On the breeding habits of the Cowry Erronea errones (Linne)

Cowries are fairly common in the shallow a reas of Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar. The species commonly found in the area between Mandapam Camp and Mandapam has been ide ntified as Erronea errones (Linne

Studies on the egg masses and larval development of some Prosobranchs from the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Bay

In recent years our knowledge of the eggs and larvae of marine gastropods has increased considerably. The investigations of Lebour (1937) and Thorson (1946) have added much to our knowledge of the eggs and larvae of prosobranchs from Plymouth and Danish waters. Francis (1948) investigations at Algiers and Banyuls supplement at many points the work of Lebour and Thorson

Check - list of estuarine and marine fishes of Parangipettai (Porto Novo) coastal waters.

A classified list of 410 species of fishes recorded from the coastal (neritic and estuarine) waters of Porto Novo is given. The marine fishes Dumber 215 while the estuarine ones are 125 in number. The list also includes 6 species reported for the first time from Indian waters

Fabrication of Polymeric Microcantilevers

Polymer cantilevers are used widely in sensing applications using different transduction methods. In this paper, a polymer microcantilever is made using microstereolithography (MSL). The MSL is the latest technology emerged from applied optical instrumentation by which the micron-size structures can be created by the photopolymersation of monomers. Cantilever length, breadth, thickness, and seismic mass attached at the free end of the cantilever decide the output voltage generated by the sensor. The effect of these design parameters on the output voltage of the sensor has been studied. The  microstructure fabrication process is optimised by studying the effect of laser wavelength, laser energy, scanning speed, and photoinitiator concentration on curing width and depth, that are the critical parameters that control the resolution of the fabricated structure. A cantilever design is made of 10 x 2 x 1 mm size in CimCAD and the cantilever structure is fabricated from the CAD design using the optimised values obtained from analytical and experimental study.Defence Science Journal, 2009, 59(6), pp.616-621, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.59.156

The statistics of particle velocities in dense granular flows

We present measurements of the particle velocity distribution in the flow of granular material through vertical channels. Our study is confined to dense, slow flows where the material shears like a fluid only in thin layers adjacent to the walls, while a large core moves without continuous deformation, like a solid. We find the velocity distribution to be non-Gaussian, anisotropic, and to follow a power law at large velocities. Remarkably, the distribution is identical in the fluid-like and solid-like regions. The velocity variance is maximum at the core, defying predictions of hydrodynamic theories. We show evidence of spatially correlated motion, and propose a mechanism for the generation of fluctuational motion in the absence of shear.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Observation of sub-natural linewidths for cold atoms in a magneto-optic trap

We have studied the absorption of a weak probe beam through cold rubidium atoms in a magneto-optic trap. The absorption spectrum shows two peaks with the smaller peak having linewidth as small as 28% of the natural linewidth. The modification happens because the laser beams used for trapping also drive the atoms coherently between the ground and excited states. This creates ``dressed'' states whose energies are shifted depending on the strength of the drive. Linewidth narrowing occurs due to quantum coherence between the dressed states. The separation of the states increases with laser intensity and detuning, as expected from this model.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Clinical and microbiological profile of type 2 diabetic patients with urinary tract infections

Background: Diabetes Mellitus is reported to increase the risk of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) with higher probability of drug resistant organisms. Understanding the burden, microbiological profile and antibiotic sensitivity pattern is vital for effective prevention and management. To assess the microbiological profile and antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Urinary Tract infections among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.Methods: The study was A prospective observational study done on 117 type 2 diabetic subjects aged above 18 years presenting with symptoms of UTI in a tertiary care hospital Urine was analyzed for urine routine examination, culture and antibiotic sensitivity using standard testing methods on a midstream urine sample. Descriptive analysis was carried out by mean and standard deviation for quantitative variables, frequency and proportion for categorical variables.Results: The mean age of the study population was 57 years. Females constituted 62.39% of participants. Burning micturition (52.99%) was the most common presenting symptom. The prevalence of culture positive UTI was 51.28%. Among gram-negative bacilli, Escherichia coli (20.51%), Klebsiella (6.85%) dominated the culture reports. Enterococcus (4.27%) and Staphylococcus aureus (2.6%) were the common gram-positive organisms isolated.  Meropenem was the most effective antibiotic against E. coli (87.5%) and Klebsiella (95%) Vancomycin had 100% sensitivity against Enterococci and S. aureus.Conclusions: More than half of diabetic patients presenting with symptoms of UTI had culture positive UTI, predominantly caused by gram negative organisms. There is a need for comparative studies of Diabetes and controls to explore the key differences in the pattern of UTI

Control of Surficial Slides by Different Erosion Control Techniques

Many natural and embankment slopes fall due to the erosion of the top surficial soil mantle. Denudation of vegetation from soil slopes combined with the further steepening of slopes due to natural and man-made causes such as cuts result in such a type of failure. Essentially, the corrective measures appropriate for stabilizing these slopes comprise erosion control by establishing vegetation on the slope. The methods of vegetative turfing include asphalt mulch, coir/jute netting, geogrids and stone apron techniques. The paper sets forth the case history giving details of some of the relatively new techniques for erosion control on a hill road in India and evaluates the relative performance and the relative economics of these methods

India\u27s First Venture Relating to Subsurface Drainage by Horizontal Drains

Landslides in the Nilgiris district in 1978-79 1 caused heavy damages to property and human life. The field studies indicated that in certain spots, the build up of excess hydrostatic pressure, caused by direct and indirect ingress of water into the soil mantle, is the main cause for certain landslides in the region. The paper attempts to give the total case history relating to a pioneering venture of its kind towards the correction of landslides undertaken in India. The case history assumes special significance in as much as the horizontal drains successfully installed for the first time in this country, provided the needed ocular demonstration of the efficacy of horizontal drains to the practicing engineers in India