Users’ perception of Information Sources and Services at Vardhaman College of Engineering (Autonomous) Library, Hyderabad: A Case Study

Currently, Engineering College Libraries in South India is in various stages of advancement with regard to sources, services and facilities. The VCE Central Library subscribes to a number of print periodicals (national & international), electronic resources (e-journals and e-books) and multiple volumes of books to satisfy the information needs of its users. VCE is renowned and as well as one of the leading institutions of Engineering Education in Telangana State. This paper describes the offering of the Information Sources and Services to the faculty members of Central Library, Vardhaman College of Engineering (Autonomous), Hyderabad and the purpose of this study is to understand how faculty members access different types of information sources, services and facilities and their purposes

First record of the Diadem Leaf-Nosed Bat <i>Hipposideros diadema</i> (E. Geoffroy, 1813) (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) from the Andaman Islands, India with the possible occurrence of a hitherto unreported subspecies

The Diadem Leaf-nosed Bat <em>Hipposideros diadema</em> (E. Geoffroy, 1813) is recorded for the first time from the Andaman Islands, India. A solitary female specimen was collected on October 13, 2015 from a limestone cave on Baratang Island. Cranial measurements and other morphological characters indicate that the specimen differs from the endemic subspecies, the Nicobar Diadem Leaf-nosed Bat <em>Hipposideros diadema nicobarensis</em> (Dobson, 1871), but compares favourably with the South-east Asian subspecies, Mason’s Diadem Leaf-nosed Bat <em>Hipposideros diadema masoni</em> (Dobson, 1872), in description, craniodental characters, and echolocation calls. This is the first record of <em>Hipposideros diadema</em> (E. Geoffroy, 1813) from Andaman Islands, and the subspecies Mason’s Diadem Leaf-nosed Bat <em>Hipposideros diadema masoni</em> (Dobson, 1872) from India

An algebra for structured text

The Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) is generally used to mark the logical structure of a document. In general, the structure information obtained from SGML documents can be used by an IR system to perform structure-level retrieval. In this thesis, we present a formal model and a modified version of Abiteboul and Beeri\u27s complex object algebra to manipulate the content and structure of SGML documents. Furthermore, we provide an extensive list of queries and their formulations to show the algebra\u27s expressive power for manipulation of textual objects

Design, synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of novel fused pyrimidine analogues as anticancer agents.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Cancer is a multifaceted disease considered as the most serious health burden all over the world. Due to existing of limited anticancer drugs and detrimental side effects, the anticancer research has been challenging. An investigation on identifying novel potential drugs is highly required to treat this serious abnormal cell growth. Advanced potential anticancer drug entrants are crucially required to combat the drawbacks linked with current drugs or line of therapies. Extensive investigations are being carried out on synthetic manipulations of heterocyclic aromatic compounds (purines) for developing efficient and potent anticancer drugs. Besides, these manipulations also offer effective leads for further optimization. Therefore, this project is an effort in detecting a novel and potent anticancer leads based on bioisostere of purines called pyrazolopyrimidines. In this research project we have performed an comprehensive literature survey of structural isomers of pyrazolopyrimidines (pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine and pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidine) for their synthetic approaches and biological activities with special emphasis on structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies. These SAR studies prompted us to implement the observed studies on one of the structural isomer of pyrazolopyrimidine called pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine. And further, we have synthesized some novel series of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives with various substituents at C-4 and C-6 positions of the scaffold. A total 71 compounds comprising of phenethyl and pentane hybrids (7-43, Chapter 4), benzoyl hybrids (5a-5h, 6a-6d and 7a-7c, Chapter 5) and lastly phenylcarbamoyl acetamide hybrids (9a-9s, Chapter 6) have been synthesized by molecular hybridization approach as outlined in schemes of respective chapters. The completion of reaction and the purity of novel synthesized compounds were confirmed by chromatographic analysis. All the newly synthesized compounds displayed acceptable analysis for their anticipated structures, which were established based on physicochemical and spectral data (IR, 1 H NMR, 13C NMR and HRMS). All synthesized compounds were primarily evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activities at Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Centre of the Region Hana for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacky University & Institute of Experimental Botany ASCR, Slechtitelu 27, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic. From the systematic analysis of anticancer activity, results obtained following key observations were made. i. Structural isomers of fused pyrimidines have been looked upon for molecular changes in emerging drug like candidates. Pyrazolopyrimidine is a bioisostere of purines has acquired considerable importance due to its diverse, facile and general synthetic methodologies with great medicinal importance. Several analogs of this scaffold have emerged as a promising leads in the design of some novel pharmacologically active compounds with enhanced iii metabolic, pharmacokinetic and pharmacological profiles, representing that there is plenty scope for considering pyrazolopyrimidine as a structural framework for evolving effective leads. ii. Chapter 4: From the 37 novel phenethyl and alkyl pentane pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives synthesized and evaluated for CDK2/Cyclin E, Abl kinase inhibitory activity and anti-proliferative activity against K-562 (chronic myelogeneous leukemia) and MCF7 (breast adenocarcinoma) cell lines. From the tested results, compounds 11 (CDK: IC50 = 5.1 µM; Abl: ˃12.5 µM), 8 (CDK: IC50 = 7.8 µM; Abl: ˃25 µM) and 36 (CDK: IC50 = 8.8 µM; Abl: >25 µM) exhibited significant inhibitory activity. Further from this series, most of the synthesized compounds indicated prominent anti-proliferative effects with IC50 value ranging from 19.2 µM to 27.4 µM. Incorporation of monosubstituted phenyl groups at C-4 of the pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine nucleus had favored for most prominent anticancer activity. iii. Chapter 5: Among the 15 novel benzoyl hybrids synthesized and evaluated, compounds 5a and 6c displayed (CDK2: IC50 = 8.8 µM, 6.8 µM) commendable inhibitory activity and notable anti-proliferative activity ranging from 18.9 µM to 89.3 µM). Presence of heteroatom containing bicyclic moieties at C-4 of the nucleus enhanced both inhibitory and anti-proliferative activity. iv. Chapter 6: Of the 19 novel phenylcarbamoyl acetamide hybrids synthesized and tested, compounds 9a, 9c, 9g, 9m and 9p showed moderate enzymatic inhibitory activity with an IC50 value ˃12.5 µM against both CDK2 and Abl kinases while, remaining compounds of this series could not generate IC50 values due to solubility limit (IC50 = ˃25 µM to ˃100 µM).Professor Neil Koorbanally was acknowledged by the author as his previous supervisor

Taking Action Against Gender-Based Violence: Bringing Men and Women Together in Wentworth Through the Prevention in Action Movement

This project is an exploration with the KwaZulu Natal Network on Violence against Women and its activities and relationship with grassroots-level organizers regarding the Prevention in Action movement in Wentworth to unite men and women in a movement to end gender violence and protect health and safety. Gender-based violence is a particularly tragic health and justice issue in South Africa. While most interventions attempt to raise awareness and empower women to stand up against gender violence, recently organizations have understood the need to engage men in the dialogue, mobilize them to take action, and foster true changes in social norms and behaviors. Though the Network is primarily a woman’s organization, it has embraced the challenge to engage with women and men by pursuing a campaign for community mobilization and by collaborating with Brothers for Life. I have observed training sessions and meetings, social mobilization activities, and the Network’s interaction with community organizers. My exploration of the Prevention in Action movement has allowed me to understand gaps and challenges in the Network’s interaction with community organizers, to delve into community perspectives relating to the movement and its ability to mobilize men and women and continue in the future, and to reflect upon my own perceptions of the movement through my observations and interviews. This work will greatly aid the Network and community organizers involved in seeing the assets of Prevention in Action, its challenges in Wentworth, a vision for the future, and a path to achieve this vision. If the KwaZulu Natal Network is pleased with this presentation, perhaps the staff and the community stakeholders of Wentworth can apply the lessons learned to their work to improve the quality of implementing and maintaining Prevention in Action and of future community-based gender violence interventions, particularly in their aims to engage both men and women

PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATION OF HERBO-MINERAL PREPARATIONS W.S.R. TO PANCHAVAKTRA RAS

The pharmaceutical science is closely related with life science. Knowledge of pharmaceutics is an essential element in medical practice and is the basis for the discovery of new medicines. Before going through preparations of any drug, one has to concentrate on all the matters related to that particular drug like, collection of raw drugs, tests about genuineness of it, different process of prevention and purification, special methods of mixing and so on. Thus pharmaceutical standardization of Ayurvedic medicines is necessary to ensure quality, safety and efficacy of drugs. Among different preparation of formulations, Khalviya rasayana is a basic procedure applicable to all Rasaoushadis before they are subjected to any specific procedure. It converts crude drugs macro to micro level by trituration and also gives specific Samskara to a drug. &nbsp; Panchavaktra Ras is a rational combination of Rasadravyas and Kasthaushadhis. Panchavaktra rasa has been taken for its Pharmaceutical standardization through Standard Operative procedures. The raw drugs Parada, Gandhaka, Tankana are taken and subjected to purification as per Rasatarangini 5/34-35, 8/13-17 and 13/77-78 respectively. Parada, Gandhaka, Tankana, Pippali, Maricha and Krishna Dhattura Swarasa is added in sufficient quantity. In pharmaceutical study the drug has been prepared in 3 batches adopting Khalviya Rasayana method. The final drug prepared in the pharmacy at the weight of 150 mg. The final product of the drug and all the raw drugs were analyzed before and after the purifications with modern analytical methods viz. XRD, ICP-OES, AAS, SEM with EDX, HPTLC, Physico-Chemical Standards, Pharmaceutical Standards, Preliminary Organic Analysis, and Estimation of Microbial Contamination

A Study on Mental Health Status of the Secondary School Students in SPSR Nellore District

The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of demographic variables such as gender, locality, delivery type, type of management, class, father’s education, father’s occupation, family income and birth order on mental health status. Mental Health Status inventory by Dr. Jagadeesh &amp; A.K. Srivastva was administered to assess the mental health status of the subjects (N=200). To test the hypotheses, the collected data were analyzed using t-test and Chi-square test. Findings suggested that there is significant impact of demographic variables on mental health; the class of secondary school students is positively related to their mental health; the birth order of secondary school students is positively related to their mental health; the mental health status of urban area students is slightly better than of rural area students; the mental health status of caesarean delivered students is slightly better than that of normal delivered and the mental health status of girls is slightly better than that of boys