Nandhu, M S; Dr. Paulose, C S(Cochin University of Science and Technology, March , 2011)
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Abstract:
Parkinson's disease is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative movement
disorder characterized by a profound and selective loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic
neurons. Our findings demonstrated that glutamatergic system is impaired during PD.
The evaluations of these damages have important implications in understanding the
molecular mechanism underlying motor, cognitive and memory deficits in PD. Our
results showed a significant increase of glutamate content in the brain regions of 6-
OHDA infused rat compared to control. This increased glutamate content caused an
increase in glutamatergic and NMDA receptors function. Glutamate receptor
subtypes- NMDAR1, NMDA2B and mGluR5 have differential regulatory role in
different brain regions during PD. The second messenger studies confirmed that the
changes in the receptor levels alter the IP3, cAMP and cGMP content. The alteration
in the second messengers level increased the expression of pro-apoptotic factors - Bax
and TNF-α, intercellular protein - α-synuclein and reduced the expression of
transcription factor - CREB. These neurofunctional variations are the key contributors
to motor and cognitive abnormalities associated with PD. Nestin and GFAP
expression study confirmed that 5-HT and GABA induced the differentiation and
proliferation of the BMC to neurons and glial cells in the SNpc of rats. We also
observed that activated astrocytes are playing a crucial role in the proliferation of
transplanted BMC which makes them significant for stem cell-based therapy. Our
molecular and behavioural results showed that 5-HT and GABA along with BMC
potentiates a restorative effect by reversing the alterations in glutamate receptor
binding, gene expression and behaviour abnormality that occur during PD. The
therapeutic significance in Parkinson’s disease is of prominence.
Description:
Department of Biotechnology, Cochin University of
Science and Technology
Susha,D; Thrivikraman,T(Cochin University of Science and Technology, September , 2004)
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Abstract:
The topology as the product set with a base chosen as all products of open sets in the individual spaces. This topology is known as box topology. The main objective of this study is to extend the concept of box products to fuzzy box products and to obtain some results regarding them. Owing to the fact that box products have plenty of applications in uniform and covering properties, here made an attempt to explore some inter relations of fuzzy uniform properties and fuzzy covering properties in fuzzy box products. Even though the main focus is on fuzzy box products, some brief sketches regarding hereditarily fuzzy normal spaces and fuzzy nabla product is also provided.
The main results obtained include characterization of fuzzy Hausdroffness and fuzzy regularity of box products of fuzzy topological spaces. The investigation of the completeness of fuzzy uniformities in fuzzy box products proved that a fuzzy box product of spaces is fuzzy topologically complete if each co-ordinate space is fuzzy topologically complete. The thesis also prove that the fuzzy box product of a family of fuzzy α-paracompact spaces is fuzzy topologically complete. In Fuzzy box product of hereditarily fuzzy normal spaces, the main result obtained is that if a fuzzy box product of spaces is hereditarily fuzzy normal ,then every countable subset of it is fuzzy closed. It also deals with the notion of fuzzy nabla product of spaces which is a quotient of fuzzy box product. Here the study deals the relation connecting fuzzy box product and fuzzy nabla product
Lakshmi Devi, P; Anekutty, Joseph(Cochin University Of Science And Technology, February 24, 2015)
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Abstract:
Among the decapod crustaceans, brachyuran crabs or the true crabs occupy a very significant position due to their ecological and economic value. Crabs support a sustenance fishery in India, even though their present status is not comparable to that of shrimps and lobsters. They are of great demand in the domestic market as well as in the foreign markets. In addition to this, brachyuran crabs are of great ecological importance. They form the conspicuous members of the mangrove ecosystems and play a significant role in detritus formation, nutrient recycling and dynamics of the ecosystem. Considering all these factors, crabs are often considered to be the keystone species of the mangrove ecosystem. Though several works have been undertaken on brachyuran crabs world –wide as well as within the country, reports on the brachyuran crabs of Kerala waters are very scanty. Most of the studies done on brachyuran fauna were from the east coast of India and a very few works from the west coast.
Among the edible crabs, mud crabs belonging to genus Scylla forms the most important due to their large size and taste. They are being exported on a large scale to the foreign markets like Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Kerala is the biggest supplier of live mud crabs and Chennai is the major centre of live mud crab export. However, there exists considerable confusion regarding the identification of mud crabs because of the subtle morphological differences between the species.In this context, an extensive study was undertaken on the brachyuran fauna of Cochin Backwaters, Kerala, India, to have a basic knowledge on their diversity, habitat preference and systematics. The study provides an attempt to resolve the confusion pertaining in the species identification of mud crabs belonging to Genus Scylla.
Diversity study revealed the occurrence of 23 species of brachyuran crabs belonging to 16 genera and 8 families in the study area Cochin Backwaters. Among the families, the highest number of species was recorded from Family Portunidae .Among the 23 crab species enlisted from the Cochin backwaters, 5 species are of commercial importance and contribute a major share to the crustacean fishery of the Cochin region. It was observed that, the Cochin backwaters are invaded by certain marine migrant species during the Post monsoon and Pre monsoon periods and they are found to disappear with the onset of monsoon. The study reports the occurrence of the ‘herring bow crab’ Varuna litterata in the Cochin backwaters for the first time. Ecological studies showed that the substratum characteristics influence the occurrence, distribution and abundance of crabs in the sampling stations rather than water quality parameters. The variables which affected the crab distribution the most were Salinity, moisture content in the sediment, organic carbon and the sediment texture. Besides the water and sediment quality parameters, the most important factor influencing the distribution of crabs is the presence of mangroves. The study also revealed that most of the crabs encountered from the study area preferred a muddy substratum, with high organic carbon content and high moisture content. In the present study, an identification key is presented for the brachyuran crabs occurring along the study area the Cochin
backwaters and the associated mangrove patches, taking into account the morphological characters coupled with the structure of third maxillipeds, first pleopods of males and the shape of male abdomen. Morphological examination indicated the existence of a morphotype which is comparable with the morphological features of S. tranquebarica, the morphometric study and the molecular analyses confirmed the non existence of S. tranquebarica in the Cochin backwaters.
Bybi, P C; Dr.Mohanan, P(Cochin University of Science & Technology, January , 2009)
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Abstract:
The Present thesis deals with the numerical as well as experimental investigations conducted on the resonance and radiation characteristics of Drum shaped monopole antenna, Funnel shaped monopole antenna and the shorted coplanar antenna.An introduction to the over view of antennas, state of the art planar antenna technologies, different feeding techniques and introduction of coplanar waveguides have been discussed.
Description:
Department of Electronics, Cochin University of Science and Technology
Chameswary, J; Dr.Sebastian, M T; Dr.Ananthakumar, S(Cochin University of Science and Technology, May , 2014)
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Abstract:
The first chapter of the thesis gives a general introduction about flexible electronics, dielectrics and composites. The recent developments in flexible electronics also discussed in this chapter. The preparation and characterization techniques used for the butyl rubber ceramic composites are given in chapter 2. The synthesis and characterization of butyl rubber filled with low permittivity ceramic composites are described in chapter 3. The chapter 4 deals with the synthesis and characterization of butyl rubber-high permittivity ceramic composites. The effect of high permittivity ceramic fillers such as TiO2, Sr2Ce2Ti5O15 and SrTiO3 on dielectric, thermal and mechanical properties was studied. The present investigation deals with synthesis, characterization and properties of butyl rubber composites with low, high and very high ceramic fillers and also the effect of particle size on dielectric, thermal and mechanical properties of selected composites.
Alice, M J; Dr.Francis,C A(Cochin University of Science and Technology, July , 2004)
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Abstract:
This thesis Entitled Buyer information and brand choice behaviour in markets with asymmetries.The period of transition set in by globalization and liberalization has ensued a onsiderable degree of homogeneity with western societies with respect to quantity and quality of goods and services.The study is aimed at finding out how the buyers adapt to the prevalent complex and dynamic market configuration by taking an archetypical situation of information gathering and brand- choice decision of select household consumer durables.The study was based on a set of 301 sample respondents who were either first time purchasers or repeat purchasers for household use, of the items
under study in the sample area comprising of rural, urban and semi-urban areas. Data were collected using interview schedule and analysis of the same was done with standard statistical computer programs.Buyer confidence as perceived by buyers with respect to information acquisition and brand-choice represents the felt competence to effectively function in the market.In general, lower levels of education, income and occupation showed lower levels of search. The oldest were also low searchers. The repeat purchasers of the product searched less than the first purchasers. The most important source of information was word of mouth or information from others followed by television advertisements. The least important source of information was billboards, displays and similar forms of advertisements.The second factor is characterized by items representing ‘social attributes’ like, use by many others, use by peers, recommendation by significant others and reputation of the brand. The third factor represents ‘susceptibility to incentives and promotions’.
Description:
Department of Applied Economics, Cochin University of Science and Technology
Vinayakan, R; Dr. George Thomas, K(National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology,CSIR, May , 2009)
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Abstract:
The overall focus of the thesis involves the synthesis and
characterization of CdSe QDs overcoated with shell materials for various
biological and chemical sensing applications. Second chapter deals with the
synthesis and characterization of CdSe and CdSe/ZnS core shell QDs. The
primary attention of this work is to develop a simple method based on
photoinduced charge transfer to optimize the shell thickness. Synthesis of
water soluble CdSe QDs, their cytotoxicity analysis and investigation of
nonlinear optical properties form the subject of third chapter. Final chapter
deals with development of QD based sensor systems for the selective
detection of biologically and environmentally important analytes from
aqueous media.
Jose, E C; Dr.Sankaranarayanan, K C(Cochin University of Science and Technology, December , 1996)
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Abstract:
This study is focussed on public and private sector
The study is confined to industrial
Public companies in the states of Kerala and Orissa along with companies in India. undertakings only. sector and private sector
private sector companies in other states were studied. Even
though the original plan of 190 companies as the sample
size could not be accomplished, as the responses were very
poor, but data could be collected frmn 6 public and 5
private sector companies in Kerala, 8 public and 8 private
sector companies in Orissa along with 27 private sector
companies in other states totalling to 54 companies. The
number of years of data collected varies from 2 years to 6
years. Factors which are affecting capital expenditures and
hence leading to the performance of private sector compared
to public sector companies are studied. After the study
and analysis, comparisons are made between public sector
and private sector, and suitable recomendations are made
so that public sector industries can also perform equally
well as the private sector industries in India.
Description:
School of Management Studies, Cochin University of Science & Technology
Johny T, Varghese; Dr.Madhusoodana,Kurup B(Cochin University of Science and Technology, April , 2007)
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Abstract:
Controlling the inorganic nitrogen by manipulating carbon /
nitrogen ratio is a method gaining importance in aquaculture
systems. Nitrogen control is induced by feeding bacteria with
carbohydrates and through the subsequent uptake of nitrogen from
the water for the synthesis of microbial proteins. The relationship
between addition of carbohydrates, reduction of ammonium and the
production of microbial protein depends on the microbial conversion
coefficient. The carbon / nitrogen ratio in the microbial biomass is
related to the carbon contents of the added material. The addition of
carbonaceous substrate was found to reduce inorganic nitrogen in
shrimp culture ponds and the resultant microbial proteins are taken
up by shrimps. Thus, part of the feed protein is replaced and feeding
costs are reduced in culture systems.The use of various locally available substrates for periphyton
based aquaculture practices increases production and profitability .However, these techniques for extensive shrimp farming have not so far been
evaluated. Moreover, an evaluation of artificial substrates together
with carbohydrate source based farming system in reducing inorganic
nitrogen production in culture systems has not yet been carried-out.
Furthermore, variations in water and soil quality, periphyton
production and shrimp production of the whole system have also not
been determined so-far.This thesis starts with a general introduction ,
a brief review of the most relevant literature, results of various
experiments and concludes with a summary (Chapter — 9). The
chapters are organised conforming to the objectives of the present
study. The major objectives of this thesis are, to improve the
sustainability of shrimp farming by carbohydrate addition and
periphyton substrate based shrimp production and to improve the
nutrient utilisation in aquaculture systems.
Description:
School of
Industrial Fisheries, Cochin University of Science and Technology
Sreejeesh, K K; Dr. Thomas P Thomas(Cochin University of Science and Technology, January 5, 2016)
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Abstract:
Carbon storage potential of teak plantation was estimated by studying plantations in
Nilambur undergoing prescribed thinning schedules. Nilambur in Kerala State has
the reputation of establishing the first teak plantation in India. The area has a
humid tropical climate with around 300 cm annual rainfall received from the two
monsoons. The soil is well drained coarse textured oxisol with high content of
sesquioxides. An average teak tree at Nilambur was found to attain a height of 6.93
m and dbh of 6.3 cm at 5 year which was seen to increase to 22.83 m and 45.85 cm,
respectively at the final felling stage of 50 years. Biomass was found to increase from
65.38 kg tree-1 at the first stage to 1085.70 kg tree-1 at the final stage of felling.
Significant increase in growth and biomass production was noted after 30th year of
plantation.Carbon sequestration in various compartments of teak followed the pattern bole >
branch > root > bark in the initial stages and bole > root > branch > bark in the
latter stages. Carbon sequestration increased with age and at 50 years 332.88 kg tree-
1 carbon was found to be stored in bole, 60.63 in branch, 80.06 in root and 26.57 kg
tree-1 in bark compartment giving a total of 508.14 kg tree-1 of carbon.Allometric models to predict carbon sequestration with height and dbh as
independent variable and carbon sequestered as dependent variable were tested to
obtain the best fit model. The best regression model for predicting carbon sequestered
in the bole compartment was √Y = 1.502 + 0.344 D, that for bark √Y = 1.163 + 0.082
D, for branch ln Y =1.308 lnD-1.116, for root √Y = 0.858 + 0.170 D, for above ground
compartment √Y = 2.113 + 0.379 D and that for predicting the total carbon
sequestered in the teak in all its vegetative parts was √Y = 2.289 + 0.415 D.
Carbon sequestration potential of teak plantations in Kerala was calculated based on
the estimated carbon sequestration at prescribed felling stages and the area
prescribed for felling in 2014. The calculated figure was 0.21 million tons of carbon
which was equivalent to Certified Emission Reduction (CER) potential of 0.81
million units corresponding to 61.48 crores of rupees at current exchange rates