Kochi City Research Articles

A Study of the Mentees’ Perspective of the Informal Mentors’ Characteristics Essential for Mentoring Success

Researchers across the world have shown interest in studying organizational mentoring. This article attempts to identify informal mentor characteristics that are considered significant by mentees for the effectiveness of the mentoring experience. Data used for this research comprise 311 managerial-level employees, employed and residing in the city of Mumbai, Delhi and Kochi in India. First, an exploratory factor analysis is done to understand how the items representing the specific categories in the qualitative data would cluster. This results in six factors. A confirmatory factor analysis is then done to test this model, and it comes up with a not so adequate fit. Thereafter, the six factors are reorganized into four factors based on the canonical correlations between the factors. The resultant four-component model shows a good fit compared to the six-component model. The four mentoring characteristics that are identified through this study (in no specific order) are sincerity, commitment, skill and knowledge development and organizational ascendency and impact. The results obtained thus represent an attempt to describe the significant informal mentor characteristics from the mentees’ perspective in a contemporary business environment.

Xanthomarina gelatinilytica gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from seawater.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, yellow-pigmented, non-sporulating, non-motile bacterium, designated strain AK20T, was isolated from seawater collected from Kochi city, Kerala state, India. Colonies on marine agar were circular, yellow, shiny, translucent, 2-3 mm in diameter, convex and with entire margin. Flexirubin-type pigment was present. The fatty acids were dominated by iso-branched units with a high abundance of iso-C15:0, iso-C15:1 G, iso-C17:0 3-OH, summed feature 3 (C16:1ω7c and/or iso-C15:0 2-OH) and iso-C15:0 3-OH. Polar lipids included phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified aminophospholipids, two unidentified phospholipids and four unidentified lipids. Menaquinone 6 (MK-6) was the predominant respiratory quinone. The DNA G+C content of strain AK20T was 38.8 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain AK20T was closely related to Formosa spongicola A2T and Bizionia paragorgiae KMM 6029T (pair-wise sequence similarities of 95.9 and 95.7%, respectively), forming a distinct branch within the family Flavobacteriaceae and clustering with the clade comprising species of the genus Bizionia. Based on phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics and phylogenetic analysis, strain AK20T is different from the existing genera in the family Flavobacteriaceae, and is therefore considered to represent a novel species of a new genus, for which the name Xanthomarina gelatinilytica gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Xanthomarina gelatinilytica is AK20T ( = MTCC 11705T = JCM 18821T).

Changing Cities and Changing Lives: Development Induced Displacement in Kochi, Kerala

In the recent two decades, post liberalisation, the landscapes of Kochi city, (a city in Ernakulam, the central district of the state of Kerala, India) and its suburbs are witnessing fast changes with the launch of several mega projects. As the city and its suburbs are reinventing, this paper examines the lives of those people most affected by these changing geographies, namely those displaced by the projects. We specifically examine the poverty, inequality and violence nexus associated with displacement which was noted in other parts of India. It is interesting to examine this question in context of Kerala, as the state has received much acclaim for its pro-poor and pro- public approach and people have received some acclaim for their public action. It would be relevant to see whether the experiences of displaced would be similar or different in such a state. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of enquiries were used. Our quantitative survey revealed that poverty, inequality (within the locality) and violence and physical safety did not emerge as significant concerns. What emerged as poignant concern was the different forms of state violence- be it in terms of brute force or in terms of indifference, negligence, inefficiencies leading to great deal of unnecessary suffering for the displaced. Our qualitative interviews also revealed people’s remarkable agency as they struggled and agitated to get a fair compensation. In the urban or urbanising context of city and its suburbs, where fundamental conflicts over land acquisition is found as coming down, people would be willing to bear the hardships of displacement and resettlement if the rehabilitation package allows them to settle even a little better. The state, which claims to be pro-people would well have avoided the unnecessary suffering of the displaced. Cities People Places: International Journal on Urban Environments Vol.1(1) 2015: 1-18

Plantas medicinais consumidas em Cochim, no século XVI e na atualidade

O objetivo primacial desta pesquisa é investigar como solucionam os habitantes de Cochim, na Índia, seus problemas de saúde, quando não podem aceder aos sistemas convencionais ou quando optam por aceder a sistemas alternativos, na modernidade. O objetivo específico da pesquisa é compilar as espécies vegetais de uso terapêutico no século XVI e compará-las com as atuais. A flora indiana, em particular as especiarias, tem fascinado a humanidade desde o início dos tempos. Em 1498, os portugueses descobriram o caminho marítimo para a Índia e, durante os dois séculos seguintes, o pequeno país europeu dominou o comércio mundial com o oriente. Seguindo a rota das especiarias, o Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical (IICT) organizou, recentemente, uma missão científica a Kerala, a fim de investigar os frutos, os legumes, os condimentos, os tubérculos e as plantas medicinais cultivadas em jardins e pátios traseiros, vendidos em mercados e feiras, e recomendados pela medicina Ayurvédica, na cidade de Cochim. O ponto de partida foi a leitura de quatro manuscritos do século XVI que enumeravam as plantas aromáticas, condimentares e medicinais da Índia renascentista. Os resultados demonstram que um número substancial de plantas colhidas durante a missão do IICT, em 2013, já era usado na Índia, no século XVI.

Species composition of the subfamily Vespinae (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) at the experimental forest of the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute in Kochi City

Species composition of the subfamily Vespinae (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) at the experimental forest of the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute in Kochi City

A Fundamental Study on Evaluation of Public Transport Transfer Nodes by Data Envelop Analysis Approach Using Smart Card Data

This research proposes a method of evaluating transfer nodes based on smart card data with the objective of making a contribution to public transportation restructuring in regional cities. The study seeks to better comprehend the use of public transportation systems (trams and buses) in central Kochi City in Japan based on the transportation mode transfers recorded on user Smart Cards. Specifically, this study seeks to use the Data Envelop Analysis (DEA) model, which allows us to reference multiple indices, in order to evaluate the efficiency of user transfers between transportation systems while also considering transfer times and user age groups. The study results show that efficiency varied according to the time of day and user age groups, even at the same transfer nodes, and identified the need for more thorough understanding of the properties of each transfer point based on the efficiency values of multiple indices.

Effect of Holocene climate and sea level changes on landform evolution and human habitation: Central Kerala, India

Holocene climate and sea level changes have significant bearing on the geomorphic evolution of the coastal environments. A better understanding of the chronologic events of these changes is essential not only for ensuring accuracy of the climate/sea level prediction systems developed essentially from instrumental measurements but is also important for planning developmental initiatives in coastal and near shore environments. The present study is confined to the sedimentological, palynological and stable isotopic (δ13C and δ15N) evidence of palaeoclimate and sea level records in the Holocene sedimentary archives of the coastal lowlands of Periyar – Chalakudy river systems of Central Kerala, which host one of the fast developing urban – industrial centres in south India, Kochi City. The Holocene deposit in the study area is composed mainly of sand and clay dominant sediments that fall within an age range between 5390 ± 140 yrs BP and 10,110 ± 80 yrs BP. The palynological and non - pollen palynomorphs in the sediments together with the textural and geochemical attributes indicate that Holocene sedimentation took place in the area under fluctuating environmental conditions with marked changes of climate and sea level. The northern part of the study area near Pattanam revealed multiple lines of evidence of human habitation which were subsequently buried under fluvio-marine sediments in the Late Holocene.

High incidence of community-acquired pneumonia among rapidly aging population in Japan: a prospective hospital-based surveillance.

The age-group-specific incidence and etiological patterns of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) have not been fully established in Japan. A 2-year prospective surveillance was conducted in Kochi city, Western Japan. All CAP patients aged ≥15 years who visited a community-based hospital were enrolled in the study. Clinical samples were examined by conventional bacterial culture and urinary antigen tests, and 6 bacterial pathogens and 16 respiratory viruses were identified from sputum samples by multiplex polymerase chain reaction assays. The age-group-specific incidence of CAP was estimated using a population-based data set of the total number of outpatients in the whole city. Ninety of the 131 enrolled patients, 68.7% were positive for respiratory pathogens. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the leading bacterial pathogen identified (28.2%). Respiratory viruses were identified in 36 patients (27.5%), and human entero-rhinovirus was the most common (13.3%) among them. The estimated overall incidence of adult CAP in Kochi was 9.6 per 1,000 person-years (PY); the estimated age group-specific incidence was 3.4, 10.7, and 42.9 per 1,000 PY for those aged 15-64, 65-74, and ≥75 years, respectively. The high incidence of CAP in these rural city of Japan, probably reflects the substantial aged population. S. pneumoniae and respiratory viruses play important roles in CAP in all age groups.

The Indian Biennale Effect

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale, the most recent global art biennale, was launched in Kochi in the state of Kerala, India, in 2012. This essay considers the “biennale effect,” locating it within India's recent history of radical political modernization and in the context of the state's attempts to establish itself in terms of internationalism and contemporaneity via the arts. Pivotal to this discussion of the biennale effect is the recognition of a growing critical discourse about the biennale format by scholars, critics, and curators. The impact of the Indian biennale on the formerly Communist city of Kochi is also explored, including photographic documentation by the author, in the context of the contradictions and paradoxes raised by India's hosting of this global art event.

The relationship between consumption of tyrosine and phenylalanine as precursors of catecholamine at breakfast and the circadian typology and mental health in Japanese infants aged 2 to 5 years

BackgroundThis study aims to examine the relationship between tyrosine and phenylalanine intake at breakfast as precursors of dopamine, and scores on the Torsvall-Åkerstedt Diurnal Type Scale and of mental health in Japanese infants aged 2 to 5 years.ResultsAn integrated questionnaire was administered to parents of 1,367 infants attending one of ten nursery schools governed by Kochi City or a kindergarten affiliated with the Faculty of Education at Kochi University (775 answers for analysis: 56.7%) in May and June 2008. Questionnaires included the Torsvall-Åkerstedt Diurnal Type Scale and questions on sleep habits (onset, offset, quality, quantity, and so on), meal habits (content and regularity of timing), and mental health (depressive states). Amount of tyrosine and phenylalanine intake was calculated based on a breakfast content questionnaire and data on the components of amino acids in foods. Infants who ingested more than 800 mg of tyrosine or phenylalanine at breakfast per meal were more morning-type than those who ingested less than 800 mg (ANOVA: P= 0.005). However, this relationship disappeared in the ANCOVA analysis (with the covariance of tryptophan intake, P= 0.894). Infants who ingested more than 800 mg of the two amino acids at breakfast showed significantly higher mental health scores (lower frequency of depressive states) than those who ingested less than 800 mg (ANOVA: P = 0.004). This relationship remained significant when ANCOVA analysis was performed with the covariance of tryptophan (ANCOVA: P= 0.017).ConclusionsThese results suggest that tyrosine and phenylalanine ingested at breakfast are not related with circadian phase, but are relate with mental health in infants.

高知市街地の浅層地盤モデルの構築

高知市街地の浅層地盤モデルの構築

Studies on Site Specific Responses and its relationship with the Geological Formations in Kochi City of Kerala State, India

The site response studies have been undertaken by measuring records of ambient noise vibrations in Kochi city of Kerala state, India with the objective of defining the site effects as this forms the most important input associated with the local geological conditions and constitute an important part of any seismic hazard assessment and microzonation map. The resonance frequency and the ground motion amplification thus estimated show very interesting features in their spatial variability and have specific range of resonance frequency associated with different geological formations from soft soils to compact rocky sites. The results suggest that the resonance frequency varies significantly within short distances in and around Kochi city. The detailed seismic microzonation map prepared for Kochi city contains five classes of resonance frequency ( 10 Hz) and three classes of site amplification ( 10.0). The resonance frequency is spatially distributed in three NW-SE trending segments parallel to the coast which differ appreciably in their site response characteristics. The lowest resonance frequency values (≤ 1.0 Hz) coupled with generally high site amplification were observed in coastal and backwater areas covered with younger alluvial deposits, and high resonance frequency values (> 5 Hz) to charnockites and laterites in the hinterlands. It is demonstrated that site specific natural frequency can be used very successfully to delineate geological formations in a region provided closely spaced ambient noise data are available.

Brick and tile clay mining from the paddy lands of Central Kerala (southwest coast of India) and emerging environmental issues

The increasing demand for building materials has led to indiscriminate exploitation of clay-rich topsoil from wetlands including the paddy lands of Central Kerala in the southwestern coast of India. The problem is critical in areas adjoining the major developmental centers having low per capita land and natural resource availability. Loss of fertile topsoil, shrinkage of agricultural lands and consequent food security issues, erosion of naturally evolved nutrients, lowering of water table in wells adjacent to the mining sites, etc., are some of the major environmental issues arising from indiscriminate brick and tile clay mining. Although, brick and tile clay mining brings short-term economic benefits and employment opportunities to a section of people, the process in the long run creates severe damages to the environmental settings of the area. The present paper deals with a few aspects of brick and tile clay mining in the paddy lands of Central Kerala, especially around Kochi City, a fast developing urban-cum-industrial center in South India, which demands large quantities of building materials including bricks and tiles for construction of infrastructural facilities. It is estimated that 729,695 tons/year (ty−1) of brick and tile clays are extracted from the coastal lowlands of Central Kerala, spreading to the Chalakudy (135,975 ty−1), Periyar (483,820 ty−1) and Muvattupuzha (109,900 ty−1) river basins. The N, P and K loss through extraction of brick and tile clays amounts to 210 ty−1, 96 ty−1 and 9,352 ty−1, respectively. As nutrient loss is an irreversible process in human time scale, its implications on agricultural productivity is a matter of serious concern. The study warrants the need for a comprehensive policy with an aim to regulate the mining activities on an environment- friendly basis in the densely populated coasts of the world, in general, and the study area in particular.

高知市付近で１９７７〜１９８０年頃に発生した長期的スロースリップ

We extracted unsteady vertical crustal deformations in the Shikoku region before GPS deployment using leveling and sea-level data. GPS-derived, steady-state vertical displacements related to ongoing subduction of the Philippine Sea plate were subtracted from the vertical displacements observed by leveling surveys. Monthly mean sea-level data were corrected for atmospheric pressure and hydrographic effects. As a result, we found an upheaval of 4-5cm near Kochi City from 1977 to 1980 in both the leveling and sea-level data. This may represent a crustal deformation caused by a long-term slow slip event on the plate boundary.

In my Backyard! An Alternative Model for Solid Waste Management

Solid waste management is one of the major urban problems in cities today. The issue is often most pressing when city governments have to manage in challenging financial, managerial and cultural contexts. Cities in India are no exception. Although some town and cities have implemented and reported good practices, the situation is far from resolved. This paper looks at solid waste management practices in one ward in the city of Kochi, Kerala. The findings from this case suggest a systemic organising principle – a fractal configuration – as conducive to solid waste management. This paper further suggests that the recurring principle in this fractal system can be extended to other systems that involve distance decay or time decay functions.

Relationships between water quality, river course modification history and distribution of Nuphar population : the case in the Koda River, Kochi City

Relationships between water quality, river course modification history and distribution of Nuphar population : the case in the Koda River, Kochi City

Environmental Impact Assessment of Sand Mining from the Small Catchment Rivers in the Southwestern Coast of India: A Case Study

In the past few decades, the demand for construction grade sand is increasing in many parts of the world due to rapid economic development and subsequent growth of building activities. This, in many of the occasions, has resulted in indiscriminate mining of sand from in-stream and floodplain areas leading to severe damages to the river basin environment. The case is rather alarming in the small catchment rivers like those draining the southwestern coast of India due to limited sand resources in their alluvial reaches. Moreover, lack of adequate information on the environmental impact of river sand mining is a major lacuna challenging regulatory efforts in many developing countries. Therefore, a scientific assessment is a pre-requisite in formulating management strategies in the sand mining-hit areas. In this context, a study has been made as a case to address the environmental impact of sand mining from the in-stream and floodplain areas of three important rivers in the southwestern coast of India namely the Chalakudy, Periyar and Muvattupuzha rivers, whose lowlands host one of the fast developing urban-cum-industrial centre, the Kochi city. The study reveals that an amount of 11.527 million ty(-1) of sand (8.764 million ty(-1) of in-stream sand and 2.763 million ty(-1) of floodplain sand) is being mined from the midland and lowland reaches of these rivers for construction of buildings and other infrastructural facilities in Kochi city and its satellite townships. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) carried out as a part of this investigation shows that the activities associated with mining and processing of sands have not only affected the health of the river ecosystems but also degraded its overbank areas to a large extent. Considering the degree of degradation caused by sand mining from these rivers, no mining scenario may be opted in the deeper zones of the river channels. Also, a set of suggestions are made for the overall improvement of the rivers and its biophysical environment.

Clinical screening for congenital heart disease at birth: A prospective study in a community hospital in Kerala

To develop a clinical strategy for detection of Congenital heart disease (CHD) in the newborn through a combination of clinical signs and pulse oximetry. Prospective longitudinal study. Community level hospital in the city of Kochi, Kerala. All consecutive newborns between June 2006 and February 2009 were prospectively screened for CHD, 48 hours after birth. The on-site pediatrician performed clinical screening. A study nurse recorded pulse oximetry in a lower extremity; value of <94% was defined as abnormal. Echocardiography was performed on site by a trained research officer. A 6-week clinical follow-up evaluation was done for all. Detection of CHD by echocardiography. Of 5487 babies screened, 425 (7.75%) had CHD. 17 (0.31%) had major CHD, two of whom (one ALCAPA and one large VSD) were missed during the initial evaluation. The rest were minor CHD (408 patients, 7.44%), most of which normalized by 6 weeks. On multivariate analysis, murmur, central cyanosis, abnormal precordial pulsations and abnormal pulse oximetry emerged as significant predictors of CHD. The sensitivity of clinical evaluation and pulse oximetry combined was 19% for all CHDs and 20% for major CHD; specificity was 88%. In the community setting of a developing country, clinical evaluation and pulse oximetry after birth had a very low sensitivity for detection of CHD. Though an abnormal screening warrants prompt echocardiography, a 6 week clinical evaluation is recommended to ensure that major CHD is not missed.

Effectivity of Storm Surge - Wave Hindcasting Coupling Model on Estimation of Storm Surge at T7010

A surge-wave coupling model was developed for numerical analysis of the disaster phenomena in coastal areas. The basic equations of storm surge model are the continuity and momentum equations integrated. The shear stresses the pressure gradients and the radiation stresses are taken into consideration in the momentum equations. The wave fields of a coupling model are calculated by MRI shallow water wave hindcasting model. The developed surge wave coupling model is applied to the estimation of the wave and water level generated by T7010 in the inundation area in the Kochi city.

Newly Proposed Disaster Mitigation and Recovery for the Next Nankai Trough Megathrust Earthquakes

To integrate research results of this project and apply to practical disaster mitigation measures, we arrange and construct working groups in Nagoya city, Osaka city and Kochi city. In these cities, severe damages of next megathrust earthquakes around the Nankai trough are estimated, therefore, we will discuss with administrative organs, public corporations of life lines and researchers etc. in each working group. In discussions of working group, we introduce advanced researches to understand the present and future expected researches of the Nankai trough in each other. Furthermore, we will extract characteristic issues and estimated damages of strong motions, long period motions and tsunamis based on the future scenarios of next meagthrust earthquakes in each working group. And fruits of working group discussions will contribute to constructions of new disaster mitigation measures in administrative organs, public corporations of life lines etc.