Application Of Principles Of Total Quality Management (TQM) In Teacher Education Institutions

The indomitable spirit of higher education paves the way for the growth of a nation in the political, economic, social, intellectual and spiritual dimensions. Teacher education is one of the areas in higher education which trains student-teachers in pedagogy, which in turn helps them to train the young minds of educational institutions. The “Fate of the nation is decided in the classroom,” is a remark made by the Education Commission of India. Such classrooms are created by committed and dedicated teachers. These teachers are trained in teacher education institutions. Teacher education institutions should maintain quality to ensure the academic excellence of trainees who come into the teaching profession. Quality is a comparative standard prescribed for those institutions that are on the quest for output brilliance. Quality assurance in teacher education reflects on the high profile of the institution and the competency of student-teachers. The present study on the application of principals of TQM in teacher education institutions in India has exposed the tangibility of institutions in the perception of teachers based on eleven quality indicators, such as principal as leader, teacher quality, linkage and interface, students, co-curricular activities, teaching, office management, relationships, material resources, examinations and job satisfaction. A total of nine colleges of education was selected to collect data. The exploratory technique under the survey method of research design was used for the study. A tool - ‘Teacher Institutional Profile’ (TIP) - was constructed, standardized and used for data collection. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were made for finding and interpreting results. The findings focus on the strong and weak areas of various teacher education institutions according to the quality indicators. The study recommends further strengthening of quality indicators, which are already strong, and the revamping of weaker quality indicators. It is also recommended that institutions should adhere to the quality standards set by national and international assessment and accreditation bodies. In conclusion, the global scenario expects skilled teachers to produce students with a versatile personality for which teacher education should be strengthened

Analysis, Optimization and Molecular Characterization of PHB Positive Bacteria Isolated from Agricultural Soil Sample

Polyhydroxybutyrates are the widely studied biopolymer because of its biodegradability and non-toxic effect in the environment. This work focused on the isolation, screening, characterization and optimization of the PHB producing bacteria from agricultural soil. About eighty percentage of the isolated bacteria were identified as PHB producing bacteria after Sudan Black Blue staining. Among them three colonies were randomly selected and their morphologically and biochemically characterized. The biopolymer was extracted using sodium hypochlorite method. Potent PHB producer (WJSP1) (13.5µg/ml) was identified by crotonic acid assay. The functional groups of the produced PHB were identified by Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy (FTIR). The presence of functional groups like carbon group, C=O ester group, CH group, carbonyl group, carboxyl group which was corelated with the peak values1454.33cm-1, 1724.36 cm-1, 1274.95 cm-1, 1049.28 cm-1, 1280-1053 cm-1 indicates the presence of PHB. The potent producer (WJSP1) was optimized under different conditions to achieve the best condition for the production of PHB. The maximum production was obtained at the temperature - 37˚C, the carbon source - glucose, pH - 7 and at a time period of 72 hours. 16SrRNA sequencing was performed and the organism was identified as Bacillus cereus from the BLST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool). A phylogenetic tree was constructed and the sequence was submitted in GENBANK (Accession No: OR192860). The isolated bacteria Bacillus cereus is an efficient producer of PHB under laboratory condition in presence of glucose as a chief carbon source. Large scale production of PHB can be done in large scale fermenters in industries. Large scale production of PHB will help the environment to get rid of the petroleum-based bioplastics

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND SELF ESTEEM IN ADOLESCENTS

Back Ground: In India use of alcohol is higher in deprived communities contributing to thirty Percent of use to the male population and five percent of use to female population .And in recent years the alcohol use of young people is increased and as their age increases their quantity and frequency of intake has also been increased. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the level of self esteem and alcohol consumption in male adolescents. Materials and Methods: A descriptive design with quantitative method was adopted. The study was restricted to the sample size of about 60 male adolescents aged between 18-20 yrs selected by purposive sampling technique. The investigator used the standardized tool of AUDIT-Alcohol use disorder identification test and Rosenberg self esteem scale. Data analysis was done using SPSS v 16.0 software. Results: Results revealed that the majority of the adolescents had positive self esteem (80 %) and only (20%) presented low self esteem. With AUDIT score, 75 % did not consume alcohol hazardously and no samples were fall under the category of high risk level and alcohol dependence. Privacy and the confidentiality of the information provided are strictly maintained throughout the research process. Conclusion: It was concluded that the adolescents presented high self esteem and low alcohol consumption. Therefore, it is necessary to promote the protective factors for maintaining the Positive self concept and self image and implement preventive programs related to substance use among the adolescents

PILOT STUDY REPORT- BRIEF INTERVENTIONS IN THE ALCOHOL USE AMONG THE ADOLESCENTS

Back Ground: Alcohol is one of the leading causes of death and disability globally. About two billion people worldwide consume alcoholic beverages and one-third (nearly 76.3 million) is likely to have one or more diagnosable alcohol use disorders.(1) Aim: This study was aimed to assess the level of alcohol use and to evaluate the brief interventions in the alcohol use among the adolescents. Methods: A quasi experimental design with evaluative approach method was adopted. The study was restricted to the sample size of about 48. Students aged between 18-19 yrs were selected by stratified sampling technique. The investigator used the structured questionnaire which includes the demographic variables and the AUDIT-Alcohol use disorder identification test. It is a standardized self report tool consisting of 10-alcohol screening questions developed by W.H.O. As a part of the general health awareness programme, the investigator gave a briefing on the alcoholic questionnaire and the respondents were told the procedure of filling up of the questionnaire. Results: Results revealed that 69 % of samples belong to the risky use, 29 % to low risk level, and 2 % to high risk level. No samples were fall under the category of dependence. Brief interventions are effective in reducing the risk of alcohol use among adolescents in long course of time. Privacy and the confidentiality of the information provided are strictly maintained throughout the research process. Conclusion: Adolescents have the risky level of alcoholic use and hence preventive measures should be planned and implemented for the vulnerable adolescents to prevent the alcohol abuse in future. Key words: alcohol, adolescent, alcoholic us

Pressure induced dimerisation of C<SUB>70</SUB>

Solid C70 has been subjected simultaneously to high pressures and temperatures (HPHT), with pressures upto 7.5 GPa and temperatures upto 750&#176;C. X-ray diffraction measurements on the recovered samples indicate that the initial h.c.p. solid C70 transforms to a rhombohedral structure which recovers to an f.c.c. structure on annealing. The associated changes in the intra molecular vibrational modes have been probed through infrared (IR) and Raman measurements. The IR measurements on these HPHT samples show splitting of some of the pristine modes and occurrence of several new modes. These sharp IR modes in the HPHT treated samples, which are seen to be different from that reported for photopolymerised C70, have been attributed to the formation of C70 dimers

Assessement of background knowledge of diabetes mellitus in diabetic patients

The background knowledge of diabetes was assessed in 230 newly registered diabetic patients by a questionnaire. Patients with positive family history knew better about role of heredity, diet as a mode of therapy and also regarding the long-term complications of diabetes. Similarly, educational status improved background knowledge. The duration of diabetes Improved the knowledge regarding the need for life-long treatment and possibility of eye complications. There was a uniform lack of answers on the role of exercise In the treatment of diabetes. The results of this study thus provides information about the areas in which stress should be given while evolving diabetes education programmes

Synthesis and search for superconductivity in LiBC

Following the recent theoretical prediction of superconductivity in hole doped LiBC by Rosner et al [1], we have attempted to synthesise Li deficient LixBC (x = 1, 0.8, 0.6 and 0.4) and look for superconductivity in this system. Our synthesis procedure, following the recipe for MgB2, involves reaction of elemental components in a Ta crucible at 900o C under 50 bar of argon pressure. X-ray diffraction measurements indicate the formation of P63/mmc structure up to x=0.6. However, no diamagnetic signal or zero resistance, corresponding to the superconducting transition, was observed in the temperature range of 300 to 4 K. This is possibly related to the presence of disorder in the B-C stacking; evidence for which is suggested from a study of the vibrational modes of LixBC through infrared spectroscopy.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures 1 tabl