eChapters

Participatory curriculum reorientation awareness-raising workshop for key stakeholders: In the present study focus group discussion and workshops were conducted to know the effectiveness of present curriculum of extension education with different stakeholders (Students UG, PG and Ph.D, Extension teachers, Field extension workers and farmers). Data were collected by using schedules regarding the important contents of present curriculum and most important for extension workers in the present situation to be included in curriculum

The concept of capacity development is defined in various ways. Broadly, it is defined as a process by which skills, and knowledge are built, utilized, retained and nurtured with a view to provide an entity responding to a development challenge. Two components that are vital in any plausible definition of the concept are human skills (the ability to perform a task) and institutions (effectiveness and efficiency of organizations, systems, processes and procedures).

Cytology is the study of cells from fluid or tissue samples prepared directly on glass slides and stained for microscopic evaluation. It is also described as examination of cells without regard to the tissue's architectural details.

It is less invasive than tissue biopsies and, in some cases, it can provide a rapid diagnosis that would otherwise take several days if done by histopathology.

When is the cytology needed?

The diagnostic methods of clinical examination, radiographic evaluation, and laboratory data suggested that a diagnosis that cannot be confirmed by these methods. In that situation, cytology is very much helpful to confirm the disease processes or conditions.

Fixation can be done by either wet fixation or dry fixation. If staining is to be delayed for a few days, cell preservation enhanced by fixation. Fix the slide within 30-60 seconds.

Wet Fixation

Good smear is well spread and tongue shaped. If forced during discharge of materials from the syringe, it is sprayed on to slide.

The ideal smears will yield intact and well stained cells (Figure) should have a clear demarcation between the nucleus and cytoplasm

Poor smear will show no cellularity or damaged cells.

Adrenal Tumours

• Adrenal cortical adenoma had normal secretory cells
• Most cells had naked nuclei in the abundant cytoplasm
• Basophilic cytoplasm with abundant clear lipid vacuoles
• Round uniform nuclei

Fundamentals of writing farm stories

1. Use of plain and simple language: A farm journalist would have translated technical terms into their plain language.

2. Presentation of novel ideas: People are open to new concepts that are logically explained and will increase their return on investment as a whole.

3. Keep the message brief and to the point so that farmers can recall it. The information should be focused on the benefits that can be attained without using an excessive amount of wording.

4. Use of visuals: Visuals add interest, are more memorable, and have deeper significance. A statement is more understandable and pleasing to the eye when there are more visuals present.

5. Farmers are very receptive to messages that are recent, reliable, realistic, and relevant (the “4Rs”).

6. The audience appreciates and accepts the message that is centred on their environment, locations, and selves.

Remote Sensing in Oil Exploration

Remote sensing plays a significant role in the oil exploration industry. It refers to the use of sensors and instruments to gather information about the Earth's surface and its environment from a distance. This information can be used to locate and evaluate oil and gas deposits.

There are different remote sensing techniques used in oil exploration, including

Seismic surveys: This technique involves creating sound waves underground and recording their reflection to determine the subsurface structure. It is commonly used in oil exploration to locate potential oil and gas deposits.

Magnetic surveys: This technique uses a magnetometer to measure the magnetic field of the Earth's surface. Magnetic anomalies can indicate the presence of underground geological structures that may contain oil or gas deposits.

Gravity surveys: This technique involves measuring variations in the Earth's gravitational field, which can indicate the presence of underground geological structures.

Anoestrus in cows is a condition in which there is absence of observable estrus signs. Anoestrus in cattle is suspected when estrus in not expressed by the female animal or in case the farmer fails to detect it. Among reproductive problems, it is one of the most commonly occurring conditions in cattle. It affects the production and economics of a cow to a great extent and the economic losses occur due to increase in inter-calving interval, poor net calf crops, loss of production, expenses incurred on treatment etc. It is caused by multiple factors including mostly inadequate or unbalanced nutrition, environmental stress, uterine or ovarian pathologies and poor managemental practices.

Diagnosis

• Rectal examination of animal. The ovaries are small and smooth. Should be confirmed by repeated examinations at 10 days interval.

• Ultrasound examinations at regular intervals can be done to diagnose and confirm anestrous.

• Progesterone estimations at intervals of 10 days would aid in confirmation. Low progesterone levels at both times indicate true anestrous.

Sub estrus (Weak or Silent Estrus) is a condition in which there are normal cyclical changes in the reproductive organs of a cow but the heat signs are not exhibited to a level of intensity as in normal cows leading to failure of estrus detection by a farmer. This condition is common during post partum period. It is a common reproductive problem in cattle affecting the productivity and economics of a cow due to increase in inter-calving interval, production loss, treatment expenses etc.

Endometritis in cow is actually the inflammation of endometrium that is inner lining of the uterus. It occurs after bacterial contamination of uterus at calving, during A.I. following dystocia, retention of placenta, abortion etc. There is expulsion of white or whitish-yellow muco-purulent discharge from vagina. The animal does not shows systemic signs like increase in temperature, increase in respiration rate, anorexia, toxemia etc as in metritis. However, the animal fails to conceive even after repeated inseminations.

Metritis is a condition seen in cattle in which there is the inflammation of the entire thickness of uterine wall (endometrium, myometrium and serosa). When it occurs just after parturition, it is called puerperal metritis. It usually occurs after abnormal birth like in case of dystocia, abortion, RFM etc. The animal shows systemic signs like increase in temperature initially, increase in respiration rate, anorexia, toxemia etc. There is expulsion of large volume of foul smelling reddish to brown discharge from vagina frequently associated with straining. The expelled discharge from vagina is often with pieces of degenerating placenta.

Vaginal prolapse in cow is a condition in which there is protrusion of whole or part of vagina including sometimes the part of cervix through the vulva. It occurs in cow mostly during last 2-3 months of gestation. It occurs due to excess secretion of estrogen from placenta, hypocalcaemia, inadequate exercise, bulky food like roughages etc. Sometimes occurs in non pregnant cows due to cystic ovaries, severe straining due to vaginal irritation etc.

Uterine prolapse also called casting of the “Calf Bed” in cow is a condition in which there is eversion of whole or part of uterus outside the vulva after its movement through dilated cervix and vagina. It occurs in cow after the birth of calf and mostly in dairy cows having given birth many times to a calf. It occurs due to hypocalcaemia, defective involution, inadequate exercise, excessive force applied during removal of calf etc.

Pyometra meaning “pus filled uterus” is a condition in cow which is characterized by progressive accumulation of pus in the uterus, presence of persisting CL, absence of estrus and regular estrus cycles and a closed cervix. Pyometra occurs following chronic endometritis in most cases as uterus fails to produce endogenous CL regressing agent i.e. PGF2a. So, the CL of diestrus persists resulting in failure of elimination of uterine infection as the animal remains under the continuous influence of progesterone. Progesterone production from the persistent CL causes closure of cervix, pus accumulation in the uterus and consequently leading to enlargement and distension of uterus.

Cystic ovarian disease (Cystic ovarian degenertaion or ovarian cysts) is a common ovarian dysfunction in cattle and causes huge economic loss to farmers due to its high incidence and negative impact on the reproductive performance of cow. Animals having cysts on ovary result in anoestrum as the most significant clinical sign. Althouugh the exact cause that leads to cystic ovarian disease is not yet fully clear but altered release of LH hormone is the most accepted hypothesis.

Artificial insemination (AI) is a technique in which sperm cells loaded in straws and stored in liquid nitrogen are thawed and manually deposited into the reproductive tract of a female animal at estrus. The recto-vaginal technique is the most commonly used method for artificial insemination in cattle. In order to increase the probability of pregnancy, the animal in estrus should be inseminated at proper time not too early or late.

The diagnosis of pregnancy (Cyesiognosis) was desired earlier by farmers for curiosity, but currently early pregnancy diagnosis is considered essential for economically viable and profitable dairy farming. Clinical methods are commonly used for pregnancy diagnosis in cattle with recto genital palpation and trans-rectal ultrasonography as the methods of choice for an accurate and early pregnancy diagnosis.

Regular deworming of cattle including young stock is essential for economic rearing as sever parasitic infection leads to reduced feed intake, decreased reproductive performance, lower milk production, decreased growth rate and increased incidence of diseases. So, deworming as per scientific schedule and dose rate is a must for animals to keep away these profit eating parasites.

Calves play an important role in the dairy development and successful growth of young calves to mature stage is required for herd replacement and to get economic returns when they are sold. Good calf-care is important for sustenance of the dairy form and preservation and maintenance of good quality germplasm.

Maintenance of optimum fertility and reproductive goals is very important for profitable and economically viable cattle rearing. It is highly desired and essential for the farmers to maintain the high reproductive efficiency in cows so that the losses incurred on infertility are reduced to the maximum extent through good managemental practices and following scientific guidelines properly.

Poor Governance

Bad governance refers to how decisions are made in government and business. It is opposite of good leadership. Poor governance entails systemic corruption and a lack of openness and accountability, arbitrary policymaking, and the deception of those who are ruled.

 

Albeit a mammoth volume of food grain production in India, 320 million tons and close to 350 million tons of vegetables production in 2023 evinces the emergence of mighty Indian agriculture over the geo-political expanse at global level, yet the income from agriculture to her 140 millions of farmers is not secured, persistent and satisfying. This is due to a mal orchestration of weather-market-job-technolgy uncertainties. The farmers producer organization offers them a new hope and aspiration for small-marginal tiny agricultural producers of India.

What is AHP

Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a decision-making methodology that helps individuals and groups systematically analyze and prioritize complex decisions.

Developed by Thomas L. Saaty (1987), AHP breaks down a decision problem into a hierarchical structure and uses pairwise comparisons to assess the relative importance of different criteria and alternatives.

Writing funded project proposals involves crafting detailed documents tailored to specific purposes, such as consulting project proposals or sponsored research projects. For instance, a consulting project proposal emphasizes understanding a client's needs, offering solutions, and outlining services to address those needs effectively. On the other hand, sponsored research proposals focus on academic or scientific exploration, detailing methodologies, expected outcomes, and potential impacts within a scholarly context.

Rabbits belong to the mammalian order Lagomorpha, which includes rabbits, hares, and Pikas. Fossil records indicate that Lagomorpha originated in Asia over 40 million years ago during the Eocene period. The continental drift during this period likely contributed to the diverse distribution of rabbit and hare species worldwide, excluding Australia. There are over 60 recognized breeds of domestic rabbits in Europe and America, all descended from the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), the only widely domesticated rabbit species. This species is distinct from native rabbits like North American jackrabbits and cottontail rabbits, as well as all hare species.

For visualization and identification of fungal specimens into their genus and species, the staining of the fungal specimens and their microscopy are necessary. The simple binocular microscope can be used for microscopy of the fungal specimens.

2.1. Stains to be Used in Microscopy

1. Methylene blue stain

2. Lacto phenol cotton blue stain

3. Crystal violet stain

4. Safranin

Antiviral Factor (AVF)

When an incompatible virus enters the host, resistance to viral diseases is seen. A number of substances, including polyacrylic acid, aspirin, salicylic acid, benzoic acid, and other growth regulators, including Indole acetic acid (IAA), 2, 4-D, Benzyl amino-in (3P), and ethylene, cause resistance to viral diseases. For each of these situations, certain plant compounds have also been identified to cause the development of novel proteins in plant tissues. They are referred to as “antiviral factors.” Healthy plants lack these antiviral components. They are only created once the host has been infected by the virus. These post-infectional substances resemble “phytoalexins.”

Pesticide poisoning occurs when a pesticide penetrates the body and disrupts its essential systems. Symptoms can appear anywhere from a half hour to 24 hours following exposure. The common symptoms and indicators of pesticide poisoning are:

Initial symptoms may include

First Aid

First aid is the preliminary care of a person who has been exposed to pesticides before getting proper medical attention. The initial step is to remove the person from the source of the exposure by removing pesticide from their skin, removing contaminated clothing, or transporting them to fresh air. Be careful not to contaminate oneself throughout this process.

Pesticide on the Skin

• Remove any contaminated clothes.

 • Drench clothing and skin with plenty of water.

• Clean hair and skin with soap and water.

• Dry the victim and wrap them in clean clothes.

• Prevent the victim from being chilly or overheated.

India’s economic prosperity is reliant on the agriclimate. The nation confronts particular challenges in guaranteeing food security and optimising agricultural yield because of its large and varied landscape. Using fertilisers strategically and sensibly is one of the main reasons Indian agriculture is so successful. Fertilisers are essential for preserving the fertility of the soil, improving crop health, and satisfying the nation’s growing need for food security.

Ensuring Soil Fertility

India’s economy is mostly based on agriculture, with a sizable section of the populace working in the field.However, there are significant regional differences in India’s soil fertility, with certain parts missing essential nutrients for crop growth.

The grasshoppers are widely distributed throughout the country and may be seen in abundance during monsoon season. For the generalized morphological description, this insect has been considered as the most suitable representative of class insects because its structural details are not much variable. Apart from this, being larger, it can be studied easily. The generalized insect body is divided into 3 distinct body regions: a head, a thorax and an abdomen. Grouping of body segments into distinct regions is known as Tagmosis and the body regions are called Tagmata.

The Head

The best learning situation requires one specimen and set of tools per two students for studies. Students working in pairs have ample opportunity to fully participate in the dissection and to carefully examine the specimen. They are also able to share and discuss their observations during and after the dissection.

Requirements: Dissecting pan with wax pad, dissecting pins, forceps, hand lenses and scissors

Procedure

Place the specimen in the dissecting pan ventral side up. Use scissors to cut through the exoskeleton‘s ventral side from the head to the posterior end of the abdomen.

Requirements: Clipboard, Pencils, Hand lens, Pocket knife, insect catching nets, attractants, spread sheet Collection bags and vials, Camera etc.

Sampling techniques are used to draw valid inferences about the population parameters using the sample statistics

Components of an insect sampling program 

Knowledge of pest and beneficial insects

Identification

 Life cycle and biology

Injury caused

Sample: Sample is a subgroup of the population. It is defined as a collection of individual observations from the population about which inferences are to be made, and is obtained by a specific method.

Introduction

The Over-head insulator for overhead lines provides insulation to the electrical conductor. It is connected to the cross arm of the supporting structure and the electrical conductor passes through the clamp (insulator). It is mainly made of either glazed porcelain (Silica 20% + Feldspar 30% + Clay 50%) or toughened glass. The porcelain must be free from any defect. It should be vitrified because the presence of pore or air will lower down its dielectric strength. Any captured air impurity will also reduce the dielectric strength of the porcelain. Therefore, it is highly desirable that the insulators should be air free and resistant to the entrance of liquids/gases. It is desirable not to allow porcelain to come in direct contact with a hard metal screw thread. Therefore, cement is used between metal and the porcelain.

Jaboticaba: It is a Brazilian tree (Myrciaria cauliflora) of the myrtle family cultivated in warm regions for its edible purplish fruit.

Jack salmon /walleye: A large vigorous American freshwater food and sport fish (Stizostedion vitreum) that has large opaque eyes and is related to the perches but resembles the true pike called also walleyed pike

Jaggery: Raw brown / unrefined brown sugar in lumpmade from palm sap (Plate 209).

Jam: A preserved product prepared on boiling pectin contained fruit pulp having edible seed and skin with required amount of sugar, water and acid to a reasonably thick consistency, firm enough to hold the fruit tissues in position (Plate 210).

Jam pack: The packing of the commodity tightly or in excess is called Jam pack.

Jamaica rum: Heavy bodied rum made by slow fermentation and marked by a pungent bouquet.

Jamboline: A type of glucose found in the jamun fruit help in cure of the diabetes in the patients.

Xanthan gum: It is a polysaccharide that is produced by fermentation of carbohydrates by a gram-negative bacterium (Xanthomonas campestris) and is a thickening and suspending agent used in pharmaceuticals and prepared foods. It is also called xanthan. Xanthan is a stabilizer produced by Xanthomonas compestris (Plate 340). Xanthan is not hydrolysed or degraded by humans.

Xanthine: A basic compound C5 H4 N4 O2 that occurs in animal or plant tissue, is derived from guanine and hypoxanthine, and yields uric acid on oxidation.

Xanthones: It is a group of yellow pigments e.g. mangiferin in mango,

Xanthophyll: Yellow hydroxyl carotene derivative (C40H550C) which is present in all green leaves together with chlorophyll and carotene. Xanthophyll is a pigment containing O2 derived from carotene.

Xeroderma pigmentosum: It is a genetic disorder inherited as a recessive autosomal trait that is caused by a defect in mechanisms that repair DNA mutations (as those caused by ultraviolet light) and is characterized by the development of pigment abnormalities and multiple skin cancers in areas exposed to the sun.

Yabby: It is one of the burrowing Australian crayfishes (Cherax destructor) that are used for food.

Yakitori: A bite-size marinated pieces of beef, seafood, or chicken on skewers is called yakitori.

Yam: It is edible starchy tuberous root of plants (genus Dioscorea of the family Dioscoreaceae) used as a staple food in tropical areas.

Yard–long bean: It is the edible 1 to 3 foot (0.3 to 0.9 meter) long thin stringless pod of a south Asian plant of a subspecies (Vigna unguiculata sesquipedalis) of the cowpea.

Yautia: It is one of the aroid plants (Xanthosomasagittifolium) chiefly of tropical America with starchy edible shaggy brown tubers that are cooked and eaten like yams or potatoes.

Yeanling: A young lamb or kid used for food is called yeanling. It is also called earling.

Yearling mutton: Meat obtained from 12-20 month aged sheep. It is also called Earling mutton..

The incidence of mammary tumor accounts for 25% of all the recorded tumors in dogs worldwide. Overall, about 198 cases of CMT are recorded per one lakh female dogs annually throughout the world which is quite an alarming percentage (Gray et al., 2020). Malignancy has also been recorded up to 45% which increases the fatality among morbid cases. Epidemiology of CMT is poorly documented particularly in India. In an epidemiological study conducted on canine tumors in Jammu in 2018, the overall prevalence was only 2% over a period of one year. The malignant tumors accounted 41.66% of the mammary tumors (Sharma et al., 2018). The rate of benign and malignant tumors incidence was reported as 46% and 54%, respectively. In another study conducted on the incidence of CMT in Ludhiana (Punjab) in 2020, it was found that 33.96% tumors were benign and 66.03% were malignant (Dash et al., 2020).

There are countless biomarkers present in cells related to and determining the progress of a disease. Identifying these markers could aid in detecting cells with metastatic potential (Ramaswamy et al., 2003).

The elevation of cyclo-oxygenase (Cox-2) expression was observed in CMT cases through enzyme immunoassay (Queiroga et al., 2005). In further study, enhanced expression of BRAC1and BRAC2 genes, certain enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) by immunohistochemical examinations, and Bcl-2 & Bcl-XL elevated level in dogs with mammary neoplasm have been reported by Queiroga et al. (2011b).

A thorough history with complete physical examination including careful palpation of the mammary glands should be performed. As there are chances that dogs may be suffering from any other systemic ailments during middle to old age. In dogs with multiple tumors, all tumors should be excised and their location and size should be noted. Histopathological examination of the excised tumors should be carried out to classify mammary gland tumors. Mammary tumors are classified based on some of the parameters i.e., tumor size, lymph nodes, metastasis. Therefore, to stage a dog with mammary tumors information of these parameters needs to be collected and recorded. If lymph nodes are palpable and/or clinically enlarged, fine-needle aspiration should be performed for cytological evaluation. The technique is less invasive but with higher accuracy. Thoracic radiographs remain the mainstay for diagnosing the metastatic condition. The mammary tumors most commonly metastasize into lungs in dogs. The staging of CMTs becomes necessary as it is likely to confer some prognostic significance and provide guidance to veterinarians to make treatment decisions.

Surgical removal is the routine treatment method for mammary tumors, however, there is no consensus on the optimal procedure. There are supporting factors for every surgical procedure conducted for mammary tumors including lumpectomy (removal of tumor only), mastectomy (affected gland removal only), radical mastectomy (complete mammary gland and associated lymphatic tissue removal) and modified radical mastectomy (removal of complete mammary gland, lymph nodes and associated chest muscles).The more extensive procedures do not increase survival in dogs when compared to the other procedures, and the benefits of the simpler procedures are clear. Further, the radical mastectomy increases the disease-free interval but not the survival duration in cats.

One of the most promising areas of veterinary research these days is cancer immunotherapy and the development of CMT vaccines. DNA vaccines, also known as gene vaccines, are designed to transfer functional genes to target cells, allowing them to express functional proteins. Because endonucleases may easily access bare DNA, it requires a reliable and safe delivery route, which might be biological or non-biological. Different delivery strategies have been tried in human breast tumors to transport tumor antigens such Mucin-1 (MUC-1), Twist, HER-2, mammaglobin-1 and p53, as well as immunostimulatory molecules like IL-12 and IL-6. There have been various studies/ trials in canine animals using different molecules like IL-12, HER-2 and IFN-γ as vaccine candidates, with no clinically relevant outcomes or longlasting cell mediated and humoral immune response outcomes

In GADVASU, under the DBT sponsored project on “Development and evaluation of serodiagnostic assay for timely diagnosis and prognosis of mammary tumors”, we have generated and used hyper-immune sera raised against certain canine recombinant mammary tumor associated proteins for the standardization of sandwich and indirect ELISA for serodiagnosis of canine mammary tumor. The sensitivity and specificities of the assay’s ranges between 85-88% and 80-85%, respectively. However, an antibody against a single marker when used for different histotypes of CMT, its specificity reduced significantly. Multiplex assays are capable to detect many specific antigens in a single run whereas a traditional ELISA is used only to detect a single antigen. It has high-throughput potential, providing more results per sample, with lower sample volumes and with utmost sensitivity and specificity. Attempts are being made to increase the sensitivity and specificities of the assays by multiplexing various markers together (Fig.4).

Mammary tumors are the most common type of neoplasia found in female dogs with high percentage of malignancy and rate of mortality. The rate of incidence of these mammary neoplasia and dysplasia is continuously advancing nationally and internationally over the last 45 years. There are different risk factors such as age, diet, hormonal exposure and breeds, which are required to be monitored in order to control the incidence of CMTs. In addition to conventional therapies such as surgical excision, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, additional precision therapeutic agents targeting TKIs, p53 tumor suppressor gene, cyclooxygenases, epithelial-mesenchymal transitions and various hormones/ hormonal receptors could be beneficial for the treatment of CMTs. Scientific efforts are also being made to develop different biomarker panels and tests for prognosis/diagnosis of the diseases as well as to develop vaccines against CMTs.

A

Adenocarcinomas 3, 7

Adenomas 7

ALDH1 17, 18

Anaplastic carcinomas 7

B

Babesiosis 1

Bcl 17, 21, 23

Benign tumors 3, 5

Biomarkers 17, , 29, 30, 31

BRCA 31

C

Canine 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 19,

19, 22, 23, 24, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34

Canine distemper 1

Canine Mammary Tumors 1, , 5, 7, 8, 13, 17,

19, 29, 32, 33

Canine parvoviral diarrhoea 1

Carcinogenesis 10, 25

CHEK2 15

Classification and Grading 7

Companion animals 1, 9

COX inhibitors 21, 26

Cyclooxygenases 23, 26, 35

D

Deracoxib 21, 26

Diagnosis 19, 20

Doxorubicin 21

E

EMT 17, 25

Epidemiology 11

Estrogen receptors 20

FGFR2 15

Date:

Objective: To get acquainted with classmates.

Description: This is the first lab activity and has been designed to make the students feel comfortable in their new surroundings. The aim is also to help them get acquainted with their classmates as they are still new to each other. This short fun activity will help them mingle and set the tone for upcoming activities.

Date:

Objective: To understand communication process and its elements.

Description: Communication is the process by which a person shares knowledge, feelings, ideas, and information, etc. with another person(s) in such a way that each gains a common understanding about the meaning and intent of the message. Major functions of communication include sharing information, issuing instructions, persuasion and motivation. There are several elements in communication process. Anyone who takes the initiative and starts the communication process is called the source or communicator. The intended recipient of the communication content is called as the receiver. Any sign or symbol which has the same meaning for the source and the receiver is called is the message. Receiver is the intended recipient of the message and what the communicator hopes to accomplish is the objective of communication process.

Date:

Objective: To understand the significance of non-verbal communication.

Description: Non verbal communication refers to communication without the use of words. It can encompass a wide range of communication behaviour from body language to choice and use of architectural objects. It is used for repeating, substituting, complementing, regulating verbal messages and deceiving. Some of the common non verbal means of communication include: Gestures: Gestures are movement of body parts and kinesics refers to the study of body movement.

Date:

Objective: To understand the importance of paralanguage in verbal communication.

Description: Paralanguage is the variation in voice and includes vocal characteristics such as pitch, range, resonance, tempo, etc. Though it is an integral part of verbal communication, it is quite distinct from the actual signs and symbols that are used by the communicator.

Date:

Objective: To practice giving appropriate feedback.

Description: Communication is a cyclic process. The message originates from the source and is reaches the receiver. The receiver then decodes the message (i.e; makes sense)and sends a message back to the sender to convey his/her understanding or agreement with the message that has been received. Feedback not only completes the communication cycle, but also takes the process forward.