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Entomopathogenic fungi are the most versatile and potential biocontrol agents, due to their adaptability, mode of entry, persistent nature and wide host range. The present study aimed to isolate and identify the native entomopathogenic fungi for the biocontrol of major sucking insect pests of floriculture. Eighty-one fungal isolates were isolated from 55 soil samples and 26 infected insect cadavers were collected from the eastern and southern dry zones of Karnataka, India. Serial dilution and plating techniques, and insect bait techniques were followed. The insecticidal activity of fungal isolates against aphids, mites, 2nd instar larvae of thrips and whitefly nymphs was determined by leaf disc bioassay under in vitro conditions. The results of the experiment revealed that among 81 fungal isolates, sixteen (19.25 %) exhibited insecticidal activity against test insects and further, a distribution study revealed that 50 per cent of EPF isolates were belonging to genera Beauveria and Metarhizium (25% each), 18.75% Aspergillus, 12.50% were Lecanicillium spp. and 13% were Paecilomyces spp. (6.25%) and Hirsutella spp. (6.25 %) respectively. It was concluded that the recovery rate of EPF is lower with 19.5% and the dominant genera of EPFs are Beauveria and Metarhizium. This show EPFs with broader host rage will have more chances of survival and the same criteria can be used for the selection of efficient EPFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The sella turcica is an important component situated in the mid-third of the cranial fossa. Knowledge about its normal morphologies and dimensions may play a crucial role in diagnosing underlying pathologies. The present study aimed to analyze the principal morphological shapes of the sella turcica, measure its linear dimensions, and determine whether any correlations exist between its dimensions and body mass index (BMI) in subjects in a North Indian population. Methods: The study was conducted on 100 subjects (50 men; 50 women) who underwent cone-beam computed tomography scans at our Oral Medicine and Radiology Department. The subjects had an age range of 20–60 years. The morphology of the sella turcica was examined according to age and various measurements were taken to determine its size. Possible correlations between the dimensions of the sella turcica and BMI were evaluated by statistical analysis. Results: In the present study, 69% of the subjects had a normal morphology. No uniform increases in length, width, and depth of the sella turcica were observed with aging. When Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated, no strong correlations were found between the dimensions of the sella turcica and BMI. A mild correlation was seen between the length and width of the sella turcica. Conclusion: No significant correlations were found between the dimensions of the sella turcica and BMI in the present study. These findings may have arisen through the small sample size, and thus further studies with larger groups of subjects are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calibration and characterization of a dual-beam polarimeter installed at Kodaikanal Tower Telescope (KTT) for spectropolarimetric observations are presented in this paper. It was found that a slit width of 48 μ is optimum for the spectrograph setup at KTT and corresponding spectral resolution is 32.47 mÅ. It was demonstrated that the precision in polarization measurement can be achieved better than 0.1% by increasing the exposure time. However, the polarimetric calibration accuracy is limited to 0.35 % for Stokes Q and U parameters and 0.2 % for Stokes V parameter, mainly due to the uncertainty in the retardanee of the calibration retarder. A comparison of the magnetic field measurement between the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) onboard Hinode and KTT for an active region was made and a good match was found after spatial smearing of Hinode/SOT measurements by 5.12″. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accidental hanging in children, although uncommon, has been reported worldwide. We report a case of a toddler who was brought to our hospital with an alleged history of hanging with his head trapped in-between the railings of a balcony. He became unconscious and developed seizures secondary to asphyxial injury and survived. Hanging is an important cause of homicidal and suicidal injury in adults, but in children, it is usually accidental, leading to death because of asphyxia as a result of partial or complete hanging. There is paucity of data in Indian literature regarding accidental hanging injuries in children. According to available data from western countries, strangulation ranks fourth among the causes of unintentional injury in children younger than 1 year after roadside accidents, drowning, and burns. The unique mode of hanging in this child has prompted us to report this case.