Search

The purpose of this research study is to identify the core, advanced, specialized, and soft skills courses offered as part of the various library and information science programs. The course content of the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS), offered in 2019–2020, was collected and analyzed from 10 LIS schools in India. Course contents were analyzed to understand whether the LIS schools are preparing graduates for the digital environment. A survey was conducted among 42 experts in library and information science on required courses in the MLIS program. Research finds that the LIS schools do not a have separate course module on digital library and that it is, instead, integrated and taught with the information and communication technology (ICT) course. There are also variations among the LIS schools in the allocation of topics and credits in each course. The experts opined that schools should allocate more credits to the advanced course, introduce new courses, and update the curricula for the future job market. New courses like 'research data management' and 'data and visual literacy' and courses on soft skills should be introduced in the MLIS program with 2–3 credits. There is a mismatch between the skills required in the job market and the skills imparted by the Indian LIS schools. The LIS schools should fill in the gap by introducing advanced, specialized, and soft courses in the MLIS program. The research findings have practical implications for the library and information science programs and educators. The LIS schools in India offer courses to meet the local job market demands, but they should design and develop courses for meeting the global standards and needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Calcium (Ca2+) is widely recognized as a key second messenger in mediating various plant adaptive responses. Here we show that calcineurin B‐like interacting protein kinase CIPK9 along with its interacting partner VDAC3 identified in the present study are involved in mediating plant responses to methyl viologen (MV). CIPK9 physically interacts with and phosphorylates VDAC3. Co‐localization, co‐immunoprecipitation, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments proved their physical interaction in planta. Both cipk9 and vdac3 mutants exhibited a tolerant phenotype against MV‐induced oxidative stress, which coincided with the lower‐level accumulation of reactive oxygen species in their roots. In addition, the analysis of cipk9vdac3 double mutant and VDAC3 overexpressing plants revealed that CIPK9 and VDAC3 were involved in the same pathway for inducing MV‐dependent oxidative stress. The response to MV was suppressed by the addition of lanthanum chloride, a non‐specific Ca2+ channel blocker indicating the role of Ca2+ in this pathway. Our study suggest that CIPK9‐VDAC3 module may act as a key component in mediating oxidative stress responses in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolonging the clinical effectiveness of β-lactams, which remain first-line antibiotics for many infections, is an important part of efforts to address antimicrobial resistance. We report here that inactivation of the predicted d-cycloserine (DCS) transporter gene cycA resensitized methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to β-lactam antibiotics. The cycA mutation also resulted in hypersusceptibility to DCS, an alanine analogue antibiotic that inhibits alanine racemase and d-alanine ligase required for d-alanine incorporation into cell wall peptidoglycan. Alanine transport was impaired in the cycA mutant, and this correlated with increased susceptibility to oxacillin and DCS. The cycA mutation or exposure to DCS were both associated with the accumulation of muropeptides with tripeptide stems lacking the terminal d-ala-d-ala and reduced peptidoglycan cross-linking, prompting us to investigate synergism between β-lactams and DCS. DCS resensitized MRSA to β-lactams in vitro and significantly enhanced MRSA eradication by oxacillin in a mouse bacteremia model. These findings reveal alanine transport as a new therapeutic target to enhance the susceptibility of MRSA to β-lactam antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has become necessary to create the website of an individual library to connect directly to their users. It is one of the best options for librarians to attract their users towards the library, increase the usage of library resources, increase the reading habit of users, and provide quick access to the library. With this intention in mind, we have conducted an experimental study at Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) to develop a newly-designed interactive and dynamic library website with the help of open source software, i.e. Content Management System (CMS) Drupal. In order to make the website more efficient, the various features of social networking are embedded within the site. In addition to this secondary analysis method wherein literature available on the topic is collected and synthesized for its practical utility, it is found that Drupal is the best library website designing software without adequate knowledge of coding. The present article is limited to experimental study of HBCSE library website designing and it will also provide an overview of Drupal open source content management system with its advantages and need in organization and dissemination of information through library website. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arthropods transmit diverse infectious agents; however, the ways microbes influence their vector to enhance colonization are poorly understood. Ixodes scapularis ticks harbor numerous human pathogens, including Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis. We now demonstrate that A. phagocytophilum modifies the I. scapularis microbiota to more efficiently infect the tick. A. phagocytophilum induces ticks to express Ixodes scapularis antifreeze glycoprotein (iafgp), which encodes a protein with several properties, including the ability to alter bacterial biofilm formation. IAFGP thereby perturbs the tick gut microbiota, which influences the integrity of the peritrophic matrix and gut barrier--critical obstacles for Anaplasma colonization. Mechanistically, IAFGP binds the terminal D-alanine residue of the pentapeptide chain of bacterial peptidoglycan, resulting in altered permeability and the capacity of bacteria to form biofilms. These data elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which a human pathogen appropriates an arthropod antibacterial protein to alter the gut microbiota and more effectively colonize the vector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the pattern of access and use of different conventional and Internet media by senior secondary students. This survey study on access and use of media by students is the first of its kind in Mumbai. The respondents were from 9th grade to 12th grade students of 4 different schools in the city. Results suggested that most of the students use Internet for searching information related to their subject curriculum. Education-related issues were the highly discussed topic in chat rooms and discussion forums followed by entertainment and health issues. For educational purposes, students preferred to use textbooks, followed by computers and newspapers. Results of the present study indicate that both print and non-print media were very popular among school children, a finding quite different from other developed counties where non-print media are more popular and highly used by school children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]