NIR to UV absorption spectra and the optical constants of phthalocyanines in glassy medium

Optical absorption studies of phthalocyanines (Pc-s) in borate glass matrix have been reported for the first time. Measurements have been done corresponding to photon energies between 1.1 and 6.2 eV for free base, manganese, iron, nickel, molybdenum, cobalt and copper phthalocyanines. Several new discrete transitions are observed in the UV–vis region of the spectra in addition to a strong continuum component of absorption in the IR region. Values of some of the important optical constants viz. absorption coefficient (α), molar extinction coefficient (ε), absorption cross-section (σa), band width (Δλ), electric dipole strength (q2) and oscillator strength (f) for the relevant electronic transitions are also presented. All the data reported for Pc-s in the new matrix have been compared with those corresponding to solution, vapor and thin film media.

Synthesis, spectral and structural studies of transition metal complexes of N(4)-substituted semicarbazones

The thesis is an introduction to our attempts to evaluate the coordination behaviour of a few compounds of our interest. Semicarbazones and their metal complexes have been an active area of research during the past years because of the beneficial biological activities of these substances. Tridentate NNO semicarbazone systems formed from heterocyclic and aromatic carbonyl compounds and their transition metal complexes are well-authenticated compounds in this field and their synthesis and characterization are well desirable. Hence, we decided to develop a research program aimed at the synthesis and characterization of novel semicarbazones derived from 2-benzoylpyridine and 2-acetylpyridine and their transition metal complexes. In addition to various physicochemical methods of analysis, single crystal X—Ray diffraction studies were also used for the characterization of the complexes.

Studies on food and feeding of marine demersal finfishes with special reference to trophic interactions

Food and feeding habits of fourteen demersal finfishes exploited off the Karnataka coast were studied to investigate trophic interactions within the marine food web. Index of Relative Importance (lRI),Ontogenetic, seasonal (pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon) variation in feeding and prey-predator relationship studies were conducted.The results of prey-predator trophic interaction studies identified four major trophic guilds based on the predators feeding similarity.Trophic guild I is 'copepod and detritus fceders'with an average group similarity of 61.4%. The second trophic guild, 'prawn and crab feeders'with an average similarity of 52.7%. 'Acetes feeders', the largest trophic guild with an average group similarity of 62.5%, composed of six demersal finfish species.The guild 'piscivores' is constituted by C. limba/us and P. arsius with an average similarity of 45%.For each predator, ontogenetic diet shift is common and is characterized by prey of low to high trophic level.Strong selection of certain prey types was observed in some predators while most of them avoided abundant prey.In addition to Acetes spp, strong predation impact was observed for penaeid prawns, epibenthic crabs and detritus.This information on trophic guilds and prey-predator interactions can be used to construct trophic model on the benthic ecosystem off Karnataka and to investigate fishery induced changes as well as predation impact of different animals on commercially important demersals

Setilement of motor accidents claims with special reference to Kerala

The accident toll on our road traffic is staggering. Obviously this appalling toll of life and.health represents heavy economic loss in addition to human tragedy. the enormous increase in the number of motor vehicles with its rash, negligent and reckless use by unscrupulous, inexperienced and dangerous drivers in the most miserably managed roads coupled with concomitant hazards would draw our attention that Accident Prevention, and Accident compensation are thoroughly two compatiable aims. Proposed solutions to the traffic Problems abound. Preventive efforts concentrated on each of the variables the driver, the road and the vehicle are all being initiated. Still it is a Will the .Motor Vehicles are not considered as dangerous machines. Motoring activity is found useful.A competent and specially trained police force has to be created to deal with the traffic offences in a more scientific ways.The term ‘legal representative needs to be defined on the constructive aspects of relation and dependence.Services of legal aid and public counsels shall necessarily be extended to the poor Motor Accident victims.Timely reporting and timely investigation of Motor Accidents cases will reduce the number of fraudulent claims. There are instances where cases are taken in to investigation after several months of occurrence.It is hoped that the suggestions made above as a result of the present study, if pwgninto practice, may make a humble contribution to the prevention sssof motor accidents and to a faster and speedier settlement of motor accident compensation claims.

Systematics, Life history traits, abundance andstock assessment of cobia, Rachycentron canadum ( Linnaeus, 1766) occurring in Indian waters with special reference to the north west coast in India

This thesis entitled Systematics,life history traits ,abundance and stock assessment of cobia rachycentron canadum (linnaeus ,1766) occurring in indian waters with special reference to the northwest coast of india.Cobia, Rachycentron canadum is a fast growing pelagic fish belonging to the monotypic family Rachycentridae. They show worldwide distribution in tropical and sub tropical waters. Cobia is exploited commercially in various countries like Taiwan, Pakistan, India, United State of America, Australia, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Recreational fishery of Cobia exists in different parts of the world. In India Cobia is caught as bycatch of trawlers, gillnet and hook and line fishery.This study also focuses on to bring out the distribution pattern and also to assess the biomass and estimate sustainable yield of Cobia inhabiting in Indian EEZ. In addition to above, present study standardised live collection methods and also reviewed culture prospects.Results of osteological study and morphological studies indicate its close resemblance to Remora and support the view that Cobia was evolved from Dolphin fishes and remoras followed it. Study also confirmed that Cobia does not have any relative or similar species and is a monotypic species belonging to the family Rachycentridae. Re description of the species was done based on the characters identified. In this study, feeding intensity was also assessed following methods like Gastrosomatic index, Mean index of feeding intensity and Index of fullness. Sex wise, month wise and length group wise fluctuations in the feeding intensity also were studied. Cobia actively fed during post monsoon period. In general, adult fed actively than the juveniles. Trophic level value estimated (4.36) indicates that Cobia occupy top level position in the food chain.

Studies on polymer blends with special reference to NBR/PVC and CR/PVC blends

The study is undertaken on PVC blends because of their all-round importance-One of the most prominent needs of PVC in application end-use is permanent plasticizationlo. Butadiene-acrylonitrile rubber (NBR) has been utilized as permanent plasticizer for PVC since the 1940s for wire and cable insulation, food contact, and pondliners used for oil containment23'24. Also plasticized PVC has been added to vulcanizable nitrile rubber, to yield improved ozone, thermal ageing, and chemical resistance resulting in applications including fuel hose covers, gaskets, conveyor belt covers, and printing roll covers. This blend is miscible in the range of 23 to 45 per cent acrylonitrile content in the butadiene-acrylqnitrile copolymerzs. The first phase of the study was directed towards modification blends. These blends, in addition to the polymers, require a host of additives like curatives for the NBR phase and stabilizers for the PVC phase26of the existing PVC blends, especially NBR/PVC. The second phase of the study was directed towards the development of novel PVC based blends. Chloroprene rubber (polychloroprene) (CR) is structurally similar to PVC and hence is likely to form successful blends with PVC32.

An investigation on the effects of Ag addition in the powder — in tube processing of long multifilamentary (Bi,Pb) - 2223/Ag superconducting tapes

It is important that long superconducting tape must have desired strain tolerance (less reduction of Jc with applied strains) and stress tolerance (less reduction of JC in applied stresses) for its use as coils and magnets. Ag addition to the BPSCCO system has many advantages with its physical and chemical inertness to the system, reduces the processing temperature, and promotes the grain growth, grain alignment and connectivity. All these not only enhance the critical current density of the tapes but also improve the mechanical properties. But the published results show very much scattering on the type of Ag additive to be selected, method of addition and its optimum percentage. Also there are some negative reports in this regard. The present work has been undertaken to study the effect of silver addition in different forms (Ag powder, Ag2O, AgNO3) on the superconducting and mechanical properties of (Bi,Pb)-2223/Ag tapes and to find out a suitable form of Ag additive and its optimum percentage to have better superconducting and mechanical properties. Also it is the aim of the present work is to optimise the process parameters needed to prepare (Bi,Pb)-2223/Ag multifilamentary tapes of length ~ 12 m in solenoid and pancake coil forms with good critical current density and homogeneity of J C along the length of the tapes.

The ligating versatility of halides and pseudohalides in copper(II) complexes- monomers, dimers and chains”

The work embodied in this thesis was carried out by the author in the Department of Applied Chemistry, CUSAT, Kochi, during the period 2008-2013. The thesis brings to light, our attempts to evaluate the coordination behavior of some compounds of interest. The biological activities of semicarbazones and their metal complexes have been an active area of research during the past years because of their significant role in naturally occurring biological systems. Tridentate NNO and ONO semicarbazone systems formed from heterocyclic and aromatic carbonyl compounds and their transition metal complexes are well-authenticated compounds in this field and their synthesis, crystal structures and spectral studies are well desirable. Hence, we decided to develop a research program aimed at the syntheses, crystal structures and spectral studies of copper complexes with halides and pseudohalides. In addition to single crystal X-ray diffraction studies, various physico-chemical methods of analysis were also used for the characterization of the complexes

Faster techniques to evolve wavelet coefficients for better fingerprint image compression

In this article, techniques have been presented for faster evolution of wavelet lifting coefficients for fingerprint image compression (FIC). In addition to increasing the computational speed by 81.35%, the coefficients performed much better than the reported coefficients in literature. Generally, full-size images are used for evolving wavelet coefficients, which is time consuming. To overcome this, in this work, wavelets were evolved with resized, cropped, resized-average and cropped-average images. On comparing the peak- signal-to-noise-ratios (PSNR) offered by the evolved wavelets, it was found that the cropped images excelled the resized images and is in par with the results reported till date. Wavelet lifting coefficients evolved from an average of four 256 256 centre-cropped images took less than 1/5th the evolution time reported in literature. It produced an improvement of 1.009 dB in average PSNR. Improvement in average PSNR was observed for other compression ratios (CR) and degraded images as well. The proposed technique gave better PSNR for various bit rates, with set partitioning in hierarchical trees (SPIHT) coder. These coefficients performed well with other fingerprint databases as well.

High Styrene–Rubber Ionomers, an Alternative to Thermoplastic Elastomers

High styrene rubber ionomers were prepared by sulfonating styrene–butadiene rubber of high styrene content (high styrene rubber) in 1,2-dichloroethane using acetyl sulfate reagent, followed by neutralization of the precursor acids using methanolic zinc acetate. The ionomers were characterized using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and also by the evaluation of mechanical properties. The FTIR studies of the ionomer reveal that the sulfonate groups are attached to the benzene ring. The NMR spectra give credence to this observation. Results of DMA show an ionic transition (Ti) in addition to glass–rubber transition (Tg). Incorporation of ionic groups results in improved mechanical properties as well as retention of properties after three cycles of processing

A Study on Non Performing Assets of Public Sector Banks in India with Special Reference to State Bank of Travancore

The reforms in Indian banking sector since 1991 is deliberated mostly in terms of the significant measures that were implemented in order to develop a more vibrant, healthy, stable and efficient banking sector in India. The effect of a highly regulated banking environment on asset quality, productivity and performance of banks necessitated the reform process and resulted the incorporation of prudential norms for income recognition, asset classification and provisioning and capital adequacy norms, in line with international best practices. The improvements in asset quality and a reduction in non-performing assets were the primary objective enunciated in the reform measures. In this context, the present research critically evaluates the trend in movement of nonperforming assets of public sector banks in India during the period 2000-01 to 2011-12, thereby facilitates an evaluation of the effectiveness of NPA management in the post-millennium period. The non-performing assets is not a function of loan/advance alone, but is influenced by other bank performance indicators and also by the macroeconomic variables. In addition to explaining the trend in the movement of NPA, this research also explained the moderating and mediating role of various bank performance and macroeconomic indicators on incidence of NPA

Novel [3+2] annulation reaction of nitrones with Burgess reagent and a few related reactions

Burgess reagent first prepared by E. M. Burgess in 1968, is a mild and selective dehydrating agent for secondary and tertiary alcohols and due to the amphipolar nature it is gainfully employed in a number of creative synthetic ventures. A close examination of the structure of Burgess reagent reveals that it can act as a 1,2-dipole. To the best of our knowledge, no attempts have been made to tap full synthetic potential of the amphipolar nature of this reagent and no reports on 1,3-dipolar addition to a σ-bond in acyclic systems are available in literature. In this context, we propose to unravel novel applications of Burgess reagent based on its amphipolar nature. Rich and multifaceted chemistry of nitrones form the basis of many successful chemical transformations used in attractive synthetic strategies. For the last 50 years special attention has been given to nitrones due to their successful application as building blocks in the synthesis of various natural and biologically active compounds. Our interest in nitrones stems out of its unique character: i.e. it is a 1,3-dipole exhibiting distinct nucleophilic activity. We reasoned that 1,3-dipole possessing significant nucleophilicity should react with amphipolar Burgess reagent with elimination of triethylamine to give the corresponding five-membered ring product by formal dipolar addition to a σ bond. To test this hypothesis we studied the reaction of nitrones with Burgess reagent. This thesis reveals our attempts to explore the [3+2] annulation reaction of nitrones with Burgess reagent which was found to be followed by a rearrangementinvolving C-to-N aryl migration, ultimately resulting in diarylamines and carbamates. We have also examined the reaction of cyanuric chloride with nitrones in DMF with a view to exploit the nucleophilicty of nitrones and to unravel the migratory aptitude, if any, observed in this reaction

Brachyuran Crabs of Cochin Backwaters- Diversity, Habitat Ecology and Systematics, with special emphasis to Genus Scylla

Among the decapod crustaceans, brachyuran crabs or the true crabs occupy a very significant position due to their ecological and economic value. Crabs support a sustenance fishery in India, even though their present status is not comparable to that of shrimps and lobsters. They are of great demand in the domestic market as well as in the foreign markets. In addition to this, brachyuran crabs are of great ecological importance. They form the conspicuous members of the mangrove ecosystems and play a significant role in detritus formation, nutrient recycling and dynamics of the ecosystem. Considering all these factors, crabs are often considered to be the keystone species of the mangrove ecosystem. Though several works have been undertaken on brachyuran crabs world –wide as well as within the country, reports on the brachyuran crabs of Kerala waters are very scanty. Most of the studies done on brachyuran fauna were from the east coast of India and a very few works from the west coast. Among the edible crabs, mud crabs belonging to genus Scylla forms the most important due to their large size and taste. They are being exported on a large scale to the foreign markets like Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Kerala is the biggest supplier of live mud crabs and Chennai is the major centre of live mud crab export. However, there exists considerable confusion regarding the identification of mud crabs because of the subtle morphological differences between the species.In this context, an extensive study was undertaken on the brachyuran fauna of Cochin Backwaters, Kerala, India, to have a basic knowledge on their diversity, habitat preference and systematics. The study provides an attempt to resolve the confusion pertaining in the species identification of mud crabs belonging to Genus Scylla. Diversity study revealed the occurrence of 23 species of brachyuran crabs belonging to 16 genera and 8 families in the study area Cochin Backwaters. Among the families, the highest number of species was recorded from Family Portunidae .Among the 23 crab species enlisted from the Cochin backwaters, 5 species are of commercial importance and contribute a major share to the crustacean fishery of the Cochin region. It was observed that, the Cochin backwaters are invaded by certain marine migrant species during the Post monsoon and Pre monsoon periods and they are found to disappear with the onset of monsoon. The study reports the occurrence of the ‘herring bow crab’ Varuna litterata in the Cochin backwaters for the first time. Ecological studies showed that the substratum characteristics influence the occurrence, distribution and abundance of crabs in the sampling stations rather than water quality parameters. The variables which affected the crab distribution the most were Salinity, moisture content in the sediment, organic carbon and the sediment texture. Besides the water and sediment quality parameters, the most important factor influencing the distribution of crabs is the presence of mangroves. The study also revealed that most of the crabs encountered from the study area preferred a muddy substratum, with high organic carbon content and high moisture content. In the present study, an identification key is presented for the brachyuran crabs occurring along the study area the Cochin backwaters and the associated mangrove patches, taking into account the morphological characters coupled with the structure of third maxillipeds, first pleopods of males and the shape of male abdomen. Morphological examination indicated the existence of a morphotype which is comparable with the morphological features of S. tranquebarica, the morphometric study and the molecular analyses confirmed the non existence of S. tranquebarica in the Cochin backwaters.

Local food security and principle of organic farming (from farm to fork) in context of food culture in Indonesia: Minangkabau's case study

The basic idea behind improving local food security consists of two paths; first, accessibility (price, stock) and second, availability (quantity and biodiversity); both are perquisites to the provision of nutrients and a continuous food supply with locally available resources. The objectives of this thesis are to investigate if indigenous knowledge still plays an important role in traditional farming in the Minangkabau`s culture, thus supporting local food security. If the indigenous knowledge still plays a role in food culture in the Minangkabau`s culture which is linked to the matrilineal role and leads to a sound nutrition. Further, it should be tested if marantau influences traditional farming and food culture in Minangkabau`s, and if the local government plays a role in changing of traditional farming systems and food culture. Furthermore this thesis wants to prove if education and gender are playing a role in changing traditional farming system and food culture, and if the mass media affects traditional farming systems and food culture for the Minangkabau. The study was completed at four locations in West Sumatera; Nagari Ulakan (NU) (coastal area), Nagari Aia Batumbuak (NAB) (hilly area), Nagari Padang Laweh Malalo (NPLM) (lake area), Nagari Pandai Sikek (NPS) (hilly area). The rainfall ranged from 1400- 4800 mm annually with fertile soils. Data was collected by using PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) to investigate indigenous knowledge (IK) and its interactions, which is also combining with in depth-interview, life history, a survey using semi-structured-questionnaire, pictures, mapping, and expert interview. The data was collected from June - September 2009 and June 2010. The materials are; map of area, list of names, questionnaires, voices recorder, note book, and digital camera. The sampling method was snowball sampling which resulted in the qualitative and quantitative data taken. For qualitative data, ethnography and life history was used. For quantitative, a statistical survey with a semi-structured questionnaire was used. 50 respondents per each site participated voluntarily. Data was analyzed by performing MAXQDA 10, and F4 audio analysis software (created and developed by Philip-University Marburg). The data is clustered based on causality. The results show that; the role of IK on TFS (traditional farming system) shown on NPLM which has higher food crop biodiversity in comparison to the other three places even though it has relatively similar temperature and rainfall. This high food crop biodiversity is due to the awareness of local people who realized that they lived in unfavourable climate and topography; therefore they are more prepared for any changes that may occur. Carbohydrate intake is 100 % through rice even though they are growing different staple crops. Whereas most of the people said in the interviews that not eating rice is like not really eating for them. In addition to that, mothers still play an important role in kitchen activities. But when the agriculture income is low, mothers have to decide whether to change the meals or to feel insecure about their food supply. Marantau yields positive impact through the remittances it provides to invest on the farm. On the other hand, it results in fewer workers for agriculture, and therefore a negative impact on the transfer of IK. The investigation showed that the local government has a PTS (Padi Tanam Sabatang) programme which still does not guarantee that the farmers are getting sufficient revenue from their land. The low agricultural income leads to situation of potential food insecurity. It is evident that education is equal among men and women, but in some cases women tend to leave school earlier because of arranged marriages or the distances of school from their homes. Men predominantly work in agriculture and fishing, while women work in the kitchen. In NAB, even though women work on farmland they earn less then men. Weaving (NPS) and kitchen activity is recognized as women’s work, which also supports the household income. Mass media is not yielding any changes in TFS and food culture in these days. The traditional farming system has changed because of intensive agricultural extension which has introduced new methods of agriculture for the last three decades (since the 1980’s). There is no evidence that they want to change any of their food habits because of the mass media despite the lapau activity which allows them to get more food choices, instead preparing traditional meal at home. The recommendations of this thesis are: 1) The empowerment of farmers. It is regarding the self sufficient supply of manure, cooperative seed, and sustainable farm management. Farmers should know – where are they in their state of knowledge – so they can use their local wisdom and still collaborate with new sources of knowledge. Farmers should learn the prognosis of supply and demand next prior to harvest. There is a need for farm management guidelines; that can be adopted from both their local wisdom and modern knowledge. 2) Increase of non-agricultural income Increasing the non-agricultural income is strongly recommended. The remittances can be invested on non-agricultural jobs. 3) The empowerment of the mother. The mother plays an important role in farm to fork activities; the mother can be an initiator and promoter of cultivating spices in the backyard. Improvement of nutritional knowledge through information and informal public education can be done through arisan ibu-ibu and lapau activity. The challenges to apply these recommendations are: 1) The gap between institutions and organizations of local governments. There is more than one institution involved in food security policy. 2) Training and facilities for field extension agriculture (FEA) is needed because the rapid change of interaction between local government and farmer’s dependent on this agency.

Labelling schemes for organic food: Consumer attitudes, preferences and willingness-to-pay in six European countries

Since July 2010, all pre-packed organic food produced in the European Union (EU) must carry the new mandatory EU logo for organic food. Voluntary organic labels (such as national governmental logos and logos of private farmers’ associations and control bodies) can still be used, but only in addition to the mandatory EU logo. This change in the regulatory environment of organic labelling raises a number of questions regarding consumer preferences for different kinds of organic certification logos, which the present dissertation addressed. The first objective was to explore and analyse consumer perceptions, attitudes, preferences and willingness-to-pay (WTP) regarding different voluntary organic labels. The second objective was to investigate consumer perceptions and attitudes towards a mandatory EU logo. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods of consumer research in six European countries was employed including focus group discussions, choice experiments and structured interviews. Based on the empirical results, recommendations are drawn for different actors in the organic sector.