Critical Foundations for Civic Engagement: Reimagining Civic Learning for a University Honors Program

Scholars are calling attention to shortcomings of service-learning, including the development of civic skills and adoption of a social change framework. Informed by this literature, this article uses a mixed-methods case study to detail the development, and initial outcomes, of a civic engagement course intended to lay a critical foundation for future service. This study documents the process of reimagining the class, formerly organized as a service project, and course evaluations and reflections are used to assess outcomes. Initial assessment signals impact in challenging previous assumptions about service, understanding the multifaceted nature of civic engagement, and motivating future responsible engagement

Living knowledge of the healing plants: Ethno-phytotherapy in the Chepang communities from the Mid-Hills of Nepal

Contribution of indigenous knowledge in developing more effective drugs with minimum or no side effects helped to realise importance of study of indigenous remedies and the conservation of biological resources. This study analysed indigenous knowledge regarding medicinal plants use among the Chepang communities from ward number 3 and 4 of Shaktikhor Village Development Committee located in the central mid hills of Nepal. Data were collected in a one-year period and included interviews with traditional healers and elders. Chepangs are rich in knowledge regarding use of different plants and were using a total 219 plant parts from 115 species including one mushroom (belonging 55 families) for medicinal uses. Out of these, 75 species had 118 different new medicinal uses and 18 of them were not reported in any previous documents from Nepal as medicinal plants. Spiritual belief, economy and limitation of alternative health facilities were cause of continuity of people's dependency on traditional healers. Change in socio-economic activities not only threatened traditional knowledge but also resource base of the area. Enforcement of local institution in management of forest resources and legitimating traditional knowledge and practices could help to preserve indigenous knowledge

Potassium hydroxide-treated palm kernel shell sorbents for the efficient removal of methyl violet dye

The present work was aimed to evaluate the removal of methyl violet dye by potassium hydroxide-treated palm kernel shell sorbents. The sorbents were prepared by dried impregnation, carbonization and chemical activation in a muffle furnace. The sorbents were characterized for specific surface area, surface morphology and functional groups. Results show that the activated carbon displayed a specific surface area of 302 m2/g, which was 54 times greater than the impregnated sorbent. However, the latter showed a 42 mg/g maximum adsorption capacity of methyl violet, nearly four times better than the former. The equilibrium data were fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm, while the rate of sorption data obeyed the pseudo-second-order model. Adsorption of methyl violet was not specific surface area-dependent. The rate-limiting step for methyl violet adsorption was mainly driven by film diffusion at lower concentration, and intraparticle diffusion at higher concentration. A simple impregnation using potassium hydroxide was a promising approach to yield sorbent rich in acidic groups for methyl violet removal

Dyes in water: characteristics, impacts to the environment and human health, and the removal strategies

Global concern on environmental problems has intensified over years due to the non- stop generation of waste. Inevitable release of pollutants is mainly due to the improper management of industrial effluents. Of these, polluted effluent from the textile industries, namely dyes are declared as one of the major sources of wastewater in developing countries. The effluent laden with dyes affects not only the aquatic creatures but also human being who depends heavily on the water for daily uses. Because of the toxic nature of dyes, it is therefore imperative to treat the dyes-polluted water. The objectives of this chapter are to provide general overview on the types of dyes and their applications, to highlight their influence on the environment and human health, and to shed some light on the current removal strategies that have been employed to overcome the release of dyes in water. The advantages and disadvantages of some removal techniques are also discussed

Characterization of the plasmodium interspersed repeats (PIR) proteins of plasmodium chabaudi indicates functional diversity

Plasmodium multigene families play a central role in the pathogenesis of malaria. The Plasmodium interspersed repeat (pir) genes comprise the largest multigene family in many Plasmodium spp. However their function(s) remains unknown. Using the rodent model of malaria, Plasmodium chabaudi, we show that individual CIR proteins have differential localizations within infected red cell (iRBC), suggesting different functional roles in a blood-stage infection. Some CIRs appear to be located on the surface of iRBC and merozoites and are therefore well placed to interact with host molecules. In line with this hypothesis, we show for the first time that a subset of recombinant CIRs bind mouse RBCs suggesting a role for CIR in rosette formation and/or invasion. Together, our results unravel differences in subcellular localization and ability to bind mouse erythrocytes between the members of the cir family, which strongly suggest different functional roles in a blood-stage infection.ASTAR (Agency for Sci., Tech. and Research, S’pore)Published versio