Evaluation of vitamin D status in suspected cases of metabolic syndrome

Background: Metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Vitamin D has been linked to glucose metabolism and insulin regulation. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the association between the serum level of vitamin D and metabolic syndrome. This may help generate additive strategies in the prevention and management of this syndrome. The objective of the study was to compare the levels of serum vitamin D in subjects with metabolic syndrome and subjects without metabolic syndrome.Methods: A prospective study with 80 subjects was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Southern India. The sample comprised 40 subjects in the age group of (18-60 years) with metabolic syndrome as cases and 40 subjects without metabolic syndrome in the age groups of (18-60 years) as controls. The presence of any 3 of the following- fasting blood glucose (FBS ≥100mg/dl), triglycerides (TGL≥150mg/dl) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C ≤40mg/dl-men, ≤50mg/dl-women) levels, blood pressure (≥130/85mmHg or drug treatment) and abdominal waist circumference (>94 cm (37 in) in men and >80 cm (31 in) in women) were used as criteria to screen for the presence (cases) or absence (controls) of metabolic syndrome. Serum vitamin D (25-hydroxy vitamin D) levels were compared between the two groups.Results: Mann Whitney U test was used to compare the vitamin D levels between the two groups. Significantly (p=0.05) lower vitamin D levels were seen in the cases compared to the controls.Conclusions: Metabolic syndrome is associated with significantly lower serum vitamin D levels. We suggest that further studies with a larger sample size be undertaken to confirm the same

Importance of Technological Innovation for SME Growth: Evidence from India

This paper probes the drivers, dimensions, achievements, and outcomes of technological innovations carried out by SMEs in the auto components, electronics, and machine tool sectors of Bangalore in India. Further, it ascertains the growth rates of innovative SMEs vis-à-vis non-innovative SMEs in terms of sales turnover, employment, and investment. Thereafter, it probes the relationship between innovation and growth of SMEs by (i) estimating a correlation between innovation sales and sales growth, (ii) calculating innovation sales for high, medium, and low growth innovative SMEs and doing a aggregate one-way ANOVA, and (iii) ascertaining the influence of innovation sales, along with investment growth and employment growth on gross value-added growth by means of multiple regression analysis. The paper brings out substantial evidence to argue that innovations of SMEs contributed to their growth.Technological innovations, sales growth, auto components, electronics, machine tools, Bangalore

Separation and determination of the amylose and amylopectin fractions of starch

This article does not have an abstract

Studies on the phenology of some terrestrial orchids of Western Ghats, India

The present paper describes the distribution, natural habitat and phenology of some terrestrial orchids in Shimoga district, Karnataka. The phenophases viz., leafing, flowering, fruiting, fruit dehiscence are observed for 25 orchid taxa belonging to 13 genera in Shimoga district. They are Dienia ophrydis (J. Koenig) Seidenf., Disperis zeylanica Trimen., Epipogium roseum (D. Don) Lindl., Eulophia spectabilis (Dennst.) Suresh., Geodorum densiflorum (Lam.) Schltr., Habenaria crinifera Lindl., Habenaria elwesii Hook f., Habenaria furcifera Lindl., Habenaria grandifloriformis Blatt. & Mc Cann., Habenaria heyneana Lindl., Habenaria longicorniculata J. Graham., Habenaria multicaudata Sedgw., Habenaria plantaginea Lindl., Liparis deflexa Hook. f., Liparis odorata (Willd) Lindl., Malaxis versicolor (Lindl.) Abeyw., Nervilia concolor (Blume) Schltr. Nervilia crociformis (Zoll. & Moritzi) Seidenf., Nervilia infundibulifolia Blatt. & Mc Cann., Nervilia plicata (Andrews) Schltr., Pecteilis gigantea (Sm.) Raf.. Peristylus plantagineus (Lindl.), Peristylus spiralis A. Rich., Satyrium nepalense D. Don, Zeuxine longilabris (Lindl.) Trimen. Phenology is the timing of plant life cycle events. Regular field visits were carried to observe the different life events. Most of the terrestrial orchids complete their life cycle in April to September or October month. The present research gives additional phenological aspects of terrestrial orchids in Shimoga district. Vegetative phenology is important to understand the ecology and instinct history of a plant species and may help to develop the conservation strategies of endangered species

Phenology of the Genus Crotalaria L. (Fabaceae-Papilionoideae) of Holalkere, Hosadurga and Chitradurga Thaluks of Chitradurga District, Karnataka, India

The present study describes detailed distribution of the genus Crotalaria L. in a natural habitat. This research is carried out by extensive field survey and observation across all the 3 thaluks of Chitradurga, area is botanized for Crotalaria species in all seasons and critically analysed the phenological features of all the documented species during the study period 2018-2021. We have recorded 11 species of Crotalaria, Crotalaria calycina Schrank., Crotalaria globosa Wight & Arn, Crotalaria goreensis Guill. & Perr., Crotalaria hebecarpa (DC.) Rudd. Crotalaria juncea L., Crotalaria orixensis Willd., Crotalaria pallida Aiton., Crotalaria prostrata Willd., Crotalaria pusilla DC., Crotalaria retusa L., and Crotalaria varicosa Polhill. Data obtained through this research is the basis for the study of further characterisation of Crotalaria species; this research describes the importance of phenology in taxonomy and the behaviour biology of the Crotalaria species, as they are economically important group

Importance of folate in human nutrition

From a public health perspective, some of the new insights into folic acid nutrition are of significance. Folate intake recommendations vary under different conditions. Intake of 350 µg is required to maintain plasma homocysteine levels, 650 µg for those with elevated plasma homocysteine, about 400 µg for women planning to become pregnant and 4000 mg for those with history of neural tube defect affected pregnancy. This raises the question whether the folate intake is adequate for the general population, particularly in the vulnerable groups or whether there is a need for scientists to take a fresh view of the requirements, recommended dietary intakes, and consider intervention measures which will have impact on the folate nutritional status. The recommendations should provide a margin of safety to allow for decreased intake, increased requirements, individual variability and bioavailability of natural food folates. The folate intake and nutriture in relation to India and other developing countries needs careful consideration to reduce anemia, neural tube defects and possibly impact on the high incidence of cardiovascular diseases