First report of Blister beetle, Mylabris pustulata Thunberg (Meloidae: Coleoptera) in maize fields from Sarson village of Almora District, Uttarakhand (India)

Orange banded blister beetle, Mylabris pustulata is an important species of Blister beetles and has been found to cause economic damage due to its polyphagous nature. In the present study, M. pustulata was found to be feeding on maize crop from Sarson village of Almora, Uttarakhand which is located on a ridge at the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of the Himalaya range. This article brings into notice the damage by M. pustulata first time on maize from the specified area. The morphological features such as characteristic wing pattern, mouthparts, antennae etc. and feeding on sap or solid matter of floral or fruit in a similar manner as described in earlier texts revealed the similarity of test insect with M. pustulata.&nbsp

Compact Printed CPW-fed UWB antenna with SRR and Quarter wavelength slot with dual band-notched characteristic

Volume 2 Issue 3 (March 2014

A Novel Technique - Pterygium excision followed by sutureless and gluefree conjunctival autografting

Purpose: To study the efficacy and safety of sutureless and gluefree conjunctival autograft as an adjunctive therapy after removal of primary pterygium and to determine the post operative recurrence.Methods: A prospective, non-comparative, interventional case series. Pterygium excision and supero-temporal bulbar conjunctival autografting without sutures and glue was performed on 52 eyes of 50 patients with primary pterygium. patients were followed upto 1 year.Results: The mean age of the patients was 40.9 +/- 12.09 years. Of the 50 patients recurrence was observed in 1 patient (1.92%).Graft displacement was seen in 4 (7.69%) on 1st post operative day which were successfully repositioned .Graft edema was seen in 4 (7.69%) cases while graft haematoma occurred in 3(5.76%) cases. No granuloma, retention cyst or corneal dellen noted. After 4 weeks,all grafts were taken up well and there was stastically significant reduction in astigmatism(P<0.01).Conclusion: This study suggests that a sutureless and gluefree conjunctival autografting in the management of primary pterygium is a useful procedure resulting in low recurrence rate and also avoids the potential risks and complications of sutures, glue and amniotic membrane

Plant phenological response to microclimatic variations in an alpine zone of Garhwal Himalaya

The impact of microclimatic variations on the developmental stages of common alpine plant species at four primary phenology sites at Dayara meadow of Garhwal Himalayas (Uttarakhand) was studied. The study revealed that the variations in the topographical features and environmental conditions directly influenced the phenology of the alpine plant species. Site I and IV showed great variation in the timing of phenological phases whereas, site III and IV showed approximately similar phenological timings. Anemone obtusiloba and Anaphalis contorta showed early flowering whereas Aconitum heterophyllum, Bupleurum longicaule and Parnassia nubicola flowered in late August and early September. P. nubicola had a shorter flowering period whereas Tanacetum longifolium.and A. nepalensis had the longest flowering period. Taraxacum officinale and Geum elatum flowered twice in the season

Rapid Determination of Manganese by Differential Pulse and Alternating Current (1st harmonic) Polarography

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Phaeohyphomycotic cyst

Phaeohyphomycosis is a term used for a rare opportunistic infection caused by a group of dematiaceous fungi which contains melanin in their cell walls. In 1974, the term phaeohyphomycosis was first coined by Ajello for an entity caused by pigmented fungi.1 Four clinical forms of phaeohyphomycosis exist: i) cutaneous, ii) subcutaneous, iii) systemic, and iv) cerebral. Among these, the subcutaneous form (phaeohyphomycotic cyst) is the most common subtype which usually presents as nodular swelling mainly over the distal extremities, which may be misdiagnosed as epidermal inclusion cyst, ganglion or lipoma. These fungi are present in the soil, where they infect mostly farmers and persons working in fields and farms. It was also highlighted that these infections are seen mostly in immunocompromised individuals and are byproducts of antimicrobial, steroid, and immunosuppressive therapy for various illnesses, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, and transplant cases.1 The pigment giving the characteristic brownish-black appearance to the fungi is melanin, which prevents phagocytosis and hence acts as a virulence factor.2 This group has more than 120 species and 70 genera.3 They have a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations, including superficial and deep fungal infections, sinus involvement, and disseminated forms, including lung and brain abscesses. The incidence ranges from 1-3.1 per 100,000 patients.4 The gold standard method for diagnosis is histopathological examination and culture. Fontana-Masson stain is of immense help in identifying these dematiaceous fungi in tissue as it highlights the melanin pigment in the cell walls. Figure 1 refers to a 59-year-old farmer man who presented with nodular swelling over the dorsum of the left hand for the last 9 months. Initially, the swelling was of peanut size, which gradually progressed to the present size of 5x3x2cm. The lesion was painless, well-defined, and freely mobile. The joint was not affected. He is on medication for type II diabetes mellitus and hypertension. He underwent Whipple's surgery for periampullary carcinoma. He was treated for proximal sensory-motor axonal neuropathy and tuberculosis three years back. Because of isoniazid-induced hepatitis, the patient received a modified anti-tuberculous regime for 9 months, after which he developed gastric ulceration with hematemesis and melena. On endoscopic biopsy, he was found to have chronic active gastritis with Helicobacter pylori infection. In addition, the patient had severe iron deficiency and hypoalbuminemia due to malabsorption. After treatment, he completely recovered at the time of hospital discharge. Figure 1 Phaeohyphomycotic cyst. A - A well-encapsulated and unilocular cyst measuring 4.5x2.2x1.8cm in size (scale bar = 2.5cm); The cyst lumen contains homogenous and translucent gelatinous soft material; B - Multinucleated giant cells showing fungal profile with septate, branching and globose swelling (H&E; x200); C - Periodic Acid-Schiff stain showing bright magenta positivity (PAS stain; x200); D - Fontana Masson stain giving brownish black color due to melanin in the fungal cell walls (x200).: Thus, the nodular swelling was wholly excised and sent for histopathological examination. Grossly, a well-encapsulated mass measuring 4.5x2.2x1.8 cm was submitted for histological analysis (Figure 1A). The external aspect appeared intact, yellowish-white, and congested. A unilocular cyst was identified on serial slicing with a capsular thickness of 0.1-0.2cm. The cut surface was soft in consistency with homogenous and gelatinous translucent material within the lumen. On light microscopy, an outer thick fibrous capsule layer was identified. Just beneath this capsular layer was the vascularized granulation tissue, proliferating fibroblasts, numerous multinucleated foreign and Langhan’s giant cells, and variable lymphoplasmacytic cell infiltrate. Also, abundant basophilic mucoid material with a background of many degenerated cells. These giant cells engulfed pigmented fungal profiles that depicted branching, septate and globose swelling (Figure 1B). Periodic Schiff-Acid stain gave bright magenta color to these fungi (Figure 1C), whereas Fontana Masson stain gave brownish black color due to melanin in the fungal cell walls (Figure 1D). Given the morphology, a diagnosis of a phaeohyphomycotic cyst was rendered. On follow-up, the patient is doing well, and has not received any antifungal agent. The leading treatment choice in non-invasive subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis is local excision