Correlation between Hand Length and Various Anthropometric Parameters

Background: Estimation of stature is very important chapter in the field of Forensic anthropometry. The present study is a serious effort to establish correlation between Height of an individual and five parameters; Arm span, Hand length, Hand breadth, Foot length, and Foot breadth. Method: Sample of 273 living cases (138 male and 135 female students) between the ages of 17 and 23 years with no obvious deformities or previous history of trauma to hands, feet, spine and limbs, were studied at Government Medical College, Bhavnagar. Sample represents the population of Gujarat. Results: This study shows significant correlation between stature and all five parameters at different degrees. Mathematical formulas were used for estimation of stature from Arm span, Hand length, Hand breadth, Foot length, and Foot breadth. Arm span showed the highest correlation with stature (r=0.908) followed by Hand length, followed by foot length. Hand Breadth showed the lowest degree of correlation (0.467). Conclusion: Present study will be definitely helpful to forensic experts and crime scene investigators in establishing identity of an unknown individual. Copyright©2012 Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. All rights reserved

Observation of a topologically non-trivial surface state in half-Heusler PtLuSb (001) thin films.

The discovery of topological insulators, materials with bulk band gaps and protected cross-gap surface states in compounds such as Bi2Se3, has generated much interest in identifying topological surface states (TSSs) in other classes of materials. In particular, recent theoretical calculations suggest that TSSs may be found in half-Heusler ternary compounds. If experimentally realizable, this would provide a materials platform for entirely new heterostructure spintronic devices that make use of the structurally identical but electronically varied nature of Heusler compounds. Here we show the presence of a TSS in epitaxially grown thin films of the half-Heusler compound PtLuSb. Spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, complemented by theoretical calculations, reveals a surface state with linear dispersion and a helical tangential spin texture consistent with previous predictions. This experimental verification of topological behaviour is a significant step forward in establishing half-Heusler compounds as a viable material system for future spintronic devices

The 12-item WHO Disability Assessment Schedule II as an outcome measure for treatment of common mental disorders.

BACKGROUND: Common mental disorders (CMD) are among the most significant contributors to disability worldwide. Patient-reported disability outcomes should be included as a key metric in the comparative assessment of value across global mental health interventions. This study aims to evaluate the validity of a widely used, cross-cultural tool - the 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS) - as a functional outcome measure for CMD treatment. METHODS: The study population includes 1024 participants with CMD enrolled in the MANAS trial in India. CMD was assessed using the Revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R). Disability was assessed using the 12-item WHODAS II plus a measure of disability days. This analysis presents the correlations between these disability items and CMD symptom severity at 2 months after enrollment (convergent validity) and the items' associations with CMD recovery 4 months later (external responsiveness). RESULTS: All items showed a positive correlation of disability with CMD symptom severity (p < 0.001). The WHODAS items of 'standing,' 'household responsibilities,' and 'emotional disturbance' explained the most variance in CMD symptom severity. Improvements in 'disability days,' 'emotional disturbance,' 'standing,' 'household responsibilities,' 'day-to-day work,' and 'concentrating' were significantly associated with CMD recovery over follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is recommended on a CMD-specific WHODAS subscale comprised of the six WHODAS items found to be most strongly associated with CMD severity and recovery. This shorter, CMD-specific disability subscale would critically serve as a common metric to compare intervention impact on patient-centered outcomes and, in turn, to allocate global mental health resources efficiently

Microtuberization, minitubers formation and in vitro shoot regeneration from bud sprout of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivar K. badshah

Kufri badshah is one of the important medium maturing, blight resistant potato varieties with round to oblong tubers; it has yellowish skin, shallow eye and white pulp. This variety is popular among farmers. The study on development of tissue culture protocol was carried out using sprout as an explant for initiation of culture in MS media supplemented with eleven different combinations of growth hormones: indole butyric acid (IBA), kinetin, naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D). The response for growth proliferation was observed. The treatment involving a combination of IBA, kinetin, NAA and 2,4-D gave good response for growth of shoot. The resultant shoots were subcultured further using nodal cutting as explants in same media for further multiplication. The developed plantlets were hardened in green house. Hardened plants were transplanted in the soil for further growth and development. The plants yielded 3-17 healthy minitubers. For microtuber production, high level of sucrose (8%) gave promising results than low level of sucrose (3%).Keywords: Kufri badshah, explants, indole butyric acid (IBA), kinetin, naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) and microtuber.African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(38), pp. 5640-564

Role of oxidative stress in the pathology and management of human tuberculosis

Copyright © 2018 Madhur D. Shastri et al. Tuberculosis (TB), caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is the leading cause of mortality worldwide due to a single infectious agent. The pathogen spreads primarily via aerosols and especially infects the alveolar macrophages in the lungs. The lung has evolved various biological mechanisms, including oxidative stress (OS) responses, to counteract TB infection. M. tuberculosis infection triggers the generation of reactive oxygen species by host phagocytic cells (primarily macrophages). The development of resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics poses a challenge to treat TB; this commonly manifests as multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). OS and antioxidant defense mechanisms play key roles during TB infection and treatment. For instance, several established first-/second-line antitubercle antibiotics are administered in an inactive form and subsequently transformed into their active form by components of the OS responses of both host (nitric oxide, S-oxidation) and pathogen (catalase/peroxidase enzyme, EthA). Additionally, M. tuberculosis has developed mechanisms to survive high OS burden in the host, including the increased bacterial NADH/NAD+ ratio and enhanced intracellular survival (Eis) protein, peroxiredoxin, superoxide dismutases, and catalases. Here, we review the interplay between lung OS and its effects on both activation of antitubercle antibiotics and the strategies employed by M. tuberculosis that are essential for survival of both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant bacterial subtypes. We then outline potential new therapies that are based on combining standard antitubercular antibiotics with adjuvant agents that could limit the ability of M. tuberculosis to counter the host's OS response

Effects of Four Host Plants on Biology and Food Utilization of the Cutworm, Spodoptera litura

Effects of four host plants, tobacco, Chinese cabbage, cowpea and sweet potato, on larval and pupal development and survival, and longevity and fecundity of adults of Spodoptera litura (F) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), were studied under laboratory conditions (26° C, 60–80% RH), as was the utilization of the four host plants and adaptation on tobacco. All of the biological parameters included in the study were affected by the host plants. In a choice test, S. litura females oviposited most on Chinese cabbage, least on tobacco, and intermediate on cowpea and sweet potato. S. litura larvae developed differently on the four host plants, from shortest to longest in the following order: Chinese cabbage, cowpea, sweet potato, and tobacco. Pupal development was shorter on cowpea than on the other three host plants, and males generally developed longer than females. More females than males were found among emerged adults, and male adults lived 1–2 d longer than females. Larvae survived best on cowpea (81.6%), followed by Chinese cabbage (75.5%), then sweet potato (66.1%), and worst on tobacco (49.2%). Pupal survival rates were relatively high (91.4 – 95.9%) in all four host plant treatments, although that on sweet potato was lower than those on the other three host plants. Pupal weights on tobacco and sweet potato were similar, but both were lower than those on Chinese cabbage and cowpea. Generally, male pupae weighed less than female pupae. Numbers of eggs oviposited by female S. litura were highest on sweet potato, followed by those on cowpea, Chinese cabbage, and lowest on tobacco. Relative food consumption rate was highest on sweet potato, followed by that on cowpea, Chinese cabbage, and lowest on tobacco. In contrast, S. litura larvae that fed on tobacco had higher efficiency of conversion of digested food, highest efficiency of conversion of ingested food, and lowest approximate digestibility as compared with larvae that fed on other host plants. The potential causes for S. litura outbreaks on tobacco are discussed

The effect of head-up tilt upon markers of heart rate variability in patients with atrial fibrillation

BACKGROUND: Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis is uncommonly undertaken in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) due to an assumption that ventricular response is random. We sought to determine the effects of head-up tilt (HUT), a stimulus known to elicit an autonomic response, on HRV in patients with AF; we contrasted the findings with those of patients in sinus rhythm (SR). METHODS: Consecutive, clinically indicated tilt tests were examined for 207 patients: 176 in SR, 31 in AF. Patients in AF were compared to an age-matched SR cohort (n = 69). Five minute windows immediately before and after tilting were analyzed using time-domain, frequency-domain and nonlinear HRV parameters. Continuous, noninvasive assessment of blood pressure, heart rate and stroke volume were available in the majority of patients. RESULTS: There were significant differences at baseline in all HRV parameters between AF and age matched SR. HUT produced significant hemodynamic changes, regardless of cardiac rhythm. Coincident with these hemodynamic changes, patients in AF had a significant increase in median [quartile 1, 2] DFA-α2 (+0.14 [-0.03, 0.32], p < .005) and a decrease in sample entropy (-0.17 [-0.50, -0.01], p < .005). CONCLUSION: In the SR cohort, increasing age was associated with fewer HRV changes on tilting. Patients with AF had blunted HRV responses to tilting, mirroring those seen in an age matched SR group. It is feasible to measure HRV in patients with AF and the changes observed on HUT are comparable to those seen in patients in sinus rhythm

Worldwide trends in mortality from biliary tract malignancies

BACKGROUND: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas are malignant tumors arising from the intrahepatic biliary tract. The pathogenesis of these tumors remains unknown. Although there is a marked global variation in prevalence, some recent studies have suggested an increase in mortality from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in several regions of low endemicity. As the study of mortality trends may yield clues to possible etiological factors, we analyzed worldwide time trends in mortality from biliary tract malignancies. METHODS: Annual age-standardized rates for individual countries were compiled for deaths from biliary tract malignancies using the WHO database. These data were used to analyze gender and site-specific trends in mortality rates. RESULTS: An increasing trend for mortality from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma was noted in most countries. The average estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) in mortality rates for males was 6.9 ± 1.5, and for females was 5.1 ± 1.0. Increased mortality rates were observed in all geographic regions. Within Europe, increases were higher in Western Europe than in Central or Northern Europe. In contrast, mortality rates for extrahepatic biliary tract malignancies showed a decreasing trend in most countries, with an overall average EAPC of -0.3 ± 0.4 for males, but -1.3 ± 0.4 for females. CONCLUSIONS: There has been a marked global increase in mortality from intrahepatic, but not extra-hepatic, biliary tract malignancies