Design and Implementation of Competency Based LIS Pedagogy: An Experiential Approach with DLIS Centre at Rajagiri College of Social Sciences (Autonomous) Kerala, India-A Case Study

Utilization of collective manpower in an effective manner is the key to the success of every organization. LIS Students need to be more practical and trained with intensive and extensive knowledge about the use of IT, Communication as well as Soft skills. A competency-based pedagogy and interdisciplinary approach within the institutions can deal with all these. Pedagogy is the approach to learning, refers to the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences the social, political and psychological development of learners. LIS schools have redesigned their teaching-learning techniques to a great extent to keep track of the latest updates in the knowledge world. This paper discusses the status, developments and opportunities of library and information science education, curriculum, training and employment opportunities in DLIS at Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kerala, India. It also provides a brief overview of the historical perspective of LIS education and the LIS curriculum development processes in India and Kerala. The paper also discusses the importance of Competency-Based LIS Curriculum and its involvement in the development of professional growth and how interdisciplinary subject approach will help in this process within the campus

Impact of Fintech on the Banking Sector

Digital transformation development triggers the boom of Fintech (financial technology) initiatives, which are recognized as some of the most important innovations in the financial industry. Fintech refers to the novel processes and products that become available for financial services thanks to digital technological advancements. Fintech is very rapidly growing in financial markets and effective impact on banks and financial institutions. This digital transformation allows the users to access their financial requirements wherever they are rather than physically going to the bank. The functions of banking sectors are reduced from complicated to more simplified manner through the innovative products in fintech. This development empowers the customers to take their financial decisions and allows them to get higher financial literacy than ever before. After covid, the impact is far more visible in the rural areas also. Most of the paper works digitalized and data regarding the customers are secured in a very protective manner

Natural Adsorbents for Agricultural Waste Water Treatment

In now a days, water problems have been one of the focus of great International concern and debate. Environmental pollution is mainly due to rapid industrialization. It is a demanding problem for maintaining the quality and cleanness of water. The discharges of industrial wastes in to aquatic bodies are a great threat to the aquatic life as well as for human health also. It is a matter of great importance due to their toxicity and after effects. Adsorption is an ecofriendly technique used now a days to treat the agricultural waste water. The sewage water is firstly filtered through suitable low cost and ecofriendly filter medias. Then the filtered water is subjected to adsorption using low cost and easily available natural adsorbents like banana peels and M. Thilapia fish scales. The combination of both these adsorbents was used for treatment of waste water with different proportion of height and contact time. The treated water obtained will have a considerable decrease in TDS, bacterial count, nitrogen content, Iron content, Potassium, TSS, turbidity, phosphorous, etc. as compared to initial characteristics of agro wastewater. This method is highly economic, cost effective and eco-friendly. This helps in reducing the water scarcity with the use of low cost adsorbents

Automatic Vehicle Tracking System Based on Fixed Thresholding and Histogram Based Edge Processing

Automatic detection, extraction and recognition of vehicle number plate region in traffic control systems is one of the prominent application in Computer vision. The drastic increase in number of vehicles in the current generation greatly increases the complexity in tracking the vehicles through the human visual system, manual procedure of controlling traffic and enforcement of various laws and rules is not sufficient for smooth control of traffic. This urges the need for development of technology that can automate this process. This paper mainly focuses on the development of an automatic number plate extraction and recognition algorithm by incorporating constructs like edge detection, horizontal and vertical edge processing using fixed threshold technique. The extracted number plate region is again processed using template matching algorithm for the recognition of the characters embossed on the number plate with respect to every individual piece of number plate. The algorithm developed has achieved an accuracy of around 100% and works for both front and rear images of the car

Pantoprazole induced black hairy tongue: a case report

Black hairy tongue (BHT) is characterized by abnormally hypertrophied and elongated filiform papillae, appearing as blackish discoloration on the dorsal surface of the tongue. BHT has been reported as an adverse drug reaction to different categories of drugs. However, pantoprazole induced BHT has been rarely reported. We present the case of a 42-year-old female, admitted in the surgery ward with postoperative wound infection, for which she was prescribed oral clarithromycin and pantoprazole. On the third day of starting medications, she complained of blackish discoloration on the dorsal surface of the tongue with an alteration of taste sensation, which was clinically and microscopically diagnosed as BHT. Suspecting BHT as an adverse drug reaction to pantoprazole, it was stopped, while clarithromycin was continued for the full course. She was also advised to scrape her tongue thrice daily, drink adequate fluids and maintain good oral hygiene. On the third day after stopping pantoprazole, black discoloration and alteration of taste sensation resolved completely. WHO-UMC causality assessment scale showed a ‘probable’ association of the adverse drug reaction with pantoprazole. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of BHT with the use of pantoprazole and that it completely resolves on stoppage of the drug, mechanical debridement and good oral hygiene

SYNTHESIS, IN SILICO PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF SOME PYRAZOLINE DERIVATIVES

Objectives: Nitrogen containing heterocyclic compounds plays an important role in medicinal chemistry. Among them, five-membered ring pyrazolines have found to possess many biological and pharmacological activities like anticancer, antitubercular, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory etc. Objective is to determine the physicochemical and drug like properties of the synthesized pyrazolines by in silico methods and to screen their antidiabetic and antioxidant activities.Methods: Chalcones were synthesized from naphthaldehydes by condensing with various substituted acetophenones in ethanol and cyclized into pyrazolines using semicarbazides/thiosemicarbazides by conventional and microwave oven synthesis. The physicochemical and drug like properties were determined by using computational tools. Antidiabetic activity was evaluated by alpha amylase inhibition assay method. Antioxidant activity studies were done by DPPH and nitric oxide method.Results: Pyrazolines were synthesized from chalcones. Microwave irradiated synthesis of chalcone was carried out to get higher yield with less reaction time period as compared to conventional method. The synthesized pyrazolines produces yield around 68% (conventional) and 85% (microwave). In silico studies showed considerable values satisfying all the parameters of physicochemical and Lipinski's rule of five properties.  Among the compounds tested for antidiabetic and antioxidant studies, some showed promising activity.Conclusion: Physiochemical and drug like properties revealed that these compounds have good bioavailability and druglikeness properties. So these compounds are found to be interesting lead molecules for further synthesis as antidiabetic and antioxidant agents.Keywords: Chalcones, pyrazolines, in silico physicochemical properties, biological activities.Â

REVIEW OF LANGALI (GLORIOSA SUPERBA LINN) – AGADA TANTRA PERSPECTIVE

Agadatantra is a branch of Ayurveda which deals with the symptoms and treatment of various animal, plant, artificial and latent poisons. The drug Langali (Gloriosa superb Linn) is being categorized under Moolavisha (poisonous roots) and is also one among the nine Upavishas (semi poisonous drugs) by different Ayurvedic pharmacopoeias. Even though it is poisonous it has got Shothahara (anti-inflammatory), Vranahara (wound healing), Krimigna (wormicidal), Shalyaharana (removal of foreign substances), Garbapaatana (abortificant) properties etc. It is being used by the Ayurvedic physicians in treatment of various ailments after proper purification. But its purificatory methods are not mentioned in Samhitas (treatises). It is mentioned in Ayurveda prakasha and traditional Agadatantra text books of Kerala. Here in this article an attempt is made to collect the information regarding Langali in Agadatantra perspective.The article includes both modern and Ayurvedic concepts in regards to its symptoms during poisoning and its treatment. Details regarding its purificatory methods and its therapeutic use in compound formulations as an antidote which has been mentioned in the traditional Agadatantra books which are available in Kerala have also been included

Seasonal availability and population structure of Eurobowmaniella simulans W. Tattersall, 1915 (Crustacea: Mysida) along Vizhinjam coast, Kerala, India

Eurobowmaniella simulans is the commonly available species of mysid along the Vizhinjam coast of Kerala. Sampling of mysids has been carried out over a period of one year from March 2014 to February 2015 to study the seasonal availability and population structure. Monthly samples of mysids consisted of individuals in various developmental stages, from juveniles to mature mysids around the year, but their percentage availability varied. The peak availability of mysids was recorded during September (2014) (avg. 48,731 numbers per haul) and their availability was lowest in July (2014) with an average of 2 individuals per haul. The availability of brooding or ovigerous females were observed throughout the year and highest and lowest percentage availability was during November (2014) and April (2014) respectively. Morphometric measurements of E. simulans revealed that their average size (TL) ranged from 2.35±0.52 mm- (juvenile) to 7.47±1.75 mm (adult). Sex could be first distinguished externally when mysid attains the total length between 4.1 mm and 5 mm. Analysis of variance of different water quality parameters and mysid density comparing seasons revealed that there was significant variation of mysid availability between seasons (P < 0.05). Multivariate Pearson’s correlation analysis of water quality parameters and mysid density showed that there was a significant relation with chlorophyll a content (P < 0.001) of seawater. The present study also revealed that mysids are available in harvestable quantities for aquaculture purposes from August to November