Tapping the unexploited plant resources for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles

Development of biologically inspired experimental processes for the synthesis of nanoparticles is evolving into an important branch of nanotechnology. The bioreduction behaviour of various plant leafextracts such as Helianthus annus (Asteraceae), Basella alba (Basellaceae), Oryza sativa, Saccharum officinarum, Sorghum bicolour and Zea mays (Poaceae) in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles wasinvestigated employing UV/Visible spectrophotometry, XRD (X-ray diffraction) and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy). H. annus was found to exhibit strong potential for rapid reduction of silver ions. It was observed that there is no correlation always between the colour development and the increase in absorbance exhibited by the nanometal synthesised. The work adds to the confirmation of previous reports on biosynthesis of nanometals using plant leaf extracts

Evaluating the use of apache ii score in predicting the severity and clinical outcomes of organophosphorous poisoning.

This study was done to know the efficacy of APACHE II score in predicting the severity and clinical outcomes of organophosphorous poisoning. METHODOLOGY: Patients admitted to toxicology unit of madras medical college and Rajiv Gandhi government general hospital with confirmed history of oraganophosphorous poisoning [OPC] are included in the study. Total sample size is 75. The study period is July 2014 – September 2014. All patients admitted in the toxicology ICU unit with confirmed or documented history of OPC poisoning are subjected to investigations and the APACHE II score is calculated with worst values obtained within 24 hours of admission RESULTS: All the patients are included in the analysis the study result showed that the difference in APACHE II score is significant among the survivors and non survivors with p value 0.0001 (<0.05). CONCLUSION: APACHE II score is useful in the predicting the clinical outcome in the Acute Organophosphorous poisonings in the Intensive care settings

Studies on energy transformation in the freshwater snail Pila globosa 1. Influence of feeding rate

The effects of eleven chosen feeding levels ranging from 0 to 198 mg damp dry (plant) Ceratophyllumlg live snail /day on the absorption, conversion and metabolism of the snail Pi/a globosa (of 1•9 g body weight) have been studied. Absorption rates increased from 3•0 to 21•0 mg dry food /g live snail/day in snails fed 3-4-28'8 mg dry food/ g live snail/day. In these snails, absorption efficiency decreased from 87•5 to 73•0 %

Participatory management for conservation of seahorses in the Gulf of Mannar, South-east coast of India

The Inception Workshop of the research project “Participatory management for conservation of seahorses in the Gulf of Mannar, south-east coast of India” was organized on 27 December 2014 at the Mandapam Regional Centre of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR), Mandapam Camp, Tamil Nadu. The workshop was aimed to mark the beginning of the project activities in the Gulf of Mannar and also to bring to one place all the concerned stakeholders who are directly or indirectly associated with sustainable management of seahorse fishery and conservation, and to inform them about the project, its objectives and the expectations. The workshop was also aimed to discuss and get feedback on the methodology and approach for implementation of the project activities such as field surveys and interviews with the stakeholders. The workshop also focused to gather valuable inputs from various stakeholders, which are vital for the on-going project

Assessment of low value bycatch and its application for management of trawl fisheries

In recent years, large quantities of low value bycatch (LVB) are landed by trawlers for use as fish meal and in fertilizer. Several fish meal plants have been established and high demand for the raw material is acting as an incentive for catching and landing large quantities of LVB. In Karnataka (a coastal state along west coast of India) alone, the annual turnover of fish meal and fertilizer plants is estimated to be around 270 million rupees (= 4.6 million US$).The landed LVB is turning out to be a sizeable income to the trawl operators. There are several concerns related to increasing bycatch of the trawlers. The bycatch is comprised of a high percentage of juveniles of commercially important species, resulting in recruitment overfishing. With the introduction of high speed semi-pelagic trawls, the adults of low-valued, small-sized adult fishes are also removed in large quantities, impacting the coastal marine resources. The current situation demands a robust management plan addressing the issues of the bycatch and in this regard information on quantities, value and composition of lVB landed and/or discarded, and seasonality of the catch are essential

Feeding habits of milk shark, Rhizoprionodon acutus (Ruppell, 1837) in the Gujarat coastal waters of north-eastern Arabian Sea

The feeding habit of milk shark Rhizoprionodon acutus was investigated in 684 specimens collected along Gujarat coast (India) of north-eastern Arabian Sea from January 2013 to December 2014. The length range of females was 32–89.6 cm and males 33.5–89 cm. The shark foraged on diversified prey items which were pooled into four distinct groups i.e., teleosts, crustaceans, mollusks and annelids. Teleosts (Dietary coefficient, %QI = 83.05 and index of relative importance, %IRI = 78.40) were found to be the preferred food items followed by crustaceans (%QI = 16.21; %IRI = 19.78), which formed the secondary food item group. Mollusks (%QI = 0.74; %IRI = 1.69) and annelids (%QI = 0.01; %IRI = 0.14) constituted the accidental or accessory food items. The species, though is a pelagic predator, probably performs vertical movements in search of prey items. The shark also showed some sorts of preference and selectivity for clupeids, engraulids and carangids. Females though showed significantly lower index of relative fullness (IRF) (P ≤ 0.5) and comparatively lower vacuity index and lower mean number of preys per stomach compared to the males, the preference for prey items was not found to be significantly different between the females and males. Juveniles were found to have significantly higher IRF (P ≤ 0.5) and comparatively higher vacuity index than that of the adults, whereas the mean preys per stomach was found to be lower than that of the adults. Moreover, the prey preference was also significantly different between the juveniles and adults. The study provides necessary baseline information about the feeding habits of the shark in the region which will be helpful in understanding the trophodynamics of the species under the influence of overfishing and climate change

Major and minor fisheries harbours of India. 7. The fisheries harbours and fishery along the north Tamilnadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts

There are four functional fisheries harbours in the north Tamil Nadu-south Andhra Pradesh coast, viz., Chennai (major), Nizampatnam, Cuddalore and Pazhayar (minor). A medium harbour in Pondicherry is under construction. There is a temporary jetty in Krishnapatnam and a fish landing platform in Pulicat