Abstract : Pastes containing High Alumina Cement (HAC), Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and Silica fume (SF) blends are recorded for different hydration time intervals. The environmental iron-ion in this blend for certain selected samples is identified with the measurements from quadrapole splitting, Isomer splitting using Mossbauer spectra. The recorded spectra were compared with the observed mechanical measurements of these blends. The hydration kinetics is well explained through these results. It is evidenced that 10%SF addition is optimum for this blend.

Abstract : Xanthophyll are the typical yellow pigment leaves that play major role in the metabolism of plants. The different Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi were screened for their mutualistics effect with marigold (Tagets erecta L.) var. Salem lemon yellow. The present investigation was carried out in Pot culture house, Department of Microbiology, Annamalai University. Five AM fungal species were used Glomus fasciculatum, Glomus mossae, Gigaspora margarita, Glomus versiforme and Acaulospora laevis. All the inoculated seedlings showed significant results over control after 30, 60 and 90 days after transplanting. Tagets erecta L. (Var. Salem lemon yellow) seedlings raised in the presence of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi showed highest root colonization percentage, spore number, acid phosphatase activity, alkaline phosphatase activity, relative mycorrhizal dependency and xanthophyll content compared to uninoculated control plants. It was observed that Glomus fasciculatum the best AM fungal Symbiont for marigold plants compared to the others.

Abstract : The project entitled “A study on Consumer Contentment towards Air tel in Vellore town" was carried out with an objective to determine the consumer preference and contentment. The primary objective of this study is to find out the consumer preference and contentment. Towards Air tel with special reference to Vellore town. For distribution of questionnaire to the consumer convenience sampling method was used to select the consumer and the survey was taken among those selected users. After collecting the data from the respondents it was analyzing using simple percentage method for analyzing the collected data.

Abstract : Indiscriminate use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides has caused health hazards to human, besides deteriorating the soil, groundwater and environment ecology. Thus, there is need to integrate and balance supply of chemical fertilizers, organic manures and biofertilizers for sustaining productivity and soil health and also supplementing a part of chemical fertilizer requirement through these resources. An investigation was carried out to study the influence of organic inputs in okra at the vegetable field unit of the Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University. Okra seeds of cv. Arka Anamika were used in this investigation. The experiment was conducted as a field study in Randomized block design (RBD) with 12 treatments in three replications. The treatments include bulky organic manures, concentrated organic manure, biofertilizer consortium, foliar organic nutrients and chemical fertilizers. The bulky organic manures used were FYM (12.5 and 25 t ha-1) and vermicompost (2.5 and 5 t ha-1). The concentrated organic manure used was neem cake (1 t ha-1). Panchakavya (3 %) and humic acid (0.2 %) were tried as foliar nutrition. Farmyard manure, vermicompost, biofertilizers consortium and neem cake were applied basally. Foliar spray was given three times starting from two weeks after sowing at 15 days interval. Among the various treatments tried, application of farmyard manure @12.5 t ha-1 plus vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha-1 plus biofertilizers consortium @ 2 kg ha-1 plus neem cake @ 1 t ha-1 along with humic acid @ 0.2 per cent (foliar spray) resulted in increasing the yield of okra. This was followed by the treatment which received application of farmyard manure @12.5 t ha-1 plus vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha-1 plus biofertilizers consortium @ 2 kg ha-1 plus neem cake @ 1 t ha-1 along with panchakavya @ 3 % and the treatment which received application of chemical fertilizers. The microbial population in post harvest soil was maximum with the application of farmyard manure @12.5 t ha-1 plus vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha-1 plus biofertilizers consortium @ 2 kg ha-1 plus neem cake @ 1 t ha-1 along with humic acid @ 0.2% (foliar spray).

Abstract : The marine biodiversity provides an important source of chemical compounds which have large number of therapeutic applications like antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and anticancer activities. Sea weeds or marine algae are potentially prolific sources of highly biologically active secondary metabolites that might represent useful leads in the development of new pharmaceutical bioactive compounds. The antifungal activity of selected marine macroalgae crude extracts was studied against two pathogenic yeasts. The selected marine macroalgae crude extracts showed zone of inhibition against pathogenic yeasts viz., Candida albicans and Candida glabrata. The crude methanolic extract of Padina gymnospora showed maximum mean zone of inhibition against pathogenic yeasts. The crude methanolic extract of Padina gymnospora showed best against pathogenic yeasts.

Abstract : Milk is the common universal product with more commercial demand, regardless of the source, adding important protein content (casein) to the various age peoples for their diet. The microbiological characteristics and quality of the milk and milk products are very important to the consumer. In the present study, the effects of different concentrations of organic acids (Acetic acid, Lactic acid and Sorbic acid) and chemical preservatives (Potassium sorbate, Sodium nitrate and Sodium propionate) on the growth of the dairy product spoilage bacterial strains were studied. The diameter of the inhibition zone of all the bacterial strains increased with increase in concentration of organic acids from 1000 to 5000 μg ml-1. Highest zone of inhibition was recorded against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Yersinia enterocolitica and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Lowest zone of inhibition was recorded in Campylobacter jejuni.

Abstract : Mahatma Gandhi NREGA is a powerful instrument for inclusive growth in rural India through its impact on social protection, livelihood security and democratic empowerment. Over the decade, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has delivered the largest employment programme in human history, which is unlike any other in its scale, architecture and thrust. Its bottom-up, people-centred, demand-driven, self-selecting, rights-based design is new and unprecedented. Never have in such a short period so many crores of poor people benefited from a government programme. The study also depends on the reports published by the Government of India. Performance of MGNREGA is evaluated for the period 2006-07 to 2015-16 by considering number of persons employed, categories of persons employed.

Abstract : The importance of an innovative business model increases continuously and innovative business models are getting greater significance among both the researchers and managers. Furthermore, customer participation is broadly used as source of the competitive edge. This paper combines these aspects and concentrates on understanding how customer participation can be used when developing, innovating and adding services to a business model. Due to globalization, competition continuously increases among companies and especially among industrial companies. New players appear particularly from emerging and developing countries. In addition to cheaper production costs in developing countries, the level of knowledge rises, which causes new challenges for the firms of industrialized countries. The competitive edge of industrialized countries can no longer be based on an expertise in technology only, because developing countries already compete for market share with sophisticated technology. In order to differentiate from competitors, business should be somehow unique. This can be achieved by exploiting a business model concept. Thus, the cutting edge lies in an extraordinary business model, which either explicitly or implicitly addresses the internal competencies of the firm.

Abstract : Mahatma Gandhi NREGA is a powerful instrument for inclusive growth in rural India through its impact on social protection, livelihood security and democratic empowerment. In Tamil Nadu, the MGNREGS is so far known for its high participation of women and socially marginalised groups. Now, there is one more reason for its popularity. The state has consciously included the eligible differently - abled persons in the wage employment programme. This is a measure to reduce poverty among households with differently - abled persons, and indirectly boosting the self-confidence of the individual to be able to contribute to the family income. Out of the 55 lakhs households given wage employment, nearly 1.25 lakhs are differently - abled. Consistent efforts are on to identify left-out eligible differently-abled persons with the help of the District Rehabilitation Officers for inclusion. Though, there are issues on the flip side of MGNREGS implementation in the state, the overall observations at the ground is quite satisfactory. The state has created exemplary models for effective implementation of the scheme which may be replicated in other parts of the country. The state over a period of time has experimented lot of strategies which yield the finest result since 2006-07 to till now. The study also depends on the reports published by the Government of India. Performance of MGNREGA was evaluated for the period 2006-07 to 2015-16 by considering number of persons employed, categories of persons employed.

Abstract : A highly inexpensive nano sized hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 was synthesized from the mixture of cheaply available calcium precursor of land-snail shell (Helix pomatia) with di-ammonium hydrogen phosphate (NH4)2HPO4 assisted by microwave irradiation. The grained powder of land–snail shell was dissolved in diluted hydrochloric acid and di-ammonium hydrogen phosphate solution was slowly added to the mixture while maintaining the pH at 9 - 10 using ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH), followed by microwave irradiation for 30 min. The residue was collected and calcined at various temperatures from 500 -1100 °C for 2 hrs, after the decomposition of the organic fragments and carbonate phases; the expected hydroxyapatite was afforded as nanorod of 10 – 20 nm scale with quantitative yield. Synthetically this protocol would have much precedence than other procedures since it is more facial and convenient method involving such a biological waste material of discarded land snail-shell. The, final products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), Field Emission Transmission Electron Microscope (FE-TEM) and Thermo gravimetric (TG-DTA) analysis. Further, the XRD pattern clearly confirms the formation of hydroxyapatite from the land-snail shell.