238 research outputs found
Sustainable exploitation and conservation of lobster resources in India a participatory approach
Lobsters are one of the most valuable and highly priced crustaceans and an important
export commodity of lndia. Though widely distributed along the entire coast, major fishery is
located on the northwest, the southwest and the southeast coasts. Although nine species of spiny
lobsters (Palinuridae) have been reported from the Indian coast (Radhakrishnan, 1993, only three
littoral and one deep sea form are commercially important. Among the six species reported from
the northwest region (Chhapgar and Deshmukh, 1971), two species, the palinurid spiny lobster
Panulirus polyphagus (Herbst) and the scyllarid Thenus orientalis (Lund) predominated the fishery
Generic Characters of Penaeus, Fenneropenaeus, Melicertus, Marsupenaeus and Funchalia
Rostrum armed with dorsal and ventral teeth; pleurobranchia on somite 14 glaborous
(smooth) and polished; 3 short well-defined circatrices on sixth abdominal somite;
adrostral sulcus and carina short falling distinctly short or extending to about level
of epigastric tooth; gastrofrontal carina absent, hepatic carina prominent; thelycum
closed, petasma with ventral costa long reaching distal margin of lateral lobe (Pérez
Farfante, 1997)
Impacts of Ta Buffer Layer and Cu-Ge-Te Composition on the Reliability of GeSe-Based CBRAM
sponsorship: This work was supported by imec's Core Partner Industrial Affiliation Program on Emerging Memories. The review of this article was arranged by Editor P. Du. (Corresponding author: Janaki Radhakrishnan.) (imec's Core Partner Industrial Affiliation Program on Emerging Memories)status: Publishe
Efficacy of sugarcane bagasse to produce bacterial biofilm in water for fish culture
The present study has been conducted to understand the efficacy of sugarcane bagasse to produce bacterial biofilm in water. The study period was 90 days. Total Plate count (TPC) in water and substrate was estimated on nutrient agar at room temperature by spread plate method. The TPC in water was the highest (2.10 x 104 ml–1) after 45 days. The average TPC of bacteria on bagasse varied from 140.0 (15d) to 30.25 (90d) x104·g–1. The present study demonstrates that the sugarcane bagasse can produce more bacteria in water thereby the fish can effectively utilize biofilm grown on sugarcane bagasse and provision of a substrate reduces the need for artificial feed.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Efficacy of sugarcane bagasse to produce bacterial biofilm in water for fish culture M.V. Radhakrishnan and E.SugumaranDepartment of Zoology, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar – 608 002, Tamilnadu, India *Corresponding Author, Email: [email protected] Cite This Article As: M.V. Radhakrishnan, E. Sugumaran. 2010. Efficacy of sugarcane bagasse to produce bacterial biofilm in water for fish culture. J. Ecobiotechnol. 2(2):41-44
Baclofen-induced neurotoxicity in a patient with end-stage renal disease
Baclofen, predominantly excreted by the kidneys is accumulated in patients with renal insufficiency leading to the central nervous system toxicity. Here the author reports a patient with end-stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) who developed drowsiness and became unresponsive within a day after taking single 10 mg dose of baclofen. Patient improved completely after two sessions of HD
Functional genomics of severe sepsis and septic shock
Sepsis is the systemic inflammatory response to an infection. Severe sepsis with multi organ failure is one of the commonest causes of admission to intensive care units, and is associated with poor early and late outcomes. The pathophysiology of sepsis is complex, and poorly understood. This is reflected in the limited and contentious treatment options for sepsis.Genetic factors have been shown to be associated with the risk of and subsequent outcomes from infection. However, clear associations with bacterial sepsis are rare, and even when associations are present their functional effects are often unknown.Gene expression signatures in sepsis are investigated in this project using serial samples obtained from patients admitted to intensive care units with community-acquired pneumonia or faecal peritonitis.The evolving gene expression signatures that define the response to sepsis were identified with large changes seen in genes coding for ribosomal proteins RPS4Y1 and RPS26P54. The differences in the sepsis response between the two diagnostic classes were examined. The gene expression predictors of mortality in sepsis were determined and include genes from the class II MHC HLA-DRB4, HLA-DRB5 and the T cell differentiation protein MAL. The effects of important covariates on gene expression were investigated and their impact on survival related expression determined. The findings were confirmed in a validation cohort. A novel clustering of samples representing distinct inflammatory patterns in a clinically homogeneous population of sepsis patients was identified and related to differences in clinical behaviour. The biological relevance of the differentially expressed genes was ascertained by identifying enriched gene sets.The gene expression changes in sepsis were examined in the context of related clinically relevant immune phenomena: the sterile systemic inflammatory response in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery and the phenomenon of endotoxin tolerance in PBMCs derived from healthy volunteers.The results highlight the complexities of clinical sepsis and identify hypotheses for future investigations
A questionnaire survey about doctor-patient communication, compliance and locus of control among South Indian people with epilepsy
To date, very few studies have investigated patients' views on the information they receive from the doctor concerning epilepsy and its management. Little information is available about the influence of doctor-patient communication and locus of control on the compliance of persons with epilepsy. We investigated, through a questionnaire-interview design, among patients attending the epilepsy clinic of a tertiary referral center in South India, their views about the provision of information by the doctor, and their compliance and locus of control. We also determined the interrelation between doctor-patient communication, compliance and locus of control. Our subjects comprised 200 adult persons with epilepsy, 113 males and 87 females, mean age 30.5 (range 18-67) years. Over one-third of the subjects received from the doctor insufficient information about epilepsy and its treatment. There was a significant positive correlation between effective doctor-patient communication and compliance. A majority of our patients had an external locus of control, which negatively influenced the compliance. Even in a comprehensive epilepsy clinic of a model tertiary referral center in a developing country, a significant proportion of patients do not receive optimal information about epilepsy from the doctor. Knowledge about their disease will encourage people with epilepsy to make informed choices, and achieve better compliance and personal control of their problems. Educating primary and secondary care physicians about the importance of doctor-patient communication in the management of epilepsy and educating the public about the positive aspects of life in epilepsy cannot be overemphasized. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved
A pilot study of a yoga meditation protocol for patients with medically refractory epilepsy
Objective: The objective was to assess the efficacy of a yoga meditation protocol (YMP) as an adjunctive treatment in patients with drug-resistant chronic epilepsy.Design: The design was a prospective, nonrandomized, open-label, add-on trial with a 12-week baseline period, followed by a 12-week supervised YMP administration phase. The frequency of complex partial seizures (CPS) was assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months of the treatment period.Setting: The setting was a comprehensive epilepsy care center attached to a tertiary referral medical institution situated on the southwest coast of the Indian peninsula.Subjects: The subjects were 20 patients (14 males and 6 females, age range 15 to 47 years, median 27 years) with unequivocally established diagnoses of epilepsy with at least 4 CPS (with or without secondary generalization) during the preceding 3 months.Intervention: Intervention consisted of a YMP 20 minutes twice daily (mornings and evenings) at home, and supervised sessions of a YMP every week for 3 months. Continuation of the YMP beyond 3 months was optional.Outcome measure: The outcome measure was the seizure frequency at 3, 6, and 12 months of the treatment period. The subjects with >= 50% reduction in monthly seizure rate from baseline were classified as responders, and subjects with = 50% seizure reduction. Of 16 patients who continued the YMP beyond 3 months, 14 patients responded at 6 months; 6 of them were seizure-free for 3 months. All eight patients who continued the YMP beyond 6 months responded; three of them were seizure free for 6 months.Conclusions: If confirmed through randomized trials involving a larger number of patients, this YMP may become a cost-effective and adverse effect-free adjunctive treatment in patients with drug-resistant epilepsies
A monolithically integrated power JFET and Junction Barrier Schottky diode in 4H silicon carbide
Efficiency of power management circuits depends significantly on their constituent switches and rectifiers. The demands of technology are increasingly running up against the intrinsic properties of Si based power devices. 4H-Silicon Carbide (SiC) has superior properties that make it attractive for high power applications. SiC rectifiers are already a competitive choice and SiC switches have also been commercialized recently. Junction Barrier Schottky (JBS) diodes, which combine the advantages of PN and Schottky, have higher Figure of Merit (FOM) as rectifiers. Among switches, a robust and mature process has been developed for Silicon Carbide Vertical Junction Field Effect Transistors (VJFETs), which currently gives it the highest unipolar FOM. Switches are frequently combined with anti-parallel diodes in power circuits. This thesis describes the development of a SiC-based monolithically integrated power switch and diode. Monolithic integration increases reliability and efficiency, and reduces cost. Because of their superior properties and similarities in fabrication, we chose the SiC VJFET and JBS diode as the switch and rectifier. Detailed design, fabrication and characterization of the integrated switch to block above 800 V and conduct current beyond 100 A/cm2 is explained. In this process, the first physics-based 2-D compact model is developed for reverse leakage in a JBS diode as a function of design parameters. Since the gate-channel junctions of SiC VJFETs cannot be assumed to be abrupt, an existing analytical model for Si VJFETs is extended to account for graded gate-channel junctions. Using these analytical models, design rules are developed for the VJFET and JBS diode. Finite element simulations are used to find the best anode layout of the JBS diode and optimize electric field termination in the integrated device to ensure their capability to operate at high voltage. Finally, a spin-on glass based process is developed for filling the gate trenches of the VJFET to improve long-term robustness in extreme environments. The integrated power switch developed in this thesis points to the attractions of monolithic integration in SiC power circuits. Analytical compact design equations derived here will facilitate faster and easier design of switches and rectifiers for desired circuit operation.Ph. D.Includes bibliographical referencesIncludes vitaby Rahul Radhakrishna
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