Women empowerment and micro finance : Case study from Kerala

The subject of micro-finance is considered as significant and emerging trend in the present scenario for the empowerment of women. Micro finance programmes are promoted as an important strategy for women’s empowerment. Micro finance builds mutual trust and confidence between bankers and rural poor to encourage banking in a segment of population where formal financial institutions usually find difficult to reach. The present paper examines the economic impact of micro finance beneficiaries and whether the economic empowerment has resulted in the generation of a set of self reliant women. The Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala State was selected for the case study. The survey shows about the positive impact of the development programme of Kudumbashree, a micro financial institution in Kerala, India.women empowerment micro finance poverty.

Open Access and self-publishing in the academic communication: a case study

Commercial publishing houses dominate the academic publishing sector, and they discourage the sharing culture to protect business interests. Authors and institutions have no control over the publishing processes and lost the copyright on the works after publishing. The traditional model of publishing gives more financial commitment to authors. Self-publishing gives full control to the authors over the publishing processes. Open Access model gives the publications faster impact and greater user engagement. This article shares the experience of self-publishing an Open Access book in a higher education institution

Knowledge, attitude and practices of antibiotic usage and resistance among the second year MBBS Students

Background: Social aspect of antibiotic management forms a significant way to overcome the rapidly intensifying problem of antibiotic resistance. Knowledge helps in spreading awareness and understanding while attitude and practices influences health related behaviour. Medical students should not only be made aware of the current emerging health issues but also be directed towards rational antibiotics prescribing behaviour as future medical practitioners. Therefore, present study was undertaken to assess the existing knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) related to antibiotic usage and resistance among second year (fourth semester) MBBS students.Methods: This was a cross-sectional, questionnaire based study conducted in department of pharmacology of a government medical college in Kerala, India. Questionnaire was distributed among a batch of 120 second year MBBS students after one of the pharmacology lecture session. Attitude and Practices related questions were assessed using Likert scale. Data was entered in excel and analysed using descriptive statistics of SPSS to generate frequency and percentage.Results: 91.6% (110) were considered valid for analysis. Mean age was 21±1 years. Students had fair knowledge regarding antibiotics usage and resistance with mean correct response 79.72±25.37%. Mean correct responses of attitude and practices related questions were found to be 55.95±25.63% and 64±13.79% respectively.Conclusions: Most of the students were aware of the antibiotic resistance and its consequences. However, their attitude and practices were found to be a matter of great concern. An educational intervention can be introduced to bring about behaviour changes regarding rational antibiotics prescribing among them

Isachne veldkampii var. malabarica (Poaceae) - a new wetland variety from Northern Kerala, India

Isachne veldkampii var. malabarica, a new variety is described from the wetlands of Kasaragod, Kerala. It can be distinguished from Isachne veldkampii Bhat & Nagendran by the presence of two types of leaves - ligulate and non-ligulate,1–4 spikelets in each panicle branch and 2 florets which are either both pistillate, both bisexual or upper pistillate and lower bisexual. Description along with figures, illustrations and distribution map are provided

A Survey on Adaptation Strategies for Mutation and Crossover Rates of Differential Evolution Algorithm

Differential Evolution (DE), the well-known optimization algorithm, is a tool under the roof of Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) for solving non-linear and non-differential optimization problems. DE has many qualities in its hand, which are attributing to its popularity. DE also is known for its simplicity in solving the given problem with few control parameters: the population size (NP), the mutation rate (F) and the crossover rate (Cr). To avoid the difficulty involved in setting of suitable values for NP, F and Cr many parameter adaptation strategies are proposed in the literature. This paper is to present the working principle of the parameter adaptation strategies of F and Cr. The adaptation strategies are categorized based on the logic used by the authors, and clear insights about all the categories are presented

A comparative study on dengue and malaria infections and analysis on the prevalence of co-infection from a rural tertiary care hospital

Background: To compare dengue fever and malaria infection cases from a rural tertiary care hospital.Methods: Samples from January 2017 to February 2018 which had come to the Department of Microbiology at East Point College of Medical Science and Research Centre were included in the study. Serological diagnosis of dengue was done using the rapid dengue day 1 test which detects NS1, IgM and IgG. This test can be performed using serum, plasma or whole blood. Malarial parasites were identified by peripheral smear for malaria by Leishman’s stain and Jaswant Singh Battacharji (JSB) stain, rapid tests were performed by using advantage mal card, which detects plasmodium falciparum and plasmodium vivax by using human whole blood.Results: Monthly analysis is done for dengue samples and malaria samples were done during January 2017 to February 2018. Positive samples are then analysed according to NS1 positive cases, IgM positive cases, IgG positive cases, NS1 and IgM combined cases, NS1 and IgG combined cases and IgM and IgG combined cases for dengue. In case of malaria vivax and falciparum cases were compared. Samples are then compared among different age groups. Under 15 age- group there were 32 positive cases of NS1, 1 case of IgM and IgG combined positive and 1 case of P. falciparum infection. In 16-50 age-group 244 cases were dengue NS1 positive, 1 case positive for NS1 and IgM combined, 1 case for NS1 and IgG combined, 5 cases for IgM and IgG combined, 11 cases of P. vivax and 3 cases of P. falciparum. Above 50 age-group had 27 NS1 positive cases and 1 case of IgM and IgG combined. NS1 and Plasmodium vivax species positives were more from dengue and malaria infection.Conclusions: From July 2017 to October 2017 dengue and malaria cases were drastically increased. Malariacases drops from November to December 2017 and again raised from January to February 2018, which shows seasonal variations. So, we conclude that viral and parasitic infection mainly occurs in July to September months and has to be ruled by proper clinical diagnosis

Endometrial tissue sampling using pipelle versus dilatation and curettage for the assessment of endometrium in patients of perimenopausal and post-menopausal age: a prospective study

Background: The aim of this study is to compare the accuracy and adequacy of endometrial sampling using pipelle biopsy with dilatation and uterine curettage (D and C) and hysterectomy specimen in the assessment of endometrium in patients of perimenopausal and postmenopausal age.Methods: One hundred fifty patients of perimenopausal and postmenopausal age who attended the Gynecology OPD of KIMS Hospital from June 2012 to May 2014 with complaints of abnormal uterine bleeding or who were found to have abnormally thickened endometrium by ultrasonography were included in the study.Results: Adequate specimen could be obtained through pipelle biopsy in 86.7% of the patients, compared to 76% with adequate sample in case of D and C. Comparing histopathology reports between Pipelle and DandC specimens, the confidence interval was 92.7%, 95% lying in the range between 86.54% to 96.53%. 68 of the 150 patients had undergone hysterectomy for various reasons. Comparing histopathology reports between Pipelle and hysterectomy specimens, the confidence interval was 94.2%; 95% of study population lies within the C.I range of 84.05 %-98.79% while accounting for the whole population, which shows that Pipelle endometrial sampling can be considered to be almost accurate as HPE by hysterectomy specimen. Comparing the difficulty of the procedure, Pipelle biopsy was found to be easier in perimenopausal patients when compared to post-menopausal patients and the difference was statistically significant. Mode of delivery did not seem to affect the ease of Pipelle endometrial sampling as per present observations.Conclusions: Endometrial tissue sampling using Pipelle was found to be as reliable as D and C and hysterectomy specimen on histopathologic examination for the assessment of endometrium in perimenopausal and post-menopausal age group. Pipelle endometrial sampling was found to be yield adequate specimen when compared with D and C.

ആക്സിസിബിൾ പബ്ലിഷിംഗ് രംഗത്തെ മാറ്റങ്ങൾ

Accessible publishing is an approach to publishing documents in alternative formats to enhance the reading experience of people facing reading disabilities. Traditional accessible publishing formats like Braille and legacy audiobooks are outdated with the advent of the Internet and mobile devices. EPUB version 3 outwit legacy accessible publishing methods and suitable to work with mobile and computer devices. It assists publishers to create "born accessible" publications usable for everybody

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CHARAKA’S TANTRAYUKTI AND VADAMARGA AND ITS APPLICATION FOR LOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF CONCEPTS IN SAMHITA – A REVIEW

Ayurveda is an age old system of medicine that was penned by Acharyas who were considered to be epitomes of knowledge. The language of the text is Sanskrit and the meanings are obtained by reading the commentary that is given below. The classical texts also propose certain tools that can be used to code and decode the concepts mentioned in the text. Tantrayukti and Vadamarga are two such tools explained in classical a text that has to be used by an intelligent/mediocre student or physician to understand the concepts and apply it in the most appropriate way. Tantrayukti is a tool proposed for interpretation where as Vadamarga deals with the protocols to be followed in debates. The subject knowledge becomes complete only when the proper application of Tantrayukti and Vadamarga is also known. Though Tantrayukti is mentioned in Ashtanga Sangraha and Hridaya, Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita, only Charaka exclusively explains about Vadamarga. So in this article an attempt is made to compare the similarities and dissimilarities of Vadamarga and Tantrayukti