Malayala Granthasoochi 2004 of Government Brennen College, Tellycherry: The first electronic catalogue in Indian languages

Government Brennen College released the Malayala Granthasoochi 2004 -CDROM on 30.03.2004 which is first electronic catalogue using search mechanism for original Malayalam script based on UNESCO's CDS/ISIS. This is an extract from the talk conducted in the Seminar in connection with the release of the publication. The talk covers earlier similar attempts as well as the research for developing script and DBMS applications in Malayalam that the computers can search and sort according to the syntactic and semantic relations. The contributions of Sri. K H Hussain, Sri K M Govi and the Rachana Aksharavedi which proclaimed Our Script for Our Language etc are stressed. Expresses the hope that in the development of State Information Infrastructure, in which major part of the content is to be in Malayalam, the concerned can utilize the technology successfully experimented in the present product. In this context the author who managed the project considers that the technology used is highly relevant for ICT application to participatory development as well as providing information services at grass roots level

Osteoporos Int

SummaryThe aim was to meta-analyze randomized controlled trials of calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and fracture prevention. Meta-analysis showed a significant 15\uc2\ua0% reduced risk of total fractures (summary relative risk estimate [SRRE], 0.85; 95\uc2\ua0% confidence interval [CI], 0.73\ue2\u20ac\u201c0.98) and a 30\uc2\ua0% reduced risk of hip fractures (SRRE, 0.70; 95\uc2\ua0% CI, 0.56\ue2\u20ac\u201c0.87).IntroductionCalcium plus vitamin D supplementation has been widely recommended to prevent osteoporosis and subsequent fractures; however, considerable controversy exists regarding the association of such supplementation and fracture risk. The aim was to conduct a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials [RCTs] of calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and fracture prevention in adults.MethodsA PubMed literature search was conducted for the period from July 1, 2011 through July 31, 2015. RCTs reporting the effect of calcium plus vitamin D supplementation on fracture incidence were selected from English-language studies. Qualitative and quantitative information was extracted; random-effects meta-analyses were conducted to generate summary relative risk estimates (SRREs) for total and hip fractures. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran\ue2\u20ac\u2122s Q test and the I2 statistic, and potential for publication bias was assessed.ResultsOf the citations retrieved, eight studies including 30,970 participants met criteria for inclusion in the primary analysis, reporting 195 hip fractures and 2231 total fractures. Meta-analysis of all studies showed that calcium plus vitamin D supplementation produced a statistically significant 15\uc2\ua0% reduced risk of total fractures (SRRE, 0.85; 95\uc2\ua0% confidence interval [CI], 0.73\ue2\u20ac\u201c0.98) and a 30\uc2\ua0% reduced risk of hip fractures (SRRE, 0.70; 95\uc2\ua0% CI, 0.56\ue2\u20ac\u201c0.87). Numerous sensitivity and subgroup analyses produced similar summary associations. A limitation is that this study utilized data from subgroup analysis of the Women\ue2\u20ac\u2122s Health Initiative.ConclusionsThis meta-analysis of RCTs supports the use of calcium plus vitamin D supplements as an intervention for fracture risk reduction in both community-dwelling and institutionalized middle-aged to older adults.2015-10-28T00:00:00Z26510847PMC471583

Design and Development of Bamboo Information System

Bamboo with thousands of species in the world, growing in a wide variety of soil and climatic conditions, plays an important role in providing livelihood, and ecological and food securities to mankind. The fastest-growing capacity of bamboo makes it a valuable sink for carbon storage. It prevents soil erosion and creates an effective watershed by binding soil along fragile riverbanks, deforested areas and in places prone to landslides. Recognizing the immense potential of bamboo and its socio-economic values, a number of international and nation agencies worldwide have came forward to support bamboo research and development. For the success of such programmes, information is a vital input. The availability of the right type of information at right time can trigger new directions in research, development and managerial action. But data on prior research are now widely scattered in different systems, formats and languages. The coordination and integration of information sources and systems have become a priority for bamboo research and development. The present study attempts to evaluate the present status and to prepare a plan for developing an international bamboo information system to integrate research and development in the sector. A prototype of web based bamboo information system also is developed and tested as part of the study

Design and Development of Bamboo Information System

Bamboo with thousands of species in the world, growing in a wide variety of soil and climatic conditions, plays an important role in providing livelihood, and ecological and food securities to mankind. The fastest-growing capacity of bamboo makes it a valuable sink for carbon storage. It prevents soil erosion and creates an effective watershed by binding soil along fragile riverbanks, deforested areas and in places prone to landslides. Recognizing the immense potential of bamboo and its socio-economic values, a number of international and nation agencies worldwide have came forward to support bamboo research and development. For the success of such programmes, information is a vital input. The availability of the right type of information at right time can trigger new directions in research, development and managerial action. But data on prior research are now widely scattered in different systems, formats and languages. The coordination and integration of information sources and systems have become a priority for bamboo research and development. The present study attempts to evaluate the present status and to prepare a plan for developing an international bamboo information system to integrate research and development in the sector. A prototype of web based bamboo information system also is developed and tested as part of the study

മലയാളത്തിലെ വിവരവ്യവസ്ഥകള്: ഒരു ചരിത്രാവലോകനം (Malyalathile Vivaravyavasthakal: Oru Charithravalokanam)

The knowledge accumulated through generations in a region is recorded in the language and scripts of the region. This heritage is unique wealth on which sustainable development of the region in social, economic and cultural spheres are based. So computational linguistics, which can achieve the conversion of such ancient records in regional scripts to digital media in a way in which computers can understand them and enable text retrieval from them, is very important. The paper traces out the projects in Kerala, which attempted to achieve this power for Malayalam language and script

Establishment of Kerala Agricultural University Campus Wide Information System and Network: Feasibility Report

A Feasibility Report prepared by Centre for Agricultural Informatics in 1995 on establishing a Campus Network for Kerala Agricultural University’s (KAU) main campus (at Vellanikkara, Thrissur) and a state-of-the art Electronic Data Complex in its University Library premises. For the dissemination of topical awareness and global information to those in agricultural sector of the State, KAU needs to build a Campus LAN and state-of-the art Agricultural Digital Library and Data Complex within its central library. This can become a show case of the electronic age in agriculture and allied disciplines and will promote, propagate and catalogue the agricultural economy that India is so dependent on. The data complex will be a cached repository of agricultural information available worldwide, besides acting as a data silo for research forums, concurrent research, electronic publishing and global bulletin boards. The scattered campuses of KAU and allied institutions also need to be linked through electronic bridges that enable spontaneous exchange of information between the agricultural Diaspora of students, faculties, researchers, extension workers and administrators. The report covers mandate of the proposed system, detailed discussion on computer and communication stack that KAU Campus Wide Information System and Network needs, the architecture prescription, network design, MultiStack and DEChub 900 options available, host environment, financial terms, implementation methodology, installation support continuum, network synthesis and integration, systems engineering support, time frames and the administrative arrangements required. Open Network, with Protocol Switching and Networked Systems Management based on Digital's enVISN Networking Architecture and Enterprise Management Solutions is recommended. Detailed Technical literature and specifications of each and every item of computer and communication stack and solution recommended is appended to the report. Even though the report was prepared in 1995 it can be of interest for critical studies on history of ICT development in India especially in agricultural sector and for comparison of quality of systems and recommendations of a specific time in the past

അലക്‌സാണ്ട്റിയ ലൈബ്രറി ആധുനിക സര്‍വകലാശാലകളുടെ അടിത്തറ

[English asbtract] A short write up giving a birds eye view of the history of the first library of the world - Alexandria Library, established by Ptolemy in BC 283. It covers the methods for classification of knowledge employed by the library, information on the scholars who headed the institution in different times, the facilities it offered for the research scholars and the public, its contribution to knowledge which can equate it with any great universities of the present day world and the causes for its destruction. The article mentions the present attempts to rebuild the Alexandria library

Open Access Initiatives and ELIS Archive in Library and Information Science

The paper introduces the concept of Open Access and gives a bird’s eye view of the historical development of the movement, Different types of OA, and benefits to the authors and researchers from OA, the status of OA in different countries, etc are discussed. The ELIS archive on Library and information science and computer science is discussed in detail. The paper argues that OA can provide equal access to publicly funded research literature to the tax payers who have met he expenses and also that the work of researches get more exposur

Bibliography on Constitution Parliament and Elections

Kerala Legislature Library during 1980-84 extracting documents related to Constitution, Parliament, Legislature etc available in its different sections created a special Reference Collection on Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies. This bibliography is a by-product of that work. It lists the books on the above subjects available for reference in the library. The Bibliography has three parts. In the main sequence of each part entries are arranged in a classified order based on the mutual relations between them; under different subject headings and are numbered serially. Each entry provides information about author, title, place of publication, publisher, year of publication of the latest edition available in the library and call number of the book in the same order. An alphabetic author index is provided at the end of each part; which directs to the serial number of the book. Each entry directs the user to the location of the book. This compilation is intended as a guide useful and time saving to both the members and the staff of the Kerala Legislature and to encourage the members to use the Library. The bibliography lists very rare materials which may be of interest to those who work on constitutional and legislative history of Kerala and its earlier princely States Travancore and Cochin

A robust system for RNA interference in the chicken using a modified microRNA operon

AbstractRNA interference (RNAi) provides an effective method to silence gene expression and investigate gene function. However, RNAi tools for the chicken embryo have largely been adapted from vectors designed for mammalian cells. Here we present plasmid and retroviral RNAi vectors specifically designed for optimal gene silencing in chicken cells. The vectors use a chicken U6 promoter to express RNAs modelled on microRNA30, which are embedded within chicken microRNA operon sequences to ensure optimal Drosha and Dicer processing of transcripts. The chicken U6 promoter works significantly better than promoters of mammalian origin and in combination with a microRNA operon expression cassette (MOEC), achieves up to 90% silencing of target genes. By using a MOEC, we show that it is also possible to simultaneously silence two genes with a single vector. The vectors express either RFP or GFP markers, allowing simple in vivo tracking of vector delivery. Using these plasmids, we demonstrate effective silencing of Pax3, Pax6, Nkx2.1, Nkx2.2, Notch1 and Shh in discrete regions of the chicken embryonic nervous system. The efficiency and ease of use of this RNAi system paves the way for large-scale genetic screens in the chicken embryo