Industrial waste is one of the most essential sources of contamination in the environment. Chromium (Cr) is a toxic heavy metal, a major contaminant in tannery wastes and its accumulation in soil and water is a major environmental concern today. In the present study, an attempt was made and investigated the status of different beneficial microbes particularly plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) from tannery sludge samples collected from tannery effluent treatment plant at Dindugal, Tamil Nadu, India. Experiments were conducted and evaluated their chromium heavy metal tolerance abilities and plant growth promoting activities under in-vitro. Based on molecular analysis, the PGPRs were identified as Achromobacter xylosoxidans (LK391696), Azotobacter vinelandii (LK391702) and. The production of IAA was found to be high by Achromobacter xylosoxidans (46μg/ml) followed by Azospirillum lipoferum (30μg/ml). Phosphate solublization activity was also found to be positive in all these PGPR isolates. Significance of these results revealed that there is a possibility of using these potential PGPRs for bioremediation of chromium contaminated sites and also as good plant growth promoter.
ABSTRACT The 2006 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio World Conference treaty concluded that all countries should migrate from analogue to digital terrestrial television by June 2015, starting with region one countries, comprising Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Republic of Iran (Agona & Otim, 2012). The purpose of this research was to explore the technology adoption model (TAM) to address challenges associated with digital terrestrial television migration, and analyse the readiness of South Africa to migrate. A quantitative research was conducted in order to determine the relationship between dependent and independent variables. Digital television offers many benefits for broadcasters, network operators, spectrum regulators, and consumers. In most countries, the transition was slower than expected, even though most European countries managed to migrate. The digital migration is not an easy transition and analogue switch-off can also be much more difficult. Studies have shown that analogue switch off (ASO) needs to be carefully planned and well budgeted for, and it also needs a good publicity campaign which must involve all relevant stakeholders, such as broadcasters, viewers, manufacturers, network operators, manufacturers and retailers. Even though studies conducted previously identified obstacles of digital migration to include; a) lack of awareness b) lack of information, c) influence of politics and d) influence of corruption.
The present study aimed to explore the possible morphological features and growth patterns of calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals. The study was carried out on a glass slide under the microscope. The results showed that the calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals may be arborescent, donut, dumbbell, needles, platy, prismatic, rosette, round edges, loose agglomerates and compact aggregates. The study provides detailed information about calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals' morphology and aggregation patterns.
Customers shopping behaviors have altered because of technological advancement and widespread of internet access. The rise in online sales presents both opportunities and challenges for many e-commerce companies. To successfully increase the customers’ purchase intention, it is important to implement persuasion marketing strategies especially in the online environment, together with other traditional marketing techniques available. The goal of this study is to determine which technique, between Scarcity Tactics and Liking Tactics, has more impact on customers’ Purchase Intention. Zalora Indonesia, as one of the leaders in fashion, beauty, home and lifestyle e-commerce, is chosen to be the research object. Scarcity Tactics and Liking Tactics are the independent variables used in this study, with customers’ Purchase Intention as the dependent variable. Quantitative method using a causal strategy, with an online questionnaire has been delivered to 120 Zalora Indonesia buyers. According to the findings of this research, customers who buy online have the tendency to do purchases when Zalora Indonesia uses Scarcity Tactics and Liking Tactics in its marketing approach. Scarcity Tactics, however, has more influence on online Purchase Intention, whereas Liking Tactics has a promising but insignificant impact. Both Scarcity Tactics and Liking Tactics show influences in customers’ Purchase Intention as much as 60.2%.
In the present study nanoparticles of lomustine were fabricated using chitosan polymer crosslinked with different crosslinking agents like sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium hexametaphosphate. Different formulations of nanoparticles were prepared using different concentrations of crosslinking agents and polyethylene glycol 6000. The average particle size ranged between 112 nm to 942 nm. Zeta potential of nanoparticles ranged between 29.0 mV up to 56.0 mV. Encapsulation efficiency was variable from 58%-96%. The nanoparticles were solid spherical. In vitro drug release study was carried out in phosphate buffered saline solution pH 7.4 for 10 h. The analysis of regression values of Higuchi plot suggested diffusional mechanism and follows Fick's law of diffusion. Drug polymer interaction was absent as evidenced by FT-IR spectra and DSC thermograms. With polyethylene glycol inclusion shows interaction between lomustine and PEG. Cell viability assay (MTT Assay) showed that the lomustine nanoparticles were able to reduce the tumour cell proliferation and increased cell viability significantly (p< 0.05) as compared to pure drug in L 132 human lung cancer cell line
One of the most important challenges for a company is to manage its supply chain efficiently. One way to do this is to control and minimize its various logistics costs together to achieve an overall optimization of its supply network. One such system that integrates two of the most important logistics activities, namely inventory holding and transportation, is known as the inventory routing problem. Our replenishment network consists of a supplier that uses a single vehicle to distribute a single type of item during each period to a set of customers with independent and deterministic demand. The objectives considered are the management of supplier and customer inventories, the assignment of customers to replenishment periods, the determination of optimal delivery quantities to avoid customer stock-outs, the design and optimization of routes. A genetic algorithm (GA) is developed to solve our IRP. Different crossover structures are proposed and tested in two sets of reference instances. A comparison of the performance of different crossover structures was established. Then, it was used to find the most appropriate crossover structure that provides better results in a minor computation time. The obtained results prove the competitiveness of GAs compared to literature approaches, demonstrate the performance of our approach to best solve large scale instances and provide better solution quality in fast execution time.
The aim of this work was to prepare chitosan nanoparticles loaded with antineoplastic drug Lomustine (LCNPs), by ionic-gelation method with homogenization. The nanoparticles were characterized for particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), surface morphology, encapsulation efficiency, in-vitro drug release and cytotoxicity on human lung cancer cell line L132 by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The particle size, zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency of prepared nanoparticles ranged from 75±1.1 to 637±1.6 nm (PDI from 0.05±0.001 to 0.18±0.007), 37.2±0.21 to 53.8±0.18 mV and 66.74±1.4 to 98.0±1.8% re- spectively. The particles were spherical in shape with smooth surface in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. Mechanical shearing by homogenization treatment significantly changed the nanoparticle size. The drug release rate was biphasic and diffusion controlled over the 8 h. LCNPs greatly inhibited the growth of the L132 cancer cell line used in this study in comparison to the native Lomustine (LMT).
Abstract __ Considering the size and relevance of coffee industry to the Ethiopian economy this work presents the design, prototype development, analytical and numerical simulation as well as experimental investigation on an active solar coffee dryer. The solar collector and dryer system configuration has been optimized for minimal pressure drop by incorporating guide vanes and minimizing flow separation tendency using numerical simulation on ANSYS. The effect of air mass flow rate on optimal depth of collector, temperature rise and pressure drop were characterized including the effect of variation in solar insolation using CFD approach. By comparing different dryer configurations based on pressure drop and air flow uniformity, a new dryer configuration prototype was developed. In addition, thermal performance of the solar air heater was evaluated experimentally at three different airflow rates on a collector with corrugated absorber plate and another collector with flat absorber plate. High collector outlet temperature and efficiency were observed in a collector with corrugated absorber plate. The effect of depth of grain, moisture content on wet basis, airflow rate and humidity of air were explored for parametric sensitivity vis-à-vis drying time. Within 5 hours, coffee bean dried from 29% moisture content to 12.3% on a clear sunny day and within 7hours from 19% moisture content to 11.1% on a partially overcast day. Average thermal efficiency of the dryer was found to be 50.5% for clear sunshine day and 36.9% for partial overcast day. A good agreement has been observed between the experimental results and the CFD temperature rise predicted output with a deviation of 7.5%. Analytically predicted drying time compared with experimentally measured drying time within a 12.9% deviation. The cost -to-benefit analysis with a comparative assessment on traditional mode of coffee drying has been done and the payback period is found to be 1.03 years with significant benefits.
This study aims to determine the effect of communication, competence and work discipline on job satisfaction at PT. Tribahtera Srikandi. This research was conducted at PT. Tribahtera Srikandi lasted for 6 months, starting from January 2020 to June 2020. Sampling was taken in research using proportional random sampling method. The population in this study are all employees of factory workers in PT. Tribahtera Srikandi 155 people. The number of respondents in this study was established by using the statistics of the population, amounting to 112 people. The instruments used to collect data are questionnaires from communication, competence, work discipline and job satisfaction. The data analysis tool in this study is a multiple linear regression by carrying out a classic assumption test that is continued by testing the partial hypothesis or t test, the simultaneous hypothesis test or the F test, and the calculation of the coefficient of determination. The contribution of communication, competence and work discipline variables explained the variable of job satisfaction as big as 0.765 or 76.5%. The remaining 0.235 or 23.5% was influenced by other independent variables not examined in this study.
In India, the campaign to legitimise community radio began in mid-1990s, soon after the Supreme Court of India ruled in its judgment of February 1995 that “airwaves are public property. Though the approval for setting up of Community radio stations in India was granted in 2002, it is yet to develop in the valley of Kashmir. Till now, the valley has not established any community radio station, but the first effort to use radio for the development of the community was made in 2009 when Panos South Asia, in collaboration with the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), a rural University in Awantipora (Kashmir) started a community radio program in the Awantipora community. The program named “Pesh Kadam” meaning “Step Forward” started in 2009 and completed 350 episodes in 2018. This paper is aimed to study the reasons for absence of community radio stations in Kashmir. It also documents the efforts made to bring this medium to Kashmir and understand the evolution and challenges of first ever community radio program in Kashmir, study its content, analyse its popularity and efficacy. Both qualitative and quantitative research techniques are deployed in this study.
Background: Allied health science students often experience elevated academic stress due to the demanding nature of their curricula, which blend theoretical instruction with clinical practice. Examination periods, in particular, exacerbate psychological pressure, potentially compromising academic performance and overall well-being. Physical activity (PA) has been widely recognized for its protective role against stress, yet limited research has been conducted specifically among allied health science students. This study examined the correlation between physical activity and perceived stress levels among undergraduate allied health students during examination periods at Desh Bhagat University. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional correlational study was conducted over eight weeks, from October to November 2024. 250 undergraduate students were proportionately and randomly selected from the Nursing, Physiotherapy, Radiography, and Medical Laboratory Science departments. Data collection instruments included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire–Short Form (IPAQ-SF) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and one-way ANOVA were performed using SPSS version 25 to analyze the data. Results: Out of 250 questionnaires distributed, 237 were deemed valid for analysis. Among the respondents, 40.9% reported low physical activity, 38.4% moderate, and 20.7% high. In terms of stress levels, 65.4% experienced moderate stress, and 19.4% reported high stress. A statistically significant negative correlation was observed between physical activity and perceived stress (r = -0.42, p < 0.001). Furthermore, one-way ANOVA revealed that students with higher physical activity levels had significantly lower stress scores (F = 18.93, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Physical activity is an effective non-pharmacological strategy for mitigating academic stress among allied health science students. The results highlight the importance of promoting regular physical activity, particularly during high-stress academic periods, as a means of enhancing mental well-being and academic success.
The government has implemented the Healthy Living Community Movement (GERMAS) program by promoting the pharmaceutical sector related to drug storage at home. However, many problems still exist in storing household medicines in the community. This activity was carried out through a community empowerment approach using the community capacity-building method for a community organization, Aisyiyah, which consists of Muslim women in the Grendeng village, Purwokerto. This activity was carried out in stages, namely pre-test methods, lectures, group teaching, self-empowerment through peer teaching and training, and measuring the success of activities using post-tests. Based on the activities, partners' knowledge about storing medicines at home has increased in a good category.
Background: To assess the awareness, knowledge about refractive errors and strabismus among the general public in southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Methods: A cross sectional population-based survey used a semi structured questionnaire on awareness, knowledge on refractive errors and strabismus done as part of knowledge, attitude and practices study (KAP). Stratified multistage cluster random sampling method was used with a sample size of 867 adults- ≥16 years. Having heard of refractive error and strabismus was defined as awareness and having knowledge of the type of error for which spectacles were worn, was considered as knowledge. A pilot study was conducted to validate the questions used in the main study. Statistical package SPSS (version 19) was used for analysis to calculate logistic regression and odds ratios for gender, age, education and urban-rural areas. Results: A total of 782/867 (90.1%) subjects participated in the survey with females 47.4%. 581 subjects (74.3%) were aware of refractive error. 690 subjects (88.2%) were aware of squint. With multiple logistic regression about awareness of refractive error to various variables, subjects who were educated 11th class to degree had a higher awareness (OR: 2.40; CI: 1.25-4.60). With multiple logistic regression about awareness of squint to various variables, females had a higher awareness of squint (OR: 1.98; CI: 1.19-3.31). Conclusions: Awareness of squint and refractive error was high among the general public, but the knowledge of it was limited.
Identity-based encryption (IBE) is a public key cryptosystem and eliminates the demands of public key infrastructure (PKI) and certificate administration in conventional public key settings. Because of the absence of PKI, the revocation drawback could be a crucial issue in IBE settings. Many rescindable IBE schemes are planned relating to this issue. Quite recently, by embedding associate outsourcing computation technique into IBE, Li et al. planned a rescindable IBE theme with a key-update cloud service supplier (KU-CSP). However, their theme has 2 shortcomings. One is that the computation and communication prices are above previous rescindable IBE schemes. The opposite disadvantage is lack of measurability within the sense that the KU-CSP should keep a secret worth for every user. Within the article, we have a tendency to propose a replacement rescindable IBE theme with a cloud revocation authority (CRA) to resolve the 2 shortcomings, namely, the performance is significantly improved and the CRA holds only a system secret for all the users. For security analysis, we demonstrate that the proposed scheme is semantically secure under the Decisional Bilinear Diffie-Hellman (DBDH) assumption. Finally, we have a tendency to extend the planned rescindable IBE theme to gift a CRA-aided authentication theme with period-limited privileges for managing an outsized range of varied cloud services.
Nig. J. Pure & Appl. Sci. Vol. 38 (Issue 1, 2025) e-ISSN 2756-4045 (C) 2025 Faculty of Physical Sciences and Faculty of Life Sciences, Univ. of Ilorin, Nigeria www.njpas.com.ng Corresponding Author: Okechukwu, C.O. Department of Food Science and Technology, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu, Nigeria Email: obedemeka51@gmail.com; +2347066896556 Page |5143 Evaluation of the Effects of Boiling on the Nutrient and Phytonutrient Composition of (Aduh) Aerial Yam Tubers *1 Okechukwu, C.O. 2 Odo, P.C. and 1 Igwesi, L. U. 1 Department of Food Science and Technology, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu, Nigeria 2 Department of Food Technology, Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu State, Nigeria Date Received: 13-05-2024 Date Accepted: 21-10-2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.48198/NJPAS/24.B06 ABSTRACT This study investigates proximate, mineral and phytonutrient composition of raw and boiled yam (Aduh) flour samples. The aduh samples were divided into two equal portions. The tubers were sorted by removal of defected tubers and divided into two equal portions of one kilogram each for the pre-treatments One portion was processed raw and the second potion was subjected to boiling treatment. The proximate and mineral composition was analyzed using the method of AOAC, (2010) while the method described by Onwuka (2005) was employed in determining the phytonutrient content. The results of the proximate composition showed that the raw aduh sample had moisture content (6.37%), ash (2.33%), crude fibre (3.64%), crude protein content (9.81%), crude fat (3.86%), carbohydrate (77.21%) and energy value of 369.94%. The values of the raw sample were higher than that of the boiled sample due to the leaching away of nutrients into the boiling water. The mineral composition showed that the flours contained 205.60 – 316.31 μg/100g calcium, 139.00 – 161.00 μg/100g magnesium, 440 – 920.00 μg/100g potassium, 550.00 – 640.00 μg/100g sodium, 590.00 – 1735 μg/100g iron and 152.00 – 412.00 μg/100g zinc, respectively. The phytonutrient composition of the raw aduh flour were alkaloids (2.16%), flavonoids (1.75%), saponins (1.27%), tannin (0.21%) and phytate (1.88%) were significantly (p<0.05) reduced during boiling treatment process. Boiling treatment led to great reduction of the anti-nutritional factors. However, a slight reduction in the nutrient parameters was observed for the boiled sample but such reduction cannot be compared with the positive gains of removal of antinutrients. Thus, it is recommended that Aduh be properly cooked for at least 60 min before consumption.
The inclusion of hydroelectric power is crucial to Nigeria's overall energy mix, playing a significant role in electricity generation. However, the Shiroro hydro plant, one of the main facilities located on the Kaduna River, is currently facing operational obstacles due to deteriorating infrastructure and inadequate maintenance practices. To overcome these challenges and improve efficiency within Nigeria's hydroelectric power sector, a hybrid-optimization approach has been proposed. This study sought to enhance the efficiency of the Shiroro hydro plant by implementing this innovative method. To achieve our objectives and address pertinent research questions, a mixed research method combining primary and secondary data was employed. The analysis included hydropower modeling and hydro-turbine input-output modeling. Three optimizer models, namely the particle swarm optimizer (PSO), Ant colony optimizer (ACO), and Artificial bee colony optimizer (ABCO), were utilized to formulate objective functions and task representations. The study involved comparing the daily output and fitness response of the Shiroro hydro plant through swarm optimizer iterations. The findings revealed a clear correlation between the turbine's power output and the water flow rate and water column height, suggesting that altering these factors could significantly improve the plant's performance. The comparison of the PSO, ACO, and ABCO models demonstrated that PSO and ABCO generated optimal or near-optimal solutions, while ACO produced suboptimal results. Consequently, the study concluded that enhancing the Shiroro hydro plant's output was feasible by increasing the water flow rate and column height. Additionally, the utilization of PSO and ABCO models proved to be an effective means of accurately predicting the turbine's output. As a result, the study recommended the integration of hybrid optimization techniques to monitor and identify any deviations in the Shiroro hydro plant's daily power output. This approach would enable prompt maintenance to be carried out, preventing significant damage to the plant. Ultimately, this research contributes valuable insights into improving the efficiency and performance of Nigeria's Shiroro hydro plant.
Purchasing is one of the key managerial activities in every organisation, its significance having been identified during the 19th century. According to Kasilingham (2012, p.57), the period shortly before the Second World War marked the discovery of the fact that a firm’s success was not so much dependent upon what it was capable of selling but rather on how able organisations were to acquire necessary services together with materials from vendors. This discovery was triggered by a global shortage of virtually all fundamental materials for supporting operations, coupled with an abnormal rise in prices following the First World War. Since that time, purchasing has gained significance for the critical role it plays towards ensuring continuity of production (Hacioglu, 2019 p.265). Worth noting is that purchasing acts as “an interface between suppliers and functional areas within the buying organisation” (Crandall, Crandall & Chen, 2009 p.265). Among some of the functional areas that are influenced by purchasing are finance, marketing, production, and quality assurance (Magad & Amos, 2013 p.225). A vital deduction that can be made from this latter statement is that for the purchasing function to proceed smoothly and make the other functions- and the entire organisation- active, organisations must cultivate and maintain good relationships with suppliers and all other players in the supply chain. In addition, organisations operate in environments that are highly unpredictable; the techniques needed to perform the purchasing function become more refined almost every day due to constant changes in the market (Kasilingam, 2012 p.57). Subsequently, there is a need for managers in organisations to understand and embrace the idea of sustainable procurement.
Algae are used by human beings for food from ancient times, as they contain a wide range of elements. Using inexpensive, in-house bioassays for screening and monitoring of extracts where the aim of these bioassays is to provide a front-line screen that can be followed up by more specific and expensive bioassays. The phytochemical screening, assessment of toxicity and effects on growth parameters of Traticum sativum of ethanol and dichloromethane extracts of five macro-algal species (two green, two brown and one red) collected from Libyan coast were studied. The Brine shrimp lethality assay was conducted to determine the toxic effects of seaweed extracts on Artemia Salina nauplii larvae and this was to provide a front-line screen that can be backed up by specific and expensive bioassays once the active compounds have been isolated. The effect of seaweeds liquid fertilizer on growth parameters of Traticum sativum were examined using in vitro seed germination in petri dishes bioassay. Seed germination percentage, fresh and dry weight, shoots length and roots length were the parameters recorded in young seedlings post germination. Ethanolic and dichloromethane extracts of the five algae samples represented the presence of several chemical constituents. All extracts exhibited LC50 > 1000 μg per ml. In this study, all algal extracts are non-toxic according to Brine shrimp lethality assay so they may be considered as edible seaweeds. Different effects on growth parameters of Traticum sativum suggested the presence of micro-elements, macro-elements and different concentrations of plant growth hormones.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Standardization of crude drugs is a code of conduct and an essential need of the time. Substitution and adulteration now become a widespread practice, which makes the global crude drug market unsafe for crude drugs depending on the world population. Moreover, crude drug evaluation is not easy because numerous influential factors affect the bio-efficacy and reproducibility of therapeutic effects. The broad spectrum of standardization ensures the correct substance in the proper amount for desired therapeutic effects. It also provides all possible careful measures taken from collection and manufacturing to drug dispensing for clinical application. The authors have tried to cover precise tools for crude drug standardization in the present review.
People management is a very significant facet for organizations to keep up with competition. At the sme level, talent management is not a smple human resource terminology that one comes across. The concept of talent management requires the human resource to hire, manage, develop, and retain a productive workforce. Indeed, companies that employ talent management stay competitive through systematic and consistent decisions about worker development. The study outlines the proposal’s hypothesis or questions, literary analysis relevant to the topic, theoretical frameworks, and advantages and disadvantages of the applicable frameworks.