Navigating Online Learning: A Comprehensive Review of Secondary School Teachers' Pedagogical and Technological Skills

The objective of this research paper is to assess the technological and pedagogical competencies of secondary school teachers in teaching online and to investigate any challenges they encounter in managing students' learning and technological issues within the online learning environment. The results reveal that the main pedagogical challenges faced by teachers in online teaching encompass classroom management difficulties, motivating and engaging students, and assessing students’ performance online. Preparing and delivering online content, managing online tools, ensuring online safety and digital citizenship, technical troubleshooting and management are also crucial for teachers. For this, comprehensive capacity building of teachers is recommended

Missed and Lost to Follow-up Cases in HIV Positive Patients and the Impact of Lockdown During COVID-19 Pandemic on Adherence to Anti-retroviral Therapy at ART Center, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh

Background: Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) for HIV has changed a highly fatal disease to a chronic manageable condition. National technical guidelines by NACO say that adherence of >95%(optimal) is required for optimal viral load suppression which is a challenge both for the patient and the health system. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the reasons for missed and lost to follow-up (LFU) cases and to assess the impact of the COVID pandemic on ART adherence. Settings and Design: Cross-sectional study conducted at ART center, Jhansi. Methods and Material: 357 patients were administered a self-designed questionnaire after taking informed consent to enquire about the reasons for missing doses and LFU and whether they missed treatment during the lockdown. Statistical analysis used: the results were expressed in frequencies and percentages and appropriate statistical tests were applied. Results: 72% HIV patients had optimal adherence and 6.7% were on second-line treatment. Out of 357 patients, 56 had missed treatment and 10 were LFU. The main reasons for the missing were run out of pills, busy with other things and being away from home. The number of episodes of missed and LFU increased during the pandemic. The main problems faced were lack of transport (24), fear of catching the disease (7), no money to hire a vehicle (5). Conclusions: Constant monitoring and handholding of those with suboptimal adherence is required. Travel allowance to such patients and regular counseling will help to ensure adherence. Long-term solutions include vocational rehabilitation and awareness programs to reduce stigma and discrimination

Thallium(III) p-tosylate (TTS) mediated oxidative rearrangement of 2-naphthyl and 2-heteroarylchromanones

A practical and effective approach towards the synthesis of 3-hetroaryl-4H-chromen-4-ones by the oxidative rearrangement of the respective 2-hetroaryl chroman-4-ones using thallium(III) p-tosylate is described. The oxidative rearrangement of α and β-naphthyl and thiophene behave like aryl groups. However, pyridyl groups give only the dehydrogenated product

Possible mechanisms of hypotension produced 70% alcoholic extract of Terminalia arjuna (L.) in anaesthetized dogs

BACKGROUND: The bark of Terminalia arjuna L. (Combretaceae) is used in Ayurveda since ancient times for the treatment of cardiac disorders. Previous laboratory investigations have demonstrated the use of the bark in cardiovascular complications. The present study was aimed to find the effect of 70% alcoholic extract of Terminalia arjuna on anaesthetized dog blood pressure and probable site of action. METHODS: Six dogs were anaesthetized with intraperitoneal injection of thiopental sodium and the blood pressure of each dog (n = 6) was measured from the left common carotid artery connected to a mercury manometer on kymograph. The femoral vein was cannulated for administration of drug solutions. The extract of T. arjuna (dissolved in propylene glycol) in the dose range of 5 to 15 mg/kg were administered intravenously in a pilot study and the dose (6 mg/kg) which produced appreciable hypotension was selected for further studies. RESULTS: Intravenous administration of T. arjuna produced dose-dependent hypotension in anaesthetized dogs. The hypotension produced by 6 mg/kg dose of the extract was blocked by propranolol but not by atropine or mepyramine maleate. This indicates that muscarinic or histaminergic mechanisms are not likely to be involved in the hypotension produced by the extract. The blockade by propranolol of the hypotension produced by T. arjuna indicates that the extract might contain active compound(s) possessing adrenergic ß(2)-receptor agonist action and/or that act directly on the heart muscle. CONCLUSION: The results indicated the likely involvement of peripheral mechanism for hypotension produced by the 70% alcoholic extract of Terminalia arjuna and lends support for the claims of its traditional usage in cardiovascular disorders

Engineering nanocomposite membranes: Addressing current challenges and future opportunities

The engineering of novel membranes through fabrication and modification using engineered nanoscale materials (ENMs) presents tremendous opportunity within desalination and water treatment. In this paper, we present an overview of the applications of ENMs to organic polymeric membranes and desalination. The review will examine the motivation for introducing ENMs into polymeric membranes identifying how the characteristics of the ENMs, such as high surface area to volume ratio and mechanical strength, can be used to optimise and tailor membranes for particular applications. The overview will include ENM's classification, incorporation strategies and how their properties impact on the surface characteristics, robustness, functionality, morphologies and antifouling properties of polymeric membranes. The review will also feature discussion on the current issues facing the development and commercialization of nanocomposite membrane that harness the benefits of ENMs

A prospective study of outcome of acute physiology and chronic health evaluation ii score in critically ill surgical patients

Background: The acute physiology score is determined from the most deranged (worst) physiologic value, for example, the lowest blood pressure or the highest respiratory rate, during the initial 24 h after Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission. The aim of present study is to apply Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scoring system to surgical patients who have been critically ill preoperatively requiring elective surgical intervention or who underwent extensive elective surgery thereby requiring post-operative critical care monitoring and treatment in the post-operative ward or ICU or surgical ward. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was carried out on critically ill surgical patients from August 2012 to December 2013 in M. G. Hospital, Department of Surgery attached to Dr. S.N. Medical College and Associated Group of Hospitals, Jodhpur. The APACHE II score in the first 24 h of admission or operation and expected risks of death was calculated. Results: This study observed that 67.74% recovered male and 81.58% female and mortality rate increase when APACHE II score of patients increases. From the 100 patients enrolled the mean age was 47.38 ± 18.37 the overall median APACHE II score for all critically ill surgical patient was 9 with a range of 2–44 (minimum 2 and maximum 44). There was a significant difference between the APACHE II score of survivors and non-survivors. Conclusion: This scoring still provides a basic idea and uniform comparison of critical patients, thus help in research activities database validation. Few pitfalls related in the present study could have been avoided had there been large number of cases and more so of specific procedure-related patients necessitating critical care

Thallium(III) p-tosylate (TTS) mediated oxidative rearrangement of 2-naphthyl and 2-heteroarylchromanones

923-927A practical and effective approach towards the synthesis of 3-hetroaryl-4H-chromen-4-ones by the oxidative rearrangement of the respective 2-hetroaryl chroman-4-ones using thallium(III) p-tosylate is described. The oxidative rearrangement of α and β-naphthyl and thiophene behave like aryl groups. However, pyridyl groups give only the dehydrogenated product

Flexible Composite Energy Harvesters from Ferroelectric A2MX4-Type Hybrid Halogenometallates

Two new molecular organic-inorganic hybrid halogenometallates [BnNMe2R]CdBr4 (Bn = benzyl; 1: R = Me; 2: R = n-Pr) have been synthesized and found to crystallize in the acentric crystal systems suitable for ferroelectric behavior. Both these compounds exhibit well-resolved rectangular polarization vs electric field (P-E) hysteresis loops at room temperature for their polycrystalline thin films. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited fairly high remnant polarization (Pr) values of 18.59 and 14.24 μC cm-2, respectively. Moreover, flexible composite thin films of these halogenometallate salts with poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) were prepared and employed as mechanical energy-harvesting devices using an impact test setup operating at a frequency of 25 Hz and an applied force of 40 N. The maximum output voltages of 52.9 and 63.8 V have been recorded for the PDMS-fabricated devices of 5 wt % of 1 and 10 wt % of 2, respectively. Also, the obtained power densities of 13.8 and 37.1 μW cm-2 for the respective 5 wt % 1-PDMS and 10 wt % 2-PDMS devices are much higher than all known devices made up of organic-inorganic hybrid materials embedded in PDMS. The energy harvested from these devices was further utilized to charge a capacitor through a full wave-bridge rectifier