Archives-June... 

This paper aims to examine factors influencing the relative importance of firms marketing strategy creativity. 100 completed and usable set of questionnaires was obtained from business managers, entrepreneurs and small business owner operating in surrounding Labuan areas in Malaysia. Data were analyzed by employing multiple regression analysis. Results revealed that Quality of Product and Technological Turbulence were found to be the leading factors influencing the relative importance of firms’ marketing strategy creativity. A creative strategy is the result of certain organizational characteristics and an appropriate strategy formulation process. The findings created an understanding of what attributes of external and internal factors influence the outcome of e-learning in high tech companies.

The partners increasingly experience dissatisfaction with their marriage, making them to request divorce. On the other hand, some partners resort to divorce as a means to establish and improve their marriage relationship. This make us to come to the light that the partners need professional intervention and training to cope with the issues they experience in this area. The current study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the training programs delivered on Cognitive-Behavioral techniques in improving the stability of marriage and. It also tries to determine how likely couples problems may develop into divorce. The study adopts a quasi-experimental methodology, using pre- and post-tests and control and study groups. The subjects to be studied consisted of 15 individuals as the study group and 15 individuals as the control group. They were selected from clients of the Consultation Center of Birjand county and family court of the county using a multi-stage random sampling method. The study group underwent 8 hours of a training program on Cognitive-Behavioral techniques. Using covariance analysis and independent correlated T-test on the results of the research indicated that the training program on Cognitive-Behavioral techniques will increase the stability of marriage and reduce the likelihood of divorce.

A solar eclipse provides us with a rare opportunity to study the ionospheric effects associated with an accurately estimated variation of solar radiation during the eclipse period. An exceptionally long total solar eclipse occurred on Wednesday, 22 July 2009, that traversed the eastern hemisphere in a narrow corridor. The Ionosonde observations taken at Space Science Laboratory, Department of Physics and Electronics, Barkatullah University, Bhopal during the three days centered on the total solar eclipse of 22 July 2009 are described. The eclipse was sufficient to decrease the ionization of some regions of ionosphere by the solar disc which was obscured at the maximum phase. The effects on the ionospheric parameters are observed when eclipse reached its maximum totality. A magnetic disturbance occurred during the period of the observation. Therefore the Ionosonde observations are discussed in conjugation with the changes which occurred in the earth’s magnetic field and the ionosphere during the event of the eclipse.

This paper discusses Leadership which is one of the Soft Skills in a graduate’s intrapersonal skills and also Curriculum Management skills on the activities that are conducted during their studies. My interests in the subject shows that the soft skills plays an important role in ensuring the graduate’s employability. The findings also point out the effectiveness of curriculum management in public universities based on the literature presented.

Table of contents for the month of September 2017

Wastewater irrigation can pose a variety of potential health risks and also excessive and often imbalanced addition of nutrients to the soil to affect crop production. Thus, its use in agriculture without adequate safeguards has been noted to have serious drawbacks for human health and the environment. This study assessed micro nutrient concentration in wastewater used for peri-urban vegetable crop production in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana. Aside Fe which was insignificant in both seasons all the others recorded a significant difference in the two seasons. Al, Fe, Mn and Zn on the average recorded higher concentration values in the wet season than the dry season whilst Cu recorded a higher concentration in the dry season than the wet season. Concentrations of most of the micro nutrients were lower than the WHO (2006) recommended standards except Mn which had concentration levels exceeding the recommended standard in the wet season only.

Carbonate sequence of Lar formation (Upper Jurassic) have been studied in three subsurface sections in the north east of Iran. This formation is formed of two separated units, white limestone in the upper and gray dolomite in the Lower part. This formation is overlain by yellow detrital sediments of Miocene units and underlain by siliciclastic Shemshak formation disconformably. Thirteen microfacies from mudstone to grainstone and boundstone were found in this formation. They were deposited in four facies environments; open marine, shoal, lagoon and tidal flat. Facies analysis and the absence of slump and sliding structures, reefal facies, gradual facies changes and widespread tidal flat deposits indicate that Lar formation was deposited in a shallow carbonate platform as ramp.

The moisture diffusion coefficient and energy activation of two Iranian apricot varieties was determined at five drying air temperatures and at a constant air velocity of 1.5 m/s. The initial moisture content (d.b.), modulus of elasticity, surface area, half of pomace thickness of halved apricot, and total soluble solids of both varieties were determined. The results showed that there were significant differences (p<0.01) in the modulus of elasticity and total soluble solids between two varieties, but no significant differences (p>0.01) were observed for other parameters. The water effective diffusion coefficient ranged from 1.34×10^-10 to 4.15×10^-10 m²/s, and from 2.03×10^-10 to 5.95 ×10^-10 m²/s, for Ghavami and Nasiry, respectively. Energy activation was 27.1 and 25.34 kJ/mol for Ghavami and Nasiry varieties, respectively. The results showed that modulus of elasticity and total soluble solids play a major role in moisture diffusion by limiting water movement within the material subjected to drying.

Liquid crystals are the soft materials composed of self organized molecules. They are known for their order and mobility which makes them a potential candidate for different applications. Among the different mesophases known, Blue phases are a special type of chiral nematic phases and some of them are optically isotropic. Generally these phases will be exhibited by molecules which possess sufficiently high anisotropy. These blue phases are usually stable for very narrow temperature range between the isotropic and the cholesteric phase. In the present work we will be studying the mesophase behaviour of liquid crystalline compounds doped with some chiral materials in different proportions to induce blue phase mesomorphism. The mesomorphic behaviour of these mixtures will be characterized using POM and DSC. Using ZnS Nanoparticles dispersed in these systems, we aim to widen the temperature range of the blue phase. Recently these nanomaterials stabilized blue phases are shown to have some advantages for display applications and is being actively studied across the world.

Visco- Elastic Plates are being increasingly used in the aeronautical and aerospace industry as well as in other fields of modern technology. To use them a good understanding of their structural and dynamical behavior is needed. In the modern technology, the plates of variable thickness are widely used in engineering applications. The present work is to develop for the use of research workers in space technology, mechanical sciences and nuclear energy where certain components of the structure have to operate under the elevated temperature. The aim of present paper is to study the bi-linearly thermal effect on vibration of visco-elastic square plate whose thickness varies parabolically in x-direction. A frequency equation is derived by using Rayleigh-Ritz technique. Two modes of frequency are calculated by the latest computational software for the various values of taper parameter and thermal gradient.