Developing Competency Model Using Repertory Grid Technique: The Case of Spinning Master

This paper aims to develop the Competency Model using Repertory Grid Technique. 15 Spinning Master of a large textile company in India were interviewed using repertory grid technique. The study identified 9 competencies in 3 competency clusters that are Interpersonal Relationship, Operational Efficiency and Individual Traits. The study is the first attempt to develop competency model in any textile company and can be useful in implementing competency based HR practices in the organizations. The Repertory Grid Technique used in the study helps in developing competency model in a quick and comprehensive manner that may reduce the time, labor and cost involved in the same

Review - Improve Performance of Efficient Aggregation Scheduling In Multihop Wireless Sensor Network

The aggregated scheduling of data in networks of wireless sensors with interference of signal with SINR limitations is studied. A routing tree is formulated hat provides an overview of scheduling algorithms by which schemas of interlinking that are free of collision for clustering of data. The latency of algorithm that is suggested is improvised of IAS & DAS. The delay counted n every algorithm is O(R + ?) in time-slots, where ? & R are radius of graph & the extreme degree of node in a minimized graph communication of the real network, are optimized in sensors which are wireless. It is observed that throughput of algorithms suggested in enhanced than that of CIAS & CDAS

Reduced graphene oxide contains a minimum of six oxygen atoms for higher dipolar strength: A DFT study

The present work focused on the reduced graphene oxide contains a minimum of six oxygen atoms for the higher dipolar strength. The ionization potential and electron affinity decreased only for the six oxygen atoms based graphene. The six oxygen atoms based graphene have the highest dipole moment. The reduced graphene has 0.25 eV bandgap, which is very suitable for electron transfer. The six oxygen atoms based graphene leads to the least gauge including atomic orbital (GIAO) rotational tensor; however, it has the highest isotropic polarizability difference, diamagnetic susceptibility tensor difference, paramagnetic susceptibility tensor difference, and total susceptibility. The C-C bond length has increased only for the six oxygen atoms based graphene

A Novel Curcumin Analog (H-4073) Enhances the Therapeutic Efficacy of Cisplatin Treatment in Head and Neck Cancer

Chemotherapy constitutes the standard modality of treatment for localized head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). However, many patients fail to respond and relapse after this treatments due to the acquisition of chemo- resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel drugs that could reverse the resistant phenotype. Curcumin, the constituent of the spice turmeric has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-proliferative properties in several tumor types. However, use of curcumin has been limited due to its poor bio-absorption. Recently, a novel class of curcumin analogs, based on diarylidenylpiperidones (DAP), has been developed by incorporating a piperidone link to the beta-diketone structure and fluoro substitutions on the phenyl groups. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of H-4073, a parafluorinated variant of DAP, using both in vitro and in vivo head and neck cancer models. Our results demonstrate that H-4073 is a potent anti-tumor agent and it significantly inhibited cell proliferation in all the HNSCC cell lines tested in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, pretreatment of cisplatin-resistant HNSCC cell lines with H-4073 significantly reversed the chemo-resistance as observed by cell viability assay (MTT), apoptosis assay (Annexin V binding) and cleaved caspase-3 (Western blot). H-4073 mediated its anti-tumor effects by inhibiting JAK/STAT3, FAK, Akt and VEGF signaling pathways that play important roles in cell proliferation, migration, survival and angiogenesis. In the SCID mouse xenograft model, H-4073 significantly enhanced the anti-tumor and anti-angiogenesis effects of cisplatin, with no added systemic toxicity. Interestingly, H-4073 inhibited tumor angiogenesis by blocking VEGF production by tumor cells as well as directly inhibiting endothelial cell function. Taken together, our results suggest that H-4073 is a potent anti-tumor agent and it can be used to overcome chemotherapy resistance in HNSCC

Assessment of Knowledge and Practices towards Swine flu: A cross-sectional study among rural housewives

Background: Swine flu is an emerging public health problem in various countries including India and was declared a “Phase 6 Pandemic” by WHO in 2009. India ranks as 3rd most affected country for cases and deaths of swine flu globally. Objectives: To assess the level of knowledge and practices regarding Swine flu among rural housewives of Jammu and to find out the association between the two. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during the month of April 2015 using a pre-tested and semi-structured questionnaire among 310 housewives from two villages of Jammu district. Results: Adequate knowledge was seen in 61.9% of the respondents and 53.5% had followed good practices. Mean (SD) for knowledge and practices score was 11.4(2.37) & 10.3(2.58) respectively. Literacy levels were identified as a positive predictor for adequate knowledge and good practice score. A linear relationship was evident both between knowledge / practices as well as age upto 40 years after which there was a declining trend. Also significant positive association was found between knowledge and practices (p<0.001). Conclusions: Age and education played a key role in attaining adequate knowledge and inculcating healthy practices towards prevention of swine flu. Continuous and sustained efforts are required on the part of government to impart scientific and necessary information to the target population

A Critical Review of Pharmacological Actions of Haritaki (Terminalia chebula Retz) In Classical Texts

The drug Haritaki (Terminalia chebula Retz.) belongs to family Combretaceae is used since ancient time for therapeutic purposes. It has been widely used in the traditional Indian medical system of ‘Ayurveda’ for the treatment of a variety of ailments. Ayurvedic scholar Acharya Bhavprakash described the Haritaki as first drug in Bhavprakash Nighantu. It is called the "King of Medicines" in the Tibet and is always listed first in the Ayurvedic materia medica because of its extraordinary powers of healing with a wide spectrum of biological activity. Haritaki has five Rasa (taste) except Lavana (salt), its Vipaka (taste after digestion) is Madhura (sweet) and Veerya (potency) is Ushna (hot). Due to these virtues the plant performs various pharmacological actions such as Rasayana (rejuvenating), Medhya (brain tonic), Deepana (appetizer), Aampachana (digest Aama or toxins) and SrotasShodhana (cleaning the channels by detoxifying the metabolic waste). It helps to improve physical and mental health, prevents degeneration, extends youth and delays aging or rather reverse the aging process. Nowadays different modern researches have revealed its chemical components and pharmacological activities. Main phyto-chemicals of Haritaki are chebulic acid, gallic acid, corilagin, chebulagic acid, ellagic acid, chebulinic acid, triterpenoids and anthraquinones. It performs various therapeutical actions like; antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, hepatoprotective, anti-mutagenic, anti-proliferative, radio-protective, cardio-protective etc. This paper presented a comprehensive review of T. chebula especially its pharmacological actions on the basis of ancient texts as well as modern literatures

Sezary syndrome in a young retropositive male: A rare case report

Sezary syndrome, a rare disease, is the leukemic counterpart of mycosis fungoides accounting for less than 5% of cutaneous lymphomas.Very few case reports have been published of Sezary syndrome/mycosis fungoides presenting in young male and with coexisting HIV.We present a case of a 23-year-old retropositive male presenting with Sezary syndrome which is very rare. The present case highlightsthe fact that Sezary syndrome can rarely present in young and retropositive patients. It should be kept in differential diagnosis if apatient presents with erythroderma, generalized lymphadenopathy and characteristic peripheral smear findings. A multimodal approachinvolving flow cytometry, skin biopsy and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is required for arriving at a definite diagnosis

Coexistant extramedullary hematopoiesisin lymph node and non-hodgkin lymphoma with leukemic spill: A rare case report

Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) commonly occurs in the liver and spleen. Non-hepatosplenic EMH in a lymphnode is rare and with co-existing non-Hodgkin lymphoma is even rarer. Careful screening of cytological slides is a must in order not to miss such rare cases of non-hepatosplenic EMH in lymphnodes. We hereby report a rare case of a 75-year-old male with coexisting lymphnode EMH and NHL, that too with the leukemic spill, which has never been reported before