RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ANTHROPOMETRIC VARIABLES AND THROWING SKILL IN MALE SOFTBALL PLAYERS

The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between the anthropometric variables and throwing skill in among male softball players. Total 150 male university and national level softball players of different universities and states of India were selected thorough purposive sampling technique. The age of subjects ranged between 18 to 30 years. Body weight of the subjects was measured with a portable weighing machine. Height measurements were taken using the standard anthropometric rod. Body mass index was then calculated using the formula weight (kg)/height2 (m). The circumferences of body parts were measured with the help of flexible steel tape. The diameters of the body parts were assessed with sliding caliper. The skinfolds thicknesses of body parts of the subjects were taken with Harpenden skinfold caliper. Percentage body fat as estimated from the sum of skinfolds was calculated using standardized equations. Throwing skill of the players was assessed as given in the AAHPERD softball skill test battery. Karl Pearson’s product moment co-efficient of correlation was computed to assess the relationship between anthropometric characteristics and throwing skill test of softball among the softball players. The result of the study shows that height (p=0.026), weight (p=0.008), total arm length (p=0.001), the upper arm length (p=0.018) and lower arm length (p=0.007) had significant relationship with the throwing skill in softball. The throwing skill was significantly associated with the upper arm circumference (r=0.265, p=0.001), biacromial (p=0.007) and bicondylar humerus (p=0.009) diameters. Lean body mass (p=0.000) was also found to be significantly associated with the throwing skill test in the male softball players.  Article visualizations

Remote control of diffusion from magnetic hollow silica microspheres

Composite hollow core silica/iron oxide microparticles with the ability to store an encapsulated payload and release a defined quantity “on demand” by the application of a radiofrequency magnetic field were prepared. The microparticles possessed a mesoporous silica shell with iron oxide nanoparticles bound to the external silica surface by electrostatic interaction. The size, morphology and stability of the composite particles were systematically investigated and the effect of iron oxide:silica ratio on their heating rate and the release kinetics of a model compound (vitamin B12) was determined. The composite particles were stable in time and had a high heating ability in the radiofrequency magnetic field, achieving a temperature rise of several 10’s °C per minute. Thanks to the high heating rate, external radiofrequency field was shown to be an effective trigger mechanism for externally controlled diffusion of encapsulated material from within the hollow core at an arbitrary on-off sequence

THE AWARENESS OF MOVEMENT AND FITNESS SCIENCES AMONG SCHOOL, UNDER GRADUATE AND POST GRADUATE LEVEL STUDENTS: EMPOWERING EDUCATION THROUGH PHYSICAL EDUCATION

The study focused on the awareness of Movement and Fitness Sciences among secondary school students in Jammu District of J&K, India. The industries lifestyle, busy Schedule, Fast food habits, non-movement job profiles or sitting jobs, various modes of pollution, drug addictions and non-sport/recreational approaches have disturbed the human health. Therefore a special interest to create awareness about the movement and sport sciences with the purpose of uplifting the value of Health and physical education in the educational institutions as a subject and as a part of regular curriculum. The data were collected from 100 secondary students by a rating scale of self-constructed “Movement and Fitness Sciences awareness scale”. The data were analyzed with the help of means, standard deviations, critical ratios and analysis of variance for testing various hypotheses framed for the study. The results were discussed and it was concluded that rural students have acquired better knowledge than urban area students towards Movement and Fitness Sciences awareness. It was also found that private school/university students have better Movement and Fitness Sciences awareness than aided and government school/universities students

Adoption of technology in teaching of language: A critical assessment of Punjabi(mother tongue)

Mother-tongue plays a paramount role in child’s development. It is the heart and soul of child's education. It is the foundation on which the personality of the child is built. The study of mother- tongue is of dire necessity on psychological, intellectual, emotional and cultural grounds. It is our duty to adopt and adapt mother-tongue as medium of all non-linguistic subjects, thereby making it easy and interesting for the child to learn these subjects. Teachers rarely use teaching technology like multimedia, instructional technology etc. They adopt lecture cum text book method-a boring procedure. Students are made to mug up even stories and poems. Students are passive partners in the learning process. No attempt is made to arouse their creativeness or encourage their self-expression so what they learn is poor learning. This calls for drastic changes. Language learning is a part of education in the wider sense. One of the important causes for the deterioration of the standard of mother-tongue (Punjabi) in Punjab is inadequate provision of teaching aids. In the present study, an attempt has been made to arrive at some precise conclusions.Punjabi,mother tongue, technology

The Power of Connection: Enhancing Executive Functioning in Preschoolers at Risk of Attention Difficulties through Mother-Child Synchrony

The intricate dance of mother-child interaction plays a pivotal role in shaping a child's cognitive landscape, particularly in the realm of executive functioning. This study delves into the captivating world of mother-child synchrony, exploring its potential to enhance executive functioning in preschoolers at risk of attention difficulties through the universal language of music. In a novel approach, we coordinated a harmony between scientific rigor and the melodious world of child-directed music. 50 preschoolers, each carrying the subtle weight of potential attention challenges, were randomly assigned to either a music intervention group or a colouring control group. The music group embarked on a 15-minute journey of synchronized singing and movement with their mothers, while the control group engaged in independent colouring activities. Our findings struck a resonant chord: the music intervention group demonstrated significantly improved executive functioning scores compared to the control group. The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Preschool Version (BRIEF-P) revealed a symphony of positive changes across various executive function domains. Moreover, the Dyadic Mutuality Code (DMC) painted a picture of enhanced mother-child synchrony in the music group, suggesting a harmonious interplay between musical engagement and relational attunement. Intriguingly, the Minnesota Executive Function Scale (MEFS) app provided an objective counterpoint, offering insights into immediate cognitive performance changes. This multi-faceted approach allowed us to compose a nuanced understanding of how music-based interventions might orchestrate improvements in both perceived and actual executive functioning. However, our study is not without its complex harmonies. We critically examine whether the observed changes reflect genuine improvements in children's executive functioning or shifts in parental perceptions, acknowledging the limitations of short-term interventions in altering long-standing behavioural patterns. This research opens new avenues for understanding the intricate relationship between mother-child synchrony, music, and cognitive development. It offers a promising prelude to future investigations and interventions, potentially composing a new symphony in the support of preschoolers facing attention challenges. As we continue to unravel this cognitive melody, we inch closer to harmonizing child development with the rhythms of effective, music-based interventions

STUDIES ON THE SIZE AND NON-PLANARITY OF AROMATIC STACKING MOIETY ON CONFORMATION SELECTIVITY AND THERMAL STABILIZATION OF G-QUADRUPLEXES

Targeting DNA has the advantage over proteins for cancer remediation because of the fewer copies of the ligands required for the desired therapeutic effect. Traditionally, covalent DNA binders like alkylating agents have been used to induce genetic instability through the formation of DNA lesions and strand breaks, leading to cellular apoptosis. The primary drawback of this treatment is the non-specific binding that affects both cancerous and non-cancerous cells. G-quadruplexes are the DNA secondary structures that are present in abundance near the promoter regions of the oncogenes and are involved in the regulation of their activities. A ligand-mediated stabilization of G-quadruplexes in the promoter regions and down-regulation of the associated oncogenes have been validated. In contrast to alkylating agents, G-quadruplex ligands induce genetic stabilization through non-covalent interactions. They can be designed to interact specifically with G-quadruplex DNA over duplex DNA, which reduce side effects arising from the off-targeting. G-quadruplex ligands invariably have the large planar aromatic moiety to interact with G-quadruplexes through π- π stacking interactions. For determining the size effect of the aromatic moiety on stabilization of G-quadruplexes, a series of ligands were synthesized by conjugating nucleobases or 1,10-phenanthroline with an aminoglycoside, neomycin. The resulting conjugates increased the binding affinity synergistically and enabled us to study the effect of the stacking moiety required for G-quadruplex stabilization. Nucleobase-neomycin conjugates did not show stabilization stabilize of human telomeric G-quadruplex. 1,10-Phenanthroline-neomycin conjugate (7b) on the other hand binds to human telomeric G-quadruplex with a Ka of (8.92.4)×108 M-1 and inhibits telomerase activity at 1.56 µM probably through G-quadruplex stabilization. Moving forward, we further enlarged the aromatic moiety by tethering two 1,10-phenantholine molecules together through a five-atom linker. The resulting molecule (2-Clip-phen) was conjugated with various amino-containing side chains. 2-Clip-phen derivatives showed at least 30 times weaker binding to duplex DNA over G-quadruplex DNA. In addition, compounds showed a preference for the antiparallel G-quadruplex conformation over parallel and hybrid G-quadruplex conformations, as shown in the CD spectroscopy studies. Ligands 11 and 13 induced the formation of an antiparallel G-quadruplex from random coils and stabilize it to 60 oC (Tm) in a salt-free condition. Mass spectrometry study showed the formation of a two-tetrad G-quadruplex with the 2-Clip-phen ligand. Docking study showed that the ligand interacts most favorably with antiparallel G-quadruplex conformation, which is supported further by the larger thermal stabilization effect on antiparallel G-quadruplex compared with other G-quadruplex conformations. Our study suggests that 2-Clip-phen can be used as a scaffold for designing G-quadruplex binding ligands that preferentially bind to antiparallel G-quadruplexes, which has never been reported before

Performance Enhancement of Triangular Patch Antenna by Optimizing the Feed Point Location

In this paper, a design and analysis of microstrip fed triangular patch antenna is presented for microwave applications. The performanceof an edge fed antenna design is enhanced by selecting proper dimension and feed point location of matching quarter wave transformer. The designed antenna resonates at 10 GHz with S_11 = -18.28 dB and with maximum gain of 8.73dB and radiation efficiency is 99.24% for the centre location of the feed. The gain, directivity and other parameters of the triangular patch antenna are affected by localizing the feed point with the constant thickness of substrate. The design has been simulatedby the application of HFSS software based on finite elemental method

The China Gun Lascars 1841-1892

During the first Opium War four companies of Gun Lascars were sent from India in 1841 to serve with the Third Brigade under Lord Saltoun as part of the British Expeditionary Force and were later used to reinforce the garrison at Hong Kong. One company of the Gun Lascars stayed after the war and served with the Royal Artillery at Hong Kong. The Gun Lascars expanded over the years to include a company raised in 1881 and a company later raised for Singapore. The paper looks at the history of China Gun Lascars that served for over five decades before being re-formed in 1892 as part of Asiatic Artillery