Breeding habitats of malaria vectors: A. fluviatilis, A. annularis and A. culicifacies, in Koraput district, Orissa

Anopheline breeding habitats were studied in two different geoclimatic zones. The vectors A. fluviatilis, A annularis and A. culicifacies breed in all types of habitats. Streams were most productive for the main vector, A. fluviatilis and breeding was intense during winter and early summer. In the rainy season, breeding occurred in terraced paddy fields. A. culicifacies were produced in large numbers in rivers in summer and in paddy fields in rainy and cold seasons. Considering the vastness of these breeding habitats, vector control measures by larviciding or any other bioenvironmental means will not be a feasible alternative even though house spraying poses serious problems in this area due to several reasons. The use of personal protection methods is suggested.     

Attitude of unmarried girls towards family planning: a study in an Orissa City.

In 1987-88, 281 females from the Government Women's College in Berhampur, Ganfam District, Orissa State in India were surveyed to determine their knowledge and attitude toward family planning (FP). 80% came from urban areas. Educated fathers (72%) had considerable influence over the education of their daughters (p.001). Higher income families (70%) were more able to educate their children than lower income families (30%; p.001). 50% of the students had discussed FP and family ties with their parents. 91% recognized the need for FP. 95% did not favor early marriage (p.02). 66% knew the legal marriage age for females to be 18 years, but only 47% knew it to be 21 for males. In fact, 46% believed the age for males to be 25 years. 24% k new of only 1 FP method, 23% of 2 methods, and 14% of 3 methods. The leading method to be used after marriage according to the students was condoms (16%) followed by IUDs and oral contraceptives (OCs) (6%). The predominant method to use after childbirth was sterilization (13%) followed by IUDs (8%) and condoms and OCs (5%). Most students did not advocate using any method after marriage or after childbirth. 45% mentioned the best time to start FP was after 2 children and 26% after 1 child. Most, (83%) preferred 2 children (p.001) because of better child care and education (37%). 71% felt couples should wait 3 years before having another child. No one believed 1 or 4 years to be adequate birth spacing. Birth spacing was needed in the interest of the mother's health (30%) and for better health of the next child (29%). The mass media provided 50% of the students with FP knowledge. Most (70%) felt that insufficient FP education and basic education were the reasons for unplanned families. 82% believed the FP program would be successful in the future. 68% considered population control important to national development.     

Living conditions and occurrence of malaria in a rural community

Results of a prospective study of the association between environmental factors and malaria occurrence among 1461 individuals in an Indian rural community are reported. A multiplicative model was fitted by relating malaria positivity with different environmental risk factors as categorical variables. The risk of acquiring malaria infections varied significantly within a village stratified by proximity of breeding sources to human dwellings (chi 2 = 19.87, df = 5, p = 0.0000) and different types of houses (chi 2 = 11.32, df = 2, p = 0.0035). People residing in thatched houses with [Relative Risk (RR) = 6.72] and without false ceiling (RR = 11.27) are exposed to greater risk of contracting malaria infections when compared to tiled houses (RR = 1.00). However, malaria infection was not significantly associated with proximity of cattlesheds to human dwellings (chi 2 = 1.54, df = 2, p = 0.46). A significantly high risk was observed in zones where the cattle to man ratio was very low and vice versa (chi 2 = 15.32, df = 6, p = 0.018). These data suggest and corroborate with earlier studies that transmission is a local problem and it varies within a village according to the microepidemiological factors.     

Superoxide dismutase activity of normal murine liver, regenerating liver, and H6 hepatoma.

By means of both direct assay and gel electrophoresis, normal A/J mouse liver was shown to possess both Cu-Zn and Mn superoxide dismutase (SD) activity. H6 hepatoma cells contained Cu-Zn SD activity, but no Mn SD activity was detectable. Isolated mitochondria from normal liver contained both forms of the enzyme, but isolated mitochondria from H6 hepatoma cells contained no SD activity. To ascertain whether this loss of Mn SD activity was characteristic of these tumor cells or was simply a property of rapidly dividing cells, SD activity was measured in regenerating liver. Mn SD activity was present in the regenerating liver at all times after surgery. Hence loss of the Mn SD activity seemed to be a characteristic of some tumor cells but not of corresponding rapidly dividing normal cells.     

Why immunization coverage fails to catch up in India? A community‐based analysis

Background An effort has been made in this paper to examine the impact of community and household vis‐à‐vis individual‐level variables on immunization coverage among Indian children. Methods National Family Health Survey‐2 data set has been used for the analysis. Multilevel regression analyses have been used to explore the relative effects of community‐, household‐ and individual‐level factors on immunization coverage. Three community‐level variables, i.e. availability of health facilities, availability of all‐weather roads and information, education and communication (IEC) activities conducted during last year, are included in this analysis. Results Availability of health facility and information, education and communication activities plays a significant role in determining the level of immunization coverage among children. Even with community‐level variables in the model, individual‐level variables, i.e. parent's education, birth order of child and number of antenatal care visits, retain their predictive role for the potential immunization coverage. Conclusions Universal immunization can be achieved by providing services at community level and information about the available services and their benefits to the community. There is a considerable, unexplained variation in the immunization coverage between different communities, even in the most complex model used in this study, which could explain the entire heterogeneity of immunization coverage among Indian states.     

Mandibular canal variant: a case report

The mandibular canal transmits the inferior alveolar artery, vein and the inferior alveolar nerve. From an embryological perspective, there might be three inferior dental nerves innervating three groups of mandibular teeth. During rapid prenatal growth and remodeling in the ramus region there is spread of intramembranous ossification that eventually forms the mandibular canal. Occurrence of bifid/trifid mandibular canals in some patients is secondary to incomplete fusion of these three nerves. Various types of bifid mandibular canals have been classified according to anatomical location and configuration. This case report highlights an unusual variant of the mandibular canal.     

Wolbachia in the Asian rice gall midge, Orseolia oryzae (Wood-Mason): correlation between host mitotypes and infection status

Using a PCR‐based method, we detected Wolbachia in the Asian rice gall midge. Furthermore, results showed that all females across all biotypes are infected with Wolbachia. However, all male flies are not infected and show different infection frequency in different biotypes. We have also identified three mitotypes, in the rice gall midge, based on DraI restriction pattern of a portion of the 12S rRNA gene that was PCR amplified using primers specific to this gene. All the females and infected male flies had type 1 mtDNA while uninfected males showed only type 2 or 3 mtDNA. Inheritance patterns of mtDNA revealed the existence of a correlation between mtDNA type and Wolbachia infection in the Asian rice gall midge. Evidence for paternal inheritance of mtDNA in Wolbachia‐free gall midge is also presented.     

Isolation of hypoglycemic phytoconstituent from Swietenia macrophylla seeds

The present study was undertaken to isolate a novel antidiabetic molecule from Swietenia macrophylla seeds. The hydroalcohol extract of Swietenia macrophylla seeds was subjected for bioassay guided isolation employing glucose utilization assay by the isolated rat hemi‐diaphragm method in vitro. One tetranortriterpenoid, swietenine, isolated from the chloroform fraction exhibited significant (p < 0.01) activity and the effect was comparable to that of human insulin (p < 0.01). Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.