Abstract: To survive in the global marketplace, companies has adopted lean towards reducing wastes and improving their efficiency. Manpower study traditionally employs work study methods such as Process Mapping and Man-Machine Charts which are no longer suitable to be used in the complicated manufacturing environment such as in the electronics manufacturing facility. Thus, a modified work-study architecture is designed and applied at the process under study to optimize the man-machine configuration. This paper details out the development and implementation of the work study architecture to perform lean waste analysis at an electronic manufacturing company. The benefits observed from the implementation phase indicate that the lean waste analysis performed using this system has reduced the lengthy time that work-study usually takes, eliminated human error during analysis and improved the accuracy of data.

Abstract: The present study was undertaken to estimate combining ability and heritability in 4 × 4 diallel crosses of Brassica napus L. at the University of Agriculture, Peshawar during 2012-13 crop season. The genetic material comprised four parental genotypes along with their 12 F2 populations grown in randomized complete block design with three replications. Analysis of variance revealed significant (P=0.01) differences for plant height, main raceme length, pod length, while significant (P=0.05) differences were observed for days to 50% flowering. Parental genotype G6 was the best general combiner for days to 50% flowering, plant height, pod length. G9 had the highest GCA for main raceme length. Cross “G2 × G4” was the best specific combiner for plant height, pod length. For reciprocal effects cross “G6 × G4” was a good combination with highest reciprocal effects for main raceme length. Broad sense heritability recorded was 0.26, 0.52, 0.65 and 0.73 for days to 50% flowering, main raceme length, plant height and pod length respectively, suggesting the effectiveness of selection of these traits in different generations. The overall study showed the importance of both additive and non-additive gene actions.

Abstract: A setAis a Sidon set in an additive groupGif every element of Gcan be written at most one way as sum of two elements ofA. A particular case of two–dimensional Sidon sets are the sonar sequences, which are two–dimensional synchronization patterns. The main known constructions of sonar sequences are reminiscent of Costas arrays constructions (Welch and Golomb). Other constructions are Quadratic and Shift. In this work we present new constructions of sonar sequences, independent of the named above, using one–dimensional Sidon sets.

Abstract: This experiment was conducted in 9x9 diallel fashion to investigate combining ability effects in different maize populations at CCRI, Pirsabak during 2012. The experimental material comprised nine parents i.e. Jalal, Azam C3, Sarhad White C3, Pahari C3, Pop-2007, Pop-2008, Pop-2009, Pop-2010 and Pop-2011. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant (P=0.01) differences for all the traits except kernel rows cob-1. The genotypes and their F1 hybrid means for days to tasseling were (56 to 65 and 55 to 64), for pollen shedding (59 to 68 and 58 to 67), for silking (60 to 69 and 58 to 68), for kernal rows cob-1 (13 to 17 and 12 to 17), for cob length (16.5 to 21.2 and 14 to 22.5), for 100 seed weight (23.6 to 36.3 and 22.5 to 43.1) and for grain yield (4356 to 8477 and 4871 to 8948), respectively. Combining ability analysis revealed that general combining ability effects were highly significant for all traits. Among the parents, population 2011, population 2008 and Azam C3 were the best general combiner for all maturity and morphological characters namely days to pollen shedding, days to mid silking, days to tasseling, plant height and ear height. For yield and yield associated traits viz. cob length and grain yield parental genotype population 2010 and Sarhad white C3 outperformed other genotypes. Specific combining ability effects were also found significant for all the mentioned traits. Pop-2009 x Pop-2011, Azam C3 x Pop-2010, Jalal x Pop-2008, Azam C3 x Pop-2008 are the best specific cross combinations for the maturity traits. Good specific cross combinations were Pop-2008 x Pop-2009, Pahari C3 x Pop-2010, Sarhad white C3 x Pop-2010, Pop-2007 x Pop-2010, Jalal x Pop-2009 for plant height and ear height. For yield and yield associated traits namely cob length, 100 kernal weight and grain yield the best specific cross combinations were Sarhad white C3 x Pop-2007, Pop-2010 x Pop-2011, Jalal x Pop-2007, Pop-2009 x Pop-2011, Azam C3 x Pop-2007. For reciprocal effects, highly significant (P=0.01) differences were advocated for all the traits. Genotype Pop-2009 and Pop-2007 were best parents when used as a female for maturity traits. Parent Pop-2009, Pahari C3 and Pop-2011 may be used as a female parent for yield and yield associated traits.

Abstract: The growing use of surfactants in the different segments of industry has led to an increase in studies involving solutions containing this type of molecule. Due to its amphiphilic nature, the molecule exhibits a polar and nonpolar portion, which easily interact with other types of molecules that can modify the medium’s properties when the concentration at which monomers saturate the air-liquid system interface, is reached.This saturation concentration is known as the critical micellar concentration (c.m.c.). The present study aimed at characterizing ionic and nonionic surfactants and determining some of their properties.Short-chain carboxylic acids (Octanoic and Dodecanoic - C8 and C12 respectively) underwent synthesis, infrared (IR) spectroscopic characterization, differential thermal analysis (DTA) andthermogravimetric analysis (DTG). The following physicochemical properties of aqueous solutions containing surfactants were determined: surface tension, critical micellar concentration (c.m.c.), excess surfactant at the interface, hydrophilic portion of the surfactant and Gibbs free energy of micellization, as a mechanism to understand the real interaction behavior of these molecules in an aqueous medium. The properties of these surfactants were analyzed, emphasizing the influence of the degree of ethoxylation and different carbon chains that make up each surfactant used in this study. The results show that varying ethoxylation in nonionic surfactants and the size of the lipophilic portion of ionic surfactants produces surfactants that display different characteristics, but similar interfacial properties.

Abstract: Variations in protein, carbohydrate, lipid, ash, moisture, fatty acids, amino acids, ß-carotene and total phenolic compounds content of the seaweeds Ceramium rubrum, Sargassum vulgare, Sargassum fusiforme and Padina pavonia were studied. C. rubrum characterized by the highest protein content, while the highest lipid and carbohydrates contain was observed in S. vulgare. The highest concentration of essential amino acid and ß-carotene were observed in P. pavonia. S. fusiforme characterized by high concentration of total phenolic compound and total unsaturated fatty acids.

Abstract: This research was carried out to investigate the effect of different sugar concentrations and chemical preservatives and storage temperature i. e. ambient temperature (20-25oC) on the physicochemical and sensory attributes of strawberry juice stored for three months. The samples were numbered as, TA0, TA1, TA2, TA3, TA4, TA5, TA6 and TA7. Maximum increase in total soluble solids (TSS) content occurred in TA1 and TA2 (20.00%) while minimum change occurred in TA7 (7.31%). Maximum decrease in pH content occurred in TA0 (17.9%) while minimum decrease was observed in TA7 (9.72%). Maximum increase in titratable acidity occurred in TA0 (167.40%) followed by TA4 (141.90%) while minimum increase occurred in TA7 (122.85%). Maximum ascorbic acid decreased in TA0 (83.06%) followed by TA4 (77.79%) while minimum decreased was observed in TA7 (66.43%). Maximum increase in reducing sugar content was occurred in TA6 (25.86%) while minimum increase occurred in TA3 (17.93%). Maximum decrease was observed in non reducing sugar content occurred in TA4 (87.70%) while minimum decrease occurred in TA3 (18.30%). Maximum decrease in color was recorded for TA0 and TA4 (83.75%). Flavor deterioration occurred in control samples i. e. TA0 and TA4. Comparatively better consistency was recorded by sweetened juice. Among all the treatments TA0 and TA4 were rejected soon after storage due to spoilage while TA7 was found most effective but was also rejected organolytically after sometime. It is the result of our research work that temperature plays most important role in extending shelf life.

Abstract: The current study is an attempt to investigate the environment-strategy-structure-performance relationships in an integrative sense. This investigation is performed in light of the adaptive strategy model. Statistical analysis is performed using the PLS method on a structural equations framework. Analysis of data from 112 large manufacturing firms has yielded significant findings. (1) analyzing strategic performance in terms of slack generation, slack investment, and stakeholders' satisfaction provides additional dimensions to modeling the environment-strategy-structure-performance relationships, (2) higher levels of environmental munificence were associated with lower levels of diversification, and higher levels of slack generation, (3) higher levels of environmental instability were associated with lower levels of diversification, divisionalization and slack investment, (4) higher levels of diversification and divisionalization were associated with higher levels of slack generation and investment, (5) size did not mediate the strategy-structure relationship, (6) both a firm's ability to generate slack and its ability to invest it were positively associated with its stakeholders' satisfaction.