Role of Digital Libraries in E-learning

The use of sophisticated technologies such as computer and tele-communication are bringing classroom to the home and opening access to education for those who never entered or are unable to enter the portals of University. E-learning is an integrated and continuous approach to build knowledge skills of competitive through web enabled technologies. The digital libraries have got a significant role to play to assist effective e-learning process. Effective learning is having advantages in delivering the right content to the right person at the right time. The paper discusses need and importance of e- learning and the role of digital libraries in E-learning process

Students’ perspective of a competent medical teacher: A qualitative study

Background: Current experience shows that at the end of the medical education process, there is relative lack of knowledge, skills, communication, and attitude which are necessary for an effective young doctor. It is the gap in medical teaching. Competency of medical teacher plays an important role in transforming the young medical student into an efficient young doctor to meet this gap. Objectives: To formulate the students’ perspective of a competent medical teacher. Materials and Methods: Qualitative descriptive study was conducted using focus group discussions. The study participants were consented medical students. Results: The transcribed text data were subjected to conventional content analysis and identified 278 meaning units. These codes were categorized and eight themes were generated regarding the students’ perspective of a competent medical teacher. They are good communication skill, adequate knowledge, attitude to demonstrate, concern for students, teaching skill, professional development, personal qualities, and interpersonal skill. Conclusion: The findings of this study can be discussed in teachers training activities under medical education units which may help to bring out attitudinal change and skill development among the medical teachers

Maanasa: An early individualized remedial educational intervention model for scholastic backwardness among upper primary students

Background: Scholastic backwardness is called as the learning achievement which is below the expected for a given age, cognitive skills, and schooling. Early identification and remedial measures are to be initiated at school level to control its lifelong impact. Objective: The objective of this study is to evolve an early individualized, remedial educational intervention model for the scholastic backwardness among upper primary students at the school level by the resource teachers. Materials and Methods: Whole upper primary students of the four government schools of the South Maararikkulam Grama Panchayath constituted the study population. The scholastic backwardness among them was identified and referred to specially trained resource teachers who were appointed in the schools under Maanasa project. They were graded as mild, moderate and severe category based on the level of scholastic backwardness. Children were given 1 academic year of individualized educational intervention along with inclusive education. Apart from these interventions, families of the identified students were given psychosocial interventions to create a learningfriendly atmosphere in their families. Learning skills of the scholastically backward students were re-assessed at the end of academicyear. Results: Out of total 629 students, 147 had scholastic backwardness (23.7%). Among these, 68 had mild, 60 moderate, and 19 had severe scholastic backwardness on reading skill grading. Psychosocial problems including alcoholism, domestic violence, quarrelsome events, and abandoned family were noticed among 48.7% of the parents of scholastically backward students. Reassessment at the end of academic year showed improvement of scholastic skill among 52.38% of the students. Conclusion: The present study proves that scholastic backwardness can be successfully approached and intervened at school level itself by impartingindividualized educational interventions by trained resource teachers. The parents should be taken into confidence for successful intervention

Spiral Magnets as Gapless Mott Insulators

In the large $U$ limit, the ground state of the half-filled, nearest-neighbor Hubbard model on the triangular lattice is the three-sublattice antiferromagnet. In sharp contrast with the square-lattice case, where transverse spin-waves and charge excitations remain decoupled to all orders in $t/U$, it is shown that beyond leading order in $t/U$ the three Goldstone modes on the triangular lattice are a linear combination of spin and charge. This leads to non-vanishing conductivity at any finite frequency, even though the magnet remains insulating at zero frequency. More generally, non-collinear spin order should lead to such gapless insulating behavior.Comment: 10 pages, REVTEX 3.0, 3 uuencoded postscript figures, CRPS-94-0

Tubal re-anastomoses through a mini-laparotomy incision

To assess the feasibility and reproducibility of tubal anastomosis through a mini-laparotomy incision. Study design is descriptive case study at Academic Medical Center. Sixteen patients with previous tubal sterilization requesting for tubal re-anastomosis. Systematization of the operative steps for tubal re-anastomosis using a mini-laparotomy incision. Primary outcome measures were feasibility and reproducibility; secondary measures were tubal patency, operative time, complications, and ergonomic qualities. The 31 tubes were successfully re-anastomosed and patency was confirmed. The mean surgical time was 15 minutes per tube. Tubal re-anastomosis after tubal sterilization can be performed through a mini-laparotomy incision. Systematization of the operative steps allowed the performance of the operation at speed. More extensive series and follow-ups are needed to assess post-operative pregnancy rates.

Salmonella-related mycotic aneurysm: a rare but fatal condition

Salmonella species commonly causes gastrointestinal infection in humans. Occasionally they lead to serious complications such as mycotic aneurysms which are rare but potentially fatal. Mortality is high without timely intervention. The clinical presentation is variable and early diagnosis requires a high degree of clinical alertness. Here, we reported a case of mycotic aneurysm secondary to Salmonella enteritidis infection. The case highlights the need to evaluate all elderly patients with non-typhoid Salmonella bacteremia for possible endovascular infections

Evaluation of sanguineous and crystalloid cardioplegic solutions during total heart-lung bypass in dogs

Twenty-four mongrel dogs were subjected to sanguineous and crystalloid cardioplegia for a period of thirty minutes at 20°C and 25°C systemic hypothermia during cardiopulmonary bypass. Cardioplegic solutions were administered at 4°C to induce cardioplegia. Physiological functions of the myocardium revealed that the cardiac function returned to normal sinus rhythm without any loss when blood cardioplegic solution was used at both hypothermic temperatures. The time taken for cardioplegia and cardiac electrical quiescence was achieved earlier at 20°C. Animals in sanguineous cardioplegic group revealed better functional return and revival of cardiac musculature in terms of lesser applications of defibrillator, lesser requirement of inotropic support and early cardiac contraction. This study revealed that sanguineous cardioplegic solution at a systemic temperature of 20°C was found to afford better myocardial protection during an arrest period of 30 minutes

Structure Soil Structure Interaction Effects: Seismic Analysis of Safety Related Collocated Concrete Structures

The Process, Purification and Stack Buildings are collocated safety related concrete shear wall structures with plan dimensions in excess of 100 feet. An important aspect of their seismic analysis was the determination of structure soil structure interaction (SSSI) effects, if any. The SSSI analysis of the Process Building, with one other building at a time, was performed with the SASSI computer code for up to 50 frequencies. Each combined model had about 1500 interaction nodes. Results of the SSSI analysis were compared with those from soil structure interaction (SSI) analysis of the individual buildings, done with ABAQUS and SASSI codes, for three parameters: peak, accelerations, seismic forces and the in-structure floor response spectra (FRS). The results may be of wider interest due to the model size and the potential applicability to other deep soil layered sites. Results obtained from the ABAQUS analysis were consistently higher, as expected, than those from the SSI and SSSI analyses using the SASSI. The SSSI effect between the Process and Purification Buildings was not significant. The Process and Stack Building results demonstrated that under certain conditions a massive structure can have an observable effect on the seismic response of a smaller and less stiff structure