The cephalopod fishery at Cochin, Kerala

The Cochin Fisheries Harbour is a major fish landing centre in Kerala. Cephalopod landings at this centre contribute about 11-23% of Kerala's annual cephalopod catch. They are landed as bycatch by shrimp trawlers which operate off Cochin upto 60 m depth. On an average, about 200 trawlers of 8-13m length range operate every day from Cochin base

Lesions mimicking lacrimal gland pleomorphic adenoma

Aim: To report a series of patients with lacrimal gland lesions simulating the clinicoradiological features of lacrimal gland pleomorphic adenoma (LGPA). Methods: Multicentre retrospective, interventional case series. Clinical records of all patients with lesions mimicking LGPA seen in five orbital units were reviewed. Results: The study included 14 patients (seven men and seven women) with a mean age of 50.9 years. The diagnosis of LGPA was made in all cases by experienced orbital surgeons, based on clinicoradiological features, and lacrimal gland excision was performed. Postoperative histology revealed lymphoma (four patients), chronic dacryoadenitis (three patients), adenoid cystic carcinoma (two patients), Sjogren's syndrome (two patients), cavernous haemangioma (one patient), benign lymphoid hyperplasia (one patient) and granulomatous dacryoadenitis (one patient). Comparison with the total number of histologically confirmed LGPA cases seen during the study period revealed that 22.6% of cases of suspected LGPA were misdiagnosed based on clinicoradiological criteria. Conclusions: Many different lesions may mimic the clinicoradiological features of LGPA. The accepted clinicoradiological criteria used for the diagnosis of LGPA have a high false-positive rate, even in experienced hands. Based on this study, the authors believe that fine-needle aspiration biopsy or intraoperative biopsy and frozen section diagnosis may help reduce unnecessary lacrimal gland excision.Venkatesh C Prabhakaran, Paul S Cannon, Alan McNab, Garry Davis, Brett O’Donnell, Peter J Dolman, Raf Ghabrial, Dinesh Selv

Surveillance for Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease among an Industrial Population in Southern India

We assessed (i) the risk of cardiovascular disease in an industrial population in Chennai, southern India and (ii) whether the status of treatment and control of diabetes and hypertension would be different in an industrial population, which is provided free healthcare, compared with the general population of Chennai. Subjects residing in the residential areas of 2 industries (Indian Airlines and Integral Coach Factory) in Chennai in southern India were recruited. The subjects were employees (n=440) selected by an age- and sex-stratified random sampling method, and their family members (n=727) in the age group of 20–69 years; a total of 1167 subjects. Fasting plasma glucose, lipid estimations and anthropometric measurements were done in all the subjects. Information on demographic and lifestyle determinants was obtained using a questionnaire. Diabetes was diagnosed using the American Diabetes Association criteria and metabolic syndrome was defined by the Adult Treatment Panel III criteria with modified waist definition for Asian Indians. Results. Age-adjusted prevalence of major risk factors for cardiovascular disease using the 2001 Census of India were as follows: diabetes 11.9%; hypertension 25.4%; dyslipidaemia 40.2%; hypertriglyceridaemia 28.3%; overweight (body mass index ³23 kg/m2) 60.2%; and metabolic syndrome 34.1%. Use of tobacco in any form was present in 22.9% of men and 0.5% of women; 79% of the subjects followed a sedentary lifestyle. Among subjects receiving medication, 42.1% of subjects with diabetes and 55.3% of subjects with hypertension had their disease under adequate control. A comparison of these results with the general population of Chennai showed that the industrial population had a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in spite of having better access to healthcare facilities. Conclusions. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease was high in this industrial population of Chennai. Although the overall treatment and control of diabetes and hypertension was better than that in the general population, it was still inadequate and this emphasizes the need for greater awareness about non-communicable diseases

Recent trends in cephalopod fishery of Kerala coast

Since the Cephalopods have emerged as a valuable resource in recent times because of the demand in export trade, constant monitoring of the fishery, resource position and relevant biological aspects has become imperative. The resource characteristics and biological aspects of cephalopods are being regularly monitored at Vizhinjam, Cochin and Calicut by CMFRI Scientists, Dr. N. Ramachandran, Shri. K. Prabhakaran Nair, Smt. V. Kripa and Shri. G.P. Kumaraswamy Achari

Quantitative determination of loss in yield of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) in Kannur District (Kerala, India)

A method for estimation of yield loss (including stand loss) in black pepper (Piper nigrum) due to various factors was developed. The method was applied for estimating the loss in yield of black pepper due to incidence of pests, diseases and drought in Kannur District (Kerala, India) during 1989-1992. The average annual yield loss in black pepper due to these factors was around 33 per cent. The major contributors towards stand loss, was foot rot caused by Phythopthora capsici contributing to 9 per cent loss followed by drought. Among the causal factors contributing to yield loss the most disastrous was incidence of poilu beetle (Longitarsus nigripennis) which accounted for about 13 per cent loss followed by fungal poilu caused by Colletotrichum gleosporioides. The percentage avoidable loss in yield by adopting plant protection measures was estimated to be around 43 per cent. &nbsp

The co-occurrence of anemia and cardiometabolic disease risk demonstrates sex-specific sociodemographic patterning in an urbanizing rural region of southern India.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To determine the extent and sociodemographic determinants of anemia, overweight, metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the co-occurrence of anemia with cardiometabolic disease risk factors among a cohort of Indian adults. SUBJECT/METHODS: Cross-sectional survey of adult men (n=3322) and nonpregnant women (n=2895) aged 18 years and older from the third wave of the Andhra Pradesh Children and Parents Study that assessed anemia, overweight based on body mass index, and prevalence of MetS based on abdominal obesity, hypertension and blood lipid and fasting glucose measures. We examined associations of education, wealth and urbanicity with these outcomes and their co-occurrence. RESULTS: The prevalence of anemia and overweight was 40% and 29% among women, respectively, and 10% and 25% among men (P<0.001), respectively, whereas the prevalence of MetS was the same across sexes (15%; P=0.55). The prevalence of concurrent anemia and overweight (9%), and anemia and MetS (4.5%) was highest among women. Household wealth was positively associated with overweight and MetS across sexes (P<0.05). Independent of household wealth, higher education was positively correlated with MetS among men (odds ratio (95% confidence interval): MetS: 1.4 (0.99, 2.0)) and negatively correlated with MetS among women (MetS: 0.54 (0.29, 0.99)). Similar sex-specific associations were observed for the co-occurrence of anemia with overweight and MetS. CONCLUSIONS: Women in this region of India may be particularly vulnerable to co-occurring anemia and cardiometabolic risk, and associated adverse health outcomes as the nutrition transition advances in India

Quantitative determination of loss in yield of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) in Kannur District (Kerala, India)

A method for estimation of yield loss (including stand loss) in black pepper (Piper nigrum) due to various factors was developed. The method was applied for estimating the loss in yield of black pepper due to incidence of pests, diseases and drought in Kannur District (Kerala, India) during 1989-1992. The average annual yield loss in black pepper due to these factors was around 33 per cent. The major contributors towards stand loss, was foot rot caused by Phythopthora capsici contributing to 9 per cent loss followed by drought. Among the causal factors contributing to yield loss the most disastrous was incidence of poilu beetle (Longitarsus nigripennis) which accounted for about 13 per cent loss followed by fungal poilu caused by Colletotrichum gleosporioides. The percentage avoidable loss in yield by adopting plant protection measures was estimated to be around 43 per cent. &nbsp

Hall Effect in Charged Conducting Ferroelectric Domain Walls

Enhanced conductivity at specific domain walls in ferroelectrics is now an established phenomenon. Surprisingly, however, little is known about the most fundamental aspects of conduction. Carrier types, densities and mobilities have not been determined and transport mechanisms are still a matter of guesswork. Here we demonstrate that intermittent-contact atomic force microscopy (AFM) can detect the Hall effect in conducting domain walls. Studying YbMnO(3) single crystals, we have confirmed that p-type conduction occurs in tail-to-tail charged domain walls. By calibration of the AFM signal, an upper estimate of ∼1 × 10(16) cm(−3) is calculated for the mobile carrier density in the wall, around four orders of magnitude below that required for complete screening of the polar discontinuity. A carrier mobility of∼50 cm(2)V(−1)s(−1) is calculated, about an order of magnitude below equivalent carrier mobilities in p-type silicon, but sufficiently high to preclude carrier-lattice coupling associated with small polarons