Enhancing Knowledge Acquisition in Pharmaceutical Organisations based in Pakistan

Absorptive Capacity (ACAP) depicts the sequential order of activities connecting externally generated knowledge into an organisation; this involves a company’s ability to acquire new knowledge from an external source, assimilate and transform it, and eventually exploit it via its industrial processes and products/services. The sandwiched role of middle managers, being interlinked between decision makers and employees, has been argued as vital to organisational success. However, their role is often viewed as having conflicts astride management i.e. between employees and decision makers. This study, using a thematic analysis approach, explores and identifies the common and conflicting role of middle managers, as viewed by different respondents in organisational hierarchies. Results, based on a sample of 33 employees operating in the Pakistan Pharmaceutical sector, indicate that conflicting roles of middle managers also persist with more common roles in organisations

Chemical control of blossom blight disease of sarpagandha caused byColletotrichum capsici

Sarpagandha (Rauvolfia serpentina Benth) is grown in different parts of India and its adjoining countries for its root which is the chief source of several important alkaloids like ajmalicine, ajmaline, isoajmaline, rauvolfinine, reserpine and serpentine. Blossom blight caused by Colletotrichum capsici is one of the most serious diseases of sarpagandha in the North Indian plains. Eight fungicides, namely Benomyl, Carbendazim, Chlorothalonil, Mancozeb, Metalaxyl-mancozeb, Propiconazole, Thiram and Thiophanatemethyl were evaluated against the spore germination and mycelial growth of Colletotrichum capsici under in vitro condition. The results indicated that Mancozeb, Metalaxyl-mancozeb, Propiconazole and Thiram inhibited percent spore germination at the dose of 2 - 10 g/ml, while Benomyl, Carbendazim and Thiophanate-Methyl were ineffective even at 250 g/ml concentration. Propiconazole, Carbendazim, Benomyl, Mancozeb and Metalaxyl-mancozeb were highly effective inhibiting 50% mycelial growth at 2.8, 4.6, 6.0, 9.3 and 11.2 μg/ml, respectively, while Thiophanate-methyl, Chlorothalonil and Thiram were relatively less effective showing 50% mycelial growth inhibition at 25.2, 27.2 and 31.3 μg/ml, respectively. The effective fungicides were further employed for the protection of sarpagandha from blossom blight disease in the field during the year 2006 and 2007. The results of the two years (2006 and 2007) of field experiments indicated that disease incidence was significantly reduced in all the treated plots over unsprayed control. The spray of Mancozeb and Carbendazim produced highest protection that is >80% in both the years against blossom blight disease and their treatments also produced healthy and highest seed yield per plant.Key words: Blossom blight, Colletotrichum capsici, fungicides, Rauvolfia serpentina, sarpagandha

Investigation of waste banana peels and radish leaves for their biofuels potential

This article is mainly based on the production of biodiesel and bioethanol from waste banana peels and radish leaves. The oily content from both the samples were converted to biodiesel by acid catalyzed and base catalyzed transesterification using methanol and ethanol. The biodiesel so obtained was subjected to analysis in accordance with the American Standard for Testing Materials (ASTM). The carbohydrates were extracted by distilled water and characterized by physical, chemical and biochemical methods. The carbohydrates were subjected to anaerobic fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce bioethanol which was confirmed by the preparation of UV active derivatives namely ethyl benzoate and ethyl salicylate. The highest % yield of fatty acid methyl ester and fatty acid ethyl ester was found to be 75% and 38%, respectively. The yield of bioethanol from banana peels and radish leaves was found to be 1.37% and 1.23%, respectively. KEY WORDS: Oil, Transesterification, Biodiesel, Carbohydrates, Fermentation, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Bioethanol Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2015, 29(2), 239-245DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v29i2.

Revisiting of an Islamic Options Permisibility From Shariah Perspectives

The popularity of derivative instruments especially in managing uncertainty (risk)had become popular after several financial crises that occurred since the Great EconomicDepression. There are various tools have been developed in managing risk such as the Options,Forwards, Futures and Swaps. In addition, these kinds of tools are commonly used by institutional and individual investors. Given this popularity, conventional risk management strategies is completely against from Islamic risk management as Islamic financial market arekeep on growing drastically at Cumulative Average Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15% on yearlybasis (Mckinsey, 2005). This is clearly shows that, Islamic finance development are in line withconventional financial development. Therefore, there is need to maintain consistency in productstructures offered by these two financial markets. The complexity is mainly contributed by thestructures and the design of the products especially on Islamic derivatives tools. Therefore, to get a significant picture of the Islamic risk management tools, this paper will only examines thecontemporary derivative instruments namely; Option and the Islamic viewpoints of thisinstrument . As we know, Islamic finance is governed by Shariah principle and guidelines whichprohibit Riba, Gharar, and Masir etc. Therefore, this paper attempts to explore the validity ofoptions from Islamic and Shariah perspectives by reviewing Islamic scholars opinions on anoptions market

S100B is increased in mood disorders and may be reduced by antidepressive treatment

Previous studies have reported alterations of glial cells and particularly astrocytes in mood disorders. Therefore, serum concentration of the astrocytic marker S100B was ascertained with an immunoluminometric assay in 20 patients with mood disorder and 12 healthy age-matched controls. Serum S100B was elevated in major depression (median after admission 410 ng/l, at discharge < 100 ng/l) and mania (130, 160 ng/l), when compared with controls (< 100 ng/l; rho< 0.01). Antidepressive treatment reduced S100B in conjunction with severity of depressive symptoms ( rho< 0.01). The severity of depression (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) was positively correlated with S100B (r(s) = 0.51, rho< 0.005). Elevated serum S100B during depressive and manic episodes of mood disorders may indicate alterations of astrocytes, which are reversed by antidepressive treatment

KONSEPSI PENDIDIKAN SEKS UNTUK ANAK DALAM PANDANGAN ‘ABD ALLAH NASIH ‘ULWAN

Berbicara tentang seks, sama halnya berbicara tentang kehidupan sehingga seks merupakan sesuatu yang urgen sekaligus sensasi. Adanya potensi dan kecenderungan seksual dalam setiap diri manusia sejak masa anak-anak adalah fitrah, dan menyia-nyiakan fitrah sama halnya menyia-nyiakan amanah Tuhan. Islam sebagai agama yang sangat memperhatikan terhadap aspek manusiawi, mengakomodir potensi ini dengan memberikan tuntunan yang seharusnya dibuat pedoman oleh manusia sebagai makhluk yang paling mulia, agar tidak melakukan penyimpangan seksual dalam kehidupannya yang akan mengancam eksistensi dirinya sebagai manusia. Tuntunan agama tentang seks akan dapat diimplementasikan secara baik melalui pendidikan. Dari sinilah pendidikan seks perlu mendapat perhatian sejak dini. ‘Abd Alla&gt;h Na&gt;s}ih} ‘Ulwa&gt;n menyajikan konsep jitu tentang esensi pendidikan seks untuk anak serta sistematika materinya sebagai upaya pengajaran, penyadaran, dan penerangan tentang masalah-masalah seksual sejak ia mulai mengerti tentang perkara-perkara yang berkenaan dengan naluri seksual dan perkawinan. Sehingga setelah ia tumbuh menjadi pemuda dapat memahami perkara-perkara kehidupan, mengetahui apa yang dihalalkan dan apa yang diharamkan, dan mampu menerapkan tingkah laku islami sebagai akhlak hidupnya, serta menutup segala kemungkinan yang mengarah pada hubungan seksual terlarang. Talking about sex, as well as talk about life so that sex is something that is urgent at the same sensation. Their potency and sexual inclination in every human being since childhood is the nature, and the wasting of nature as well as wasting the mandate of God. Islam as a religion that is very attentive to the human aspect, to accommodate this potential by providing guidance that should be made guidelines by humans as the most noble creature, in order not to commit sexual perversion in his life that would threaten the existence of himself as a man. Religious guidance about sex will be implemented either through education. From this, sex education need attention early on. ‘Abd Alla&gt;h Na&gt;s}ih} ‘Ulwa&gt;n presents the concept of telling about the essence of sex education for children as well as a systematic teaching material, awareness, and information about sexual problems since he began to understand about the cases that regard with marriage and sexual instincts. So when he grows into a young man can understand the judge actions of life, to know what is permitted and what is forbidden, and being able to apply Islamic behavior as moral life, as well as closing all possibilities that lead to illicit sexual relations</em