ABSTRACT
The mutualistic symbiotic relationship between insects and bacteria greatly influences the growth and development of host insects. Tessaratoma javanica (Thunberg) (Hemiptera: Tessaratomidae), also referred to as the litchi stink bug, has recently been established as an important insect pest of Litchi chinensis Sonn. and causes substantial yield loss in India. To design effective and environmentally safe management strategies, an understanding of the diversity and functions of microbiota harbored across the development stages is very important. The assessment of the diversity of development-associated bacteria in T. javanica and their predicted functions was conducted using 16S rRNA gene sequences obtained by the Illumina MiSeq technology. The result showed that taxonomic analysis of associated bacteria in different developmental stages includes a total of 46 phyla, encompassing 139 classes, 271 orders, 474 families, and 893 genera of bacteria. All developmental stages of T. javanica shared a total of 42.82 percent of operational taxonomic units (OTUs), with a 97 % similarity threshold. Alpha diversity indices showed maximum species richness in the egg and adult stages. The phyla Proteobacteria followed by Firmicutes, Bacteriodetes, and Actinobacteria, exhibited the highest levels of abundance across all the developmental stages of T. javanica. Microbiota were most different between the egg and the 4th nymphal stage (χ2 = 711.67) and least different between the 2nd and 4th nymphal instars (χ2 = 44.45). The predicted functions of the microbiota associated with T. javanica are mainly involved in amino acid metabolism, cell motility, cellular processes and signaling, glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, lipid metabolism, and membrane transport. The present study documentation and information on symbiotic bacteria across T. javanica life stages will prompt the development of novel biological management strategies.
ABSTRACT
Objective Normal cervical spine canal morphometry is critical for understanding the pathology of certain diseases and for proper preoperative planning. Computerized tomography (CT) scan can replace older conventional radiography techniques by providing more accurate morphometric measurements. This study was aimed to find out various dimensions of the cervical spinal canal of central Indian population. Materials and Methods A prospective study was conducted including 100 consecutive cervical spine CT scan of asymptomatic adult subjects. The anteroposterior sagittal canal diameter (SCD), transverse canal diameter (TCD), canal surface area (CSA), and Pavlov-Torg Ratio (PTR) from C2 to C7 were calculated. Statistical Analysis Data were entered in Microsoft Excel Sheet 2007 and statistical analysis was performed by IBM SPSS statistics 2.0 version. p -Value < 0.05 was considered as significant. Results Age ranged from 18 years to 77 years with mean age 39.5 years. There was no significant difference in all the dimensions (SCD, TCD, CSA) in male and female except at C2 level, where SCD, TCD, and CSA were significant larger in male. The mean SCD, TCD, and CSA is largest at C2 level (14.4 ± 1.63 mm, 21.57 ± 1.59 mm, and 156.20 ± 24.98 mm 2 , respectively) and smallest at C4 level (12.77 ± 1.48 mm, 20.37 ± 1.72 mm, and 130.42 ± 21.20 mm 2 ). PTR showed very little variation. Conclusion Normal values of cervical spinal canal could serve as a future reference. CT scan provides more accurate measurement. More studies are needed as there could be variations in dimensions in different regions in India.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Defects around the distal one third of the leg and ankle are difficult to manage by conservative measures or simple split thickness skin graft. Distally based peroneus brevis muscle flap is a well described flap for such defects. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis conducted on 25 patients with soft tissue and bony defects of distal third of lower leg and ankle, which were treated using distally based peroneus brevis muscle flap from January 2013 to January 2018. Information regarding patient demographics, etiology, size and location of defects and complications were collected. All patients were followed up for at least 3 months after surgery. RESULTS: There were 21 males and 4 females with the mean age of 39 (5-76) years. The most common cause of injuries was road traffic accident, followed by complicated open injury. The average size of defects was 20 (4-50) cm2. The mean operating time was 75 (60-90) min for flap harvest and inset. We had no patient with complete loss of the flap. Five patients (20%) had marginal necrosis of the flap and two patients have graft loss due to underlying hematoma and required secondary split thickness skin grafting. CONCLUSION: The distally based peroneus brevis muscle flap is a safe option with reliable anatomy for small to moderate sized defects following low velocity injury around the ankle. The commonest complication encountered is skin graft loss which can be reduced by primary delayed grafting.
