Satellite based potential fishing zone (PFZ) advisories - acceptance levels and benefits derived by the user community along the Kerala coast

Intensive validation studies of potential fishing zone (PFZ) advisories generated using integration of ocean colour monitor (OCM) derived chlorophyll concentration and advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) derived sea surface temperatures (SST) were undertaken by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) along Kerala coast during the period 2003-2011. There is a positive relationship between PFZ advisories and occurrence/abundance of commercially important pelagic fishes such as oilsardine, Indian mackerel, anchovies, carangids and coastal tunas. Fishing operations undertaken on or closer to dates on which related SST/chlorophyll images have been received yielded positive results. As the gap increases, the yield within PFZ is likely to come down unless the features remain more or less in the same location as revealed by succeeding satellite imagery. The present paper revealed that the fish catch (CPUE) and net profit earned are higher within PFZ compared to the results of operations outside PFZ. The usefulness of PFZ advisories, the only short term marine fishery forecast available in the country for fisherfolk towards obtaining comparatively higher catch per unit effort for the above mentioned major pelagics is proved beyond doubt from the results of more than 100 controlled experiments conducted within and outside PFZ with identical fishing gear along Kerala coast

A prospective, open label, randomized study of efficacy of vitamin A as an add on therapy in the clinical outcome of tuberculosis patients

Background: Tuberculosis is the most prevalent infectious disease in the world. India accounts for nearly one fifth of global incidence of tuberculosis. If untreated the disease may be fatal within five years in 50-65 percent of cases. Many decades of research have shown that severe oxidative stress plays a significant role in tuberculosis patients. Moreover, the malnutrition which is commonly present in patient with tuberculosis can add to the impaired anti oxidant capacity. The present study was to investigate the effect of supplementation of vitamin A with standard treatment on the health status of newly diagnosed sputum positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients.Methods: Phase III, prospective, open, two arm parallel group, outpatient, randomized, active controlled study. Centre of the study was Tuberculosis clinic, Department of Internal medicine, Stanley Medical College Chennai.Duration of the study was for active drug therapy - 2 months, for follow up period - 4 months and for total period - 6 months.Results: In our study it was evident that there was a statistically significant improvement in the Karnofsky’s score, body mass index, mid upper arm circumference in the in the vitamin A supplementation group when compared to the control group at the end of 2 months and 6 months. And also, a statistically significant decrease in C.R.P. levels and E.S.R levels were also observed.Conclusions: This study shows that vitamin A as an add on therapy with regular anti-tuberculosis treatment improves the quality of life and decreases the disease activity in pulmonary tuberculosis patients to a greater extent than with routine standard drug therapy alone

A prospective open label study of efficacy and tolerability of topical tacrolimus in Vitiligo

Background: Vitiligo is a cosmetically and psychologically devastating clinical conundrum with various hypotheses of etiology inclusive of an immunological one too. Long term clinical visits, various adverse effects and cost of therapy are the major limitations of current treatment of vitiligo. Topical Tacrolimus which has been tried and found useful in various skin conditions with immunological basis was evaluated for its efficacy and tolerability compared with the available standard treatment of Topical Betamethasone.Methods: The study was done in the outpatient unit of Department of Dermatology, Stanley medical college, for duration of six months. Newly diagnosed vitiligo patients attending the outpatient clinic were taken for the study. A randomised, open labelled, comparative study of efficacy and tolerability of Topical Tacrolimus in vitiligo was done.Results: Early onset of repigmentation, higher mean repigmentation with no significant side effects systemically or topically were observed in the study group compared to the control group.Conclusions: This study shows that Topical Tacrolimus produces rapid and significant repigmentation with less significant side effects in vitiligo. Topical Tacrolimus is more efficacious and better tolerated than available standard Topical Betamethasone

Length-weight relationship and relative condition factor of Stolephorus commersonii (Lacepede, 1803) exploited along Kerala coast

The length-weight relationship and relative condition factor of Stolephorus commersonii was calculated to assess the significance of allometric factor and the well being. The study was carried out by using the data collected from ring seine and purse seine catches during the year 2010-2011. The length of species in catches ranged from 5 to 14.6 cm with a mean length of 9.24 ± 1.83 cm and the weight ranged from 1 to 25g with an average weight of 6.64 ± 3.96 g. Length-weight relationship calculated for male, female and pooled are W = 0.0070 L3.02, W = 0. 00756 L2.99 and W = 0. 0073 L3.006 respectively. The relative condition factor (Kn) estimated separately for male and female showed monthly fluctuation. The highest Kn values were observed in February and August and the lowest in June for both the sexes

A study on retropupillary implantation of iris claw intraocular lens

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety, technique and efficacy of retro pupillary implantation of iris claw intraocular lens in aphakia with inadequate capsular support. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective interventional study, 50 patients with postsurgical aphakia, post traumatic cataract, post traumatic zonular dialysis, post traumatic anterior/posterior subluxation or dislocation of lens and patients with endothelial cell count >1200cells/cu.mm were included. Complete preoperative ophthalmic evaluation was made. Anterior vitrectomy with retropupillary implantation of iris claw intraocular lens was done with excel optics posterior iris claw lens. Postoperatively the patients were treated with 1%prednisolone acetate and 0.5%moxifloxacin eye drops tapered over six weeks. Follow up was done at first, fourth and sixth week and late follow up was done at 6 and 12 months. During follow-up complications if any treated, retinoscopic refraction was done and best glasses prescribed. Success rate of surgery was defined as vision ≥6/12. RESULTS: The mean age of presentation is 50.6yrs. 72% of patients were males and 28%were females.72% of patients were in post-surgical aphakia group and majority of patients (62%) underwent SICS. The most common mode of injury in post trauma patients was blunt trauma(22%).Majority of the patients(68%) presented within 2-4 months duration.76% of patients were operated within 30mts.The most common postoperative complication which significantly affected visual outcome was iritis (28%)with p value0.001 followed by striate keratopathy(18%)with p value 0.015 which were statistically significant. Visual outcome after 6 weeks of surgery was ≥6/12 in 41patients.The statistically significant factors associated with poor visual outcome are preoperative factors like chronic uveitis and trauma and postoperative factors like iritis and striate keratopathy. The success rate of surgery was 82%.The postoperative refraction was more towards myopic side in our study. CONCLUSION: To conclude retro pupillary implantation of iris claw lens is safe, technically simpler, require less surgical duration, intraoperative and postoperative complications are less compared to other secondary IOLs and have a higher success rate in terms of visual outcome

Evaluating the role of liver enzymes as predictors of severity of liver injury in patients with blunt abdominal trauma

Background: Liver is the 2nd most common organ affected in patients with blunt abdominal trauma (BAT). Computed tomography (CT) is the gold standard in the initial evaluation of the hemodynamically stable patient with suspected liver trauma. However, a challenge exists in centers devoid of CT scan, where an elevation in hepatic transaminases may provide guidance for the emergency physician in seeking further imaging and/or surgical consultation.Methods: In patients with suspected BAT blood samples were taken for estimation of liver enzymes (AST and ALT). All patients underwent contrast enhanced CT of the abdomen. Hemodynamically unstable patients were taken up for laparotomy and the findings were recorded. Based on imaging / surgery patients were subdivided into 2 groups (with and without liver injury). Liver injuries were graded according to organ injury scale by American Association of Surgery for Trauma.Results: ALT>100 units had 100% sensitivity and specificity improved to 83.78%. The mean level of ALT in patients without liver injury was around 64. This increased to 142 in grade 1 and upto 780 units in grade 4 injury. The same rising trend was seen when AST was evaluated against grade of Liver injury. This was statistically significant (p<0.01).Conclusions: ALT is the better of the transaminases in predicting liver injury. The rise in transaminases is directly proportional to grade of liver injury

Growth and maturity of Indian oil sardine Sardinella longiceps (Valenciennes, 1847) along southwest coast of India

Growth studies are important to determine the total recruitment of fish with respect to time while information on age and length at first maturity are essential to assess the spawning stock. The present communication deals with growth, maturity and mortality parameters of Indian oil sardine Sardinella longiceps from southwest coast of India. Length at first maturity of oil sardine was found to be 15.7 and 15.2 cm for male and female, respectively. Comparison of length at first maturity of oil sardine with earlier studies showed only minor variations. The growth parameters L∞, K, and age at zero length (t0) were calculated as 19.8 cm, 1.14 yr-1 and -0.0464 respectively. From the VBG equation, the length attained at the end of I, II and III year is estimated as 13.79, 17.87 and 18.9 cm respectively. Two peaks of recruitment to the fishery were observed. The values of total mortality (Z), natural mortality (M) and fishing mortality (F) estimated are 4.33, 2.7 and 1.6 respectively. The exploitation rate was found to be 0.37

Potential fishing zone (PFZ) advisories-Are they beneficial to the coastal fisherfolk? A case study along Kerala coast, South India

Intensive validation of Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ)advisories generated by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information services(INCOIS) along the Kerala coast during the period 2006-2010 revealed a positive relationship between PFZ and occurrence/abundance of commercially important pelagic fishes. The usefulness of PFZ advisories for artisanal, motorized and small mechanized sector fishermen towards obtaining comparatively higher catch per unit effort for the major pelagics and thereby improving the economics of fishing operations is highlighted. Analysis of catch data from active fisherfolk and controlled experiments undertaken within and outside notified areas simultaneously showed that catch per unit effort (CPUE) was more in notified areas compared to un notified areas. The extra quantity of fish caught in notified areas is about 2 to 6 times The percentage of extra monetary benefit obtained in notified areas is about 2 to 7 times

Meiobenthic fauna of the traditional prawn culture systems around Cochin

The distribution and abundance of meiobenthos, hydrography and sediment characteristics of three different types of traiditonal prawn culture systems around Cochin were studied for a period of two years (1988-1990). Nematodes were the most dominant group (79.6%) of the total meiofaunal count followed by harpacticoids and polychaetes. Others like oligochaetes, bivalves, ostracods, amphipods and tanaids had only stray occurrences and together formed a meagre 0.30% of the total. The upper 0-5 cm layer harboured 79.5% of the meiofaunal population. The perennial ponds had the highest abundance of meiobenthos (69.9%) followed by canals (17.9%) and seasonal fields (12.2%): The meiobenthic biomass ranged from 0.84 mg/ 10 cm2 to 5.7 mg/lO cm2in different stations. Meiofauna did not show a significant positive correlation with the different environmental parameters. However, during the southwest monsoon period, the population showed a sharp decline. Meiobenthos were found to be abundant at stations where the sand content varied from 60-7870 and silt from 15-29%, and were lowest at stations with high clay content. High content organic carbon also did not favour a high abundance of meiofauna. The presence of nematodes(80%) in the gut content of the prawns indicates a trophic chain involving meibenthos

Seasonal incidence, population dynamics and morphometric traits of exotic coconut whiteflies in southern Tamil Nadu

Survey was conducted at fortnightly intervals to assess the intensity of damage caused by the invasive whiteflies in coconut in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu viz., Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Kanyakumari from December 2020 to August 2021. Among the four districts, Kanyakumari recorded the highest whitefly incidence (56.30%), whereas, Tenkasi showed the lowest infestation (48.83%). Two whitefly species viz., rugose spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin and bondars nesting whitefly (BNW), Paraleyrodes bondari Peracchi were observed in all the surveyed districts. The rugose spiralling whitefly nymphs and adult populations were found to be highest in Kanyakumari (49.46 nymphs/leaflet; 36.99 adults/leaflet) and lowest in Tenkasi (32.76 nymphs/leaflet; 26.71 adults/leaflet). Similarly, the population of bondars nesting whitefly nymphs and adults were highest in Kanyakumari (35.31 nymphs/leaflet; 34.84 adults/leaflet), whereas, the lowest nymphal population was observed in Tenkasi (22.79 nymphs/leaflet) and adult population in Thoothukudi (24.19 adults/leaflet). In morphometric analysis, length and breadth of egg (0.24 ± 0.03 mm and 0.13± 0.02 mm), nymphal (0.83 ± 0.08 mm and 0.38 ± 0.04 mm), pupal (1.08 ± 0.09 mm and 0.70 ± 0.09 mm), adult (female: 2.59 ± 0.09mm, 1.71 ± 0.14 mm; male: 2.27 ± 0.21 mm, 1.30 ± 0.05 mm) was recorded for A. rugioperculatus and egg (0.15 ± 0.02 mm and 0.08 ± 0.01 mm), nymphal (0.46 ± 0.02 mm and 0.36 ± 0.02 mm), pupal (0.59 ± 0.16 mm and 0.41 ± 0.09 mm), adult (1.09 ± 0.08 mm and 0.73 ± 0.07 mm) for P. bondari