The Current Themes of Indian Higher Education

Siirretty Doriast

Low Genetic Differentiation in the Populations of the Malabar Carp Labeo dussumieri as revealed by Allozymes, Microsatellites and RAPD

The population structure of Labeo dussumieri, an endangered and endemic cyprinid from three riverine locations in the Western Ghats, India was investigated using allozyme, microsatellite and RAPD markers. L. dussumieri samples were obtained from Meenachil, Manimala and Pamba River basins, Kerala. Fourteen (46.7%) out of 30 allozyme loci, seven microsatellite loci and 12 RAPD Operon decamers gave polymorphic pattern. Six allozyme loci (AAT-2*, EST-4*, GLDH*, GPI-2*, G6PDH* and LDH-2*) and three microsatellite loci (LdussG1, MFW19 and Bgon22) exhibited consistent significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium expectations in different populations after probability level (P<0.05) was adjusted for sequential Bonferroni correction. All the three marker types demonstrated concordant results and various estimates revealed genetic variability within the subpopulations but surprisingly low level (= 0.0034 to 0.0081) of genetic differentiation among L. dussumieri from different river samples. AMOVA analysis also indicated low differentiation among subpopulations. No evidence for a recent genetic bottleneck was observed in L. dussumieri populations based on allozyme and microsatellite data set analysis. Meenachil, Manimala and Pamba Rivers open in to the southern end of Vembanad Lake in Kerala and are connected to each other in the lower reaches through an extensive network of natural canals. Common ancestry in the prehistoric period; and possible mixing of fish populations resulting in high gene flow across the rivers through the lake and interconnecting canals could have been responsible for the lack of significant allelic heterogeneity among the L. dussumieri populations. The stocks from the three rivers do not require different management strategies and for propagation assisted river ranching programme of this species, large effective breeding population can be developed by mixing individuals from three river

Probiotic activity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PIC-4) isolated from Visakhapatnam coast, Bay of Bengal, India, against Vibrio harveyi in Penaeus monodon

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PIC 4), isolated from coastal waters of Visakhapatnam (Gen Bank Accession no: KF803248) was tested for its antagonistic activity against Vibrio harveyi as probiotic in cultured Penaeus monodon. Pseudomonas aeruginosa PIC 4 has proved to be non-pathogenic to the shrimp by pathogenicity tests. Vibrio counts in probiotic fed shrimp and the surrounding water medium were significantly lower when compared to the control group of shrimp and water during 50 days of culture. Mean weight of probiont fed shrimps after 50 days of culture was (2.21 + 0.15 g) , significantly higher than that of normal diet fed ones (1.33+0.18 g). Survival percent was also significantly higher in probiont fed shrimp (47.33% + 5.55%) than that of the control diet fed shrimp (26.33% + 7%). Percent survival in probiotic fed and normal diet fed shrimp after the challenge with V. harveyi was 93.04 and 38.87 respectively

Fish genetics research in member countries and institutions of the International Network on Genetics in Aquaculture: Proceedings of the Fifth Steering Committee Meeting of INGA

A conference proceedings of the Fifth Steering Committee Meeting of the International Network on Genetics in Aquaculture (INGA), this publication incorporates information drawn from aquaculture genetics research undertaken or in progress in member countries and associate member institutions of INGA. The papers in this publication examine progress in aquaculture genetics research in developing countries and identify areas for possible collaboration between institutions in developing and developed countries towards developing better breeds of fish that can contribute to increased production and food security while ensuring the conservation of aquatic biodiversity.Fishery resources, Genetics, INGA, Information networks, ICLARM, SEAFDEC, FAO, Bangladesh, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Malawi, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam, Israel, UK, Netherlands,

Assessing Habitat Quality of Forest-Corridors through NDVI Analysis in Dry Tropical Forests of South India: Implications for Conservation

Most wildlife habitats and migratory routes are extremely threatened due to increasing demands on forestland and forest resources by burgeoning human population. Corridor landscape in Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve (BRT) is one among them, subjected to various anthropogenic pressures. Human habitation, intensive farming, coffee plantations, ill-planned infrastructure developments and rapid spreading of invasive plant species Lantana camara, pose a serious threat to wildlife habitat and their migration. Aim of this work is to create detailed NDVI based land change maps and to use them to identify timeseries trends in greening and browning in forest corridors in the study area and to identify the drivers that are influencing the observed changes. Over the four decades in BRT, NDVI increased in the core area of the forest and reduced in the fringe areas. The change analysis between 1973 and 2014 shows significant changes; browning due to anthropogenic activities as well as natural processes and greening due to Lantana spread. This indicates that the change processes are complex, involving multiple driving factors, such as socio-economic changes, high population growth, historical forest management practices and policies. Our study suggests that the use of updated and accurate change detection maps will be useful in taking appropriate site specific action-oriented conservation decisions to restore and manage the degraded critical wildlife corridors in human-dominated landscape

Analysis of historic rammed earth construction

Rammed earth is an ancient construction technique which has recently become popular for sustainable building. Soil is compacted in removable formwork to make a homogeneous wall. A lack of experimental evidence and a poor fundamental understanding means that current design guidelines are highly conservative and inappropriate for the analysis of historic rammed earth buildings. This thesis shows that rammed earth can be viewed in a geotechnical engineering framework and that doing so helps to explain many aspects of the material behaviour. Rammed earth walls were built and tested in the laboratory then modelled using techniques available to practising engineers. Unsaturated soil mechanics was considered useful in explaining much of the behaviour of rammed earth. This was investigated through a series of uniaxial compression tests and the results are explained using unsaturated soil mechanics. Visits to Spain and India were made to investigate rammed earth in the field. Historic construction techniques, modes of failure and repair strategies were studied. The unsaturated nature of rammed earth is used to explain modes of failure and to suggest the most appropriate repair strategie

Small-scale aquaculture for rural livelihoods: Proceedings of the Symposium on Small-scale aquaculture for increasing resilience of Rural Livelihoods in Nepal. 5-6 Feb 2009. Kathmandu, Nepal

Over the years, aquaculture has developed as one of the fastest growing food production sectors in Nepal. However, local fish supplies have been extremely inadequate to meet the ever increasing demand in the country. Nepal imports substantial quantities of fish and fish products from India, Bangladesh, Thailand, and elsewhere. Integration of pond aquaculture in existing crop-livestock-based farming system is believed to be effective in increasing local fish supply and diversifying livelihood options of a large number of small-holder farmers in southern plains (terai) and mid-hill valleys, thereby also increasing resilience of rural livelihoods. There is growing appreciation of the role of small-scale aquaculture in household food and nutrition security, income generation, and empowerment of women and marginalized communities. This book includes a total of 25 papers presented at the ‘Symposium on Small-scale Aquaculture for Increasing Resilience of Rural Livelihoods in Nepal’, held in Kathmandu on 5-6 February 2009. The papers cover technological, social, economic and environmental aspects of small-scale aquaculture development emerged from research and development initiatives of governmental, non-governmental and international research organizations in recent deca