Archives-December 

Recently, the issue of machine condition monitoring became global due to the potential advantages to be obtained from decreased maintenance costs, improved productivity and increased machine availability. Vibration technique in a machine condition monitoring provides useful reliable information, bringing significant cost benefits to industry. By comparing the signals of a machine running in normal and faulty conditions, detection of fault like journal-bearing defect is possible. This paper deal a new method of engine journal-bearing fault diagnosis based on Power Spectral Density (PSD) of vibration signals in combination with Support Vector Machine (SVM). The frequency domain vibration signals of an internal combustion engine (IC engine) with three main journal-bearing conditions were gained, corresponding to, (i) normal, (ii) corrosion and (iii) excessive wear. The features of PSD values of vibration signals were extracted using statistical and vibration parameters. The extracted features were used as inputs to the SVM for three-class identification. The roles of PSD technique and SVM classifier were investigated. Results showed that the accuracy rate of fault diagnosis of the IC engine main journal-bearing was 100%. The results demonstrate that the proposed method has the potential for fault diagnosis of main journal-bearing of IC engine.

Fish farming can provide employment for women thus helping to alleviate poverty among women and improve the standard of living. Proceeds from fish sales can provide funds for women and contribute to the development of the society. Fish farmers are known to be confronted with difficulties when establishing commercial fish ponds. This research is intended to cover both Northern and Southern Nigeria. One hundred and thirty questionnaires were distributed randomly in Ilorin, North Central Nigeria to ascertain the constraints to fish farming among women in Nigeria. Ninety questionnaires were retrieved from females. Analysis of results indicated that female respondents were interested in fish farming but they lacked financial capacity to establish fish farms. Education was also identified as another constraint. About 56% of the respondents had basic education therefore were uniformed about fish culture in ponds. Fish farming was identified as a means of providing employment for the women folk and enhancing development among women.

This study seeks to investigate the conversion patterns among mualafs in Malaysia. Its focus is to find out the demographic information of mualafs and to identify the popular conversion patterns among mualafs in Malaysia. Three (3) conversion patterns i.e. intellectual, mystical and affectional are being investigated in this study. Data collection was done at PUSBA, Kedah whereby mualafs from all states were gathered. A total of 42 responses were collected from these mualafs using a census study method. This study found that majority of the respondents were Sabahan and came from other races such as Iban, Asli, Myanmar, Kadazan and Thai. More than half of the respondents were unemployed but most of the mualafs had an adequate academic level. Results showed that majority of the mualafs were influenced by someone who are close to them which is linked to the affectional conversion pattern. It is hoped that this study will provide insights to JAKIM in terms of conversion patterns among the mualafs in Malaysia.

Anticorrosion activity of Pluchea dioscoridis (L) extract (PDE) as a corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in 1M HCl has been investigated using mass loss, potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mass loss results show that PDE is an excellent corrosion inhibitor. The inhibition efficiency increases with increasing the temperature from 25 to 45oC, reaching a maximum value of 82 % at the highest concentration of 300 ppm at the temperature of 45oC. Polarization measurements demonstrate that the PDE acts as a mixed type inhibitor. Nyquist plot illustrates that on increasing PDE concentration, the charge transfer increases and the double layer capacitance decreases. The adsorption of PDE on mild steel obeys Temkin adsorption isotherm. SEM studies confirm the adsorption of PDE on mild steel surface.

Abstract Single crystals of pure and potassium chloride (KCl) doped zinc (tris) thiourea sulphate (ZTS) were grown from aqueous solution by slow evaporation method. The unit cell parameters and crystal structure were determined by powder X – ray diffraction. The chemical compositions of the crystals were determined by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. The cut off wavelength of the grown crystals was determined by UV-visible absorption spectra. The second harmonic generation of crystals was confirmed by Kurtz powder method using Nd: YAG laser. The dielectric response of the grown crystal was varied with varying frequencies. Microhardness test was also carried out on the samples to study the mechanical stability of the grown crystals.

It is very hard job to understand the customer’s psychology and very challenging to measure the satisfaction level of the consumers. This study in reference to the customer satisfaction regarding Interest free banking system in Pakistan will give an insight into the various factors of customer satisfaction such as quality products and services, customer relationship and economic benefits to clients. Though some deviation was found in satisfaction level of customers related to services and products offered by Interest free banks in Pakistan but insufficient knowledge about Interest free banking system is the major weakness at the end of customers. Purpose of this conceptual study is to review the different angels of customers’ satisfaction and depict the various features of Interest (Riba) free banking system to satisfy and retain the existing customers as well as develop future prospective marketing strategies including expansion of innovative and diversified products and services to establish new clientage market.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of financial determinants on firm growth. The impact of financial determinants: profitability, leverage, innovation and leverage on firm growth are studied. Firm size and firm age are also included to investigate how such variables effect firm growth. Data was collected for a sample of 373 non-financial companies listed at Karachi Stock Exchange for a period of six years from 2006 to 2011. Fixed effect model for panel data was applied for analysis and results. The results of this research show that financial determinants of profitability, leverage and innovation have a positive and significant impact on firm growth in Pakistani context. Firm size also have a significant positive effect. However, there is negative relationship of firm age on firm growth. Liquidity has a positive relationship with growth, yet its impact was non-significant. More comprehensive, detailed and extended analysis in future studies will definitely be helpful in gaining a profound understanding of different aspects of the growth of the firms, and hence in formulating better policies for economic development at micro and macro level.

Copper fungicides are extensively used to control leaf necrosis and tuber rot produced by fungi in tiger nut farms. However, information on the levels of copper due to application of copper fungicides are scarce. The levels of water soluble copper of the top soils from eleven preselected tiger nut growing towns from three different districts in the Central Region of Ghana were analysed using atomic absorption spectrometer after the extraction processes. A total of two hundred and twenty top soil samples were taken randomly at a depth of approximately 20cm.Copper fungicides were applied in ten of the farms and the eleventh farm which served as a control had no copper fungicide application. Some physical and chemical properties of the soils were determined. Levels of water-soluble copper in the soils ranged from 0.07 to 0.36 mg kg-1 with a mean concentration of 0.229 mg kg-1. Application of copper fungicides increased water soluble copper levels in the top soils between 257 to 514% in the tiger nut farms analysed. The correlation was done to determine the factors responsible for the differences in the absorption levels of water-soluble copper. Water soluble copper correlated negatively but significantly (P<0.5) with sand, while negative correlation but insignificantly (P>0.5) with silt, organic carbon, cation exchange capacity nitrogen and available phosphorus. An insignificant (P>0.05) but positive correlation existed between water soluble copper level and moisture, acidity, pH and soil clay.

Heavy organic deposition in the production and processing of crude oil has been a problem in the oil and gas sector. Although, some efforts have been made to minimise it such as changes in composition, pressure and/or temperature; this study attempts to address the Nigerian situation. The article investigated the onset of heavy organic precipitation by transmitting microscopy study of the precipitant volumes reported for single nC5; nC6; nC7 and nC8 alkane precipitants as 5.02ml, 5.05ml, 6.00ml and 7.10ml respectively to start precipitation in 1:1 (v/v) precipitant: toluene solution to 2±0.5g crude oil. Their varied binary mixtures nC5:nC6; nC5: nC7; nC5: nC8; nC6: nC7; nC7: nC8 showed onset of HO precipitation with ratios of 7:3, 1:1, 4:1, 3:2 and 9:1 respectively with no onset volume detected for nC6: nC8 within the ratio range being investigated. Hence, the outcome of these results of the precipitant volumes at onset of HO precipitation for single n-alkanes and volume ratios of binary mixture n-alkane solvents should not be altered or exceeded during injection of fluids for enhanced oil recovery or as diluents into Afiesere heavy crude oil to improve flow properties.

This paper describes a research methodology which was developed to study the implementation of Hospital Autonomy Reforms in Pakistan. The research attempted to answer two questions: what happened? And why did it happen? (with regards to the implementation process of hospital autonomy reforms). The environment for this study was very political and characterized by high power distance and low rule of law. Moreover it had an aura of formality and reservation. Few respondents were willing to share information due to their status and busyness. The researcher had to develop a strategy to be flexible and innocuous to be able to accumulate relevant information. Moreover, respondents would rarely honor any official request for information about the process, so the researcher had to use personal connections to gain entry into the environment and to extract data. Main stakeholders were donors, politicians, bureaucrats and doctors. Long unstructured interviews were conducted with them. For the second question, the technique of sense making was used to find out why reform adopted the specific strategy that it took. Use of contextual historical back ground data was made in this regards.