Sacred Heart College

A new species of Ophiorrhiza (Rubiaceae)is identified and described from the Vagamon hills of Kerala, Western Ghats, India. The new species is similar to Ophiorrhiza eriantha Wight and Ophiorrhiza meenachilarensis Robi and Balan, but differs in having densely hirsute hairs on young stem, petiole and peduncle; patent hirsute hairs on, above and beneath the leaf; 14.0–15.0 mm long flower; linear to falcate bracts and bracteoles; sparsely hirsute cupuliform hypanthium; triangular calyx lobes; 9.5–12.0 mm long corolla tube; stamens inserted at the middle of the corolla tube; and oblong and papillate stigma. A detailed description, colour photographs, comparison, phenology, distribution, conservation status and key to the allied taxa of the new species are provided.

Parkinson's Disease (PD) diagnosis in developing and low-resource settings is hampered by a mix of clinical, structural, and sociocultural factors that produce late, missed, or incorrect diagnoses. This ambiguity is exacerbated in poor- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) by a lack of neurologists and movement-disorder experts, limited access to specialized diagnostics and confirmatory imaging, poor public and primary-care awareness, and sociocultural obstacles that cause delays in presentation. The diagnostic gap is further exacerbated by poor referral systems, transportation and financial obstacles, and the misattribution of symptoms at the community level to aging or non-neurological reasons. Emerging solutions include task-shifting to trained primary-care workers, telemedicine, simplified clinical screening tools, and novel low-cost biomarkers such as blood-based assays. However, these require further validation and context-sensitive implementation.

The structural and thematic evolution of English literature has historically functioned as a reflection of, and a reaction to, the shifts within the visual arts. This research paper provides a comprehensive, longitudinal analysis of the interdisciplinary nexus between the written word and the visual image, spanning from the early Renaissance to the contemporary digital era. Utilizing the classical framework of Ut Pictura Poesis as a foundational lens, this study interrogates how the technical breakthroughs in visual media—such as the discovery of linear perspective, the atmospheric experiments of Chiaroscuro, the radical fragmentation of Cubist collage, and the surveillance aesthetics of photography—have directly dictated the formal properties of English verse and prose. The investigation begins by exploring how Renaissance optics redefined the spatial geometry of the sonnet, creating"architectural" lyric spaces. It moves into a deep-dive of the Romantic Sublime, where the philosophical theories of Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant are used to bridge the gap between landscape painting and the "inward eye" of poetic memory. In the Victorian section, the study examines the "Double Work of Art" pioneered by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, arguing that the microscopic detail of the canvas served as a precursor to the social realism of the industrial novel. The Modernist chapter focuses on the "Visual Crisis" of the 20th century, analyzing how the dissolution of the representational image in Art necessitated the "Stream of Consciousness" and the "Cinematic Montage" in literature. By synthesizing textual evidence from seminal authors with the visual philosophies of Raphael, Turner, Monet, and Picasso, this research confirms that literary innovation is an aesthetic byproduct of a visual revolution.

Thirukkural is not merely a literary work; it is a universal philosophy of life based on the psychological, sociological, and ethical needs of humanity. Written over two thousand years ago, it emphasizes the indispensability of individual discipline, social justice, leadership traits, rationality, and compassion, remaining a timeless guide for conduct. In the industrial revolution of the twenty-first century, Artificial Intelligence is redefining the workplace by integrating with Human Resource Management (AI-HRM). While AI-driven solutions in talent development, recruitment, and performance evaluation offer unprecedented speed, they risk becoming purely mechanical operations if they lack a humanistic perspective. This is where the relevance of Thirukkural becomes central. The virtues emphasized by the Kural—understanding others' feelings (empathy), non-discrimination, truthfulness, sense of duty, fearlessness, and accountability—are fundamental elements that must be integrated into the design and implementation of AI-HRM systems. Thirukkural’s ethics align perfectly with modern technological needs, ensuring that surveillance systems do not violate employee privacy and that algorithmic processes remain unbiased. This research paper explores the possibilities of integrating the humanistic concepts embedded in Thirukkural with AI-based HR management techniques. Furthermore, it establishes—both scientifically and ethically—how Thirukkural can serve as a guide to creating a culturally rooted technological environment that moves beyond mere mechanical efficiency to become truly human-centric.

Abstract Graphene oxide (GO)–incorporated tin oxide (SnO 2 ) nanocomposites have attracted significant attention due to their tunable structural, optical, and biological properties. In this work, pristine and GO-integrated SnO 2 nanocomposites were synthesized via a co-precipitation method with varying GO concentrations to investigate their physicochemical characteristics and antibacterial performance. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the formation of a tetragonal cassiterite SnO 2 structure with an average crystallite size of approximately 26 nm. FESEM and TEM studies revealed well-distributed GO–SnO 2 nanocomposites, while HRTEM analysis confirmed their crystalline nature with d-spacing values consistent with XRD results. Raman spectroscopy identified characteristic vibrational modes (A 1 g, B 2 g, and Eg), indicating structural integrity and defect-related features, whereas FTIR spectra exhibited prominent Sn–O stretching vibrations at 604 and 462 cm −1 . TGA/DTA analysis demonstrated good thermal stability with minimal weight loss beyond 400 °C. UV–Visible spectroscopy and Tauc analysis revealed a reduction in band gap upon GO incorporation, attributed to the formation of interstitial energy levels and enhanced electronic interaction. EDS analysis showed increased carbon content and notable variations in the Sn–O ratio with increasing GO concentration, suggesting modified surface reactivity. Antibacterial activity evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli , Klebsiella sp., and Pseudomonas sp. showed a significant enhancement for GO-integrated SnO 2 samples, with a maximum increase of approximately 66.7% against Pseudomonas sp and 37.5% against E.coli , calculated from zone of inhibition measurements. This enhancement is attributed to increased reactive oxygen species generation and effective bacterial membrane disruption induced by GO incorporation. The study highlights the potential of GO–SnO 2 nanocomposites as advanced antibacterial materials, contributing to Sustainable Development Goals SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

This study explores the intersections of postcolonial power dynamics, human subjugation, and environmental degradation as portrayed in the contemporary Malayalam film Eko by Dinjith Ayyathan. It sets the film within broader discourses of coloniality of power, describing how colonial hierarchies persist in postcolonial societies and postcolonial ecocriticism, which explores how power works on both human and non-human nature. The analysis focuses on three primary levels: the systemic marginalization of indigenous or rural subjects by a hegemonic elite, the psychological internalized coloniality within the protagonists, and the objectification of nature as a resource-rich "other" ripe for extraction. Analysing plot, character arcs, setting, and symbolic elements, this study proposes that Eko foregrounds the interplay of domination and resistance at interpersonal, social, and ecological levels. It reveals how relationships of control, whether between human characters or between humans and animals, reflect structural continuities from colonial domination into contemporary new world power structures. The film’s engagement with ecology, especially its use of the hill landscape and dogs, serves as a metaphor for resistance to hierarchical domination and offers insight into how contemporary Malayalam cinema negotiates postcolonial themes of authority, subjugation, and ecological ethics.

Conversion of agro-waste to value-added products is one of the important principles of a green circular economy. A novel sustainable technique has been reported by using chlorine-free extraction of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) from the peels of Salacca zalacca, a common fruit found in Asia. The fruit peels were exposed to alkali treatment using 2% NaOH (60 °C, 2 h), chlorine-free bleaching using 15% hydrogen peroxide (60 °C, 2 h), and sulfuric acid hydrolysis (15% v/v) for the extraction of CNFs. Various analytical methods were employed to characterize the prepared CNFs. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and 13C solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra showed the complete elimination of lignin and hemicellulose in the prepared CNFs. The elemental composition and high purity of CNFs were further verified by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images proved the fibrous morphology of the prepared CNFs, and the diameters of the cellulose nanofibers were found to be 15-30 nm. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies disclosed the type-I cellulosic structure in the prepared CNFs with a high crystallinity index (73%). The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated the superior thermal stability of the prepared CNFs (T max is 350 °C) compared to the raw fiber (T max is 320 °C). Based on the obtained results, it has been explored that the extracted highly pure CNFs can be used for fabricating bionanocomposites for high performance applications, including food packaging, sensors, water treatment, green tires, etc.