BIFURCATION OF SUPERIOR ARTICULAR FACETS OF ATLAS VERTEBRA: A CASE STUDY IN DRY BONES

Objective: The objective of the study was to see the superior articular facets (SAF) of atlas vertebrae for complete bifurcation. Methods: In a number of 50 atlas vertebrae with 100 SAF were studied for the tendency to complete separation in the Department of Anatomy and Forensic Medicine of Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar during the period of January 2015 to January 2016. Results: Out of 50 atlas vertebrae (100 AF), we observed complete bifurcation on both sides in 14 atlas vertebrae (28 sides) and complete bifurcation right side only in six atlas vertebrae and complete bifurcation left side only in 14 atlas vertebrae. The results were compared with those of other studies and were statistically analyzed. Discussion: The clinical significance of this study has been thus discussed with a reference to its possible effect on the restriction of the neck movement at the atlanto-occipital joint. Conclusion: This study is of great importance to the clinicians for doing any clinical facet procedure in the neck region

Micropropagation and conservation of selected endangered anticancer medicinal plants from the Western Ghats of India

Globally, cancer is a constant battle which severely affects the human population. The major limitations of the anticancer drugs are the deleterious side effects on the quality of life. Plants play a vital role in curing many diseases with minimal or no side effects. Phytocompounds derived from various medicinal plants serve as the best source of drugs to treat cancer. The global demand for phytomedicines is mostly reached by the medicinal herbs from the tropical nations of the world even though many plant species are threatened with extinction. India is one of the mega diverse countries of the world due to its ecological habitats, latitudinal variation, and diverse climatic range. Western Ghats of India is one of the most important depositories of endemic herbs. It is found along the stretch of south western part of India and constitutes rain forest with more than 4000 diverse medicinal plant species. In recent times, many of these therapeutically valued herbs have become endangered and are being included under the red-listed plant category in this region. Due to a sharp rise in the demand for plant-based products, this rich collection is diminishing at an alarming rate that eventually triggered dangerous to biodiversity. Thus, conservation of the endangered medicinal plants has become a matter of importance. The conservation by using only in situ approaches may not be sufficient enough to safeguard such a huge bio-resource of endangered medicinal plants. Hence, the use of biotechnological methods would be vital to complement the ex vitro protection programs and help to reestablish endangered plant species. In this backdrop, the key tools of biotechnology that could assist plant conservation were developed in terms of in vitro regeneration, seed banking, DNA storage, pollen storage, germplasm storage, gene bank (field gene banking), tissue bank, and cryopreservation. In this chapter, an attempt has been made to critically review major endangered medicinal plants that possess anticancer compounds and their conservation aspects by integrating various biotechnological tool

The immune system and the impact of zinc during aging

The trace element zinc is essential for the immune system, and zinc deficiency affects multiple aspects of innate and adaptive immunity. There are remarkable parallels in the immunological changes during aging and zinc deficiency, including a reduction in the activity of the thymus and thymic hormones, a shift of the T helper cell balance toward T helper type 2 cells, decreased response to vaccination, and impaired functions of innate immune cells. Many studies confirm a decline of zinc levels with age. Most of these studies do not classify the majority of elderly as zinc deficient, but even marginal zinc deprivation can affect immune function. Consequently, oral zinc supplementation demonstrates the potential to improve immunity and efficiently downregulates chronic inflammatory responses in the elderly. These data indicate that a wide prevalence of marginal zinc deficiency in elderly people may contribute to immunosenescence