Sphenoidal emissary foramen and its clinical consideration

Background:Sphenoidal emissary foramen is a small, variable and an inconstant foramen in middle cranial fossa which is located antero-medial to the foramen ovale. Emissary vein passing through it connects the pterygoid venous plexus with the cavernous sinus which has clinical significance because through an extra-cranial infection may reach to cavernous sinus. Aim of present study was to investigate the incidence and shape of sphenoidal emissary foramen, the number of present on one side and the presence of bony septum in it.Methods: Two hundred and fifty (right 250; left-250) dry Indian adult skulls of unknown age and sex were used for this study. Middle cranial fossa of each skull was macroscopically observed for the presence, absence of sphenoidal emissary foramen. Patency was confirmed by inserting a bristle through each probable foramen and only patent foramen were calculated.Results: We observed that sphenoidal emissary foramen was present in 72 (28.8%) skulls. Unilaterally it was present in 17.6% and bilaterally in 11.2% skulls.Conclusions: Incidence of this foramen is variable and therefore recognition of this anatomical structure is important. Knowledge of their variations will be helpful for neurosurgeons and radiologist.

Clinical profile and obstetric outcome in pregnancies complicated by heart disease: a five year Indian rural experience

Background: Cardiac diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in pregnant women in the developing world. This study illustrates the problem in rural India focusing on patterns of diseases, clinical features, and pregnancy outcome in these women.Methods: A retrospective analysis of five year data, from 2006 to 2010 for all patients admitted with cardiac disease in pregnancy.Results: Past history of heart disease was present in 70%. Rheumatic heart disease was predominant type in 83% and the chief complaint at admission was breathlessness in 44%.   Mitral stenosis was the commonest lesion in 55% and mitral regurgitation with or without stenosis in 48%. Preeclampsia was seen in 20% and preterm labor in 10%. Spontaneous vaginal delivery was seen in 41% and cesarean in 20.6%.Conclusions: Heart disease in pregnancy is a high risk condition has a major impact on pregnancy. Associated obstetric complications along with lack of knowledge and ignorance regarding the pathology lead to unpleasant obstetric outcomes

Bilateral Serous Retinal Detachment as a Complication of Hemolysis, Elevated Liver Enzymes and Low Platelets Syndrome

Preeclampsia is an obstetric disease of unknown cause that affects approximately 5% of pregnant women. The visual system may be affected with variable intensity. Bilateral, serous, nonrhegmatogenous retinal detachment is a rare complication of toxaemia of pregnancy, and its pathogenesis is related to the choroidal ischemia secondary to an intense arteriolar vasospasm. In the vast majority of the cases, the detachment occurs concomitantly with hypertensive retinopathy. The majority of patients have a complete recovery of vision with clinical management and surgery is unnecessary. This is a case report of a 23‑year‑old patient who developed the severe form of preeclampsia and hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets syndrome in her third pregnancy. She had progressive blurred vision, until she could see fingers up to 3 meter. Ophthalmic examination diagnosed bilateral retinal detachment. With blood pressure control at postpartum, the patient had her retina reattached, and recovery of vision.Keywords: Eclampsia, exudative retinal detachment, preeclampsi

Validation of organic management in cassava intercropped in coconut plantation in the humid coastal tropics of Kerala, India

Crop diversification and alternatives like organic farming assume importance for sustainable food production, especially during climate change. Besides, organic farming enables environmentally benign and clean food production. Cassava, an important food-cum-nutritional security crop with diversified uses in feed and industrial sectors, is a common intercrop in coconut plantations. On-station field experiments at ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CTCRI), Thiruvananthapuram conclusively proved that organic management promoted productivity, tuber quality and soil properties in cassava. Cost-effective technologies were also developed, which required large scale field validation. Hence, a field experiment was conducted under Network Project on Organic Horticulture during 2015-2017 at the Research Farm, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, to validate the ICAR-CTCRI developed organic farming technologies in cassava under intercropping in an organically raised mature coconut garden. Three varieties of cassava (Sree Vijaya, Vellayani Hraswa and H-165) were tested under four production systems viz., traditional, conventional, integrated and organic, and replicated thrice in split-plot design in a 48-year-old coconut (var. Kera Keralam) garden. Organic and conventional practices were equally efficient in crop growth, yield, tuber quality and soil chemical properties. Averaging over the years, yield under organic management was 76 per cent of conventional farming. The domestic and industrial varieties of cassava performed similarly under the different production systems, with almost the same yield reduction (24%) under organic over conventional management. The organic technology package comprising farmyard manure, green manure cowpea, cassava crop residue and biofertilizers, resulted in significantly higher available N in soil and improvement in P, K, Mg, Mn and Zn contents in cassava tubers. However, cassava var. Vellayani Hraswa under an integrated production system resulted in the highest net income (` 1,97,830 ha-1) and B:C ratio (1.99) when intercropped in coconut

Variations of Lung Fissures: A Cadaveric Study

Background: The presence of fissures in the normal lungs enhances uniform expansion and hence facilitates more air intake. Accessory and incomplete fissures of varying depth can be seen in unusual locations of the lung, delimiting abnormal lobes which correspond to the normal bronchopulmonary segments. The knowledge of anatomical variations of lung fissures is essential for clinicians, surgeons, and for radiologist for recognizing various images of related abnormalities because an accessory or anomalous fissure can be mistaken for a lung lesion or an atypical appearance of pleural effusion. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the present study is to observe the variations of lung fissures in Indian population. Fifty pairs (right- 50; left- 50) of lungs were used for this study. Each lung was studied carefully for number of fissures whether complete or incomplete or absent. Presences of accessory fissures were noted. Results: We observed complete absence of fissures in two right and left lungs. Accessory fissures were present in 38% right lungs and 32% in left lungs. Conclusion: Incidence of absence of oblique fissure and accessory fissure was greater in our present work when compared our results with other authors. Considering this we feel that more elaborative study should be done on this topic which will throw more light on this

Supernumerary heads of sternocleidomastoid muscle and its clinical significance: A cadaveric study

Background: Sternocleidomastoid muscle is main muscle of neck region which is attached proximally to mastoid process and lateral half of the superior nuchal line and distally to the sternum and clavicle. It is related to numerous important neurovascular structures. Avariation in its anatomy is clinically important especially for neck surgeries and catheterization of internal jugular vein. Aim and Objectives: To establish the incidence, number and variations of supernumerary head of ternocleidomastoid muscle in cadavers. Material and Methods: We studied the variations in the heads of the ternocleidomastoid muscle in the 84 cadavers (n=168, Right= 84; Left=84) which were used for undergraduate teaching in our college. Muscle was exposed by doing meticulous dissection. Proximal and distal attachments were carefully cleaned and number of supernumerary heads with their origin and insertion were noted. Results: Present study observed supernumerary heads of sternocleidomastoid muscle in 32.73% cadavers. In majority of cases the supernumerary heads (which may be 2, 3, 4) was found to be arising from superior surface of medial 2/3 clavicle. Conclusion: Detailed knowledge of this variation is crucial for head and neck surgeons, radiologist, anesthetists and clinicians dealing with this region

Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Current Understanding and Diagnostic Approaches

Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a medical condition where ovarian function stops prematurely, typically before the age of 40. This condition leads to infertility and produces symptoms similar to those experienced during menopause. Although the origins of POIs are diverse, genetic elements substantially influence their emergence. This assessment delves into the genetic facets of POI, covering genetic triggers, detection, and genetic consultation. We scrutinize the genes linked to POI and their function in ovarian activity, as well as the genetic deviations and mutations that foster POI onset. We also examine the challenges and limitations of genetic testing and counseling for POI and suggest ways to address these challenges. This review offers a thorough examination of the existing understanding of the genetic factors linked to Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) emphasizing the critical need for further investigation in this field

Endocrine Autoimmunity in Association with Female Infertility

Infertility is the inability to conceive after a year of regular unprotected sexual intercourse, affecting 10-15% of couples. Advanced age, obesity, and certain medications can hinder fertility. Endocrine autoimmunity is increasingly recognized as a significant contributor to female infertility, often complicating various gynecological conditions. Autoimmune issues involving the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid, adrenal glands, and ovaries can impact fertility. A multidisciplinary approach is essential for diagnosing infertility, with a crucial focus on identifying potential endocrine disorders. Here we discuss how to identify endocrine autoimmune patients with ovulatory dysfunction. Women must be advised about limiting factors to be avoided, to protect their fertility. A comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms, coupled with appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, is crucial for effectively managing this complex condition and helping women achieve their reproductive goals

ESSVCS: an enriched secret sharing visual cryptography

Visual Cryptography (VC) is a powerful technique that combines the notions of perfect ciphers and secret sharing in cryptography with that of raster graphics. A binary image can be divided into shares that are able to be stacked together so as to approximately recover the original image. VC is a unique technique in the sense that the encrypted message can be decrypted directly by the Human Visual System (HVS). The distinguishing characteristic of VC is the ability of secret restoration without the use of computation. However because of restrictions of the HVS, pixel expansion and alignment problems, a VC scheme perhaps can only be applied to share a small size of secret image. In this paper, we present an Enriched Secret Sharing Visual Cryptography Scheme (ESSVCS) to let the VC shares carry more secrets, the technique is to use cypher output of private-key systems as the input random numbers of VC scheme, meanwhile the encryption key could be shared, the shared keys could be associated with the VC shares. After this operation, VC scheme and secret sharing scheme are merged with the private-key system. Under this design, we implement a (k; t; n)-VC scheme. Compared to those existing schemes, our scheme could greatly enhance the ability of current VC schemes and could cope with pretty rich secrets