Antimicrobial Activity of Fruit Extracts of Xylopia Aethiopica and its Combination with Antibiotics against Clinical Bacterial Pathogens

The in- vitro antimicrobial activity of ethanol and aqueous fruit extracts of Xylopia aethiopica, four conventional antibiotics: gentamycin, ampicillin erythromycin and ciprofloxacin and the combination of each extract with the conventional antibiotics were investigated using the agar diffusion method.  Clinically isolated strains of bacteria: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis,  Staphylococcus aureus Streptococcus faecalis and Shigella dysenteriae were used for the assay. The preliminary screening of phytochemical constituents of the fruits of Xylopia aethiopica showed the presence of cardiac glycosides flavonoids, phlobatannins, tannins, phenol, anthraquinones, saponin and steroids. The  ethanol extract was active against P. aeruginosa, B. subtilis, S. aureus,  but showed no activity against K. pneumoniae and  E. coli while the aqueous extract was only active against S.aureus. The test organisms showed susceptibility to the antibiotics used except P. aureginosa which was resistant to ampicillin. Synergism was obtained in 39.3% of   all the combinations investigated, antagonism  in 57.1%, and indifference  in 3.6%  Gentamycin when combined with the aqueous and ethanol extracts had the highest percentage of synergism, Caution should be taken in with concurrent administration of X.aethiopica with  conventional antibiotics  because of the higher percentage of antagonism observed. KEYWORDS: Xylopia aethiopica, antibiotics, plant extract antimicrobial activity, synergism, antagonjsm

The doctoral research abstracts. Vol:6 2014 / Institute of Graduate Studies, UiTM

Congratulations to Institute of Graduate Studies on the continuous efforts to publish the 6th issue of the Doctoral Research Abstracts which ranged from the discipline of science and technology, business and administration to social science and humanities. This issue captures the novelty of research from 52 PhD doctorates receiving their scrolls in the UiTM’s 81st Convocation. This convocation is very significant especially for UiTM since we are celebrating the success of 52 PhD graduands – the highest number ever conferred at any one time. To the 52 doctorates, I would like it to be known that you have most certainly done UiTM proud by journeying through the scholastic path with its endless challenges and impediments, and by persevering right till the very end. This convocation should not be regarded as the end of your highest scholarly achievement and contribution to the body of knowledge but rather as the beginning of embarking into more innovative research from knowledge gained during this academic journey, for the community and country. As alumni of UiTM, we hold you dear to our hearts. The relationship that was once between a student and supervisor has now matured into comrades, forging and exploring together beyond the frontier of knowledge. We wish you all the best in your endeavour and may I offer my congratulations to all the graduands. ‘UiTM sentiasa dihati ku’ Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Prof Ir Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar , FASc, PEng Vice Chancellor Universiti Teknologi MAR

The Relationship of Federal Income Taxes to Toxic Wastes: A Selective Study

More demanding federal regulation, universal local opposition to waste treatment and disposal facilities, and increased long-term liabilities for waste sites have substantially restricted the supply of licensed waste handlers and have sharply increased the costs of waste disposal. As a result of increased costs and downstream liabilities for cleanup, industrial generators have begun to examine more closely their waste management practices and opportunities they may have to reduce the amount of hazardous waste they generate. The urgent need to marshal the full range of industrial strategies to achieve significant reduction in the amount and toxicity of hazardous waste and the environmentally sound treatment of residual wastes suggests the need to investigate whether the economic incentives embodied in the tax code harmonize with the national hazardous waste management policy or set up dissonances with the policy that discourage private cooperation. This Article probes the extent to which federal taxes, as reflected in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and elsewhere, are compatible or incompatible with federal environmental policies with respect to hazardous wastes. After a brief discussion in Part II of the lack of specific environmental policy input into the drafting of tax legislation, this Article proceeds in Part III to the analysis of the Code provisions affecting firms\u27 management of wastes and their associated risks. This analysis is organized according to the general character of the industrial activity affected. Section A deals with the general policy underlying tax deductions. Section B deals with the specifics of industrial operations, including the tax treatment of raw materials, or feedstocks, that are introduced into the production process and tax incentives related to changes in industrial processes and new production technologies. Section C discusses the tax treatment of waste disposal, including both pollution control equipment to treat waste before release to the environment, as well as ultimate waste disposal. Finally, Section D considers tax effects on the expenses and insurance or capital accumulations to cover liabilities that may accrue to firms after disposal of waste

Environmental, operational and financial sustainability of packaging methods in delivery businesses

Thesis (M. Eng. in Logistics)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 143-148).In retail delivery companies, packaging is used to transport goods to customers while preventing damage, shrinkage and loss of the contents. With consumer preferences reflecting the growing concern for the environment, retail delivery businesses are at the crossroads of implementing a sustainable operational and financial business model of delivering packages to customers. In this thesis, we will address the issue of sustainable packaging in retail delivery companies by evaluating the financial, environmental and operational viability of such strategies. The thesis will be limited to the downstream order fulfillment cycle from the retail delivery company to the customer. We will focus on three areas applicable to sustainable packaging. The first area is materials innovation where we will analyze alternative materials suitable for retail delivery packaging. The second area involves waste elimination through reducing packaging material use and reusing of packaging materials through a returnable tote program. Lastly, we will understand the implementation challenges to increase the success rate of the strategies mentioned earlier.by Joshua Ng and Kendall Chow.M.Eng.in Logistic

A framework for QoS driven user-side cloud service management

This thesis presents a comprehensive framework that assists the cloud service user in making cloud service management decisions, such as service selection and migration. The proposed framework utilizes the QoS history of the available services for QoS forecasting and multi-criteria decision making. It then integrates all the inherent necessary processes, such as QoS monitoring, forecasting, service comparison and ranking to recommend the best and optimal decision to the user

Environmental liability, policy and technology in real estate development

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2002.Includes bibliographical references (p. 139-142).Under the Federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act ("CERCLA"), 42 U.S.C. [paragraph]9601 et seq., "owner/operators" of contaminated real property may face cleanup costs that greatly exceed the value of the property. CERCLA liability is retroactive, is imposed without regard to fault, and - unless the defendant can prove divisibility - is joint and several. Moreover, owner/operators may also face liability under state cleanup statutes, under state tort law, and under the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 42 U.S.C. [paragraph][paragraph]6901 et seq. Historically, this potential liability has had a dampening effect on the willingness of investors to acquire and develop property that is or may be contaminated with hazardous materials. As a result, the value of these so-called "Brownfields" properties has been diminished. This thesis explores two propositions regarding this form of environmental liability: 1) that the legislation is moving toward favoring and encouraging the developer of "Brownfields" real estate, and 2) that the most effective means for minimizing liability is a clear understanding of the laws, and an intelligent application of this understanding through the use of due diligence and transactional protections. This thesis attempts to provide information and analysis that would be especially useful to potential developers. Legislative activity was investigated and the relationship between public concern for health hazards and Congressional activity was studied and quantified to determine the nature of the correlation between these factors. The results indicate a correlation between public concern and Congressional hearings. This thesis also explores legislative concern with the interests of business and local government, as demonstrated by the increase in Congressional hearings leading to a modification of Federal environmental legislation to encourage development and remediation, and by the rapid growth of Brownfields development incentives in the individual States. As long as public concern does not return to the levels of the mid-1980's, it is likely that future legislation - at both the state and Federal level - will include additional incentives for the development of Brownfields and other contaminated property. The developments in environmental legislation indicate that environmental liability risks will continue to lessen, making such development more profitable and attractive to an increasing number of developers and other real property investors. Nonetheless, environmental liability does and should remain a legitimate concern in real estate development. There are key items - which could be considered a "checklist" - that a real estate developer needs to consider in the planning of transactions to undertake any development, especially any Brownfields development or rehabilitation project, to minimize his/her potential environmental liability.by Deryk Meherik.S.M

Menstrual Hygiene Matters: A Resource For Improving Menstrual Hygiene Around the World

This report provides a comprehensive resource on menstrual hygiene that supports the development of context-specific information for improving practices for women and girls in lower- and middle-income countries. It brings together examples of good menstrual hygiene practice from around the world, provides guidance on building competence and confidence to break the silence surrounding the issue, and encourages increased engagement in advocacy on menstrual hygiene