Studies on fungal flora with special reference to Yeasts in the Cochin backwaters

Man's concern with environmental deterioration is one of the major reasons for the increased interest in marine and estuarine microbes. Microbes form an important link in the biogeochemical cycling and their cyclinq activites often determine to a large measure the potential productivity of an ecosystem In the recycling of the nutrients in the estuary, bacteria and fungi therefore play a particularly significant role.The allochthonous plant materials contain biopolymers such as cellulose, lignin, humus etc., that are difficult to degrade into simpler substances. The fungi have the ability to degrade _substances, thereby making them available for cycling within the system. The present study is devoted to find the composition and the activity of myco populations of Cochin backwater. For convenience the thesis is divided into eight chapters. The opening chapter briefly reviews the literature and projects the importance of work and the main objectives. Second chapter discusses the materials and methods. In the third chapter the systematic and taxonomy of estuarine yeasts are examined in detail since this information is scarcely available for our waters. The general ecological aspects of the yeasts and filamentous fungi in the area of study are examined in the fourth chapter using appropriate statistical techniques. A special reference to the fungi in a small mangrove ecosystem is attempted in the fifth chapter. The biochemical studies are discussed in the sixth chapter and the penultimate chapter provides an overall discussion. In the last chapter the summary of the work is presented.

Black yeasts from the slope sediments of Bay of Bengal: phylogenetic and functional characterization

Occurrence of black yeasts in the slope sediments of Bay of Bengal was investigated during FORV Sagar Sampada cruises 236 and 245. The black yeast population was found to be very scanty in the area and the isolates could be obtained from 200m to 1000m depth regions in the slope sediments. The isolates were identified as Hortaea werneckii by Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequencing. The biodegradation potential of these strains was found to be very high with all the strains exhibiting protease, lipase and amylase production. The optimum growth conditions were pH 8, salinity 30 ppt and temperature 30oC. The pigment melanin, in these organisms was identified to be of dihydroxynaphthalene type by NMR. The melanin was found to exhibit inhibitory activity against different human and fish pathogens. Melanin degrading enzyme could also be extracted from these organisms

Selection of Marine Yeasts for the Generation of Single Cell Protein from Prawn-shell Waste

Marine yeasts (33 strains) were isolated from the coastal and offshore waters off Cochin. The isolates were identified and then characterized for the utilization of starch, gelatin, lipid, cellulose, urea, pectin, lignin, chitin and prawn-shell waste. Most of the isolates were Candida species. Based on the biochemical characterization, four potential strains were selected and their optimum pH and NaCI concentration for growth were determined. These strains were then inoculated into prawn-shell waste and SCP (single cell protein) generation was noted in terms of the increase in protein content of the final product.

Investigation on the panchromaticity of silver-doped poly(vinyl alcohol)/acrylamide photopolymer

An investigation on the panchromaticity of a silver-doped poly(vinyl alcohol)/acrylamide photopolymer system is presented in this paper. Frequency-doubled Nd:YAG (532 nm) and Arþ (488 nm) lasers were used for the characterization of the films. Previous studies using an He–Ne laser (632:8 nm) showed that plane-wave transmission grating with a high diffraction efficiency of 75% could be stored in the optimized film. From the present study, it was noted that transmission gratings with 70% diffraction efficiency could be recorded using Arþ and Nd:YAG lasers, thereby elucidating the possibility of using the developed photopolymer system as a competent panchromatic recording medium

Characterization of Linear Low-Density Polyethylene/ Poly(vinyl alcohol) Blends and Their Biodegradability by Vibrio sp. Isolated from Marine Benthic Environment

Increasing amounts of plastic waste in the environment have become a problem of gigantic proportions. The case of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) is especially significant as it is widely used for packaging and other applications. This synthetic polymer is normally not biodegradable until it is degraded into low molecular mass fragments that can be assimilated by microorganisms. Blends of nonbiodegradable polymers and biodegradable commercial polymers such as poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) can facilitate a reduction in the volume of plastic waste when they undergo partial degradation. Further, the remaining fragments stand a greater chance of undergoing biodegradation in a much shorter span of time. In this investigation, LLDPE was blended with different proportions of PVA (5–30%) in a torque rheometer. Mechanical, thermal, and biodegradation studies were carried out on the blends. The biodegradability of LLDPE/PVA blends has been studied in two environments: (1) in a culture medium containing Vibrio sp. and (2) soil environment, both over a period of 15 weeks. Blends exposed to culture medium degraded more than that exposed to soil environment. Changes in various properties of LLDPE/PVA blends before and after degradation were monitored using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) for crystallinity, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) for surface morphology among other things. Percentage crystallinity decreased as the PVA content increased and biodegradation resulted in an increase of crystallinity in LLDPE/PVA blends. The results prove that partial biodegradation of the blends has occurred holding promise for an eventual biodegradable product

Habilidades de vida para prevenir el tabaco y el alcohol en Primaria.

Se presenta memoria final de proyecto educativo que pretende la realización de un trabajo enfocado a hacer frente y prevenir, desde la escuela, dos de los problemas más alarmantes de nuestra población preadolescente y adolescente como son el consumo del tabaco y el alcohol. Por lo tanto, es un trabajo de educación para la salud, la coeducación y la educación del consumidor. Se realiza en el CEIP San Miguel de Almuñécar, Granada. Los objetivos son: fomentar el desarrollo de habilidades y recursos necesarios basadas en la confianza como base de la autoestima, el respeto y la autonomía, para prevenir y enfrentarse de forma adecuada a las situaciones relacionadas con el consumo de tabaco y alcohol; promocionar la salud como bienestar físico, social o mental y la calidad de vida, formando actitudes positivas hacia su mantenimiento desde valores de educar para la salud; desarrollar websquest y unidades didácticas desde la interdisciplinariedad; evitar el consumo de tabaco y alcohol a través de la información, la participación y la creación de alternativas; implicar a otros agentes educativos en nuestro proyecto.

Una de marcha. Tiempo libre y abuso del alcohol : material did??ctico

El material se presenta en edici??n biling??e: castellano y bable

El botell??n y el consumo de alcohol y otras drogas de la juventud

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n. Resumen tambi??n en ingl??s

Diferencias de sexo en la dependencia del alcohol : dimensiones de personalidad, caracter??sticas psicopatol??gicas y trastornos de personalidad

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n. Resumen tambi??n en ingl??s

Influencia de los modelos sociales en el consumo de alcohol de los adolescentes

El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la relaci??n entre el consumo de alcohol en adolescentes y el de sus modelos m??s cercanos. La muestra se compuso de 536 estudiantes de ESO de una zona rural. Mediante an??lisis de regresi??n log??stica se establecieron modelos del consumo utilizando como criterio el consumo de los padres, hermanos y mejor amigo del adolescente. Se observ?? que el consumo de estos modelos explica el consumo del adolescente, la actitud hacia la droga, la intenci??n de consumo, la percepci??n normativa y la percepci??n de riesgo. El an??lisis revel?? que el principal indicador del consumo de alcohol es el consumo del mejor amigo (OR= 13.04; IC 95 por ciento= 8.14-20.91), seguido del consumo de los hermanos (OR= 1.85; IC 95 por ciento= 1.12-3.04). La intenci??n de consumo aumenta cuando el padre es bebedor (OR= 2.70; IC 95 por ciento= 1.68-4.36), el hermano (OR= 2.83; IC 95 por ciento= 1.56-5.15), y sobre todo el mejor amigo (OR= 4.33; IC 95 por ciento= 2.55-7.36).

Patrones de consumo de alcohol en la adolescencia

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n

Tipolog??as de consumidores de alcohol dentro de la pr??ctica del botell??n en tres ciudades espa??olas

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n

Violencia en contextos recreativos nocturnos : su relaci??n con el consumo de alcohol y drogas entre j??venes espa??oles

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n

Mental Health: Alcohol and addiction

Interactive guided learning material for clinical year students; core concepts on alcohol and addiction