Archives-October 2011

Kashan playa, Located in the west of Central Desert of Iran, has been subjected to severe desertification problems. Most of these problems are due to human activities, overgrazing, sand dune mobility, soil salinity and ground water depletion. Monitoring desertification, land degradation and land cover requires rapid and accurate procedures. Remotely sensed satellite technology allows land degradation processes to be monitored over time. Two Landsat TM/ETM+ satellite images for 12 years period (1990-2002) with field observations were provided basic information for mapping of the extend and monitoring of the Kashan playa in central desert of Iran. Several change detection techniques such as image differencing, vegetation change analysis, principal component analysis and classification comparison have been applied to the data. Maximum Likelihood classification analysis showed a kappa coefficient accuracy of 86% and 82% for the TM and ETM+ images. Results revealed that about 35 % of the study area mostly salty lands and fixed sand dune has been rapidly changed. The overall rate changes of the desert lands and vegetation are about 7275 and 62 ha year^-1 respectively.

A total of 350 fruits and vegetable samples were collected from local markets in Ghana and subjected to pesticide residue and heavy metal analyses. Residues of some organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), such as gamma-HCH, methoxychlor, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, p,p’-DDE, and p,p’-DDT, as well as synthetic pyrethroid pesticides (SPPs), such as permethrin, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, fenvalerate, deltamethrin were found in a number of samples at different concentrations. The results obtained showed that 37 % of the fruit and vegetable samples analyzed contained no detectable level of the monitored OCPs, 22 % of the samples gave results with levels of organochlorine pesticides residues above the MRL, while 41 % of the samples showed results below the MRL. The majority of the analyzed samples contained detectable concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn and Cr. All the metal concentrations were far below their respective limit. Daily intake limit was calculated and compared with their respective tolerable limits. Synthetic pyrethroid pesticides were detected in 66 % of the samples without violation. The daily intake of heavy metals and pesticide residues revealed that all the monitored pesticides and heavy metals were far below the recommended tolerable levels except aldrin and dieldrin in fruits and aldrin, dieldrin and endrin in vegetables suggesting a great potential for systemic toxicity particularly in children considered the most vulnerable population subgroup. Based on observations made in these studies, it is proposed that more extensive monitoring investigation covering all foodstuffs be carried out to find the exact position of heavy metals and pesticide residues.

Countries around the world have showed great efforts in promoting and improving the effectiveness of services given. Malaysia government required all public agencies in this country to strive to achieve ISO certification in order to developed high and consistent quality based on the principle of right the first time and all the time through documentation of policies and procedures. The issue on public service that does not meet the customer expectation has always been as an interesting topic and discussion. Until now, public sector is still trying to improve the facilities in order to meet customer satisfaction. To explore the differences between expected and perceived service quality towards publics Service delivery in Majlis Perbandaran Sungai Petani Kedah (MPSPK), a study was conducted on each individual that received service delivery in the public agency. The results of the study indicated that the overall service quality provided by the MPSPK was below customers’ expectations. Tangible was rated as the most important dimension followed by understanding customer, empathy, reliability and communication.

Square is most likely the first among the urban spaces created by human. It is definite that the more the functional flexibility of square is, the more ability it will have to stimulate people from different ages and levels to come more often there. Unfortunately, removing public activities of the square in modern age has made it lose its main role in encouraging social delight, social- cultural, interaction and social solidarity. Naghsh-e-Jahan square is a trace of worthwhile squares in Iran that its unique role has been neglected because of irresponsible interventions. In the present research, descriptive procedure with case study had been used. People’s priorities have been asset by statistical questionnaires consists of 10 questions. Questionnaires filled out by both locals (n=70) & tourists (n=35) in 2010. According to the criteria research and the results of questionnaires, socio-cultural & physical design recommendations are suggested for the future planning and designs in the square.

Commitment is a manifestation of individual owns self and reflect values standard that are basic to an individual’s existence as a person. Based on the result shown that the commitment a closely associate with the attitudes of each employee in an organization. Attitudes can be described as an evaluative statements or judgments concerning objects, people or events (Robbins & Judges, 2007), it’s because employee’s attitudes can reflect from the emotion on attachment to the particular organization and amplify employee’s productivity. This study particularly examines the importance employee attitudes that can be revealing from the aspect on affective commitment. Affective commitment is one part of the organizational commitment. Which is organizational commitment can be classified into three (3) aspects which are affective commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment. The objective of this study is to measure the employee attitudes among non academic in UiTM Kedah by using the affective commitment. 100 samples were selected involved eight departments in UiTM Kedah. The results show affective commitment is positively influence the employee commitment. In conclusion, it is hoped that this paper will give some insight to promote the importance on affective commitment among the government servant especially the non-academic staff in UiTM Kedah in order to increase their level of efficiency concerning the attitudes stability towards their own organization attached.

The infrared and Raman spectra of valine and Leucine molecules have been recorded in nujall mull in the range 4000-400 cm^-1 . Large number of bands belonging to different modes of vibration could be observed and assigned. The electronic absorption spectra of these molecules have also been measured at different pH values. It is observed that absorption peak shifts with the change in pH value of the solutions. A tentative explanation of the peak shift is given.

Most Ghanaian foods are made from maize. Unfortunately, certain diets made from the cereal cannot be produced without processing the maize into flour. The corn mill has been the most efficient and often used tool for grinding legumes, cereals, nuts and spices. Maize is milled either dried or soaked. Dry maize is usually milled over and over again for about four times to retain a smooth texture. It is used to prepare many delicacies in different parts of Ghana. However, soaked maize is milled only once and it is ready for use. The work was conducted to find the levels of Cd, Al, Ni, Cu, Mg and Zn in the processed flour using instrumental neutron activation analyses at the Ghana Research reactor-1 Facility. As the grinding plates of the corn mills rub against each other, there is friction as well as wear and tear. This could introduce toxic metals into the corn flour. Results showed that the corn mills had no negative effects on the corn flour as the level of the elements recorded were below the required limits. Al values in the sample ranged from 1.8 ± 0.27 mg/kg to 5.40 ± 0.81 mg/kg. Cu, Cd, Zn and Mn also recorded concentration values of ranges 0.70 ± 0.11 mg/kg to 1.50 ± 0.23 mg/kg, 4.80 ± 0.72 mg/kg to 6.40 ± 0.96 mg/kg, 0.52 ± 0.08 ?g/kg and 0.90 ± 1.35 mg/kg to 4.10 ± 0.62 mg/kg respectively. No particular process recorded consistent peak value concentrations for the heavy metals. Ni recorded concentrations within the range 26.18 ± 3.23 mg/kg to 46.42±2.53 mg/kg. However, continuous consumption could lead to accumulation of these elements that could affect the body adversely.

In this study the differential transform method is applied to solve the general lotka- volterra system of ordinary differential equations. Firstly, we stated the definition of the one dimensional transform method, and some related theorems. Then some illustrative examples are given, the numerical results of these examples compared with those obtained by the A domain decomposition method are found to be the same.

The present investigation aims to study and characterize the dyeing performance of cotton fabrics finished with finishing bath formulation containing emulsion lattices based on acrylate monomers, chitosan and polyethylene glycol (PEG) with improvement of dyeing properties with acid and reactive dyes.The finished cotton samples are examined and evaluated through measuring nitrogen content and the Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). Evidences of finishing were obtained by IR from the appearance of CO bands absorbance and the reducing of relative intensity of OH, with respect to cotton. The dyeing performance of the finished cotton fabrics includedng testing of ; dye-ability(k/s), percentage dye fixation , colour parameters(L*,a*,b* and colour difference(?E) and estimated light fastness grades with respect to the different used chitosan concentration in the finishing bath formulation.The work involved also studying the effect of different dyeing times on all of the last stated parameters.The obtained results showed that dye-uptake increased by increasing chitosan concentration in the finishing bath , the applied reactive dye showed the highest percentage increase in both dye-ability and percentage dye fixation .In addition the estimated light fastness reating values of all of the examined fabrics where these rating grade values increased by increasing both chitosan concentration in the finishing agent and dyeing time .In addition , the applied acid dye recorded the highest light fastness values reaching (4-5) for(3gm) chitosan after one hour dyeing compared to a rating value of (3)for blank fabrics assessed on standard gray scale.

Assessment of Catford’s (2000, as cited in Munday, 2008) shift model of translation should not be simply seen as an applied model in translated scripts. There seems to be a need for more critical investigations on the model to bring forth its shortcomings when it is applied in translating dramas, since dramas differ from other types of scripts in that they are written to be played and the translation should evoke the same response to what has already been evoked by the original. Also, the shifts proposed in Catford’s (2000, as cited in Munday, 2008) model seem not to be of the same value and determining the degree of importance of each of these types of shift can be helpful in translator training. The article is trying to achieve these objectives by putting randomly selected twenty sentences of a play written by Woody Allen (1975) named “Death Knocks” and its translation by Hooshang Hessami (1376) in discussion. It was stated how different values might be attached to the types of shifts introduced by Catford (2000, as cited in Munday, 2008). Besides, it was discussed how the similar response in drama translation could be achieved in the target language, i.e., Persian through a new type of translation shift.