Neoplasia in oil sardine from Palk Bay

During a routine fishery survey programme at Irumeni fishing village, Palk Bay on 03rd December 2016, a single specimen of oil sardine Sardinella longiceps with neoplasia, measuring 163 mm in total length (TL) and weighing 119 gram was collected from the gillnet landings. The specimen was a female with empty stomach

Influence of New Customized Cast Dowel Designs on the Fracture Resistance of Endodontically Treated Maxillary Central Incisors: An In Vitro study

AIM AND OBJECTIVE : The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the influence of new customized cast dowel designs on the fracture resistance of endodontically treated maxillary central incisors MATERIALS AND METHODS : Sixty recently extracted maxillary central incisor with uniform root lengths were selected and stored in distilled water at a temperature of 37º C. Access cavity was prepared in all the teeth. Canal instrumentation was done to master apical file size #40 and step back preparation was done with periodic irrigation. Each canal was obturated by cold lateral condensation using gutta-percha points and resin sealer (AH Plus). 60 teeth were divided into 6 groups of 10 teeth each (group A, B, C, D, E, F). Group A is the control group which did not receive any post endodontic restoration. The experimental groups received customized cast dowels with different designs- Group B- parallel dowel with no modifications, Group C- parallel dowel with uniform serrations, Group D- parallel dowel with non uniform serrations, Group E- parallel dowel with uniform serrations and stabilizing end, Group F- parallel dowel with non uniform serrations and stabilizing end. The coronal aspects of the teeth of the experimental groups [B,C,D,E,F] were removed at 2mm above the CEJ to make 2mm ferrule. The finish lines for all specimens were placed at the level of the CEJ. Samples were embedded in acrylic resin. Post space preparation was done in groups B, C, D, E, and F. In groups E,F, the apical 3mm of the post space preparation was prepared using a custom drill ( made with tapering end) to obtain a stabilizing end. Wax patterns were sprued, invested, and cast in a Ni-Cr alloy. Design modifications were done on the posts in groups B, C, D, E, and F and luted. Metal crown was fabricated and luted with zinc phosphate cement. Specimens were subjected to loading in the universal testing machine at an angle of 45˚ to the long axis of tooth. A crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min was applied until each sample fractured. The load at which failure occurred was measured in Newton (N). The data were analyzed with a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine the differences among the mean values of the test groups and Tukey multiple comparison test was used to determine which test groups were statistically different from the others. RESULTS : The results of this study showed that the highest fracture resistance was seen in the group E (uniformly serrated parallel dowel with stabilizing end) and the lowest fracture resistance was seen in the group restored with parallel dowel (group B) other than the control group A. Intergroup comparison revealed that the custom made post fabricated had no significant difference in whichever technique and preparation done. CONCLUSION : Parallel sided dowels with serration and stabilizing ends showed high fracture resistance among the groups

A study to assess the effectiveness of back massage on reduction of pain and anxiety among patients with stroke at selected hospital, Madurai

A study to assess the effectiveness of Back Massage on reduction of Pain and Anxiety among patients with stroke at selected Hospital, Madurai, was conducted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award a degree in Master of science in nursing under the Tamilnadu Dr.M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai. The research design was quasi experimental design. Sample size was 60, purposive sampling technique was used to select the samples. OBJECTIVES: 1. To assess the pre and post test level of pain and anxiety among patients with stroke in experimental group. 2. To assess the pre and post test level of pain and anxiety and among patients with stroke in control group. 3. To evaluate the effectiveness of back massage on reducing pain and anxiety among patients with stroke in experimental group. 4. To find out the relationship between post test level of pain and anxiety among patients with stroke in experimental group. 5. To find out the association between post test level of pain with their selected demographic variables in experimental group. 6. To find out the association between post test level of anxiety with their selected demographic variables in experimental group. The conceptual framework adopted for this study was based on modified Ludwig von bertanlanffy’s general system model (1968). HYPOTHESES: H1: Mean post test level of pain and anxiety will be significantly lower than pre test level of pain and anxiety in experimental group. H2: Mean post test level of pain and anxiety among experimental group will be significantly lower than control group. H3: There will be a significant relationship between post test level of pain and anxiety among experimental group. H4: There will be a significant association between post test level of pain and anxiety and their selected demographic variables in experimental group. MAJOR FINDINGS OF THE STUDY: • With regard to age, 43.3% subjects were between 41-60 and above 60 years in the experimental group and 66.6% subjects were between 41-60 years of age in the control group. • With regard to sex, in the experimental group 53.3% subjects were males and 50% subjects were males in the control group. • Regarding the educational status 9 (30%) subjects had higher secondary education in the experimental group and 10 (33.3%) subjects had primary education in the control group. • Regarding the occupation in the experimental group 17 (56.6%) subjects were sedentary workers and in the control group 20 (66.6%) were sedentary workers. • Regarding the family income, majority of samples 13 (43.3%) were getting an income between Rs. 1001-5000 in the experimental group and 13 (43.3%) samples were getting Rs. 1001-5000 in the control group. • Regarding the duration of illness 20 (66.6%) subjects were less than 2 yrs of duration in the experimental group and 9 (30%) were having 2-5 yrs of duration in the control group. • Regarding the type of family in the experimental group 17(53.3%) subjects belong to nuclear family and in the control group 20 (66.6%) subjects belong to nuclear family. • Regarding the family history of stroke 19 (63.3%) had the history of stroke among experimental group and 22 (73.3%) had the history of stroke among control group. • Regarding the hospitalization, in the experimental group 20(66.6%) subjects had the experience of previous hospitalization and in the control group 20(66.6%) subjects had the experience of previous hospitalization. • The mean post-test level of pain (5.03) which is lower than (7.1) the pre test level of pain in the experimental group. • The mean post-test level of anxiety (62.93) was lower than the mean pre-test level of anxiety (75.63) in the experimental group. • There was a significant association between post-test level of pain and education among experimental group. • There was a significant association between post test level of anxiety and income, occupation, education among experimental group. RECOMMENDATIONS: • The study may be conducted by using large populations to generalize the findings. • A longitudinal study may be conducted to assess the effectiveness of back massage on reducing pain and anxiety among stroke patients. • This study may also be done as a comparative study in different settings. • Nurse researcher has to identify the effects of back massage among patients with orthopaedic conditions. • The effectiveness of back massage on reducing physiological parameters such as temperature, blood pressure, heart rate could be studied. CONCLUSION: As for this research is concerned, the interventional study proved that there is a significant reduction on pain and anxiety level among patients with stroke. The findings of the present study agree with the findings of the previous clinical study, regarding back massage. The pre-test and post-test mean and standard deviation were calculated. The paired ‘t’ test was applied to identify the effectiveness. The reduction of pain and anxiety level was statistically significant at 0.05 level. Therefore the back massage is a very effective non-pharmacological intervention to reduce the pain and anxiety among stroke patients

Efficacy of trans-cerebellar diameter/abdominal circumference ratio versus head circumference/abdominal circumference ratio in prediction of asymmetrical intrauterine growth retardation

Background: Determination of gestational age is an important step of pregnancy management and foetal development evaluation in obstetrics. Any error in this gestational age estimation results in prematurity or post maturity and in case if the expected date of delivery is not known, there is high chance of perinatal mortality in the near outcome. Hence it is important in achieving an uneventful gestation to have a sensitive, specific and age independent obstetric biometric parameter that stays constant throughout the gestation. Trans-cerebellar diameters (TCD)/ abdominal circumference (AC) ratio are reliable, constant predictors to assess the gestational age and to evaluate fetal growth. Aim was to compare the accuracy of TCD/ AC ratio with head circumference (HC)/ AC ratio in predicting asymmetrical IUGR.Methods: A prospective study was conducted over a period of one year on 100 clinically suspected IUGR pregnancies who were evaluated with BPD, HC, AC and FL along with TCD were measured for assessing the sonological gestational age. Two morphometric ratios-TCD/AC and HC/AC were calculated. Estimated fetal weight was calculated for all these pregnancies and its percentile was determined. Then those clinically suspected IUGR cases were followed up to delivery and post-delivery new Ballord score and CAN score (clinical assessment of nutritional status at birth) were calculated.Results: In the present study, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and DA were 83.93%, 65.91%, 75.81%, 76.32% and 76% respectively for TCD/AC ratio versus respectively for HC/AC ratio in predicting IUGR.  Conclusions: Both ratios were gestational age independent and can be used in detecting IUGR with good diagnostic accuracy. However, TCD/AC ratio had a better diagnostic validity and accuracy compared to HC/AC ratio in predicting asymmetric IUGR

Insights of sustainable horticultural practices for hill vegetables from the organic district of Tamil Nadu

Hill horticulture faces numerous constraints, including soil erosion, landslides, water scarcity, unique cropping seasons and limited access to extension services and technologies. The Nilgiris, labelled as the "Organic District of Tamil Nadu," serves as an ideal setting to assess farmers’ awareness, adoption and challenges related to Sustainable Horticultural Practices (SHP). This study focused on 320 farmers across four blocks: Coonoor, Ooty, Gudalur and Kothagiri, with an emphasis on hill-top vegetables such as potato, carrot, cabbage and cauliflower. The findings present a mixed scenario. While most farmers were aware of SHP, only 55.00 % adopted erosion control measures and 60.63 % practiced integrated pest, disease, nutrient and irrigation management. Some practices, such as improved filtration runoff (69.37 %) and animal waste management (66.25 %), were more widely adopted. However, significant challenges were noted, including limited time to track market trends for hill vegetables (68.00 %) and high transportation costs (67.00 %). The leading source of contamination was wild animal intrusion (94.38 %), followed by improper animal waste decomposition (81.56 %). Workers’ hygiene was identified as a contamination risk by 73.13 % of respondents, while transport containers and biosecurity breaches were reported by 65.63 % and 64.69 %, respectively. This study underscores the necessity to promote SHP adoption to address these numerous constraints. Enhancing farmers’ knowledge and practices can significantly improve horticultural sustainability and foster development in the hilly regions

Bioefficacy of plant based insecticides against thrips, Pseudodendrothrips mori (Niwa) and leaf webber, Diaphania pulverulentalis (Hampson) in mulberry ecosystem and their bio safety to natural enemies

Morus spp. is the sole food for mulberry silkworms, Bombyx mori L. However, this crop is infested by two major pests, the leaf webber, Diaphania pulverulentalis (Hampson) and thrips, Pseudodendrothrips mori (Niwa). To address this, two field trials were conducted in two different locations to assess the efficacy of botanicals against thrips and leaf webber in mulberry ecosystem. Results indicated that TNAU Bio 3G extract @ 5% showed the highest per cent population reduction of thrips (56.24 and 47.24 % in first and second trial, respectively) over untreated control after neem oil @ 3% and neem seed kernel extract @ 5% used as standard check, whereas for leaf webber Eupatorium adenophorum extract @ 3 % showed the highest effectiveness with 61.22 and 61.86 % reduction over control in first and second trial, respectively. The different botanicals applied against mulberry thrips and leaf webber were tested for their effect on mortality of silkworm. It was found that when treated leaves were fed one day after treatment highest larval mortality (25.00%) was recorded in Neem oil @ 3% but it was very low in case of TNAU Bio 3G extract @ 5% (4.99%). Larval death steadily decreased in all the treatments except Neem oil @3 %, when fed two days      later, whereas, no mortality was noticed in case of TNAU Bio 3G extract @ 5% and E.adenophorum at 2 DAT. To conclude, TNAU Bio 3G extract @ 5% and E. adenophorum extract @ 3% can be recommended for an eco-friendly and sustainable management of thrips and leaf webber in mulberry ecosystem

Rice straw biostimulants: Phytochemicals and effects on maize growth and tomato yield

Biostimulants offer sustainable alternatives to enhance plant growth, resilience and crop yield, especially in organic farming. This study aimed to develop a nutrient-enriched biostimulant from rice straw, a widely available agricultural by-product, often burned, leading to environmental pollution. Rice straw was collected, processed and extracted using cow urine and deionized water (1:50). The extracts underwent phytochemical analysis via GC-MS and LC-MS, identifying bioactive compounds such as fatty acids, sterols, phenols and flavonoids. Elemental analysis confirmed the presence of key nutrients and trace elements, including potassium and magnesium, essential for plant growth. In-vitro assays on maize (CO6 hybrid) evaluated the biostimulant’s efficacy, showing a 12 % increase in germination and a 25 % improvement in seedling vigor at optimal cow urine extract concentrations (CE) (25 %). Root length and shoot biomass also exhibited significant improvements. Field experiments on tomato cultivar (Madhan hybrid) compared the effects of the rice straw-based biostimulant with panchagavya, a traditional organic preparation, alongside controls including cow urine and water. The findings revealed that the rice straw-derived biostimulant markedly improved fruit yield by 22 % compared to the control. This enhancement exceeded that of panchagavya, which achieved a 17 % increase in fruit yield. These results underscore the superior efficacy of the rice straw-based treatment, especially those extracted with cow urine, in enhancing crop productivity, reducing reliance on synthetic agrochemicals and promoting environmentally sustainable agricultural practices

Bioefficacy and persistent toxicity of newer insecticide against thrips, Pseudodendrothrips mori (Niwa) and leaf webber, Diaphania pulverulentalis (Hampson) in mulberry cultivation

Two field trials were conducted in two locations to assess new insecticide molecules' efficacy against thrips and leaf webber in the mulberry ecosystem. Results indicated that fipronil 5SC @ 50 g a.i. /ha showed the highest percentage reduction in the population of thrips (87.13 and 88.41 % in the first and second trials, respectively) over untreated control. In contrast, for leaf webber, flubendiamide 39.35 SC @ 48 g a.i./ha showed the highest effectiveness with 85.56 and 89.90 per cent reduction over control in the first and second trials, respectively. Persistence was observed through laboratory bioassay. Results revealed that the order of persistent toxicity of insecticides against thrips based on persistent toxicity index was fipronil 5 SC > spinetoram 11.7 SC > thiacloprid 21.7 SC > dimethoate 30 EC. Emamectin benzoate 5SC and dimethoate 30 EC recorded the shortest persistency of 10 days after treatment against mulberry leaf Webber, while chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC and flubendiamide 39.35 SC registered the longest persistency of 25 and 20 days, respectively at the recommended dose. Higher concentrations of pest–resistant proteins and enzymes were recorded in the insecticide-treated mulberry plants than in the untreated plants. To conclude, fipronil 5 SC and thiacloprid 21.7 SC were the most effective in checking the population of thrips. At the same time, emamectin benzoate 5SC and flubendiamide 39.35 SC were most efficient against leaf webber, besides having less persistent toxicity than other treatments. Hence, these insecticides may be recommended to manage thrips and leaf webber in the mulberry ecosystem

A Unifying Mechanism for Mitochondrial Superoxide Production during Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury occurs when blood supply to an organ is disrupted--ischemia--and then restored--reperfusion--leading to a burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from mitochondria. It has been tacitly assumed that ROS production during IR is a non-specific consequence of oxygen interacting with dysfunctional mitochondria upon reperfusion. Recently, this view has changed, suggesting that ROS production during IR occurs by a defined mechanism. Here we survey the metabolic factors underlying IR injury and propose a unifying mechanism for its causes that makes sense of the huge amount of disparate data in this area and provides testable hypotheses and new directions for therapies.Work in our laboratories is supported by the Medical Research Council (UK) and the British Heart Foundation. E.T.C. is supported by a Human Frontiers Science Program fellowship.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Cell Press via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2015.12.00

Histomorphology and immunohistochemistry of adenocarcinoma and fibroma in Indian oil sardine (Sardinella longiceps Valenciennes, 1847) from Palk Bay, Southeast coast of India

A single specimen of Indian oil sardine Sardinella longiceps was observed with wart-like appearances in three different regions of the fish: one on the premaxillary part, and other two on the skin and at the vent region respectively. Mucosal tissues were expunged and preserved in 10 % neutral phosphate-buffered formalin for histological examination. Based on the histopathological analysis, lesions were identified as adenocarcinoma and fibroma on the premaxillary part and skin, respectively. Based on the immunohistochemistry, vimentin and cytokeratin-like proteins were demonstrated, suggesting that the wart-like extrusions were fibroma and adenocarcinoma respectively