Occurrence and Antibiotic Susceptibility Among Coliform Bacteria Isolated From Sewage Exposed Fish.

Bacteriological contamination of muscles and digestive tract contents of Oreochromis sp. and Labeo sp. reared in a pond supplied with domestic sewage was enumerated followed by determination of resistance of thermotolerent coliforms for antibiotics. Numbers of bacteria in muscles and digestive tract contents of fish reflected their densities in water. Muscles of both the fish species contained high numbers of total coliforms (TC) and fecal coliforms (FC). Escherichia Coli (E. coli) were never recovered from the muscles but from the digestive tract contents of the fish. Ranking of the total and fecal coliform contamination levels showed a decrease in the order digestive tract contents> muscles (

Indigenous ornamental fishes of west Bengal

Ornamental fishes are attractive colourful fishes of peaceful nature that are kept as pets in aquarium for recreation purpose. Ornamental fish keeping is the second most popular hobby next to photography. And the ornamental fish industry is one of the most booming one among the World; India having a good share of it. India is blessed with a great resource of different natural ornamental fishes. West Bengal is also sanctified with a wide range of indigenous ornamental fishes of biological as well as commercial importance. Due to lack of information and proper conservation strategy many of them are on the verge of extinction.  In the present study, different rivers and water bodies of all the districts of West Bengal have been surveyed thoroughly for natural ornamental fishes. A total number of 70 indigenous ornamental fish species belonging to 45 genera, 30 families and 9 orders were collected and identified during the survey period. Among all the collected fishes order cypriniformes shows the maximum species variation, followed by perciformes and siluriformes. The study shows that a lot of the available ornamental ichthyofauna are endemic to some region and needed to be conserved. Among the fish specimen available many have a huge commercial value. But habitat destruction, unregulated fishing practice, water pollution, lack of proper awareness and introduction of exotic fishes are some potent reasons of declining fish population of this region

Studies of multiferroic palladium perovskites

Work at St. Andrews supported by EPSRC grant EP/P024637/1; at Queens University Belfast by EPSRC Grant No. EP/J017191/1 and EP/N018389/1, at Univ. Puerto Rico by DoD AFOSR Grant FA9550-16-1-0295 and at West Virginia University by DOE (DE-SC0016176).We have studied the atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray Bragg reflections, X-ray absorption spectra (XAS) of the Pd L-edge, Scanning electron microscopey (SEM) and Raman spectra, and direct magnetoelectric tensor of Pd-substituted lead titanate and lead zirconate-titanate. A primary aim is to determine the percentage of Pd+4 and Pd+2 substitutional at the Ti-sites (we find that it is almost fully substitutional). The atomic force microscopy data uniquely reveal a surprise: both threefold vertical (polarized out-of-plane) and fourfold in-plane domain vertices. This is discussed in terms of the general rules for Voronoi patterns (Dirichlet tessellations) in two and three dimensions. At high pressures Raman soft modes are observed, as in pure lead titanate, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicates a nearly second-order displacive phase transition. However, two or three transitions are involved: First, there are anomalies in c/a ratio and Raman spectra at low pressures (P = 1 − 2 GPa); and second, the c/a ratio reaches unity at ca. P = 10 GPa, where a monoclinic (Mc) but metrically cubic transition occurs from the ambient tetragonal P4 mm structure in pure PbTiO3; whereas the Raman lines (forbidden in the cubic phase) remain until ca. 17 GPa, where a monoclinic-cubic transition is known in lead titanate.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Pressure effects on model ferroelectric BiFeO3-PbTiO3: Multiple phase transitions

Pressure-dependent powder x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and dielectric constant measurements are performed on 0.65 BiFeO3-0.35 PbTiO3. Four structural transitions are reported in 0-34 GPa range. The transitions are observed at 0.7(1), 0.8(1), 3.4(1), and 6.1(1) GPa, where the system transformed from ambient tetragonal P4mm to a mixed phase of tetragonal and rhombohedral (P4mm + R3c), followed by transition to rhombohedral R3c, cubic Pm3m and again to rhombohedral R3c structure, respectively. The transformation to the cubic structure coincides with the ferroelectric-paraelectric transition. Higher-pressure cubic-to-rhombohedral transition shows a slight softening of Raman modes along with an enhancement in spontaneous strain. The high-pressure rhombohedral phase shows signatures of another ferroic transition

Measurement of normal reference values of spinal canal diameter andal reference values of spinal canal diameter and space available for cord (SAC) at mid sagittal level in cervical spine (C3 to C7) in adult East Indian population by MRI

Background: Assessment of cervical spinal stenosis, which is not very uncommon presentation among adult age group, is necessary for planning of the management protocol, especially regarding surgical intervention, if necessary. Specific measurements used for assessing spinal canal stenosis, the spinal canal diameter and space available for cord (SAC) at mid sagittal level are considered  to be very important ones. Materials & Methods: To determine the normal range of the absolute values of these two parameters in the local population and their importance in predicting cervical canal stenosis, we selected 100 asymptomatic adult subjects of each of both sexes and 50 symptomatic subjects of each of both sexes. The parameters used in this study for assessment of cervical spinal canal stenosis were mid sagittal spinal canal diameter and the space available for the cord (SAC), which was measured using T2 weighted axial and sagittal MRI cuts at the respective vertebral level.Results: In our study, we analyzed 100 asymptomatic subjects by MRI study (T2 weighted sagittal and axial images) for determination of normal  reference values of canal diameter and space available for cord in C3 to C7 vertebral body level. The values of canal diameter (mean +/- 2SD) in different levels were 12.0±3.3mm (C3); 12.0±2.32mm (C4); 12.0±2.32mm (C5); 12.0±2.3mm (C6); 12.6±2.62mm (C7) and the corresponding space available for cord values were 5.0±2.76mm (C3); 5.1±1.92mm (C4); 5.3±2.14mm (C5); 5.6±2.08mm (C6); 6.3±2.54mm (C7) levels.Conclusion: It is well recognized that mid sagittal spinal canal diameter and space available for the cord (SAC) in cervical vertebrae (C3 to C7) varies considerably in normal adult population of both the sexes and decrease in them will result in cervical stenosis symptoms. Knowledge of normal reference values of these two parameters in Indian population will be helpful for concerned researchers and the normal acceptable range of values will be very helpful for the clinicians to predict spinal canal stenosis and to decide for the necessity of surgical intervention

The diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imaging measurements for assessing cervical spinal canal stenosis in relationship with the measurement of normal reference values of spinal canal diameter and space available for cord (SAC) at mid sagittal level

Background: Assessment of cervical spinal stenosis, which is not very uncommon presentation among adult age group, is necessary for planning of the management protocol, especially regarding surgical intervention, if necessary. Specific measurements used for assessing spinal canal stenosis, the spinal canal diameter and space available for cord (SAC) at mid sagittal level are considered  to be very important ones. To determine the normal range of the absolute values of these two parameters in the local population and their importance in predicting cervical canal stenosis, we selected 100 asymptomatic adult subjects of each of both sexes and 50 symptomatic subjects of each of both sexes. Materials & Methods: In the present study, for asymptomatic subjects selected from the patients referred to MRI Center, IPGME&R for MRI of brain due to some unrelated ailment or from the patients of adult age group needing spinal MRI screening without any manifestation related to diseases involving the cervical part of spine & cord. For symptomatic subjects selected from the patients referred to the MRI center of IPGME&R for cervical spinal MRI study to evaluate for cervical spinal canal stenosis with various symptoms such as neck or shoulder pain and stiffness, paresthesia of hands & feet, slowly progressive spastic paraparesis, other upper motor neuron signs of lower limb, dermatomal sensory loss, weakness of small muscles of hands etc. Results: Sensitivity of cervical canal diameter as a marker of canal stenosis in predicting symptoms was 62% (95%CI 47.17-75.35) with specificity 91%, positive predictive value (PPV) 77.5% and negative predictive value (NPV) 82.73%. Sensitivity of SAC as a maker of cervical canal stenosis in predicting symptoms was 66 % (51.23-78.79) with specificity 93%, PPV 82.5 %, and NPV 84.55%. Finally at C7 level, r is>0.8 so strong +ve correlation between canal diameter (CAD) & space available for cord (SAC) at C7 cervical level. Sensitivity of cervical canal diameter & SAC both as the marker of canal stenosis in predicting symptoms was 82% (68.56- 91.42) with specificity 87%, PPV 75.93 % and NPV 90.60 %. Conclusion: It is well recognized that mid sagittal spinal canal diameter and space available for the cord (SAC) in cervical vertebrae (C3 to C7) varies considerably in normal adult population of both the sexes and decrease in them will result in cervical stenosis symptoms. We know that when sensitivity more than 70%, it indicates predictability. In present study we find that sensitivity is 82%. So we may conclude that in case of patient having symptoms of cervical stenosis, canal diameter and space available for cord both measurements are important