Potentials of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Enhancing Nodulation of Bradyrhizobium daqingense and Yield in Soybean

Background: The ferments of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are used since decades in agricultural practice to control diseases, to promote plant growth and also to improve soils. However the functional roles of LAB in phytomicrobiome need to be discovered, which would result in understanding of the symbiotic relationship between LAB and plants and that could be exploited to improve agricultural production. Methods: In this study, the scientific investigation was carried out for pot culture evaluation of six efficient LAB isolates from soybean rhizosphere, on nodulation and yield of soybean in green house condition, which were proven positive for IAA and GA production and PGPR traits. Result: Among the eight different treatment combination with Bradyrhizobium daqingense the treatment which received consortium of all six LAB isolates had significant impact on plant growth characters viz. plant height, root length, number of branches and chlorophyll content at 30 and 60 DAS. The LAB consortia also showed significantly high nodule number (47.67), nodule dry weight (117 mg plant-1) and leg haemoglobin content (6.27 mg g-1 fresh nodule) at 30 DAS. The yield and yield related traits was also highest in consortium treated plants. The property of plant to produce more nodules and healthy root growth can be attributed to IAA producing ability of inoculated LAB isolates.

TO STUDY CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF RETICULOCYTE HAEMOGLOBIN CONTENT IN IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA

Background- Anemia is foremost health problem worldwide that need total elimination according to United Nation declaration 1997. Approximately 2 billion population suffer from iron deciency or anemia globally Worldwide (IDA) is the commonest form of nutritional anemia. 1 2 Various biochemical markers used for diagnosis of Iron deciency anemia are MCV, ferritin, transferrin saturation (TS) and serum iron . CHr 3 indicates availability of Iron for haemoglobin production in the bone marrow. Therefore, CHr has been proposed as marker of iron status in body 4 Several studies indicated that CHr measurement useful for IDA and reliable marker for monitoring iron therapy's efcacy and iron status in body. 5,6 7 that's why we needed this study to know the role of CHr in IDA. Our objectives were to evaluate the level of reticulocyte haemoglobin content in the diagnosis and treatment of iron deciency anemia Materials and Methods – A hospital based prospective study was undertaken at our tertiary care centre in the department of General Medicine, MGMs Medical College & Hospital Aurangabad on admitted patient , of patients with newly diagnosed and untreated Iron Deciency Anemia (mild-moderate) according to WHO criteria conrmed by iron studies were included. Results – In the study total 96 patients included amongst them 63.5 % were females and majority patients (35.5 %) were in the age group of 31-40 years. Reticulocyte Haemoglobin (CHr) showed a signicant positive correlation with haemoglobin (r=0.782; ), MCV (r=0.871; ), p<0.05 p<0.05 MCHC (r=0.685; ), MCH (r=0.879; ), serum iron (r=0.651; ), and % Saturation (r=0.702; ). CHr showed p<0.05 p<0.05 p<0.05 p<0.05 signicant negative correlation with TIBC (r=-0.613; ) and Ferritin (r=-0.604; ). p<0.05 p<0.05 Conclusion – CHr is a useful parameter that can be condently used in the diagnosis of Iron deciency anemia (IDA) and a CHr cut-off value predicts IDA. Ferric carboxymaltose was usually well tolerated and had a good impact in the management of iron-deciency anemia. After iron replacement therapy CHr values increased correlated with haemoglobin and iron level. We cannot replace iron study but CHr can be used for early diagnosis of Iron deciency anemia and in management of iron deciency.

Trochanteric Femur Fractures: Application of Skeletal Traction during Surgery Does Not Alter Soft-Tissue Microcirculation

Background and Objectives: Wound infections provoked by alterations in microcirculation are major complications in the treatment of trochanteric femur fractures. Surgical fracture fixation on a traction table is the gold standard for treatment, but the effect on tissue microcirculation is unknown. Microcirculation could be impaired by the pull on the soft-tissue or by a release of vasoactive factors. We hypothesized that intraoperative traction impairs soft-tissue microcirculation. Materials and Methods: In 22 patients (14 women, eight men), average age 78 years (range 36–96 ± 14), with trochanteric femur fractures, non-invasive laser-Doppler spectrophotometry was used to assess oxygen saturation, hemoglobin content, and blood flow in the skin and subcutaneous tissue before and after application of traction. Measurements were recorded in nine locations around the greater trochanter at a depth of 2, 8, and 15 mm before and after fracture reduction by traction. Results: No differences were found in any depth with traction compared to without (oxygen saturation: p = 0.751, p = 0.308, and p = 0.955, haemoglobin content: p = 0.651, p = 0.928, and p = 0.926, blood flow: p = 0.829, p = 0.866, and p = 0.411). Conclusion: In this pilot study, the application of traction does not affect skin and subcutaneous microcirculation in the surgery of proximal femur fractures.

Biomarker approach for assessing chronic toxicity of Captan® herbicide using haematological, growth, endocrine and biochemical endpoints in air breathing catfish, Clarias batrachus

This study was conducted to determine the sub-lethal toxicity of Captan® on selected hematological (Hb, HCT, MCH) growth (K-factor, HSI, SGR), biochemical (serum glucose, protein), and endocrine parameters (growth hormone, T3 and T4) in Clarias batrachus under chronic exposures. Captan® was administered at predetermined exposure concentrations (0.53 and 1.06 mg/L) and monitored at day 15, 30 and 45 of the experimental periods. The experimental groups showed significantly lower values (p < 0.05) of haemoglobin content, haematocrit, MCH in Captan® exposed fish compared to control. Serum glucose was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in treated fish compared to the control group; reverse was the case for serum protein concentrations (p < 0.05). Assessment of growth parameters revealed significantly higher k-factor and SGR in control fish. HSI was however higher in treated fish which highlights the possibility of liver hypertrophy and hyperplasia of liver cells due to higher exposure and uptake of the herbicide. Endocrine responses (T3 and T4) emerged as the most sensitive biomarker category, depicting modulated responses between sub-chronic exposure at day-15 and chronic responses at day-45. In general, the study findings using these biomarkers indicate that Captan® exposures are capable of inducing stress-specific effects at the biochemical and physiological levels negatively impacting the overall health and longevity of such animals. The use of the IBR index provided a visual and easily comprehensible depiction of toxicity effects and biomarker responses in laboratory exposed fish and we anticipate a greater applicability in biomarker data from the wild which are largely heterogenous.

Risk Factors and Types of Presenile Cataract in Patients Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in Kerala- A Retrospective Study

Background: Cataract is a major cause of blindness worldwide with a greater prevalence in developing countries like India. Presenile cataract refers to an onset of this disease below 50 years of age. Objectives: To study the factors associated with development of presenile cataract among the total cataract patients who attended out-patient clinic of Ophthalmology department from January 2016 to July 2017 and to find out the proportion of different types of presenile cataract. Method: The study includes patients who had undergone cataract surgery in the Department of Ophthalmology Government Medical College, Ernakulam from January 2016 and June 2017. Data was retrospectively entered and analysed. Results: There were 100 (49 males and 51 females) patients between the age 30 and 50 years. Around 70 study participants had co-morbidities. The average axial length was 22.5532mm, the average haemoglobin content was 13.01 g/dL, average total count was 8590.85, average BL urea was 22.755 mg/dL, average serum creatinine concentration was 0.9611 mg/dL and average GRBS concentration was 131.43 mg/dL. Drug history of 69 patients was observed in the current study. Conclusion: The most common type of cataract seen was posterior subcapsular cataract followed by mature cataract. Diabetes mellitus was the predominant risk factor in posterior subcapsular cataract. Keywords: Presenile cataract; Risk factors; Posterior subcapsular cataract.

COPPER AND IRON SUPPLEMENTATION IN THE TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT EFFECTS ON HAEMATOLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS, ORGAN WEIGHTS, TISSUE COPPER AND IRON

The study which lasted 3 months was a factorial arrangement in which nine dietary treatments resulting from supplementation of a commercial layers diet with 0, 200 or 400 mg/kg Copper and 0, 100 or 200 mg/kg Iron were fed to 135 fifty two-week old laying hens of the Golden Hubbard Connect Strain. After 12 weeks on the diets, three birds, randomly selected from each treatment, were slaughtered and their blood, liver, spleen and heart analysed for effect of supplementary copper and iron on haemoglobin content, packed cell volume and weights of the liver, spleen and heart and their copper and iron concentrations. No significant effects of supplementary copper or Iron or their interaction were observed on haemoglobin, packed cell volume or weights of the liver, spleen and heart. However, dietary iron supplementation produced significant (P<0.05) effects on iron storage in the liver and spleen but not on copper storage. On the other hand, copper addition significantly (P<0.05) increased liver storage of copper and spleen storage of iron. Supplementary copper and iron Interaction effects which were not significant for all other measurements, were observed to be significant (P<0.05) for liver copper and Iron concentrations and spleen copper concentration and highly significant (P<0.01) for spleen iron concentration.