Traumatic Dental Injuries Among 12-15-Year-Old-School Children in Panchkula

Background:: Traumatic dental injury (TDI) in children and adolescents has become one of the most serious dental public health problems. Despite such a high prevalence of dental trauma, very less attention has been paid to TDI, its etiology, and prevention. Objectives:: To determine the prevalence of anterior tooth traumatic dental injuries in 12-15-year-old school children of Panchkula district, India, and to find any correlation with the cause, gender, extent of overbite as well as over-jet, and previous treatment. Patients and Methods:: A multistage sample of 12-15-year-old school children (n = 810) in Panchkula district, Haryana, was selected. The children were screened using WHO criteria for oral examination and a trained dental surgeon examined the children. Those with clinical TDI were examined further for the type of traumatic injuries using Elis classification modified by Holland. Overjet and overbite were recorded. After examination, questions regarding the cause of trauma and its treatment were asked. Data were subjected to statistical analysis using the Chi square and Mantel-Haenszel tests by SPSS version 20.0. Results:: The results showed that out of 810 children, 86 (10.2 %) had TDI. Males had higher prevalence of trauma than females (P < 0.05). The common cause of trauma was fall (51.11%) followed by sports injuries (41.86%). Enamel-dentin fracture without pulpal involvement was the most common type of trauma and the most frequent involved teeth were maxillary central incisors. A significant association was observed between overjet and overbite and trauma. Only 3.5% of the children affected with trauma had received treatment. Conclusions:: The prevalence of traumatic injuries to permanent incisors in 12-15-year-old Panchkula school children was relatively high. TDI was associated with gender, overjet, and lip competence. There was a great unmet treatment need

Role of serum folic acid and vitamin B12 levels in abruptio placentae and the fetomaternal outcome

Background: Over the course of pregnancy, there is a steady decline in maternal plasma folate concentration and vitamin B12 concentration about 50%of non pregnant levels. Insufficient folate and vitamin B12 status has been associated with many reproductive complications including abruption, IUGR, pre eclampsia, early pregnancy loss. The aim of the study was to determine the role of serum folic acid and vitamin B12levels in patients with abruptio placentae and to study the feto-maternal outcome in these patients. Feto maternal outcome is seen in terms of mode of delivery whether vaginal or caesarean, period of gestation whether term or preterm, need of blood transfusion, stillbirths. Methods: In this prospective observational study conducted in a tertiary hospital from 2018-2020, 50 pregnant women with abruptio placentae were included and their serum folic acid and vitamin B12 levels were measured by ELIZA method using commercially available kits. Results: Serum folic acid levels were not low in the cases of placental abruption with range= 25 ng/ml to 80.5 ng/ml. Mean folic acid level ±SD is 47.98±13.15 ng/ml and median is 48 ng/ml. In this study vitamin B12 levels were low in the cases, range 14 pg/ml to 70 pg/ml. Mean vitamin B12 value ±SD is 27.15±11.63 pg/ml and median is 25 pg/ml.The rate of caesarean section was 44%, preterm delivery was 64% and stillbirth was 38% in these cases with mean folic acid levels of 48.7±15.4 ng/ml, 46.94±13.85 ng/ml and 46.03±8.13 ng/ml respectively and mean vitamin B12 levels of 23.34±6.74 pg/ml, 28.73±13.44 pg/ml and 28.32±11.75 pg/ml respectively. There was a significant association (p=0.006) between vitamin B12 and mode of delivery. No other significant association was seen between serum folic acid and vitamin B12 levels and the different fetomaternal outcome. Conclusions: Low levels of vitamin B12 is seen in cases with abruptio placentae. The rate of caesarean section, preterm delivery, stillbirth and need of blood transfusion is high but no significant association is seen

Biological control potential of North West Himalayan strains of heterorhabditid nematodes against the turnip moth, Agrotis segetum (Denis & Schiffermuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Himachal Pradesh is a northern state of India and is situated to the southern of the mighty Himalaya. The agro-climatic conditions are conducive for the production of off-season vegetables. Biological control by entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) is one of the alternatives to manage the turnip moth, Agrotis segetum (Denis & Schiffermuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The present study was, therefore, undertaken with the objective to assess the virulence of local EPN isolates from Himachal Pradesh, Heterorhabditis sp., against pests to minimize the use of insecticides during crop protection. Against L3–L5 of A. segetum, Heterorhabditis indica was found highly effective, resulting in 33.33–93.33% mortality at 40 infective juveniles (IJs)/larva after 96 h of treatment. Among local isolates, Heterorhabditis sp. (HSG) influenced maximum mortality of L3 and L4, whereas in L5, H. bacteriophora (HRJ) influenced maximum mortality. The sensitivity of L3 to different EPNs was (7.0–16.6%) higher than that of L4. In soil bioassay carried out against L4 of A. segetum, H. bacteriophora (HRJ) was found highly effective, followed by Heterorhabditis sp. (HKM) and Heterorhabditis sp. (HSG) at 10,000 IJs/kg of soil. The mortality varied from 78.33 to 81.67% with local isolates after 7 days of treatment. The results suggested that EPNs can be used as one of the components for managing A. segetum under field and greenhouse conditions to reduce over dependence on insecticides

Distinguishing Proof and Utilization of Resistance of Insect Pests in Grain Legumes: Progress and Limitations

Major food legumes including chickpea, pigeon pea, cowpea, field pea, lentil, faba bean, black gram, green gram, and Phaseolus beans play a vital role in food, nutritional security, and sustainable crop production. Several insect pests damage grain legumes, of which Helicoverpa armigera; Maruca vitrata; Etiella zinckenella; Spodoptera litura and S. exigua; Melanagromyza obtusa; Ophiomyia phaseoli; Aphis craccivora and Bemisia tabaci; Empoasca spp., Megalurothrips dorsalis, and Caliothrips indicus; Mylabris spp.; and Callosobruchus chinensis crusade extensive losses. Appreciable progress has been made in formulating techniques to evaluate germplasm, mapping populations, and genetically modified crops for resistance to insect pests under field and greenhouse conditions. No-choice and dual-choice cage screening techniques, detached leaf assay, and diet incorporation assays have been standardized to screen for resistance to major insect pests in grain legumes. However, some of these techniques cannot be used to screen against stem flies, pod fly, leafhoppers, thrips, and aphids. There is a need to develop methods for mass multiplication of aforesaid insects to undertake precise phenotyping for resistance to these insects. There is a necessity to identify lines with different resistance mechanisms/components of resistance for gene pyramiding to explicate cultivars with the stable source of resistance to insect pests. Prominent levels of resistance to the pod borers have been found in the wild accessions of chickpea, pigeon pea, and cowpea, which can be exploited to introgress genes to heighten the levels and diversify the basis of resistance to insect pests to build host plant resistance a viable component of pest management in grain legumes for sustainable crop production

Effect of different Sowing Windows on Major Insect Pests and Host Plant Resistance to Pod Borer, Helicoverpa armigera in Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.)

Effect of sowing dates, climatic variables on major insect pests population, and host plant resistance with special reference to pod borer Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) in pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) ecosystem was studied on two cultivars namely, ICPL 87 and ICPL 88039. The insect pest population on two cultivars differed significantly across sowing dates. ICPL 87 was most vulnerable to insect pests as it suffered more damage by the pod borer H. armigera, pod sucking bugs (Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stal.) than ICPL 88039. The maximum leaf/pod feeding insect population was recorded on first sowing and then gradually decline for the rest of the plantings. Maximum H. armigera egg population exhibited 21.10 on ICPL 87 in first sowing and at least 1.23 on ICPL 88039 in sixth sowing. Web forming insect pests Maruca virata (3.95) and leaf webber (4.66) weremaximum recorded on ICPL 88039 in second and first planting respectively. The leaf feeding beetle was recorded highest 6.29(ICPL 87) in the third planting. Amid two cultivars maximum insect-pests population was recorded on ICPL 87 when compared to ICPL 88039 except web forming insect Maruca and leaf webber due to its indeterminate genotypic character of ICPL 88039. Between the two genotypes, the sucking pests more preferred to ICPL 87 when compared ICPL 88039. Maximum jassids were recorded 12.76 and 8.38 (ICPL 87) in fourth sowing and third sowing respectively. It was observed that highest spider population recorded 2.23(ICPL 88039) in first and second sowing. Ladybird beetle Coccinella transvasalis population recorded a maximum 8.52 (ICPL 87). The leaf webber (r= 0.449**) and pod bug (r= 0.421**) showed a highly significant positive correlation with maximum temperature and H. armigera larvae population exhibited highly significant positive correlation with minimum temperature (r= 0.491**) and morning relative humidity (r= 0.528**). Solar radiation also exhibited and showed a significant positive correlation with leaf webber (r= 533**)

Biochemical mechanisms of induced resistance to Chilo partellus in sorghum

Host plant resistance is an important component of pest management, and information on contribution of different mechanisms of resistance is important for developing cultivars with resistance to the target pests. Therefore, induced resistance was studied in five sorghum genotypes against Chilo partellus by using infested and non-infested plants under greenhouse conditions. The activity of plant defensive enzymes and the secondary metabolites were recorded at 7 days after infestation and their induction varied among the genotypes and treatments. The resistant sorghum genotypes ICSV 700, IS 2205 and ICSV 93046 suffered lower leaf damage by the neonate larvae of C. partellus (damage rating (DR) 2.8–3.7) as compared to the susceptible checks, ICSV 1 and Swarna (DR 6.4 and 7.0, respectively). ICSV 700, IS 2205 and ICSV 93046 exhibited greater enzymatic activity [peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and tyrosine ammonia lyase (TAL)] and had more amounts of phenols than the susceptible check, Swarna. This information will be useful for developing sorghum genotypes with resistance to C. partellus for sustainable crop production

Pathogenicity of Heterorhabditis nematodes isolated from north-western Himalaya against the larvae of Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

The efficacy of three entomopathogenic nematodes (Heterorhabditis spp.), from north western Himalaya, India was studied against the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), under laboratory conditions. The larvae were exposed to 10, 20, 30 and 40 infective juveniles (IJs) of each nematode species for different time periods and they were found to be susceptible to all the EPNs tested. However, the susceptibility of larvae to nematode infection varied according to the dosages of IJs and their exposure periods. The efficacy of these indigenous entomopathogenic nematodes was also evaluated against the commercially available entomopathogenic nematode H. indica. An indigenous isolate, H. bacteriophora (HRJ), along with the commercial isolate H. indica recorded 100.0% mortality of insect larvae in 96 h exposure time against third instar larvae of P. xylostella. However, it was noticed that with the advancement of larval stage its mortality rate reduces and vice versa with the exposure period. All the tested nematode species were also found to reproduce within the host and produced infective juveniles. In conclusion, the evidence obtained in this study suggests that all the three indigenous EPN species are virulent enough to produce 100% mortality of larvae of P. xylostella. These EPN species thus have potential for the management of P. xylostella under integrated management practices

Assessing the impact of varietal resistance and planting dates on pest spectrum in chickpea

The cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera [Hübner (1808)] is one of the most widely spread pest which limits the chickpea production, while the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner, 1808) has emerged as a serious pest in recent years, in southern India and parasitic wasp Campoletis chlorideae Uchida, 1968 is an important larval parasitoid which naturally manages both pests under field condition. Insecticides adoption leads to development of resistance in pod borer. In view of climate change scenario, the focus of the present studies was the identification of climate resilient cultivars of chickpea for pod borers and the results reveled, that there were significant variations in the level of eggs and larval population among the genotypes. Across seasons, the crop sown in October recorded the maximum number of eggs. ‘ICC 3137’ had the highest number of H. armigera eggs (11.6) across seasons. ‘JG 11’, (6.3) in 2012 and’ ICCV 10’ (3.6) in 2013 recorded the lowest number of H. armigera eggs. During 2014-15, the maximum(80.7) H. armigera larval incidence was observed in October sown crop and the lowest (21.1) in January crop. The number of S. exigua larvae were substantially higher in the December crop. For all seasons, the highest number of C. chlorideae were found in October crop. Across seasons, multiple regression analysis for both pest had a strong interaction with weather patterns

Effect of varied weather parameters and different sowing dates on the incidence of insect pest in chickpea

It is important to identify genotypes with resistance varied sowing windows. Therefore, evaluated a five diverse genotypes for resistance to H. armigera for three years over four sowing window. More number of eggs were observed in 2012 than in 2013 and 2014. Highest numbers of eggs were recorded in the crop sown in October in cumulative three seasons. Among the genotypes tested, ICC 3137 had the highest number of H. armigera eggs (11.6) across the seasons. The lowest number of H. armigera eggs was observed on JG 11 (6.3) in 2012, on ICCV 10 (3.6) in 2013. The H. armigera larvae were highest in October sown crop (80.7) and lowest in the January sown crop (21.1) in 2014-15. The larval incidence decreased from October to December but increased in the January. Greater numbers of cocoons were recorded in the December sown crop (3.4) in 2012-13.However highest number of cocoons were recorded on ICC 3137 (2.5) and lowest on KAK 2 (1.6). The maximum temperature and minimum temperature shows a significant negative and positive correlation with H. armigera larvae population for October and November sown crop. Multiple regression analysis of the H. armigera, S. exigua eggs and larval population showed a significant interaction with weather parameters during all cropping seasons. The coefficient of multiple determinations (R2) was varied per cent during across different seasons for H. armigera, S. exigua populatio