ABSTRACT
Background: The association between adiposity and diabetes has been widely assessed using body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-hip ratio (WHR), whereas these variables are inadequate to differentiate between muscle mass, fat mass, and bone mass. Aims and Objectives: The objective of the present study is to assess the somatotype pattern (subcutaneous fat mass distribution) and body fat percentage (%) in complete glycemic spectrum. Materials and Methods: Skinfold thickness, BMI, WC, hip circumference (HC), and WHR were measured in normoglycemic non-first-degree relatives of diabetes (Group 1), normoglycemic first-degree relatives of diabetes (Group 2), prediabetes (Group 3), and type 2 diabetes patients (Group 4). Results: The groups are comparable based on gender distribution, age, height, weight, physical activity, BMI, WC, HC, WHR, and somatotyping. Body fat percentage is significantly high in first-degree relatives of diabetes, prediabetes, and diabetes group as compared to control, in while all other groups are comparable among themselves. Conclusion: Body fat percentage can be considered as a better indicator of metabolic derangement than BMI, WC, HC, WHR, and somatotyping in the complete glycemic spectrum.
ABSTRACT
In India, more than 72 million people have diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a vision-threatening complication of people with diabetes, is an important cause of avoidable blindness. The delay in the detection of DR is due to lack of awareness and shortage of ophthalmologists trained in the management of DR. With this background, in 2015, we initiated a capacity-building program “Certificate Course in Evidence Based Management of Diabetic Retinopathy (CCDR)” with an objective to build the skills and core competencies of the physicians across India in the management of diabetes and DR. The program has completed four cycles and 578 physicians have been trained. The course elicited an excellent response, which reflects the much-felt need for skill improvement in DR diagnosis and management for physicians in India. This model demonstrates an innovative modality to address DR-related avoidable blindness in a resource-restraint country like India.
ABSTRACT
Aim: The present study was undertaken to examine the relation between genetic divergence of some tropical inbred lines of maize and extent of heterosis manifestation in their single cross hybrids. Methodology: Fifteen inbred lines and three inbred testers along with 45 single cross hybrids were evaluated by adopting randomized complete block design during two seasons. The observations recorded on eight metric traits of the entries in each of three replications were utilized during statistical analysis across the seasons. Relative importance of classification variables was determined by principal component analysis and the phenogram was generated using average taxonomic distance. Molecular profiling of inbred lines was carried out by employing 28 SSR primer pairs covering all the chromosomes. Principal coordinate analysis was performed and similarity indices based dendrogram was constructed. Relationship between parental genetic divergence and heterosis was statistically tested. Results: Significant differences due to parents, hybrids and parent vs. hybrids were observed for all metric characters. Principal component analysis based diagram and average taxonomic distance based phenogram separated the inbred lines into five clusters. Amplification profiles based principal coordinate analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis differentiated the inbred lines into four major clusters. Statistically non-significant correlation of genomic data based genetic similarity or phenotypic data based genetic dissimilarity of inbreds was revealed with grain yield and heterosis of hybrid combinations. Significantly positive correlation was found between heterosis over mid parent or better parent and grain yield of hybrids. Interpretation: Parental genetic divergence was not linearly or additively related to heterosis manifestation in hybrid. Moderate genetic divergence together with high per se performance of inbreds seemed to be a better criterion than consideration of merely extreme genetic diversity as the basis for the choice of parental inbreds during heterotic single cross hybrid development in maize
ABSTRACT
Background & objectives: Vitiligo is an acquired skin disease characterized by depigmented areas of the skin. Increased release of catecholamines from autonomic nerve endings in microenvironment of melanocytes in affected skin might be involved in the aetiopathogenesis of vitiligo. Levels of catecholamines are considered as being related to onset or worsening of the disease. Therefore, in this study, the role of catecholamines was evaluated in mapping disease stability and outcome of vitiligo patients undergoing melanocyte transfer. Methods: In this study, circulatory and urinary levels of catecholamine (CA) and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) were determined in 45 individuals (30 vitiligo patients and 15 healthy controls) using ELISA. Results: A significant increase for plasma and urinary catecholamines along with VMA was observed as compared to healthy controls. When the pre- and post-intervention levels were analyzed in responders and non-responders, respectively, only dopamine showed significant decline in urine, rest of the molecules in plasma as well as urine showed non-significant decline except VMA which showed insignificant increase. Interpretation & conclusions: Levels of plasma/urinary epinephrine, and plasma dopamine, could not be established as biomarkers for disease stability or successful outcome of autologous melanocyte transfer in generalized vitiligo patients. However, dopamine (urine) might be of help in determining the stability in patients with generalized vitiligo undergoing melanocyte transfer. Further studies need to be done on a large sample of patients to confirm our findings.