Chellaram Hospital

This paper is a reflexive essay that engages with the vexed question of gender equity on campuses of higher education. I argue that though our campuses are mired in complex hierarchies and inequalities, they are also sites of immense possibilities. These are spaces where critical conversations can emerge around gender and sexuality including an engagement with questions of caste, class, ableism so on and so forth. However, a transformative vision and an intersectional frame must inform these conversations. Two institutional mechanisms that can enable this radical re-imagination are Gender Cells and Internal Committees. However, this imagination has fallen far short of expectations. What might one possibly do to reinvigorate these mechanisms? Is there any way we can repose the trust in these bodies that were badly shaken following #metoo? Can we build alliances and forge solidarities with different constituencies on campus to work towards emancipatory campuses? This paper throws light on these and related issues.

Abstract Genetic diversity helps in long term viability of the plant population by helping them combat stresses and preserving genotypes that are beneficial to the mankind. Geographical factors is one of the main determinant of genetic diversity in plants, as being sessile, they adapt to environmental changes quickly. In this study, ethnobotanical plants, Meyna spinosa Roxb. ex. Link from Nasik, Catunaregam spinosa (Thunb.) Triveng from Sattari and Ixora chinensis Lam from Karwar and all their urban counter- parts from Mumbai were subjected to genetic diversity studies by determining the genetic variation, using RAPD and DNA barcoding. RAPD was performed using five random primers; DNA barcoding was performed using matK and rbcL primers. The analysis culminated into two sets of phylogenetic trees. RAPD generated a phylogenetic tree which revealed that Catunaregam spinosa (Thunb.) Triveng from Goa and Mumbai diverged at the ancestral node; DNA barcoding using matK and rbcL primers resulted in 6 matK and 6 rbcL sequences, which were submitted to NCBI and further it generated a phylogenetic tree which revealed that Meyna spinosa Roxb. ex Link from Nasik and Mumbai diverged at ancestral node. Nei’s gene diversity was found to be 0.4096 ± 0.09, Shannon’s diversity index was found to be 0.5943 ± 0.11, percentage of polymorphic loci was found to be 98.67%. We could conclude that genetic diversity could be observed in the same plants from different locations across Western Ghats. Environmental factors such as weather, soil composition and biotic factors could be affecting the genetic make-up of the plants.

The concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K in the granite materials significantly contribute to the environmental radioactivity during its cutting, molding and processing during daily and regular uses. Solid State Nuclear Track Detection (SSNTD) technique was employed for alpha track detection using CR-39 from filtrate & residue waste samples of granites. Etching was carried out by new chemical etchant comprising of 5% tetraethyl ammonium bromide (TEAB) with 6 M NaOH (w/w) solution. Track appearance profile, track density (Td) and track diameter for all samples were studied. Radionuclides contents of granitic filtrate samples were measured by using ICP-MS.

Artificial dyes, widely used in everyday items, come with side effects not known to the common man. They are toxic, harmful & mostly carcinogenic. There has been a worldwide increase in the demand of natural dyes due to its therapeutic properties & no known side effects. The current research aimed at extracting dyes of different colors from natural plant sources, carrying out its characteristic analysis & its applications. The dyes were tested for their anti-microbial ability and were found to be inhibitory to common organisms like S. typhi, C. diphtheriae, S. aureus, etc. Phytochemical tests were performed and they confirmed presence of several important metabolites like Phenols, Tannins, Terpenoids, and many more. The dyes were tested for anti-oxidant activity using the FRAP assay and antioxidant levels ranging from 0.62 to 2.00 were obtained. Preparations of cosmetics like lip balms, was carried out, and dyes were also tested as natural food coloring agents. The results indicated that the dyes caused inhibition of wide range of bacteria and proved to be good sources of anti-oxidants. They departed a natural color to food items and hence can replace artificial food colorings. Thus the use of natural dyes should be promoted, as they are cheap, biodegradable and feasible.

Random sequential adsorption (RSA), on a two-dimensional continuum substrate, of different types of zero area objects that disallow domain formation and hence lead to jamming, is examined by simulation. In all the cases, in the asymptotic time regime, the approach of the number density rho(t) at instant t to jamming density rho(infinity) is found to exhibit power law rho(infinity)-rho(t) approximately t{-p} as that for RSA of finite area objects. These results suggest the possibility of the power law being universal for all jamming systems in RSA on a continuum substrate. A generalized analytical treatment is also proposed.