Municipal Solid Waste Management in Cities - Issues of Basic Rights of People Surrounding Village and Alternatives

The Study is based on the findings of a three weeklong field study conducted in Villappilsala, a village 14 kms away from Thriuvananthapuram City. The waste disposal plant for treating the Municipal Solid Waste generated in the Thiruvanathapuram City is located here. The study focuses on the health and environmental impacts of the functioning of the plant on the local community and addresses the larger question of necessity for scientific and cost effective alternative methods of waste disposal in the city itself. The disposal of Solid Waste has become a problem calling for more attention in the wake of urban development, which is the consequence of more people settling in the cities. The issue of decentralised and scientific disposal of Solid Waste at household level and at the level of small groups of households is emphasised. The central issue thrown up by this study is the poorer sections of the village folk bearing the brunt of the consequences of the profligate consumption and callous waste disposal habits of the upper classes in the citiesMUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE; BASIC RIGHTS; Villappilsala; health and environmental impacts

SDSS J092712.64+294344.0: recoiling black hole or merging galaxies?

We report long-slit spectroscopic observations of SDSS J092712+294344 carried-out at the recently commissioned 2m telescope in IUCAA Girawali Observatory, India. This AGN-like source is known to feature three sets of emission lines at zem = 0.6972, 0.7020 and 0.7128. Different scenarios such as a recoiling black hole after asymmetric emission of gravitational waves, binary black holes and possible merging systems are proposed for this object. We test these scenarios by comparing our spectra with that from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), obtained 4 years prior to our observations. Comparing the redshifts of [OIII]4960,5008 we put a 3 sigma limit on the relative acceleration to be less than 32 km s^-1 yr^-1 between different emitting regions. Using the 2D spectra obtained at different position angles we show that the [OIII]5008 line from the zem = 0.7128 component is extended beyond the spectral point spread function. We infer the linear extent of this line emitting region is ~8 kpc. We also find a tentative evidence for an offset between the centroid of the [OIII]5008 line at zem = 0.7128 and the QSO trace when the slit is aligned at a position angle of 299 degrees. This corresponds to the zem = 0.7128 system being at an impact parameter of ~1 kpc with respect to the zem = 0.6972 in the north west direction. Based on our observations we conclude that the binary black hole model is most unlikely. The spatial extent and the sizes are consistent with both black hole recoil and merging scenarios.Comment: accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter

BVRI CCD photometric standards in the field of GRB 990123

The CCD magnitudes in Johnson $BV$ and Cousins $RI$ photometric passbands are determined for 18 stars in the field of GRB 990123. These measurements can be used in carrying out precise CCD photometry of the optical transient of GRB 990123 using differential photometric techniques during non--photometric sky conditions. A comparison with previous photometry indicates that the present photmetry is more precise.Comment: Tex file, 5 pages with 1 figure. Bull. Astron. Society India, Vol. 27 (accepted

Hypertension & pre-hypertension in developing countries

Hypertension is reported to be the fourth contributor to premature death in developed countries and the seventh in developing countries1. Recent reports indicate that nearly 1 billion adults (more than a quarter of the world’s population) had hypertension in 2000, and this is predicted to increase to 1.56 billion by 20252. Earlier reports also suggest that the prevalence of hypertension is rapidly increasing in developing countries3,4 and is one of the leading causes of death and disability in developing countries

Adipocytokines and the expanding 'Asian Indian Phenotype'

This article does not have an abstract

Diabetes and thyroid diseases - a review

The fact that insulin and thyroid hormones influence each other actions assumes significance since diabetes mellitus and thyroid disease are the two common endocrine disorders in adult population. Poorly controlled diabetes results in a low T3 state and a loss of TSH response to TRH. Regardless of glycemic control there is an absence of nocturnal THS peak. There is an increased incidence of dysthyroid optic neuropathy in patients with Graves disease and coexistent diabetes. Also, the visual prognosis after treatment is poor. 50% of thyrotoxic patients who were previously euglycemic exhibit variable glucose intolerance while frank diabetes occurs in 2-3% cases. In diabetic patients presence of thyrotoxicosis deteriorates the glycemic control. Diabetic patients with hypothyroidism may suffer from recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia. Type 1 diabetes mellitus patients have a high prevalence of thyroid dysfunction with nearly one third of all newly detected patients showing thyroid autoimmunity. Also, Type 1 diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism co-exist in downs syndrome as well as congenital rubella. In autoimmune polyglandular syndrome Type 2, autoimmune thyroid disease and immune mediated diabetes are among the components

Probing the time variability of five Fe low broad absorption line quasars

We study the time variability of five Fe Low ionization Broad Absorption Line (FeLoBAL) QSOs using repeated spectroscopic observations with the 2m telescope at IUCAA Girawali observatory (IGO) spanning an interval of upto 10 years. We report a dramatic variation in Al III and Fe III fine-structure lines in the spectra of SDSS J221511.93-004549.9 (z_em ~ 1.478). However, there is no such strong variability shown by the C IV absorption. This source is known to be unusual with (i) the continuum emission dominated by Fe emission lines, (ii) Fe III absorption being stronger than Fe II and (iii) the apparent ratio of Fe III UV 48 to Fe III UV 34 absorption suggesting an inverted population ratio. This is the first reported detection of time variability in the Fe III fine-structure lines in QSO spectra. There is a strong reduction in the absorption strength of these lines between year 2000 and 2008. Using the template fitting techniques, we show that the apparent inversion of strength of UV lines could be related to the complex spectral energy distribution of this QSO. The observed variability can be related to change in the ionization state of the gas or due to transverse motion of this absorbing gas. The shortest variability timescale of Al III line gives a lower limit on the electron density of the absorbing gas as n_e >= 1.1 x 10^4 cm^-3. The remaining 4 FeLoBALs do not show any changes beyond the measurement uncertainties either in optical depth or in the velocity structure. We present the long-term photometric light curve for all of our sources. Among them only SDSS J221511.93-004549.9 shows significant (>= 0.2 mag) variability.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables, Accepted for publication in MNRA

The Rosiglitazone Controversy : The Indian Perspective

No Abstrac

Ethnomedicinal Plants of the Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu, India

This study was carried out in several geographically isolated pockets of the Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, India, in a region inhabited by a tribal group called the Kanikkars. The authors found that a total of 80 plant species belonging to 72 genera and 46 families were used by the natives of the study area for the treatment of such ailments as diabetes, rheumatism, jaundice, fever, cold, cough and snake bite. The full results of this study are organized in table form and include the species botanical name, parts used, method of administration, dosage, and the local or vernacular names of the species

Bibliography (Part - 4) The publications by the staff of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute 1996-2006 (A Diamond Jubilee Publication)

Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has been documenting bibliographies on various topics. The Institute has published over a dozen such bibliographies on various finfishes and shellfishes. Three bibliographies were published during 1986, 1992, 1998 listing the publications of the staff of CMFRI from 1948 to 1995. Since then, tremendous data was generated from both inhouse and sponsored projects, leading to a good number of research publications in national and international journals. A sincere effort has been made in the present endeavour incorporating all the publications of the staff from 1996-2006. A total of 2039 titles have been listed in the Bibliography Part IV including 25 titles pertaining to period prior to 1995 which could not find a place in the earlier bibliography