Morphological variations of the thyroid gland

Background:The knowledge of various morphological & developmental anomalies of thyroid gland will help the surgeons in better planning of safe & effective surgery. Considering these facts we studied the variations of thyroid gland.Methods:The material for the present study was collected from the department of forensic medicine, MMC & RI, Mysore, which includes 56 male and 33 female adult postmortem cadavers aged between 18 to 80 years. A dissection was carried out to expose thyroid glands & variations were observed in the morphology of thyroid gland.Results: 1) 9% of specimens had agenesis of isthmus. 2) 46% of specimens had pyramidal lobe. 3) 41% of specimens had levator glanduli thyroidae. 4) 2.24 % of specimens had accessory thyroid tissue.Conclusion:This study highlights the various morphological anomalies of the thyroid gland which forms cornerstone to safe & effective surgery

A study of uterine balloon tamponade for the management postpartum haemorrhage using Bakri balloon

Background: PPH is the most common cause of maternal morbidity and mortality around the world. Incidence of PPH is 2-4% following vaginal delivery and 6% following cesarean delivery in India. Uterine atony is the most common cause of PPH. Treatment of PPH involves medical treatment and surgical management. In between medical and surgical management of PPH comes uterine balloon tamponade which is simple, less invasive and can be managed with minimal training.Methods: A retrospective cohort study was done for 2 years at Vanivilas hospital, Bangalore medical college and research centre, Bangalore, Karnataka. Cases of atonic PPH managed using Bakri balloon were included in the study. The objective of the study was to study the effectiveness of uterine balloon tamponade using Bakri balloon in the management of atonic PPH and to study the maternal outcome.Results: In this study total of 50 cases were included. Women were in the age group of 18 to 33years. Regarding obstetric history, 22 (44%) were primigravida and 28 (56%) was multigravida. Among these 50 cases 8 (16%) women had undergone caesarean delivery and 42(84%) had vaginal delivery. All women received blood transfusion, 17 (34%) received blood and blood components (like PRBC, FFP AND platelets) and 33 (66%) cases received only PRBC transfusion. In these 50 cases, 32 (64%) required ICU admission for monitoring, remaining 18 (36%) were monitored in the labor-room. Bakri balloon was effective in 49 cases among 50. Success rate was 98%.Conclusions: Intrauterine balloon tamponade using Bakri balloon is effective for control of atonic PPH in majority of cases.

Genetic variability and correlation analysis in F2 segregating population in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

Genetic advance denotes the improvement in the mean genotypic values of selected families over the base population. Thus, it helps the breeder select the progenies in the earlier generation. The objective of the study was to analyse the heritability, genetic advance and genetic variability for ten traits in brinjal contributing to fruit yield were studied in the F2 population obtained from the cross of Sevathampatti local x Seetipulam local. The study examined the subsistence of a significant extent of genetic variability for the traits considered. The characteristics of brinjal exhibited higher values of genotypic variation (GCV), viz., the height of the plant (20.93), yield per plant (17.42), number of branches (22.73)  and shoot infestation (56.39) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) viz., the height of the plant (21.10), yield per plant (22.32), number of branches (23.42)  and shoot infestation (57.24). However, the number of branches (45.44 %), height of the plant (42.76%), number of fruits (38.58%), fruit yield (28.02%) and shoot infestation (114.4%) exhibited high estimates of genetic advance and heritability for plant height (98.36), number of branches per plant (94.19) and shoot infestation (97.06). These characteristics can be effectively improved through selection. Association analysis mentioned that the yield of the fruit was significantly and positively correlated with the number of fruits, number of branches, individual fruits per plant and fruit girth. Direct selection may be executed because of these characteristics as the key choice of criteria to minimize the indirect result of additional traits throughout the improvement of high yielding varieties

4-Chloro-N-(2,3-dimethyl­phen­yl)-2-methyl­benzene­sulfonamide

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C15H16ClNO2S, contains two independent moleules. The conformation of the N—H bonds are anti to the ortho-methyl groups in the sulfonyl benzene rings of both the mol­ecules, while the N—H bonds are anti to the ortho- and meta-methyl groups in the aniline ring of one of the mol­ecules and syn in the other. Furthermore, the torsion angles of the C—SO2—NH—C segments in the two mol­ecules of are −66.8 (3) and 70.3 (3)°. The sulfonyl and the aniline benzene rings are oriented at angles of 44.1 (1) and 39.7 (1)° in the two mol­ecules. In the crystal, pairs of N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into dimers

4-Chloro-N-(2,3-dichloro­phen­yl)-2-methyl­benzene­sulfonamide

The torsion angle of the C—SO2—NH—C moiety in the title compound, C13H10Cl3NO2S, is 50.4 (2)°. The sulfonyl and aniline benzene rings are tilted relative to each other by 69.6 (1)°. The crystal structure is stabilized by N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, linking the mol­ecules into zigzag chains parallel to the b axis

Salt Tolerance Mechanisms in Perennial Fodder Grasses

Salinity stress is one of the most damaging stresses in crop plants. It reduces the productivity of the soil and makes it unsuitable for crop cultivation. Fodder crops are considered the best alternative in such uncultivable land. Using salinity-affected land for pasture development is the best alternative to utilize such lands. However, the extent of salinity tolerance varies among different grass species. In this study, Pearl millet Napier hybrids (PMN hybrid) and guinea grass varieties were studied for salinity tolerance in artificially created saline soils in the ratio of 13:7:1:2 (NaCl: Na2SO4: MgCl: CaSO4, respectively) to understand the salinity tolerance mechanisms existing in perennial fodder grasses. Morphologically, the plant height increased in saline-tolerant PMN hybrid varieties, creating more space in nonphotosynthetic tissues to store accumulated salts away from photosynthetic tissues. Whereas in guinea grass tolerant varieties, tiller number increased under salinity. The fresh weight was highest under salinity in the PMN hybrids. In contrast, dry weight was high in control (no salt) plants, implying more water accumulation in PMN hybrids under salinity to dilute the concentration of salts absorbed by the plant. In Guinea grass, varieties like DGG1 had lower leaf succulence than control and high salt excretion through leaf hairs. Tissue tolerance in PMN hybrids was less compared to guinea grass. Membrane stability was maintained in saline-tolerant varieties. The double bond index increased in tolerant PMN hybrid varieties under salinity compared to control, implying fatty acid remodelling for maintaining the stability of membranes under salinity. Fodder grasses adopt various saline tolerance mechanisms based on their growth habit and morphology

Incidence of Respiratory Virus-Associated Pneumonia in Urban Poor Young Children of Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2009–2011

Pneumonia is the leading cause of childhood death in Bangladesh. We conducted a longitudinal study to estimate the incidence of virus-associated pneumonia in children aged <2 years in a low-income urban community in Dhaka, Bangladesh.We followed a cohort of children for two years. We collected nasal washes when children presented with respiratory symptoms. Study physicians diagnosed children with cough and age-specific tachypnea and positive lung findings as pneumonia case-patients. We tested respiratory samples for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rhinoviruses, human metapneumovirus (HMPV), influenza viruses, human parainfluenza viruses (HPIV 1, 2, 3), and adenoviruses using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays.Between April 2009-March 2011, we followed 515 children for 730 child-years. We identified a total of 378 pneumonia episodes, 77% of the episodes were associated with a respiratory viral pathogen. The overall incidence of pneumonia associated with a respiratory virus infection was 40/100 child-years. The annual incidence of pneumonia/100 child-years associated with a specific respiratory virus in children aged < 2 years was 12.5 for RSV, 6 for rhinoviruses, 6 for HMPV, 4 for influenza viruses, 3 for HPIV and 2 for adenoviruses.Young children in Dhaka are at high risk of childhood pneumonia and the majority of these episodes are associated with viral pathogens. Developing effective low-cost strategies for prevention are a high priority

Do we have the right models for scaling up health services to achieve the Millennium Development Goals?

There is widespread agreement on the need for scaling up in the health sector to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). But many countries are not on track to reach the MDG targets. The dominant approach used by global health initiatives promotes uniform interventions and targets, assuming that specific technical interventions tested in one country can be replicated across countries to rapidly expand coverage. Yet countries scale up health services and progress against the MDGs at very different rates. Global health initiatives need to take advantage of what has been learned about scaling up.UKai

The impact of sexual harassment on job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and absenteeism: findings from Pakistan compared to the United States

The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast how differences in perceptions of sexual harassment impact productive work environments for employees in Pakistan as compared to the US; in particular, how it affects job satisfaction, turnover, and/or absenteeism. This study analyzed employee responses in Pakistan (n = 146) and the United States (n = 102, 76) using questionnaire data. Significant results indicated that employees who were sexually harassed reported (a) a decrease in job satisfaction (b) greater turnover intentions and (c) a higher rate of absenteeism. Cross-cultural comparisons indicated that (a) Pakistani employees who were sexually harassed had greater job dissatisfaction and higher overall absenteeism than did their US counterparts and (b) Pakistani women were more likely to use indirect strategies to manage sexual harassment than were US targets