Archives-March 2015

Microbial diversity contributes to the sustainability in agriculture, horticulture, forestry and range of environment. The mycorrhizal symbiotic association appears to have evolved with plants since as a survival mechanism for fungi and higher plants. Arbuscular mycorrhizae are the most important microbial symbioses for the majority of plants thus allowing each to survive in the existing environment of low temperature, low soil fertility, periodic drought, diseases, extreme environments, P-limitation, plant community development, nutrient uptake, water relations and above-ground productivity. They also act as bioprotectants against pathogens and toxic stresses. This review gives a brief account on AMF which is necessary for the agricultural improvement and soil fertility.

This study, “Transmogrification of the Danse Macabre Image: Capturing the Journey towards Creativity,” traces the evolution of the concept of Danse Macabre. In Everyman death takes away the sinful when they least expect it, in Solyman and Perseda everyone falls prey to death irrespective of their deeds and in Tauba-tun-Nasuh, the sinner is plagued. The climatic point in this brief research comes with the Modern texts, The Moon and Sixpence, Roohe-e-Insani and Amédéé, ou Comment s’en débarrasser, when Danse Macabre extends its boundaries, uniting the idea of creativity with death. Similarly in the visual context, Danse Macabre image, initially a horrifying idea, becomes a part of the present day comics and serves an entertaining rather than a cathartic purpose.

The IR and HPLC analysis of bougainvillea flower extract revealed that it contains nitrogenous compounds, a novel betaxanthin, methyl (derivative of arginine betaxanthin) on the basis of UV-Vis spectra and mass spectrometric characteristics, as well as by comparison with literature data, which to the best of our knowledge has not been reported in bougainvillea flower extract. bougainvillea flower extract was the major betacyanin pigment present although methylated arginine betaxanthin, a novel betaxanthin hitherto not observed naturally and betalamic acid were also present. The identified compounds were then evaluated for anti-corrosive properties by the cyclic-voltammeter and potentiometer method.

Implementation of this guidance, or indeed any IT best practice, should be consistent with your organization’s management style and the way your organization deals with risk management and delivery of IT value. All analysts currently agree that probably the biggest risk and concern to top management today is failing to align IT to real business needs, and a failure to deliver, or be seen to be delivering, value to the business. Since IT can have such a dramatic effect on business performance and competitiveness and particularly in security management issues, a failure to manage IT effectively can have a very serious impact on the business as a whole. In this paper, the notion and impact of governance is analyzed in the context of IT security management decisions. In doing so, two case studies are used to identify possible factors that may affect managers in developing successful governance strategies.

Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANET) is the self organizing collection of mobile nodes. The Optimized Link State Routing (OLSR) protocol was designed to improve scalability of Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (MANETs). OLSR protocol implements Multipoint Relay (MPR) nodes as a flooding mechanism for distributing control information. Nevertheless, OLSR was designed without security measures. There-fore, a misbehaving node can affect the topology map acquisition process by interrupting the flooding of control information or disturbing the MPR selection process.

This research describes a mammographic lesions using wavelet based active contour model. The sensitivity of the breast cancer detection was analyzed by mammography. Wavelet based decomposition techniques are used and tested for decomposing the noise present in the mammographic lesions. Gabor filtering method is used to reduce the unwanted noise obtained in the mammographic lesions by automated segmentation. The experimental results are tested with the MATLAB and proved reliable and cost effective.

Bone is essentially a heterogeneous system consisting of water, mineral and collagen which determine the physical properties of bone composite material. The decrease in bone weight was dose dependent after treatment with all the two salts of metal i.e. NiNO3 and NiSO4. Bone provides essential framework and rigidity to the body. The toxic substances affect the development of bone by impairing the availability of essential nutrients resulting in abnormal bone development and toxicity. The impact of nickel toxicity on bone of mice has been studied histochemically (under light and electron microscope) by using two nickel salts . Histopathologically, the necrosis to layers of decalcified bone i.e. periosteum, matrix and endosteum was observed with all two salts. The bone forming cells, lamellae and Haversian canals were also affected. The cortical width of bone section decreased as the dose of salts increased. These changes were also observed on samples of powdered dried bone of all groups with SEM. These changes were dose dependent and of the same order as mentioned above. The toxicity of nickel salts was in the order of NiSO4 > NiNO3 .

The aim of the present study was to improve the solubility and bioavailability of a poorly water-soluble drug in human body, using a solid dispersion technique. Solubility and dissolution rate is an important physicochemical factor affecting absorption of drug and its therapeutic effectiveness. Consequences of poor aqueous solubility would lead to failure in formulation development. The poor solubility of drug substances in water and their low dissolution rate in aqueous G.I.T fluid often leads to insufficient bioavailability. In the present investigation, an attempt was made to improve the solubility and dissolution rate of a poorly soluble drug, Eprosartan by solid dispersion method using skimmed milk powder as carrier. Four different formulations were prepared with varying drug:carrier ratios viz.1:1, 1:3, 1:5 and 1:9 and the corresponding physical mixtures were also prepared. The formulations were characterized for solubility parameters, drug release studies and drug-polymer interactions by using phase solubility studies, dissolution studies; XRD analysis, FTIR spectrum, TLC analysis and UV overlay spectra. All the formulations showed marked improvement in the solubility behaviour and improved drug release. Formulation containing drug: polymer ratio of 1:9 showed the best release with a cumulative release of 82.67 % as compared to 6.919 % for the pure drug. The interaction studies showed no interaction between the drug and the carrier. It was concluded that skimmed milk powder as a carrier can be very well utilized to improve the solubility of poorly soluble drugs.

Knowledge Management is now becoming popular in Education field due to need to disclose the intellectual power available in institution for sharing experiences. It has great potential and should have equal and even greater significance for education sector. Knowledge builds on knowledge and past events helps in generating new knowledge. The main source of generation of knowledge is human efforts which are developed through conducting good educational activities, research activities and generating innovative concepts in the area of interest. All knowledge generating organizations like industries, R and D centers, and higher education academics from colleges to universities are in search of new concepts in their subject of interest and also contribute to knowledge through various means. They are considered as “Knowledge Houses” where knowledge flows from teachers to students and new knowledge is created. Though developed countries has already started knowledge management practices in educational and research institutes still many developing countries yet to start practicing this. In this paper the author discussed the present status of knowledge management in education sector in India, Initiatives taken by various government bodies, importance of knowledge management in education sector especially traditional colleges and universities, strategies used to capture students, teachers and processes knowledge and suggested knowledge management process for higher educational institute in India.

Every academic institution contributes to knowledge. The generated information and knowledge is to be compiled at central place and disseminated among the society for further growth. It is observed that the generated knowledge in the academic institute is not stored or captured properly It is also observed that many a times generated information or knowledge in the academic institute is not known to any one and remains as grey literature, which might be useful if proper recoding is maintained in the organization. In fact academic environment is treasure of knowledge but it is not organized properly and hence utility is also lacking and cause for the repetitions of the activity. This project is undertaken under Board of University and Colleges, University of Pune for finding importance of KM of past knowledge of an institute. Also study on data capture, data analysis, data categorization, data mining, data mapping, knowledge mapping, concept mapping, indexing, linking and repackaging of knowledge, tools, techniques, strategies and copyright issues in sharing this knowledge through knowledge base.