Archives-December 

We are very happy to announce that from 6th November 2016, Dr. Anissa Benramdane has joined the team of Elixir Editorial Advisory Board. He/She will carry a special responsibility for dealing with manuscripts based on Management. Dr. Anissa Benramdane working as Assistant Professor, Department of Management, External Relations Officer, A. Belkaid University, Tlemcen, Algeria. The appointment of Dr. Anissa Benramdane 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 10th January 2017, Dr. Christo Ananth has joined the team of Elixir Editorial Advisory Board. He/She will carry a special responsibility for dealing with manuscripts based on Electronics and Communication Engineering. Dr. Christo Ananth working as Associate Professor, Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering, Francis Xavier Engineering College, Tirunelveli. The appointment of Dr. Christo Ananth as member Editorial Advisory Board strengthens the links and will make it easier for prospective authors to establish contact with the journal.

The study was aimed to analyse “Effect of problem solving teaching strategy on 8th graders’ achievement ". Major objective was to compare the achievement of the 8th grade students in General Science taught through problem solving teaching strategy and traditional methods. The population of the study was 150 grade 8th students of the Federal Government Model secondary school F-8/3, Islamabad. Two groups of 30 each were selected randomly including 10 in each category of high, average and low achievers. These groups were randomly assigned as experimental and control group. A research tool ‘Achievement Test in Science (ATS) for 8thgrade was developed to use as pre-test and post- test. The test was validated through peer review, expert opinion and pilot testing. In the beginning of treatment pre-test was administered, after six moths teaching through problem solving teaching strategy to experimental group only, the post-test was administered. On the collected data, t-test and ANOVA was applied. It was concluded that the students taught through problem solving teaching strategy, showed better achievement than the students taught through traditional teaching methods.

Maize is one of the cereals crop dominantly grown in tropic and mainly used as food for human being, feed for live stock and the by product also used for construction and fuel. Common bean crop is one of the pulse crop highly cultivated around the low land areas of tropics. Afield experiment was conducted in Guduru animal production research site, during 2015 cropping season to determine the effect of varieties and intra row spacing of common bean intercropped with maize on growth and yield component of the associated crops. Maize variety 540 at 100% (44,444 plants ha-1) was intercropped with four varieties of common bean (Ibbado, Omo, Nasire and Tibe) in a factorial combination with three intra row spacing (5cm, 10cm and 15cm) of the recommended sole common bean and maize. The field was laid out as randomized complete block design with three replications. Common bean varieties were significantly (p< 0.01) affected on ear length, dry biomass, and grain yield and harvest index of the associated maize. Intra row spacing was shown significant effect (p<0.05) on days to 50% tessling, leaf area, dry biomass, grain yield and harvest index of maize crop intercropped with common bean. The highest grain yield (2597.5kg/ha-1) was recorded when maize intercropped with common bean variety of Nasire at 5cm intra row spacing. While the interaction effect was significant effect on plant height, number of ear per plant, and thousand seed weight of maize crop. The main effect of common bean varieties had significant (p<0.01) effect on days to 50% flowering, Plant height, Number of branches, number of seed per pods, dry biomass, grain yield and harvest index when intercropped with maize. The intra row spacing of common bean was shown significant (p<0.05) differences on plant height, number of seed per pods, dry biomass, grain yield and harvest index of common bean intercropped with maize. Interaction effect was significant differences on days to 90% maturity, leaf area index, number of pods per plant, thousand seed weight of common bean intercropped with maize. The highest grain yield (2256kg/ha-1) was recorded when common bean varieties of Nasire intercropped with maize at intra row spacing of 5cm. The main effect of varieties and intra row spacing and interaction were significant (p<0.05) differences on total land equivalent ratio and total growth monetary value. The highest total LER (2.03) and (2.01) was observed when Omo variety of common bean intercropped with maize at intra row spacing of 5cm. The highest total GMV of (23102.1 ETB ha- 1) and (23471.9 ETB ha-1) were recorded when maize intercropped with bean variety of Nasire at intra row of 5cm. While the lowest total GMV (21,123.93kgha-1) was obtained when Tibe variety of common bean was intercropped with maize at 15cm intra row spacing. Therefore, maize (100%) intercropped with common bean variety of Nasire at 5cm intra row spacing was recommended for intercropping in the study area. However, the experiment has to be repeated across locations and over the growing seasons with consideration of farmer’s preference of the common bean varieties to reach at conclusive recommendation were significantly affected by the interaction.

In today’s dynamic world where innovation is central to organizational long-term success, national culture shaped the behavior of individual and organizations which in turn affects their innovative capability. This research has analyzed the Hofstede’s cultural dimensions effects on organizational innovativeness. We have based our study on the dimensions which are taken form Hofstede’s model, which included; Power Distance, Masculinity versus Femininity, Long & short term approach, Avoidance to uncertainties and Collectivism. We have aggregated data form 350 differential organizations which belong to various sectors of Pakistan. We have utilized Structure Equation Modeling technique to examine and interpret data. The study has found, higher power distance and uncertainty avoidance are having distressing relationship with organization innovativeness. On the other hand collectivism, short term approach and masculinity are having significant relationship impact with organizational innovativeness.

The effect of temperature dependent viscosity and thermal conductivity on magneto hydrodynamic flow, heat and mass transfer of an incompressible micropolar fluid past an accelerated infinite vertical plate is studied where the viscosity and thermal conductivity are assumed to be inverse linear functions of temperature. The partial differential equations governing the flow, heat and mass transfer of the problem are transformed into dimensionless form of ordinary differential equations by using similarity substitutions. The governing boundary value problems are then solved numerically using shooting method. The effects of various parameters viz. viscosity parameter, thermal conductivity parameter, mass transfer parameter, coupling constant parameter, Prandtl number, Schmidt number, Grashoff number, Reynolds number and magnetic parameter on velocity, micro-rotation, temperature and concentration field are obtained and presented graphically. The Skin-friction, Nusselt number and Sherwood number are also computed and presented in table.

Computer and network based technologies now hold great potential for increasing the access to information as well as a means of promoting learning and that shape the process of education. Schools and classrooms never before had such universal access to information. Technologies are transforming classrooms into more engaging, collaborative and productive learning environments in which instructions can be customized to student’s specific needs, interests and learning styles. It is also redefining the way educators teach as well as the role they serve – from being the sole source of information to being a guide, facilitator and coach in the learning process.

Mefenamic acid, an anti-inflammatory drug, exhibits poor water solubility, dissolution and flow properties. Thus, the aim of the present study was to improve the solubility and dissolution rate of Mefenamic acid by preparing crystals by freeze drying technique. Mefenamic acid crystals were prepared by freeze drying using THF, isopropyl acetate and water as solvents system to enhance solubility and dissolution rate. The prepared crystals containing Mefenamic acid were evaluated for in vitro dissolution and solubility. The prepared formulations were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimeter, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Dissolution profile of the freeze dried crystals was compared with its recrystallized sample and pure sample. The samples were stored in stability chamber to investigate their physical stability Freeze dried crystals exhibited decreased crystallinity and the solubility and dissolution of the mefenamic acid crystals were significant improved compared with its recrystallized and pure sample of mefenamic acid. In stability test, the release profile of the freeze dried crystals was almost unchanged as compared with the freshly prepared freeze dried crystals stored at 40 ⁰C and 75% relative humidity for 90 days. Hence this technique can be used for formulation of tablets of mefenamic acid by direct compression with directly compressible tablet excipients.

There are two basic conditions necessary for the occurrence of wind erosion in widespread locations. Firstly it must occur regions that have constant winds and the second condition is that the soil must be dry so that it can be easily transported by wind and its average annual precipitation must be less than 250 mm. This study aimed to estimate seasonal and annual rainfall of Khorasan Razavi province with a 20-year period using three geostatistical methods: kriging, IDW and Cokriging. Results showed that between the three geostatical methods that were used in this study, Cokriging showed higher accuracy than the other two methods (based on RMSE and ME less), so the final maps were prepared using his method. Based on the analysis of statistical data in the SPSS software and the variogram , the most appropriate data model for the seasonal and annual precipitation maps that was selected was the ArcGIS9.3 software. According to the maps, the more north you go the more precipitation occurs; which shows the correlation between height and precipitation. Thus the correlation coefficient between height and seasonal and annual precipitation is stronger, and there will be higher accuracy of prediction through Cokriging. These factors are also effective in wind erosion when the amount of annual rainfall and distribution is in different seasons. According to the results obtained, areas other than the north and northwest, particularly in the eastern provinces are prone to wind erosion.

This descriptive study explores the ontological and anthropological analysis of the philosophical perspective of pragmatism and their impact on education is discussed. The most important principle in ontology pragmatists, "the change "that meets the changing and everything is changing Pragmatic view of human life balance and continuous world. Humans are not separate from nature. This school over other schools of education focused on the problem of human existence. In this view of the philosophy of education theory in the broad sense of the word. Pragmatists are active in school and student activist. Education consists of rehabilitation of individual experiences in his life is going. This approach is child-centered education. The teacher's role in guiding and fellow students. Introduction philosophy of pragmatism (ontology and anthropology) and business-based training and the ability to review and explore the strengths and weaknesses of educational philosophy of Pragmatism is the subject of this article and also The overall aim of the study: Evaluation of the ontology School Pragmatism and Its Impact on Education.