Laboratory bred prawns from Narakkal cultured in salt pan reservoirs at Tuticorin—a success story.

Rapid developments and fast changes are taking place in the field of prawn culture in india and abroad. Domestication of the culturable species of marine prawns, their induced maturation and spawning in captivity and mass production of stockable size of prawn seeds have become a reality in india chiefly due to the researches conducted at the narakkal prawn culture laboratory (npcl) of the central marinefisheries research institute. Establishment of a land-based maturation facility and development ofMass cultures of locally available live feed organisms—diatoms, rotifers and cladocerans—were the major contributory factors in achieving this break-through. As a result of these developments over one million prawn seeds, chiefly belonging to the indian prawn penaeus indicus were produced at the npcl in the eariy half of 1980.the prawn seeds produced at the npcl were byproducts of the experiments conducted there and not products of a concerted production programme. Although most of these seeds were used in the lab to land programme of the institute at the vypeen island and quilon, some were supplied to the prawn culturists at goa and tuticorin and also to the calicut research. Centre of the cmfri for experiments in the polythene lined ponds on the sandy beach of calicut. The main objective of these supplies was to study the problems associated with long distance transport and to evaluate their growth and survival in different ecological conditions

Multiple Molecular H2 Outflows in AFGL 618

We report high spatial (0.5 arcsec) and high spectral (9 km/s) resolution spectro-imaging of the 2.12 micron H2 1-0 S(1) line in the proto-planetary nebula AFGL 618 using BEAR at the CFHT. The observations reveal the presence of multiple, high-velocity, molecular outflows that align with the remarkable optical jets seen in HST images. The structure and kinematics of the outflows show how jets interact with circumstellar gas and shape the environment in which planetary nebulae form.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures. To appear in The Astrophysical Journal Letter

Seasonal hand line fishery for yellowfin tuna at Colachel

In Tamil Nadu, the oceanic tunas like skipjack and yellowfin tuna are exploited mainly by multiday drift gill netters. However, in Colachel, Kanyakumari, there is a seasonal fishery targeting yellowfin tuna of medium size weighing around 30 kg, with hand lines that are operated from multiday trawlers. This is an additional income for both the fishermen and the trawl boat owners

Low temperature and high pressure Raman and x-ray studies of pyrochlore Tb2_2Ti2_2O7_7 : phonon anomalies and possible phase transition

We have carried out temperature and pressure-dependent Raman and x-ray measurements on single crystals of Tb$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$. We attribute the observed anomalous temperature dependence of phonons to phonon-phonon anharmonic interactions. The quasiharmonic and anharmonic contributions to the temperature-dependent changes in phonon frequencies are estimated quantitatively using mode Gr\"{u}neisen parameters derived from pressure-dependent Raman experiments and bulk modulus from high pressure x-ray measurements. Further, our Raman and x-ray data suggest a subtle structural deformation of the pyrochlore lattice at $\sim$ 9 GPa. We discuss possible implications of our results on the spin-liquid behaviour of Tb$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$.Comment: 10 figures, 26 pages. Appeared in Physical Review B, vol-79, pp-134112 (2009

Use of probiotic Lactobacillus preparation to prevent diarrhoea associated with antibiotics: randomised double blind placebo controlled trial

Objective To determine the efficacy of a probiotic drink containing Lactobacillus for the prevention of any diarrhoea associated with antibiotic use and that caused by Clostridium difficile. Design Randomised double blind placebo controlled study. Participants 135 hospital patients (mean age 74) taking antibiotics. Exclusions included diarrhoea on admission, bowel pathology that could result in diarrhoea, antibiotic use in the previous four weeks, severe illness, immunosuppression, bowel surgery, artificial heart valves, and history of rheumatic heart disease or infective endocarditis. Intervention Consumption of a 100 g (97 ml) drink containing Lactobacillus casei, L bulgaricus, and Streptococcus thermophilus twice a day during a course of antibiotics and for one week after the course finished. The placebo group received a longlife sterile milkshake. Main outcome measures Primary outcome: occurrence of antibiotic associated diarrhoea. Secondary outcome: presence of C difficile toxin and diarrhoea. Results 7/57 (12%) of the probiotic group developed diarrhoea associated with antibiotic use compared with 19/56 (34%) in the placebo group (P=0.007). Logistic regression to control for other factors gave an odds ratio 0.25 (95% confidence interval 0.07 to 0.85) for use of the probiotic, with low albumin and sodium also increasing the risk of diarrhoea. The absolute risk reduction was 21.6% (6.6% to 36.6%), and the number needed to treat was 5 (3 to 15). No one in the probiotic group and 9/53 (17%) in the placebo group had diarrhoea caused by C difficile (P=0.001). The absolute risk reduction was 17% (7% to 27%), and the number needed to treat was 6 (4 to 14). Conclusion Consumption of a probiotic drink containing L casei, L bulgaricus, and S thermophilus reduce the incidence of antibiotic associated diarrhoea and C difficile associated diarrhoea. This has the potential to decrease morbidity, healthcare costs, and mortality if used routinely in patients aged over 50

Manipulation of fatty acids in the estuarine clam Meretrix casta (Gmelin, 1791) by supplementation with the microalgal diet, Isochrysis galbana

The present study evaluated the changes in fatty acid profile of the estuarine clam Meretrix casta, an important food organism used in the larval rearing of scyllarid lobsters, after supplementation with the microalgal species Isochrysis galbana. The uptake and assimilation of lipids from the microalgal feed were verified by gas chromatographic analysis of fatty acids in the clam tissues after eight days of feeding with I. galbana. Increase in concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), in particular docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n3) and C18:2n-6, was observed in clams supplemented with I. galbana. Changes in monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) composition were less marked and related to the increasing proportions of C18:1, after supplementation. Feeding with I. galbana also induced a decrease in the proportion of saturated fatty acids, which was related to decrease in proportions of both C16:0 and C18:0. Although the fatty acid composition showed significant differences, the gross lipid content of the clam tissues did not seem to be excessively influenced by the algal feeding. Tissues from clams supplemented with I. galbana are being evaluated as feed for sand lobster larval trials

Adam Smith and Colonialism

In the context of debates about liberalism and colonialism, the arguments of Adam Smith have been taken as illustrative of an important line of anti-colonial liberal thought. The reading of Smith presented here challenges this interpretation. It argues that Smith’s opposition to colonial rule derived largely from its impact on the metropole, rather than on its impact on the conquered and colonised; that Smith recognised colonialism had brought ‘improvement’ in conquered territories and that Smith struggled to balance recognition of moral diversity with a universal moral framework and a commitment to a particular interpretation of progress through history. These arguments have a wider significance as they point towards some of the issues at stake in liberal anti-colonial arguments more generally