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Lean Six Sigma is a powerful business improvement system that is rapidly being deployed across several manufacturing and service sectors. This paper introduces environmental professionals—including environmental health and safety (EHS) managers, environmental agency personnel, and non-governmental environmental technical assistance providers—to these methods. This paper also evaluates how Lean Six Sigma can be related to the environment and provides guidance on how environmental professionals can leverage Lean Six Sigma activities to generate better environmental and operational results. The challenge, and opportunity, for environmental professionals is to figure out how to leverage Lean Six Sigma improvement efforts in a seamless way that embeds environmental considerations and sustainability concepts into the normal way of doing business. This paper is designed to assist environmental professionals in meeting Lean Six Sigma practitioners where they are; help them translate environmental concepts into the Lean Six Sigma lexicon; and make environmental improvement efforts a seamless, integrated aspect of delivering waste-free value to meet customers’ needs.

Locally produced fruits (mango, pineapple and banana) were sampled and purchased from farms and markets within the Yilo and Lower Manya Krobo districts and analyzed for pesticide residues by gas chromatography equipped with an Electron Capture Detector (GC-ECD). In all, 80 samples made up of 40 mango samples and 20 samples each of pineapples and bananas were extracted and analyzed for mainly organochlorine residues (?-HCH, ?-HCH, aldrin, dieldrin, heptachlor, ?-chlordane, endosulfan s, p, p’-DDE etc.) and synthetic pyrethroid residues (allethrin, bifenthrin, fenpropathrin, permethrin, cyfluthrin etc.). Analysis indicates that about 88% of the mangoes sampled from the farms contained one or more of these pesticide residues. 75% and 65% of the pineapples and bananas respectively from farms and markets had one or more of the analyzed pesticide residues. The data revealed that about 6.2% of the fruit samples analyzed contained organochlorine pesticide residues of ?-HCH (0.013mg/kg and 0.038mg/kg respectively in mangoes and pineapples); ?-HCH [0.014mg/kg (mango) and 0.024mg/kg (pineapple)]; methoxychlor [0.027mg/kg (mango) and 0.048mg/kg (pineapple)]. Synthetic pyrethroid residues of cyfluthrin [0.078mg/kg (mango) and 0.059mg/kg (pineapple)] and fenvalerate [0.025mg/kg and 0.028mg/kg respectively for mango and pineapple] were also found above their respective maximum residue limits whereas 78.2% of detected pesticide residues were below the MRLs. Nonetheless, the continuous consumption of these fruits with even the modest pesticide levels can result in accumulation that could result in deadly chronic effects. In assessing the consumers’ perception of pesticide residues in fruits, about 69% of the respondents were aware of pesticide residues in fruits and the corresponding adverse effect on human health. Some have experienced pesticide poisoning after fruit consumption. Thus many wish pesticide usage in fruit and crop cultivation in general is curbed or minimized to only those who can ensure reduced levels.

The Ghanaian economy appears to be in a certain cycle of high lending and low borrowing rates culminating in wide interest rate spreads. A number of studies point to the fact that the spread between the lending rates and borrowing rates is too wide to promote efficient financial intermediation between savers and borrowers but failed to look at macroeconomics effect on the interest rate spread in Ghana. This study contributes to the discussion by evaluating the macroeconomic variables (factors) that affect the interest rate spread with a view to determining their short term and long term relationships for policy recommendations that will serve the interest of all stake holders in the financial services sector and the general Ghanaian economy. Using autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) cointegration and Vector Error Correction analysis, we observed both short-run and long run relationship between identified macroeconomics variables and interest rate spread in Ghana. The study recommend that, government borrowing, interest and inflation rate are kept low while pursuing policies that maximise savings.

This paper focused on management of electronic resources in Private Universities in South-West Nigeria with the main objective of finding out the level of implementation of Electronic Resources Management Software (ERMS) in the management of electronic information resources in these universities. The survey method was used and questionnaire was distributed to the Systems Librarians within the universities selected. Findings show that ERMS awareness among the Systems Librarians is high while the level of implementation in managing electronic resources is still very low. It was further found out that electronic resources are not being catalogued/classified in the universities under study. Part of the suggestions offered is that University Libraries should, as a matter of professionalism and importance, introduce ERMS software in the management of their electronic resources.

We are very happy to announce that from 07th November 2015, Mr. Giuseppe Catenazzo has joined the team of Elixir Editorial Advisory Board. He/She will carry a special responsibility for dealing with manuscripts based on Management. Mr. Giuseppe Catenazzo working as Lecturer: Glion Institute of Higher Education, Bulle Campus, Switzerland. The appointment of Mr. Giuseppe Catenazzo as member Editorial Advisory Board strengthens the links and will make it easier for prospective authors to establish contact with the journal. Please send any expressions of interest to elixirpublishers@gmail.com.

We are very happy to announce that from 8th June 2016, Mr. Kedar D. Chimote has joined the team of Elixir Editorial Advisory Board. He/She will carry a special responsibility for dealing with manuscripts based on Mechanical Engineering. Mr. Kedar D. Chimote working as Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering Department in Cummins College of Engeneering For Women, Nagpur. The appointment of Mr. Kedar D. Chimote as member Editorial Advisory Board strengthens the links and will make it easier for prospective authors to establish contact with the journal. Please send any expressions of interest to elixirpublishers@gmail.com.

We are very happy to announce that from 9th July 2015, Mr. Momta Prince Suka has joined the team of Elixir Editorial Advisory Board. He will carry a special responsibility for dealing with manuscripts based on Petroleum Geology. Mr. Momta Prince Suka currently working as Principal Consultant Geologist, Petro-Drill Global Concept Limited, Nigeria. The appointment of Mr. Momta Prince Suka as member Editorial Advisory Board strengthens the links and will make it easier for prospective authors to establish contact with the journal. 

We are very happy to announce that from 17th September 2013, Mr. Mona Najah Hassan Al-Turiahe has joined the team of Elixir Editorial Advisory Board. He will carry a special responsibility for dealing with manuscripts based on Science. Mr. Mona Najah Hassan Al-Turiahe is currently working as Assistant lecturer in Biology Department, College of Science, Kufa University, Iraq. The appointment of Mr. Mona Najah Hassan Al-Turiahe as member Editorial Advisory Board strengthens the links and will make it easier for prospective authors to establish contact with the journal. Please send any expressions of interest to elixirpublishers@gmail.com. Sincerely Editor-in-Chief

We are very happy to announce that from 25th April 2015, Mr.Adeniji Adejimi Adesola has joined the team of Elixir Editorial Advisory Board. He will carry a special responsibility for dealing with manuscripts based on Mathematics. Mr.Adeniji Adejimi Adesola currently working as Mathematics Teacher, Surulere Snr Sec. School, Lagos State, Nigeria. The appointment of Mr.Adeniji Adejimi Adesola as member Editorial Advisory Board strengthens the links and will make it easier for prospective authors to establish contact with the journal. 

We are very happy to announce that from 19th December 2013, Ms. Shaymaa Abbas Abdulsada has joined the team of Elixir Editorial Advisory Board. She will carry a special responsibility for dealing with manuscripts based on Metallurgy Engineering, Corrosion Engineering. Ms. Shaymaa Abbas Abdulsada is currently working as Assistant Lecturer in Department of Materials, University of Kufa, Collage of Engineering, Iraq. The appointment of Ms. Shaymaa Abbas Abdulsada as member Editorial Advisory Board strengthens the links and will make it easier for prospective authors to establish contact with the journal. Please send any expressions of interest to elixirpublishers@gmail.com. Sincerely Editor-in-Chief