Estimation of stature from cephalometric measurements among male Muslims of Manipur, India

Background: Stature as is one such important anthropometric parameter which helps in personal identification of an individual. The present study attempts to reconstruct stature from some selected cephalometric measurements among 200 male Muslims of Manipur by using standard measurement techniques.Methods: For the purpose of present study, eight cephalometric dimensions of each subject along with their stature were collected from 200 male Manipuri Muslims, (age between 20 to 60 years) of the four valley districts of Manipur viz. Imphal east, Imphal west, Thoubal and Bishnupur following the methods of Singh and Bhasin and Nath.Results: Data analysis reveals significant co-relation between stature and various cephalometric measurements under study. Total facial height shows the highest correlation co-efficient value (r=0.381) while Upper facial height the least (r=0.112). Multiplication factors are found to vary from other populations of Manipur so far studied thus revealing inter- population variation within the state. Simple regression equations for estimating stature are also formulated for these population.Conclusions: The findings of the estimation of stature using multiplication factor and Linear regression equation on the present population varies from the findings on other populations studied by other researchers. Hence in conclusion, it is confirmed that means of stature estimation i.e. multiplication factors and regression equations are population specific. Therefore, derived formulae for a population should not be used to other populations

Role of biochemical markers in the prediction of osteopenia and osteoporosis in men and women of Sikkim, India

Background: Osteoporosis being a silently progressing disease, the real challenge is to identify the individual at high risk of osteoporosis. Many bone turnover marker have been associated with bone loss even before occurrence of any changes in bone structure. Therefore, this study was aim to evaluate the predictive value of bone turnover marker by correlating with low bone density.Methods: This was a case control study conducted in Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, India. A total of 300 subjects (150 case and 150 control) both male and female between the age group of 35- 65 were enrolled. We measure one bone formation marker serum osteocalcin and two resorption marker urine hydroxyproline (OHP) and urine N- terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (NTX). Calcaneal QUS device (GE Lunar Achilles Express heel- densitometer) was used to determine the bone density.Results: A significant difference of the bone markers i.e. hydroxyproline, NTx and osteocalcin were observed between cases and control of men and women with P<0.001. These variables statistically significantly predicts bone density with F (3, 71) = 5,671, P= 0.002, R2= 0.193 and F (3, 71) = 5.292, P= 0.002, R2= 0.183 in women and men respectively.Conclusions: Study showed that bone turnover markers are able to predict low bone mass. Resorption markers NTx and OHP were the main predictor in men whereas OHP and formation marker Osteocalcin in women. Therefore, BTM measurement along with BMD can provide useful information about the changes in the bone mass which will help to predict the risk of osteoporosis

Mycorrhizal Fungi and Sustainable Agriculture

The 20thcentury witnessed an augmentation in agricultural production, mainly through the progress and use of pesticides, fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus, and developments in plant breeding and genetic skills. In the naturally existing ecology, rhizospheric soils have innumerable biological living beings to favor the plant development, nutrient assimilation, stress tolerance, disease deterrence, carbon seizing and others. These organisms include mycorrhizal fungi, bacteria, actinomycetes, etc. which solubilize nutrients and assist the plants in up taking by roots. Amongst them, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have key importance in natural ecosystem, but high rate of chemical fertilizer in agricultural fields is diminishing its importance. The majority of the terrestrial plants form association with Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza (VAM) or Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). This symbiosis confers benefits directly to the host plant’s growth and development through the acquisition of Phosphorus (P) and other mineral nutrients from the soil by the AMF. They may also enhance the protection of plants against pathogens and increases the plant diversity. This is achieved by the growth of AMF mycelium within the host root (intra radical) and out into the soil (extra radical) beyond. Proper management of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi has the potential to improve the profitability and sustainability of agricultural systems. AM fungi are especially important for sustainable farming systems because AM fungi are efficient when nutrient availability is low and when nutrients are bound to organic matter and soil particles

Genesis and Morphotectonic Characterisation of Crescent- Shaped feature from Alcock Rise, Andaman Sea

Study of 98 crescent shape depressions over Alcock Rise, Andaman Sea were reported for the first time in between water depth -500 and -2000 m using multibeam swath bathymetry data. These gigantic depressions have crescent length (CL) varies from 600 to 3800 m and width (CW) varies from 200 to 2500 m with an average central depression of 500 m. Detailed parametric characterization reveals that slope and axial ratio of these crescentic structures have no direct relationship with general shape and steepness of their escarpment. Moreover, spatial distribution of these structures show a clustering of elongated crescent with higher crescent length to width ratio in NW margin of Alcock Rise compare to centre. This change in shape from open elliptical to semicircular depression probably suggests that earlier formed open crescents were modified at later stage to semicircular depressions. As observed in the seismic data, the formation of the crescentic depressions were initiated by the normal fault in-association with major dextral transform fault and subsequently its geometry was modified by local transpression along with seismicity induced slumping and bottom current scouring from the weaker zones. So, tectonics and bottom current activity provides simpler explanation for the formation of crescentic structure over Alcock Rise.Keywords: Crescentic depression, Alcock Rise, Swath bathymetry, Bottom current, Normal fault

Outbreak of Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Endophthalmitis Due to Contaminated Trypan Blue Solution

Purpose: To report the investigation of an outbreak of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa endophthalmitis in 13 patients after cataract surgery and to emphasize on the importance of clinical profile, risk factors, and treatment outcomes. Methods: This was a hospital-based, retrospective case study with 13 consecutive patients who had manual small-incision cataract surgery with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation and developed acute postoperative Pseudomonas aeruginosa endophthalmitis. The anterior chamber taps, vitreous aspirates, and environmental surveillance specimens were inoculated for culturing. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using the agar diffusion method. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to determine the relationship between bacterial isolates recovered from study patients and contaminated surveillance samples. Results: Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from all 13 eyes with acute postoperative endophthalmitis and the trypan blue solutions used during surgery. Sensitivity tests revealed that all isolates had an identical resistance to multiple drugs and were only susceptible to imipenem. Genomic DNA typing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates recovered from patients and trypan blue solutions showed an identical banding pattern on the PFGE. Despite the prompt use of intravitreal antibiotics and early vitrectomy with IOL explantation in some patients, the outcome was poor in about 50% of patients. Conclusion: Positive microbiology and genomic DNA typing results proved that the contaminated trypan blue solutions were the source of infection in this outbreak. Postoperative endophthalmitis caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa is often associated with a poor visual prognosis despite prompt treatment with intravitreal antibiotics

ANTIDEPRESSANT PLANTS AND THEIR USE BY THE CHIRU TRIBES OF MANIPUR, INDIA

Depression is a potentially life-threatening mental disorder with serious socioeconomic consequences. It is very common and affects people of all age groups. Clinically, a class of synthetic drugs called antidepressants is used to treat depression but face limitations due to multiple side effects. Traditional healing practices followed by different communities worldwide use plants as a source of antidepressants. The Chiru tribe is one such community with rich ethnomedicinal knowledge having their unique ways to cure mental ailments. Ten plants [Canthium parviflorum Lam., Centella asiatica (L.) Urb., Curcuma longa L., Holmskioldia sanguinea Retz., Magnolia champaca (L.) Baill. ex Pierre, Marsilea minuta L., Ocimum tenuiflorum L., Phyllanthus emblica L., Rotheca serrata (L.) Steane & Mabb. and Tagetes lucida Cav.)] are used by Chiru tribes as potential antidepressants. Out of these, two plants viz., Canthium parviflorum Lam. and Holmskioldia sanguinea Retz. are recorded as antidepressants for the first time by the Chiru tribes. Two antidepressant plants (Canthium parviflorum Lam. and Curcuma longa L.) are used for treating memory loss. A total of 132 medicinal plants have been recorded in literature to contain phytochemicals with antidepressant activity worldwide. Changes in lifestyle and lack of properly documented data on medicinal plants pose a serious concern. The plant-based alternatives to treat depression will be much safer and cost-effective in the long run. The primitive knowledge could prove useful in developing potent antidepressants shortly. For this, further productive research and appropriate conservation methods for these plant species must be initiated

Open‐field arena boundary is a primary object of exploration for Drosophila

Drosophila adults, when placed into a novel open‐field arena, initially exhibit an elevated level of activity followed by a reduced stable level of spontaneous activity and spend a majority of time near the arena edge, executing motions along the walls. In order to determine the environmental features that are responsible for the initial high activity and wall‐following behavior exhibited during exploration, we examined wild‐type and visually impaired mutants in arenas with different vertical surfaces. These experiments support the conclusion that the wall‐following behavior of Drosophila is best characterized by a preference for the arena boundary, and not thigmotaxis or centrophobicity. In circular arenas, Drosophila mostly move in trajectories with low turn angles. Since the boundary preference could derive from highly linear trajectories, we further developed a simulation program to model the effects of turn angle on the boundary preference. In an hourglass‐shaped arena with convex‐angled walls that forced a straight versus wall‐following choice, the simulation with constrained turn angles predicted general movement across a central gap, whereas Drosophila tend to follow the wall. Hence, low turn angled movement does not drive the boundary preference. Lastly, visually impaired Drosophila demonstrate a defect in attenuation of the elevated initial activity. Interestingly, the visually impaired w 1118 activity decay defect can be rescued by increasing the contrast of the arena's edge, suggesting that the activity decay relies on visual detection of the boundary. The arena boundary is, therefore, a primary object of exploration for Drosophila . In an open field arena, Drosophila spend the majority of time at the arena boundary even when additional vertical surfaces are present in the interior. The visually impaired white files have defects in the attenuation of exploratory activity. by increasing the contrast of the boundary, we can rescue this defect in white mutants, demonstrating that the boundary is a primary object of exploration in an open field arena.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90592/1/brb3.36.pd

CHARACTERISTICS AND MECHANISM OF POTENTIAL PROBIOTICS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO LACTIC ACID BACTERIA FROM TRADITIONAL FERMENTED FISH PRODUCTS: A REVIEW

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are widely used in the food industry due to their probiotic properties and fermentation activities. Traditional fermented fish products are dominated by a diverse variety of lactic acid bacteria with significant probiotic characteristics. Several in vitro and in vivo studies on lactic acid bacteria from fermented fish products have confirmed LAB strains to possess characteristics to be considered as probiotics that contribute to positive health benefits to the host and are generally regarded as safe (GRAS). This paper presents a review of the characteristics of the LAB strain that is considered as a probiotic. It also presents an overview of the probiotics mechanism of action and specifically highlights the LAB species with potential probiotic characteristics isolated from traditional fermented fish products