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Receivers and intermediary establishments typical to urban areas have unique freight behaviour and are understudied, particularly in developing countries. This paper uses establishment-based freight survey data to examine their freight generation patterns in the Chennai metropolitan area, India. Three sets of Simple Linear Regression (SLR) models, three single predictor proportional odds logit models, one multiple linear regression model, and one multiple predictor proportional odds logit model with business size (employment, area, and operational age) and indicators of establishment category as regressors are developed each for both freight production and freight attraction. Partial proportional odds logit models are developed in a few cases to overcome the limitations of proportional odds logit models. The best SLR model varied with the establishment category for freight production and attraction. The establishment area model is the best among single predictor proportional odds logit models. The multiple predictor proportional odds logit models marginally improved the fit over single predictor models. The proportional odds logit model results show that the establishment category has a greater impact on freight generation levels than business size variables. Since earlier studies rarely focused on receivers and intermediary establishments, policymakers may benefit from the developed models and study insights while estimating freight demand and developing freight policies. • Receivers and intermediary establishments' freight generation is studied. • Partial Proportional Odds (PO) logit models are developed for freight attraction. • Area model is the best single predictor PO logit model for freight generation. • Establishment type affects freight generation more than business size variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to provide an insight on effect of stringency in Covid-19 spread in India especially in Chennai, a city were more lockdown, and restrictions was imposed to control the infection. Even though the restriction was imposed in the country by the end of March 2020, the growth reduction was seen in the mid of June as the awareness was increased. The average Covid-19 case growth was got reduce from 3.43 to 2.62% by July mid. To analysis the impact of stringency, a detailed analysis was done on Chennai city which was imposed with more repeated lockdowns to flatten the curve. We tried to fit a regression line with three difference scenario of data. The results show a promising R-squared and p value, with a right skewed distribution normal probability plot. The impact of lockdown in people's lives in different sectors were also discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines discourses about sexual risk and respectability in the South Indian city of Chennai, through an ethnographic study of young women's participation in practices of public sex. Focusing on middle-class women located at the heart of neoliberal and national fantasies of the 'good life', it makes two arguments. First: the paper unpacks the ways in which urban publics have been stigmatised as 'unsafe' for respectable women. It demonstrates that in practices of publicly-located sex, young women subvert this. They instead see private and commercial spaces – which have been celebrated as the locus of their liberation – as places of surveillance and discipline. Second: the paper interrogates how spatial governmentalities produce regimes of legitimacy that accrue to particular sexual acts. It argues that what 'counts' as sex is also determined geographically: by where the sex act occurs and what geographies of discipline and imaginaries of risk and respectability it evokes in its location. Both arguments draw attention to the ways in which contemporary discourses about the 'risk' of urban publics evoke the logics of development within which the construct of respectable femininity is located. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, water contamination is a serious environmental issue. Untreated sewage is typically the main cause of water contamination in India. Protecting water quality for sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction becomes a greatest challenge with the technological change and population growth. Measurement of Water Quantity and Real Time Monitoring becomes mandate to advance the water stewardship. In this paper, to keep track of the quality, smart water quality monitoring system(Ph, temperature, turbidity) and analysing of water quantity (flow or level) based on IOT is proposed for the study area of Okkiyam Maduvu, watershed in Chennai. This system is implemented using various sensors to measure the water quality like Ph, temperature, turbidity sensor and for analysing water water quantity used flow or level sensors. All these sensors are controlled by using the microcontroller - Arduino ESP32. This proposed system is placed in the study area Okkiyam Maduvu watershed to monitor water quality and quantity and visualized those sensed data using the IOT platform through Blynk App. This helps to know the water level and its quality of Okkiyam Maduvu watershed and it helps to take necessary precaution if the water quality is reduced and its level raised beyond the level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air is one of the most fundamental constituents for the sustenance of life on earth. The meteorological, traffic factors, consumption of nonrenewable energy sources, and industrial parameters are steadily increasing air pollution. These factors affect the welfare and prosperity of life on earth; therefore, the nature of air quality in our environment needs to be monitored continuously. The Air Quality Index (AQI), which indicates air quality, is influenced by several individual factors such as the accumulation of NO2, CO, O3, PM2.5, SO2, and PM10. This research paper aims to predict and forecast the AQI with Machine Learning (ML) techniques, namely linear regression and time series analysis. Primarily, Multilinear Regression (MLR) model, supervised machine learning, is developed to predict AQI. NO2, Ozone(O2), PM 2.5, and SO2 sensor output collected from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Chennai region, India, fed as input features and optimized AQI calculated from sensor's output set as a target to train the regression model. The obtained model parameters are validated with new and unseen sensor output. The Key Performance Indices (KPI) like coefficient of determination, root mean square error, and mean absolute error were calculated to validate the model accuracy. The K-cross-fold validation for testing data of MLR was obtained as around 92%. Secondly, the Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) time series model is applied to forecast the AQI. The obtained model parameters were validated with unseen data with a timestamp. The forecasted AQI value of the next 15 days lies in a 95 % confidence interval zone. The model accuracy of test data was obtained as more than 80%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Children can play an active and valuable role to minimise disaster risks and vulnerabilities. Yet, peer-reviewed literature on child participation in Disaster Resilience Education (DRE) is lacking. This knowledge gap is larger in low- and middle-income countries, especially related to vulnerable communities. The current study explores how child participation in developing and delivering a DRE intervention is associated with their mental well-being and resilience. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative study is part of a larger project where a DRE intervention was co-developed and delivered by children in the informal settlements in Chennai, India, using a participatory approach. This project used qualitative methods including interviews and focus group discussions with children who co-developed the intervention, their parents and staff members of the collaborating Non-Government Organisation (NGO) to understand their experiences and inform its processes. Findings: The children involved in the development and delivery of the intervention reported that not only did they learn the skills necessary to prepare for hazards in the future, it also increased their confidence, self-worth and self-efficacy. This was also observed by parents and staff members of the collaborating NGO. They expressed pride towards the children and applauded their ability to communicate key Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) messages with assertiveness. Research limitations/implications: There is a dearth of empirical papers on child participation in DRR activities, and this study fills some of that gap by reporting the perceived impact of children's participation on their mental well-being and resilience. Furthermore, this study can act as a roadmap for researchers aiming to do action research with children. Practical implications: DRR is more effective when all stakeholders, especially the affected and at-risk children, and communities are closely involved in structuring, planning, developing and delivering key disaster preparedness messages. This study serves to show that children's participation in DRR activities not only impacts their preparedness but that it helps children in disaster recovery as well, in addition to building their resilience and overall improvement in their mental well-being. Social implications: Given the participatory nature of this study, it involves children closely in the development and delivery of DRE intervention. The communities involved in this study had complex vulnerabilities including poverty, marginalisation and based in a low-and-middle income country, India. Oftentimes, these communities are not represented in scientific literature, and this study attempts to bridge that gap. Originality/value: This study presents a multi-stakeholder perspective on child participation in its potential impact on children's mental well-being and resilience. The DRE intervention was co-developed and delivered by children in the community making it unique in its development process as well as the context it was developed in – informal settlements in Chennai, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the development of a public transport trip planner to help the urban traveller in planning and preparing for his commute using public transportation in the city. A Genetic Algorithm (GA) approach that handles realtime Global Positioning Systems (GPS) data from buses of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) in Chennai City (India) has been used to develop the planner. The GA has been shown to provide good solutions within the problem's computation time constraints. The developed trip planner has been implemented for static network data first and subsequently extended to use real-time data. The "walk mode" and Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) have also been included in the geospatial database to extend the route-planner's capabilities. The algorithm has subsequently been segmented to speed up the prediction process. In addition, a temporal cache has also been introduced during implementation, to handle multiple queries generated simultaneously. The results showed that there is promise for scalability and citywide implementation for the proposed real-time route-planner. The uncertainty and poor service quality perceived with public transport bus services in India could potentially be mitigated by further developments in the route-planner introduced in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper delineates the process of activation of soot or black carbon particles into cloud droplets over Chennai, India (an Asian megacity). Archaic wood-fired cooking stove emissions from crowded shantytown settlements dispense copious amounts of carbonaceous particles into the city's atmosphere during morning and evening cooking periods. Traffic emissions also add considerably to the city's particulate matter loads. At other times, when these sources are reduced (e.g. during non-cooking periods), a pall of residual pollution hovers above the city. This study assesses this problem definitively through process modelling studies undertaken during a typical pre-monsoonal month (October) when the levels of pollution are very high. The novelty of this paper includes a clear quantification of the percentage of activated nuclei resulting from these sources using a sophisticated cloud chemical parcel model. The results show that 85% of the soot and black carbon particles are activated into very small low-lying cloud droplets within Chennai's boundary layer. We further show for the first time that the presence of these particles results in a slowing down of the auto-conversion process (cloud water to rain droplets). This study could serve as a pointer for other Asian Cities with a sizeable shantytown population in India and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education today plays a key role in the education system in India. This paper bent to formulate a SE Model on the impact of student's engagement between professor's proficiency, student's expectations and perceived student learning outcome among college students studying in Chennai. The study is conducted with a structured survey using exploratory and confirmatory Factor Analysis and structural equation model has been used to identify the professor's proficiency factors and student 'expectation drives on student engagement. Impact of students' engagement on students' performance. The findings indicated that academically engaged student's expectation drives along with professor's proficiency are the main reason for the performance of the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy is an efficient source in the present world and it is very significant. Huge building systems such as luxury hotels, commercial complex, malls and educational institutes require chiller plants for air-conditioning purpose in their premises. In this paper, a case analysis on energy savings and efficiency improvement of a chiller plant is done for a luxury hotel building located at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The building consists of carrier make 2 Nos. 633 kW/180 TR and 1 No. 1185 kW/337 TR water cooled chillers. The chiller plant system at the site consumes up to 43% of the facility's annual energy cost. To increase the energy savings and efficiency of existing system and to achieve a lower number on the Specific Power Consumption (SPC), the existing chiller plant is retrofitted with 1 No. 879 kW/250 TR Premium efficiency chiller and an energy analysis is done by simulating the proposed chiller using Chiller Plant Automation (CPA) software and by understanding the energy usage of the chiller as per the site operating load and weather conditions. With the change in chiller, the system efficiency of the hotel increased by 40% and the energy consumption reduced to 38%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the interception of Venturia inaequalis, a pathogen of quarantine significance in apple consignments imported to India. During 2018-2020, apple shipments from eighteen countries representing six continents were imported through Chennai port. Shipments from seven countries representing five continents were intercepted with quarantine fungal pathogens Venturia inaequalis and Monilinia fructicola. The intercepted shipments were issued Deportation Orders as per the provisions of Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 2003. The non-compliances were notified to the trading partners on each interception as per the IPPC guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the use of satellite image processing and remote sensing approaches to determine the water-spread area and capacity of a drinking water reservoir in Poondi, near Chennai City, south India. Estimation of water-spread area and volume of the reservoirs using traditional methods like field surveys, acoustic surveys and hydrographic surveys is time-consuming, laborious and expensive. To overcome these problems, many researchers have used satellite images and the per-pixel (hard classification), the sub-pixel (soft classification) and the super resolution mapping approaches. The conventional hard and soft classification approaches do not give accurate results due to the presence of mixed pixels in the image scene of the periphery of the reservoir. In this work, a per-pixel algorithm (Maximum Likelihood), a sub-pixel algorithm (Fuzzy C Means) and a super resolution mapping algorithm (Genetic algorithm) are developed and the water-spread area is estimated for the reservoir using multi-date Landsat8 OLI images. The volume of the reservoir at different water levels are estimated using the water-spread area and the Trapezoidal formula. The capacity estimated from satellite image-derived area is compared with the capacity data obtained from the Poondi reservoir authority. The error in estimation due to the per-pixel approach is 16.74%, while it is 9.06% for the sub-pixel approach and a mere 3.25% for the super-resolution approach. Thus, the super-resolution mapping approach results in minimum error when compared to the sub-pixel approach which in turn gives lesser error result when comparing with the per-pixel approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

William J. Niblock (WJN), an Assistant Surgeon at the Madras General Hospital (MGH), published a paper 'Cancer in India' (2 pages of text and 3 pages of tables) in the Indian Medical Gazette in 1902. He appears to have been a popular surgeon in Madras who surgically treated mouth cancers, testicular filariasis, and calcareous stones in the liver, gall bladder, and kidney. His 'Cancer in India' article is a compilation of numerical data of different cancers recorded in MGH from 1892 to 1901 mostly, and from 1896 to 1901 occasionally. In this article, WJN refers to cancers of different internal organs and external parts. He attributes the mouth cancers to constant chewing of 'betel' (the betel quid), which he explains as giving rise to leukoplakia, forerunner of buccal carcinoma. He supplies many, easily comparable, paired tables. These tables are made of raw numbers about the diverse human populations living in Madras, such as the Indians (Hindus and Muslims), Europeans, and Eurasians (Anglo-Indians) extracted from the 10-year records of MGH. None of the tables has been analyzed statistically. Nevertheless, he supplies the total numbers of admissions into MGH, which serve usefully as denominators in this study; occasionally, he presents data as percentages. Despite the lack of parametric statistical analysis, WJN's article, written in 1902, impresses as a useful contribution, because it provides a cross-sectional view of cancer incidence in Madras, particularly in defiance of Saldanha's supposition that cancers do not manifest in dark-skinned people, such as Indians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Siruthavoor is a village situated 40 km south of Chennai in south India. The people of this village share their landscape with archaeological remains of south India's past, including Iron Age–Early Historic burials and medieval temples. As an archaeologist, having witnessed and been both an indirect and direct participant in the changing reactions, actions, and perceptions of the community towards these monuments, I use this paper to explore the implications we can draw from the interaction between archaeological landscapes and various actors, spanning a period of twelve years. In India, as in many other countries, archaeological landscapes, monuments, and objects face the possibility of alteration, conservation, preservation, or destruction. The factors involved in this, I argue, are specific to localized conscious and unconscious decision-making by people living around such archaeological sites. Delving deeper into these issues will help us understand these often seemingly inexplicable choices that imperil the continued presence of archaeological monuments in the contemporary landscape. The behind-the-scenes events that occur in the 'field' of archaeology often remain untold, and yet they hold a lot of information. Through this narrative, this paper explores some of the subjectivities that we need to acknowledge as academics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses about the results of a short term monitoring study of sea coast contaminated with oil spill. Collision of two oil-cargo ships, namely BW Maple and MT Dawn Kanchipuram near the Ennore Port, Chennai had released an approximately 200 tonnes of heavy fuel oil. We analyzed four different oil spill samples collected from Chennai beaches for different time intervals (1st, 3rd, 6th, 10th day of oil spill) from 1 km away from the source of the off shore spill location. The physicochemical characteristics of spilled oil sludge, concentration of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in the spilled oil were investigated. The variations in pH, moisture content and volatile hydrocarbon content, viscosity and density of the spilled oil were in the range of 7 ± 0.2, 255–575 g/kg, 118 to 850 PaS and 1.04 to 0.98 g/cm3 respectively. Elemental analysis showed that C, H, N and S were in the range of 9.9–13.3 (%), 0.63 to 1.76 (%), 1.88 to 1.02 (%) and 0.29 to 0.27 (%) respectively. Analysis of oil spill samples using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GCMS) shows the presence of recalcitrant and hazardous PAHs such as fluoranthene and pyrene. Ocean sediments were collected at different locations along the coast line from Ennore to Cooum after 60 days of oil spill and analyzed for TPH in GCMS. The results showed that the residual concentrations of TPH varied from 0.19 to 3.43 mg/g. The presence of heavy PAHs, which are highly toxic and recalcitrant, could pose a severe threat to the marine environment and ecology.The long term effects of these compounds were unexplored on marine environment. This environmental monitoring study gives an overview about the post oil spill activities and steps taken to remediate the sludge along the coastline. Image 1 • This study highlights the immediate fate and characteristics of the Chennai oil spill over a short period. • Total petroleum hydrocarbon concentration increased from third day to sixth day and then stabilized. • Viscosity of the spilled oil increased eight times from day1 to day 10 after the oil spill. • Priority pollutants such as Fluoranthene and pyrene were identified in beach sediments using GC-MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is known to be one of the leading causes of mortality in the world. There were about 14.1 million incidences and 8.2 million deaths due to cancer globally. In terms of mouth cancer Age Standardized Rate is 4.0 per 100000 populations worldwide and 7.2 per 100000 populations in India. In Chennai, mouth cancer burden has significantly increased over the past decade irrespective of geographical region. In this paper, the mouth cancer incidence is used to analyze the spatial distribution for high risk and low risk areas of different zones in Chennai by gender for the period of 2004-2013. The aim of this study is to fit a Poisson Gamma model and to explore the Empirical Bayesian and frequentist approach for disease mapping of mouth cancer incidence for Chennai zones by sex. The results of the estimates reveal that the empirical Bayesian estimate is more stable than the conventional frequentist estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of the focus placed on English education by the colonial government, and the petition signed by 70,000 local inhabitants of the Madras Presidency, Lord John Elphinstone, the Governor, made efforts to disseminate English education during his governorship (1837-1842). Spurred on by the petition, Elphinstone wrote two fundamental educational minutes, in 1839 and 1841, and established Madras High School. Later, the School was transformed into Presidency College and became the first home of the University of Madras. Elphinstone’s planning led to the first systematic effort by the Madras government to impart English education. Subsequently, Elphinstone emphasised the dissemination of secular education and inclusion of native people in educational administration. Against this background, this paper discusses the contribution of Elphinstone to the educational development of Madras. It also questions the historiographical neglect of Elphinstone and challenges the established post-colonial discourse that the establishment of English institutions was a ‘colonialist’ imposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The media often showcase culturally normative forms of masculinity and femininity. This paper explores the portrayal of femininity in Tamil movies and examines the youths’ views on these portrayals. The data for this paper came from a content analysis of 40 movies (1961–2012) and 30 face-to-face interviews with undergraduates in Chennai, India. Women’s roles in Tamil movies can be regarded as secondary in nature, and meant for the male gaze. These roles emphasize traditional feminine ideals. Tamil movies are cautious about challenging the deeply rooted traditional feminine ideals of Tamil society. The strong maintenance of traditional femininity is one of the reasons why it is seen as a form of hegemonic femininity: that is, a form of femininity that holds ascendancy when compared to other forms of femininity. Youths sometimes question the stereotypical portrayal of women, but are not always able to resist them. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Active land markets in the periphery of Chennai have resulted in large tracts of agricultural land being bought by non‐agricultural actors seeking returns primarily from speculation. We argue in this paper that the financialization of land and consequent spurt of agricultural land sales are central to what scholars have termed land grab. Recent literature on land grabs has focused primarily on processes of accumulation by dispossession and the coercive role of the state. Our contention is that land grabs more commonly occur due to the state underinvesting in agriculture, resulting in "dispossession by neglect" of especially marginal and small farmers. Dispossession by neglect better captures the fluid boundary between the coercive and voluntary in contemporary land grabs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores beauty ideals prevalent among young women in Chennai, India. It is part of a larger project that contributes to the emerging scholarship around women's experiences in the rapidly changing landscape of urban India, with a focus on young female rural to urban migrants living in the city of Chennai (their destination). Drawing on findings from an ethnographic study of women living in hostel accommodation conducted in 2015 and 2016, I consider the talk, observations, and beauty practices of the research participants. In particular, I explore the ways in which 'lighter' skin colour is privileged as more desirable and how participants both reproduce and contest this construction. The discussion here delves into the obsessive aspiration for lighter skin, its gendered dimensions, and its reflection in online spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper utilizes a critical governmentality approach to theorize the processes through which urban elites become stakeholders in the 'world-class city'. Through a case study of public consultations for urban development plans in Chennai, India, the paper explores the technologies that produce urban actors who 'participate' in urban governance. Key to these technologies is a discourse of participation that privileges and normalizes citizens as urban stakeholders. The paper contributes to current explorations into the technologies of inclusion that are central to an emerging civic governmentality in South Asia. In Chennai this civic governmentality engages various segments of civil society in processes of urban governance through the mechanism of public consultation. It is through these public consultations that elites come to exert influence over urban plans and consolidate a vision and desire for the world-class city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing countries, hitherto, underground space use approach has been debated over many years; however, it has gradually started to emerge in slow pace due to lack of people's willingness. This paper demonstrates a method to evaluate people's willingness to use underground space, analyzing the user experience from Phoenix Market City mall in Chennai city, India. Specifically, a Structural Equation Model is formulated to explore the impact of the relationship between people's willingness to use underground space and experience attributes. The result of this analysis shows that the generated model with the absolute fit indices affirms a good acceptable fit satisfying the necessary values. All the variables have positive coefficient values with good significance in relation to the willingness of using underground space. In effect, this paper concludes that proper planning with respect to comfort, safety and form aspects are bound to improve the people's overall willingness while resorting to the underground space. Further, periodical surveys and evaluation using SEM will help in improving the quality of existing underground space and the level of people's willingness in using it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shrimp trawling represents an important fishing métier in South India, generating high levels of employment and economic value. It is also a contested métier, ostensibly contributing to environmental degradation and social inequality. This paper investigates the job satisfaction of crew members (captains and workers) on board the shrimp trawlers of Chennai (former Madras). Research took place in 2007 and 2008 (N = 137). Results suggest a general satisfaction with being in the fishery. However, a little over three-fifths of fishers said they would be willing to change fishing métier and about one-half said they would leave the occupation. About one-half also said they would not advise a young person to enter the occupation. The tendency to move away from the fishery is argued to reflect a growing pessimism about the future of the shrimp trawl fisheries, but also an increasing awareness of other economic opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The 500MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is under advanced stage of construction at Kalpakkam near Chennai in India. The wide and high operating temperature, highly chemically active nature of sodium and its reaction with air make the sodium instrumentation complex over the conventional instrumentation. Over the years, traditional instruments such as wire type leak detectors, spark plug type leak detectors were developed and used in different sodium systems. The redundant and diverse leak detection method calls for development of special instrumentation for sodium systems which include sodium ionization (leak) detector for detecting minute sodium leak in addition to those systems based on mutual inductance principle. For detection of sodium leak from reactor Main Vessel (MV), diverse methods are used such as miniature, remotely locatable, Mutual Inductance type Leak Detector(MILD) and specially modified spark plug type leak detector. The design of MILD is suitably modified for detecting leak in double wall pipes and Diverse Safety Rod drive Mechanism (DSRDM). Steam/water leak in steam generator produces hydrogen and leads to high pressure and temperature in the system. Rupture disc is used as a safety device which punctures itself due to sudden pressure rise. To detect the discharge of sodium and its reaction products at the downstream of the rupture disc due to bursting of the rupture disc, cross wire type leak detector has been designed, developed and tested. The selection of the leak detection system depends on the location where leak has to be detected. This paper describes the recent developments carried out in leak detector systems to meet the challenges involved in developing robust sensors for PFBR including miniaturization of leak detectors and the ability to locate or withdraw them remotely through a long guide tube with complex profile. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Link performance functions commonly used for traffic assignment are often based on Volume Delay Functions (VDF) developed for homogeneous traffic. However, VDFs relating stream speed to the volume of traffic based on homogeneous lane-based traffic are not adequate for traffic assignment in developing countries due to the heterogeneous nature of traffic that is characterized by a mix of a wide range of vehicle classes with significant differences in static and dynamic characteristics and an imperfect lane discipline. Unfortunately, the use of VDFs similar to those for homogeneous traffic flow situations imposes strong restrictions considering two respects: 1) travel times at path and link levels can be obtained for an aggregated stream but not for individual vehicle types; 2) the effect of varying composition and asymmetric interactions is captured only to a limited extent by converting all vehicles into equivalent Passenger Car Unit (PCU). Hence, this paper proposes the development of VDFs specific to different classes of heterogeneous traffic, as it is more realistic in traffic assignment than the use of the same VDF for all classes of vehicles in a link. This study is aimed at developing models to determine the speed of each vehicle class as a function of flow and composition for six lane roads with heterogeneous traffic based on data obtained from Chennai city, India. Heterogeneity in this study mainly refers to differences in vehicle types (two-wheeler, car, bus, etc.) participating in mixed traffic. To develop multiple user class VDFs, the speed and flow of each vehicle class for a wide range of traffic flow conditions need to be recorded. As this is not possible using field measurements, an established micro-simulation model (HETEROSIM) is used for determining speeds for each vehicle type by systematically varying the volume and composition levels over a range of values that represent relevant and practical traffic conditions observed in six lane divided roads in Chennai city. The proposed delay functions are different from standard single user class VDFs in three key respects: first, they enable more realistic behaviour by modelling differences in class wise speeds at a given volume and composition level; second, they allow for capturing asymmetric interactions of different vehicle types on an average speed of a given vehicle class. Finally, speed-flow relationships for each class are also allowed to vary across volume levels which enable the representation of differential interactions at different levels of congestion in mixed traffic. The need for homogenizing the volumes in terms of a single class is obviated. The models significantly outperformed single class VDFs in both calibration and validation datasets. Further, the proposed models are used for analyzing heterogeneous traffic characteristics. Empirical evidence of asymmetric interactions and the impact of composition on classwise performance are also found and quantified. Finally, two applications of the proposed models are demonstrated for the level of service analysis of different classes and impact analysis of excluding some classes. The proposed models may have applications such as determining class wise road user costs and performance measures (e.g. emissions) that depend on class-specific speeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the 1977 Tamil-language Honeymoon Couple, written by Crazy Mohan for comedian Kathadi Ramamurthy, as a typical play that illustrates the basic content as well as structural and aesthetic characteristics of the sabha theatre genre. This work exhibits the major traits that in my analysis constitute the genre: patronage by sabhas, with their middle-class, usually Brahmin, audience base; a central theme concerning marriage alliances and/or married life; scripted witty dialogue with a thin plot and one-liner jokes, often including language jokes that code-switch between Tamil and English; a socially conservative message; and an "amateur aesthetic" that involves minimal sets, costumes, and lighting, and two-hour evening or weekend matinee performances. The reading of Kathadi Ramamurthy's Honeymoon Couple illustrates the flamboyant quotidian nature of the pure comedy plays that focus on fast-paced dialogue filled with jokes, puns, and allusions, and works from that humor to a deeper understanding of middle-class Tamil Brahmin culture. Kristen Rudisill is an assistant professor in the Department of Popular Culture and affiliated faculty with the Asian Studies Program at Bowling Green State University. She earned her PhD in Asian studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She is currently working on a book manuscript about the sabha theatre in Chennai as well as a book of translations of sabha plays. Her new project concerns Tamil film dance competitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The change in the land use pattern due to rapid urbanization adversely affects the hydrological processes in a catchment, leading to a deteriorating water environment. The increase in impervious areas disrupts the natural water balance. Reduced infiltration increases runoff and leads to higher flood peaks and volumes even for short duration low intensity rainfall. Due to their destructive effects, floods can significantly increase the expenses on mitigation efforts. The present study focuses on the Thirusoolam sub watershed, an urban watershed in Chennai. Land use changes associated with urbanization in the watershed are invariably reflected in the stream flow regime. This paper emphasizes on an integrated approach to flood management, considering the land use change into the hydrological model. Integrated Flood Management (IFM) aims to harmonize human activities and flood risks through appropriate interventions to modify the water regime, and adaptation of human behavior thereby reducing such risks. Therefore, the hydrological impacts of urbanization should be considered for effective urban planning. The outcome of the study would help in formulating policy guidelines and intervention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlabelled: Background: During 2001-2007, the National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India admitted 80 trainees in its two-year Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP). We evaluated the first seven years of the programme to identify strengths and weaknesses.Methods: We identified core components of the programme and broke them down into input, process, output and outcome. We developed critical indicators to reflect the logic model. We reviewed documents including fieldwork reports, abstracts listed in proceedings and papers published in Medline-indexed journals. We conducted an anonymous online survey of the graduates to collect information on self-perceived competencies, learning activities, field assignments, supervision, curriculum, relevance to career goals, strengths and weaknesses.Results: Of the 80 students recruited during 2001-2007, 69 (86%) acquired seven core competencies (epidemiology, surveillance, outbreaks, research, human subjects protection, communication and management) and graduated through completion of at least six field assignments. The faculty-to-student ratio ranged between 0.4 and 0.12 (expected: 0.25). The curriculum was continuously adapted with all resources available on-line. Fieldwork led to the production of 158 scientific communications presented at international meetings and to 29 manuscripts accepted in indexed, peer-reviewed journals. The online survey showed that while most graduates acquired competencies, unmet needs persisted in laboratory sciences, data analysis tools and faculty-to-student ratio.Conclusions: NIE adapted the international FETP model to India. However, further efforts are required to scale up the programme and to develop career tracks for field epidemiologists in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In India the emissions rate and fuel consumption of intra-city buses are estimated using the European driving cycles, which don’t represent Indian driving conditions and in-use operation of vehicles. This leads to underestimation or overestimation of emissions and fuel consumption. In this context, this paper offers some insight into the driving characteristics of intra-city buses using a Global Positioning System. The study has revealed that irrespective of road type and time of travel, a higher percentage of time is spent in idle mode. This is primarily due to alighting and boarding of passengers at regular intervals and fixed delays caused by traffic lights. More than 90 percent of trips have an average speed of less than 30 km h−1. This study has also developed an intra-city bus driving cycle for Chennai and compared it with some well-known international driving cycles. It has revealed that Chennai has unique driving characteristics and, therefore, it may not be appropriate to adopt a driving cycle of another country or city. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents different types of premature failures observed during full-scale testing of Transmission line towers at Tower Testing and Research Station, Structural Engineering Research Centre, Chennai. Failures that have been observed during testing are studied and the reasons are discussed in detail. The effect of non-triangulated hip bracing pattern and isolated hip bracings connected to elevation redundants in ‘K’ and ‘X’ braced panels, on tower behaviour are studied. The tower members are modeled using beam-column and plate elements. Different types of failures are modeled using finite element software and the analytical results and the test results are compared with various codal provisions. The non-linear finite element analysis program NE-NASTRAN has been used to model the elasto-plastic behaviour of towers. Importance of secondary member design and connection detail in overall performance of the tower was studied. Non-linear finite element analysis is useful in understanding the system behaviour and for prediction of failure pattern and ultimate load. Based on the test results the importance of studying the failures is highlighted. The need for testing of transmission line towers is emphasized. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sustainable and green architecture must consider not only recycled materials but also reuse of materials. This paper focuses on a building whose envelope is made of a shipping container, called Greentainer, which is a reused material. This building is located in the hot-humid tropical climate of Chennai, India. The most effective passive means of achieving thermal comfort in hot-humid climate is through comfort ventilation, which is the concept used in the Greentainer. A comparison of the environmental repercussions in terms of embodied energy of the Greentainer and a notional building of same size made of conventional building material in the study area of Chennai, India is performed. A comparison of the indoor thermal performance of the Greentainer and a real-life building, similar to architectural features of the Greentainer, is also carried out. Both the buildings are naturally ventilated and single storied. The embodied energy of both the buildings is evaluated. The indoor air temperature of the buildings is recorded for 1 full day during the hottest part of the year to evaluate the indoor thermal performance of the buildings. It is found that the building made of primarily reused material is not inferior to a conventional building in terms of its embodied energy as well as indoor thermal performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The newly constructed port in 2001 at Ennore, on the southeast coast of India near Chennai, with breakwaters on either side (north and south) has been causing large-scale changes in nearshore morphology. Beach profiles and shoreline positions along 25 km coastline of Ennore were measured at regular intervals during 2001–06 to understand the sediment transport patterns in the region. At the same time the results of wave hind-casting and wave transformation modeling were incorporated in LITDRIFT model to compute the sediment transport rates along Ennore coast. The model results are compared with the sediment transport values obtained from beach profile measurements. The performance of the model at different locations within the study area with variable wave conditions has been examined. The annual net sediment loss (−) versus accumulation (+) were estimated for two smaller study areas (cells) containing ten regularly spaced beach profiles numbered from north to south, BP1-5 in cell I and BP6-10 in cell II. For the cell I region, which is protected by the Ennore shoals and where human interference is minimum, the annual net sediment supply is +0.02×106 m3 as obtained from beach profile measurements while the model gave a value of +0.014×106 m3. For the cell II region where there is large human intervention by way of Ennore port development and breakwater construction, the annual net sediment movement as obtained by the beach measurements is −0.14×106 m3 while the model gave a value of −0.154×106 m3. It is found that the performance of the model is satisfactory and the model may be used successfully to study sediment dynamics along any coastline provided one has detailed understanding of the coastline orientation, nearshore topography, cross-shore bathymetry and prevailing annual wave climate. Based on the sediment transport data and beach profile measurements the beach and shoreline changes for transect locations BP-1 to BP-10 are also critically examined in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sodium cooled Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) of 40MWt/13MWe capacity is in operation at Kalpakkam, near Chennai. Presently it is operating with a core of 10.5MWt. Knowledge of temperatures and flow pattern in the hot pool of FBTR is essential to assess the thermal stresses in the hot pool. While theoretical analysis of the hot pool has been conducted by a three-dimensional code to access the temperature profile, it involves tuning due to complex geometry, thermal stresses and vibration. With this in view, an experimental model was fabricated in 1/4 scale using acrylic material and tests were conducted in water. Initially hydraulic studies were conducted with ambient water maintaining Froude number similarity. After that thermal studies were conducted using hot and cold water maintaining Richardson similitude. In both cases Euler similarity was also maintained. Studies were conducted simulating both low and full power operating conditions. This paper discusses the model simulation, similarity criteria, the various thermal hydraulic studies that were carried out, the results obtained and the comparison with the prototype measurements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Since their inception at the beginning of the 20th century, the evolutionary paths of housing co-operatives have diverged in Mumbai and Chennai. Housing co-operatives in Mumbai have been principally Tenure co-operatives (i.e. for collective ownership and management). In Chennai they have been mainly Finance co-operatives (i.e. for providing loans to members). This paper makes a comparative institutional analysis of the two cities to examine the divergent evolution. The examination is important for informing the institutional conditions that enable co-operatives to flourish. Four institutional aspects are examined in this context: the local housing market, local housing policies, role of state government and co-operative institutional support structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea breeze, the onshore wind over a coastal belt during daytime, is a welcoming weather phenomenon as it modulates the weather condition by moderating the scorching temperature and acts as a favourable mechanism to trigger convection and induce precipitation over coastal and interior locations. Sea breeze aids dispersal of pollutants as well. Observational studies about its onset, depth of circulation and induced precipitation have been carried out in this paper for the period April to September, 2004–2005 using a S-band Doppler Weather Radar functioning at Cyclone Detection Radar Station, India Meteorological Department, Chennai, India. The onset of sea breeze has been observed to be between 0900 and 1000 UTC with the earliest onset at 0508 UTC and late onset at 1138 UTC. The frequency is greater during the southwest monsoon season, viz., June – September and the frequency of initial onset is greater in north Chennai. The modal length of sea breeze is between 20 and 50 km with extreme length as high as 100 km also having been observed. Though the inland penetration is on average 10 to 20 km, penetration reaching 100 km was also observed on a number of cases. The induced convection could be seen in the range 50–100 km in more than 53% of the cases. The mean depth of sea breeze circulation is 300–600 m but may go well beyond 1000 m on conducive atmospheric conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The north Chennai coast, on the east coast of India, experiences severe erosion caused by waves, and an area of the beach about 600 m wide has eroded over the past 120 years. To protect the seafront, natural stones were dumped by government agencies along the coast for a distance of about 6 km, and in the process, a short beach pocket 400 m long was left unprotected for various reasons. Because the property of a chemical factory located in this 400-m stretch of beach pocket suffered damage caused by erosion, and because the need for a wide beachfront was stressed by local fishermen, an alternative method of protecting the beach was suggested. The proposal involved construction of an S-type rubble sea wall about 100 m long on the southern end of the beach pocket. This paper discusses the numerical model studies conducted to determine the configuration of the S-type rubble sea wall and its effectiveness in beach protection. The model studies suggested a length of projection of 14 m with a radius of curvature of 310 m for the S-type sea wall to achieve the desired performance. Field studies conducted on the 40-m-wide and 400-m-long beach pocket with the 100-m-long S-type sea wall indicate that the sea wall is effective in protecting the beach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An indirect forced convection and desiccant integrated solar dryer is designed and fabricated to investigate its performance under the hot and humid climatic conditions of Chennai, India. The system consists of a flat plate solar air collector, drying chamber and a desiccant unit. The desiccant unit is designed to hold 75kg of CaCl2-based solid desiccant consisting of 60% bentonite, 10% calcium chloride, 20% vermiculite and 10% cement. Drying experiments have been performed for green peas at different air flow rate. The equilibrium moisture content M e is reached in 14h at an air flow rate of 0.03kg/m2 s. The system pickup efficiency, specific moisture extraction rate, dimensionless mass loss, mass shrinkage ratio and drying rate are discussed in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Focusing on the case of Madras City in India, this paper makes an empirical analysis of land development determinants. The determinants of land sub-division are studied using a regression model. It is found that variables like accessibility, average land value, social environment and average population density are the major factors influencing land development in the Madras context. From the perspective of planning and the management of urban growth, accessibility is expected to play a greater role in shaping the urban structure of Madras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The Diabetes Community Lifestyle Improvement Program (D-CLIP) was a lifestyle education program to prevent diabetes in South Asians with prediabetes. This paper examines the impact of the D-CLIP intervention on moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA).Methods: This randomized controlled trial to prevent diabetes included 573 individuals with prediabetes from Chennai, India. The intervention was designed to increase MVPA to ≥150 minutes per week. MVPA was measured by questionnaire at baseline, six, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months of follow-up. Random effects models were used to examine the relationship between treatment group and odds of reporting ≥150 weekly minutes of MVPA and to examine the impact of the intervention on weekly MVPA.Results: With the exception of the proportion of respondents at baseline with a high waist circumference, selected sample characteristics did not differ at baseline between the intervention and control groups. The intervention significantly (p < 0.05) increased the proportion of respondents who reported ≥150 weekly minutes of MVPA by 28.5%, 13.6% and 14.0% at six, 12 and 18 months respectively. Mean minutes of weekly MVPA significantly (p < 0.05) increased by an additional 56.7, 34.3, 23.6 and 24.3 minutes/week at six, 12, 18, and 24 months, respectively.Conclusion: The D-CLIP intervention significantly increased MVPA at six, 12 and 18 months of follow-up. Interventions to prevent diabetes in South Asians with prediabetes can significantly increase MVPA in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the highlights of the inaugural meeting of the Entomology Academy of India held in Chennai on August 18, 2007. Academy Secretary and Treasurer R. W. Alexander Jesudasan emphasized the need for having an academy dedicated to entomology. S. E. Hasnain of the University of Hyderabad stressed the importance of an efficient quarantine system to prevent the transport of pathogens causing plant diseases. Researcher B. K. Tyagi presented a paper on arthropods and their biomedical importance.

Information about several papers discussed during the two-day national symposium on "Non-Chemical Insect Pest Management," conducted by the Entomology Research Institute in Chennai, India on February 5-6, 2009 is presented. Topics include the preparation and application strategies of plant-based pesticides, novel microbial pesticides and mass rearing techniques for biocontrol agents. The symposium featured several scientists including B. Vasantharaj David, P. S. Vimala Devi and R. J. Rabindra.

The article presents a biography of Sarit Kumar Das, a professor of the Heat Transfer and Thermal Power Section of the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Institute of Technology in Madras, India. Das received his undergraduate and masteral degrees from Jadavpur University. He carried out post-doctoral research at the University of Federal Armed Forces in Hamburg, Germany. He has published two books and more than seventy research papers. He has handled several research projects of national importance alone as well as with international collaborations.