Design and performance assessment for a novel friction smoke generator : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Chemical and Bioprocessing at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Figures 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 2.11, 2.14, 2.15 & 2.16 have been removed for copyright reasons but may be accessed via their source listed in the References.Friction is one of the methods used to generate smoke for food smoking applications. The method involves pressing a plank of wood against a spinning wheel, roughened to provide frictional heating. The heating raises the interface temperature above 240 °C, where smouldering occurs. The primary objective of this project was to understand the dynamics of a novel friction smoke generator, designed in a prior project, but optimised here. Subobjectives included understanding the frictional system and its thermodynamic behaviour, and preliminary attempts to define the composition of the smoke. The novel aspect of the design is supplementary heating additional to the heat generated by friction. This means the interface temperature is less dependent on frictional heating. A system control strategy was developed to control temperature and force. Twenty seven experiments were carried out. Nine of them investigated the smouldering limits without supplementary heating for various pressing forces and sliding speeds. The other twelve runs were conducted with supplementary heating for 100, 150 and 200 ˚C and various forces at constant sliding speed. The last six experiments were selected runs from the previous experiments where smoke was collected for composition analysis. With no supplementary heating, pyrolysis takes place when the pressing force is ≥49.1 N and the wheel speed is at ≥2500 rpm. These conditions generate interfacial temperatures within the pyrolysis range. When the system was heated, the limit where smouldering starts when 9.81 N and 200 ˚C were applied. Two significant results were obtained. First, the progression of smouldering, resulted in a low and high wear rate of wood. The shift between these is proposed to be an endothermic to exothermic transition. Second, the time to reach this shift is a function of the pressing force and system temperature, becoming instantaneous at 200°C for forces > 29.4 N. These allowed insight to be gained into the dynamics of heat and mass transfer during friction smoking. The smoke composition analysis indicates that controlling the volatiles formation is highly achievable by varying the smoking conditions (i.e. auxiliary heat, pressing force). The current design has some limitations, which include uncertainties in the conversion of electrical to mechanical power, vibration of the wood plank, conduction along the motor shaft and ingress of air. Recommendations are to address these by placing a thermal break on the shaft, preventing ambient air ingress into the chamber and adding a torque transducer. Further study is also recommended on the roughness and design of the friction wheel, and on scale up

A map and a pipe : a new approach to characterizing erosion-corrosion regimes of Fe in three dimensions using CFD modelling

In studies of erosion-corrosion, much work has been carried out in recent years to identify regimes of behaviour. Such regimes describe the transition between the erosion and corrosion dominated mechanisms. They can also be used, by assigning various criteria, to identify other regimes of behaviour such as extent of "synergy/antagonism" in the process, so-called "additive" behaviour and the extent of wastage. Despite this work, there has been very little effort to combine the two dimensional erosion-corrosion map with CFD modelling approaches, in which the characteristics of the fluid are accounted for in the regime description. This means that extrapolation of such maps in two dimensions to a three dimensional real surface presents some difficulties. However, it is these surfaces that corrosion engineers are required to tailor, either through modification of the material composition, the surface or the process parameters, for optimum erosion-corrosion resistance. In this paper, a methodology is generated to combine the concepts of CFD modelling, and the erosion-corrosion regime map for a specific geometry and for a range of pure metals in descending order in the Galvanic series. The changes in regimes are presented as a function of variation in the erosion and corrosion variables i.e. particle size, hardness and solution pH. Erosion-corrosion regimes are presented, based on the model results, showing the wide range of mechanistic and wastage mechanisms possible over the component surface

Modelling an Optimisation Selection Method for Buildings Design Toward Environmental & Economic Objectives

Improving the performance of buildings based on their energy consumption is a challenging task. The main contributing factor to the amount of energy a building consumes is associated with maintaining the satisfaction of the building’s users, by controlling the conditions within a building’s envelope. Two main design factors control the overall buildings energy performance, the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system design and building envelope design. There are several studies aimed at finding optimum solutions, evaluating these factors individually. The researches focused on the HVAC system design, has limited number of variables going into it, comparing different systems, operation set ups and fuels. As for the researches focusing on the buildings’ envelop design, a large number of envelope’s design variables can influence the building’s energy consumption, such as its shape, geometry, material composition, elevation, and location, lead to different energy consumption rates. This research systematically investigates how three main building envelop design variables (Orientation, Aspect ratio/compactness and Window to Wall ratio) impact the overall building’s energy performance, including the potential of integrating sustainable energy generation systems, in search for optimum buildings designs than can achieve an environmental and economic balance. The first component is specific to the analyses of buildings’ energy performance/consumption, based on the three building’s envelop design variables. The energy performance considers different building geometries (from a square to a rectangular aspect ratio that is of length twice the width). Then, orienting those different forms at different directions. Further, varying the external walls composition at different window to wall ratios. The results are used to calculate the net yearly energy consumption rates and understand the patterns of energy consumption influenced by those three variables. All simulations are specific to the climate condition of Kuwait’s geolocation, to develop an informed perspective of the climate influence on energy patterns. The results obtained have unique patterns that do not particularly agree with the general conclusions cited by other researches, specific to the relationship between buildings compactness and the energy consumption. With the growing concerns of climate change effects on the environment, it’s no longer enough to aim for passive mitigation solutions by reducing the energy consumption. The goal is to push for active ways to generate energy using sustainable resources, when possible, in the most economically feasible way. Hence, the second component of this research, focused on the opportunities to utilise the envelope for energy generation. By integrating sustainable energy generation systems within the buildings’ façade, the dependency on the power from the grid, that is 10 mostly generated using fossil fuels, can be reduced. The climate characteristics of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries impose specific challenges on buildings’ energy performance as well as the efficiency of sustainable energy generation systems. Specific challenges such as the effect of dust on the most productive sustainable source for energy generation, solar photovoltaic systems, must be considered. Accordingly, a prediction model is created to quantify the regional effect of dust on the productivity of PV systems. Then, given the specific building variables used in the buildings’ energy consumption calculations, the energy generation potentials are calculated. The last component of this research aims to optimise the objectives of lower energy consumption rates, higher energy generation potentials (Lower emissions), and lower investment costs. A model is created to find optimum solutions that can balance those contradicting objectives. The results are obtained to provide guidance to the designers toward environmental and economic decisions, through a set of different possible design combinations

A Neural Network for Collaborative Forecasting

As the supply chain activities’ backbone, demand forecasting must be accurate. This paper proposes an artificial neural network forecasting model, which integrates and synchronizes shared information, such as sales or consumption rate among different partners, to improve the forecasting’s accuracy. This information sharing is part of the collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) model, which is a supply chain model aiming to enhance the supply chain’s efficiency by jointly planning and forecasting between two or more supply chain partners that will be used as the base for production and replenishment activities. The model is validated using a tuna product sales data, and the combination of individual forecasts resulted in better demand forecasting accuracy for the supply chain. This improvement will lead to reduced costs associated with the forecast’s overestimation or underestimation

In vivo neurological assessment of sedative hypnotic effect of Coriandrum sativum L. seeds in mice.

ABSTRACTEthnopharmacological relevance: seeds of Coriandrum sativum L. have been used in the traditional medicine to relieve stress and other neurological disease conditions.Aim of the study: The present study was under taken to evaluate the sedative hypnotic response of ethanolic extract of seeds of Coriandrum sativum L. (CSEE) in mice.Materials and methods: seeds of Coriandrum sativum L. Ethanolic extract was screened for sedative hypnotic response by using potentiation of Pentobarbital sleeping time at doses of 100mg/kg, 150mg/kg and 200 mg/kg. Saline and Pentobarbital sodium were employed as negative and positive control groups, respectively.Results: Ethanol extract increases Pentobarbital sodium induced sleeping time at dose of 100 mg/kg, 150 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg by 106 %, 111 % and 114% respectively as compared to negative control group and by 06 %, 11% & 14% respectively as compared to positive control group Conclusion: from present study finding it is found that seeds of Coriandrum sativum L. potentiate the sedative hypnotic efficacy in mice.

Strategic Management in Improving Total Quality in Bahrain’s Public Sector

This study determined the strategic management in improving total quality in Bahrain’s public sector. More specifically, the concerns of this study were: 1) the demographic characteristics of the respondents in terms of gender, nationality, number of years in public sector, category of specialisation, position in the organisation, and field which team work is relevant; 2) the strategic management practices and TQM application along institutionalising the planning function, establishing the strategic foundation, strategic situational diagnosis, and managing TQM implementation; and 3) TQM factors implemented in Bahrain’s public sector; 4) applying TQM and influenced the Bahrain’s public sector competitiveness; 5) the role of strategic management factors in encouraging the implementation and sustainability of TQM in Bahrain’s public sector; 6) the main impediments that hinder TQM adoption in Bahrain’s public sector. The descriptive-correlational research method was employed using questionnaire-checklist, interview guide and unstructured interview. The research is based on a mixed methodological in the exploratory investigation, whereby, three tools were used for primary data collection. These tools were focus group discussions (FGD) with 5 respondents, Interviews with 6 respondents, and survey questionnaires with 400 respondents; a total population of this study is 400. The data gathered were statistically treated through the use of frequency count, percentage computation, and test of significant relationship using Pearson’s correlation using SPSS statistics. The salient findings of the study were: 1. Demographic characteristics. Majority of the participants are male indicating that 312 out of 400 or 78% and barely 88 out of 400 or 22% are female. A high percentage of Bahraini among the respondents showing 376 out of 400 or 94% and remaining 24 out of 400 or 6% are non-Bahraini nationals. More than half of the participants acquired about 16 years and above experience in Bahrain’s public sector indicating a value of 52%, those with 1 to 5 years of experience consists of 80%, those with 11 to 15 years of experience obtained 18%, and the least are those between 6 to 10 years of experience comprise of 10%. On category of specialisation, 400 were currently employed as technical and non-technical job. Majority of the participants are non-technical indicating that 224 out of 400 or 56% and remaining 176 out of 400 or 44% are classified as technical personnel. Responding participants were almost Administrative Support Staff and Managers/Supervisors positions (n = 80, 20%); 64 or 16% participants holding other positions; 56 or 14% are Engineers; 48 or 12% are Directors; 40 or 10% are Senior Executives in their current position. The remaining 32 or 8% are individual contributors (Consultants and Sales Representatives). However, no Vice President served as participants of the study. However, in the field which team work is relevant, out of 400 participants, 88 or 22% are in Military, Armed Forces and Law occupations; 72 or 18% worked in the Technology and Communication; 59 or 14.80% worked in Business and Finance, and 54 or 13.60% worked in other fields. The remaining 37 or 9.20% participants are employed in Education and Training; 29 or 7.20% worked in Healthcare; 23 or 5.60% worked in Energy and Oil. However, the remaining 19 or 4.80% worked in the Production and Manufacturing, and Transportation and Logistics. vi 2. Strategic Management Practices and TQM Application. On Institutionalising the planning function. The findings revealed that 81 respondents gave a rating of 3 or “some improvement needed” on “top executives take formal responsibility for the organisation's strategic planning to improve TQM management practices”. On establishing the strategic foundation. The findings revealed that 69 respondents gave a rating of 6 or “Much Improvement Needed” on “all management and higher-level staff aware of the mission and understand. On Conducting the strategic situational diagnosis. The findings revealed that 64 respondents gave a rating of 6 or “Much Improvement Needed” on “the organisation have knowledge of and access to sources of information about the industry, markets, and other external factors.” On Managing TQM implementation. The findings revealed that 64 respondents gave a rating of 6 or “Much Improvement Needed” on “individuals responsible for strategic management and implementation of TQM successful performance.” 3. TQM factors implemented in Bahrain’s public sector. The participant mentioned that “quality communication and structure is a requirement of each directorate in the ministry. In each sector there are commerce and industry experts who control quality. They have oversight of the directorate, and they communicate with QR or QM stakeholders or QR representatives. For each expert there are two representatives for each sector. There is a quality representative for the directorate and a quality management representative for the sector itself. They all report to the Undersecretary for the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism. 4. Applying TQM and influenced the Bahrain’s public sector competitiveness. The participants had varying opinions on the application of TQM to Bahrain’s public sector. One participant, in particular argued that it is a competitive surrounding important any product, involving products in Bahrain’s public sector such as media; radio, television, and publishing. There is no particular monopolist for this service; the customers and the clients have a lot of available alternatives. Through the strategy of competitiveness to be the first choice; the first choice for the audience, the first choice for the recipients of the news even for travel can be strengthened through strong TQM. There is a significant link between competitiveness and the quality of service. Competition is intense and it is no longer peer organisations that are competitive. Social media has become a site of major competition for all. 5. The role of strategic management factors in encouraging the implementation and sustainability of TQM in Bahrain’s public sector. Three participants agreed that the strategy which gives the best guidance and the channels which provide the bigger picture it is the quality framework aspect of strategy. A strategy/goal provides the organisation with a goal, which is a generic and crucial part of the mission. All stakeholders within an organisation must get behind the goal. The optimisation and quality of the service depends on having a goal that one can attain to fulfill the strategy. There are the links between both. The strategic plan is the basis or the roadmap for total quality management (TQM) implementation in any organisation. It should not be independent or isolated from the strategic plan. There is a major effort to drive the competitiveness of many service sectors such as electricity and the solar panels. Other participants argued that in the communication sector there is increasing competitiveness amongst companies. 6. The main impediments that hinder TQM adoption in Bahrain’s public sector. Participants 1, 2, and 3 said, that teamwork is the main impediment hindering TQM adoption. There must be a building and fostering of trust through enhanced transparency between various organisations to bring teamwork to the different public sector organisations. Participant 3 said, that Bahrain deserves better from all parties to cultivate strategic thinking skills and existing mindset starting at the school level. Everyone should be loyal to Bahrain’s leaders and the country and all must do more to make the nation prosper. vii Based on the findings, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. The male group outnumbers the female members of the workforce. Majority of them are Administrative Support Staff, Managers and Supervisors positions and acquired about 16 years of service in public sector. 2. There is a strong positive relationship between the compliance to quality standards and work performance relative to strategic management and TQM application in Bahrain’s public sector. The correlation analysis showed that there is a significant relationship” along institutionalising the planning function, establishing the strategic foundation, conducting the strategic situational diagnosis, and managing TQM implementation. 3. The bureaucratic socialisation process is a barrier to the establishment of a quality culture in government. It is clear that this can bring about much resistance to any positive efforts aimed at effective organisational change. TQM mostly faces resistance from work cultures, mainly due to the protection of self-interest. Fixing lateral and cross-functional cooperation as well allowing room for improvement are essential steps towards establishing effective TQM practices. Changing the culture of an organisation is the only way towards the effective implementation of quality management. 4. The hierarchy is still the principal management method in the public sector, notwithstanding the demand of employees' empowerment and participation. Most in the private sectors seem to have very successful TQM management practices. 5. The Bahrain’s public sector has no reason to avoid a push for effective TQM management practices, given the many benefits offered by this structure. These include low capital investment, innovative ideas, increased employee commitment, improved performance/quality, and the reduction of waste, reduced costs, and improved customer satisfaction. 6. The factors affecting compliance to quality standards and work performance for the employees are economic status, followed by political influence and leadership style. The suggested measures to improve compliance to quality standards and work performance are good working condition, sustained support to employees, and fair appraisal system. Based on the findings, the following recommendations are offered: 1. The age entry of public employees especially the Bahraini Officers should be standardised under technical or non-technical staff to maximise the quality of work along the different sectors. The government officials may upgrade their academic status by taking master’s degree program or post-graduate studies to improve and maximise their knowledge and experiences in the field. 2. The Bahrain’s public sector need to be more transparent and accountable to society, comprehensive reforms, financial difficulties, increased statutory audit and wish to enhance performance. The government needs to adopt a modern method of TQM management practices. 3. Quarterly performance evaluation of key officials in Bahrain’s public sector should be undertaken to monitor the quality of services they provided to the public. 4. There must be a sustained effort to raise extent of applying TQM in Bahrain’s public sector since it is significantly related to work performance. The local administrators or chief executives in the government should be kept updated on the compliance to quality standards so that they will be globally competitive. 5. The assistance of key officials in Bahrain’s public sector be sought and necessary linkages be made with government offices which could be of help in the realisation of activities in the TQM implementation. 6. Further research similar to this study be made in order to validate whether findings in this study could also be true to other countries

New optimal PWM strategies for a VSI induction motor drive

The applications of robust squirrel-cage induction motors in variable speed inverter drive systems have increased considerably due to the availability of easily controlled semiconductor switching devices. One problem encountered in inverter drives is the non-sinusoidal nature of the supply voltage, which results in increased motor losses and harmful torque pulsations producing undesirable speed oscillations. The latter effects are negligible at high frequency operation, due to the damping effect of the rotor and load inertia. However, torque pulsations and speed ripple may be appreciable at low frequency, wore they may result in abnormal wear of gear-teeth or torsional shaft failure. Hence, in applications where constant or precise speed control is important, eg; machine tool, antenna positioning, traction drives etc., it is essential to establish a method for determining the magnitudes of these torque pulsations and speed ripple, as a first stage in minimizing or eliminating them. When a voltage source inverter is used in such applications, pulse width modulation (PWM) techniques are usually employed, whereby the quasi square waveshape is modulated so as to minimize or eliminate the low order harmonic voltage components and thereby reduce the torque pulsations. Recent investigations have shown that total elimination of low order components does not produce optimal efficiency or torque pulsations and speed ripple. minimization. This thesis describes new PWM strategies which does not rely on complete elimination of low order harmonics, but on controlling the magnitude and phase of these components to achieve a smooth rotor motion. Initially, a mathematical model for the inverter/induction motor drive was developed, based on numerical integration of the system differential equations. The changing topology of the inverter bridge was simulated using tensor techniques. Then an analytical method, based on harmonic equivalent circuit analysis was proposed for calculating the induction motor pulsating torque components under steady-state operating conditions, in terms of stator and rotor current harmonics. The accuracy of this method was verified by comparing its results with those obtained from the mathematical model developed earlier. This provided an extremely rapid, numerically stable and efficient means for evaluating harmonic current and torque components with balanced non-sinusoidal applied voltages. This method was then used to formulate the torque performance function necessary to determine the new optimal PWM switching strategies. Throughout the work, the predicted performance was extensively validated and supported by practical results obtained from an experimental rig specifically designed to drive the machine under different PWM techniques

Land development as a response to basic human needs: the case of Islamic city

This thesis is an attempt to understand the driving forces in the formation of Islamic cities. Similarity between Islamic cities especially in their organic morphology was a result of several systems that worked coherently to produce the physical product in their built environment. In general, the thesis aims to explore and understand the systems that were behind the formation and transformation of the traditional Islamic city. In order to achieve this goal the research in particular will aim to understand Sharia as the general law that controlled people's life in the traditional city, explore the theory of the basic human needs in Sharia, study the concept of individuality in Muslims life and its reflections on the built environment, analyse the individual role verses the state role in the traditional city and establish a relationship between both parties that preserve the values of the traditional city and may be applicable within the contemporary city.Sharia, the general law that controlled people's life in the traditional city formed an umbrella for all systems within the society including those related to land development. The main objectives of Sharia are to fulfil basic human necessities. These necessities are religion, life, property, intellect and posterity. Sharia preserved these necessities in three levels of interest. This preservation was accomplished from two sides, the State and the individual. The State is obliged to fulfil needs for all individuals according to levels of priority and according to its ability. Individuals fulfil their personal needs driven by internal motivation and by the obligations of Sharia.The thesis raises the declining role of the individual in land development and the problem of exchanging roles between the state and the individual in land development which leads to more obligations on the state and prevents the individual from preserving his basic needs that are related to land development.The individual represented the module of the society; and hence, the module of the built environment. This individuality appeared very clearly in the land ownership pattern of the traditional city. In the land development process individuals always enjoyed a direct access to land, which worked as a great incentive for them to develop it in order to fulfil their basic needs. On the contrary, the State controls all undeveloped land in the contemporary city and it is no longer readily accessible to any more individuals.The author invests the great effort made by Ash Shatibi (1320 -1388) who developed the theory of Magasid Ash Sharia ( Sahria objectives) in order to create a model that relates the human basic needs to the role of the individual and the role of the state.The model explains the balanced relationship between the State's role and the individual's role in land development in the traditional city which can be adapted in the contemporary city.This model assumes that the two parties, state and individual, share responsibility in preserving the human basic needs, particularly in land development. But each party has a different role. The model is built on a basic needs theory driven from Sharia that classifies the needs in three categories; primary, secondary and tertiary. These needs are expressed as interests in the theory. These interests protect the five fundamental necessities that are religion, life, property, intellect and posterity.The model suggests that the state is to exert its abilities to the utmost to provide primary needs to all individuals, lesser of secondary needs and least of tertiary needs. The state is also responsible to create the appropriate environment that enables individuals and private corporations to interact positively in order to achieve the basic needs in any of the three levels of needs. On the other hand the individuals will carry out the mission of preserving their needs driven by their own motivation. Individual's primary needs are of great importance but less in quantity, secondary needs may be higher in quantity but less important and tertiary needs are least of importance but have no ceiling quantity wise.The thesis consists of three sections and an introduction. The first section, Individuality in traditional and contemporary city, consists of two chapters: 1) Individuality and 2) The author's experience "loss of the individual role ". The second section, Land development as a response to human basic needs, consists of three chapters: 1) Basic human needs, 2) Land development in the traditional city and 3) Role of the state verses role of the individual. The third section, Results, consists of two chapters: 1) The model and 2) Conclusion

The Effect of Xenophobia on Voter Support for Parties of the Extreme Right in Western Europe: A Macro-Level Analysis

Articlehttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96974/1/UMURF-Issue04_2007-AMSayed.pd

An ecophysiological study on the moss hydrogoniuh fontanum from the Asir mountains, Saudi Arabia

The thesis describes a study on the ecophysiology of the moss Hydrogonium fontanum (C. Mail.) Jaeg., the dominant plant at a waterfall in Saudi Arabia. The influence of environmental variables and water stress on the growth, stress metabolite accumulation and phosphatase activities of the moss was studied in laboratory axenic culture along with observations and experiments conducted in the field. The variables chosen for growth experiments were light flux, flooding, nutrient concentrations and water stress. For phosphatase activities, the influence of temperature, pH, ions, water stress were studied. Differences were found in phosphatase activities for rhlzoids, protonema and leafy shoots of the moss and, therefore, the phosphomonoesterase (PMEase) and phosphodiesterase (PDEase) activities of these fractions were also investigated. H. fontanum was originally collected from the tufa-depositing waterfall (Water chemistry - 44 mg 1(^-1) Na, 44 mg 1(^-1) Ca). High Na and Ca had significant positive effect on yield of the protonema under the laboratory conditions. Low light intensity (10 µmol photon m(^-2) s(^-1)) decreased the yield, but high light intensity (90 µmol photon m(^-2) s(^-1)) increased the yield of the protonema. The moss showed no response to water stress in respect to praline accumulation. Protein content decreased significantly over 48 h with increase in water stress. The Influence of water stress was greater in terms of dry weight and chlorophyll content changes in protonema than in leafy shoots. The protonema was capable of using various organic P substrates as sources of phosphorus and showed both PMEase and PDEase activities. PMEase and PDEase activities were detectable in all moss fractions (rhizoids, protonema, leafy shoots). Laboratory grown material showed higher activities than field grown material. Rhizoids produced the highest PMEase and PDEase activities among the moss fractions. Some leafy shoots collected from the field had low phosphorus content with high phosphatase activities, while others had high phosphorus content with low phosphatase activities. Changes in phosphatase activities in batch culture were studied in relation to growth rate. PMEase activity was first evident when cellular P was 1.15% with low activity (0.117 µmol pNP mg d. wt(^-1) h(^-1)) and PDEase appeared 4 days later when cellular P was 0.54%. The activities increased up to day 12 after which the activities maintained this level. The optimum temperatures, measured over a period of 1 h, for PMEase and PDEase activities were 60 ºC and 65 ºC with pH optima of 5.5-6.0 and 6.4-6.8, respectively. Of the six ions tested, Ca, Zn and P had significant inhibitory effects on the activities at the highest concentration used (10 mM).Drying the moss decreases PMEase and PDEase activities by about 23% and 21% (5-d) and 3.7 and 2,8 times (3 months), respectively. Water stress (PEG treatment) also reduced significantly the activities of PMEase and PDEase with a greater effect on the activity of the latter. A brief comparison in PMEase activity using two different substrates p- nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) and 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate (4-MUP) was made to investigate the pH optima and time course. PMEase activity measured using 250 µM 4-MUP was about 60% of that measured using the same concentration of pNPP