Sedimentological and Geotechnical Studies of Coastal Sediments of Central Kerala.

All over the world, several Quaternary proxy data have been used to reconstruct past sea levels, mainly radiocarbon or OSL dating of exposures of marine facies or shore line indicators (e.g. Carr et al., 2010) as well as paleoenvironmental indicators in lagoon or estuary sediments (e.g. Baxter and Meadows, 1999). Estuaries and deltas develop at river mouths during transgressive and regressive phases, respectively (Boyd et al., 1992). In particular, the postglacial Holocene sea-level rise has contributed importantly to the estuary-to-delta transition (Hori et al. 2004). By analyzing radiocarbon ages of the basal or near-basal sediments of the world’s deltas, Stanley and Warne (1994) showed that delta initiation occurred on a worldwide scale after about 8500–6500 years BP and concluded that the initiation was controlled principally by the declining rate of the Holocene sea-level rise. Worldwide there were different regional sea-level changes since the last glacial maximum (LGM) (Irion et al., 2012). Along the northern Canadian coast, for example, sea level has been falling throughout the Holocene due to the glacial rebound of the crust after the last glaciation (Peltier, 1988). This is comparable to the development in Scandinavia (Steffen and Kaufmann, 2005) where sea level drops today. From about Virginia/USA to Mexico there is a constant sea-level rise similar to the Holocene sea-level development of the southern North Sea (e.g. Vink et al., 2007). From the border of Ceará/Rio Grande do Norte down to Patagonia, indicators of Holocene sea level point to a level that was up to 5 m higher than today's mean sea level (Angulo et al., 1999; Martin et al., 2003; Caldas et al., 2006a, b)

Spatio-Temporal Changes in the Wetland Ecosystem of Cochin City using Remote Sensing and GIS

Urban developments have exerted immense pressure on wetlands. Urban areas are normally centers of commercial activity and continue to attract migrants in large numbers in search of employment from different areas. As a result, habitations keep coming up in the natural areas / flood plains. This is happening in various Indian cities and towns and large habitations are coming up in low-lying areas, often encroaching even over drainage channels. In some cases, houses are constructed even on top of nallahs and drains. In the case of Kochi the situation is even worse as the base of the urban development itself stands on a completely reclaimed island. Also the topography and geology demanded more reclamation of land when the city developed as an agglomerative cluster. Cochin is a coastal settlement interspersed with a large backwater system and fringed on the eastern side by laterite-capped low hills from which a number of streams drain into the backwater system. The ridge line of the eastern low hills provides a welldefined watershed delimiting Cochin basin which help to confine the environmental parameters within a physical limit. This leads to an obvious conclusion that if physiography alone is considered, the western flatland is ideal for urban development. However it will result in serious environmental deterioration, as it comprises mainly of wetland and for availability of land there has to be large scale filling up of these wetlands which includes shallow mangrove-fringed water sheets, paddy fields, Pokkali fields, estuary etc.Chapter 1 School 4 of Environmental Studies The urban boundaries of Cochin are expanding fast with a consequent over-stretching of the existing fabric of basic amenities and services. Urbanisation leads to the transformation of agricultural land into built-up areas with the concomitant problems regarding water supply, drainage, garbage and sewage disposal etc. Many of the environmental problems of Cochin are hydrologic in origin; like water-logging / floods, sedimentation and pollution in the water bodies as well as shoreline erosion

“Spatial and Temporal Variation of Phytoplankton Community and Their Growth Limiting Factors in Cochin Backwater”

The influence of salinity on phytoplankton varies widely, because different species have different salinity preferences. Like marine and aquatic species, many phytoplankton species exhibit tolerance to certain salinity, beyond which, it can inhibit their growth. Light is the most important factor that influences phytoplankton growth. In aquatic environments (lakes, sea or estuary) the light incident on the surface is rapidly reduced exponentially with depth (Krik, 1994). In estuaries, the major factor influencing the light availability is the suspended particulate matter, which attenuates and scatters the light. The light changes with time of the day and the season, affecting the amount of light penetrating the water column. Similarly, biological factor like copepod grazing is a major factor influencing the standing crop of phytoplankton. The copepod can actively graze up to 75% of the phytoplankton biomass in a tropical estuary (Tan et. al., 2004). It is in the context that the present study investigates the salinity, light (physical factors) and copepod grazing (biological factor) phytoplankton as the factors controlling phytoplankton growth and distribution

Diversity of Bacillus And Actinomycetes in the water and sediment samples from Kumarakom region of Vembanadu lake

Diversity of different groups of Bacillus and Actinomycetes in the water and sediment samples from kumarakom estuary was analysed to find out potential strains for further application. Bacillus genera was identified and grouped into five phenogroups .Phenogroups show differences in the shape of the spore,position of the spore,and swelling of the sporangium.Ability of the isolates to elaborate various hydrolytic enzymes and their ability to reduce nitrate and ferment various carbohydrate sources were also studied.

The Ratios of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus in a Wetland Coastal Ecosystem of Southern India

The fertility of the coastal and estuarine waters is of great concern because of its influence on the productivity of these waters. Seasonal variations in the distribution of organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus in the sediments of Kuttanad Waters, a part of the tropical Cochin Estuary on the south west coast of India, are examined to identify the contribution of sediments to the fertility of the aquatic systems. The adjoining region has considerable agricultural activity. The fresh water zones had higher quantities of silt and clay whereas the estuarine zone was more sandy. Organic carbon, total phosphorus and total nitrogen were higher in the fresh water zones and lower in the estuarine zones. Total phosphorus and organic carbon showed the lowest values during monsoon periods. No significant trends were observed in the seasonal distributions of total nitrogen. Ratios of C/N, C/P and N/P, and the phosphorus and nitrogen content indicate significant modification in the character of the organic matter. Substantial amounts of the organic matter can contribute to reducing conditions and modify diagenetic processes

Spatial Variability and Contamination of Heavy Metals in the Inter-tidal Systems of a Tropical Environment

Heavy metals in the surface sediments of the two coastal ecosystems of Cochin, southwest India were assessed. The study intends to evaluate the degree of anthropogenic influence on heavy metal concentration in the sediments of the mangrove and adjacent estuarine stations using enrichment factor and geoaccumulation index. The inverse relationship of Cd and Zn with texture in the mangrove sediments suggested the anthropogenic enrichment of these metals in the mangrove systems. In the estuarine sediments, the absence of any significant correlation of the heavy metals with other sedimentary parameters and their strong interdependence revealed the possibility that the input is not through the natural weathering processes. The analysis of enrichment factor indicated a minor enrichment for Pb and Zn in mangrove sediments. While, extremely severe enrichment for Cd, moderate enrichment for Zn and minor enrichment of Pb were observed in estuarine system. The geo accumulation index exhibited very low values for all metals except Zn, indicating the sediments of the mangrove ecosystem are unpolluted to moderately polluted by anthropogenic activities. However, very strongly polluted condition for Cd and a moderately polluted condition for Zn were evident in estuarine sediments

Biennial Metal Discrepancy In The Surface Sediment Of Cochin Estuarine System

This study gave the first report on the biennial metal divergence in the sediments of Cochin Estuarine system (CES). Surface sediments from 6 prominent regions of CES were sampled in 2009 and 2011 for the geochemical and environmental assessment of trace metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Pb Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni and Zn).Besides texture, total organic carbon (TOC) and CHNS were also done. The contamination and risk assessment were performed by determining geochemical indices. Comparison with sediment quality guidelines were done to assess the probability for ecotoxicological threat to the estuary. Results showed that the measured heavy metals had varied spatial distribution patterns, indicating that they had complex origins and controlling factors

Molecular Epidemiology of Escherichia coli isolates from Environmental, Food and Clinical Sources

In the present study diversity of E. coli in the water samples of Cochin estuary were studied for a period of 3 years ranging from January 2010- December 2012. The stations were selected based on the closeness to satellite townships and waste input. Two of the stations (Chitoor and Thevara) were fixed upstream, two in the central part of the estuary namely Bolgatty and Off Marine Science Jetty, and one at the Barmouth. Diversity was assessed in terms of serotypes, phylogenetic groups and genotypes. Two groups of seafood samples such as fish and shellfish collected from the Cochin estuary were used for isolation of E. coli. One hundred clinical E. coli isolates were collected from one public health centre, one hospital and five medical labs in and around Cochin City, Kerala. From our results it was clear that pathogen cycling is occurring through food, water and clinical sources. Pathogen cycling through food is very common and fish and shellfish that harbour these strains might pose potential health risk to consumer. Estuarine environment is a melting pot for various kinds of wastes, both organic and inorganic. Mixing up of waste water from various sources such as domestic, industries, hospitals and sewage released into these water bodies resulting in the co-existence of E. coli from various sources thus offering a conducive environment for horizontal gene transfer. Opportunistic pathogens might acquire genes for drug resistance and virulence turning them to potential pathogens. Prevalence of ExPEC in the Cochin estuary, pose threat to people who use this water for fishing and recreation. Food chain also plays an important role in the transit of virulence genes from the environments to the human. Antibiotic resistant E. coli are widespread in estuarine water, seafood and clinical samples, for reasons well known such as indiscriminate use of antibiotics in animal production systems, aquaculture and human medicine. Since the waste water from these sources entering the estuary provides selection pressure to drug resistant mutants in the environment. It is high time that the authorities concerned should put systems in place for monitoring and enforcement to curb such activities. Microbial contamination can limit people’s enjoyment of coastal waters for contact recreation or shellfish-gathering. E. coli can make people sick if they are present in high levels in water used for contact recreation or shellfish gathering. When feeding, shellfish can filter large volumes of seawater, so any microorganisms present in the water become accumulated and concentrated in the shellfish flesh. If E. coli contaminated shellfish are consumed the impact to human health includes gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections (UTIs), and bacteraemia. In conclusion, the high prevalence of various pathogenic serotypes and phylogenetic groups, multidrug-resistance, and virulence factor genes detected among E. coli isolates from stations close to Cochin city is a matter of concern, since there is a large reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence traits within the community, and that the resistance genes and plasmid-encoded genes for virulence were easily transferable to other strains. Given the severity of the clinical manifestations of the disease in humans and the inability and/or the potential risks of antibiotic administration for treatment, it appears that the most direct and effective measure towards prevention of STEC and ExPEC infections in humans and ensuring public health may be considered as a priority.

Provenance, Isolation and Characterisation of Organic Matter in the Cochin Estuarine Sediment-“a Diagenetic Amino Acid Marker Scenario

Cochin estuarine system is among the most productive aquatic environment along the Southwest coast of India, exhibits unique ecological features and possess greater socioeconomic relevance. Serious investigations carried out during the past decades on the hydro biogeochemical variables pointed out variations in the health and ecological functioning of this ecosystem. Characterisation of organic matter in the estuary has been attempted in many investigations. But detailed studies covering the degradation state of organic matter using molecular level approach is not attempted. The thesis entitled Provenance, Isolation and Characterisation of Organic Matter in the Cochin Estuarine Sediment-“ A Diagenetic Amino Acid Marker Scenario” is an integrated approach to evaluate the source, quantity, quality, and degradation state of the organic matter in the surface sediments of Cochin estuarine system with the combined application of bulk and molecular level tools. Sediment and water samples from nine stations situated at Cochin estuary were collected in five seasonal sampling campaigns, for the biogeochemical assessment and their distribution pattern of sedimentary organic matter. The sampling seasons were described and abbreviated as follows: April- 2009 (pre monsoon: PRM09), August-2009 (monsoon: MON09), January-2010 (post monsoon: POM09), April-2010 (pre monsoon: PRM10) and September- 2012 (monsoon: MON12). In order to evaluate the general environmental conditions of the estuary, water samples were analysed for water quality parameters, chlorophyll pigments and nutrients by standard methods. Investigations suggested the fact that hydrographical variables and nutrients in Cochin estuary supports diverse species of flora and fauna. Moreover the sedimentary variables such as pH, Eh, texture, TOC, fractions of nitrogen and phosphorous were determined to assess the general geochemical setting as well as redox status. The periodically fluctuating oxic/ anoxic conditions and texture serve as the most significant variables controlling other variables of the aquatic environment. The organic matter in estuary comprise of a complex mixture of autochthonous as well as allochthonous materials. Autochthonous input is limited or enhanced by the nutrient elements like N and P (in their various fractions), used as a tool to evaluate their bioavailability. Bulk parameter approach like biochemical composition, stoichiometric elemental ratios and stable carbon isotope ratio was also employed to assess the quality and quantity of sedimentary organic matter in the study area. Molecular level charactersation of free sugars and amino acids were carried out by liquid chromatographic techniques. Carbohydrates are the products of primary production and their occurrence in sediments as free sugars can provide information on the estuarine productivity. Amino acid biogeochemistry provided implications on the system productivity, nature of organic matter as well as degradation status of the sedimentary organic matter in the study area. The predominance of carbohydrates over protein indicated faster mineralisation of proteinaceous organic matter in sediments and the estuary behaves as a detrital trap for the accumulation of aged organic matter. The higher lipid content and LPD/CHO ratio pointed towards the better food quality that supports benthic fauna and better accumulation of lipid compounds in the sedimentary environment. Allochthonous addition of carbohydrates via terrestrial run off was responsible for the lower PRT/CHO ratio estimated in thesediments and the lower ratios also denoted a detrital heterotrophic environment. Biopolymeric carbon and the algal contribution to BPC provided important information on the better understanding the trophic state of the estuarine system and the higher values of chlorophyll-a to phaeophytin ratio indicated deposition of phytoplankton to sediment at a rapid rate. The estimated TOC/TN ratios implied the combined input of both terrestrial and autochthonous organic matter to sedimentsAmong the free sugars, depleted levels of glucose in sediments in most of the stations and abundance of mannose at station S5 was observed during the present investigation. Among aldohexoses, concentration of galactose was found to be higher in most of the stationsRelative abundance of AAs in the estuarine sediments based on seasons followed the trend: PRM09-Leucine > Phenylalanine > Argine > Lysine, MON09-Lysine > Aspartic acid > Histidine > Tyrosine > Phenylalanine, POM09-Lysine > Histadine > Phenyalanine > Leucine > Methionine > Serine > Proline > Aspartic acid, PRM10-Valine > Aspartic acid > Histidine > Phenylalanine > Serine > Proline, MON12-Lysine > Phenylalanine > Aspartic acid > Histidine > Valine > Tyrsine > MethionineThe classification of study area into three zones based on salinity was employed in the present study for the sake of simplicity and generalized interpretations. The distribution of AAs in the three zones followed the trend: Fresh water zone (S1, S2):- Phenylalanine > Lysine > Aspartic acid > Methionine > Valine ῀ Leucine > Proline > Histidine > Glycine > Serine > Glutamic acid > Tyrosine > Arginine > Alanine > Threonine > Cysteine > Isoleucine. Estuarine zone (S3, S4, S5, S6):- Lysine > Aspartic acid > Phenylalanine > Leucine > Valine > Histidine > Methionine > Tyrosine > Serine > Glutamic acid > Proline > Glycine > Arginine > Alanine > Isoleucine > Cysteine > Threonine. Riverine /Industrial zone (S7, S8, S9):- Phenylalanine > Lysine > Aspartic acid > Histidine > Serine > Arginine > Tyrosine > Leucine > Methionine > Glutamic acid > Alanine > Glycine > Cysteine > Proline > Isoleucine > Threonine > Valine. The abundance of AAs like glutamic acid, aspartic acid, isoleucine, valine, tyrosine, and phenylalanine in sediments of the study area indicated freshly derived organic matter.

Correlación genotipo-fenotipo y análisis molecular en pacientes con síndrome Down

El síndrome Down (SD) es la trisomía más común en humanos, presentándose en 1 de cada 745 nacidos vivos y es la causa más frecuente de retardo mental. El origen más observado de la trisomíaes una no disyunción meiótica (95%), la cual generalmente es de origen materno, mientras un 5% se debe a errores post-cigóticos mitóticos. Objetivo: identificar el origen parental delcromosoma 21 extra, el momento del error no disyuncional y establecer una correlación entre estos eventos y las manifestaciones fenotípicas de los pacientes afectados. Materiales y métodos: se estudiaron cincuenta familias con un hijo con SD mediante el uso de cinco short tandem repeats (STR) a lo largo de 21q, se construyeron los haplotipos de cada paciente y sus padres, determinandoel origen parental y el momento en que surgió el error no disyuncional. Resultados:en 80% de las familias el error fue en meiosis I y 20% en la meiosis II; 98% de los cromosomasadicionales fue de origen materno y 2% paterno. Se encontró correlación genotipo-fenotipo en ocho características estudiadas: cuello corto y ancho, tercera fontanela, labio inferior prominente, paladar estrecho y corto, raíz del hélix cruzando la concha, alopecia, pliegue único palmar yotras anomalías como nevus y xeroderma y eventos de recombinación en 24,5% de las familias analizadas. Conclusiones: la edad materna y la variación en el número de recombinaciones está asociada con no disyunciones meióticas I y II; se encontró correlación entre el momento del errorno disyuncional y algunas variables clínicas.

Pérdida de heterocigocidad e identificación de portadoras de distrofia muscular de Duchenne: un caso familiar con evento de recombinación*

La distrofia muscular de Duchenne y Becker (DMD/DMB) es una entidad de herencia recesiva ligada al cromosoma X que se presenta con debilidad muscular y es causada por mutaciones en el gen de la distrofina. La pérdida de heterocigocidad permite identificar a las mujeres portadoras de deleción en el gen de la distrofina mediante haplotipos. Objetivo: identificar mujeres portadoras en una familia con un paciente afectado de DMD mediante análisis de pérdida de heterocigocidad. Materiales y métodos: se analizaron nueve miembros de una familia con un afectado de DMD. Se hizo extracción de ADN y amplificación de diez STR del gen de la distrofina; se construyeron haplotipos, y se determinó el estado de portadora de deleción en dos de las seis mujeres analizadas, quienes mostraron pérdida de heterocigocidad de tres STR. Se establecieron algunos eventos de recombinación. Resultados: Dos de las seis mujeres analizadas, mostraron perdida de heterocigocidad en tres de los diez STR genotipificados, indicando su estado de portadora de deleción en este fragmento del gen de la Distrofina Con la segregación familiar de los haplotipos se establecieron eventos de recombinación. Conclusiones: mediante pérdida de heterocigocidad es posible establecer el estado de portadora de deleción en el gen de la distrofina con un 100% de certeza. La construcción de haplotipos identifica el cromosoma X portador de la deleción en familiares del caso índice. Se evidenció un evento de recombinación en una de las hermanas del afectado, lo que hace indeterminado su estado de portadora.

Mercado laboral calificado en Colombia: Estudio sobre el desequilibrio entre oferta y demanda de trabajo para los años 2020 y 2030

El propósito básico de esta investigación es identificar los desajustes (déficits o superávits) no estructurales entre la oferta y demanda de trabajo en Colombia para los años 2020 y 2030, así como interpretar los hallazgos y proponer elementos de estrategia para las empresas a fin de mitigar los efectos adversos del desajuste sobre su capacidad para atraer y retener talento. El argumento central del proyecto consiste en sostener que en un escenario no mayor a los 10 años la oferta de trabajo calificado en Colombia no será suficiente para (i) equilibrar el mercado y (ii) atender la demanda agregada de trabajo, debido a los cambios generacionales en la realidad demográfica del país, el bajo nivel de preparación de la fuerza laboral disponible y los altos índices de informalidad de los trabajadores y las empresas. Dentro de los resultados se presenta una proyección del comportamiento del mercado de trabajo, así como la magnitud del desequilibrio entre los agentes del mercado. Este estudio aplicado es una propuesta cuantitativa de aproximación a la crisis de talento que se revisa en otros estudios. Es un precedente sólido para profundizar con otros enfoques el futuro del trabajo en Colombia.

Art and design. Level 2. BTEC First.

El programa BTEC es un programa de estudios que permite obtener una cualificación profesional o laboral. Este recurso está preparado para ayudar al alumno en el curso BTEC First, nivel 2, sector profesional arte y diseño y se divide en dos secciones: conocimientos y destrezas; la primera sección comprende cinco unidades y la segunda sección, tres unidades. Incluye actividades de evaluación en cada unidad que cubren todos los criterios de ésta para ofrecer a los estudiantes la oportunidad de practicar sus tareas y profundizar en el conocimiento y la comprensión de la materia.

??Modernizaci??n o democratizaci??n? La construcci??n de un nuevo sistema educativo entre el tardofranquismo y la democracia

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n

Demonstrating the validity of three general scores of PET in predicting higher education achievement in Israel

Resumen basado en el de la publicación