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Applications of Machine Learning in Geography: Present and future trends

Machine learning is one word at present time machine learning can be defined as a system where computers can perform tasks that require human intervention and intelligence. Machine learning is part of artificial intelligence which is growing rapidly in the present era. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the broader umbrella of computer-driven applications where Human support is hardly required. Deep learning is a subset of machine learning. AI is also associated with the development and design of algorithms. Artificial intelligence and machine learning have reduced the role of humans in many activities Like in industry public affairs research and academia. Geography as a discipline has also benefited from the applications of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning. Geographical information system Remote Sensing and GIScience as a whole get the benefit of machine learning which is termed GeoAI. Different organizations like the American Association of Geographers (AAG) in Environment System Research Institute (ESRI) and Microsoft are collaborating to develop a GeoAI-based platform for the analysis and visualization of different data.

The advantage of machine learning algorithms lies in the fact that the algorithm can use the data pattern to train itself and come up with better predictive or classification solutions. Machine learning is classified into different groups supervised learning, unsupervised learning, Semi-supervised learning, and reinforced learning.

In recent years automation in geography and location-based study is taking place at a quick pace. Mechanisms to monitor different spheres (terrestrial, atmospheric, and aquatic) are growing at high speed. This leads to a large quantum of data availability of different types and formats. Machine learning is helping to analyze this data using different advanced algorithms like Support vector machine, Random Forest, Artificial neural network (ANN), or even one step ahead deep learning methods like Convolution Neural network (CNN) and dynamic learning methods like Q- Learning.

In the area of human geography, machine learning has been used to explore the distribution of products and goods, population genetics, detecting, characterizing, and evaluating human epidemiology, tourism projections, detecting military patterns, international politics, and agricultural production systems. Within physical geography, ML is used to advance research on environmental diversity, biogeography, and abundance, water resource management, climate modeling, climate change, etc.

In the Geographical Information System (GIS), users can use it to comprehend the spatial elements of their work and connect it to data such as population data. The GIS data can be utilized for a variety of reasons, including transportation, drought analysis, agricultural, disease outbreak analysis, land occupation, and so on. At the same time, GIS enables the storing of a large volume of data in a secure manner, as well as access to it at any time and on a rapid basis. So, the purpose of this chapter is to examine previous works and research in this area to better understand the current status and capabilities; also, it will be an attempt to prepare for future improvements in the field of GIS.

There are also many challenges faced by machine learning in the part of lack of data and as well as the quality of data. Quality issues in machine learning lead to improper predictions and classification. As the technology is still evolving real-world complexities are sometimes mishandled by the algorithms. Ethical issues are very much prominent in countering human geographical contents. They’re also voids left for spatially explicit machine learning and other spatiotemporal models. This vacuum of Spatio-temporal models hinders the growth of machine learning applications in geography.

In the future, machine learning will be more robust with advanced GeoAI algorithms which can encounter issues like handling large and complex data. More spatial explicit models and algorithms will be available to provide solutions to complex and multifaceted real-world problems. The emergence of automatic machine learning (AutoML) is showing the path for such a solution. In solving geographical problems of the future integration is required between the conceptualisation and implementation of models. As artificial intelligence has started touching down nearly all spheres of life, machine learning is going to play a key role in unlocking the different mysteries of nature near future.

Post pandemic career opportunities in applied sciences

The worldwide coronavirus pandemic has an impact on many elements of life on Earth, including the various environmental conditions that could influence the COVID-19 virus’s propagation. The pandemic has shown that the public health concern is not only a medical problem but also affects society as a whole; so, it has also become the leading scientific concern to detect and treat the virus. It is natural to evaluate the settled situation in terms of career opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students who might have missed the real-time practical and experimental learning because of the pandemic.

Applied science is a branch of science that focuses on using existing scientific knowledge to create more practical applications, such as technology or inventions. While pure sciences are concerned with observing and collecting data about natural events in order to understand and explain them through experimentation and analysis, applied science is concerned with finding practical applications for that knowledge. Applied sciences are used in a variety of fields, including medicine, pharmacology, biotechnology, engineering, and material science. Applied sciences sometimes draw on multiple pure science streams. Applied science education gives a wide comprehension of a variety of scientific ideas and the ability to use that knowledge to solve problems and create answers in several settings. Microbiology, biochemistry, industrial chemistry, food science, fisheries science, environmental science, archaeology, polymer science, material science, electronics, energy, forensic science, and nanotechnology are examples of applied sciences. Candidates with this educational background have a wide range of national and international job options in government, the public sector, and commercial companies. As a research specialist or consultant, candidates might work in a variety of businesses. Biotechnology companies, chemicals companies, industrial laboratories, oil corporations, food institutions, and pharmaceutical companies all have a high demand for Applied Science employees.

Studies in applied sciences can be pursued through a variety of undergraduate programs. A student must choose a specific topic area and study the relevant pure sciences as well as their applications to real-life scenarios, which are often found in an industrial setting. Students who want to pursue a career in applied sciences must have strong analytical abilities to comprehend various parts of a real-life problem or scenario, as well as conceptual skills to develop a solution, invention, or innovation. They must also have a strong problem-solving mindset, as well as a keen eye for detail and scientific curiosity. They will need to work in large teams with individuals from various academic backgrounds, thus great communication and interpersonal skills will be advantageous.

It is important for students and parents to choose a place of learning for their studies as it will guide their whole path of success in life. If you want to be happy, you must choose the correct career. If you end yourself in the wrong work, you’ll be wasting half your energy hating it, which isn’t helpful for your career or life. You will be stuck in the wrong place, doing something monotonous, and as a result, not only will your professional life be affected, but also your personal life.

Adamas University, Kolkata was established with the aim to provide the best possible environment for the learning of students. Founded in 2014, Adamas university aimed to help the young aspirants to make their dream come true through quality teaching and competitive training in the best nature-friendly calm environment in the vicinity of Kolkata, the city of joy and cultural capital of India. The decision to found this university was not a discrete one. But a continuous exploration of the knowledge landscape of Bengal. This is the next step of RICE Education to bridge the basic prerequisite of the job through quality education. There was an essential need to create an eco-system of quality education from School to University. Adamas University is the culmination of that exploration. Starting with a modest beginning, today Adamas University is a unique lush green community of the highest academic standards for developing society-ready professionals for meeting the future demand of the nation by recognizing, identifying, and fostering the unique capabilities of each student and extending support as per the passion of young minds. Distinguished faculty, national-level sports trainer, and residence facility make it a campus that never sleeps. Outcome-Based Education is taught in the School of Basic and Applied Sciences (SOBAS). SOBAS is committed to addressing scientific concerns through value-based science education, which incorporates project-based and research-based learning. It develops pupils into scientifically proficient professionals who can use current instruments effectively. SOBAS cultivates a spirit of inquiry and collaboration in students, preparing them for careers in teaching, research, government, and non-government service. It aids pupils in developing an analytical mindset. SOBAS organizes many scholarly events on a regular basis, such as National/International Conferences, Workshops, Seminars, Expert Lectures, Lab/Industry Visits, and so on, through which students get exposure. The school provides various training programs for students so that they can compete in competitive examinations for achievement.

PHARMACY EDUCATION IN INDIA

Pharmacy is a versatile, dynamic, and fast-growing profession with a wide range of professional opportunities. With the enormous advancement in this field, it became one of the primary pillars of global healthcare. Centrally regulated education policies in India, pharma education became more specific in its target. Pharmacists contribute to their workforce in different areas of healthcare and society starting from medical shops to research and development. Maximum therapeutic benefit from their treatment and medicine is the primary concern of a pharmacist. Many pharmacists work behind the screen to run a smooth healthcare system and face the unbound challenges of healthcare. The pharmacy profession has been ranked by Gallup poll (USA) as one of the trustworthy professions. The third-largest professional to provide healthcare services in the world is the pharmacist.

The pharmacy word has been coined from the Greek word ‘Pharmacon’ which means drug. The demand of a defined pharma education has increased by identifying the complexity of medicine and their formulations and the criticality of making the medicines. In the ancient era, pharmacists are entitled to help physicians. Nearly at 1240 AD, the pharmacy has separated from medicine to fulfil the requirement of skill, knowledge, and responsibility to manufacture medicine. There are other systems of medicine also in practice in India like Ayurveda, Sidha, and Unani where the separate skilled pharmacist demand also came into existence. Pharmacy education in India was certified level offered in Goa by the Portuguese in 1842 and the university level education started in 1937 at Banaras Hindu University (BHU). Since then, several universities, and colleges are offering courses across the country. The first Pharmacy college in Asia was established in 1842 in Goa, India. Prof. M L Schroof is called the father of Pharmacy education in India. The Pharmacy act 1948 regulates the Pharmacy profession in India and as per Sec 3 of this act the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has established which regulates the Pharmacy education in India. The courses like Diploma in Pharmacy (D. Pharm), Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm), Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.), and Master of Pharmacy (M. Pharm) is offered by different colleges in India.

Diploma in Pharmacy: Minimum requirement is 10+2 Science stream. It’s a 2-year full-time course with 500 hours of hospital training.

Bachelor of Pharmacy: Minimum requirement is 10+2 Science stream (PCM/PCB/PCMB). It’s a four years full-time course. After D. Pharm 3 years course (Lateral entry at 2nd year)

Doctor of Pharmacy: Minimum requirement is 10+2 Science stream (PCM/PCB/PCMB) or D. Pharm. It is a six-year course including one year internship. After B.Pharm direct admission of 4th year of Pharm D.

Master of Pharmacy: Minimum requirement is B. Pharm from a PCI-recognized institution. It’s a two years full-time program. The specializations are Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Analysis, Pharmacology, Pharmacy Practice, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Industrial Pharmacy, Pharmacognosy, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Regulatory Affairs, and Quality assurance.

Ph.D. in Pharmacy: Minimum requirement is M. Pharm. It can be full-time or part-time. The minimum duration is three years.

The Pharmacy education in India is well defined with wide range of career opportunities. It is also a divine profession associated directly with core healthcare system. The professions also include production of medicine, direct health care manger as clinical and hospital pharmacist, educationist, government job, research and development, analytical chemist etc. Choosing Pharmacy profession is definitely a wise decision towards a perfect career and a divine job.

Post-COVID Alteration of Teaching-Learning Process in Chemistry

It’s no secret that many students and educators struggled to adjust to last year’s rapid change to remote learning. Both groups faced a variety of obstacles, including lost lab time and increasing knowledge gaps, as well as learning loss and disengagement.

As a result, it’s unclear how much mastery pupils gained in their classes during the pandemic, and how much retention they’ll show when we return to class. Which begs the question: how can chemistry teachers prepare themselves (and their students) for success with a new school year approaching and so much uncertainty still hanging in the air?

Challenges To Be Faced In 2022

With so much ambiguity surrounding immunizations, the constant threat of new variations, and the general health concerns linked with in-classroom learning, educators must adapt at breakneck speed. This might result in abrupt changes to curriculum design or the need to plan for unexpected changes in teaching approaches.

As a result of this unprecedented demand on educators, one out of every four instructors polled said they were considering retiring by the conclusion of the 2020-2021 school year. This could result in a last-minute shortage of certified instructors for higher college courses such as chemistry, which require specific skills to teach.

From the perspective of the students, many are trapped between wanting to keep themselves and their loved ones safe by staying at home and grappling with the many limits that a year of remote learning imposed. For a variety of reasons, staying at home may also imply sacrificing their level of mastery (access or familiarity with technology, difficulty staying engaged, etc).

Chemistry Education Has Evolved

In 2022, there will be more alternatives for remote teaching than ever before (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Classroom to name a few). While these tools are great for remote meetings, they lack the kind of functionality that helps teachers teach highly conceptual (and technical) subjects like chemistry.

Fortunately, the rise of new educational technologies has been one of the most favourable things to occur in the recent 12 months. Beyond the basics of remote access, new technologies that focus on active learning and skill development have been fast emerging and will only improve in the future. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities for bridging learning gaps and engaging students more effectively.

Possibilities For the Future

In 2022, teaching will entail being prepared to recognise and address student knowledge and learning gaps while also incorporating flexibility and adaptability into your course design. It also entails utilising chemistry-specific, student-centred instructional technology tools, such as Active Chemistry, to provide students with actively engaging information, concept visualisation, and practise.

Finally, instructors that incorporate a student response mechanism that can be used both in-person and online will be ahead of the game and prepared for any eventuality.

MBA in Business Analytics- A New Career Path for Management Professionals

Day by day the industry structures are changing. In the same way markets are also changing and markets become more customized focus than mass focus. If we look into the promotional aspects of marketers, their objective is not to inform the consumers but they try to develop attention and convert the attention into addiction. With the help of new technology like artificial intelligence, machine learning, internet of things and big data analytics, marketers are evaluating prospects needs and wants and designing their products or services which is more inclined to satisfaction of customer desires. So, the ultimate goal of the current marketer not to understand their requirement from the retailers rather develop the market plan which is fit to customers. Therefore, it is important for business professional for redesign market policy and predict the market situation in regular basis. Looking into this thought in mind, we also observed that job of marketing manager become market forecast professionals which help them to understand market rhythm and changing market prospect in very faster way. Design their offering in such way which is more addiction nature than seasonal buying. If customers become addicted towards a company offering, then repeat purchase happens easily. This concept now going to be the mantra in market in post pandemic era where customers are more preferring digital buying than physical buying pattern. In this connection, it is concern for business professionals to develop their skill which is more on analytical base rather simple selling methods. Therefore, business analytics is a program which give all round development of analytical skills which helps business professionals to understand, to predict and to solve customer problem in better and accurate manner.

Conceptual framework of business analytics

Analytics have been classified into three parts descriptive, predictive and prescriptive. Descriptive analytics analyze the past event of the firm in various domain which help marketers to understand the business situation. Predictive analytics create detailed forecast of business situation and point out the area where business system fails. It helps marketer to take proper actions on those area where business process needs to develop for getting better sustainability. Prescriptive analytics give an insight regarding the possible action which can be appropriate for different business situation. It helps firms to make a better decision by optimizing result comes from descriptive and predictive and also recommend the associated risk involved in the process. It develops a sustainable model that can be applied to decision making in business. Therefore, it is obvious to understand a business problem, analytics become most necessary methods in current context where switch over tendency of the consumers are high as because variety of market offering. In the new normal situation, the urge and need of marketer to analytics professionals are very high because in normal eyes, it is very difficult for marketers to reach into actual business problem and operational process of marketing is not limited to few routes.

Importance of Business Analytics program

Business analytics program covers a wide area of analytical application. It starts with maintain database of clients, vendors, employees, inventory, suppliers, product orders and service requests of the firm which is in unstructured fashion and make it structure. It also gives the desire methods for analyzing data. Business analytics helps professionals to make proper representation of data using visualization tools, analyze the data using various software like R, Python, Excel, SPSS, Hadoop. This program also helps professionals to understand the problem with proper logic and what tools should be appropriate to make proper prediction of business problem. This analytical tool helps marketer to design their products offering, seasonal offering, promotional methods, sales forecast, inventory management, forecasting of the firms. The analytics also help to select possible methods for sustainable business practices using modern tools like artificial intelligence, machine learning etc. This program makes students more logical based decision mind which help the to dragonize business in faster way and give some immediate solution to business which is more needed in the current situation. Uses of social media analytics, web analytics is being done through the program.

Opportunities for Analytics Professionals in Market

The demand for business analysts is very high among companies, small-scale options, and enterprises. Different sources estimates reveal that the job market for business analytics will grow at a CAGR of 14.3% by 2026. Companies are willing to pay higher salaries to analysts, especially certified expert-level professionals like MBA in Business Analytics or Executive Analytical Program. There is study by Mckinsey which mentioned a huge requirement of data scientist in India in next few years and companies are ready to offering a good package for the data analyst. As the figure near about 200000, therefore, most corporates are staring at a talent crunch and provide training to the workforce to manage their industry issues. In India, the analytics industry is predicted to grow in huge volume and industry is predicting that marketer size can increase by $111.7 billion by 2026 which is good signal for the professionals who are on the way to build their career as a data scientist.

These demand covers diversified area of business operations and few areas of business where business people need more analyst and opportunities. Therefore, an analyst professional can explore their career as a

Data scientist in bond market
Agriculture business analyst
Medical methodology (Health care analytics)
Human Resource Analytics
Stock Marketing
Finance Marketing
Manufacturing industry
Supply chain analytics in logistics firm and more.

The above discussion gives us a clear picture that there is huge demand of data analytics/ data scientist peoples as because most of the firms design their business decision based on data driven rather traditional approach. So, if students select a program like MBA in Business Analytics, it will surely give them competitive advantage in their career growth and opportunities.

References:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/education/analytics-driving-demand-for-learning-growth acrosssectors/ articleshow/88890272 .cms?utm_ source=content of interest & utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Career as a Researcher in Sociology

One can become Researcher in Sociology after completion of formal PhD degree, though becoming a researcher is a lifelong process. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Sociology is a Doctorate Sociology course. Sociology is the scientific study of society. Sociology is the study of social life, behaviour, social interaction and social system. Students of sociology critically explain society through sociological perspectives and sociological imagination. The Ph.D. programme in sociology is founded on an advanced understanding of sociological theory, research methods and statistical inference. Studying sociology not only upsurges the understanding of human society but also systematically examines human social behaviour. Sociology helps an individual to understand him/herself and the surroundings by examining the pattern of social interaction and social relationships.

PhD in Sociology at Adamas University offers a programme of research training in sociology under the supervision of experts in their respective fields. The minimum duration of the course is three years and the maximum is five years. The Programme enhances candidates’ academic value along with opening various career opportunities. The eligibility criteria for the PhD programme in Sociology at Adamas University are 1. Post-Graduate degree with minimum 55% marks, 2. NET or RET Qualified and 3. Personal interview. The goal of the PhD program in Sociology is to train the research scholars with the skill of research followed by good publication.

Research Scholars of Sociology have to complete course work program (one semester) followed by a research project leading to thesis submission. Coursework comprised of four papers -1. Research Methodology, 2. Computer Application, 3. Research and Publication ethics and 4. Advanced Sociological Theories and Research Methods.

PhD in Sociology at Adamas University involves the following strengths of the program:

Abundance in Social sector: Research scholars in Sociology gets the opportunity to work on various social sectors that is community development, social problems and policies related to areas like child, youth, ageing, women’s, tribal issue and programmes.

Interdisciplinary areas of research and provision of Joint supervisor– Research scholars are encouraged to choose interdisciplinary areas of research. The provision joint supervisor is available to encourage interdepartmental group activities.

Regular presentation and report by the students– Research scholars in the Sociology department have to present their progress report every six months along with submission of the report. This process helps them to progress smoothly in their research project and gain confidence for presentation in front of other peers and experts.

Flexible timing for guidance– Supervisors in the Department of Sociology at Adamas University are available round the clock for guiding their scholars in every step of their research.

Part-time Research – Researcher scholars can do part-time research along with their full-time jobs in the education sector, corporates, or other areas.

Time Management – One of the important elements of completion of PhD is to finish the work within the specific tenure and management of time is the utmost requirement for finishing the PhD on time. Supervisors of the Sociology department provide proper research planning and time frame. Scholars have to follow that time frame and it would become easier for them to complete the thesis within minimum of years (3 years).

Assistance in Publication in UGC care and Scopus Indexed journals– Research scholars are provided constant support for their publication in UGC care and Scopus Indexed journals. They receive all the guidance from the supervisor starting from the selection of the journal, choosing a topic for publication, writing articles including citation and referencing and checking plagiarism through URKUND.

Sponsored research and development projects –Research scholars have the opportunity to work under sponsored research and development projects from industries and other organizations both public and private sectors. Scholars have the facilities to work on funded projects and get a degree as well along with scholarship

Opportunity for International Collaboration and Networking – Research scholars are allowed to collaborate with international universities for the presentation of papers, publications and fellowships. Research scholars are being facilitated by international networking and resource generation.

Career after PhD – Research scholars in most the cases are involved in educational sectors and research organizations, but apart from that scholars also get the assistance for getting jobs in different sectors as Social scientists, Research Associate, Investigator, Demographer, Research Fellow in projects, Policy Analyst, Urban Planner, Research Officer, Community Counsellor, Research Analyst and Programmer Evaluator in UGC, other Research Foundations, Ministry of HRD, Ministry of Social Justine and Empowerment, Social Defence, Criminology and Correctional Administration, UNICEF, WHO etc areas.

Clinching a Gleam of Optimism in Pharma Domain during Pre and Post Covid-19 era; Silver Lining in Dark Cloud

Prologues

The shadowy coronavirus eruption in the Chinese city Wuhan by December 2019, now called as COVID-19, and its reckless blowout to several other countries, jeopardizes thousands of lives, led to a medical emergency all over the world. The pandemic has catalysed the development of novel coronavirus drugs or vaccines across pharmaceutical, biotech companies and research organisations. Currently, there are no definite vaccines or treatments. However, there are numerous clinical trials by several pharmaceutical companies is ongoing to achieve a potential treatment.

Outbursts

“From an economic perspective, the key issue is not just the number of cases of COVID-19, but the level of disruption to economies from containment measures”

-Ben May, Head of Global Macro Research at Oxford Economics.

The virus outburst has transformed as one of the prime threats to the worldwide economy and financial markets. Several outbreak effects are:

Global stocks of hit
Declining crash of oil prices
High recession risk
Turn to advanced and fruitful technology
Hardest hit in tourism throughout the world
Visibility of lockdowns mere consequence
Unemployment of a large section of common people

Governments around the world have admonished workforces to continue from home whereas possible. The travel industry has been dreadfully damaged. Stockholders dread that the outbreak of the coronavirus will extinguish the economic growth and that governmental authority may not be enough to halt the decline.

Pharmacists and Pharmacies; the Frontline of Public Health

As an increasing number of countries and towns are in lockdown condition, millions of public are in isolation and are maintaining social distancing inside their homes. It has indeed observed all over the globe that the pharmacy professionals are acting frontline roles enormously. Pharmacists are a fundamental element of healthcare providing extraordinary services in the earlier pandemics and health calamity also.

Community pharmacists and their teams remain on the front of public health during the outbreak by serving as direct access for patients, keen-sighted patients and reducing the patients’ load on health practices. Community pharmacists also endure to play their uninterrupted action for consistent supplies of medication as well as other needful supporting. The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has dispensed a pack of 10 synopses for guidance on COVID-19. Other pharmaceutical association has also providing guidelines and needful documents for the solidification and attentiveness of the community pharmacies as front line health care workers in the global health crisis.

Pharmacies around the world are one of the few places that are kept open for public service even during the strict lockdowns.

A Wakeup Call for Pharma Industry Globally

As economies around the world are suffering from the impact of Covid-19 and many business faces the challenges but pharmaceutical businesses captivating step in the Covid-19 fight. Such as Eli Lilly and Gilead are farsighted growth on the market and a novel torrent of invention in the communicable disease scenery as the treatment approval for a Covid-19 cure takes off. Other pharmaceutical companies also following ensemble during the Covid-19 pandemic and using their individual proficiencies to alleviate the cargo of coronavirus. As more clinical trials are performing, novel therapies may achieve. However, during this financial regression and global health fears, the contribution of pharmaceutical firms is on the mark and their impression on the competition against the virus will not be simply forgotten. The perception of large revenues coming from newly established drugs will face amplified inspection in a time of global pandemic as an outcome of communal and competitive pressures.

Pharmaceutical scenario in India

India is a chief provider of low-priced drugs all over the world and is truly recognized as the ‘Pharmacy of the World’. It ranks 3rd, worldwide for pharmaceutical production by volume, 13th by value and accounts for about 10% of the world’s production by volume and 1.5% by value. 50% of the United States’ generic drug needs are met by India. The Indian pharma industry aspires to become the world’s largest supplier of drugs by 2030. All major pharma industries have come all together to aid with knowledge and sharing information to safeguard production of medications critical to tackle coronavirus. Alembic is operating at 80% formulation capacity and its API plant is operational at around 60-70% capacity. Similarly, Zydus, a foremost manufacturer of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has already augmented its capacity to produce both the API and the other formulation manifold. Additionally, other reputed and other companies is also prioritising the manufacturing of drugs that are in high demand now, like azithromycin. A few weeks ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared HCQ supplies from India to countries like the US, Brazil and Israel.

Rays of Hope Amidst

The role and necessity of pharmacist is reshaping its approach towards society. Now Their true value is exposed due to their services towards masses including utmost care, psychological support etc.

There are substantial global exertions proceeding to diagnose, cure and avert infections from the virus. Pharmaceutical firms are working universally to battle Covid-19 from scientific data gained from eras of knowledge with comparable viruses and undertaking novel inventories of research to identify additional potential treatments for R&D.

References:

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
https://thebluecircle.co/2020/05/04/covid-19-a-wakeup-call-for-indias-pharma-industry/
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51706225 Bukhari, Nadia, Huma Rasheed, and Bismah Nayyer. “Pharmacists at the frontline beating the COVID-19 pandemic.” (2020): 1-4
https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/comment/covid-19-pharmaceutical-companies-impact/

Post-pandemic professions in Cyber Security

The epidemic caused significant employment losses and layoffs across a variety of sectors, with few or no new positions being filled. However, recruiting has started up again in some industries, which is a sign that the world has moved on from the pandemic.

“The pandemic helped us understand how important it is to digitise our records. Everything, from the job roles itself to the hiring process itself, has been shifted into the virtual platform. According to Ashutosh Seth, founder of Risebird, an edtech company that assists recruiting teams in completing the technical interviewing process, as a consequence, positions have evolved to deal and manage the enormous amount of data that has transferred on cloud platforms.

“There is a significant shortage of qualified candidates for tech positions such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), cyber security (CS), data analyst (DA), and coding developers (coders).” In addition to this, there is also an increase in the demand for people who work in the medical field as well as pharmacists, says he.

During the epidemic, there was a halt to any new employment, and there were even reductions in workforce size and layoffs. It was anticipated that once the pandemic was declared over, there would be an increase in the number of people getting jobs. According to Kamlesh Vyas, Partner at Deloitte India, “unfortunately, we have not seen that happening.” [Citation needed]

“This could be due to a number of factors since a number of businesses have incurred damages that are beyond repair and are unable to backfill their positions.” There aren’t many sectors that are still operating in the watch-and-wait mentality before investing in people. Because of the epidemic, many organisations have gained the ability to function with fewer employees as a result of automation, rationalisation, restructuring, multi-skilling, and other such practises, and thus do not see the need for aggressive hiring. However, according to Vyas, occupations in high-end technologies, such as artificial intelligence, analytics, cyber security, augmented reality/virtual reality, robots, cloud computing, and so on, would continue to be in demand during this period.

The epidemic has also brought to light the significance of developing automated systems. As a direct consequence of this, there is a greater demand for hardware engineers to automate the gear and devices that are already in use. According to Balasubramanian A, Business Head, Consumer and Healthcare, TeamLease Services, the professionals who will be working in the world after the pandemic would need to get themselves ready for the digital world and the more automated sector.

In addition to the obvious desire for IT expertise or occupations driven by technology, he notes that there is a demand for entry-level positions in field sales. These individuals are responsible for bringing the meal to the table. During the shutdown, a large number of businesses were severely disrupted, and many found it difficult to reach their ultimate goals. Now that a lot of businesses are attempting to get back on their feet, make up for any losses, and enhance their market share, those businesses are placing a strong emphasis on employing frontline sales employees.

According to a survey compiled by TeamLease, the average growth in salaries for sales profiles was found to be 7.41 percent, while the growth in salaries for R & D Analyst positions in the Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals industry was reported as 9.39 percent. The report went on to state that the increase in pay for the position of Automation Engineer in Information Technology and Knowledge Services was registered at 10.71 percent.

According to Balasubramanian A., in the world that has been left behind by the epidemic, businesses are now delivering professionals concrete benefits in the form of flexibility in regard to both time and location. Compared to a couple of years ago, when it came to giving in to the expectations of the employers, the businesses have been a lot more accommodating in recent times.

Biochemistry: An Integral Part of Drug Discovery

The on-going pandemic situation gave humanity a hard lesson- life is uncertain. Before the pandemic, we never seriously thought about this type of disease which could lead to such a global health crisis. Now, Covid-19 is a reality and it taught us that as the virus changed itself we must constantly change ourselves and be prepared for sudden battles. Humanity has a long history of fighting against deadly diseases like plague, malaria, polio, cholera, etc. and in all those battles our greatest weapons are drugs. In this article, we will see how biochemistry is an integral part of a drug discovery process.

Biochemistry is the amalgamation of chemistry and biological sciences. It brings together all of the sciences to study the chemical and physical processes that occur in living organisms. It truly is the science of life. Students of biochemistry learn various classical as well as modern subjects like stem cell biology, immunology, bioinformatics, genetic engineering, and many more. These subjects give them ample knowledge about the basic processes of life and that gives them the scope to explore properly a particular phenomenon in a living system. The mixture of chemistry and biology is a tremendous weapon for students for understanding the complex design of a disease-causing bacteria or virus. Applying these knowledge life-saving drugs can be developed by biochemistry professionals.

A drug is a chemical substance that, when administered to a living organism produces a biological effect. Drugs are also called medicine as it is used for treatment, cure, prevent disease, and promote good health. Drugs can be taken via different modes like inhalation, injection, ingestion, absorption via a patch on the skin, suppository, or dissolution under the tongue. So, recently discovered vaccines against Covid-19 are also part of modern-day drugs.

There are several phases of drug discovery and its commercialization; 1) Basic research for lead development 2) Preclinical studies 3) Clinical studies (different phases) 4) Review by regulatory authorities and approval 5) Pre and post marketing monitoring. In all these phases major roles are played by biochemistry people.

The first step of basic research consists of lead molecule discovery and its target identification which is totally done by biomedical scientists. During lead discovery, an intensive search ensues to find a drug-like small molecule or biological therapeutic, typically termed a development candidate, that will progress into preclinical, and if successful, into clinical development and ultimately be a marketed medicine. Generally, drugs are very specific in nature, i.e., they work in a specific manner on a specific type of cell or exo or endotoxins. So, first, to discover the lead, one has to find the type of cell or chemical substances on which the drug is going to affect, what’s the nature of the target.

The next step is the preclinical trial, which is a stage of research that begins before clinical trials (testing in humans) and during which important feasibility, iterative testing, and drug safety data are collected, typically in laboratory animals. This step requires multiple types of studies/tests like screening, tests on isolated organs and bacterial cultures, tests on animal models, general observational tests, confirmatory tests and analogous activities, mechanism of action, systemic pharmacology, quantitative tests etc. that are all done by Biochemistry people. The main purpose of preclinical studies is to accurately model the desired biological effect of a drug in animals [non-human primates] in order to predict treatment outcomes in patients (efficacy), and to identify and characterize all toxicities associated with a drug in order to predict adverse events in people (safety) for informed—preclinical testing analyses the bioactivity, safety, and efficacy of the formulated drug product.

After a proposed drug has gone through premedical trials, the next step is clinical trials. The main difference is while preclinical research answers basic questions about a drug’s safety, it is not a substitute for studies of ways the drug will interact with the human body. The biomedical persons design clinical trials, develop a study plan or protocol and follow them to answer specific research questions related to medical products. Before the trial begins, they decide who qualifies to participate (selection criteria), how many people will be part of the study, how long the study will last, whether there will be a control group and other ways to limit research bias, how the drug will be given to patients and at what dosage, what assessments will be conducted, when, and what data will be collected, how the data will be reviewed and analysed. Clinical trials follow a typical series of early, small-scale, Phase 1 studies [20-100 healthy/diseased volunteers], Phase 3 studies [Several hundred people with the disease], Phase 3 studies [300-3000 volunteers with the disease], and lastly, late-stage, large scale Phase 4 studies [Several thousand volunteers with the disease].

The next step is, review by regulatory authorities and approval of the drug. Drug approval processes are designed to allow safe and effective drugs to be marketed. Drug regulatory agencies in various countries attempt to rely on premarketing scientific studies of the effects of drugs in animals and humans in order to determine if new drugs have a favourable risk-to-benefit ratio. The manufacturer must provide the concerned authority review of all the test and study reports with detailed information about the proposed drug including usage of the drug to be effective, all the possible risks, and how to use it. Physicians and scientists of the concerned authority then review the drug research and the labelling information on how to use the drug. If the findings show the drug’s benefits outweigh its known risks — and that the drug can be manufactured in a way that ensures a quality product.

After the drug gets all the certification, the last step is Post-marketing monitoring. Post marketing drug surveillance refers to the monitoring of drugs once they reach the market after clinical trials. It evaluates drugs taken by individuals under a wide range of circumstances over an extended period of time. Such surveillance is much more likely to detect previously unrecognized positive or negative effects that may be associated with a drug. The majority of post-marketing surveillance concern adverse drug reactions (ADRs) monitoring and evaluation. Therefore, biochemistry people always get an edge in these type of drug developmental industry.

COVID impact, new trends and research in Civil Engineering and Construction

For the last two and half years, people of this planet have experienced a pandemic situation due to outbreak of Novel Corona virus. As per the situation, there is scarcely any country that has remained unchanged by the harshness of this virus. Our country is not an exception from this pandemic. Sometimes positivity rate of Corona Virus came down but suddenly it has started a reverse flow towards higher positivity during the last three waves happened till date. Not only the human lives but most of the commercial activities also had been suffering by the pandemic. Some industries might had overcome the pandemic situation but most of them faced much difficulties and obviously construction engineering sector was also in the list.

The construction industry and civil engineering add mainly to the Indian economy. The unfavourable situation due to pandemic has caused all construction projects to come to an end suddenly but the jobs in design sectors were managed by work from home. Construction industry, the main pillar of the national economy had faced a long challenge like regulatory burden under environmental laws which had coupled with the pandemic. Subsequently lockdown imposed to deal with the situation restricting the movement of people, gatherings and strictly maintaining social distance. All these had made a tremendous effect in Indian economy and construction industry has been halted throughout the country.

In India, the dilemma for the Civil engineering sector is high and it is infuriated and hard to treat with as there is no standard format of contracts for construction sector. There could be immense variations in particular state of affairs of a Construction and Engineering contract. Although, there is standard forms of construction and engineering contracts by International Federation of Consulting Engineers, Institution of Civil Engineers and Indian Institute of Architects but at that times they are eagerly settled and hence it lost uniformity.

In most of the construction and engineering, contracts parties generally mention the time of completion of works. Due to Novel Corona Virus, workers did not feel safe to work in the construction site and they returned to their home leaving their job. So, many of the projects were not completed in stipulated period and the contractor became a defaulter. In some cases, contractors had to pay compensation for delay in completing the project.

Government of India declared closing of all universities, colleges and schools. The whole education system suffered a lot due to the situation and came to a worst situation. To Cope with the situation, online classes were started but by the method, teacher was unable to identify the effective attendance of a particular student for the entire class session but one good thing is that there is no loss of time for to and fro during online classes and as most of the time students remain at home, they can easily join some other online activities like attending in Webinar, others Professional course etc. to improve their knowledge and skill . In case of normal situation when the students would attend classes physically, it would not be possible for them to attend such courses which even conducting from abroad also.

But online system had disadvantage also. It was not possible exactly to evaluate a student in the online examination as some of students took help of open book, open study materials, internet search and help from friends during examination time. Some students received participation certificate of Webinar without attending attentively.

As a result, some changes happened in Civil Engineering and Construction sector to adopt the situation. Earlier contractors in the sites would to hire many labours to complete the project. But due to pandemic, contractors hired less number of labours and used many machineries in construction works. Ready mix concrete was brought from Batching plant instead of producing concrete at site. Digital system, like Building Information Modelling and integrated project management platforms were already recognized as digital building blocks for the construction industry. Also, repetitive and dangerous works that people want to avoid means implementation of automation can support the industry’s labour and skills crisis. At that moment, robotic automation deals enormous possibility to increase output, efficiency and flexibility of construction process throughout the construction industry, as well as to automate the fabrication of modular houses, robotic welding and material handling on construction sites, robot 3D printing of structures. As well as building the industry safer and more cost efficient, robots are recuperating sustainability and dropping environmental impact by enhancing recycling by means of cutting waste. Robots can produce safer construction by managing heavy loads, working in unsafe locations and enabling safer ways of construction. With the industry producing increased environmental pollution and the need for more cost-effective structures, robotic automation reduces waste by improving quality, which is important when it’s approximated that up to a quarter of materials out of total materials transported to a construction site leaves as waste. With automation and digital technology, Engineers can also design waste out at the beginning of a project through effective Building Information Modelling and construction processes.

Very renowned Universities like us designed Smart Lab by which student can watch a live demonstration of all parts of a particular experiment. Virtual Internship was also arranged for the student. In Virtual Internship, the video of Construction site works were shown to students by the Senior executives of the company. The conduction of recruitment drive was also easier as it was done online. Students had not missed even any event as all were organised by online mode. By using of digital library, students were able to view and download books, journals. Research activities were not stopped also during the pandemic situation. Researcher provided priority on Analytical research than Descriptive research in the current situation and also changed the area of research to suit Analytical research.

In a concluding remark, Every problem has a best solution; you just need to discover it.

Further Studies