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This paper proposes a framework for multilingual language-in-education policy implementation, offered as a critically constructive response to India's recent "National Education Policy 2020" (GOI, 2020). Rooted in India's existing educational language policy, our linguistically inclusive 'Languages for Learning' (LFL) framework is, we believe, structurally flexible, socioculturally feasible, economically viable and academically relevant. It aims to foster equity and also to ensure first language support and cognitive independence. Before presenting the framework, we critically review the multilingual policy guidance offered in "NEP 2020," then lay out a theoretical foundation for the LFL framework based primarily on current translanguaging theory, and also discuss the history of India's much maligned three-language formula (TLF), which forms the core of language policy in India. The framework itself is presented with reference to specific contextual challenges in India that may also serve to indicate its relevance for other multilingual contexts around the world. As such, the LFL framework is offered as a more multilingually-appropriate alternative to the reductive construct of 'Medium of Instruction', which itself originates in the monolingual habitus of historically outdated language-in-education policy theory. We invite critical evaluations of the utility of our framework, both for India and other multilingual contexts.

ESL/EFL teachers, especially those working in higher education, across the world were required to teach online after the spread on COVID-19. Many empirical studies have been conducted in the last 1 year to investigate various aspects of online teaching and learning of languages. However, online ESL teaching in South Asian contexts remains almost unexplored. This paper reports a multiple case study that aimed to bridge this gap and explore online formative assessment (FA) and feedback practices of three ESL teachers working in three universities in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Data were collected through classroom observations, interviews and document analysis. The results indicate that all three teachers actively engaged their students in a variety of FA practices, although they did not use the obtained information from assessments properly and there remained many areas of improvement. Their feedback practices, which involved the integration of a few digital tools, were regular and student-friendly. The study is significant in that it is the first of its kind. Future researchers can conduct large scale studies to verify if the findings of the study are true for other university ESL teachers who are teaching online.

With digital literacies becoming an essential competency for teachers across the world, recent educational policies in India emphasize teachers' ability to use digital technologies for pedagogic purposes and the use of digital technologies by teachers as one of the evaluation criteria for ranking institutions. In the absence of any properly established policy on in-service training in digital technologies for teachers, such policies cannot be expected to promote effective learning. Moreover, little effort is being made to keep track of the impact of training in digital technologies on teachers' pedagogic practices. In light of the above background, the proposed multiple-case study aims to explore changes in the practices of three English for Science and Technology (EST) teachers in India. The main objective of the study is to compare the teachers' technology integration practices before and after they participated in a 12-hour need-based training programme in digital technologies. Data for the study were collected through questionnaires, interviews, classroom observations, field notes and e-portfolios. Results suggest that the programme had a positive impact on their practices and there was difference in the way the three teachers selected, used and thought about digital technologies. Factors such as motivation, administrative support, students' response to the use of technologies, and awareness about students' language needs shaped their practices.

This article presents a qualitative study concerning the experience of three pre-service Dalit teacher trainees with their upper caste classmates, programme instructors and coping strategies adopted by them to counter social and academic challenges at a well-known public university in India. Data for the study were collected through interviews with the Dalit and upper caste trainees and three programme instructors and observation of classes. Although no evidence was found to indicate any caste-based discrimination by the upper caste classmates and instructors, it was evident that the instructors were not empathetic towards the academic needs of the Dalit trainees. The trainees had individual coping strategies which included obtaining help from their upper caste classmates, maintaining self-motivation and staying away from people around them.

This study attempts to identify the key components of financial literacy and its constituent factors, and to examine influences of people's financial literacy on their financial well-being. The study is mainly based on the primary data collected from 384 randomized samples from the Indian state of Assam. Data analysis was carried out using statistical techniques such as factor analysis, regression analysis, and correlation analysis. A thorough review of the empirical literature, and findings of the present study reveal three major components-"financial knowledge, financial behavior, and financial attitude" -that constitute people's financial literacy, which are coined as "the big three of financial literacy." Financial literacy and its three major components are found to have strong and significant influences on people's financial well-being. It is concluded that an increase in people's financial literacy results in an increase in their financial well-being, and vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition‐metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are highly desired for energy‐storage devices due to their intrinsic layered structure, huge surface area, and the large number of active sites. However, the TMDs fail to reach their potential due to restacking of 2D layered structures that remains a major technological hurdle. Herein, MoS2 nanosheets and cellulose fiber binary composite (MoS2@Cellulose) prepared by the microwave‐assisted technique are demonstrated as an electrode material for supercapacitor application. The prepared material are tested in symmetric and asymmetric all solid‐state device assemblies. It is found that the quasi‐solid‐state symmetric and quasi‐solid‐state asymmetric supercapacitors exhibited remarkably higher specific capacitance of ≈294 and ≈177 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1, respectively, than their counterpart. Furthermore, the symmetric and asymmetric devices deliver excellent energy densities of ≈40.84 and ≈42.67 Wh kg−1 while maintaining the power density of 400 and 791.81 W kg−1, respectively, and outstanding cyclic stability. The cellulose entanglement causes a reduction in the aggregation and restacking of MoS2, which may improve the electrochemical performance of the supercapacitor. Herein this research, a pathway is provided to create an efficient energy‐storage system using 2D materials with sustainable cellulose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ex vivo interaction of NaYF4:Yb,Er nanophosphors with isolated mitochondria has been investigated. The nanophosphors were synthesized using the hydrothermal method. The synthesized NaYF4:Yb,Er nanophosphors were characterized for physicochemical properties. The NaYF4:Yb,Er nanophosphors showed successful upconversion with excitation wavelength lying in the near‐infrared region. The effect of synthesized NaYF4:Yb,Er nanophosphors on mitochondria isolated from the chicken heart tissue was examined through ROS generation capacity, membrane fluidity, and complex II activity. The exposer of NaYF4:Yb,Er nanophosphors to isolated mitochondria inhibits ROS generation activity as compared to control. The mitochondria membrane fluidity of the lipid bilayer and complex‐II activity of mitochondria was observed to be unaltered after the interaction with NaYF4:Yb,Er nanoparticles. The results confirm that synthesized NaYF4:Yb,Er nanoparticles can be used as a safe contrast agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent emergence of natural biopolymers as drug delivery vehicles is attributed to their biodegradability and less systemic toxicity. Muga silk nanoparticles were prepared using microwave radiolysis method and were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, circular dichroism, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. To find the applicability in the drug delivery system of these nanoparticle and to know the binding site(s), a computational study was carried out. The structure of the Muga protein is predicted using homology modeling, which is further used for molecular docking. The in silico molecular docking between the Muga silk nanoparticles and three United States Food and Drug Administration-approved model drugs of doxorubicin, remdesivir and dexamethasone was performed. The binding capabilities and binding energy of the Muga silk proteins with these drugs are determined. The basic idea of the active site and the residues involved in the binding of the drugs/ligands is also studied. Doxorubicin showed the highest binding affinity of -8.7 kcal/mol and that of the remdesivir and dexamethasone are found to be -7.2 and -7.9 kcal/mol, respectively. Such high binding affinity(ies) would help for slow drug release kinetics and the other two drugs can be loaded when the requirement is for sustained drug release. The data were also validated using the UV-vis. spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper assessed the toxic effect of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) on isolated mitochondria and its dysfunction prevention after Iron (Fe) incorporation. TiO2 and Fe content TiO2 NPs were synthesized and characterized using XPS, PL spectroscopy, and TEM. The nanostructure interaction with isolated mitochondria was investigated using circular dichroism (CD) confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM), surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and FT-IR spectroscopy via nonspecific pathway. Fe content TiO2 NPs helps to control the dissolution rate of parent nanomaterial of TiO2 on the mitochondrial membrane. Confocal micrographs and flow cytometry results confirmed that Rhodamine 123 dye intensity get increased after interaction with Fe content TiO2 NPs which states the integrity of the mitochondrial membrane. AFM results revealed that TiO2 induces the swelling of mitochondrial tubules and also impaired the mitochondrial structure, whereas Fe content TiO2 NPs interaction prevents the impairment of mitochondrial tubules. The denaturation of a membrane protein by TiO2 interactions was observed through CD Spectroscopy. Further, nano-bio-interface study was performed using SERS, through shifting and extinct of peaks affiliated to membrane proteins and lipids. However, Fe content TiO2-treated samples showed a significant increase in the membrane potential of mitochondria via flow cytometry results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodontitis (PD) is an oral microbial disease caused by the gram negative bacteria comprise a wide range of immunoinflammatory conditions that affect the supporting structures of the teeth (the gingiva, bone and periodontal ligament), which could lead to tooth loss and contribute to systemic inflammation Almost 10 to15% of the global population gets suffered from severe periodontitis as per WHO reports. It is the disease which succeeds in all races, groups and both genders. The disease results from the growth of a diverse microflora (especially anaerobes) in the pockets and release of toxins, enzymes and stimulation of body's immune response. The basic treatment of chronic periodontitis is a mechanical debridement of periodontal pockets by Scaling and root planing (SRP) in combination with efficient plaque control. The effectiveness of mechanical debridement of plaque and repeated topical and systemic administration of antibacterial agents are limited due to the lack of accessibility to periodontopathic organisms in the periodontal pocket. Selection of a right antimicrobial agent with appropriate route of drug administration is the key to successful periodontal therapy. Currently, controlled local drug delivery approach is more favorable as compared to systemic approach because it mainly focuses on improving the therapeutic outcomes by achieving factors like site-specific delivery, low dose requirement, bypass of first pass metabolism, reduction in gastrointestinal side effects and decrease in dosing frequency. Overall it provides a safe and effective mode of treatment, which enhances patient compliance. Complete eradication of the organisms from the sites was not achieved by using various surgical and mechanical treatments. So a number of polymerbased delivery systems like fibers, films, gels, chips, strips, microparticles, nanoparticles, nanofibers and low dose antimicrobial agents are some of the local drug delivery systems (LDDS) available in the field, which aims to deliver antimicrobial agents to sub-gingival diseased sites with minimal or no side-effects on other body sites. These systems are biocompatible and biodegradable, completely fill the pockets, and have strong retention on the target site due to excellent mucoadhesion properties. This review enlightens detailed pathophysiology and various phases of periodontitis, challenges in treatment of disease and various antimicrobial agents (along with their marketed formulations) used. The main emphasis of the review is to cover all carrier systems developed so far for local delivery application in the effective management of periodontitis, as a patient compliant drug therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of the intravitreal dexamethasone implant in the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) as initial therapy.Methods: A hospital-based prospective, non-comparative case study of recently detected DME patients was conducted between July 2016 and December 2017, in which30 eyes of 30 patients were studied. Presenting vision, age, gender, duration of diabetes, general and ocular examination, intraocular pressure, indirect ophthalmoscopy, fundus fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and blood sugar levels were noted. Patients with increased central macular thickness (CMT) received an intravitreal dexamethasone implant as initial therapy. All were followed up at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year, and the findings were recorded and analyzed using SPSS software.Results: 30 eyes of 30 patients were studied which included 22 males and 8 females. The mean age of presentation was 58.7 ± 4.45 years. The mean decrease in CMT following intravitreal dexamethasone was 269.27 ± 112.002, 253.5 ± 108.294, and 286.73 ± 143.395 μm at the end of 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively, and the mean improvement in visual acuity (VA) was 2.27 ± 1.70 lines at 3 months, 2.27 ± 1.83 lines at 6 months, and 1.17 ± 2.00 lines at 12 months. Out of 30 cases, 4 had persistent DME and 6 had recurrence of DME at completion of 1 year of follow-up.Conclusion: Intravitreal dexamethasone as initial therapy in the treatment of DME is both safe and efficacious in the reduction of CMT and improvement of vision and can be considered as primary therapy for DME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Byline: Santosh Kumar Mahapatra, Steven A. Melnyk, Roger J. Calantone Successful implementation of Environment Management System (EMS) poses a dilemma for many managers and researchers. On one hand, there have been notable successes in the implementation of EMS systems. Yet, in spite of these successes, many firms have been unable to realise similar benefits. To address this dilemma, past studies have identified several factors contributing to the success of EMS implementation. This study builds upon these studies by presenting an expanded and integrated view of the factors that affect EMS success. Using data provided by large study into EMS implementation, the study shows that successful EMS implementation is influenced by the interaction of various factors such as scale of operation, uncertainty in the business environment, past experience of Quality Management efforts and the status of a formal EMS. The investigation improves our understanding of successful implementation of EMS and its relation with various contextual factors.

The potential impact of TiO2 and Fe incorporated TiO2 nanoparticles at the organelle level has been reported. The toxicity of the samples on mitochondria isolated from chicken liver tissue has been examined through mitochondrial swelling, membrane fluidity, ROS generation capacity, and activity of complex II. The toxic effect of TiO2 was prevented by incorporating Fe into the TiO2 matrix at different concentrations. The activity of the succinate dehydrogenase enzyme complex was affected and permeabilization of the mitochondrial inner membrane to H+ and K+ and its alteration in membrane fluidity at 100 μg mL−1 of nano-TiO2 dosage were investigated, which showed significant changes in the anisotropy of DPH-labeled mitochondria. Fe incorporation into the TiO2 matrix makes it more biocompatible by changing its structure and morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of nano‐biotechnology has inspired the interface interaction study between engineered nanoparticles (NPs) and biomolecules. The interaction between Fe content titanium dioxide (TiO2) NPs and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) biomolecules has been envisioned. The effect of Fe content in TiO2 matrix was studied using X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The increase in Fe content caused a decrease in particle size with change in morphology from spherical to one‐dimensional rod structure. The Fe incorporation in the TiO2 matrix reduced the transition temperature from anatase to rutile (A‐R) phase along with formation of haematite phase of iron oxide at 400°C. The interaction of Fe content TiO2 NPs with ATP molecule has been studied using spectroscopic method of Raman scattering and infrared vibration spectrum along with TEM. Fe content in TiO2 has enhanced the interaction efficiency of the NPs with ATP biomolecules. Raman spectroscopy confirms that the NPs interact strongly with nitrogen (N7) site in the adenine ring of ATP biomolecule. Engineering of Fe content TiO2 NP could successfully tune the coordination between metal oxide NPs with biomolecules, which could help in designing devices for biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) have made unbelievable progress in the field of nanotechnology and biomedical research. The proper toxicological assessment of TiO2 NPs and the reduction of its cytotoxicity need to be addressed. Fe doping in TiO2 has been investigated to reduce the toxic effects of TiO2 NPs. Fe doped TiO2 powder samples were synthesized by sol-gel methods. The prepared samples were characterized by x-ray diffractometer (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy to study their structure, morphology, and molecular conformation. XRD results revealed the coexistence of anatase (A) and rutile (R) phases of TiO2. The A-R transformation was observed with an increase in Fe doping along with the formation of α-Fe2O3 phase. TEM showed changes in morphology from spherical nanoparticles to elongated rod-shaped nanostructures with increasing Fe content. Shape variation of TiO2 nanoparticles after incorporation of Fe is a key reason behind the toxicity reduction. The authors observed that the toxicity of TiO2 nanoparticles was rescued upon Fe incorporation. The effect of NPs on the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was assessed using flow cytometry. The MMP (%) decreased in TiO2 treated cells and increased by 1% Fe doped TiO2 NPs treated cells. Confocal imaging revealed the presence of functional mitochondria upon the exposure of Fe doped TiO2 NPs. The goal of the present study was to decrease the toxic effects induced by TiO2 NPs on mitochondrial potential and its prevention by Fe doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to study the clinical features, visual outcome, management, and ocular complications of ocular injury, following trauma with tennis or cricket ball.Methods: A prospective, noncomparative case study of patients having injury with tennis/cricket ball while playing cricket was conducted between January 2013 and April 2016. Seventy-six eyes of 76 patients were studied. Presenting vision, age, gender, time since injury, general and ocular examination, intraocular pressure, indirect ophthalmoscopy, B scan, and X-ray/computed tomography scan findings were noted. Patients were managed medically or surgically as per the need and followed up at least for 6 months.Results: Seventy-six eyes of 76 patients were studied. All cases were male, except two. Majority (80.2%) were <25 years. Median presenting visual acuity (VA) was 6/36 and median final VA was 6/18. Significant findings in the decreasing order of frequency were sphincter tear (26.3%), retinal detachment (23.6%), angle recession (18.4%), choroidal rupture (17.1%), and Berlin's edema (15.7%). Most of the cases (69.7%) were managed medically. Only 30.2% cases needed surgical intervention. Final visual outcome in our study was depended on initial VA (P = 0.000). It was also correlating with presenting clinical feature (P = 0.010) and type of intervention (medical/surgical) (P = 0.001).Conclusion: Cricket-related ocular injury generally has a poor prognosis with most cases being closed globe injury; retinal detachment is the most common vision-threatening presentation. In spite of being a common event, cricket-related injury is sparingly documented and hence needs further studies for proper documentation, prognostication, and formulation of definitive management plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dear Editor, Thank you for your interest in our article entitled "Long-term results of a single injection of intravitreal dexamethasone as initial therapy in diabetic macular edema".[[1]],[[2]] We have mentioned that it is non comparative study and first of its kind to analyze the outcome of Intravitreal dexamethasone in treatment naïve patients of Diabetic Macular Edema, but never mentioned that there is no previous data on use of dexamethasone implant,[[3]],[[4]] rather we have compared results of our study with the previous similar studies.[[5]],[[6]],[[7]],[[8]],[[9]] Clarifications to other points raised by the responder are as follows The primary outcome measures are very clear. Arch Ophthalmol 2007;125:309-17. 8 Rishi P, Rishi E, Kuniyal L, Mathur G. Short-term results of intravitreal dexamethasone implant in the treatment of recalcitrantdiabetic macular edema: A case series. [Extracted from the article]

Banking institutions have always played a significant role in the economic development of nations. The case of India is not an exception to this. In fact, the banking sector in India has been in the lime light since 1991 because of its reform measures. A number of measures have been taken since then and the question comes to mind whether India has gained from these measures. The present paper is an attempt in this respect and examines the performance of Indian banks in the post-reform period in terms of profit performance. The study finds that profit performance of Indian banks have improved significantly in the post-reform period and thus the reform measures are justified and should continue in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]