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This article provides hydraulic and thermal properties of soils and rocks. The impact of groundwater flow on the estimation of soil/rock thermal conductivity from test data was also examined. The purpose of this study, however, is to examine the means of reduction of energy consumption in buildings, identify GSHPs as an environmental friendly technology able to provide efficient utilisation of energy in the buildings sector, promote using GSHPs applications as an optimum means of heating and cooling, and to present typical applications and recent advances of the DX GSHPs. Contribution/ Originality
Eighty nine Kenyan sorghum lines were screened for tolerance to aluminium toxicity in nutrient solution. Relative net root growth; root tip aluminium content and variation in organic acid exudation were used to determine the tolerance or sensitivity of the sorghum lines at 148 µM Al for six days. The lines showed variable reduction in root growth under the Al stress. On the basis of the relative net root growths, three lines were tolerant, nineteen were moderately tolerant and sixty seven were sensitive to the Al stress. The tolerant lines secreted up to five times more citrate compared to sensitive lines under the Al treatment. All the lines secreted extremely low quantities of malate under aluminium stress despite a significant positive regression (R2 = 0.83) between malate secretion and relative net root growth. There was a negative regression between relative net root growth and root aluminium concentration (R² = -0.79) among the selected sorghum lines, and the sensitive lines accumulated up to three times the amount of Al compared to the tolerant lines.. The Al tolerant sorghum lines were selected for improved sorghum production in acid soil. The objectives of this study were to (i) identify Al tolerant Kenyan sorghum lines, (ii) investigate tolerance mechanisms employed by Kenyan sorghum lines against Al stress. Contribution/ Originality
In any business environment trust should never be taken for granted. Lack of trust in people, organizations, and government is one of the many reasons innovations and growth is stifled. To be sure, the global financial crisis was a much needed tragedy to reveal the true nature of organizations and management performance. This paper aims to examine the impact of the financial crisis on the banking sector of Nigeria at a macro level by prescribing a new regulatory framework, promoting regulatory neutrality, eliminating information asymmetry, reinforcing good corporate governance practice in the financial system and finally providing a guideline in regaining the public’s trust at a micro level. Contribution/ Originality
The theory consists of principles that describe relationships observed in association with phenomenon. The primary role of theory is to provide a description as well as explanation of the phenomenon. This means that organization theory can help us in understanding us; what is organizations, how organization behaves in a given environment and how they may behave in a different set of circumstances. The organization theory has been developed as a result of systematic study of organizations. Therefore, it has general applications to all type of organizations. It provides way of thinking about organization and managing the organizations. Organization theory deals primarily with the organization level phenomenon such as organizational change and growth, planning and design, development, politics, culture and structure. In the context of organization level phenomenon, this research study deals with effectiveness of the organization. The study is aimed to investigate the complexity of coordination and cooperation in the context of modern organization. The research has studies two major Model of organization theories; System Model and Contingency Model and has critically deliberated on the complexities of coordination and cooperation in the context of modern organizations, Finally, in the light of study of these modern organization models, the author has suggested Henry Mintzburg’s Model for dealing with the complexity of coordination and cooperation. Contribution/ Originality
In an economy where the co-operation is part of the success of any strategy, the putting at the staff’s disposition of the information needed in order to take the most appropriate decisions and its involvement in formulating and meeting the objectives of the company create competitive advantages, conjugated with a great individual responsibility.The topicality of methods, processes, strategies accentuates the interfering moment of the rational intelligence (I.Q.) with the emotional intelligence (E.Q.), synergy which can propel and capitalize strategies deeply touched by the importance of the quality of the staff, in the company’s success.The promotion of a performance culture, designed to support the strategies formulated, can be realized only inside a company which promotes the credibility and the confidence. A customer-centric and pro-active staff, aligned to the basic purpose of the company, would adapt with confidence and will contribute to the creation of a structure aimed to support the continuity of the company. Contribution/ Originality
In this study, a PVA/peat/organoclay/KNO3 spherical composite bead was prepared and was proved suitable as a biofilter material. This composite bead was a porous spherical particle with a diameter of 3.0-5.0 mm, a density of 1.23 g/cm3 and a porosity of about 50%. The organoclay was prepared by hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (HDTMA) exchanged clay. The biochemical kinetic behaviors of n-butyl acetate in the spherical PVA/peat/HDTMA-clay/KNO3 composite bead biofilter (Clay biofilter) and PVA/peat/granular activated carbon (GAC)/ KNO3 spherical composite bead biofilter (GAC biofilter) were investigated. The values of half-saturation constant Ks for Clay biofilter and GAC biofilter were 69.86 and 38.49 ppm, respectively. The values of maximum reaction rate Vm for Clay biofilter and GAC biofilter were 23.77 and 22.97 ppm/s, respectively. Diffusion-limited Zero-order kinetic was regarded as the most adequate biochemical reaction model. The microbial growth rate kg and biochemical reaction rate kd for two biofilters were inhibited at higher inlet concentration. The degree of inhibitive effect was more pronounced in the GAC biofilter in microbial growth process and that was almost the same in two biofilters in the biochemical reaction process. The maximum elimination capacity for Clay biofilter and GAC biofilter was 139.10 and 154.67 g-C/h-m3 bed volume, respectively. The PVA/peat/HDTMA-clay/KNO3 composite bead was suitable as a biofilter material. Contribution/ Originality
This paper examined the import of adopting reflective practice in the preparation of teacher trainees in the colleges of education in Ghana. It looked at the various dimensions of the knowledge base of teacher education curriculum in Ghana and various policy documents, especially the Colleges of Education Act, Act 847, which elevated the status of training colleges to tertiary institutions. Data from varied documents were explored and analysed from a discourse analytic perspective to ascertain how reflective practice is integrated into the pedagogy of teacher education in Ghana. The paper identified the adoption of reflective practice, with emphasis on artistry, which is reflection-in-action, as a suitable pedagogical skill to complement what the colleges of education are currently doing to actualize their mission. Policy recommendations included the restructuring of the curriculum of the colleges of education to address the development of students’ tacit knowledge by interfacing theory and experience. Research recommendations included an action research on teacher effectiveness using reflective practice. Contribution/ Originality
As reliability of large, centralized electrical power grid is decreasing, it is an opportune moment to investigate other sources of energy for critical operations. Distributed Power Generation (DPG) technologies are cost-effective and reliable alternate source to help organizations keep the power coming. Distributed power generation means “Power generation at or near customer sites, grid connected or isolated, small in size, quick responsive”. The present paper is an attempt to draw a Strategic Planning framework for the Distributed Power Generation. With the increase in energy requirements and the consequent diminishing conventional sources such as petroleum, coal etc, there is a need to look into new methods and sources of energy generation. The present study is based on judgmental data of the people involved in the business. This paper gives more emphasis on Strategic Analysis and Strategic Evaluation by Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Analytic Network Process (ANP) tools. Contribution/ Originality
This paper attempts to investigate the relationship between total energy consumption and economic growth in Nigeria using Granger Causality. The two variables of the study – energy consumption and real GDP were found to exhibit unit root property, i.e. non-stationary. The study finds no clear relationship between energy consumption and economic growth. Real GDP was found not to cause energy consumption while energy consumption was also found not to cause real GDP. As astounding as this result may be, it portends potential policy implications for the economy including the need to implement policies that link energy consumption with growth generating activities. Contribution/ Originality
This study investigates SERQUAL Dimensions in the delivery of satisfied services in the domestic airline industry in Ghana. Questionnaires were distributed to four hundred and fifty (450) customers from three domestic airlines namely Antrak Air, Fly 540 and Star Bow using the convenience sampling technique. The responses from the field indicate that domestic airlines operating in Ghana fall short in their adoption of SERVQUAL model to deliver quality services to their customers. According to the findings of this study, domestic airlines in Ghana are regarded by majority of the respondents as not being reliable, responsive, showing sense of assurance, empathy and tangible in all their operations. The same majority of respondents also indicated that the airlines fall short in adopting best practices of service quality. Contribution/ Originality
Kokoro is maize snack which is very popular among poor masses in Nigeria who consume it along with gari(a cassava product) as lunch on regular basis. In this study fungal contaminants of kokoro were characterized and its aflatoxin content determined. A total of 30 fungal isolates were obtained from kokoro samples and they belong to 3 different species. Aspergillus flavus had the highest frequency of occurrence of 73.33% while Penicillium species had the lowest (6.66%). Different concentration of aflatoxin B1 was detected in some of the kokoro samples analyzed. Sample D had the highest concentration of 7.25 parts per billion (ppb). The lowest concentration detected was 0.06 ppb in sample P. No aflatoxin G1 and G2 was detected in all the kokoro samples with exception of sample P which contained 2.54 ppb aflatoxin G1.According to international standards some of the kokoro samples are not suitable for human consumption because of high level aflatoxin which was above the recommended level. Therefore, production of kokoro should be standardized and appropriate packaging materials utilized to prevent the growth of aflatoxigenic fungi. This is to safeguard the health of many poor Nigerians who consume it on a regular basis. Contribution/ Originality
The corrosion inhibition action of sulphadoxine and pyrimethamine, which is being sold under the trade name “Antimal” as a single antimalarial drug was used as low cost and eco-friendly inhibitor for acid corrosion of mild steel monitored by means of an electrochemical technique at room temperature (30oC). It was found that the polarization resistance of the inhibitor was directly proportional to the concentration of the inhibitor –making the metal more resistant to corrosion at higher inhibitor concentrations. Also, the inhibition efficiency was found to increase with rise in concentration of the inhibitor. The experimental data were found to fit better for Temkin isotherm which illustrates multilayer chemisorption. However, significant correlation (R2 = 0.76) was found for Frumkin isotherm indicating possible amphiphilic interactions from alkyl substituents on the inhibitor molecules. Contribution/ Originality
Wireless power transfer based on electromagnetic coupling is a popular technique that is used in cases where the connection between wires are troublesome or inconvenient. Recently, it has drawn a lot of attention due to increased usage of mobile devices which needed wireless charging. In this paper, a method using circular planar spiral inductor structure to wirelessly transfer energy is proposed. It represents the characteristic of two parallel air core inductor mutually coupled in the free space for wireless power transfer system. Coupled inductance theory is used to compute the resonant frequency and power transfer efficiency. Simulations show that the change of air gap distance is found to be affecting the power transfer efficiency and is described in this paper. Contribution/ Originality
The adoption of a floating exchange rate system in Kenya was an effort to make it more aligned to the market determined equilibrium rate. However, there is limited empirical evidence that success has since been achieved in realizing the objective for which the foreign exchange market was liberalized. The exports of French beans are one of the leading contributors to foreign exchange earnings in Kenya. Nevertheless, the economic impacts of exchange rate liberalization on French beans exports in Kenya are unclear. This paper evaluates the magnitude and direction of the effects of exchange rate liberalization on French beans exports from Kenya to its major trading partners in the European Union. Monthly data for a fixed exchange regime represented by the period from 1990-1993 and a flexible regime represented by the period from 1994-2011 was used in the estimation of an export demand model. The empirical results show that the liberalization of the exchange rate led to an increase in the French beans export volumes from Kenya to the European Union. The paper recommends that, even if the Kenyan exchange rate system is flexible, exchange rate stability is necessary to avoid adverse effects of exchange rate volatility on French beans exports. Therefore, stability of the exchange rate is needed, not at a fixed level but by controlling exchange rate volatility using the exchange rate target band. Contribution/ Originality
Empirical studies on skill profile required at the workplace have focused on individual job function and industry per se. These studies may have ignored the potential heterogeneity of skill requirement across job functions and industries. Some of the skills may be occupation-specific, industry-specific or generically applicable across occupations and industries. Based on a Malaysian case study on 45 managers of five different job positions who had experience in job recruitment in six different industries, this study shows that not only are skills and abilities, personal attributes, and content knowledge statistically specific to industry and job, some of the characteristics in these aspects are generically applicable to all industries and jobs. Contribution/ Originality
The process of liberalization leads to stock price appreciation followed by inflows from foreign investors in Indian stock markets. Post-1992, the FIIs become one of the prime forces to drive up or down Indian stock markets and their indices. MFs, being the most influential DIIs have alsoplayed their part. This study is endeavoured to find out the impact of and relationships between FIIs net flows, MFs net flows and the Indian stock markets as proxied by the BSE SENSEX Index, both in the long-run and short-run, by using tabular results, correlation test results, ADF and PP tests, Johansen and Juselius’s cointegration test and Granger causality test results. Monthly data are used from April, 2007 to March, 2012 for all the variables, i.e., FIIs net flows, MFs net flows and the BSE SENSEX Index. ADF and PP results show that all the variables are not integrated of the same order. Johansen and Juselius’s cointegration test is conducted based on ADF and PP results with FIIs net flows and MFs net flows with the revised long-run model. It points out at least two cointegration vectors and negative long-run relationships between FIIs net flows with MFs net flows. Then, it employs Granger causality test. The Granger causality test finds no short-run unilateral or bilateral causal relationships between the BSE SENSEX Index, and FIIs and MFs net flows and neither in between FIIs net flows with the MFs net flows. Therefore, it is concluded that, Indian stock markets have no informational efficiency. However, future studies should incorporate critical Indian and global macroeconomic variables’ impact on the FIIs net flows and MFs net flows and their short and long-run interrelationships to make the study results more conclusive and reliable. Contribution/ Originality
The testicular dose of eight adult male patients undergoing radiological examination of the chest were investigated at the radiological department of the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Makurdi using themoluminescent dosimetry technique. The investigation was carried out using LiF TLD discs Reader, TLD model 4500 (Harshaw Radiation measurement product USA), 3-phase diagnostic X-ray machine and single a phase X-ray machine. The Mean testicular dose of the male patients investigated was found to be 0.0662±0.0034mGy. There is also a significant correlation between testicular dose and tube potential, in which higher tube potential delivered higher values of testicular doses. Results showed that, testicular doses are within acceptable limits, which is approximately 6.6% of the 1mGy reference dose level. Contribution/ Originality
The Senegalese grasshopper, Oedaleus senegalensis (Orthoptera: Acrididae) is known as pest of economic importance which cause damage to millet and sorghum crops besides pastures in western Sudan. The study was done to investigate the biology of the insect on its natural habitat. Observations in the field were made twice/ week, from April-November each year for three continuous seasons 2006/2007, 2007/2008 and 2008/2009, in two selected sites one around Gellabiya village in North Kordofan State west Elobeid town. The other was around Kuik village in South Kordofan State north Kadugli town. The nymphs and the adults were collected by sweep net from the field and transferred to the laboratory for study. Female adults of the Senegalese grasshopper were dissected and examined under binocular Microscope (Paralux, Optigue de précision CE 0602397) to investigate the fecundity through ovarioles numbers and function. Duration of each of the developmental stages of the pest was determined. Results showed that the mean number of ovarioles is 36 / ovary and two egg pods were laid /female. The mean fecundity was 44 eggs. The female laid eggs twice during life cycle. Ovariole function average was 76% in the first laying and 36% in the second laying. Mean developmental duration after hatching of O. senegalensis to adult (nymphal instars) was 25 day. The respective nymphal duration from the 1st to the 5th instar was 4, 5, 5, 5, and 6 days, respectively. Contribution/ Originality
Reverse supply chain problem is one of the concepts in supply chain which as well explore wastes management in relation to customer. In reverse supply chains, wastes are recovered and reproduced leading to profit making of new products which is produced. In this study, residuals, after transferring by costumer, send to production station, sorting station and different manufacturing processes (melting, forging, clamping, painting …) for reproduction. After completion several production processes, diverse products resend to costumers. Here, considering different cost factors and also pricing concept and reproduced parts, the mathematical model of optimizing manufacturing cost is developed. The solution is a useful tool in strategic decision making for municipalities. Contribution/ Originality
Stubble burning had been identified as a contributor to soil structural degradation and loss of plant nutrients. Contrary to this, some studies have suggested that burning activities might increase availability of plant nutrients and also reported that charcoal residues and charred biomass left on kiln sites improve the fertility of tropical soils by direct nutrient addition and retention. The effect is not sufficiently understood or quantify in areas with very high rainfall intensity that evidenced in high leaching and erosion associated with slope. We; (1) examined the effect of stubbles burning on soil conditions in acid sands, and (2) identified any changes in soil chemical and physical properties under burning at different level of intensity. The experimental fire was performed with measured dry biomass of 30, 90, 120 kg m-2, in three replicates on the plots to provide three levels of burning and the unburned plots served as control. At each of the sampling points, random spots were core sampled and augered at 0-15 cm depth, with the aid of a Dutch auger and bulked together to give a composite sample. Laboratory methods of analyses were carried out on soil samples for particle size distribution, pH (soil reaction), organic matter contents, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and exchangeable cations (K, Ca, Mg and Na). The textural class of the soils within the study area was found to be sandy loam with sand fraction being the dominant particle size in all locations after burning and was found to have significant effect on the particle size distribution. Coarse sand fraction was higher in the burnt plot with the mean value of 16.00 gkg-1 in 30 and 120 kgm-2, 13.33 gkg-1 in 90 kgm-2 and 12.66 gkg-1 in the unburnt plot. Also soil burnt with 30 and 90 kgm-2 of the dry biomass was found to increase bulk density by 4 and 9 % respectively, while 6 % reduction in bulk density occurred in soil burnt with 120 kgm-2 stubble materials. Total nitrogen content was found to be significantly reduced as a result of burning, while available phosphorus was higher in burnt plots than in the un-burned soil. Contribution/ Originality
Abstract