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Character education is a growing discipline in recent times with the intent of optimizing student’s ethical behaviour. The outcome of character education has been seen in the continuous encouragement and preparation of a solid background of the leaders of tomorrow. The promotion of character education should not just be that of   lip service but should be followed-up with a concrete action plan that will stand the test of time. In other words, education policy should take the lead to actualize moral education. The stakeholders, including parent and Administrators should join hands and work together in making sure that the student’s exhibit good conduct and character in all aspects of their lives.  The outline of this paper was to identify and define the place of character education in our education system reviewing of the Character Education Partnership’s (hereafter CEP) eleven (11) principles of character education in the future, The Classroom/Activity-Based Character Education Program Implementation and finally the Models of Character Education: Perspectives and Developmental Issues, teaching Strategies and benefits of character education were also discussed.Keywords: character education, 21st century, teaching

Pt based mono/bi/tri-metallic nanocomposites on different carbon based supports (activated carbon (AC), carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanofibers (CNFs)) were synthesised and Pt surface enrichment achieved. The overall theoretical metallic content (Pt + Au + Sn) was 20% (w/w) in all mono/bi/tri-metallic nanocomposites and was found to be uniformly distributed in the supporting matrix (80%). The surface morphology and composition of the synthesised materials was characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), while cyclic voltammetry was employed in order to confirm their typical metallic electrochemical characteristics. Electrochemical measurements indicated that Pt(2)Au(1)Sn(1) trimetallic catalysts demonstrated a significantly higher electrochemically active surface area relative to activated carbon supported PtAu based bimetallic counterparts. The results show that the CNT based trimetallic catalyst (Pt(2)Au(1)Sn(1)/CNT) showed greatest electroactive surface area (49.3 m(2)/g) and current density for methanol oxidation in acidic (490 mA mg(-1) Pt) as well as basic (1700 mA mg(-1) Pt) conditions. Results demonstrated that in comparison to Au/C and Sn/C (no/negligible response), the presence of a small amount of Pt in the Au and Sn based nanocomposites, significantly modified the catalytic properties. The activated carbon supported bimetallic (Pt(1)Au(3)/C) catalyst showed reasonably good response (260 mA mg(-1) Pt) among all bimetallic nanomaterials examined. The current response achieved for Pt(2)Au(1)Sn(1)/CNT was 1.9 times (in acidic media) and 2.1 times (in basic media) that for synthesised Pt/C in terms of per mg Pt activity. Overall the methanol oxidation studies demonstrated that the presence of Au and Sn in Pt based catalysts strongly indicated their capacity to reduce the precious Pt content required for this application, demonstrating the role of Au in improving current/potential response and signifying the importance of supporting matrices.

Purpose Extant literature regarding factors essential for successful information technologies (IT) implementation in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) does not significantly address readiness factors for IT implementation in an Indian context. This exploratory research develops and tests a framework to analyse the antecedents to organisational preparedness for adoption of IT infrastructure in SMEs. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory research adopts a mixed-method approach to test the technology, organization and environment (TOE) framework. In-depth interviews with SME owners are conducted to develop the case study, and the measures obtained are tested through a survey at a small and medium business industrial cluster in Southern India in SMEs. Findings The case study indicates SME owners’ drive to initiate technology preparedness for organisational sustainability is a key factor, a measure not seen during the literature review. An empirical study tests the measures. Pressure from customers, owner’s age, sales of SME, owner’s attitude towards IT and owner’s knowledge of IT was confirmed, which indicates organisational factors have more impact compared to technological and environmental factors. Research limitations/implications The academic scope of this research paper can be extended to contexts such as readiness in IT infrastructure for digital transformation. Practical implications The validated research framework can be used by organisation stakeholders and SME IT practitioners for successful IT adoption. Social implications SMEs contribute significantly to gross domestic product (GDP) and provide employment opportunities. Hence, this research provides a tested model that SMEs owners/managers can adopt as a framework to augment competitiveness to implement IT. Originality/value The study adopts a mixed-method research design and is, perhaps, a first in the Indian context to explore variables through case study and validate identified measures through an empirical study. The model can be used by SME owners and practitioners to ascertain factors for organisational preparedness for IT adoption.

With the goal of identifying hitherto unknown surface exosites of streptokinase involved in substrate human plasminogen recognition and catalytic turnover, synthetic peptides encompassing the 170 loop (CQFTPLNPDDDFRPGLK-DTKLLC) in the ␤-domain were tested for selective inhibition of substrate human plasminogen activation by the streptokinaseplasmin activator complex. Although a disulfide-constrained peptide exhibited strong inhibition, a linear peptide with the same sequence, or a disulfide-constrained variant with a single lysine to alanine mutation showed significantly reduced capabilities of inhibition. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis of the 170 loop of the ␤-domain of streptokinase was then performed to elucidate its importance in streptokinase-mediated plasminogen activation. Some of the 170 loop mutants showed a remarkable decline in k cat without any alteration in apparent substrate affinity (K m ) as compared with wild-type streptokinase and identified the importance of Lys 180 as well as Pro 177 in the functioning of this loop. Remarkably, these mutants were able to generate amidolytic activity and non-proteolytic activation in "partner" plasminogen as wild-type streptokinase. Moreover, cofactor activities of the 170 loop mutants, pre-complexed with plasmin, against microplasminogen as the substrate showed a similar pattern of decline in k cat as that observed in the case of full-length plasminogen, with no concomitant change in K m . These results strongly suggest that the 170 loop of the ␤-domain of streptokinase is important for catalysis by the streptokinaseplasmin(ogen) activator complex, particularly in catalytic processing/turnover of substrate, although it does not seem to contribute significantly toward enzyme-substrate affinity per se.Plasminogen activation, a key event in physiological fibrinolysis, is a widely employed therapeutic means to rapidly alleviate circulatory disorders that arise due to obstruction of blood flow by pathological thrombi (1). Streptokinase (SK), 2 a bacteria-derived thrombolytic protein, activates plasminogen by forming a high affinity stoichiometric complex with "partner" plasminogen, which, after a conformational activation step, acquires the capability to selectively cleave the Arg 561 -Val 562 scissile peptide bond in "substrate" plasminogen, thereby converting the latter into HPN, plasmin (2, 3). Elegant equilibrium binding and kinetic studies directed toward resolving the steps involved in the phenomenon of conformational activation of HPG by SK demonstrate a relatively rapid formation of a SK⅐HPG* complex, a "conformationally activated" state, due to the generation of a nonproteolytically activated active center, which is also amidolytically active (4). This conformationally activated SK⅐HPG* complex can then recruit a substrate molecule of HPG (3, 9) and proteolytically activate it, likely through inter-molecular proteolytic scission, into HPN. In addition, the HPG moiety in the SK⅐HPG* activator complex can exchange with free HPN preferentially (because the lat...

The release of chemicals into water systems has resulted in pollution in many parts of the world, threatening human health and aquatic ecosystems. Sources of chemical discharge include industry, agricultural, wastewater treatment plants, and stormwater overflows. To combat water pollution, the European Union has introduced several directives that set concentration limits for chemicals in drinking water, surface water, and groundwater. To meet these limits, it is essential that rapid, reliable, and sensitive analytical detection systems be developed and put into use. This Review presents the progress made in the development of electrochemical biosensors for environmental toxicants (pesticides and heavy metals) over the past seven years (2014–2020). For those unfamiliar with this field of research, the concept of a biosensor is introduced followed by a critical evaluation of their performance in detecting the toxicants. Current challenges are discussed as well as potential avenues for future research, including the demands for enhanced analytical performance, improved biosensor stability and shelf life, and greater integration with microfluidic devices and wireless database technologies for remote environmental sensing applications. We believe that this Review will be beneficial and enhance awareness and appreciation of the role that electrochemical biosensors can play in protecting our environment and water resources.

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