprolol tartrate prepared by direct compression was found to be 97.20% of D1 drug release within 10 minute. It is concluded that Metoprolol Tartrate fast dissolving tablets could be prepared using superdisintegrant with improved bioavailability and rapid onset of action.

An uncommon case has been reported of bilateral transscaphoid-perilunate dislocation racture following trauma. A 21-year-old male with bilateral transscapholunate dislocation was treated by open reduction and internal fixation. The case was examined in detail, and compared to the findings in the literature; observations regarding fracture prognosis were also made. Two years post-surgery, the patient remained asymptomatic.