Kantorovich-Euler Lagrange-Galerkin’s method for bending analysis of thin plates

In this work, the Kantorovich method is applied to solve the bending problem of thin rectangular plates with three simply supported edges and one fixed edge subject to uniformly distributed load over the entire plate surface. In the method, the plate bending problem is presented using variational calculus. The total potential energy functional is found in terms of a displacement function constructed using the Kantorovich procedure, as the product of an unknown function of x (f(x)) and a coordinate basis function in the y direction that satisfies the displacement end conditions at y = 0, y = b. The Euler-Lagrange differential equation is determined for this functional. The Galerkin method is then used to obtain the unknown function f(x). Bending moment curvature relations are used to find the bending moments and their extreme values. The results obtained agree remarkably well with literature. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by the marginal relative error obtained for one term displacement solutions.Keywords: Kantorovich-Galerkin, thin plate, potential energy functional, Euler-Lagrange differential equation

Equilibrium approach in the derivation of differential equations for homogeneous isotropic mindlin plates

In this paper, the differential equations of Mindlin plates are derived from basic principles by simultaneous satisfaction of the differential equations of equilibrium, the stress-strain laws and the strain-displacement relations for isotropic, homogenous linear elastic materials. Equilibrium method was adopted in the derivation. The Mindlin plate equation was obtained as a system of simultaneous partial differential equations in terms of three displacement variables (parameters) namely w( x,y,z=0),θx (x,y)and θy(x,y) where w(x, y, z) is the transverse displacement θx and θy are rotations of the middle surface. It was shown that when θx =-∂w/∂x, θy=-∂w/∂xand k → ∞ where k is the shear correction factor, the Mindlin plate equations reduce to the classical Kirchhoff plate equation which is a biharmonic equation in terms of w(x, y, z = 0).Keywords: Mindlin plate, Kirchhoff plate, tranverse displacement, rotations, shear correction factor, biharmonic equation

Examining the corporate social responsibility orientation in developing countries: An empirical investigation of the Carroll's CSR pyramid

Citation: Ehie, I. C. (2016). Examining the corporate social responsibility orientation in developing countries: An empirical investigation of the Carroll's CSR pyramid. International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, 11(1), 1-20. doi:10.1504/IJBGE.2016.076337We investigate the seminal Carroll's corporate social responsibility (CSR) hierarchy using a sample from Nigerian companies. Carroll (1991) outlined four major components of CSR in a cumulative framework with economic responsibilities at the base and philanthropic responsibilities at the top of the pyramid with the legal and ethical components in between. The relevance of Carroll's CSR pyramid in the African context has been questioned and the need for an empirical study on the appropriateness of the CSR pyramid in Africa has been called for. This study is in response to this call to empirically test the relevance of the Carroll's CSR pyramid in the sub-Saharan Africa region. The study also tests the proposition that CSR is viewed through the lens of philanthropy in Africa. The findings empirically validate Visser's (2006) proposition that the philanthropic component weighs heavier than both the legal and ethical components of the CSR pyramid. The results provide a basis for the reliance on corporate philanthropy and guide CSR managers in sub-Saharan Africa in understanding the orientation that would lead to a more effective CSR implementation. Copyright © 2016 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd

Organizational improvement of Nigerian Catholic Chaplaincy in Central Ohio : towards effective collaboration for rural and community development in Nigeria - ethical considerations

The book is based on a qualitative study of faith-based organizations as agents of ethical community development. is thesis proposes ways to improve diaspora faith-based organizations for ethical and e ective collaboration, particularly with mainstream agencies in social services delivery. The thesis also focuses on the values, which need to be sustained by diaspora faith-based organizations to achieve collaboration

Impact of brewery wastewater sludge on microbiological quality of agricultural soil

Impact of brewery wastewater sludge on microbiological quality of agricultural soil was studied using standard methods. Different concentrations of brewery wastewater sludge were added to soil sample collected from abandoned farm land to produce test soil samples A to C; and a control (without sludge). The samples were allowed to stay for 80 days with exposure to same environmental condition. Standard methods were deployed to isolate and group organisms from the soil samples. Important microbes such as Streptococcus sp., Klebsilla sp., Proteus sp., Vibrio sp., Shigella sp., Micrococcus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Enterobacter sp., Escherichia sp., and Bacillus sp amongst others were isolated. The isolated organisms and their loads were more on the test soil samples against the control. These could be indication of the impact of the brewery sludge on the soil. Organisms isolated and grouped have one or more beneficial role to play with relevance to agricultural soil. This study has revealed the impact of brewery wastewater sludge on microbiological quality of agricultural soil

DETERMINANTS OF TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY IN GARI PROCESSING IN DELTA STATE NIGERIA

In order to determine the technical efficiency of Gari processing in Delta State, Nigeria, panel data were collected over 6 months period from 100 processors, using multi – stage random sampling technique. A translog stochastic frontier model incorporating inefficiency effects was employed to analyse the data, using the computer program FRONTIER 4.1 developed by [6]. The results indicate that there is a wide variation in the level of technical efficiency in Gari processing, ranging from 25% to 88%, with a mean efficiency level of 65%. The technical inefficiency level of processors is attributed to socio – economic characteristics including age of processor, family size, level of formal education, access to production credit, availability of alternative sources of income and membership of Gari Processing Associations. The inefficiency of individual processors was negatively related to all factors and were statistically significant (P < 0.05), except age of processor

An Examination of Relevant Issues in Nigeria’s Fiscal Federalism

Nigeria’s fiscal arrangement accommodates the interaction between the federal government and the federating units in addressing critical issues of revenue assignment from natural resources, expenditure assignment, regional disparities, and national unity. Fiscal federalism in Nigeria is characterized by extensive vertical and horizontal intergovernmental relations which have become very contentious and volatile because subnational governments lack financial autonomy in the current fiscal architecture. This paper examines such issues as principles of fiscal federalism, decentralization and assignment of revenue from natural resources, decentralization and corruption, decentralization, regional disparities and national unity. The practice of fiscal federalism has been contentious in Nigeria due to overbearing influence of the federal government, unevenly distribution of endowment of natural resources, the sharing of which often puts considerable strains on national unity, and also tends to generate rivalries between the constituent units of the Nigerian state. The paper concludes that if the country can establish the institutions that will make decentralization work with a reasonable degree of efficiency, then decentralization can be a good policy

Financing Agro-Based Small and Medium Scale Enterprises by Selected Commercial Banks in Enugu State, Nigeria

This study analyzed the financing agro-based small and medium scale enterprises by selected commercial banks in   Enugu state, Nigeria. It specifically sought to ascertain the quantum of loans disbursed to the small and medium scale agro-based enterprises by the selected banks in the study area as well as the factors that determined such disbursements. A multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted in this study. Three Banks, namely First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Plc, Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) Plc and United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc were purposively selected because they are among the top lenders to agro-based enterprises and some other economic activities in the state. Data for the study were obtained from both primary and secondary sources and analyzed through the use of descriptive and inferential statistics. The bulk of the sampled small scale agro-based enterprises (76.67%) accessed between N200,000 and N600,000 ($1,256.25 and$3,750) while 56.67% of the medium scale agro-based enterprises obtained a loan of N1,000,000 ($6,250). This amount accessed is too small when viewed against the high cost of doing business in Nigeria. Determinant variables such as age of entrepreneurs, interest rate, enterprise experience, category of enterprises, rate of loan repayment, and business turnover were all found to be critical factors that influence the amount of loan that are given to SMEs. It is therefore the recommendation of this study that there is need for the banks to increase the amount of loan disbursed to agro-based SMEs in other to improve and increase their production

Pengaruh Kompensasi dan Lingkungan Kerja terhadap Produktivitas Kerja Karyawan PT. Sumber Jaya Indah Nusa Coy di Rokan Hulu

Penelitian ini dilakukan di Kabupaten Rokan Hulu.Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisa pengaruh yang ditimbulkan oleh variabel kompensasi dan lingkungan kerja terhadap produktivitas kerja. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah seluruh karyawan bagian pengolahan PT. Sumber Jaya Indah Nusa Coy di Rokan Hulu yang berjumlah 112 orang dengan menggunakan metode sensus. Teknik pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui teknik kuesioner, wawancara sedangkan datanya data primer dan data sekunder. Selanjutnya data dianalisis dengan menggunakan analisis regresi linier berganda, koefisien determinasi, koefisien korelasi, uji simultan, dan uji parsial. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa variabel kompensasi dan lingkungan kerja secara bersama-sama berpengaruh signifikan terhadap produktivitas kerja karyawan, ini terbukti dari hasil uji F yang memperoleh Fhitung= 36,552 diterima pada taraf signifikan 5%. Selanjutnya berdasarkan uji parsial dapat diketahui bahwa variabel kompensasi berpengaruh signifikan terhadap produktivitas kerja karyawan, ini terbukti dari hasil uji t yaitu sebesar t hitung x1= 2,964. Lingkungan kerja diperoleh hasil uji t yaitu sebesar t hitung x2=3,398 diterima. Diperoleh hasil R2=50,10%, hal ini berarti bahwa kemampuan variabel independen ( kompensasi dan lingkungan kerja) menjelaskan pengaruhnya terhadap variabel dependen (produktivitas) sebesar 50,10%, sedangkan sisanya merupakan variabel yang tidak terungkap dalam penelitian