Coconut (Cocos nucifera)-based farming system: a viable land use option for small and marginal farmers in coastal Odisha

An investigation was carried out during 2012-2013 in Puri district of Odisha to study the composition, structure and role of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) based farming in 15 different holding sizes, i.e. 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5 acre. The experiment was laid out in randomised block design with three replications. The smaller holdings were found close to houses as homegardens and comparatively larger holdings were found little away from the houses. The composition was found very diverse consisting of perennial trees, annual crops and seasonal crops. The coconut based agroforestry systems of various sizes are playing important role for the household which include productive role, protective and ameliorative role, recreational and educational role as well as developmental role giving various kinds of tangible and intangible benefits. As the natural forest cover is less in coastal Odisha, a substantial quantity of fuel wood was found to be derived from homegarden and the contribution of fuel wood production increased with increase of holding size up to 1.2 acre. The net return varied from Rupees 5 617 to Rupees 32 850/annum showing the income level increased with increase in holding size, while the economics was calculated on acre basis, the net income ranged from Rupees 56 167 to Rupees 21 900 indicating decreasing trend towards higher holding sizes. In terms of market orientation, the smaller unit sizes were found more subsistence and less commercial than bigger holding sizes and vice versa. The coconut based agroforestry system of size 0.8 acre (perennials-coconut, siris, rain tree, eucalyptus, acacia, areca nut, mango, sissoo, teak, jackfruit, bamboo, guava, pomegranate, papaya, drumstick, bael, citrus, banana, curry leaf ; seasonals-pine apple, yam, arrowroot, turmeric, ginger, brinjal, okra, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, chilli, greens, cowpea, tomato, cauliflower, pumpkin; mushroom-paddy straw/oyster; fish- rohu, silver crap, grass crap; cattle, buffalo, goat, poultry, duck) was found to be the best among the holding sizes studied with regard to viability of landuse

Prevalence and presentation of cutaneous lesions in healthy neonates: A single-center study from Eastern India

Background: Skin lesions are much common and specific to neonates. They vary according to age, sex, and geographic region. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of different cutaneous lesions in newborns and their association with the type of delivery, age, sex, and maturity. Materials and Methods: This study was done in neonatal follow-up clinic of department of Pediatrics, Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Medical College, Berhampur, Odisha. All the healthy newborns coming to the OPD from January 2015 to December 2016 were included in this prospective study, and their details were recorded in case recording format after taking informed consent from their guardians. Admitted patients were excluded from the study. Statistical assessments were the done by SPSS software. Results: Out of 500 neonates, skin lesionswere found in 366 (73.2%) patients. Physiological cutaneous lesions were most common, consisting 259 (70.7%) neonates. Out of the physiological lesions, benign transient lesions were seen in 163 (44.6%), out of which 95 (25.9%) had papulopustular dermatoses followed by erythema toxicum in 48 (13.1%) cases. Birthmarks were seen in 138 (37.8%) cases; pigmentary birthmarks 89 (24.5%) being the most common birthmarks followed by Mongolian spots in 71 (19.4%) cases. Pathological lesions were seen in 107 (29.3%) cases, of which nappy rash was detected in 65 (18.01%) cases. Term and male babies had a higher incidence of skin lesions. Conclusion: Benign lesions are the most common group of neonatal cutaneous manifestations which is followed by birthmarks. Conditions such as nappy rash and contact dermatitis are common pathological lesions andmajority of them are preventable. Differentiation of the physiologic skin lesions from the pathologic ones is essential to avoid unnecessary therapeutic interventions.&nbsp

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE ANTI-OXIDATIVE AND ANTI-DIABETIC POTENTIAL OF IN VITRO AND IN VIVO ROOT AND LEAF EXTRACTS OF WITHANIA SOMNIFERA ON STREPTOZOTOCIN INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

Objective: The present investigation explores the possibilities of using the in vitro and in vivo root and leaf extracts of Withania somnifera for anti-diabetic and anti-hyperlipidaemic effects on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.Methods: In vitro shoot cultures of Withania somnifera were raised by the axillary proliferation in nodal explants from a garden grown plant using Murashige and Skoog medium then in vitro raised roots and shoots were used for the anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidaemic experiment. After 72 h of STZ administration, the fasting blood glucose levels were measured and the rats showing FBG level>220 mg/dl were considered to be diabetic and were used for the hyperglycemic study. In vitro and in vivo methanolic root and leaf extracts were orally administered daily to diabetic rats for eight weeks. After the treatment period, blood glucose and serum enzymes like aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-c high density lipoprotein-bound cholesterol, LDL-c low density lipoprotein-bound cholesterol, LDH, serum protein level, total phenolics and anti-oxidative analysis (DPPH and FRAP) were determined.Results: The levels of blood glucose, AST, ALT, ALP, LDH, HDL-c significantly increased by the use of in vitro methanolic root extracts compared to normal control rats. However, remarkable loss of total protein, albumin, albumin: globulin (A: G) ratio was reported in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by using in vitro root extracts. Methanolic in vitro root extract at the dose levels of 300 mg/kg body weight produced a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose (FBG) level by 102.65 with respect to initial fasting blood glucose level after 30 d of the treatment. In vitro root extract demonstrated highest DPPH and FRAP free radical scavenging activity, i.e. 86.55±1.77 and 48.87±2.55 than other extracts.Conclusion: It may be concluded that methanolic in vitro root extract W. somnifera at the dose (300 mg/kg) has more potent anti-hyperglycaemic activity than the other in vitro and in vivo extracts of leaf and root on streptozotocin induced diabetic rats and was also found to be similar in effect to that of the standard drug ‘Glibenclamide'

Identification of ocular cicatricial pemphigoid antibody binding site(s

PURPOSE. To identify specific site(s) on human ␤4 molecule to which sera from ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) patients bind and to determine its role in the process of blister formation. METHODS. Clone the fragments representing the extracellular and intracellular domain of ␤4 molecule from normal human conjunctival mRNA into an expression vector; map the region to which sera from OCP patients bind by Western blot analysis. Determine the role of the immunodominant region in pathogenesis by demonstrating the ability of the rabbit antibody to the immunodominant region to produce separation of basement membrane zone (BMZ) from the basal epithelial layer when incubated with normal human conjunctiva in an in vitro organ culture model. RESULTS. Majority of the OCP sera tested bound to the Cterminal end of the intracellular domain (IC3.0) of the human ␤4 integrin. Further subcloning of IC3.0 demonstrated that a smaller fragment extending from 1489 aa to 1572 aa (IC3.4) was responsible for this binding. This region may have multiple antibody binding sites. Antibody to human IC3.0 and IC3.4 produced in rabbit, resulted in BMZ separation, histologically identical with that observed when normal human conjunctiva was cultured with OCP sera in an human conjunctival organ culture model. CONCLUSIONS. These observations identify IC3.4 as the antibody binding site for sera of OCP patients and suggest a possible role for it in blister formation. Indirectly it highlights certain important aspects of the structural and functional dynamics of the biology of the hemidesmosomes and basement membranes. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2001;42:379 -385) M ucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is a multisystemic autoimmune inflammatory disease that affects mucous membrane derived from stratified squamous epithelium including the conjunctiva and occasionally the skin. 1,2 In some patients, the involvement of the conjunctiva is more prominent than other mucous membranes. Such a subset of MMP patients are referred to as having ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP). Progressive subepithelial fibrosis follows the chronic conjunctivitis, resulting in severe dryness of the eye, ocular keratinization, and blindness secondary to corneal scarring. Sera of patients with subepithelial blistering diseases have demonstrable levels of circulating antibodies that bind to different antigens within the basement membrane zone (BMZ) of skin and mucosa. 10 There are several human autoimmune diseases in which the target autoantigens are identified as being intracellular in location. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sera The method section confirms adherence to the Declaration of Helsinki. Sera used in this study were obtained from 20 patients with active mucous membrane pemphigoid before beginning of systemic treatment. These patients had the pemphigoid disease process involving multiple mucosa but not the skin. Ocular involvement was the most prominent symptom, resulting in blindness in many of these patients. The clinical diagnosis of OCP was established by routine histology and confirmed by direct immunofluorescence of the conjunctiva. The presence of IgG and or complement was detected in the conjunctival BMZ. Sera of these OCP patients binds to the epidermal side of the salt split skin. Control sera were obtained from 20 healthy individuals, 5 patients each with confirmed bullous pemphigoid (BP) and pemphigus vulgaris (PV). Blood samples were collected after informed consent, and the study was approved by the institutional review board

Pemphigus autoimmunity: Hypotheses and realities

The goal of contemporary research in pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus is to achieve and maintain clinical remission without corticosteroids. Recent advances of knowledge on pemphigus autoimmunity scrutinize old dogmas, resolve controversies, and open novel perspectives for treatment. Elucidation of intimate mechanisms of keratinocyte detachment and death in pemphigus has challenged the monopathogenic explanation of disease immunopathology. Over 50 organ-specific and non-organ-specific antigens can be targeted by pemphigus autoimmunity, including desmosomal cadherins and other adhesion molecules, PERP cholinergic and other cell membrane (CM) receptors, and mitochondrial proteins. The initial insult is sustained by the autoantibodies to the cell membrane receptor antigens triggering the intracellular signaling by Src, epidermal growth factor receptor kinase, protein kinases A and C, phospholipase C, mTOR, p38 MAPK, JNK, other tyrosine kinases, and calmodulin that cause basal cell shrinkage and ripping desmosomes off the CM. Autoantibodies synergize with effectors of apoptotic and oncotic pathways, serine proteases, and inflammatory cytokines to overcome the natural resistance and activate the cell death program in keratinocytes. The process of keratinocyte shrinkage/detachment and death via apoptosis/oncosis has been termed apoptolysis to emphasize that it is triggered by the same signal effectors and mediated by the same cell death enzymes. The natural course of pemphigus has improved due to a substantial progress in developing of the steroid-sparing therapies combining the immunosuppressive and direct anti-acantholytic effects. Further elucidation of the molecular mechanisms mediating immune dysregulation and apoptolysis in pemphigus should improve our understanding of disease pathogenesis and facilitate development of steroid-free treatment of patients

The desmosome and pemphigus

Desmosomes are patch-like intercellular adhering junctions (“maculae adherentes”), which, in concert with the related adherens junctions, provide the mechanical strength to intercellular adhesion. Therefore, it is not surprising that desmosomes are abundant in tissues subjected to significant mechanical stress such as stratified epithelia and myocardium. Desmosomal adhesion is based on the Ca2+-dependent, homo- and heterophilic transinteraction of cadherin-type adhesion molecules. Desmosomal cadherins are anchored to the intermediate filament cytoskeleton by adaptor proteins of the armadillo and plakin families. Desmosomes are dynamic structures subjected to regulation and are therefore targets of signalling pathways, which control their molecular composition and adhesive properties. Moreover, evidence is emerging that desmosomal components themselves take part in outside-in signalling under physiologic and pathologic conditions. Disturbed desmosomal adhesion contributes to the pathogenesis of a number of diseases such as pemphigus, which is caused by autoantibodies against desmosomal cadherins. Beside pemphigus, desmosome-associated diseases are caused by other mechanisms such as genetic defects or bacterial toxins. Because most of these diseases affect the skin, desmosomes are interesting not only for cell biologists who are inspired by their complex structure and molecular composition, but also for clinical physicians who are confronted with patients suffering from severe blistering skin diseases such as pemphigus. To develop disease-specific therapeutic approaches, more insights into the molecular composition and regulation of desmosomes are required