Archives-June 2012

Multiligand homobinuclear complex of Cobalt (II) has been synthesized and characterized on the basis of elemental analysis, FTIR, TA and DSC. The complex has been assigned empirical formula as [Co(Phen.)₂(MEOA)Cl₄]H₂O. Presence of chloride, monoethanolamine ( MEOA), 1,10- phenanthroline (phen.) and metal-metal bond is verified by FTIR absorption peaks.  The appearance of ? (M-O), ? (M-N) and ? (M-O-H) bending mode supports the coordination of monoethanolamine via both oxygen and nitrogen, hence acting as a bidentate bridging ligand between two cobalt (II) centers. The coordination of 1, 10-phenanthroline has been proved by antisymmetric vibrations besides fundamental vibrations of coordinated 1,10-phenanthroline. Thermal kinetics of the complex has been studied by TG and DSC techniques. Thermal analysis shows the expulsion of water molecules in the first step below 150ºC, which verifies the presence of water as lattice water. The thermal analysis has been carried out in nitrogen atmosphere up to 800ºC. Thermograms obtained confirm FTIR data and hence supports the empirical formula. On the basis of thermal data, thermal decomposition mechanism has been proposed for the complex. Thermodynamic parameters like activation energy (E_a), pre-exponential factor (A) and entropy of activation (?S^#) has been calculated for each decomposition step, using Dolye’s, Coats and Redfern and Arrhenius method. The trend of these parameters is found to be same for all the methods involved. The reaction enthalpy is obtained from DSC technique. It shows both exothermic and endothermic peaks. The structure as depicted by empirical and FTIR spectroscopy is also proposed.

Copper is one of the essential trace nutrients in all high plants and animals. But it can be toxic in high concentration. It has been found that marine life is damaging due to high copper concentration in water. This study investigated that degradation of copper by a group of bacteria isolated from copper polluted areas, Dhapa, Kolkata. Copper resistant bacteria i.e. Stenotrophomonas sp. PD2 was isolated from soil of Dhapa had shown maximum copper resistance upto 200 mg L^-1 Cu(II). The influence of different parameters responsible for the bioremediation of copper by the copper-resistant bacteria, such as initial copper concentration and initial pH, contact time of the solution was studied. From experimental results it was observed that almost 95% copper can be reduced from wastewater using the isolated micro-organism.

Bantuan Geran Per Kapita merupakan bantuan kewangan yang diperuntukkan kepada setiap pelajar warganegara Malaysia yang bersekolah di Sekolah Kerajaan atau Sekolah Bantuan Kerajaan. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan kebolehan dan mengenalpasti jenis pengetahuan dalam menguruskan Geran Per Kapita mata pelajaran dalam kalangan guru-guru MPAV di SMV Negeri Kelantan. Kajian ini menggunakan reka bentuk kajian kuantitatif dan menggunakan teknik persampelan bertujuan untuk mencapai objektif kajian. Pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah dengan mengedarkan borang soal selidik yang merupakan instrumen dalam kajian ini. Sampel kajian ini melibatkan 54 orang guru di empat buah sekolah aliran vokasional. Sekolah yang terlibat dalam kajian ini ialah Sekolah Menengah Vokasional Tanah Merah, Sekolah Menengah Vokasional Pasir Mas, Sekolah Menengah Vokasional Pengkalan Chepa dan Sekolah Menengah Vokasional Kuala Krai. Data dan dapatan kajian dianalisis secara statistik deskriptif dengan menggunakan perisian ‘Statistical Package For Social Sciences’ SPSS versi 16.0 untuk mendapatkan nilai skor min dan nilai peratusan. Hasil kajian menunjukkan kebolehan guru dalam menguruskan geran per kapita MPAV berada pada tahap tinggi dengan skor min 3.82. Manakala pengetahuan berkaitan pembayaran dalam menguruskan geran per kapita menunjukkan skor min yang tinggi iaitu 4.28 berbanding perolehan dan pelupusan. Bagi analisis data dalam kajian hubungan tahap pengetahuan dengan tahap kebolehan menunjukkan perkaitan yang rendah dimana (r = -0.11). Perkaitan yang dihuraikan adalah tidak signifikan kerana p > 0.05 (p = 0.40) maka Ho tidak boleh ditolak iaitu terdapat perkaitan statistik yang signifikan antara tahap pengetahuan dengan tahap kebolehan dalam menguruskan Geran Per Kapita MPAV. Seterusnya kajian ini menyarankan bahawa kursus-kursus dalam perkhidmatan dapat menambahbaik kebolehan dan pengetahuan guru-guru dalam menguruskan geran per kapita MPAV.

The main purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the corporate governance on firm performance. The variables, employed in this study to measure firm performance, return on assets. And Board Size, Board Composition, CEO/Chairman Duality as indicator of corporate governance. For this purpose sample data collected for listed banks in Pakistan from 2005 to 2010. The empirical results indicate that firm performance have a significant relation to board Size, board composition, On the other hand, firm performance has insignificant impact on CEO/Chairman Duality.

The research is about problem related to the heat stress among inside pipe welders at heavy industrial yard. Heat stress occurrence will causes several problems that affected the workers capability, health, perception and judgment in which it will reduces the efficiencies of work. The objectives of the research studies is to show the time region that worker might suffer from heat stress, compared the heat stress before and after safety procedure been executed, showed the correlation between several factors that contributes to the heat stress among workers and proposed a better work practice to the industry management. Methodology used in these research is done by heat environment monitor (QuesTemp34) which to measure the WBGT index. Analysis done by using QSPII to compare actual WBGT index with recommended WBGT index from ISO 7243 and SPSS software to evaluate the questionnaire. Expected result from the research is to identify the duration time of heat stress highly to occur and to compare the reduction of heat stress level between two conditions which is with and without blower.

One feature that characterized the political history of most African countries is the evolution from colonialism through the rise of nationalist movements to independence and the fall of the first generation nationalists. Headed by the emerging African elite most of whom had just obtained western education in either Europe or America, these nationalist movements began to advocate “self-rule now”. They do so with the promise that the development of African nations will be faster under native rulers. Given the opportunity to rule their nations, however, things begin to change for the worse against the high expectations of the masses. Greed, avarice, nepotism and corruption have taken over, and have eaten deep into both social and economic lives of the people. This study, which is based on the realist approach to literary criticism, seeks to examine the image of the African political administrators in two post-colonial novels – Peter Abraham’s A Wreath for Udomo and Chinua Achebe’s A Man of the People. The purpose is to find out if, in literature, African countries have fared better economically under native rule than under colonial rule.

Phenotypic and genotypic variability, heritability and correlation among growth parameters were examined in Dura x Pisifera (DxP) oil palm seedlings at the Oil Palm Research Institute Kade between July 2008-Feb 2010. All the characters studied were significantly and positively correlated with each other except leaf area ratio (LAR) in which the correlations were negative with 7 other traits. The highest correlations were between total plant dry weight and crop growth rate (CGR) and between leaf area and plant height. Net assimilation rate (NAR) and (CGR) had the highest phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation. For plant biomass the highest variation was observed in total plant dry weight. Broad sense heritability estimates (for growth parameters) were highest for LAR, NAR, LAI and CGR while for plant biomass the highest was for total plant dry weight. The implications of these findings in oil palm nursery management and seedlings selection are discussed.

Desertification is a complex phenomenon which reduces the soil fertility involving ecological and economic processes that characterise the environment at different geographic scale. The MEDALUS model identifies regions that are environmentally sensitive area (ESAs). In this model, different types of ESAs to desertification can be analyzed in terms of various parameters such as landforms, soil, geology, vegetation, climate, and human actions. About 80% of IRAN is located in arid and semi-arid region and third of its area is exposed to the threat of desertification with attention turning to the increasing area of deserts on IRAN, it is necessary to first identify areas liable to desertification before identifying mitigation and control measures. For this purpose it is necessary to prepare a desertification map as a guide for planners. In this study to evaluate the desertification condition regarding to local conditions of the study area, six indices of water, climate, soil, vegitation, management and wind erosion erosion were selected and assessment of desertification condition was conducted Based on these indices, weightening and MEDALUS model. The results showed that climate with average of 1.9 and wind erosion with 1.68 have the highest effects. Soil with average of 1.28 and Water with average of 1.31 have the lowest effect on the desertification process in the study area. almost 32.86% of study area was located in the very high class, 65.9% was located in high class and 1.24% was located in moderate class of desertification.

Different soil erosion types including water and wind erosion which result in soil degradation and reducing fertility potential of soil, cause desertification in the region. "Gully Erosion" is one of water erosion types that with progressive trend results in soil degradation, and on the other hand, produces a lot of sediments. Determination of effective factors on gully erosion and its hazard zonation is one of substantial approaches in order to manage and control this phenomenon, and select the most appropriate and applied effective option. Hence this study is performed to classify effective factors on gully erosion, and identify regions with high potential in gully erosion using analytical hierarchy process method in Neyzar region, Qom. The most effective factors in gully erosion including slope degree, slope aspect, lithology, land use, and land suitability, were collected and digitized in geographical information systems. Then, gullies inventory map prepared using 1:20000 aerial photos (1372), and field studies was carried out by GPS. In the next step, effective factors were compared in pairs, and the weight of each factor was calculated that illustrates their contribution. Next, scaled map of each factor in respect to their quantities was prepared, and finally, gully erosion was zoned using scaled layers and scale index related to each factor. Results indicate that lithology (0.4978), and land use (0.2227) are the most important factors in gully initiation, respectively. For the assessment of zonation map, gullies inventory map shows that about 91% of gullies are located in zones of high and very high risk in this region. Therefore, due to the fact that AHP is based on dual comparision of factors, results in easy and accurate necessery calculations and it includes many effective factors, it is a suitable and efficient method for gully erosion hazard zonation.

Characterization and phytochemical screening of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) coir dust was carried out. Studies were carried out on the extraction and characterization of unmodified coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) coir using water, acetone, acetone/water (70/30), (50/50) respectively. The percentage extract decreased in the following order:  acetone/water (70/30) > water > acetone > acetone/water (50/50). Amount of extract obtained from a fixed mass of coir dust increased with decreased particle sizes: 150µm > 300µm > 600µm for all solvent systems. The amount of extract obtained using water as extractant increased with increase in volume in the order of:  400mL > 200 mL > 100 mL of water. Characterization of unmodified coir dust reveal the moisture, ash, lignin, cellulose contents and pH of aqueous solution as 25.20%, 9.0%, 53.5%, 35.99% and 6.4 respectively. Phytochemical screening of acetone coir extract for the presence of active ingredients such as tannins, flavonoids, polyphenols, phlobatannins,  and also reveals the absence of saponins, anthraquinones.