Coral Reef Ecosystem of Lakshadweep Archipelago –A Biogeochemical Facsimile

The present study focuses on the biochemical aspects of six islands belonging to Lakshadweep Archipelago – namely Kavaratti, Kadamath, Kiltan, Androth, Agathy and Minicoy. Lakshadweep, which is an area biologically significant due to isolation from the major coastline, remains as one of the least studied areas in Indian Ocean. The work, processed out the distributional pattern of trace metals among the biotic (corols, sea weeds and sea grass) and abiotic component (sediments) of ecosystem. An effort is made to picturise the spatial distribution pattern of different forms of nitrogen and phosphorus in the various sedimentary environments of the study area. Studies on the biogeochemical and nutrient aspects of the concerned study area scanty. In Lakshadweep, the local life is very dependent on reefs and its resources. The important stress which produce a threatening effort on the existence for coral reefs are anthropogenic-namely-organic and inorganic pollution from sewage, agricultural and industrial waters, sediment damage from excessive land cleaning, and over exploitation particularly through destructive fishing methods. In addition these one other more localized or less service anthropogenic stress: pollution by oil and other hydrocarbons, complex organic molecular and heavy metal pollution, and destructive engineering practices.

Biochemical Effect of Dicarboxylic Acids on Oxalate Metabolism in Experimental Rats and Studies on Oxalate Degrading Bacteria

The current study is an attempt to find a means of lowering oxalate concentration in individuals susceptible to recurrent calcium oxalate stone disease.The formation of renal stone composed of calcium oxalate is a complex process that remains poorly understood and treatment of idiopathic recurrent stone formers is quite difficult and this area has attracted lots of research workers. The main objective of this work are to study the effect of certain mono and dicarboxylic acids on calcium oxalate crystal growth in vitro, isolation and characterization of oxalate degrading bacteria, study the biochemical effect of sodium glycollate and dicarboxylic acids on oxalate metabolism in experimental stone forming rats and To investigate the effect of dicarboxylic acids on oxalate metabolism in experimental hyperoxaluric rats. Oxalic acid is one of the most highly oxidized organic compound widely distributed in the diets of man and animals, and ingestion of plants that contain high concentration of oxalate may lead to intoxication. Excessive ingestion of dietary oxalate may lead to hyperoxaluria and calcium oxalate stone disease.The formation of calcium oxalate stone in the urine is dependent on the saturation level of both calcium and oxalate. Thus the management of one or both of these ions in individuals susceptible to urolithiasis appears to be important. The control of endogenous oxalate synthesis from its precursors in hyperoxaluric situation is likely to yield beneficial results and can be a useful approach in the medical management of urinary stones. A variety of compounds have been investigated to curtain endogenous oxalate synthesis which is a crucial factor, most of these compounds have not proved to be effective in the in vivo situation and some of them are not free from the toxic effect. The non-operative management of stone disease has been practiced in ancient India in the three famous indigenous systems of medicine, Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha, and proved to be effective.However the efficiency of most of these substances is still questionable and demands further study. Man as well as other mammals cannot metabolize oxalic acid. Excessive ingestion of oxalic acid can arise from oxalate rich food and from its major metabolic precursors, glycollate, glyoxylate and ascorbic acid can lead to an acute oxalate toxicity. Increasedlevels of circulating oxalate, which can result in a variety of diseases including renal failure and oxalate lithiasis. The ability to enzymatically degrade oxalate to less noxious Isubstances, formate and CO2, could benefit a great number of individuals including those afflicted with hyperoxaluria and calcium oxalate stone disease.

Physiological and Genetic Diversity Studies on Regeneration of Santalum Album L.

S. album L. is the source of highly priced and fragrant heartwood which on steam distillation yields on an average 57 per cent oil of high perfumery value. Global demand for sandalwood is about 5000-6000 tons/year and that of oil is 100 tons/year. Heartwood of sandal is estimated to fetch up to Rs. 3.7 million/ton and wood oil Rs.70,000-100,000/ kg in the international market. Sandal heartwood prices have increased from Rs. 365/ton in 1900 to Rs. 6.5 lakhs/ton in 1999-2000 and to Rs. 37 lakhs/ton in 2007. Substantial decline in sandalwood production has occurred from 3176 tons/year during 1960-‘ 65 to 1500 tons/year in 1997-98, and to 500 tons/year in 2007.Depletion of sandal resources is attributed to several factors, both natural and anthropogenic. Low seed setting, poor seed germination, seedling mortality, lack of haustorial connection with host plant roots, recurrent annual fires in natural sandal forests, lopping of trees for fodder, excessive grazing, hacking, encroachments, seedling diseases and spread of sandal spike disease are the major problems facing sandal. While these factors hinder sandal regeneration in forest areas, the situation is accelerated by human activities of chronic overexploitation and illicit felling.Deterioration of natural sandal populations due to illicit felling, encroachments and diseases has an adverse effect on genetic diversity of the species. The loss of genetic diversity has aggravated during recent years due to extensive logging, changing landuse patterns and poor natural regeneration. The consequent genetic erosion is of serious concern affecting tree improvement programme in sandal. Conservation as well as mass propagation are the two strategies to be given due importance. To initiate any conservation programme, precise knowledge of the factors influencing regeneration and survival of the species is essential. Hence, the present study was undertaken with the objective of investigating the autotrophic and parasitic phase of sandal seedlings growth, the effects of shade on morphology, chlorophyll concentration and chlorophyll fluorescence of sandal seedlings, genetic diversity in sandal seed stands using ISSR markers, and the diversity of fungal isolates causing sandal seedling wilt using RAPD markers. All these factors directly influence regeneration and survival of sandal seedlings in natural forests and plantations.

A Study on the Engineering Behaviour of Grouted Loose Soils

The constructional activities in the coastal belt of our country often demand deep foundations because of the poor engineering properties and the related problems arising from weak soil at shallow depths.The soil profile in coastal area often consists of very loose sandy soils extending to a depth of 3 to 4 m from the ground level underlain by clayey soils of medium consistency.The very low shearing resistance of the foundation bed causes local as well as punching shear failure.Hence structures built on these soils may suffer from excessive settlements.This type of soil profile is very common in coastal areas of Kerala,especially in Cochin. Further,the high water table and limited depth of the top sandy layer in these areas restrict the depth of foundation thereby further reducing the safe bearing capacity.

A Study on the Water Retention Characteristics of Soils and their Improvements

Soil moisture plays a cardinal role in sustaining eclological balance and agricultural development – virtually the very existence of life on earth. Because of the growing shortage of water resources, we have to use the available water most efficiently by proper management. Better utilization of rainfall or irrigation management depends largely on the water retention characteristics of the soil.Soil water retention is essential to life and it provides an ongoing supply of water to plants between periods of irrigation so as to allow their continued growth and survival.It is essential to maintain readily available water in the soil if crops are to sustain satisfactory growth. The plant growth may be retarded if the soil moisture is either deficient or excessive. The optimum moisture content is that moisture which leads to optimum growth of plant. When watering is done, the amount of water supplied should be such that the water content is equal to the field capacity that is the water remained in the saturated soil after gravitational drainage. Water will gradually be utilized consumptively by plants after the water application, and the soil moisture will start falling. When the water content in the soil reaches the value known as permanent wilting point (when the plant starts wilting) fresh dose of irrigation may be done so that water content is again raised to the field capacity of soil.Soil differ themselves in some or all the properties depending on the difference in the geotechnical and environmental factors. Soils serve as a reservoir of the nutrients and water required for crops.Study of soil and its water holding capacity is essential for the efficient utilization of irrigation water. Hence the identification of the geotechnical parameters which influence the water retention capacity, chemical properties which influence the nutrients and the method to improve these properties have vital importance in irrigation / agricultural engineering. An attempt in this direction has been made in this study by conducting the required tests on different types of soil samples collected from various locations in Trivandrum district Kerala, with and without admixtures like coir pith, coir pith compost and vermi compost. Evaluation of the results are presented and a design procedure has been proposed for a better irrigation scheduling and management.

Performance of Gabion Faced Reinforced Earth Retaining Walls

Gabion faced re.taining walls are essentially semi rigid structures that can generally accommodate large lateral and vertical movements without excessive structural distress. Because of this inherent feature, they offer technical and economical advantage over the conventional concrete gravity retaining walls. Although they can be constructed either as gravity type or reinforced soil type, this work mainly deals with gabion faced reinforced earth walls as they are more suitable to larger heights. The main focus of the present investigation was the development of a viable plane strain two dimensional non linear finite element analysis code which can predict the stress - strain behaviour of gabion faced retaining walls - both gravity type and reinforced soil type. The gabion facing, backfill soil, In - situ soil and foundation soil were modelled using 20 four noded isoparametric quadrilateral elements. The confinement provided by the gabion boxes was converted into an induced apparent cohesion as per the membrane correction theory proposed by Henkel and Gilbert (1952). The mesh reinforcement was modelled using 20 two noded linear truss elements. The interactions between the soil and the mesh reinforcement as well as the facing and backfill were modelled using 20 four noded zero thickness line interface elements (Desai et al., 1974) by incorporating the nonlinear hyperbolic formulation for the tangential shear stiffness. The well known hyperbolic formulation by Ouncan and Chang (1970) was used for modelling the non - linearity of the soil matrix. The failure of soil matrix, gabion facing and the interfaces were modelled using Mohr - Coulomb failure criterion. The construction stages were also modelled.Experimental investigations were conducted on small scale model walls (both in field as well as in laboratory) to suggest an alternative fill material for the gabion faced retaining walls. The same were also used to validate the finite element programme developed as a part of the study. The studies were conducted using different types of gabion fill materials. The variation was achieved by placing coarse aggregate and quarry dust in different proportions as layers one above the other or they were mixed together in the required proportions. The deformation of the wall face was measured and the behaviour of the walls with the variation of fill materials was analysed. It was seen that 25% of the fill material in gabions can be replaced by a soft material (any locally available material) without affecting the deformation behaviour to large extents. In circumstances where deformation can be allowed to some extents, even up to 50% replacement with soft material can be possible.The developed finite element code was validated using experimental test results and other published results. Encouraged by the close comparison between the theory and experiments, an extensive and systematic parametric study was conducted, in order to gain a closer understanding of the behaviour of the system. Geometric parameters as well as material parameters were varied to understand their effect on the behaviour of the walls. The final phase of the study consisted of developing a simplified method for the design of gabion faced retaining walls. The design was based on the limit state method considering both the stability and deformation criteria. The design parameters were selected for the system and converted to dimensionless parameters. Thus the procedure for fixing the dimensions of the wall was simplified by eliminating the conventional trial and error procedure. Handy design charts were developed which would prove as a hands - on - tool to the design engineers at site. Economic studies were also conducted to prove the cost effectiveness of the structures with respect to the conventional RCC gravity walls and cost prediction models and cost breakdown ratios were proposed. The studies as a whole are expected to contribute substantially to understand the actual behaviour of gabion faced retaining wall systems with particular reference to the lateral deformations.

Preparation and Characterization ofHigh-k Aluminum Oxide Thin Films by Atomic Layer Deposition for Gate Dielectric Applications

Present work deals with the Preparation and characterization of high-k aluminum oxide thin films by atomic layer deposition for gate dielectric applications.The ever-increasing demand for functionality and speed for semiconductor applications requires enhanced performance, which is achieved by the continuous miniaturization of CMOS dimensions. Because of this miniaturization, several parameters, such as the dielectric thickness, come within reach of their physical limit. As the required oxide thickness approaches the sub- l nm range, SiO 2 become unsuitable as a gate dielectric because its limited physical thickness results in excessive leakage current through the gate stack, affecting the long-term reliability of the device. This leakage issue is solved in the 45 mn technology node by the integration of high-k based gate dielectrics, as their higher k-value allows a physically thicker layer while targeting the same capacitance and Equivalent Oxide Thickness (EOT). Moreover, Intel announced that Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) would be applied to grow these materials on the Si substrate. ALD is based on the sequential use of self-limiting surface reactions of a metallic and oxidizing precursor. This self-limiting feature allows control of material growth and properties at the atomic level, which makes ALD well-suited for the deposition of highly uniform and conformal layers in CMOS devices, even if these have challenging 3D topologies with high aspect-ratios. ALD has currently acquired the status of state-of-the-art and most preferred deposition technique, for producing nano layers of various materials of technological importance. This technique can be adapted to different situations where precision in thickness and perfection in structures are required, especially in the microelectronic scenario.

A critical study of major construction projects in kerala vis-a-vis effectiveness in project implementation

Chapter 1 presents a brief note on the state at which the construction industry stands at present, bringing into focus the significance of the critical study. Relevance of the study, area of investigation and objectives of the study are outlined in this chapter. The 2nd chapter presents a review of the literature on the relevant areas. In the third chapter an analysis on time and cost overrun in construction highlighting the major factors responsible for it has been done. A couple of case studies to estimate loss to the nation on account of delay in construction have been presented in the chapter. The need for an appropriate estimate and a competent contractor has been emphasised for improving effectiveness in the project implementation. Certain useful equations and thoughts have been formulated on this area in this chapter that can be followed in State PWD and other Govt. organisations. Case studies on project implementation of major projects undertaken by Government sponsored/supported organizations in Kerala have been dealt with in Chapter 4. A detailed description of the project of Kerala Legislature Complex with a critical analysis has been given in this chapter. A detailed account of the investigations carried out on the construction of International Stadium, a sports project of Greater Cochin Development Authority is included here. The project details of Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery, its promoters and contractors are also discussed in Chapter 4. Various aspects of implementation which led the above projects successful have been discussed in chapter 5. The data collected were analysed through discussion and perceptions to arrive at certain conclusions. The emergence of front-loaded contract and its impact on economics of the project execution are dealt with in this chapter. Analysis of delays in respect of the various project narrated in chapter 3 has been done here. The root causes of the project time and overrun and its remedial measures are also enlisted in this chapter. Study of cost and time overrun of any construction project IS a part of construction management. Under the present environment of heavy investment on construction activities in India, the consequences of mismanagement many a time lead to excessive expenditure which are not be avoidable. Cost consciousness, therefore has to be keener than ever before. Optimization in investment can be achieved by improved dynamism in construction management. The successful completion of coristruction projects within the specified programme, optimizing three major attributes of the process - quality, schedule and costs - has become the most valuable and challenging task for the engineer - managers to perform. So, the various aspects of construction management such as cost control, schedule control, quality assurance, management techniques etc. have also been discussed in this fifth chapter. Chapter 6 summarises the conclusions drawn from the above criticalr1 of rhajor construction projects in Kerala.

Application of Biofloc Technology (BFT) in the nursery rearing and farming of giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii (deMan)

In India a study conducted by CIFE and CIBA (1997), concluded that shrimp farming does more good than harm and it is not eco-unfriendly (Krishnan and Birthal, 2002). Upsurge in coastal aquaculture activity induced by high profitability is reported to have caused adverse impacts on coastal ecosystems and social environments (Parthasarathy and Nirmala, 2000). The crustacean farming sector has received criticism for excessive use of formulated feed containing high protein, of which around 50% gets accumulated at the pond bottom as unconsumed (Avnimelech, 1999; Hari et al., 2004, 2006). The wasted feeds undergo the process of degradation and results in the release of toxic metabolites to the culture system. Reduction of protein in the feed, manipulation and utilisation of natural food in the culture system are the remedy for the above problems. But before reducing the feed protein, it should be confirmed that the feed with reduced protein is not affecting the growth and health of the cultured animal. In the present study, biofloc technology is identified as one of the innovative technologies for ensuring the ecological and environmental Sustainability and examines the compatibility of BFT for the sustainable aquaculture of giant prawn, M. rosenbergii. This thesis starts with a general introduction (Chapter-1), a brief review of the most relevant literature (Chapter-2), results of various experiments (Chapter-3-6), summary (Chapter-7) and recommendations and future research perspectives in the field of biofloc based aquaculture (Chapter – 8). The major objectives of this thesis are, to improve the ecological and economical sustainability of prawn farming by the applicationof BFT and to improve the nutrient utilisation in aquaculture systems.

Studies on some aspects of the reproductive physiology of the female grey mullet mugil cephalus l.

Aquaculture is the dynamic pursuit of production of organisms from water a process analogous to agriculture on land. The field of aquaculture is an emerging bioindustry, based upon the culture and husbandry of economically utilizable aquatic organisms. Of late, there has been a global upsurge for aquaculture, the main reasons for which include the requirement of protein source for the increasing world population, the decision by various world nations to increase the fish yield by developing unutilized or partially utilized water bodies and depletion of natural stock which is evident in recent years due to excessive exploitation .The present study has been taken up on the reproductive physiology of the female grey mullet, M. cephalus. The thesis is presented in seven chapters. In the present study, variations in the major biochemical parameters namely, moisture, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates cholesterol, carotenoid, ash, calcium and iron in four tissues E. muscle, liver, ovary and bloodserum of cephalus have been analysed at different maturity stages.

"|mpact of trawling on sea bottom and its living communities along the inshore waters of southwest coast of India'’

Mechanized fishing started in Indian waters in mid —fifties and large-scale operation of trawl fishing began in the mid sixties by the surfeit of individual entrepreneurs. The southwest coast of India especially the coastal waters of Kerala are the most productive area in the subcontinent and the state has been in the forefront in marine fish production (Kurup, 2001a). Though the coastline of Kerala is one tenth of the coastline of India, the state occupies the foremost position in the marine fish production of the country, accounting for more than 30% of the marine fish landings (Thomas, 2000). The coastal waters of Kerala have rich and diversified fishery resources, which are prone to heavy exploitation by a unprecedently high number of fishing gears, among them, mechanized bottom trawlers with a numerical strength of 4550 (Kurup, 2001a) against the permissible number of 1145 (Kalawar, et al., 1985) are the most destructive. Trawling operations during monsoon periods in Kerala has been a subject of controversy between traditional fishermen and trawl fishers on a subject that trawl fishing destroys large amount of juveniles and young ones of fishes since this period is the major breeding season of most of the fish and prawns (John, 1996). Therefore Government of Kerala imposed a ban on bottom trawling activities from 1988 onwards for a period varying from 21-70 days, which usually commences from June 15th. Though many studies revealed that large amount of non-target groups were destroyed in the commercial trawl fishing in the Indian waters, no concerted study has been conducted so far to evaluate the real impact of bottom trawling on the sea bottom and its living communities. The present study was conducted to assess the impact of excessive bottom trawling exerted on the sea bottom habitat and its living communities, which would be useful in impressing up on the seriousness of habitat degradation and biotic devastation, enabling the concerned to adopt relevant conservation and management steps to conserve the resources for sustainable exploitation

Role of social pressure as a key contributor of materialism and related status consumption

“At resale stores I have seen brand new clothes with original price tag still hanging from the sleeve. Some children have so many toys that they stay frustrated, not knowing which one to pick up for their next amusement. Presumably sensible adults trade in perfectly good cars just to have something shinier and newer. Didn’t us once live productive normal lives, without all these gadgets” [Cunningham (2005)]. During late eighties, nearly forty four percent of the participants, who took part in a consumer survey conducted in the US, responded positively to the question “My closets are filled with still 2 unopened items” [Faber and O’Guinn (1988)]. Reading such excerpts does not greatly surprise us anymore; as such reports have become common now. For many people shopping has moved beyond something that caters to their needs and wants and has become a hobby [Cunningham (2005)], an activity that they engage in to satisfy their hedonistic or pleasure-seeking goals [Ramnathan and Menon(2006), O’Cass and McEween (2004), Faber and O’Guinn (1989)]. Others look at their new possession as something that fills a void in their lives [Belk (1985), Diener et al. (1993)].

“Assessment of Heavy Metals in the Environmental Compartments of the Central and Northern Coast of Kerala, India”

The nearshore marine ecosystem is a dynamic environment impacted by many activities, especially the coastal waters and sediments contiguous to major urban areas. Although heavy metals are natural constituents of the marine environment, inputs are considered to be conservative pollutants and are potentially toxic, accumulate in the sediment, are bioconcentrated by organisms and may cause health problems to humans via the food chain. A variety of metals in trace amounts are essential for biological processes in all organisms, but excessive levels can be detrimental by acting as enzyme inhibitors. Discharge of industrial wastewater, agriculture runoff and untreated sewage pose a particularly serious threat to the coastal environment of Kerala, but there is a dearth of studies in documenting the contaminant metals. This study aimed principally to assess such contamination by examining the results of heavy metal (Cu, Pb, Cr, Ni, Zn, Cd and Hg) analysis in seawater, sediment and benthic biota from a survey of five transects along the central and northern coast of Kerala in 2008 covering a 10.0 km stretch of near shore environment in each transect. Trophic transfer of metal contaminants from aquatic invertebrates to its predators was also assessed, by employing a suitable benthic food chain model in order to understand which all metals are undergoing biotransference (transfer of metals from a food source to consumer).The study of present contamination levels will be useful for potential environmental remediation and ecosystem restoration at contaminated sites and provides a scientific basis for standards and protective measures for the coastal waters and sediments. The usefulness of biomonitor proposed in this study would allow identification of different bioavailable metals as well as provide an assessment of the magnitude of metal contamination in the coastal marine milieu. The increments in concentration of certain metals between the predator and prey discerned through benthic food chain can be interpreted as evidence of biotransference.

Development of nitrifying bacterial consortia for immobilizing in nitrifying bioreactors designed for penaeid and non-penaeid larval rearing systems in the tropics

Two ammonia oxidizing (AMOPCU-1 and AMONPCU-1) and two nitrite oxidizing (NIOPCU-1 and NIONPCU-1) consortia for activating nitrifying bioreactors and thereby establishing nitrification in penaeid and non-penaeid hatchery systems were developed by enrichment. For further amplification of the consortia a simple medium having seawater (either salinity 30 ‰ or 15 ‰) as base, supplemented with NH4+-N/NO2--N and PO4- and pH adjusted to 8 was identified. During the amplification in a fermentor the consortia exhibited excessive wall growth and diminished their yield coefficient posing difficulty in harvesting the cells completely. The consortia consisted of both Gram negative and Gram-positive bacterial cells embedded in a mucilaginous matrix of glycocalyx - like material presumably composed of polysaccharides. The consortia besides being useful in activating nitrifying bioreactors developed for shrimp/prawn hatchery systems can also be used as bioaugmentors in the bioremediation of ammonia and nitrite toxicity in aquaculture systems.

Design and Programming of Cathodic Protection for SHIPS

In order to minimize the risk of failures or major renewals of hull structures during the ship's expected life span, it is imperative that the precaution must be taken with regard to an adequate margin of safety against any one or combination of failure modes including excessive yielding, buckling, brittle fracture, fatigue and corrosion. The most efficient system for combating underwater corrosion is 'cathodic protection'. The basic principle of this method is that the ship's structure is made cathodic, i.e. the anodic (corrosion) reactions are suppressed by the application of an opposing current and the ship is there by protected. This paper deals with state of art in cathodic protection and its programming in ship structure