Thoracic myelopathy due to ossified hypertrophied ligamentum flavum

Calcification of ligamentum flavum is a rare disease that was found to occur almost exclusively in Japanese population. However the disease is now being increasingly recognized as a cause of thoracic myeloradiculopathy in Indian Population. We report a case of thoracic myelopathy at multiple levels due to ossified and hypertrophied ligamentum flavum

Quantification of signaling networks

Studies in living system in the past several decades have generated qualitative understanding of the molecular interactions resulting in large networks. These networks were essentially deciphered by breaking the components of a cell through a reductionist approach. Biological networks comprising of interactions between genes, proteins and metabolites co-ordinate in the regulation of cellular processes. However, understanding the cellular function also requires quantitative information including network dynamics, which results due to an inherent design principle embedded in the network. Interactions within the network are well organized to form a definite regulatory structure, which in turn exhibits different emergent properties. The property of the network helps the cell to achieve the desired phenotypic state in a controlled manner. The dynamics of the network or the relationship between network structure and cellular behavior cannot be understood intuitively from the interaction map of the network. Computational methods can now be employed to study these networks at system level. The field of systems biology looks at integrating the interaction maps obtained through molecular biological approach. Various studies at the system level have been reported for pathways namely chemotactic response in bacteria, cell cycle and osmotic signaling in yeast, growth factor stimulated signaling pathways in mammals. This review focuses on understanding signaling networks with the help of mathematical models

Bader’s theory of atoms in molecules (AIM) and its applications to chemical bonding

In this perspective article, the basic theory and applications of the "Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules" have been presented with examples from different categories of weak and hydrogen bonded molecular systems

Hot QCD equations of state and RHIC

We show how hot QCD equations of states can be adapted to make definite predictions for quark-gluon plasma at RHIC. We consider equations of state up to $O(g^5)$ and $O[g^6(ln(1/g)+\delta)]$. Our method involves the extraction of equilibrium distribution functions for gluons and quarks from these equations of state by capturing the the interaction effects entirely in the effective chemical potentials. We further utilize these distribution functions to study the screening length in hot QCD and dissociation phenomenon of heavy quarkonia states by combining this understanding with the semi-classical transport theory.Comment: Based on poster presented during quark matter-2008(4-10 Feb 2008) Jaipur India; 4 Pages, 2 eps fig

Foraging Behaviour of Heifers, Sheep and Goats in Grass-Legume Cafeteria

The paper reports findings of a grazing trial with heifers, sheep and goats in a grass–legume cafeteria involving 45x10 m alternate strips of 18 grasses and 18 legumes. In the first year heifers were grazed. Sheep were introduced in the second year and goats in the third year. The stocking rate was 1.5 ACU/ha. Foraging behaviour of three kinds of animals differed in many respects with grazing and rest durations, choice of species in the forenoon and afternoon and in different seasons. Heifers, by and large, preferred grasses over legumes and browse. Sheep, on the contrary, preferred legumes over grasses and browse. Goats preferred browse and legumes over grasses. These findings serve as base line information in designing a silvopastoral system for mixed herd grazing which low and medium level farmers practice

Note on the finless porpoise washed ashore

A male finless porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides measuring 130 cm in total length was washed ashore off Konadu beach near Kozhilode on 1st August 2018 (Fig.1). The morphometric measurements of the partially decomposed specimen is presented in Table 1. There were no injuries on its body and death might have been due to accidental entanglement in gillnet net or seine net

Re-occurrence of oilfish in the landings of the south-west coast of India

On 29.08.2008, 13 specimens of the oilfish, Ruvettus pretiosus Cocco, 1833 were recorded in the trawl landings along with a heavy catch of around 200 t of Coryphaena sp. at the Cochin fisheries harbour. The biggest specimen was 360 mm in TL with a weight of 260 g. The available literature indicates that a single specimen of R. pretiosus measuring 310 mm in TL and weighing 220 g collected from the continental slope off the Quilon Bank (09004'N lat. 75031'E long.) area during November 1968 is so far the only record from the south-west coast of India, besides the two specimens from Laccadives kept in the repository of the museum of Fisheries department at Kavarathi Island. The flesh of R. pretiosus contains more oil and hence the name oilfish. The only other gempylids recorded from the Cochin area earlier were Neoepinnula orientalis and Rexea prometheoides

Identifying and managing Mytella strigata The invasive mussel species reported from Kerala (കേരളത്തിന് ഭീഷണിയായി വളർന്നു വരുന്ന മൈറ്റെല്ല സ്‌ട്രിഗേറ്റ എന്ന അധിനിവേശ കല്ലുമ്മേക്കായ വർഗത്തിന്റെ തിരിച്ചറിയലും നിയന്ത്രണവും)

Identifying and managing Mytella strigata The invasive mussel species കേരളത്തിന് ഭീഷണിയായി വളർന്നു വരുന്ന മൈറ്റെല്ല സ്‌ട്രിഗേറ്റ എന്ന അധിനിവേശ കല്ലുമ്മേക്കായ വർഗത്തിന്റെ തിരിച്ചറിയലും നിയന്ത്രണവു