Life History of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Antheraea frithi</Emphasis> Moore, (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Terminalia arjuna</Emphasis> (Roxb.) W&amp;A Syn. in North Eastern Region of India

Antheraea frithi Moore, the source of wild tasar silk, is an indigenous wild silk moth of north-east India. The detailed life history, bionomics and rearing performance of A. frithi in relation to a newly reported food plant, Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) has been described in the present study. Life cycle of A. frithi has five larval instars. The first instar larva measures 1.98 ± 0.13 cm × 0.198 ± 0.010 cm in length and breadth and 0.0142 ± 0.002 g in weight while the fifth instar larva measures 6.98 ± 0.18 cm × 1.12 ± 0.13 cm in length and breadth and 4.76 ± 0.45 g in weight. Wing span of male and female is recorded as 11.4–13.5 and 13.0–14.7 cm respectively. The incubation period (6–7 days), larval duration (35–39 days), fecundity (162–176 eggs), hatching (78–81 %), effective rate of rearing (57–59 %) and cocoon yield (67–79 nos) has been recorded. The reelable cocoons with a filament length (mts) and filament denier (d) is 493–575 m and 4.6–5.3 respectively. The shell weight (g) of male and female cocoons measures as 0.19–0.39 and 0.2–0.6, respectively. The shell ratio (%) for male and female cocoons stands as 8.1–8.4 and 9.4–9.8 % respectively.     

基于椎弓根三维形态测量实施个体化置钉技术

目的:观察胸腰段椎弓根CT测量在椎弓根螺钉内固定中的作用,寻找一种个体化椎弓根螺钉置入的方法。方法:选择1999-02/2006-03河北工程大学附属医院收治的T12和/或L1段骨折患者59例,行螺旋CT检查及图像三维重建,重建结束后,得到胸腰段标本的三维图像,通过旋转和切割进行图像处理并测量,模拟出T11～L2的椎弓根形态,根据CT测量椎弓根的实际投照点进行调整,即横断面上椎弓根轴线与矢状位上椎弓根轴线的交点,在确定进钉点时选择下关节突为参照物,选用合适直径的螺钉进行植钉,植入螺钉后,连接棒或板系统。结果:262个椎弓根行植钉术,242个完全在椎弓根内,仅有20个螺钉穿透椎弓根皮质。术后平均随访16.1个月,均无临床并发症的发生,Frankel平均增加1.4级。术后有2例患者出现断钉(3枚),1例患者出现断棒,所植入的螺钉与机体生物相容性好,无不良反应的发生。结论:利用三维CT测量的数据辅助,严格按照个体化的椎弓根的轴线方向植钉,在置钉时应考虑到螺钉本身直径的因素,可以提高植钉的成功率。     

Two novel AIRE mutations in autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) among Indians

Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) is a rare recessive disorder resulting from mutations in the autoimmune regulator ( AIRE ) gene. There is no information on AIRE mutations in Indians. In a cross-sectional study, nine patients (eight families), from four referral hospitals in India, were studied for AIRE mutations by direct sequencing. We screened for new mutations in 150 controls by allele-specific PCR. The patients had 1–7 known components of APECED. Three patients had unusual manifestations: presentation with type 1 diabetes; chronic sinusitis and otitis media; and facial dysmorphism. All patients carried homozygous, probably recessive, AIRE mutations. Two unrelated patients from a small in-bred community (Vanika Vaisya) in south India carried an unreported missense mutation, p.V80G, in the N-terminal caspase recruitment domain. Another unique mutation, p.C302X, resulting in a truncated protein with deletion of both zinc-finger domains, was detected in a patient from Gujarat. Neither mutation was detected in controls. Other mutations, previously described in Caucasians, were: 13 base pair deletion (p.C322fsX372) in 4 (38%), and Finn-major (p.R257X) and p.R139X (Sardinian) mutation in one subject each. In conclusion, in this first series of APECED in Indians, we detected AIRE mutations previously reported in Caucasians, as well as unique mutations. Of these, p.V80G is possibly an ancestral mutation in an in-bred community.     

Italian healthcare workers' views on mandatory vaccination

Background  

Mandatory vaccination has contributed to the success of immunisation programmes but voluntary vaccination allows people to be responsible for their own health. There are benefits from both policies and the arguments between them remain subject to debate within and without the scientific community, both nationally and internationally. The aim of this study is to assess the opinions of those who actually work in the Vaccination Service.     

Eco-bioengineering tools in ecohydrological assessment of eutrophic water bodies

Ecotoxicology - Eutrophication of water bodies and deterioration of water quality are emerging environmental crises. The root causes and consequences of eutrophication are multidirectional. Thus,...     

Treatment of primary localised cutaneous amyloidosis with cyclophosphamide

The study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of cyclophosphamide in primary localised cutaneous amyloidosis. Thirty-six patients of primary localised cutaneous amyloidosis were treated with cyclophosphamide 50 mg. tablets orally daily for a period of six months. Most of the patients following the therapy showed marked improvement in respect of itching, pigmentation and sizes of the popular lesions. Side effects of cyclophosphamide were very low.     

Exclusion of known gene for enamel development in two Brazilian families with amelogenesis imperfecta

Background

Functional rehabilitation of patients afflicted with severe mandibular and maxillary alveolar atrophy might be challenging especially in malformed patients.

Methods

Treatment planning using sinus lifting and implant placement before Le Fort I maxillary osteotomy in a patient with severe mandibular and posterior maxillary alveolar atrophy and skelettal class-III conditions due to cleft palate are described.

Results

A full functional and esthetic rehabilitation of the patient was achieved by a stepwise surgical approach performed through sinus lifting as the primary approach followed by implant placement and subsequent Le Fort I maxillary osteotomy to correct the maxillo-mandibular relation.

Conclusion

Stabilisation of the maxillary complex by a sinus lifting procedure in combination with computer aided implant placement as preorthodontic planning procedure before Le Fort I maxillary osteotomy seems to be suitable in order to allow ideal oral rehabilitation especially in malformed patients.     

Effect of shunt surgery on spleen size, portal pressure and oesophageal varices in patients with non-cirrhotic portal hypertension

Shunt surgery is considered to be the treatment of choice in patients with non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. There is little data on the effect of side-to-side lieno-renal (SSLR) shunt on oesophageal variceal size, splenic size and splenic pulp pressure (SPP) in patients with non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. We evaluated pre- and postoperatively endoscopic grading of varices, splenic size and SPP for predicting shunt patency in 86 patients with non-cirrhotic portal hypertension: 56 with extrahepatic portal venous obstruction (EHPVO) and 30 with non-cirrhotic portal fibrosis (NCPF). The EHPVO patients with patent shunts (n= 47) showed significant reduction in SPP (pre-operative 43.56±7.9 vs postoperative 29.96±7.7 cm of saline), splenic size (6.5±2.8 vs 4.00±2.6 cm below costal margin) and varices grades (2.96±0.5 vs 0.92±0.8). Patients with blocked shunt (n= 9) did not show significant reduction in SPP and varices grades. However, there was reduction in spleen size (8.6±3.0 vs 6.3±4.3). In the NCPF group, 28 had patent shunts and showed significant reduction in SPP (46.3±13.5 vs 33.8±7.6 cm of saline), splenic size (9.1±3.3 vs 6.8±4.6 cm below costal margin) and varices grades (2.8±0.7 vs 1.05±0.96). As only two patients with NCPF had blocked shunts, no statistical comparison between patients with patent and patients with blocked shunts could be done. In conclusion, following SSLR, there is a significant reduction in SPP and varices grades in patients with patent shunts. Endoscopic grading of varices can be used to predict shunt patency. However, spleen size is not a good criteria for predicting shunt patency.