Inventory for Critical Managerial Soft Skills (ICMS) – Development and Standardisation

Purpose: This paper presents the findings of a group of empirical studies for a conceptual and theoretical validation of the Critical Managerial Soft Skills (CMS) Model and then presents the psychometric properties of a newly developed tool - The Inventory for Critical Managerial Soft Skills (ICMS) for assessing the same. Design/methodology/approach: The CMS model was validated by a set of qualitative and quantitative studies among employers to confirm the importance of soft skills and to derive the critical soft skills framework (N- 95, 206) and this served as a basis of the tool construction. ICMS has been then psychometrically validated for the group of management graduates by conducting a series of qualitative and quantitative research steps (N-975). Findings: ICMS is a self-reported scale for measuring seven critical managerial soft skills of managerial candidates namely, Communication skills, Leadership skills, Interpersonal and Teamwork skills, and Self-Management Skills, Decision-making skills, Goal setting skills, and Task efficacy. Research limitations/implications: The tool developed is limited to the measurement of only the seven dimensions which are derived as “critical” based on various stages of the work. Practical implications: The tool can be used for recruitment screening and as a pre and post-training assessment tool for soft skills development of management students.  Social implications: The tool can be used during management education to help the students understand their levels of soft skills and accordingly suitable measures can be undertaken to improve upon during the course of study to enhance their employability. Originality/value: The tool is fully original and has highly useful for researchers and practitioners as it has been empirically validated using appropriate and adequate statistical measures

Inventory for Critical Managerial Soft Skills (ICMS) – Development and Standardisation

Purpose: This paper presents the findings of a group of empirical studies for a conceptual and theoretical validation of the Critical Managerial Soft Skills (CMS) Model and then presents the psychometric properties of a newly developed tool - The Inventory for Critical Managerial Soft Skills (ICMS) for assessing the same. Design/methodology/approach: The CMS model was validated by a set of qualitative and quantitative studies among employers to confirm the importance of soft skills and to derive the critical soft skills framework (N-95, 206) and this served as a basis of the tool construction. ICMS has been then psychometrically validated for the group of management graduates by conducting a series of qualitative and quantitative research steps (N-975) Findings: ICMS is a self-reported scale for measuring seven critical managerial soft skills of managerial candidates, namely, Communication skills, Leadership skills, Interpersonal and Teamwork skills, and Self-Management Skills, Decision-making skills, Goal setting skills, and Task efficacy. Research limitations/implications: The tool developed is limited to the measurement of only the seven dimensions which are derived as “critical” based on various stages of the work. Practical implications: The tool can be used for recruitment screening andvas a pre and post-training assessment tool for soft skills development of management students. Social implications: The tool can be used during management education tovhelp the students understand their levels of soft skills and accordingly suitable measures can be undertaken to improve upon during the course of study to enhance their employability. Originality/value: The tool is fully original and has highly useful for researchers and practitioners as it has been empirically validated using appropriate and adequate statistical measures

Inventory for Critical Managerial Soft Skills (ICMS) – Development and Standardisation

Purpose: This paper presents the findings of a group of empirical studies for a conceptual and theoretical validation of the Critical Managerial Soft Skills (CMS) Model and then presents the psychometric properties of a newly developed tool - The Inventory for Critical Managerial Soft Skills (ICMS) for assessing the same. Design/methodology/approach: The CMS model was validated by a set of qualitative and quantitative studies among employers to confirm the importance of soft skills and to derive the critical soft skills framework (N-95, 206) and this served as a basis of the tool construction. ICMS has been then psychometrically validated for the group of management graduates by conducting a series of qualitative and quantitative research steps (N-975) Findings: ICMS is a self-reported scale for measuring seven critical managerial soft skills of managerial candidates, namely, Communication skills, Leadership skills, Interpersonal and Teamwork skills, and Self-Management Skills, Decision-making skills, Goal setting skills, and Task efficacy. Research limitations/implications: The tool developed is limited to the measurement of only the seven dimensions which are derived as “critical” based on various stages of the work. Practical implications: The tool can be used for recruitment screening andvas a pre and post-training assessment tool for soft skills development of management students. Social implications: The tool can be used during management education tovhelp the students understand their levels of soft skills and accordingly suitable measures can be undertaken to improve upon during the course of study to enhance their employability. Originality/value: The tool is fully original and has highly useful for researchers and practitioners as it has been empirically validated using appropriate and adequate statistical measures

Effect of Sesame Oil, Ozonated Sesame Oil and Chlorhexidine Mouth Wash on Oral Health status of Adolescents : A Randomised Control Trial

INTRODUCTION: Oil pulling is the swishing oil in the mouth for oral and systemic health benefits. PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the antibacterial effect of sesame oil and ozonated sesame oil against Streptococcus mutans and to compare the effect of sesame oil, ozonated sesame oil with chlorhexidine mouth wash on oral health status of adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy five 12-14 year old school children with DMF Index < 3 were randomly assigned to one of the following groups with 25 children in each group. Group I (sesame oil); Group II (ozonated sesame oil) and Group III (chlorhexidine mouth wash). Debris index, Calculus index, OHI-S, Plaque index were recorded and baseline salivary samples were collected for Streptococcus mutans count. Group I and II were subjected to oil pulling with sesame oil and ozonated sesame oil and Group III with chlorhexidine mouthwash during school hours. Reassessment of the index scores and collection of saliva for measuring the Streptococcus mutans count was done after 15 days and 1 month. The scores obtained from all the three groups were tabulated, compared, and analysed statistically. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant reduction in Debris index, Calculus index, OHI-S, Plaque index and Streptococcus mutans count in all the groups after 15 days when compared to the baseline. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION: The present randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, K.S.R Institute of Dental Science and Research (KSRIDSR). The study was planned and organized in association with a Government aided school in Tiruchengode to evaluate the antibacterial effect of sesame oil and ozonated sesame oil against Streptococcus mutans and to compare the effect of sesame oil, ozonated sesame oil with chlorhexidine mouth wash on oral health status of adolescent children. Seventy five adolescents aged 12- 14 years with DMFT/dmft Index < 3 were included in the study. Children were allocated into three different groups in the ratio of 1:1:1 with 25 children in each group. Group I was provided with (sesame oil) and Group II (ozonated sesame oil) and Group III (chlorhexidine mouth wash). Baseline debris index, calculus index, plaque index were recorded for all adolescents of three groups. Stimulated salivary samples were collected for the baseline Streptococcus mutans count. Then the adolescents were provided with their respective mouth rinses. The procedure was continued for 15 days, and the intervention was stopped after 15 days and debris index, calculus index, plaque index were re-evaluated and postoperative salivary samples were collected at 15 days and after a month. Saliva cultures were done in Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) agar and colony count was done after 12 hours of incubation period. The results were tabulated and statistically analyzed. The following findings can be inferred from the study: • In-vitro evaluation of mouth rinses against S. mutans showed inhibitory zones against ozonated sesame oil and chlorhexidine mouth wash. The maximum zone of inhibition was observed for chlorhexidine mouth wash followed by ozonated sesame oil. Sesame oil did not show any zone of inhibition against S. mutans. • All the three groups showed significant reduction in debris index, calculus index, plaque index and streptococcus mutans count after 15 days. • Significant differences in scores were observed in all the groups when the values obtained were compared from baseline to 15 days and baseline to 30 days. • There was increase in debris index, calculus index, plaque index and streptococcus mutans in all three groups at the end of 30 days but the values did not increase to baseline level. • No significant differences were observed in debris index, calculus index and streptococcus mutans count between the groups at the end of 30 days. • There was a significant difference in plaque index after 15 days and 30 days. After 15 days ozonated oil group showed highest reduction in plaque score while chlorhexidine showed highest reduction at the end of 30 days

Knowledge and Awareness About Breastfeeding Among Postnatal Mothers in a Private Medical College

Background: Breastfeeding is essential in any infant’s nutrition and growth. There are various misconceptions and cultural beliefs regarding breastfeeding which can hinder breastfeeding and its continuation by the mothers. Objective: To describe the current level of knowledge and awareness about breastfeeding among postnatal mothers in private medical college. Methods: A Clinic based cross-sectional review was completed in the post-pregnancy ward of Obstetric division of the Saveetha clinical school and medical clinic between June 2021 toAugust 2021. Information were gathered through interview utilizing a semi-organized poll. Datawere went into Microsoft succeed and engaging examination was finished. Results: A very small percentage of postpartum mothers are aware of the significance of avoiding prelacteal feeding, early breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, burping, and breastfeeding on demand. However, more than half of postpartum mothers are aware of the health benefits of breastfeeding, the benefits of colostrum, and the bonding benefits of breastfeeding. Additionally, they are informed about whether mothers with HIV or tuberculosis can breastfeed

The impact of early life permethrin exposure on development of neurodegeneration in adulthood.

Early life environmental exposure to pesticides could play a critical role in the onset of age-related diseases. The present study aims to evaluate in brain, plasma and leukocytes of 300 day-old rats, the effect of a low dose of the insecticide permethrin administered during early life (1/50 LD50, from 6th to 21st day of life). The outcomes show that Nurr1, mRNA and protein expression, as well as calcium and NO levels are decreased in striatum. Moreover, the pesticide induces an imbalance in glutamate, calcium and NO in hippocampus. Low calcium concentrations in leukocytes and in plasma were observed, while increased NO and decreased SOD plasma levels were measured. The results suggest that permethrin intake at a dose close to the NOAEL (25 mg/kg) during the perinatal period can interact with Nurr1 by reducing its expression on striatum nucleus. Consequently, the maintenance of dopaminergic neurons as well as Nurr1 inhibitory effect on the production of proinflammatory mediators fails. The changes in biological markers found in our animal model could represent the basis to study neurodegenerative diseases whose development depends on individual gene signature and life style

Evaluation of cyclic fatigue resistance of modern Nickel–Titanium rotary instruments with continuous rotation

Abstract Aim The aim of present study was to compare cyclic fatigue resistance of three modern Ni–Ti instruments used with continuous rotation. Materials and methods For this study 3 groups of rotating instruments with continuous rotation (HyFlex EDM, Twisted File Adaptive, Revo S SU) have been used, each group consisted of 20 files. The various groups were subjected to cyclic fatigue testing through an artificial metal device. A statistical analysis with Kruskal–Wallis test and Mann–Whitney test was performed. Results There were statistically significant differences between the three groups. The HyFlex EDM instruments have a fracture resistance slightly higher than the Twisted file and far higher than Revo S SU. Conclusions Modern Ni–Ti alloys increase resistance of the rotating instruments to cyclic fatigue