Information Seeking Behavior of Under Graduate Students of English Discipline: A Comparative Study of Miranda House College and Vivekananda College, University of Delhi

The paper overtly attempts to investigate the information seeking behavior of UG students of English discipline from library for their different academic purposes. The scope of the study is limited to UG students of Department of English of two colleges of University of Delhi, i.e., Vivekananda College and Miranda House College. The study is based on Survey method of research and used questionnaire and interview methods for collection of data. The study revealed that both libraries are well equipped with quality sources, services and modern technology which reflects their strong potential to provide good environment for quenching the quest of students. But usage is not up to the mark because of various reasons which include unawareness about different sources related to their field (35%),lack of ICT skills among students(96% students are unaware of metasearch engines), lack of interaction between students and library staff (only 26% students approach library staff for help), visiting library occasionally (36%) etc. Major problems faced by English discipline UG students are:- insufficient time to visit library because of lectures(43%), information overload on Internet (35%) etc. LIS professionals have to come forward with different strategies to attract UG students to the library. Information literacy programmes, ICT skills training programmes must be organized in order to spread awareness and usage of library among undergraduate students

Electrocatalytic properties of La1-xCuxCoO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.8) film electrodes for oxygen evolution in alkaline medium: Part II. A comparative study

1295-1301The present study is concerned with the preparation of perovskite-type oxide film electrodes of La, Cu and Co having composition La1-xCuxCoO3 (0 ≤ X ≤ 0.8) on Ni conducting support and study of their electrocatalytic properties towards oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline medium. Materials have been synthesized by using malic acid sol-gel route at pH 4.00. X-ray diffraction study of the material indicated the formation of almost pure perovskite phase with hexagonal crystal geometry. The electrocatalytic activity of the material has been determined in three electrode single compartment glass cell. Techniques used in the electrochemical studies are cyclic voltammetry (CV), oxide roughness factor and anodic polarization (Tafel plot). Each cyclic voltammogram exhibits an anodic and a corresponding cathodic peak prior to the oxygen evolution reaction. The observed anodic and cathodic peak potential values are 553±31 and 312±27 mV, respectively. The study of anodic polarization curve indicates that the oxide with 0.6 mol Cu-substitution (ja = 182.4 mA cm-2 at 750 mV) shows highest electrocatalytic activity with lowest Tafel slope value (b = 65 mV decade-1) towards OER. Thermodynamic properties of the material have also been investigated by recording the anodic polarization curve at different temperatures. The value of electrochemical activation energy has been found to be lowest with most active 0.6 mol Cu-substituted oxide material. Electrocatalytic activities of the oxide electrodes, so obtained, have been compared with the similar oxide prepared at 3.75 pH

Neuroprotective effects of arbutin against oxygen and glucose deprivation-induced oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in rat cortical neurons

In this study, the neuroprotective potential of arbutin (100 µmol L–1) pre-treatment and post-treatment against oxygen/glucose deprivation (OGD) and reoxygenation (R) induced ischemic injury in cultured rat cortical neurons was explored. The OGD (60 min) and reoxygenation (24 h) treatment significantly (p < 0.001) compromised the antioxidant defence in cultured neurons. Subsequently, an increase (p < 0.001) in lipid peroxidation and inflammatory cytokines (tumour necrosis factor-α and nuclear factor kappa-B) declined neuron survival. In pre- and post-condition experiments, treatment with arbutin enhanced both survival (p < 0.01) and integrity (p < 0.05) of cultured neurons. Results showed that arbutin protects (p < 0.05) against peroxidative changes, inflammation, and enhanced the antioxidant activity (e.g., glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase) in cultured neurons subjected to OGD/R. It can be inferred that arbutin could protect against ischemic injuries and stroke. The anti-ischemic activity of arbutin can arrest post-stroke damage to the brain

Exploring the Relational Impact of Service Quality on Customer Satisfication

Customer Satisfaction has been a psychological attribute inviting attention of the customers and requiring decipher their contribution in overall business performance.Banking has been no exception to this phenomenon.Many Literatures have found a strong relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction In service sector in general and banking industry in particular. The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. The study assesses the level of customers’ satisfaction and service quality performance of the select banks. Further the study compares the satisfaction and service quality in select public and private sector banks.The study also identifies the area where the banks need to focus. The research design is descriptive as the research is intended to conclude and suggest measures to zero down on the service quality gaps in select public and private sector banks. The result shows a positive relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. Service quality dimensions (tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy) show wide service quality gaps. The comparative study of public sector banks and private sector banks show superiority of private sector banks over public sector banks in customer satisfaction and performance of service delivery. &nbsp

The story of demand and supply of resources

The control over resources like money, commodity and information can lead to a drastic socio-economic inequality and mindless consumerism has led to climate change. Our project is a systematic exploration of the most basic physiological need of food and highly influential control means called markets. As the market system has alienated the producer from the consumer and vice versa, it has bred apathy in our society and when a call for collective action is raised it becomes an echo chamber and is almost impossible to come to any conclusive actions. Our project is an attempt to fight and end problems like socio-economic inequality and climate change catastrophe through better usage, awareness and control of resources which cater to the material needs of the human beings and help build the community, through economic, social and ecological consciousness. Systems thinking helped provide us with a perspective of a much larger scale and intricacies of interconnectedness between the different elements in the said system and the problems identified from this point of view seem to be at the very core of the wicked problem at hand. We approached to intervene in the system to either overthrow it or change it or subvert it

The Story of Demand and Supply of Resources

Description Farm Food Produce The control over resources like money, commodity and information can lead to a drastic socio-economic inequality and mindless consumerism has led to climate change. Our project is a systemic exploration of the most basic physiological need for food and highly influential control means called markets. As the market system has alienated the producer from the consumer and vice versa, it has bred apathy in our society and when a call for collective action is raised it becomes an echo chamber and is almost impossible to come to any conclusive actions. Our project is an attempt to fight and end problems like socio-economic inequality and climate change catastrophe through better usage, awareness and control of resources which cater to the material needs of the human beings and help build the community, through economic, social and ecological consciousness. Systems thinking helped provide us with a perspective of a much larger scale and intricacies of interconnectedness between the different elements in the said system and the problems identified from this point of view seem to be at the very core of the wicked problem at hand. We approached to intervene in the system to either overthrow it or change it or subvert it. Reading the map The gigamap can be accessed from ReManthan: Gigamap and is divided into five parts: Introduction – Setting the basic premise for the project. A resource point of view – Here we have deconstructed resources into its 3 main aspects, i.e., usage (what and why use it?), control (who and how do they control?) and the problems that usage and control have brought upon (climate change and socio-economic inequality). Focus area: Farm food market system – Since the realm of resources is massive we had to focus on something workable and we chose to work on the most basic physiological need (food) of human beings and chose to study the most important means of control (market) in the modern globalised world while keeping the problems associated to resources in mind. Contextual system mapping – Essentially took the learnings from the previous section and contextualised it to the state of affairs of India. Interventions – Three major ways we intervened the existing system to solve it was to – overthrow, change or subvert and each of which is explained in the map along with the proposed solutions