Age changes in skinfolds, body fat and lean body mass in Jat-Sikh and Bania females during 20 to 80 years

The present paper reports the changes in body fat and lean body mass during 20 to 80 years. The data consist of 502 Jat-Sikh and 510 Bania females. The body fat has been calculated by applying Durnin & Womersley's (1974) formulae. The body fat reaches a maximum value of 20.06 kg at age-group 60-64 in Jat-Sikh females and 22.15 kg at age-group 45-49 in Bania females followed by a decline, reaching a value of 15.28 kg in Jat-Sikhs and 14.93 kg in Banias in the 70+ age group. The redistribution of fat with ageing has also been observed from skinfold measurements and changing body contours. The lean body mass reaches a maximum value of 35.64 kg in Jat-Sikhs and 36.22 kg in Bania at age-group 35-39 followed by a steady decrease reaching a value of 30.47 kg in Jat-Sikhs and 28.27 kg in Banias at age-group 70+. The females of the present study possess significantly lesser body fat and lean body mass as compared to American and British females. But in terms of percentages the Jat-Sikh females of the present study possess the largest lean body mass and the least body fat.     

Body measurements and somatotypes of young adult Jat-Sikh men of Punjab, India

During 1972 body measurements including height, weight, limb circumferences, skeletal diameters and skinfolds were taken on 100 unrelated and healthy Jat-Sikh men of 17 to 25 years of age, belonging to different areas of Punjab, India. The average height and weight of Jat-Sikhs is 170.4 cm and 54.5 kg, respectively. The mean Heath-Carter somatotype is 3.22-3.40-4.11. The majority of somatotypes is concentrated in endo-ectomorph and meso-ectomorph sectors of the somatochart. Comparisons with recently described data on females of the same area and population show significant sex differences in various body measurements except for the bicristal diameter. The females possess significantly more subcutaneous fat. For the rest of the measurements, the males have higher values. The Jat-Sikh males are comparable in height and weight to the contemporary pooled Punjabi, but are distinctly taller than the neighbouring populations of Himachal Pradesh and pooled all India samples. However, they are comparatively smaller and lighter as compared to European and American populations.     

Age changes in skeletal diameters of two communities of Punjab (India) from 20 to 80 years

The study was conducted on a cross-sectional sample of 502 Jat-Sikh and 510 Bania females ranging in age from 20 to 80 years. The results indicate that shoulder breadth increases up to age group 30-39. After that a decrease sets in, but the bicristal diameter continues to increase up to the sixth decade. The diameters of the extremities have also shown continuous increase up to the fifth or sixth decade in both the communities. On an average, the Jat-Sikh women possess significantly broader shoulders, hips and diameters of the extremities, except for knee diameter, which is slightly bigger in Bania females. This phenomenon has been attributed to genetic factors as well as to the physically active mode of life of Jat-Sikhs as compared to Banias.     

Erratum to: Pesticide-Degrading and Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacilli Isolated from Agricultural Soil of Punjab (India) Enhance Plant Growth

Microbiology - An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0026261722300130     

Diversity of Odonata (Insecta) from Dholbaha Dam (Distt. Hoshiarpur) in Punjab Shivalik,India

Study on the species diversity of the order Odonata was carried out during 2002 ∼ 2004 at Dholbaha dam, which has a moist deciduous forest surrounding it in district Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India. A total of 30 species belonging to 7 families of order Odonata were recorded during the study period. The family Libellulidae, represented by 18 species was the most dominant followed by Coenagrionidae (6 species), Aeshnidae (2 species) and Calopterygidae, Chlorocyphidae, Euphaeidae and Gomphidae each having 1 species. In terms of total number of individuals, family Libellulidae constituted maximum with 64.36% followed by Coenagrionidae (28.50%), Chlorocyphidae (1.83%), Gomphidae (1.62%), Euphaeidae (1.56%), Calopterygidae (1.38%) and Aeshnidae (0.75%). Pantala flavescens (Fabricius), a migratory species was the most dominant in number of individuals constituting 17.12% of the total. The least dominant species included Anax immaculifrons Rambur (0.38%) and Anax parthenope parthenope (Selys) (0.36%). Shannon-Wiener index of species diversity of Odonata was 2.988 and 3.029 during 2002–2003 and 2003–2004, respectively. Seven new species have also been reported from the Dholbaha dam during this study period thus increasing the total species number of odonates so far recorded from this area from 29 to 36.     

The Level of Toxic Elements in Edible Crops from Seleniferous Area (Punjab,India)

Biological Trace Element Research - The primary objective of the present study was to assess the level of selenium and toxic trace elements in wheat, rice, maize, and mustard from seleniferous...     

A study of nasolacrimal canal in crania from Uttar Pradesh (India)

The length of the nasolacrimal canal and the diameter of its superior aperture were measured in 200 adult skulls from Uttar Pradesh (India). The mean length of the right and left canals were 2.15 cm and 2.39 cm, respectively. The antero-posterior diameter of the superior aperture is more than that of the transverse diameter in both the sides. The right canal has got a larger transverse diameter. But its antero-posterior diameter is less than that of the left side. The correlations between the various measurements were calculated. A positive correlation between the canal length and the nose length has been observed.     

Cytogenetic analysis in couples with recurrent miscarriages: a retrospective study from Punjab,north India

Human reproduction is considered as the most inefficient event as ～15–20% of human pregnancies end in miscarriage and in the product of miscarriages, chromosomal anomalies are a common occurrence. The aim of the present retrospective study was to assess the frequency of chromosomal aberrations in couples with recurrent miscarriages in the region of Punjab and to compare with worldwide frequencies. In this study, a total of 440 cases were referred between the period 1995–2015. After lymphocyte culturing, giemsa–trypsin banding was done for each case to assess the chromosomal anomalies. The frequency of chromosomal aberrations among couples was found to be 3.41% in our study. Among these aberrations, balanced reciprocal translocations formed the largest group with 60% anomalies. We would conclude that clinicians should understand the importance of chromosomal analysis in these couples and refer them for karyotyping after two miscarriages to rule out the possible genetic cause of recurrent miscarriages.     

Hemicycliphora ekrami n.sp. (Criconematina Siddiqi, 1980: Hemicycliophoroidea) from Punjab,India

Summary A new species of Hemicycliphora de Man, 1921 from around the roots of wheat (Triticum aestivum) is described and illustrated from Ludhiana, Punjab, India. Hemicycliophora ekrami n.sp. is close to H. labiata Colbran, 1960, H. mangiferum Misra & Edward, 1971 and H. dhirendri Husain & Khan, 1967 from which it differs in having smooth body annules not interrupted by lateral fields.     

Estimated fat, bone mineral, total body water and cell solids in females of two communities of Punjab, India

The data for the present study consist of 502 Jat-Sikh and 510 Bania females of Punjab (India), ranging in age from 20 to 80 years. The different components of the body i.e. fat, bone mineral, total body water and cell solids have been calculated from anthropometric measurements by applying different equations given by various investigators. While studying age changes in different components of the body, it is the fat component, which has undergone major fluctuations past maturity. It has increased significantly from age-group 20-29 to 40-49 in both Jat-Sikh and Bania females. A significant decrease in fat has been observed from age-group 60-69 to 70 +. The bone minerals have exhibited little changes with age. The total body water and cell solids show a significant increase from age-group 20-29 to 30-39, followed by a decrease in both the communities. The decrease in these two components is statistically significant from age-group 40-49 to 50-59 in Bania females only. While comparing the two communities it has been observed that bone minerals are significantly larger in Jat-Sikh females, and fat is significantly larger in Bania females except in the last two age-groups. The other two components i.e. total body water and cell solids show statistically non-significant differences in the two communities.     

A note on changes in age at marriage of females and their effect on the birth rate in India

Abstract

Epidemiologists contend that income inequality reduces the health and life expectancy of the whole population, but this argument does not make sense within its own evolutionary framework. Recent evolutionary psychological theory suggests that the human brain, adapted to the ancestral environment, has difficulty comprehending and dealing with entities and situations that did not exist in the ancestral environment, and that general intelligence evolved as a domain‐specific adaptation to solve evolutionarily novel problems. Since most dangers to health in the contemporary society are evolutionarily novel, it follows that more intelligent individuals are better able to recognize and deal with such dangers and live longer. Consistent with the theory, and replicating an earlier study of cross‐national data, income inequality has no effect on the health and longevity of the population across the American states, when the racial composition (percent black) is controlled, but the average intelligence of the population (state IQ) has a significant effect The data presented here and in the earlier study challenge the conclusion that income inequality reduces the health of the population.     

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in fresh water farm fish species from Punjab (India) and evaluation of their dietary intake for human risk assessment

In India, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been used extensively in both agricultural and industrial sectors, resulting in deterioration of terrestrial and aquatic environment. In the present study, analysis of POPs in fresh water ecosystem comprising samples of fish, sediments, and water was done from fish farms in Punjab, India. POP residues comprising lindane, p,p’-DDE, p,p’-DDD, endosulfan sulfate, and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners (PCB-28, PCB-138, PCB-180) were detected in fish samples. Residues of p,p’ DDE and p,p’ DDD were recorded utmost in fish flesh with mean levels of 13.8 and 5.8 ng g^?1, respectively. PCB residues were estimated in 20 fish samples with values in the range ND–46.3 ng g^?1. The mean residue levels detected in this study were lower than the recommended maximum residue limits (MRLs) described by EU-MRLs, Italian-MRLs, FDA-2001, and FAO-1983. At the current levels of POP residues in fish flesh, the human health risk assessment based on both deterministic (mean residue levels) and probabilistic (95th percentile upper bound limit) approaches, reflected that cancer and non-cancer risks were within United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) prescribed limits. The presence of POP residues in fish farm sediments and water elucidated the relationship between occurrence of POP residues in fish and its aquatic environment.     

A methodological approach to the study of microbotanical remains from grinding stones: a case study in northern Gujarat (India)

The thorough reconstruction of subsistence practices throughout human history remains one of the most challenging questions in archaeological research. Analyses of microbotanical remains recovered from archaeological artefacts have greatly contributed to our knowledge of past livelihood strategies. However, certain methodological issues are seldom addressed throughout these analyses, including the integration of multiple proxies, the comparison between samples and the interpretation of control samples. This paper addresses these methodological concerns through the analysis of phytoliths and starch grains from a total of 80 samples from grinding tools from four archaeological occupations (ca. 7150–1900 cal bc) in northern Gujarat (NW India). The results were compared with 26 control samples from the same sedimentary matrix from which the tools were recovered and 12 control samples from laboratory consumables. Multivariate statistics were applied to (a) compare control samples with grinding stones to assess sample contamination and representativeness, (b) compare samples from different sites, and (c) identify tool clusters within a site. This study stresses the importance of the integrated analysis of phytoliths and starch grains and the application of multivariate statistics, which allow for stronger interpretations on the use and post-depositional trajectories of grinding stones, thus offering a solid framework for the reconstruction of past subsistence strategies. Moreover, the results show that the inhabitants of northern Gujarat continuously exploited small millets throughout the Holocene and that pulses, secondary at first, became a fundamental part of their subsistence strategy with the advent of settled life.