IMPACT : International Journal of Research in Applied, Natural and Social Sciences

5-20

Authors: JITESHKUMAR B. PATEL & AMARESH DAS

Surface soil (46 nos.), water (32 nos.) and plant/crop (34 nos.) samples were collected around Vapi industrial belt, Gujarat (India) in order to assess toxic metal contamination in surface soil, water sources and plant bodies. The results revealed that about 48, 100, 6 and 6% soils belonged to 'deficient to marginal' category with respect to Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn, respectively. The content of DTPA - Pb, Co, Ni and Cd in soils were also below permissible limit / maximum threshold value. Only few water sources contained Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ni and Cd metals and that too within permissible limit. BOD and COD of water sources were above prescribed limit. Pb and Co content of all water sources were within maximum permissible limit and thus were safe. Fe in all plant/crop samples, Cu in five, Zn in nine, Pb in nineteen, Ni in fourteen and Cd only in six plant/crop samples were found to cross the maximum permissible limit and as a consequence might become toxic / harmful.

27-34

Authors: PRATIMA MATHAD, JYOTHI CHANDRAKANT, RAJASAMARSEN MODI, SUMAYYA S & ANILKUMAR P

The present study was under taken to evaluate the In vitro antioxidant property and phytochemical constituents of different solvent extracts of Actiniopteris radiata. The scavenging activity of DPPH, H2O2 and reducing power including phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids and tannin contents were determined. The extracts exhibited scavenging activity towards all radicals tested due to the presence of relatively high alkaloids and flavonoids content. The present study suggests that Actiniopteris radiata is endowed with antioxidant phytochemicals and could serve as a base for future drugs

49-52

Authors: ABDULLAH ALMUQRIN

This is a review of Kim McDonald’s book Innovation: How Innovators Think, Act, and Change our World. In her book, McDonald introduces the voices of a wide range of disciplines’ innovators and leaders who have the experience and expertise to change the world. The book reviewed is a source of inspiration to anyone taking innovation and creativity in any field seriously. It presents a large group of innovation stories that contributed to our world and can be the foundation to more innovative ideas that can solve most of the world’s problems. Innovation: How Innovators Think, Act, and Change our World, K. C. McDonald, Kogan Page Limited, Pennsylvania, USA, (2013), 264 pp.

59-68

Authors: Umsa Jameel, Aniqa Batool & Malik Tahir Hayat

This study evaluated occupational exposures among poultry workers to five volatile organic compounds released from the extensive use of solvents and proteinaceous waste decomposition in the poultry farms. Concentrations of five volatile organic compounds VOCs (acetone, benzene, naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene) were measured in blood samples of 49 poultry workers from Pakistan to assess the occupational exposure. All of the concerned VOCs could be detected in more than 95% of blood samples. Levels of VOCs were higher in smokers compared to non-smoking workers i.e., acetone (p=0.015), benzene (p=0.017), naphthalene (p=0.000) and phenanthrene (p=0.005) except pyrene (p=0.631). Levels of VOCs also seemed to increase with the job duration of the workers (p=0.001). The prevailing hygiene conditions of farms surveyed seemed directly related with the frequency of safety equipment use during work. It is concluded that poultry workers are at a risk of occupational exposure to VOCs due to their work environment. It is highlighted from the findings that there is need for more complete studies to evaluate the exposures related to poultry industry in Pakistan and setting environment standards for these and other VOCs.

79-88

Authors: EMESE PUPEK

The role of creative industries has become increasingly appreciated in today’s globalized society. Characteristically, the workers and creators of creative industries draw upon cultural roots (frequently looking for inspiration in their national culture), they need the freedom of expression, a global sphere as well as a network society to be productive. This work with its high added value, in turn, supports several other sectors (e.g. tourism), and establishes a vibrant and innovative environment that considerably affects people and their lives. Recognizing the above mentioned developments, the European Union has invested a lot of effort in promoting the development of creative industries. The present study has collected the information specific to these activities with a view to measuring their effectiveness and impacts. In addition to the analysis of the relevant documents and programmes of the European Union, the essay is based on the in-depth study of the COMPENDIUM database about the practices of individual countries. The COMPENDIUM is a web-based and permanently updated information system monitoring the national cultural policies of 42 European countries according to a predefined uniform structure. This transnational project was initiated by the Steering Committee for Culture of the Council of Europe and has been running as a joint venture with the European Institute for Comparative Cultural Research (ERICarts) since 1998. The country profiles, for the most part, only allude to creative industries but the topic is directly addressed under the “Cultural/creative industries: policies and programmes” and “Creativity and participation” chapters by the authors. The definition of creative industries and the demarcation of the sector pose great difficulty and the methods used by individual nations also considerably vary, but they have one thing in common, i.e., their cultural policies do relate to creative industries in some way. Using the above resources, this essay focuses on the following main questions: How do European countries approach the issue of creative industries? What do these approaches have in common? What kind of good practices exist? What kind of impact does EU membership or potential membership have on these initiatives?