Archives-November 2014

The study was conducted to determine the variations of age, hair type and body condition score with sperm morphology and cations concentration in 62 Yankasa rams. The results revealed that the average abnormal morphological characteristics of ram semen were; 0.68, 0.47, 0.68, 0.47 and 0.36, respectively for detached midpiece and tail (DMT), midpiece droplet (MPD), detached head (DH), coiled and bent tail (CBT) and acrosome (ACR). Age, hair type and body condition score had significant (P<0.01) effect on sperm morphology except the effect of age on ACR and effect of BCS on MPD and ACR (P>0.05). DMT and DH were more frequent in younger rams of between 12 and 24 months of age than rams of later ages. On the other hand, the problem of MPD was more frequent on rams of 25 to 36 months of age. The CBT was observed more in rams that were between 19-24 months of age. With respect to hair type, the long-smooth haired rams had the highest DMT and DH abnormalities (1.0 x 106), while the short-smooth haired rams had the highest MPD abnormalities (0.6 x 106) while long curly hair type had the highest CBT spermatozoa (0.7x106). However, the short-rough rams showed none of the sperm morphological abnormalities. Age, hair type and body condition score also had significant (P<0.01) effect on semen cation concentrations except the effect of BCS on Na and K ions. The result of this experiment showed that age, hair type and body condition score are important factors in selecting breeding rams for optimum performance.

Clay (soil) is a “biologic sink”. It contains nutrients, toxic elements, organic matter and microbes among other things. The clay can pose a health threat. It was postulated by Ellis and Schnoes in 2002 that people who eat clay risk psychological abnormalities and health consequences such as lead poisoning and bacterial or parasitic or worm infection. Most spore forming bacteria, such as bacillus and clostridium, like to live in soils [1]. A person can start feeling some abdominal pains when the soil or food contains about 105 colonies of bacillus or clostridium per gram of soil or food in the body [2]. Clostridium in the female genital tract may induce abortion and result in uterine gas gangrene [2].

On the idea of a theory is the title of a paper written by Andrew Chesterman (2007), a great scholar in the realm of Translation Studies (TS). The paper has been published in the journal of Across languages and Cultures, a leading journal in Translation Studies. There are many concepts in Translation Studies (TS) which have been given different definitions. There is no consistent terminology. One can pay attention to different definitions of the key concepts of “translation”, “equivalence” and “strategy”.

The purpose of this study is to address the gaps in the literature and compare the job satisfaction between school leavers and college graduates. Specifically, the proposed study sought to expand the existing, yet limited research exploring job satisfaction between school-leavers and college graduates. In this study, the comparison includes these factors: the job itself (work conditions, employment benefits, job challenge, job security, and educational benefit), pay, opportunities for promotion, supervisor, and coworkers (Wei & Kopischke, 2001). This study used MSQ as a data gathering tool. The questionnaires were administered to 89 male respondents, 55 are school-leavers and 34 are graduates, and 121 female respondents, 60 are school-leavers and 61 are graduates. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was employed as a tool to conduct independent t-test, and descriptive statistical analysis. The results showed insignificant differences of job satisfaction between the variables. Several recommendations for future studies were also listed.

New VO(IV), Mn(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes of the Schiff bases, 2-[(2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-4-ylimino)methyl]-5-nitrophenol (HL1) and 3-[2,4-dihydro-1H-inden-4-ylimino) methyl]napthalen-2-ol (HL2) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance, infrared and electronic spectral measurements. The purity of the ligands is confirmed by microanalyses and 1HNMR. The IR spectra show that the ligands are bidentate coordinating via azomethine N and napthalenol/phenol O atoms, and the metal complexes of HL1 exhibit geometric isomerism being in the Cis-form with a lone vC=N band. The metal complexes all assume a 4-coordinate tetrahedral/square planar geometry with exception of the VO(IV) complex which is 5-coordinate square-pyramidal as corroborated by electronic spectra. None is an electrolyte in nitromethane. The Schiff base, HL2, and its metal complexes have higher molar absorptivities of the ligand bands than HL1 and its metal complexes; due to a closer metal to ligand overlap, a consequence of extended conjugation in the naphthalene ring. The in-vitro antibacterial activities of these complexes and their Schiff bases against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella oxytoca and Pseudomonas aeruginosa shows that HL1 and its metal complexes are more active than HL2 and its metal complexes, and the latter compounds have selective inactivity against Bacillus cereus and Klebsiella oxytoca. It is note worthy that [CoL1]2 exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial activity like the antibiotic ciprofloxacin (26.0-30.5 mm), although with smaller inhibitory zones in the range 12.5-17.0 mm.

The production of genetically modified food using Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins (proteins) and Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA) is not new; various food crops have been transformed to withstand biotic and abiotic stresses using the lectin (agglutinin) from Galanthus nivalis. The rice samples used in this work were analysed for the presence of the genetically modified material. Two of the rice samples used gave dot fluorescence of 223.513 and 150.032 with calculated GNA amount of 14.02 and 9.19 ng respectively. The samples contained GNA between 0.031 and 0.07 % per 1µg; the values are significant indicating that the samples express significant amount of the lectin, which implies that the rice analysed are genetically modified. Thus this study identified rice that has been genetically modified with the lectin from Galanthus nivalis using the immunoblot method.

Workplace deviant behaviors have caused organizations to suffer losses. As such this study explored the relationships between employees’ personality trait of emotional intelligence and workplace intelligences. One hundred and sixty-two participants completed the Self-Administered Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSREIT) and workplace deviance test. The findings showed a negative but significant relationship between emotional intelligence and workplace deviant behaviors. Also discussed were the level of respondents’ emotional intelligence and workplace deviance according to demographic factors. Possible implications for intervention and treatment efforts are discussed.

The Americium-Beryllium neutron irradiation facility at the National Nuclear Research Institute (NNRI), Ghana, was re-designed with a 20 Curie source using MCNP5 to investigate the maximum amount of flux that is produced by the source. The main objective was to enable us harness the maximum amount of flux for optimization of neutron activation analysis. The design was compared with the values recorded in the existing Am-Be source design. The thermal neutron flux ranges from (1.80 ± 0.0008) × 106 n/cm2.s to (2.28 ± 0.0008) × 105 n/cm2.s. The epithermal neutron flux ranges from (8.20 ± 0.0008) × 105 n/cm2.s to (3.73 ± 0.0008) × 104 n/cm2.s and that of the fast neutron flux ranges from (4.20 ± 0.0008) × 105 n/cm2.s to (1.72 ± 0.0008) × 104 n/cm2.s. The keff of the Am-Be source design was obtained as 0.00115 ± 0.0008.

The organizational learning theory and the competitive advantage theory are hot focuses in academia recently. But both of them are always expounded respectively and connective researches are rare. This paper is to attempt to combine the two together and carry on the research. Relative models of organizational learning have been introduced in the process of cultivating the enterprise’s sustainable competitive advantage. On this basis, an integrated organizational learning model has been put forward as an effective tool to cultivate the enterprise’s sustainable competitive advantage.

By applying the Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA), the study explored the cost and profit efficiency impact of mergers in banking sector of Pakistan during 1998-2006. The intermediation approach is used for definition and determination of input and output variables. It is assumed that cost function followed translog functional form and alternative profit functional form is supposed to be followed by profit function. Following the four years event study approach, both the cost and profit efficiencies are calculated and compared for pre-merger and post-merger period. The study found that in pre-merger period on the average, banks were 93.83% cost efficient, whereas, this figure rose to 94.15% for post merger period. It reflected 0.32% improvement in cost efficiency. The result was significant at 10% level of significance. In case of profit efficiency, the post merger gain was -5%, however, the result was insignificant. The study concluded that there was improvement in cost efficiency due to bank mergers in Pakistan during 1998-2006 however, no such statistically significant evidence was found for profit efficiency.