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This study explored the prospects of millet farming as a sustainable livelihood option for tribal farmers in Kerala, India. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the research was conducted among 600 tribal framers in the Idukki district, assessing their socioeconomic profiles, the extent of millet cultivation, engagement with government schemes, and the challenges they face. The findings indicated that millet farming is deeply rooted in the cultural practices of these communities but is primarily pursued for subsistence due to limited market access, financial constraints, and inadequate knowledge of value addition and processing techniques, The study suggested that targeted policy interventions, including enhanced education and training, financial support, imp roved market linkages, and promotion of sustainable farming practices, are essential to unlock the full potential of millet framing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a method to examine whether a given undirected simple graph is non-planar using Cycles. The cyclic rotation of the available cycle produces a new cycle. The non-planarity can be fixed depending on whether both cycles are subgraphs of the given graph. Pseudocode for setting up an algorithm for detecting non-planarity for any graph containing at-least one cycle is the highlight of the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child sponsorship is a vital tool for development by transferring funds from rich countries to children in developing countries. It supports the development of marginalised children primarily through education. This article describes the outcome evaluation of a 10-year intervention by a sponsoring agency in Kerala, India. The study evaluated the outcome regarding self-esteem, achievement motivation and family functioning of the sponsored children, adopting a post-test-only quasi-experimental design with a control group (CG). Data were collected from 80 individuals (Intervention group [IG], n = 40 and CG, n = 40) and analysed statistically using SPSS. The paired sample t-test rejected the null hypotheses confirming the significant differences in the measure of variables for participants in the IG and CG. The thematic analysis of qualitative data collected by interviewing 10 child-mother dyads triangulated the quantitative results asserting the positive outcome of the intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented closure of direct service for children with special needs (CSNs), which shifted service to remote mode. This scoping review analyzed the strategies adopted by different formal care services for CSNs, their strengths and weaknesses, and the challenges faced by the formal care providers (FCPs). This study identified relevant articles through academic databases and Google searches using appropriate search strings and keywords. It included ten journal articles (n=10) and eight pieces (n=8) of grey literature through a meticulous selection process and extracted data. This review drew results by collating the descriptive numerical data analysis and qualitative thematic analysis and interpreting them. Reporting incorporated all the possible items recommended by the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. This review demonstrated that pediatric rehabilitation adopted the telehealth approach and that special education changed to remote learning. When childcare programs in the USA functioned according to specific guidelines, residential care in South Asian countries faced a financial crunch. FCPs faced personal and professional challenges that required systematic training to deal with pandemic situations. This scoping review made suggestions for relevant policy formulations for equitable and effective service delivery to CSNs during pandemic situations, and it exposed new avenues for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Skin ulcers (SUs) are a common and difficult to manage problem in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and can be broadly classified into two types: digital ulcers (DUs) and non-DUs. Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze prevalence, associated factors, and response to therapy for non-DU. Patients and Methods: All patients with SSc who fulfilled the 2013 ACR/EULAR criteria were included in the study. SUs were divided into DU and various types of non-DU (SU on bony prominences, SU on calcinosis, SU on lower limbs, and SU with gangrene). Results: We included 146 patients with SSc (83.6' females) with a median follow-up of 20.5 months (interquartile range: 52). Eighty-four patients (57.5') had at least one episode of DU. Recurrent DUs despite vasodilators were seen in 36 (24.7') patients. Thirty-four patients (23.3') had non-DU. The most common type of non-DU was SU of lower limbs (23), followed by SU on bony prominences (19). The most common ulcer site was on the malleoli in the lower limbs and elbow in the upper limbs. Most of the ulcers healed in 3–6 months. Three patients developed osteomyelitis. The presence of non-DU was associated with longer duration of disease (P = 0.0009), occurrence of DU (P = 0.011), presence of gangrene (P < 0.001), or calcinosis (P < 0.001), and higher modified Rodnan skin score (P = 0.0013). Conclusion: Non-DUs were found in a quarter of patients with SSc. They are associated with advanced disease and vasculopathy. There is an unmet need to incorporate non-DU in clinical trial outcomes and address them in patient management guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is a review of the book "Migration Reshaping Human History" by Bimalendu Bhattacharya. The book provides a comprehensive exploration of human migration, covering topics such as the evolution of Homo sapiens, slavery, indentured labor, contemporary challenges faced by refugees, and theoretical frameworks for understanding migration. The author skillfully weaves together historical narratives, contemporary analysis, and theoretical perspectives to offer readers a nuanced and insightful understanding of the forces that have shaped human migration throughout history. The book is praised for its candid exploration of the darker chapters in migration history and its ability to navigate the complexities of migration. [Extracted from the article]

Background : Vision is the most important sense because it allows interacting freely with the environment and enjoying the beauty of life. The eye is the window to the world and it is a sensitive, highly specialized sense organ subject to various disorders, many of which lead to impaired vision. Blindness is a lack or loss of ability to see; lack of perception of visual stimuli. The diseases of the cornea are one of the major causes of blindness in India for which the vision can be restored by eye donation. Eye sight is very important for human life. The World Health Organization (W.H.O) estimates that for every 5 seconds, someone goes blind. Globally 37 million people are blind and of these nearly 10 lakh blind people are willing for corneal transplantation. Well informed adolescents could be expected to influence eye donation rates. Methods : Descriptive survey approach with co-relational design was used for the study. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and attitude regarding eye donation among the adolescents and to identify the relationship between them. The Structured knowledge questionnaire and Attitude scale on eye donation were used to collect the data. The data were collected by questionnaire method from 100 adolescents, who were selected using non-probability purposive sampling technique at Yenepoya pre- university college, Mangalore, India. Data collected from the subjects were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results : The mean percentage of the knowledge scores among adolescents were 57%, the mean percentage of the attitude scores among adolescents were 70.5% and there was a positive correlation between knowledge and attitude among adolescents (r = 0.201). (98) Table value r = 0.236, p< 0.313). Conclusion : The findings of the study showed that the adolescents had good knowledge and positive attitude towards eye donation and there was a positive co-relation between knowledge and attitude among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs), the real silver bullet, are known to have good antibacterial properties against pathogenic microorganisms. In the present study AgNPs were prepared from extracellular filtrate of Aspergillus niger. Characterization of AgNPs by UV-Vis spectrum reveals specific surface plasmon resonance at peak 416 nm; TEM photographs revealed the size of the AgNPs to be 20-55 nm. Average diameter of the produced AgNPs was found to be 73 nm with a zeta potential that was -24mV using Malvern Zetasizer. SEM micrographs showed AgNPs to be spherical with smooth morphology. EDS revealed the presence of pure metallic AgNPs along with carbon and oxygen signatures. Of the different concentrations (0, 2.5, 5, 10, and 15 μg/mL) used 10 μg/mL were sufficient to inhibit 107 CFU/mL of E. coli. ROS production was measured using DCFH-DA method and the the free radical generation effect of AgNPs on bacterial growth inhibition was investigated by ESR spectroscopy. This paper not only deals with the damage inflicted on microorganisms by AgNPs but also induces cell death through the production of ROS released by AgNPs and also growth kinetics of E. coli supplemented with AgNPs produced by A. niger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of ecofriendly and reliable processes for the synthesis of nanoparticles has attracted considerable interest in nanotechnology because of its tremendous impetus in modulating metals into nanosize to their potential use for human benefits. In this study an endophytic fungus, Penicillium sp., isolated from healthy leaves of Curcuma longa (turmeric) was subjected to extracellular biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNps) and their activity against MDR E. coli and S. aureus. The biosynthesized AgNps optimization was studied and characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).ThenproducedAgNpswere tested againstMDR E. coli and S. aureus. The endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. from healthy leaves of C. longa (turmeric) was found to be a good producer of AgNps. Parametric optimization showed maximum absorbance of 420-425 nm at pH-7, 25°C with 1mM AgNO3 concentration and 15-20 g of wet biomass. Further TEM revealed the formation of spherical, well-dispersed nanoparticles with size ranging between 25 and 30 nm and FTIR shows the bands at 1644 and 1538 cm-1 corresponding to the binding vibrations of amide I and II bands of proteins, respectively. Antibacterial activity againstMDR E. coli and S. aureus showed good results showing maximum zone of inhibition of 17mm and 16 mm, respectively, at 80 μL of AgNps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]