Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) taste thresholds were determined in 100 nuclear families using the complete sorting test. Segregation analysis using the mixed model suggested that the variability in PTC thresholds is controlled by a major locus with incomplete dominance as well as by a multifactorial component with significant residual heritability. Such a model explained nearly 96% of the variance, leaving only 4% of the variance in thresholds arising from measurement error and other environmental factors.

The demographic structure of the migrant groups of fishermen living in Puri, India, is studied. Data on age, sex, birth place, endogamy, consanguinity, and reproductive histories of 1409 couples and a census of 690 households are utilized. The results suggest the existence of three breeding units within the complex, in different stages of settlement as local populations. Random genetic drift has not yet assumed any significant role in any of these populations. Childhood mortality rates are high; 22% in the Vadabalija of Penticotta, 32% in the Vadabalija of Vadapeta and 35% in the Jalary.In almost all the components of population structure and demographic variables studied, sympatric populations with similar recent migratory histories show greater similarity than the ethnically similar groups.

Complete dentures often fracture during normal masticatory function. The reason could be due to the shape of the palate, i.e. deep, medium or shallow palatal vault. This in vitro study was performed to determine the relationship of palatal vault depth and flexural strength of two different permanent denture base resins. Edentulous maxillary casts of patients were collected from the department of prosthodontics, among these the cast with the deepest palatal vault was selected. The specimens were then subjected for flexural strength on universal testing machine. The results revealed that the denture bases fabricated on medium palatal vault depth were best in the flexural strength and denture bases on shallow palatal vault depth faired the least. Among the resins the denture bases fabricated using high impact heat cure resin, were better than the denture bases fabricated using regular heat cure resin. All these results were statistically significant except the results between the regular heat cure denture bases and high impact heat cure denture bases fabricated on the deep palatal vault depth. Also the comparison of fracture energies of denture bases fabricated on deep palatal vault with high impact heat cure resin to denture bases fabricated on medium and shallow palatal vaults with high impact heat cure resin were not significant. It was also observed that all the specimens have fractured in the midline. Clinical implications Palatal vault depth significantly affected the flexural strength of heat cure resin. The most frequent mechanical failure of heat cure resin is fracture especially at the midline. The denture bases fabricated using high impact heat cure resin had best flexural strength than the denture bases fabricated using regular heat cure resin which reduced the fractures. How to cite this article Reddy BMM, Himabindu M, Padmaja BI, Sunil M, Reddy NR. Palatal Vault Depth Influence on the Flexural Strength of Two Heat Cure Acrylic Denture Base Resins: An in vitro Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2013;14(6):1131-1136.

475 adult males from three endogamous groups ofmarine fishermen of Puri were examined for colour blindness using the 15th edition of Ishihara colour-blindness chart. The results are interpreted in the light of Post and Pick ford's hypothesis of selection relaxation, and the marine fishermen as a special ecological category.

A principal component analysis was carried out on radial and ulnar finger ridge-count data on a sample of fishermen of the sea coast of Puri in the state of Orissa in India. The component structure is very similar to that obtained earlier by Roberts and Coope for some English populations, by Arrieta and Lostao for a Basque population, by Siervogel et al. for a White American population, by Jantz and Hawkinson, and Jantz et al. for American and African populations, and by other authors for other populations. The initial components are bilaterally symmetric and the structure of these components is the same whether the two sides are taken separately or together. Only the latter components represent a certain amount of bilateral asymmetry. The first component is a 'size' component, indicating total finger ridge-count; the second component is a radial-ulnar contrast. From a comparison with previous studies on other populations, it appears that the component structure corresponding to the larger eigenvalues is fairly universal; there is a certain lack of universality in the structure of the components corresponding to smaller eigenvalues as well as in the order of these components, especially the rotated ones, when the corresponding eigenvalues are very close. As observed by previous authors, components corresponding to larger eigenvalues do not necessarily exhibit larger inter-population differences. However, there is lack of universality in the order of the components and in the structure of the components that exhibit large inter-population differences.