The aim of this study was to identify and compare the rugae pattern between males and females of two different communities in the city of Davangere, Karnataka, India, which may be an additional method of identification in cases of crimes or communal riots. Elastomeric impressions of the maxillary arch of 100 selected children were made; casts were poured in Type IV stone. The method of identification of rugae pattern followed was that of Lysell and Thomas and Kotze, which includes the number, shape, direction, and unification of rugae. The study revealed no significant difference in the total number or length of rugae between the two communities and sexes. However, with regard to shape and unification, females showed a significantly higher diverging rugae type while males had a significant number of circular and converging type of rugae. Also, discrimination function analysis allowed a moderate differentiation of the population. Hence, the rugae pattern can be an additional method of differentiation in conjunction with the other methods such as visual, fingerprints, and dental characteristics in forensic sciences.

Genetic variability, character association and path coefficient studies were carried out for yield and yield contributing characters for twenty-four diverse genotype of pea. The results revealed a wide range of phenotypic variation, along with high heritability in pea. Highest pod yield per plant was recorded in VRP-229 followed by VRP-372 and VRP-305. The characters namely, plant height and weight of seeds per pod showed high magnitude, while number of pods per plant, number of branches per plant and pod yield per plant showed moderate magnitude for phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation. The heritability and genetic advance were high for days to first pod initiation, plant height and pod yield per plant indicating its additive gene action for their expression. Character association studies revealed that pod yield per plant exhibit positive and highly significant correlation with number of pods per plant, number of branches per plant and days to fifty percent flowering. The path coefficient studies also revealed that maximum positive direct effect was observed through number of pods per plant followed by days to first flowering, single pod weight and pod length towards yield indicated that these characters may be considered as the most reliable selection indices while making selection for high yielding genotypes.

Abstract:The present investigation was undertaken to study the effect of different concentrations of Indole 3-butyric acid (0, 2000, 4000, 8000 and 10000 ppm), different types of rooting media (i.e. sphagnum moss, coco peat, vermicompost, sphagnum moss + coco peat and sphagnum moss + coco peat + vermicompost) and the interaction of these in different combinations on rooting and growth characteristic of guava, cv. L-49. The results revealed that the exogenous application of Indole 3-butyric acid (IBA) 8000 ppm with media combination of sphagnum moss + coco peat + vermicompost (I 3 M 5 ) significantly increased the root characters i.e. success percent of air-layers (83.3 %), callus formation (23.7), number of primary roots (24.21) and secondary roots (32.57); and growth characters i.e. number of leaves (48.17), branches (7.92) and sprouts (8.48) and survival percentages (83.18) over the other treatments and control. Among the rooting media, the combination of sphagnum moss + coco peat + vermicompost (M 5 ) produced the highest rooting percentage (71.27), root characters and growth characters during months of July and August.

An experiment was conducted to study the comparative efficiency of various substrates viz, wheat straw (Triticum aestivum l.), paddy straw (Oryza sativa l.), corn stalk (Zea mays l.) and typha leaves (Typha angustifolia) and different supplements such as wheat bran, rice bran, neem cake and fenugreek bran on growth behavior and yield potential of oyster mushroom (pleurotus flabellatus). In these investigations higher mushroom yield with biological efficiency (BE) of 86.6 percent was obtained from wheat straw followed by paddy straw (63 per cent biological efficiency). Wheat straw was further used as a substrate for different supplements observation. Wheat bran was recorded significantly superior supplement than other supplements and its biological efficiency was 95 per cent. The spawn running, premordia initiation and harvesting of first flush were also early in wheat bran supplemented substrate where it completed in the 13 days, 17 days and 21 days respectively.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess and compare the oral health status of cerebral palsy (CP) children attending a day care center for various age groups, gender, and socioeconomic background. Materials and methods: Fifty-one subjects were selected out of which 49 reported. This study was carried out as a part of an oral health camp organized by us and consent was obtained from school authorities before the screening. School authorities provided the needed information during the screening by filling a questionnaire completed by the teachers. All the attending subjects were examined using standard World Health Organization methods and oral health indices to assess dental caries, oral hygiene status. Results: Fifty-one subjects aged 6 to 20 years comprising 65% males and 35% females participated in the study. Over 85% were from parents of poor and middle-level educational background. The mean decayed, missing, filled teeth (dmft/DMFT) index score was seen to significantly increase with age, while there was no significant difference across gender and socioeconomic background. The oral hygiene status was mostly fair and poor for most of the population, while mean oral hygiene index-simplified (OHI-S) had no significant difference for age, gender, and socioeconomic background. Conclusion: The prevalence of dental caries was high for the subjects in this study which increased with age. The results point toward lack of awareness and negligence for oral health care. Clinical significance: The CP children would benefit from modification of diet by educating the parents, improved oral hygiene habits and regular visits to the dentists and steps should be taken to improve that.