Catalogue Search | MBRL
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
{{itemTitle}}
43
result(s) for
"puducherry"
Sort by:
Golconde : the introduction of modernism in India
\"Golconde is an astonishing architectural accomplishment. With technical finesse and extraordinary craft, it offers a living testament to the original modernist credo architecture as the manifest union of technology, aesthetics, and social reform. Here exists an undiluted view of a wholly triumphant tropical Modernism, built during the tumultuous years of the second world war.\"-- Publisher's webpage.
BOOK
Shore protection measures along Indian Coast – Design to implementation based on two case studies
Coastal areas of the country are subjected to shoreline erosion due to natural and anthropogenic activities. Climate change-induced effects like sea level rise, extreme waves and increased storm activity exacerbate the erosion and causes the shoreline to retreat landwards. In India, mostly conventional concepts like sea walls and groins are used which protects the shoreline but cannot restore the lost beaches. This article discusses success stories of two novel concepts implemented for restoration of beach along the east coast of India – Kadalur Periyakuppam, a fishing village with gentle slope and Puducherry with steep slope protected by seawall.
Journal Article
Non-optimal apparent temperature and cardiovascular mortality: the association in Puducherry, India between 2011 and 2020
Background
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the leading cause of death worldwide, are sensitive to temperature. In light of the reported climate change trends, it is important to understand the burden of CVDs attributable to temperature, both hot and cold. The association between CVDs and temperature is region-specific, with relatively few studies focusing on low-and middle-income countries. This study investigates this association in Puducherry, a district in southern India lying on the Bay of Bengal, for the first time.
Methods
Using in-hospital CVD mortality data and climate data from the Indian Meteorological Department, we analyzed the association between apparent temperature (T
app
) and in-hospital CVD mortalities in Puducherry between 2011 and 2020. We used a case-crossover model with a binomial likelihood distribution combined with a distributed lag non-linear model to capture the delayed and non-linear trends over a 21-day lag period to identify the optimal temperature range for Puducherry. The results are expressed as the fraction of CVD mortalities attributable to heat and cold, defined relative to the optimal temperature. We also performed stratified analyses to explore the associations between T
app
and age-and-sex, grouped and considered together, and different types of CVDs. Sensitivity analyses were performed, including using a quasi-Poisson time-series approach.
Results
We found that the optimal temperature range for Puducherry is between 30°C and 36°C with respect to CVDs. Both cold and hot non-optimal T
app
were associated with an increased risk of overall in-hospital CVD mortalities, resulting in a U-shaped association curve. Cumulatively, up to 17% of the CVD deaths could be attributable to non-optimal temperatures, with a slightly higher burden attributable to heat (9.1%) than cold (8.3%). We also found that males were more vulnerable to colder temperature; females above 60 years were more vulnerable to heat while females below 60 years were affected by both heat and cold. Mortality with cerebrovascular accidents was associated more with heat compared to cold, while ischemic heart diseases did not seem to be affected by temperature.
Conclusion
Both heat and cold contribute to the burden of CVDs attributable to non-optimal temperatures in the tropical Puducherry. Our study also identified the age-and-sex and CVD type differences in temperature attributable CVD mortalities. Further studies from India could identify regional associations, inform our understanding of the health implications of climate change in India and enhance the development of regional and contextual climate-health action-plans.
Journal Article
Geographies of anticolonialism : political networks across and beyond South India, c. 1900-1930
\"Geographies of Anticolonialism brings together a varied selection of historical sources and literature to explore Indian anticolonialism in new ways. Anticolonialism, an often overlooked concept in geography, can be defined as internal and external resistance to the practices and by-products of colonial rule, such as racism, militarism, resource exploitation, and land dispossession. Linked to, but different from post- and decolonial approaches, anticolonial geographies are explicitly political in nature - offering a different perspective to geographers seeking to understand political resistance to colonialism. The author addresses contemporary studies that argue nationalism was joined by other political processes, such as revolutionary and anarchist ideologies, to shape the Indian independence movement. A focus on a specific anticolonial group, the \"Pondicherry Gang,\" investigates their significant impact which exceeded their small numbers and short period of activity. Operating in the south of India, an underrepresented area of study when compared to Bengal and the Punjab, members of the Pondicherry resistance became spiritual gurus, reinvigorated the Tamil language, and conducted the only political assassination in the region. In examining such activities, Geographies of Anticolonialism helps readers understand the diverse nature of anticolonialism, which in turn prompts thinking about the various geographies produced through anticolonial activity\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Human health risk assessment for fluoride and nitrate contamination in the groundwater: a case study from the east coast of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, India
Consumption of contaminated groundwater leads to serious health problems and may restrain the socio-economic development of society. The study aims to estimate the groundwater contamination and human health risks induced by fluoride and nitrate along the east coast of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, south India. Sixty-six samples were collected from the study site to test the level of groundwater contamination. The pH revealed acidic to alkaline water samples, and chemical analysis suggests excess F‾ and NO3‾ in few sites. The major water types in the area are Ca–Cl, Ca–HCO3, and mixed Ca–Mg–Cl. Rock–water interaction is the vital process influencing water chemistry. Hydrogeochemical processes such as reverse ion exchange, ion exchange, mineral dissolution, and silicate weathering control the concentration of ions. Human interventions are also accountable for the supply of toxic contaminants in the groundwater system. The fluoride and nitrate concentrations reported a maximum of 1.78 and 100.0 mg/L, respectively. Elevated fluoride values were reported from the southern, central, and northwestern parts, whereas nitrate concentration was noted towards the southwestern, central, and northeastern parts of the study area. The non-carcinogenic risks to different age groups such as children, females, and males were estimated by calculating hazard quotient (HQ) and total hazard index (THI). Based on THI, 59.09, 51.52, and 34.85% of the child, female and male populations respectively, are under health risk. The study concludes that child and female categories are more vulnerable to health risks in comparison with males. The study's findings may help to take adequate measurements to control the potential health risk in the future.
Journal Article
Scrub typhus in Puducherry, India: Application of nested PCR targeting three different genes - 56 kDa, 47 kDa and groEL of Orientia tsutsugamushi and comparison with ST IgM ELISA
Background & objectives: Scrub typhus (ST), an important zoonosis caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, is now prevalent throughout India. While demonstration of IgM antibody by Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) is the gold standard serological test, IgM ELISA is an alternative. Demonstration of O. tsutsugamushi DNA in the blood or eschar confirms infection in the early febrile period.
Methods: Scrub typhus nested PCR (n-PCR) for 56 kDa, 47 kDa and groEL genes and ST IgM ELISA were performed for 210 clinically suspected ST patients. As healthy controls, 70 voluntary blood donors were included. Statistical analysis was performed for laboratory parameters using Fisher exact test/chi-square test. Ninety-five PCR products of n-PCR positive samples were purified and submitted for gene sequencing.
Results: PCR was positive for one or more gene targets in 75.71% of IgM ELISA positive patients and 10% of antibody negative patients. All voluntary blood donors were negative for both antibodies and DNA. Gene sequences of 95 n-PCR positive products confirmed the presence of Orientia tsutsugamushi DNA in the samples and NCBI database accession numbers MG601875 to MG601969 were obtained.
Interpretation & conclusion: Compared to IgM ELISA, sensitivity of three PCRs was 30, 51.43 and 61.43% for 56 kDa, 47 kDa and groEL targets, respectively. Since IgM ELISA positivity can persist up to one year, PCR confirms ST diagnosis in the acute phase of the illness, in the presence of IgM and even before IgM appears. Inclusion of all three genes - 56 kDa, 47 kDa and groEL, instead of a single 56 kDa target, identifies and confirms maximum number of ST patients.
Journal Article
Spatial Variability of Soil Quality Under Diverse Land Use Systems in Tropical Coastal Environments: A Case Study from India
Soil quality is a key determinant of ecosystem functions and land sustainability in rapidly changing coastal regions. This study evaluated spatial variation in soil quality across five land-use types (agriculture, urban green spaces, built-up areas, mangroves, and barren land) in the Puducherry region of India. A total of 225 surface soil samples (0-20 cm) were collected and analyzed for fifteen physicochemical parameters. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified four key indicators: electrical conductivity (EC), organic carbon (OC), available nitrogen (Av. N), and manganese (Av. Mn). A weighted linear scoring system was used to compute the Soil Quality Index (SQI), and spatial interpolation was performed using ordinary kriging. SQI values ranged from 0.45 in built-up areas to 0.60 in mangroves, showing the order: mangroves > urban green spaces > agriculture > barren > built-up areas. Mangrove soils showed higher SQI due to greater organic carbon and nutrient content, while inland and built-up areas reflected lower quality linked to soil disturbance and reduced fertility. These findings highlight spatial patterns of soil degradation and provide a practical framework for improving land management in tropical coastal environments.
Journal Article
Impact of hydrogeochemical processes and its evolution in controlling groundwater chemistry along the east coast of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, India
The present study area falls beside the coastal zone of Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry is characterized by varied geological formations that mostly contain groundwater resources that are primarily utilized for domestic, agricultural, industrial, and other utilities. The study aims to differentiate various hydrogeochemical processes responsible for disparities in water chemistry. Groundwater samples were collected from 66 sites during the two major seasons: pre-monsoon and post-monsoon. The analytical data were separated into terrain vice and utilized for preparing graphical plots as well as mathematical calculations to obtain the existing relationship among chemical constituents and water quality. The Ca-HCO3, Na-Cl, Ca-Na-HCO3, mixed Ca-Mg-Cl, Ca-Cl, and Na-HCO
3
are the main hydrochemical facies observed from the groundwater samples. The ionic relationship among the samples indicates the control of direct and reverse ion exchange in the concentration of Ca
2+
, Mg
2+
, Na
+
, and K
+
in groundwater. Moreover, silicate weathering contributes more in comparison with carbonate and evaporite dissolution. Gibbs plots reveal that water-rock interaction and evaporation processes are the main mechanisms controlling the water chemistry. The saturation index of different mineral phases indicates groundwater to be oversaturated with silicate mineral phases irrespective of the terrain. Statistical methods like correlation and principal component analysis were also performed to differentiate the specific association and possible source of the dissolved constituent in the groundwater. The study concludes the influence of multiple processes such as silicate weathering, direct and reverse ion exchange, secondary dissolution, saline water intrusion, and anthropogenic sources as the main reasons responsible for variation in groundwater chemistry.
Journal Article
Age and sex distribution trends of SARS-CoV-2 infections: Insights from three epidemic waves in Puducherry, India
Introduction: This study analyzed the age and sex distribution of COVID-19 patients during the initial three COVID-19 waves in Puducherry, India, from August 2020 to March 2022, to understand the distribution of infection across different demographic groups. Methods: The disease surveillance program conducted at ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre processed 79,705 Throat Swab/Nasal Swab (TSNS) samples received from various institutions in Puducherry through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP). Real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) was performed following approved protocols. Results: Test positivity rates during the second (14.6%) and third waves (25.1%) were significantly higher than the first wave (11.4%). In the first wave, children (p < 0.001) and elderly individuals (p = 0.017) had a lower risk of testing positive than adults. However, in the second wave, elderly individuals had a 1.12 (95% CI: 1.03 – 1.23) times greater risk of contracting COVID-19 (p = 0.013). Children had a lower risk of testing positive across all waves (p < 0.001). A significant sex difference was noted only in the first wave, with males having a 1.27 (1.18-1.37) times greater chance of being COVID-19 positive. The mean age of female patients was significantly younger than male patients in the third wave (p = 0.008). The third wave showed an increasing trend of infection across all age groups and sexes, especially among younger individuals. Conclusions: The study highlights an increasing trend of infections across all age groups and sexes during the third wave. Micro-epidemiological analyses are crucial for developing targeted intervention strategies that address age and sex demographics effectively.
Journal Article