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Mineral admixtures such as fly ash (FA), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), metakaolin (MK), and silica fumes (SF) derived from industries are often referred to as secondary cementitious materials, as partial replacements for cement. Also, the use of fibres significantly enhances the flexural behaviour of concrete. Various kinds of literature highlight the performance of concrete with one or two types of admixtures. In this study, an attempt is made to explore the effect of the use of more than two admixtures viz. FA, GGBS and MK as a partial replacement to cement and fibrofor fibre (FF) on workability and strength properties of based Fibre-Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete (FRSCC). The FF in Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) is varied from 1.0 to 2.0 kg/cum. The SCC samples are tested for three curing durations. Based on the experimental investigations, the workability of all the mixes is found to be within the EFNARC limits. The variation in the compressive strength of SCC for various fibre dosages is within 10%, after 28 days of the curing period. It is noted that A-10 mix with fibre dosage of 1.0 Kg/cum yielded the highest compressive, split tensile, and flexural strengths after 56 days of curing, as compared to that of all other variations including conventional SCC mix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Remedial teaching is a tailored educational approach dedicated to enhancing the academic performance of students facing challenges within the curriculum. By identifying and addressing specific learning difficulties, it provides essential support and guidance to bring students closer to expected standards while preventing future setbacks. We hypothesize that underperforming medical students who receive daily, tailored remediation will demonstrate significant improvement in their formative and summative assessment scores in biochemistry. Methods A cross-sectional mixed-method study was conducted on 56 underperforming first-year medical undergraduates to assess the effect of targeted remediation on formative and summative assessments in Biochemistry. Training sessions included various remediation techniques over six months. Post-remediation feedback was collected to gather insights into students’ attitudes, perceptions, and the effectiveness of the methods in improving their understanding of the subject. Logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the most effective remediation for student performance. Benefits and weaknesses of remedial training approaches for future application as perceived by the students were derived through deductive thematic analysis of their feedback. Results The mean marks, evaluated out of a maximum of 100, showed improvement from 29.86 ± 7.71 to 71.48 ± 10.19, with statistical significance (p

Textile reinforced mortar often referred as TRM in the literature combines open mesh configuration textiles with inorganic cement-based mortars. The aim of the present study is to determine the mechanical properties of hollow concrete block masonry externally bonded with coir and glass textile reinforced mortar composites. The properties of textile composites were determined by testing TRM Coupons. A total of 39 prisms were cast. The block masonry prisms were externally bonded with coir and glass textile fiber mesh with mortar. The elastic properties of block masonry, shear and flexural strength were determined for both unreinforced and strengthened specimens. The results showed that increasing the number of layers of textile fibers, enhanced the flexural capacity of TRM coupons. The provision of connectors also enhanced flexural strength. The stiffness of unreinforced masonry prisms was found to increase by strengthening with textile reinforcements even though the increase in compressive strength is marginal. There is a significant enhancement in flexural strength and shear bond strength of externally bonded specimens when compared to unreinforced masonry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compressive strength of masonry, whether brick or concrete block masonry is an important parameter in the design of masonry structure. The compressive strength of masonry depends on many parameters including strength and modulus of elasticity of the unit and mortar. Experimental determination of compressive strength of masonry is time consuming, labour intensive and expensive. The numerical and analytical approach is an effective alternative to experimental investigations. This work aims to simulate the behaviour of block masonry under compression using ABAQUS and ANSYS software. The results obtained from the experimental investigation are used as input to carry out numerical analysis in the above-mentioned software. The results obtained from each of these software are in line with the experimental findings and is promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effect of twist of glass yarns on the tensile, flexural and interfacial shear properties of composites has been studied. The glass fibre reinforced composite rods have been prepared by hand pultrusion technique with various twist levels. It is found that with the increase in twist level in yarns, the tensile, flexural and interracial shear strength properties of the composites increase up to 0.25 TPI, 1.0 TPI and 0.75 TPI respectively, followed by decrease in the properties of the composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study also inquired about their current jobs. It also concentrated on aspects pertaining to their job roles, role clarity, job authority, and its effects on their job. This study also assessed women employees' attitudes toward job satisfaction and its effects on work-life balance. It addressed women employees' attitudes toward their family roles on work-life balance, as well as the impact of work on family and family on work. The study attempted to address the attitudes of female employees toward the impact of life satisfaction on work-life balance. The current study also included the responses of female employees to the factors that lead to work-life balance and imbalance. Work-life balance necessitates striking a balance between professional and personal obligations. As a result, it reduces friction between official and personal life. Work-life balance for women employees is highly desirable in the current scenario, and if there is no job satisfaction and consistency in life, it can create a dilemma for working women. This study presents and discusses the issues that women face when balancing their work and family lives. This research was critical in determining the growing need for work-life balance policies for working women in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The small group teaching (SGT) is gaining popularity in medical education since it improves the student's thinking capacity and aids knowledge retention. Several studies have been conducted to analyze students' attitudes regarding SGT. Faculty, on the other hand, have mixed perception about SGT methodology. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to explore medical faculties' perceptions of SGT effectiveness in the medical curriculum., Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive survey was conducted among 50 medical college teachers. We have developed set of 12 questionnaires to assess the perception of teachers on SGT methods. Content validation of the survey questionnaire was done by Lawshe method, and Cronbach's alpha was calculated for estimating the internal consistency. Teacher's perception responses were presented as proportion and percentage. We performed principal component analysis, structural equation modelling, Chi-squared test (χ 2 /df), goodness-of-fit index (GFI), adjusted GFI, comparative fit index, and root mean square error of approximation., Results: The validation resulted in the 12 items model indicated superior goodness of fit for sample data. All the extracted factors had good internal consistency of >0.9. Majority of the teachers strongly agreed that the SGT method enhances the student intrinsic motivation ( n = 42, 84%), self-confidence ( n = 40, 80%) self-directed learning ( n = 35, 70%), and student teacher interaction ( n = 38, 76%)., Conclusion: Teaching faculties' perception reflected that SGT is an effective method to impart knowledge to the students and also helps in improving their understanding of their subject. It helps in developing intrinsic motivation to do self-learning in the students. It also helps in developing good peer interaction and improves the communication skills., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Journal of Education and Health Promotion.)

A glassy carbon electrode modified with a coating of polypyrrole (Ppy) exhibited an attractive performance for the detection and determination of a non-steroidal and non-narcotic analgesic compound, ketorolac tromethamine (KT). Cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse and square wave voltammetry were used in a combined way to identify the electrochemical characteristics and to optimize the conditions for detection. For calibrating and estimating KT, square-wave voltammetry was mainly used. The drug shows a well-defined peak at -1.40 V vs. Ag/AgCl in the acetate buffer (pH 5.5). The existence of Ppy on the surface of the electrode gives higher electrochemical active sites at the electrode for the detection of KT and preconcentrate KT by adsorption. The square-wave stripping voltammetric response depends on the excitation signal and the accumulation time. The calibration curve is linear in the range 1 x 10(-11) to 1 x 10(-7) M with a detection limit of 1.0 x 10(-12) M. Applicability to serum samples was also demonstrated. A detection limit of 1.0 ng ml for serum was observed. Square-wave voltammetry shows superior performance over UV spectroscopy and other techniques.