The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship and effect of monthly household income, birth order, and number of siblings on adult body dimensions, adiposity index, and body composition among adult Bengali females. One hundred seventy-one adult Bengali females, age 20.35 +/- 1.51 years (mean +/- SD; range: 18-21 years) from Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) were studied. Anthropometric measures (weight, height, waist circumference, hip circumference, and triceps, biceps, subscapular, suprailiac, and medial calf skinfold thicknesses) were taken from all participants using standard protocols. BMI and log10 of the sum of the five skinfold thicknesses were computed subsequently. Percentage of body fat was estimated from the triceps skinfold thickness following the equation of Durnin and Womersley (1974), and fat mass was then calculated. Results of the correlation analysis revealed that monthly household income had significant (p < 0.05) positive association with all anthropometric variables. Birth order and number of siblings showed significant (p < 0.05) inverse association. The correlation of monthly household income with anthropometric variables was much stronger for number of siblings and birth order. The results of the analysis of variance showed that monthly household income, birth order, and number of siblings (tertiles used to categorize all variables) had significant effects (p < 0.05) on anthropometric variables, indicating differences in adult body dimensions, the adiposity index, and body composition in relation to income, birth order, and number of siblings.

Typhoid fever is still a deadly disease in developing countries, particularly in India. Although, the paediatric population is mostly affected by this disease, yet the disease is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in adult populations also. In India, most of the cases of typhoid fever are diagnosed clinically, or at the most by the Widal test which is not fool proof. The disease typhoid fever is an orally transmitted communicable infectious disease caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhi. It is usually caused by consuming impure water and contaminated food. Salmonella typhi is serologically positive for lipopolysaccharide antigens O9 and O12, protein flagellar antigen Hd, and polysaccharide capsular antigen Vi. S. typhi Vi-positive strains are more infectious and virulent than Vi-negative strains. Following the incubation period of 7 to 14 days, there is onset of fever and malaise. The fever is then accompanied by chills, headache, malaise, anorexia, nausea, vague abdominal discomfort, dry cough and myalgia. These are followed by coated tongue, tender abdomen, hepatomegaly, and splenomegaly. Azithromycin (10mg/kg) given once daily for seven days has proven effective in the treatment of typhoid fever in some adults and children. A dose of 1g per day for five days was also found to be more effective in most adults. Of the third generation cephalosporins, oral Cefixime (15-20mg per kg per day, for adults, 100-200mg twice daily) has been widely used. Intravenous third generation cephalosporins (ceftriaxone, cefotaxime) are effective. Aztreonam and imipenem are potential third line drugs.

3D seismic and multibeam data show that the present seafloor morphology of the entire upper Bengal Fan-valley complex is broadly sinuous and is more than 20 km wide in places, and consists of a highly sinuous channel flanked by a series of several terraces or overbanks on either side all along its length. This morphology is but a surface expression of the underlying internal structure and evolution of several, vertically and laterally stacked valley fills and their flanking overbanks. Each of these valleys consists of underfit sinuous channel fills with development of scrolling, indicative of much lateral channel migration with downstream shifts in their courses in the initial stages of their evolution. The scrolls may be of high seismic amplitudes, sand-prone, or of low seismic amplitudes, mud-prone. In their later stages of evolution, the channels exhibit more aggradation. Cutoffs are more common in the initial stages of sinuous-channel evolution and less common in the latter stages. The highly sinuous channel on the present sea floor is also an underfit feature and represents the latest phase of the uppermost valley fill. The various stages of channel evolution are a function of the hydrodynamics of the flows in the channels and sediment grain size supplied. At the very base of the above mentioned main valley-fill complex, but frequently amalgamated to it, a fan-shaped network of straight to slightly sinuous channels with thin fills, fed by the same canyon as for the overlying valley complex, is present. This basal channel network reflects smaller flows in the very initial stages of avulsion from an older upper fan-valley complex to the east. However, the overlying main valley complex reflects large-volume flows when the avulsion became fully established later and the canyon was entirely feeding it. The innermost terraces on either side of the present sinuous channel on the seafloor resulted from its flanking overbanks over the abandoned channel fills within the uppermost valley of the complex. The more outer terraces formed from the overbanks of successively younger valleys when they abutted against the higher banks of the preceding older and larger valleys. The recent upper fan-valley complex may have originated during the last glacial stage and continued to evolve mainly until about 6000 years B.P. (Weber et al., 1997; Hübscher et al., 1997). Smaller turbidity flows that could not have generated overbanks may have continued subsequently. However, our cores from the latest upper-fan sinuous channel with brown oxidized muds at the tops show that there is little or no turbidity-current activity in it at present.

effects compared to chemical medicines. Many antidiabetic products of herbal origin are available in India. Hence, we planned to evaluate effect of one of them, that is, fenugreek (Trigonella foenumgraecum). These seeds have been shown to have an effect on cholesterol and blood sugar. [1] Fenugreek seeds are used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM) in many parts of the world including India. [2-4] These seeds are high in soluble fibers, saponins, trigonelline, diosgenin, and 4-hydroxy leucine. [5,6] Soluble fibers like galactomannan help in lowering blood sugar by slowing down digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. Saponins form large mixed micelles with bile salts and significantly reduce cholesterol by increasing fecal excretion of bile salts, thereby inhibiting Background: Fenugreek is an aromatic plant widely grown worldwide. Two fairly distinct types of plants are recognizedthe dwarf type grown for culinary purposes and the tall type grown for medicinal purposes. It has small round leaves sold as vegetables (fresh leaves, sprouts) commonly known as methi and long pods that contained seeds known as menthe, which are used as such or in powdered form. These seeds are rich in soluble fibers and many phytochemical compounds. In addition to its hypoglycemic effect, the hypolipidemic effect of fenugreek seeds has also been documented. Therefore, fenugreek seeds have a dual role in the management of diabetes. It has been used as a herbal medicine in the management of glycemia and dyslipidemia since a long time in India. Objective: To evaluate the effect of fenugreek seeds taken orally in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) with dyslipidemia. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted on patients with type 2 DM with dyslipidemia after meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria. The patients were divided into two groups (age matched). One group received fenugreek seeds and other group received drugs (oral hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic agents). Lipid profile and HbA 1 C were measured initially as well as after 8 weeks of treatment period. Blood sugar (fasting) was recorded weekly. Student's t-test was applied for statistical analysis. Results: After 8 weeks of treatment of fenugreek seeds in group 1 patients, there was a significant improvement in blood glucose Fasting level (178±72.4 to 104±28.2; p < 0.0001), T-cholesterol (350±20.6 to 176±17.2; p < 0.0001), triglycerides (280±18.2 to 132±16.8; p < 0.0001), low-density cholesterol (220±21.4 to 96±14.2; p < 0.0001), and high-density cholesterol (27.0±13.4 to 58±32.2; p < 0.0002). Although there was an improvement in HbA 1 C status but it was not significant. Conclusion: This study supports beneficial effects of fenugreek seeds on glycemia and dyslipidemia in patients with type 2 DM and can be used as an adjuvant/alternative in management of diabetes and its complications.

Hair examinations and comparisons conducted by forensic scientists often provide investigative and associative information. Apart from its length and its natural color, hair displays a morphologic diversity both macroscopically and microscopically. Pseudogenization of