Fish culture in marine farm at Mandapam

The large-scale monoculture and polyculture of the milkfish, Chanos chanos were reported earlier form Southeast Asian countries.This article highlights some interesting and encouraging results obtained during the experiments of milkfish monoculture and polyculture of milkfish with mullet in Mandapam ponds. In the monoculture of milkfish the average size of the fish as well as the production rate could be substantially stepped up by resorting to supplementary feeding. In the polyculture of milkfish, the average growth rate was found to be more or less similar in both the fertilized and unfertilized ponds but the survival and production rates were higher in unfertilized pond. The yield of milkfish under monoculture in the present study is comparable to that of Ceylon, where selective harvesting followed by replenishment gave a production of 799 to 1159 kg/ha/annum. A production rate of 1405 kg/ha/10 months obtained in the present experimental polyculture of milkfish

Status of marine fisheries in Gujarat with strategies for sustainable and responsible fisheries

Gujarat with about 20% (1600 km) of the country’s coastline, 33% of the continental shelf area (1,64,000 sq. km) and over 2,00,000 sq. km of EEZ ranks second among the maritime states in marine fish production. The marine fish production in the state has shown a declining trend from 2002 (4.68 lakh tons) to 2005 (3.56 lakh tons) with promising increase by 42.7 % to 5.08 lakh tons during 2006. There is a conspicuous change in the resource composition over the years with quality fishes like pomfrets, larger sciaenids, threadfins and penaeid prawns being replaced by low value fishes such as ribbonfishes, threadfin breams, carangids, nonpenaeid prawns and smaller crabs. During the five year period, pelagic resources contributed (40%), followed by the demersal resources (30%), crustacean resources (22%) and cephalopod resources (8%). Among the pelagic resources, the contribution of Bombay duck Harpadon nehereus (Synodontidae) decreased from 34.8% in 2003 to 24.6% in 2006, while the contribution of Trichiurus lepturus (Trichiuridae) increased from 33.5% in 2003 to 46.6% in 2006. The demersal resources were dominated by croakers (30%) and the crustacean resources by non-penaeid prawns (60%). The substantial component of the catches was landed by trawlers (59%), followed by dolnetters (26%) and gillnetters (14%). The last quarter (46%) recorded the highest landings with the poor catches in the second (14%) and third quarters (15%). There was a distinct change in species composition of sciaenids caught by dolnetters over the years with smaller sciaenids (Otolithes cuvieri, Sciaenidae and Johnius glaucus, Sciaenidae) completely replacing commercially important larger sciaenids like koth (Otolithoides biauritus, Sciaenidae) and ghol (Protonibea diacanthus, Sciaenidae). The mean length for Harpadon nehereus increased from 159 mm in 2003 to 216 mm in 2006, whereas for Otolithes cuvieri and Nemipterus japonicus (Nemipteridae) the mean length decreased from 202 mm and 223 mm in 2003 to 163 mm and 193 mm in 2005. The emergence of mackerel fishery in 2006 coupled with increased landings of high export value cephalopods and tunas provide scope for the sustenance of marine fishery of Gujarat. Strategies for sustainable responsible fisheries are outlined

On unusual heavy landing of cat fish Tachysurus dussumieri (Valenciennes) at Kasimedu, Madras

An unusual catch of cat fishes was recorded from 'Eda valai' (Bag net) netters. Out of that, 14 t was netted iix a single haul by 'Eda valai' opeiated by a catamaran at a depth of 10-15 m. 'Eda valai' is a traditional boat seine usually operated in shallow coastal areas with an extremely wide rectangular mouth or nearly square, measuring 20 m to catch pelagic shoals

Threadfin breams and lizard fish resources in the shelf waters of the Indian EEZ

The regional and seasonal distribution and abundance of threadfin breams and lizard fish are presented as revealed by the bottom trawling operations of FORV Sagar Sampada during cruises 56-91 (1989 and 1992). The threadfin breams occurred in 49 and lizard fish in 25% of the total number of bottom trawhng stations surveyed. The most productive grounds for threadfin breams were located in the southwest coast between 8° and 15° N latitudinal zones, with the area 11775° yielding the highest average catch rate of 1794 kg/hr. Very high congregation and concentration of threadfin breams, composed mainly of Nemipterus mesoprion and N. japonicus, was observed in the southwest in 41- 80 m depth zones during southwest monsoon period. Lizard fish resources, composed mainly of Saurida tumbil and S. undosquamis were also relatively more dominant in the southwest coast than along the east coast and in the EEZ of Andaman-Nicobar islands. The size distribution of N. japonicus and A', mesoprion showed that smaller modal groups were dominant in shallower depth zones. The potential yield of threadfin breams in the southwest zone was estimated to be 2.05 x 10

Assessment of Credit Pattern of Small and Marginal Farmers in Cauvery Delta Zone of Tamil Nadu, India

Finance is the lifeblood of any business same way credit is the lifeblood of agriculture. Without credit, farmers cannot do farming activities. Hence the Primary Agricultural Credit Co-operative Societies provide credit to farm and non-farm activities in rural areas to improve agriculture. The adequate and timely availability of credit at reasonable rates is crucial for agricultural development. The study is based on households’ survey conducted in six blocks from three districts viz., Ammapettai and Orathanadu blocks of Thanjavur district, Needamangalam and Mannargudi blocks of Thiruvarur district, Kilvelur and Thirumarugal blocks of Nagapattinam district. Two villages from each block were selected purposively based on more area under rice cultivation. Sample size of 366 farmers which consisted of 183 marginal and 183 small farmers was selected randomly based on proportionate random sampling method. The data were statistically tabulated and analyzed by calculating simple percentages and cumulative square root frequency method for categorization. Nearly one-fourth of the farmers (24.86%) had low level of credit orientation followed by 23.50 per cent had very low level, 21.58 per cent had high level, 15.03 per cent of farmers had medium and very high level of credit orientation. The small farmers having high credit orientation than marginal farmers, the most of the small farmer’s occupational status was farming and business. They utilize credit for their farm, household and non-farm activities. More than three-fifth of the marginal farmers (63.39%) sometimes relying on individual moneylenders for their credit source followed by 45.36 per cent of small farmers sometimes rely on individual money lenders for their credit source and more than half of the farmers (54.37%). Most of the marginal and small farmers were having low to medium level of income category, they depend on banks, co-operative societies and money lenders for their credit source. Mostly they allocate equal percentage of loan for the farm and household expenses. The policy makers can make note of the utilization pattern of agricultural credit and can give directions on the lending terms and conditions

Power Efficient MAC Unit Based Digital PID Controllers

Proper closed loop has been an ever hot issue in the automotive industry. The industrial equipments governed by PID controllers have very simple control architecture and efficiency but still they find a trouble dueto large power consumption and slow mathematical computation. Many researchers have worked out and are trying to design a low power, less delay PID. This paper reviews three MAC architectures with array, booth and wallace tree multipliers incorporated in PID architecture. The simulations are done and the area, power, delay results are synthesized using Xilinx ISE. Comparisons are made between these three architectures in terms of power delay product and area delay product

Constraints in Production and Marketing of Arecanut in Salem District of Tamil Nadu, India

Arecanut is an important cash crop in our country. The study was carried out to ascertain the constraints faced by arecanut farmers in Salem district of Tamil Nadu with a sample size of 120, by employing proportionate random sampling technique. Majority of the respondents expressed lack of specific grading of nuts in marketing as a constraint. More than three-fourths of the respondents suggested that there should be a mechanism to regulate import of nuts from other countries and to create market potential for nuts in the local markets

CB1 cannabinoid receptors promote oxidative stress and cell death in murine models of doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy and in human cardiomyocytes

Aims Here we investigated the mechanisms by which cardiovascular CB1 cannabinoid receptors may modulate the cardiac dysfunction, oxidative stress, and interrelated cell death pathways associated with acute/chronic cardiomyopathy induced by the widely used anti-tumour compound doxorubicin (DOX). Methods and results Both load-dependent and -independent indices of left-ventricular function were measured by the Millar pressure-volume conductance system. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation, cell-death markers, and oxidative/nitrosative stress were measured by molecular biology/biochemical methods and flow cytometry. DOX induced left-ventricular dysfunction, oxidative/nitrosative stress coupled with impaired antioxidant defense, activation of MAPK (p38 and JNK), and cell death and/or fibrosis in hearts of wide-type mice (CB1+/+), and these effects were markedly attenuated in CB1 knockouts (CB1−/−). In human primary cardiomyocytes expressing CB1 receptors (demonstrated by RT-PCR, western immunoblot, and flow cytometry) DOX, likewise the CB1 receptor agonist HU210 and the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA), induced MAPK activation and cell death. The DOX-induced MAPK activation and cell death were significantly enhanced when DOX was co-administered with CB1 agonists AEA or HU210. Remarkably, cell death and MAPK activation induced by AEA, HU210, and DOX ± AEA/HU210 were largely attenuated by either CB1 antagonists (rimonabant and AM281) or by inhibitors of p38 and JNK MAPKs. Furthermore, AEA or HU210 in primary human cardiomyocytes triggered increased reactive oxygen species generation. Conclusion CB1 activation in cardiomyocytes may amplify the reactive oxygen/nitrogen species-MAPK activation-cell death pathway in pathological conditions when the endocannabinoid synthetic or metabolic pathways are dysregulated by excessive inflammation and/or oxidative/nitrosative stress, which may contribute to the pathophysiology of various cardiovascular disease

Differential item functioning for items in Berger's HIV Stigma Scale: an analysis of cohorts from the Indian, Swedish, and US contexts

PURPOSE: To examine whether items in Berger's HIV Stigma Scale function differently with persons of different age, gender, and cultural backgrounds. METHODS: Secondary data from cohorts, collected in South India (n = 250), Sweden (n = 193), and the US (n = 603) were reanalyzed to evaluate DIF within, between, and across these cohorts. All participants had answered the revised version of the HIV stigma scale consisting of 32 items forming the subscales Personalized stigma, Disclosure concerns, Concerns about public attitudes, and Negative self-image. Differential Item Functioning (DIF) for these items was assessed using hybrid ordinal regression-IRT technique. When DIF was detected, the cumulative impact of DIF on individual subscale scores was evaluated. RESULTS: DIF was detected for 9 items within, between, or across cohorts, but the DIF was negligible in general. Detected DIF between the Swedish and Indian cohorts had a cumulative salient impact on individual scores for the subscale Disclosure Concerns; Disclosure concerns were overestimated in the Swedish cohort and both over- and underestimated in the Indian cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The items in the 32-item version of the HIV stigma scale did not seem to be particularly prone to present DIF. The DIF between the Indian and Swedish cohort for items in the subscale Disclosure Concerns could, however, result in both type I and type II errors if scores should be compared between the Indian and Swedish cohort