Consumer Behaviour Towards Aloe Vera Products

<p> For a firm or company to survive, grow and compete, it is very essential that marketer identifies the needs and wants of customers and offer products according to their needs more effectively and efficiently than other competitors. Though similar but consumers are unique in themselves due to having different needs and wants which are varied and diversified from one another; and even they have different consumption pattern and consumption behaviour. The marketer helps them in satisfying their needs and wants through offering different products and services. A comprehensive knowledge of consumers and their consumption behaviour is essential for a firm to fight and to succeed. </p&gt

Case for resurgence of radical perineal prostatecomy in Indian subcontinent

Introduction: Radical perineal prostatectomy was the first surgery described for prostatic carcinoma (Young, 1904) but it lost its eminent status after Walsh′s description in 1982 of anatomic radical retropubic prostatectomy followed by the enthusiasm in laparoscopy and now robotics. It made resurgence after it was realized in early 1990s that the pelvic lymph node dissection is needed only in selected cases. Last decade witnessed over 80 publications addressing the results and advances in the perineal approach. Strangely, centres from the subcontinent have chosen to ignore this resurgence. We describe our early experience with the technique in 35 patients and present the case for its more widespread usage. Patients and Methods: Thirty five patients of clinically localized carcinoma prostate were operated by perineal route in our institution from December 2006 onwards. All patients had serum prostate specific antigen levels less than 10 ng/ml. Results: Operating time was 2 to 3.5 hours (mean 2.5 hours). Rectal injury occurred in three patients but was closed primarily in all and none required a colostomy. Mean duration of hospital stay was four days. The disease was organ confined in 25(71%). Positive margins were seen in 5(14%) patients. Biochemical recurrence occurred in 17% patients at one year. Seventy six percent patients had achieved continence at one year. Conclusions: As the world is taking note of radical perineal prostatectomy again, with a very small learning curve, minimal invasion and good oncological control urologists from Indian subcontinent should also embrace this procedure in view of the relative limited resources available

Defining the Pros and Cons of Open, Conventional Laparoscopy, and Robot-Assisted Pyeloplasty in a Developing Nation

Introduction. Congenital pelviureteric junction obstruction (PUJO) is one of the most common causes of hydronephrosis. Historically, open dismembered pyeloplasty has been considered the gold standard intervention for correcting PUJO. The aim of this study was to compare the surgical and functional outcomes of three different approaches, namely, open, conventional laparoscopy, and robotic pyeloplasty. Material and Methods. 60 patients underwent minimally invasive pyeloplasty (30 conventional laparoscopies and 30 robotics) for congenital PUJO at a tertiary health center in India. Demographic, perioperative, and postoperative data were prospectively collected and analyzed. The data of these patients were retrospectively compared with another cohort of 30 patients who had undergone open pyeloplasty. Results. There was significant difference in operative time, time to drain removal, hospital stay, pain score, and complications rate between open and minimally invasive pyeloplasty (P<0.05). SFI was considerably lesser in robotic as compared to conventional laparoscopy. The success rate in OP, CLP, and RP was 93.33, 96.67, and 96.67%. Conclusion. Robotic pyeloplasty is safe, effective, and feasible. It is associated with significantly lesser operative time, lesser blood loss, less pain, shorter hospital stay, and fewer complications. It is also associated with considerably lesser surgeon fatigue as compared to conventional laparoscopy pyeloplasty

Robotic assisted laparoscopic adrenalectomy: Initial experience from a tertiary care centre in India

Introduction: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) is now considered the standard for treatment of surgically correctable adrenal disorders. Robotic adrenalectomy has been performed worldwide and has established itself as safe, feasible and effective approach. We hereby present the first study in robotic transperitoneal LA from Indian subcontinent. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective evaluation of 25 patients who had undergone robotic assisted LA at a tertiary health centre by a single surgeon. Demographic, clinical, histopathological and perioperative outcome data were collected and analysed. Results: Mean age of the patients was 45 years (range: 27-65 years). Eleven male and 14 female patients were operated. Mean operative time was 139 min ± 30 min (range: 110-232 min) and mean blood loss was 85 ml ± 12 ml (range: 34-313 ml). Mean hospital stay was 2.5 ± 1.05 days (range: 2-6 days). Mean visual analogue scale score was 3.2 (range: 1-6) mean analgesic requirement was 50 mg diclofenac daily (range: 0-150 mg). Histopathological evaluation revealed 11 adenomas, eight phaeochromocytomas, two adrenocortical carcinomas, and four myelolipomas. According to Clavien-Dindo classification, three patients developed Grade I post-operative complications namely hypotension and pleural effusion. Conclusion: Robotic adrenalectomy is safe, technically feasible and comfortable to the surgeon. It is easier to perform with a short learning curve

Robotic-assisted versus laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: An experience with a novel technique of suturing

This study was conducted to evaluate whether robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RALPN) is superior to laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) with regard to warm ischemia time and complications and, in addition, to report our novel technique of suturing in partial nephrectomy (PN). This was a prospective study carried out over a period of six years at our institute. A single surgeon performed PNs laparoscopically (17) and with robotic assistance (16). Only exophytic tumors were included and a novel technique of knotless and bolster-less suturing using Hem-o-loc clips was used to close the renal defect. There was no difference in intra-operative and post-operative blood loss between the two groups. However, LPN patients had significantly longer mean warm ischemia time (24.1 vs. 30.1 min, P <0.001) and operating time (157.5 vs. 192.5 min, P <0.001). Also, hospital stay was comparable between the two groups. RALPN is technically easier and also safer than LPN because of its advanced degrees of freedom, decreased warm ischemia time and reduction in the total operating time. However, these observations need further validation by larger and randomized trials. Based on our study, we recommend RALPN wherever there is availability of robot and if cost is not an issue

New drug discovery of cardiac anti-arrhythmic drugs: insights in animal models

Abstract Cardiac rhythm regulated by micro-macroscopic structures of heart. Pacemaker abnormalities or disruptions in electrical conduction, lead to arrhythmic disorders may be benign, typical, threatening, ultimately fatal, occurs in clinical practice, patients on digitalis, anaesthesia or acute myocardial infarction. Both traditional and genetic animal models are: In-vitro: Isolated ventricular Myocytes, Guinea pig papillary muscles, Patch-Clamp Experiments, Porcine Atrial Myocytes, Guinea pig ventricular myocytes, Guinea pig papillary muscle: action potential and refractory period, Langendorff technique, Arrhythmia by acetylcholine or potassium. Acquired arrhythmia disorders: Transverse Aortic Constriction, Myocardial Ischemia, Complete Heart Block and AV Node Ablation, Chronic Tachypacing, Inflammation, Metabolic and Drug-Induced Arrhythmia. In-Vivo: Chemically induced arrhythmia: Aconitine antagonism, Digoxin-induced arrhythmia, Strophanthin/ouabain-induced arrhythmia, Adrenaline-induced arrhythmia, and Calcium-induced arrhythmia. Electrically induced arrhythmia: Ventricular fibrillation electrical threshold, Arrhythmia through programmed electrical stimulation, sudden coronary death in dogs, Exercise ventricular fibrillation. Genetic Arrhythmia: Channelopathies, Calcium Release Deficiency Syndrome, Long QT Syndrome, Short QT Syndrome, Brugada Syndrome. Genetic with Structural Heart Disease: Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy/Dysplasia, Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Atrial Fibrillation, Sick Sinus Syndrome, Atrioventricular Block, Preexcitation Syndrome. Arrhythmia in Pluripotent Stem Cell Cardiomyocytes. Conclusion: Both traditional and genetic, experimental models of cardiac arrhythmias’ characteristics and significance help in development of new antiarrhythmic drugs