Are Gen Z Values the New Disruptor for Future Educational Institutions?

Do educational organizations need to go beyond the self-imposed dichotomies of preparing students for either career or direct them towards their passions, guide them towards professional success or goad them towards a balance that will keep them happy? Whether models of teaching/learning would have to evolve through disruption or perish in future? That is the motivation for our study which seeks to understand in depth, the values of post-millennial higher education students and suggest consequently a broad contour of academic structure that might accommodate their preferences. We purposely select a sample cohort of brightest Generation Z students of an eminent technological university who can articulate freely their deepest feelings and perceptions about their hopes and fears. Through qualitative research tools we obtain their rich inputs to propose a model of teaching /learning based upon four superordinate Generation Z values (viz. instrumental – career & passions; terminal – success & happiness) in the context of higher education. Finally, we propose a framework for change of educational organizations in terms of their curriculum, pedagogy and culture

Functional outcome of small and long bone lengthening by distraction osteogenesis

Background: Upper limb lengthening has limited indications because of the predominant non weight bearing nature. However, lengthening does have specific indications where the functional outcomes improve in selected patients. The aim of the study was to compare the clinical and radiological outcomes of upper limb long and short bone lengthening by distraction osteogenesis.Methods: A total of twenty four lengthenings were done in 21 patients, three cases being bilateral. The study group included cases of club hand, symbrachydactyly, multiple hereditary osteocondramatosis, traumatic amputations and congenital defects. Operative technique involved gradual mechanical distraction by orthofix external fixator after osteotomy. Clinical and radiological evaluation was done on follow up. The functional outcome for daily activities was assessed. The Healing index, Percentage healing index and Consolidation time were calculated.Results: The mean age of patients was 11.6 years. The percentage healing index of long bones was higher compared to short bones but the consolidation time was almost similar. Complications were seen in 35% patients. The satisfaction rates were higher in small bone lengthening and the complication rates were almost same as for long bones. Grasp, pinch strength and range of motion improved in cases of short bone lengthening.Conclusions: Distraction osteogenesis is reliable and predictable method of correction of osseous defects with vascular bone without sacrificing any adjacent digits or toes. It also gains soft tissue that is sensate with good blood supply

Ewallet and Financial Advisor

In the present age, using an application has become a new trend because of availability of web services on mobiles. Thus knowing information of money transaction through mobile in less time can be very useful to the users. This paper aims to help the use r to make use of an application which will comb ine the feature of Ewallet and Financial Advisor. Ewallet refers to a wallet that keeps a track of expenditure. Here Ewallet will provide the user with the detailed information regarding the different types of the expenditure he has done. And the financial advisor is the one which provides guidance to the customer for compensation. It will suggest some option to the user for maki ng investment in the market

Modified Approach for Cutting Force Measurement in Face Milling Process

In modern manufacturing processes, there is an ever increasing demand for higher productivity. The continuous demand for higher productivity and product quality asks for better understanding and control of machining processes by reducing machining time with the increase of cutting force and material removal rate. The variation in cutting force results in deflection in the tool and workpiece and which intern deteriorates geometrical accuracy. One of the methods of improving productivity and quality lies in fact, to develop monitoring system which can control and maintain the cutting force at a prescribed level by adjusting cutting parameters using adaptive control technique. The cutting force is one of the important characteristic variables to be monitored in the cutting processes. This research paper consists of an indirect cutting force estimator during face milling process. Cutting forces and torque models are derived from cutting geometry in face milling process. The relationship between feed motor current and cutting forces has been developed from the proposed force models. Cutting forces are measured indirectly by sensing the currents of feed drive servomotors through the Fanuc SERVOGUIDE software. The instantaneous current data captured through the software is utilized for determining the instantaneous torque developed by the feed motor and instantaneous cutting forces have been estimated by using force and torque models. Practical issues calculating cutting force using motor current on a commercial machining center is also carried out. The experimental methodology involved estimation of torque consumption by the motor, first during idle movement and second during actual machining of the component. The machining of the components using standard cutting condition has been carried out and the cutting force estimated using the above method were validated by comparing the cutting force data derived from an accurate dynamometer for similar cutting condition. Practical experimental results are found to be in agreement with the estimated value to an accuracy of ± 10%. This proves indirect measurement is quite reasonable and economical and it has an important application value with high compatibility and stability

Study of prenatal, natal, and neonatal risk factors associated with autism

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder is one of the common developmental disabilities. Underlying autism etiology is most likely polygenic but environmental factors may also contribute. Obstetrical and neonatal risk factors have been considered for the development of autism. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to know the presence of antenatal, perinatal and neonatal complications in autistic children. Materials and Methods: Children who were diagnosed with autism were included in the study. Visits were made to the special school for the collection of data with prior consent, and birth details were collected from the parents. Results: A total of 54 children were included in the study. Age of the children ranged from 3 years to 17 years with the mean age of 10.93 years. 39 (72.2%) were boys and 15 (27.8 %) were girls. Advanced maternal age at delivery was noted in 24% of the cases. Antenatal risk factors were seen in 24% of cases and natal risk factors in 20% of the cases. 17% had birth asphyxia. Neonatal intensive care unit admission was noted in 20% of cases, neonatal seizures in 5.6%, respiratory distress in 9.3%, and low birth weight in 17% of cases. 60% of them were first born. Overall, the presence of antenatal, natal, and postnatal risk factors were noted in 57% autism cases. Conclusion: In children with autism, there is increased prevalence of obstetric and neonatal risk factors. These variables should be examined in future for precise assessments of exposures

Assessment of the increased calcification of the jaw bone with CT-Scan after dental implant placement

Imaging Science in Dentistry (Imaging Sci Dent; ISD) is a peer reviewed and open access journal providing up to date information dedicated to the radiology and related sciences for oral cavity, jaws, face, and neck.Purpose: The study was performed to evaluate the canges of jaw bone density around the dental implant after placement using computed tomography scan (CT-Scan). \ud Materials and Methods: This prospective study consisted of 30 patients who had lost 1 posterior tooth in maxilla or mandible and installed dental implant. The patients took CT-Scan before and after implant placement. Hounsfield Unit (HU) was measured around the implants and evaluated the difference oh HU before and after implant installation. Results: The mean HU of jawbone was 542.436 HU and 764.94 HU after implant placement, respectively (p<0.05). The means Hus for male were 632.3 HU and 932.2 HU and those for female 478.2 HU and 645.5 HU before and after implant placement, respectively (p<0.05). Also, the jaw bone with lower density needed longer period for implant procedure and the increased cange of HU of jaw bone was less in the cases which needed longer period for integration. \ud Conclusion: CT-Scan could be use to assess the cange of bone density around dental implants. Bone density around dental implant was increased after placement. The increased rate of bone density could be determined by the quality of jaw bone before implant placement

Resource use efficiency of maize production in Jammu Region of J & K State

Maize one of the important crops of rainfed agriculture is grown in low, mid and high hill altitudes. The study was conducted on resource use efficiency of maize production in Jammu Region of J&amp;K state during the year 2007-08. Jammu region of state observed a positive trend for area but negative for yield of maize. In sampleddistricts, area under maize cultivation contributed positively in production but yield and interaction effect of both factors contributed negatively during the overall period of twenty years. The allocative efficiency was 0.014, 0.668, 1.019, 3.244 and 13.38 respectively for labour, capital, irrigation and fertilizers (N and K), respectively and the allocative efficiency of fertilizer (P) was negative (-1.732). Maximum likelihood estimates showed that the value of variance parameters lambda (?) was 4.219 and that of sigma (?) was 0.455, which were significantly different from zero indicating a good fit and the correctness of the distributional assumptions specified and the value of gamma ( ?) was 0. 946 indicating 94 per cent of variation between the observed output and frontier output The estimated elasticities of the explanatory variables like labour (0.378), capital (0.336), irrigation (0.225), nitrogen (0.244) and potash (0.292) were positive while the value of phosphate (-0.383) was negative. The analysis of results showed that the returns to scale (RTS) was 1.092. Factors that affected on technical efficiency predicted the regression coefficient for education as 0.023 and farm size as 0.878 and for the proportion of female workers (0.062) in the family was also positively significant

MRSA: the leading pathogen of orthopedic infection in a tertiary care hospital, South India

Background: The rate of infection is high and heterogeneous in developing countries. This study aimed to find the rate and pattern of infection in a tertiary care hospital with a goal to improve the infection control practices.Methods: The study was conducted in the orthopedic units of a multispecialty teaching hospital. Medical records of major orthopedic surgery adult patients without immunosuppression state were included. The bacterial culture report of the wound swabs were noted over a period of one year. The bacterial culture testing was performed by a recommended method.Results: Among 2,249 orthopedic surgery patients, 83.7% were males, 49.1% had open wounds during admission and 32.2% patients were infected. Majority (64.2%) of the injuries were in the lower limb with 19.4% patients having undergone multiple surgeries during hospitalization. A total of 946 pathogens were grown from 725 specimens. Staphylococcus aureus was the max- imum (48.4%) followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (26.3%) and E coli (16.7%). Among them, 57.3% were Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and was the leading pathogen causing infection among orthopedic patients.Conclusion: MRSA infection was high. Consequent to this, an interventional program entitled ‘Extended Infection Control Measures' was designed to reduce the burden of infection.Keywords: MRSA, orthopedic, infection, South India

Dissecting the Role of Critical Residues and Substrate Preference of a Fatty Acyl-CoA Synthetase (FadD13) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Newly emerging multi-drug resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) severely limit the treatment options for tuberculosis (TB); hence, new antitubercular drugs are urgently needed. The mymA operon is essential for the virulence and intracellular survival of M.tb and thus represents an attractive target for the development of new antitubercular drugs. This study is focused on the structure-function relationship of Fatty Acyl-CoA Synthetase (FadD13, Rv3089) belonging to the mymA operon. Eight site-directed mutants of FadD13 were designed, constructed and analyzed for the structural-functional integrity of the enzyme. The study revealed that mutation of Lys487 resulted in ∼95% loss of the activity thus demonstrating its crucial requirement for the enzymatic activity. Comparison of the kinetic parameters showed the residues Lys172 and Ala302 to be involved in the binding of ATP and Ser404 in the binding of CoenzymeA. The influence of mutations of the residues Val209 and Trp377 emphasized their importance in maintaining the structural integrity of FadD13. Besides, we show a synergistic influence of fatty acid and ATP binding on the conformation and rigidity of FadD13. FadD13 represents the first Fatty Acyl-CoA Synthetase to display biphasic kinetics for fatty acids. FadD13 exhibits a distinct preference for C26/C24 fatty acids, which in the light of earlier reported observations further substantiates the role of the mymA operon in remodeling the cell envelope of intracellular M.tb under acidic conditions. A three-dimensional model of FadD13 was generated; the docking of ATP to the active site verified its interaction with Lys172, Ala302 and Lys487 and corresponded well with the results of the mutational studies. Our study provides a significant understanding of the FadD13 protein including the identification of residues important for its activity as well as in the maintenance of structural integrity. We believe that the findings of this study will provide valuable inputs in the development of inhibitors against the mymA operon, an important target for the development of antitubercular drugs