lntemet utilization and academic activities of faculty members in the universities of Kerala : an analytical study

This thesis Entitled Internet Utilization and Academic Activities of Faculty Members in the Universities of kerala: an analytical study. Today, scientific research is throwing up new discoveries, inventions and vistas by the hour. We are witnessing a veritable knowledge explosion. It is important for members of university faculty members to keep abreast of it for giving up-t-date information to their students about the new development in the subject of their study. The internet is an invaluable tool for achieving it. Most of the universities have sufficient internet facility, but the accessibility to all the faculty members is not adequate. University Libraries also provides standard supplementary service in the internet area. This study indicates differential level of awareness and utilization of the internet services by the faculty members in the areas of teaching, research and publication. However the overall impression is that the awareness and utilization is inadequate. This point to the urgent need to devise programs and schemes to promote internet utilization among the faculty members. The suggestions indicate the key areas that deserve attention by policy makers and administrators. Thanks to the internet, every new development in every field of study is just a click away for faculty members, research scholars and students.

Studies on the utilization of selected species of Sharks

This thesis Entitled Studies on the Utilization of selected Species of sharks. The present study is the result of work carried out for 5 years, during the period from April, 1983 to March 1988. The materials were collected from the catches of the Government of India vessels, operated along the south west coast of India and landed in the Integrated Fisheries Project, Cochin—16. The sharks were caught by different types of gears such as bottom trawls, pelagic trawls, long line etc. A number of species of sharks were landed during this period and three species were selected for the present study namely Scoliodon palasorra (bleeker 1853, grey Shark), Carcharhinus limbatus (valenciennes 1839,black tip shark ) and centrophorus granulosus (bloch and schneider 1801 ,spiny shark). During this study period the quantity of shark utilized was 12,55,942 kg out of which 9.71% used for the production of Dressed shark; 36.21% for the production of Fillets; 49.09% converted into Dried shark and 4.99% was domesticallyy marketed as whole form. Besides this 526 kg of dried shark fin and 289.25 kg of shark fin rays were produced.The effect of Smoking of shark fillets and minced meat at different temperature were also studied during this period. Canning of cooked shark meat, smoked fillets and fish balls were carried out in media like brine, vegetable oil, tomato sauce etc. The quality of smoked fillets in vegetable oil was found superior to other canned products from shark meat.During this study an attempt was also made to evaluate the commercial processing of shark resources and found feasible.

Utilization of rice by-products in rubber

The thesis consists of seven chapters. The first chapter is a general introduction on rice by-products, their composition and utilization at present. The different milling processes adopted in paddy and the major by-products obtained from these processes viz. rice husk, rice bran, rice bran oil and rice husk ash are described. The physical properties and chemical composition of the rice husk and its general uses are given in detail. The chemical composition of the rice bran and its separation from paddy is also included. The details of solvent extraction process used for obtaining rice bran oil and also its chemical constitution is discussed in this chapter. Also described is the preparation and the different uses of rice husk ash. A literature survey is also done on the utilization of rice by-products in rubber and plastics as on today. The scope and objectives of the present study is also included at the end of this chapter.

Studies on the digestive enzymes of the Indian white prawn Penaeus indicus H. Milne Edwards

The efficiency of a diet not only depends on its nutrient composition and nutrient balance but also on the effective utilization by the animal. In the utilization of dietary nutrients, the digestive enzymes play the crucial role of catalysing the hydrolytic reactions, splitting the macromolecules into simple absorbable molecules. The activity of these biocatalysts is regulated by alterations in pH, temperature, substrate type and concentrations, and also by the presence of activators and inhibitors. Thus any shift from the optimum conditions necessary for these enzymes may affect their activity, thereby correspondingly modify the digestibility of the nutrients supplied to the animals. Thus, investigations on the important digestive enzymes and their preferential conditions of activity are essential, so that the results obtained could be used in rationally adjusting the quality and quantity of feed supplied to the different stages of prawns In India, directed research on nutritional physiology and biochemical approaches to digestion in commercially important prawns is taken up_ only recently, and the field is still in an infant stage. In view of its emerging importance it is identified as an area of priority and the present investigation has been carried out on the Indian white prawn Penaeus indicus

Rashtriya Swasthya Bhima Yojana-Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (Rsby-Chis) In Kerala: A Study On The Effectiveness And Utilization Of The Scheme With Special Reference To Ernakulam And Wayanad Districts

Health insurance has become a necessity for the common man, next to food, clothing and shelter. The financing of health expense is either catastrophic or sometimes even frequently contracted illnesses, is a major cause of mental agony for the common man. The cost of care may sometimes result in the complete erosion of the family savings or may even lead to indebtedness as many studies on causes of rural indebtedness bear testimony (Jayalakshmi, 2006). A suitable cover by way of health insurance is all that is required to cope with such situations. Health care insurance rightly provides the mechanism for both individuals and families to mitigate the financial burden of medical expenses in the present context. Hence a well designed affordable health insurance policy is the need of the hour.Therefore, it is very significant to study the extent to which the beneficiaries in Kerala make use of the benefits provided by a social health insurance scheme like RSBY-CHIS. Based on the above pertinent points, this study assumes national relevance even though the geographical area of the study is limited to two districts of Kerala. The findings of the study will bring forth valuable inputs on the services availed by the beneficiaries of RSBYCHIS and take appropriate measures to improve the effectiveness of the scheme whereby maximum quality benefit could be availed by the poorest of the poor and develop the scheme as a real dawn of the new era of health for them

“Studies on extracellular enzyme production during growth of Pleurotus sp. on lignocellulosic agriwaste and the utilization of spent mushroom substrate”

Commercially, Pleurotus spp. of mushroom are cultivated in bags. After mushroom cultivation, spent substrate remains as residual material. Proper recycling of spent substrate is beneficial for our economy. Spent substrate can be utilized for various other value added purposes through the proper knowledge of its components. Composition of various components depends on the activity of extracellular enzymes in the spent substrate. The present study was conducted to know the enzyme profile of some major extracellular enzymes - cellulase, hemicellulase (xylanase), pectinase and ligninase (lignin peroxidase and laccase) and to estimate cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and lignin in the substrate. The use of spent substrate as a source of fibre and ethanol, and in the biodegradation of phenol by Pleurotus spp. was also investigated

Pilot Plant Studies On The Utilization Of Industrial Wastes For Industrial Bitumen Manufacture

The main objectives of the investigations reported in the present thesis are the following: (1) to find out some industrial wastes as cheaper additives to augment the air-blowing polymerization process of bitumen. This will bring down the cost of production of industrial bitumen which can be applied for the manufacture of bitumenous paints, roofing and flooring materials etc. (2) to find out suitable promoters for the above additives. This will bring down the consumption of the additives (3) to help in the industrial pollution control (4) to investigate the usefulness of the industrial bitumen produced in the production of bituminous paints (5) to find out thekinetic parameters of the reactions invovled with different additives. This is essential for the design, construction and operation of new industrial bitumen plants using the additives investigated. This will also enable us to establish the mechanism of the reactions involved in the process

Depth wise variation of microbial load in the soils of midland region of Kerala: a function of important soil physicochemical characteristics and nutrients

Soil microorganisms play a main part in organic matter decomposition and are consequently necessary to soil ecosystem processes maintaining primary productivity of plants. In light of current concerns about the impact of cultivation and climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem performance, it is vital to expand a complete understanding of the microbial community ecology in our soils. In the present study we measured the depth wise profile of microbial load in relation with important soil physicochemical characteristics (soil temperature, soil pH, moisture content, organic carbon and available NPK) of the soil samples collected from Mahatma Gandhi University Campus, Kottayam (midland region of Kerala). Soil cores (30 cm deep) were taken and the cores were separated into three 10-cm depths to examine depth wise distribution. In the present study, bacterial load ranged from 141×105 to 271×105 CFU/g (10cm depth), from 80×105 to 131×105 CFU/g (20cm depth) and from 260×104 to 47×105 CFU/g (30cm depth). Fungal load varies from 124×103 to 27×104 CFU/g, from 61×103 to110×103 CFU/g and from 16×103 to 49×103 CFU/g at 10, 20 and 30 cm respectively. Actinomycetes count ranged from 129×103 to 60×104 CFU/g (10cm), from 70×103 to 31×104 CFU/g (20cm) and from 14×103 to 66×103 CFU/g (30cm). The study revealed that there was a significant difference in the depthwise distribution of microbial load and soil physico-chemical properties. Bacterial, fungal and actinomycetes load showed a decreasing trend with increasing depth at all the sites. Except pH all other physicochemical properties showed decreasing trend with increasing depth. The vertical profile of total microbial load was well matched with the depthwise profiles of soil nutrients and organic carbon that is microbial load was highest at the soil surface where organics and nutrients were highest

Spatial and Temporal Variation of Microbial Population in the Grassland Soils of Tropical Montane Forest: Influence of Soil Physico-Chemical Characteristics and Nutrients

Present study is focused on the spatiotemporal variation of the microbial population (bacteria, fungus and actinomycetes) in the grassland soils of tropical montane forest and its relation with important soil physico-chemical characteristics and nutrients. Different physico-chemical properties of the soil such as temperature, moisture content, organic carbon, available nitrogen, available phosphorous and available potassium have been studied. Results of the present study revealed that both microbial load and soil characteristics showed spatiotemporal variation. Microbial population of the grassland soils were characterized by high load of bacteria followed by fungus and actinomycetes. Microbial load was high during pre monsoon season, followed by post monsoon and monsoon. The microbial load varied with important soil physico-chemical properties and nutrients. Organic carbon content, available nitrogen and available phosphorous were positively correlated with bacterial load and the correlation is significant at 0.05 and 0.01 levels respectively. Available nitrogen and available phosphorous were positively correlated with fungus at 0.05 level significance. Moisture content was negatively correlated with actinomycetes at 0.01 level of significance. Organic carbon negatively correlated with actinomycetes load at 0.05 level of significance

Utilization of prawn waste for chitinase production by the marine fungus Beauveria bassiana by solid state fermentation

Prawn waste, a chitinous solid waste of the shell®sh processing industry, was used as a substrate for chitinase production by the marine fungus Beauveria bassiana BTMF S10, in a solid state fermentation (SSF) culture. The process parameters in¯uencing SSF were optimized. A maximum chitinase yield of 248.0 units/g initial dry substrate (U/gIDS) was obtained in a medium containing a 5:1 ratio (w/v) of prawn waste/sea water, 1% (w/w) NaCl, 2.5% (w/w) KH2PO4, 425±600 lm substrate particle size at 27 °C, initial pH 9.5, and after 5 days of incubation. The presence of yeast extract reduced chitinase yield. The results indicate scope for the utilization of shell®sh processing (prawn) waste for the industrial production of chitinase by using solid state fermentation.

Valorization of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) fruit processing by-products and wastes using bioprocess technology – Review

The date palm Phoenix dactylifera has played an important role in the day-to-day life of the people for the last 7000 years. Today worldwide production, utilization and industrialization of dates are continuously increasing since date fruits have earned great importance in human nutrition owing to their rich content of essential nutrients. Tons of date palm fruit wastes are discarded daily by the date processing industries leading to environmental problems. Wastes such as date pits represent an average of 10% of the date fruits. Thus, there is an urgent need to find suitable applications for this waste. In spite of several studies on date palm cultivation, their utilization and scope for utilizing date fruit in therapeutic applications, very few reviews are available and they are limited to the chemistry and pharmacology of the date fruits and phytochemical composition, nutritional significance and potential health benefits of date fruit consumption. In this context, in the present review the prospects of valorization of these date fruit processing by-products and wastes’ employing fermentation and enzyme processing technologies towards total utilization of this valuable commodity for the production of biofuels, biopolymers, biosurfactants, organic acids, antibiotics, industrial enzymes and other possible industrial chemicals are discussed

Seasonal Variability Of Dissolved Nutrients In Mangrove Ecosystems Along South West Coast Of Kerala, India

The mangroves of Kerala are fast disappearing due to developmental activities.There are very few studies conducted in the chemical aspects of these ecosystems.The main objective of this study is to assess the spatial and seasonal variation of hydrographical as well as nutrients in mangrove ecosystems along Kerala coast. Five sampling sites least intervened by industries were selected for the study. Sampling was done for a period of six months in monthly intervals. A monsoonal hike of dissolved nutrients was observed in all ecosystems except in the constructed mangrove wetland. The constructed wetland exhibited a different hydrography and nutrient level in all seasons. The mangrove forest in this area consists of the species Bruguiera gymnorrhiza which has been planted since forty years.

Utilization of waste expanded polystyrene: Blends with silica-filled natural rubber

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) constitutes a considerable part of thermoplastic waste in the environment in terms of volume. In this study, this waste material has been utilized for blending with silica-reinforced natural rubber (NR). The NR/EPS (35/5) blends were prepared by melt mixing in a Brabender Plasticorder. Since NR and EPS are incompatible and immiscible a method has been devised to improve compatibility. For this, EPS and NR were initially grafted with maleic anhydride (MA) using dicumyl peroxide (DCP) to give a graft copolymer. Grafting was confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy. This grafted blend was subsequently blended with more of NR during mill compounding. Morphological studies using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed better dispersion of EPS in the compatibilized blend compared to the noncompatibilized blend. By this technique, the tensile strength, elongation at break, modulus, tear strength, compression set and hardness of the blend were found to be either at par with or better than that of virgin silica filled NR compound. It is also noted that the thermal properties of the blends are equivalent with that of virgin NR. The study establishes the potential of this method for utilising waste EPS

Utilization Of Weeds And Agriwaste By Popularizing Handpapermaking In Kerala, India

Kerala in south India grows several cash crops such as banana and pineapple, the crop residues of which are sources of natural fibres that can be used in hand papermaking. Kerala, however, does not have a tradition in hand papermaking. The following is an account of an attempt to popularize the art and craft of hand papermaking among self-help groups as a means of self-employment and waste utilization, using fibres extracted from agriwaste and local plants

Utilization of aquatic macrophyte Spirodela polyrhiza as phytotoxicological assessment and phytoremediation tool in selected polluted wetland sites in Ernakulam district

One of the objectives of the current investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of Spirodela polyrhiza to remove heavy metals and other contaminants from the water samples collected from wetland sites of Eloor and Kannamaly under controlled conditions .The results obtained from the current study suggest that the test material S. polyrrhiza should be used in the biomonitoring and phytoremediation of municipal, agricultural and industrial effluents because of their simplicity, sensitivity and cost-effectiveness. The study throws light on the potential of this plant which can be used as an assessment tool in two diverse wetland in Ernakulum district. The results show the usefulness of combining physicochemical analysis with bioassays as such approach ensures better understanding of the toxicity of chemical pollutants and their influence on plant health. The results shows the suitability of Spirodela plant for surface water quality assessment as all selected parameters showed consistency with respect to water samples collected over a 3-monitoring periods. Similarly the relationship between the change in exposure period (2, 4 and 8 days) with the parameters were also studied in detail. Spirodela are consistent test material as they are homogeneous plant material; due to predominantly vegetative reproduction. New fronds are formed by clonal propagation thus, producing a population of genetically homogeneous plants. The result is small variability between treated individuals. It has been observed that phytoremediation of water samples collected from Eloor and Kannamaly using the floating plant system is a predominant method which is economic to construct, requires little maintenance and eco friendly.