Ferrous Metal Matrix Composites Status Scope and Challenges

The present paper is an effort to culminate the status, scopes and challenges in the development of ferrous metal matrix composites (FMMCs). The FMMCs are old but less in use than the non-ferrous metal matrix composites (NFMMCs), as far as literature and actual applications are concerned. Therefore, this stimulates the exploration of the reasons behind the scarcity of literature and field applications of the FMMCs, which must be investigated scientifically. The powder metallurgy route is the most used process for fabricating iron and steel based FMMCs by reinforcing particulates. At the same time, the in-situ method has been used for the fabrication and cast iron-based FMMCs. The main characteristics being considered during the designing and fabrication of FMMCs are wear resistance and improved specific mechanical properties. To fabricate cheaper and eco-friendly FMMCs, traditionally used costly reinforcements such as SiC, WC, TiC, SiO2, TiO2, TiB2 are required to be replaced by inexpensive industrial wastes like red-mud, fly-ashes and grinding swarf. The data extracted from the web of science exhibited that the FMMCs have been researched less than the NFMMCs. The increasing number of research papers on FMMCs indicates a bright future. FMMCs are going to be a favourite topic among researchers and manufacturers. Higher strengths, wear resistance, dimensional stability at elevated temperatures, and, most importantly, the lower cost will put forward the FMMCs as a stiff competitor of NFMMCs. In developing and mass production of FMMCs for field applications, challenges like oxidation and higher weight still require special research efforts

RFID Technology in Academic Libraries of North-East India

Men has made significant efforts to achieve or to know the unknown from the initialization of civilization. The importance of the library is growing since the use of ICT and modern technologies. Library management software helps libraries to maintain library housekeeping operation easily. In a library kind of environment, RFID has significant potential to speed up library services and streamline time-consuming operations such as check-in and check-out, sorting, stock management and inventory when compared to the barcode-based solution. RFID provides for “sightless” or no line of sight identification of items. It includes the ability to facilitate circulation, re-shelving, and theft detection, and it has several other important advantages. RFID is still a relatively new technology. So far, several libraries in North-East India have implemented RFID system, mostly for self-service and the vast majority of these libraries are positive about their RFID investment and its benefits. This paper deals with the adoption policy of RFID technology in the library and its significant use in the library for better inventory control, theft detection, quick issue-return etc. The researcher has collected data from various RFID implemented libraries to know the facilities availed and problem faced by the libraries. Lastly then researcher has tried to put some suggestion for those libraries who has not implemented RFID technology in their libraries, the researcher also mentioned some guidelines regarding RFID implementation

ICT and Internet Literacy Skills for Accessing to E-Resources available under N-LIST Programme : A Case Study of College Library Users of Barak Valley, South Assam

The present study has been undertaken with a view to know the scenario of N-LIST Programme implementation and status of the ICT and Internet literacy skills amongst the College Library Users who have been mainly drawn from the ten selected college libraries of Barak Valley of South Assam to access E- Resources available under N-LIST Resources. The present work was carried out during January to May 2012. For that purpose, survey method was adopted, which comprises of administration of questionnaire, observation of the participants, and interview of some of the participants for knowing the opinion of the respondents in respect of usage of e-resources available under N-LIST Programme/ services for their academic and research activities. The self designed questionnaire comprising of 19 questions has been distributed amongst the randomly selected 200 samples, out of which 153 respondents have responded. The present investigation is delimited to the randomly selected population of College Library Users who are regularly visiting their respective college library and using the Internet for accessing to the e-resources / web resources available under the N-LIST Programme of INFLIBNET. On the basis of filled up questionnaire received from the respondents, data has been analyzed and tabulated using SPSS Software. For data analysis percentage technique has been adopted. Due to paucity of space important findings have been enumerated in brief. The paper highlights the important survey findings in respect of demographic profiles of college library users, their library visit pattern, e-resources use pattern and expectations of college library users from the N-LIST Programme through which the scholarly contents are made available to the library users. Besides this, some suggestions and recommendations to solve the impediments for non-implementation of N-LIST Programme and under utilization of e-resources have also been enumerated in brief

Availability and Usage of Information Sources and Services at Select Media Libraries in Delhi Region: A Study

Information is a basic need of today’s fast changing world important for one’s day to day life. People need information to efficiently carry out work in their respective fields. Media professionals working in Media organisations needs current, authoritative and factual information to construct news and programmes. Such information is made available by Media libraries in the shortest time frame to meet the targets of the Media Professionals. The information is collected from the printed as well from the electronic resources available in the Media libraries. In view of the remarkable contribution made by the media libraries, the present research has been conceive with the broad objective of studying the adequacy and availability of information sources and how optimally the same has been used by the users. The study is confined to two Media Libraries such as The Indian Institute of Mass Communication Media Library and Anwar Jamal Kidwai Mass communication Research Centre Media Library in the NCT of Delhi have been taken for research investigation. The study adopted the survey method and data was gathered through close ended questionnaire and through in-depth personal interviews with the Media Professionals and media library staff. Two separate sets of questionnaire were used to elicit the desired information. The Research investigation highlighted survey findings in term of availability of sources in two media libraries. Apart from media professionals and media librarians, the library use pattern, e-resources use pattern, library visit pattern and the problems encounter by media professionals in accessing the information sources etc. were highlighted. At the end, the researcher made some suggestions and important recommendations for the overall improvement in providing quality services to the users

Improvement of renal profile in Gentamicin-induced Nephrotoxicity in albino wistar rats by edible macrofungi Dacryopinax spathularia and Schizophyllum commune

he present work has been taken to assess the pharmacological efficacy of two edible macrofungi Dacryopinax spathularia and Schizophyllum commune in the improvement of renal profile of Gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in albino wistar rats. The intra-peritoneal administration of gentamicin 80 mg/Kg Body Weight per day had resulted in alterations in renal function and renal damage which was reflected by abnormal and significant (p=0.05) increase in renal function parameters of blood like Urea, Creatinine, Uric Acid and Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN). On administration of high dose (500 mg/Kg BW) of D. Spathularia extract to the nephrotoxic group of rats the concentration of urea, creatinine, uric acid and BUN significantly decreased from 104.26±7.45 to 76.27±7.24, 1.17±0.43 to 0.68±0.47, 3.68±1.34 to 2.58±0.56 and 48.72±4.36 to 31.14±3.76 respectively, in comparison to the nephrotoxic group of rats. On the other hand, the administration of high dose (500 mg/Kg BW) of S. commune extract to the nephrotoxic group of rats resulted into significant (p=0.05) decrease in the concentration of urea, creatinine, uric acid and BUN, from 104.26±7.45 to 51.42±6.15, 1.17±0.43 to 0.62±0.14, 3.68±1.34 to 2.36±0.74 and 48.72±4.36 to 28.65±3.85 respectively, in comparison to the nephrotoxic group of rats. The results also revealed that S. commune extract showed comparatively more efficacy in the renal profile improvement of nephrotoxic rats in comparison to the D. spathularia extract

Hepatoprotective efficacy of edible macrofungi Dacryopinax spathularia (Schwein) and Schizophyllum commune (Fries) against Carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity in albino Wistar rats

In the present study the hepatoprotective efficacy of two edible macrofungi Dacryopinax spathularia and Schizophyllum commune has been assessed against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in albino wistar rats. The administration of CCl4(1ml/Kg) resulted into significant (p<0.05) rise in the levels of liver function marker enzymes Alanine Transaminase (ALT), Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) and bilirubin and decrease in the levels of total protein and albumin in blood. On administration of low dose (250mg/Kg) and high dose (500mg/Kg) of both macrofungal extracts in different hepatotoxic group of rats, the serum levels of AST, ALT, ALP and bilirubin significantly (p<0.05) lowered down and the levels of total protein and albumin significantly (p<0.05) increased in comparison to the hepatotoxic group of rats, reflecting the hepatoprotective impact of both the extracts

Information Seeking Behaviour of Scientific Community at Assam, India: A Proposed Model for E-Environment

The present study has been undertaken to know the information seeking pattern of the scientific community who belong to different universities under the study. In this study, it has been tried to find out the satisfaction after utilization of print or digital information resources available in the digital environment with a view to understand the situation of the existing library system. After evaluation and observation of the findings of the study critically, it leads to create confusion regarding the nature of information seeking pattern by the scientific community. It is found that the existing library information system is seemed to be less functional. The experience gathered from personal visit, observation and discussion with scientific community by the researcher also has realized that there is a big gap or problem in accessing information from university library system. So, there is an urgent need to develop a model which can fulfill the requirement of scientific community. Thus, one new model of information seeking behaviour is proposed namely “Information Seeking Model for Scientific Community at Assam” (ISMSCA) which might solve the problem of scientific community, if implemented

Sexual morality defaced and defied: socio-legal and religious perspectives

It is not correct to say that traditionalists, who are spiritual and love to practice social traditions based on their religions, are opposing homosexuality (gay-sex) and wish to retain it as an offence. They simply want to uphold religious norms vis-à-vis social norms. On the other hand, people with progressivism as well as modernism are pleading for demolishing the parting wall between heterosexuality and homosexuality by declaring gay-sex as morally as well as legally acceptable in the name of sexual equality and protection of rights of LGBT communities; and stressing for decriminalising homosexuality. In between the two, there exists a modest class, which wants to retain the criminal character of homosexuality but wish to enforce the law only in extreme cases, where there is a danger that social morality will erode because of homosexual behavior in particular cases. The Indian Supreme Court in its recent judgment declared section 377 of the Indian Penal Code to be violative to the equality clause and the clause guaranteeing dignity to citizens, thus, ultra vires to the Constitution. Some say it is a purely technical decision merely enforcing ‘constitutional morality’ without taking into consideration the ‘social morality’, which considers it as a despicable and socially deviant human behavior. It has actually defied and defaced the sexual morality of the Indian society. On the contrary, the Apex Court of Singapore enforced ‘social morality’ and ruled to retain section 377A of the Penal Code of Singapore. And the Policymakers of the country took mild stand on the enforcement of this criminal provision. The paper discusses the social and religious aspects, and the judicial solicitude on the matter of sexual morality and concludes that courts acting as the ‘guardian of morality’, should give due consideration to the religious, social and moral aspects of homosexuality in the society

Phytochemical screening and antibacterial activity of aqueous leaf extract of Punica granatum

In the present study the leaves of Punica granatum were subjected to phytochemical screening and the impact of the leaf extract of Punica granatum was tested against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhi. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of various phytochemicals such as alkaloids, tannins, phenols, flavonoid and saponins. Agar disk diffusion method was employed to test the antibacterial activity and the result showed that the aquesous leaf extract of Punica granatum showed 100% inhibition against all the tested bacteria at varying concentration of extract. The Minimum Inhbitory Concentration (MIC) of Punica granatum aqueous leaf extract that showed 100% inhibition was 0.36 mg/ml, 0.13 mg/ml and 0.13 mg/ml in case of Bacullus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhi respectively