Life Sciences

The present study is aimed to analyse the physico-chemical parameters in two stations of Pichavaram mangroves. In the present study the physico-chemical parameters such as temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen and total dissolved solids were analysed during 2009. The station was selected for the present study (Station-1: Agricultural land and Station-2: Mud flats). The temperature, pH and salinity were increased during summer season and dissolved oxygen and total dissolved solids were lowered in summer season.

Contamination of soils with toxic metals has often resulted from human activities, especially those related to mining, industrial emissions, disposal or leakage of industrial wastes, application of sewage sludge to agricultural soils, manure, fertilizer and pesticide use. Phytoremediation is the term applied to a group of technologies that use of plants to reduce, remove, degrade, or immobilize environmental toxins, primarily those of anthropogenic origin with the aim of restoring area sites to conditions usable for private or public applications.

The supplementary effect of breakfast bar on nutritional and academic performance was studied among adolescent under the age group of 13-15 years. About 500 adolescents were assessed for their demographic, dietary pattern, breakfast skipping patterns, nutritional status (weight, BMI and body fat percentage) and academic performance (scales such as arithmetic, concept and processes scale, reading and writing scales). About 120g of the developed breakfast bar contributing 1/3rd of the adolescent nutrient requirements was formulated and selected for supplementation.

Climate plays a vital role in the development of any region. Rainfall and temperature are the two important climatic parameters which determine the climatic situation of any place. Pudukkottai is a semi arid District situated in the central part of Tamil Nadu. The study deals with the seasonal and annual variation in rainfall using GIS. Temperature conditions are studied using a simple line graph and the relation between rainfall and temperature are analysised by using ombrothermic diagram.

The Field experiments were conducted to study the influence of off-season land management in combination with various rice weed control measures on the weed competition and yield of rice in two different locations in late samba rice (September 2002 – January 2003) with the rice cultivar of CO 43.

The present study was conducted at the Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Annmalainagar, Tamil Nadu During 2009-11. The experiment consisted of different combinations of organic manures viz., Farmyard manure 37.5 t ha-1, vermicompost @ 7.5 t ha-1, pressmud @ 37.5 t ha-1 and consortium biofertilizers @ 2 kg ha-1 as soil application and biostimulants viz., panchakavya 3 %, humic acid 0.2 %, effective microbial inoculants 1: 1000 as foliar application.

The present paper deals with the analysis of Relative Growth Rate and Doubling Time of conference articles productivity of neural network research at the world and India level. It is found that the conference articles are first in order securing 49.88 per cent (61633) at the world level, whereas in India it holds the second position with 41.88 per cent. The doubling time of publications on neural network research output increased and is at 4.78 years which is more or less double the time of such publications at India level which is 2.89 years.

Length-weight relationship of fish Catla catla and Labeo rohita were studies for six month in Chidambaram area Cuddalore district, India. In the present observation, 80 specimens were collected during January 2010 to June 2010. The relationship between body weights, total length in total specimens were measured maximum and minimum. The body weight varied from Catla catla 113.25 to 1025.82 grams and Labeo rohita 106.81 to 843.17 grams. Total length of Catla catla fishes ranged from 7.47 to 27.04 cm and Labeo rohita 7.07 to 23.21 cm respectively.

In the present study Mugil cephalus, Perna viridis and Penaeus monodon was exposed to cadmium, copper, lead and zinc under long term chronic toxicity test to investigate the bioaccumulation pattern of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc to the three marine test organisms. Treated test organisms under long term chronic toxicity test showed that the concentration of heavy metals in the tissues were highly significant (P<0.001) when compared with control. The order of concentration in the tissues of M. cephalus was Zn>Cu>Pb>Cd, P.viridis accumulated in the order of CdZn>Pb>Cd.

In the present investigation, cadmium, copper, lead and zinc induced biochemical changes were studied in post larval stages of Penaeus monodon under long term chronic test (30 days). The total protein content, level of lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione and the activity of catalase, glutathione S-transferase and acetylcholinesterase in the tissues of Penaeus monodon decreased with the increase in concentrations of heavy metal concentrations used in the long term chronic test for 30 days.