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Sekhar, Deka Rup
- A Study on Pineal Gland and Melatonin in Relation to 'Severe Depressive Episode'
Authors
1 Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati-32, Assam, IN
2 Dept. of Anatomy, Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati-32, Assam, IN
Source
International Journal of Health Research and Medico Legal Practice, Vol 3, No 1 (2017), Pagination: 15-19Abstract
The pineal gland or epiphysis cerebri is a small grey organ occupying a depression between the superior colliculi. The importance of the pineal gland lies in its function. The gland is a neuroendocrine gland and consists of parenchymal cells, called pinealocytes and neuroglial cells. The pinealocytes secrate a hormone called melatonin. Melatonin, 5methoxy-N-acetyltryptamin, is a neurohormone of the brain produced by pineal gland. The precursor to melatonin is serotonin, a neurotransmitter that itself is derived from the amino acid tryptophan. On the other hand 'severe depressive episode' is one of the commonest problems encountered by the doctors in the tropical countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Two particularly notable features of depression is diminished nighttime release of melatonin and abnormal sensitivity to melatonin suppression. Variation of the blood melatonin level, in the patients suffering from "severe depressive episode" with the normal individuals was seen in two groups: group "A"&group "B". In group "A" (control) subjects were selected from the medical and non medical voluntaries working at Gauhati Medical College&Hospital. In the other group "B" (case) patients attending the Psychiatry 'Out Patient Department' of Gauhati Medical College&Hospital with "severe depressive episode" were taken. The data recorded was analysed statistically using Student's T-test. P value ≤ 0.05 is considered as statistically significant. Such a study may be useful in establishing a database which may be useful in treating the patients suffering from 'severe depressive episode'.Keywords
Pineal Gland, Melatonin, Depression.References
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- Cheiloscopy as a Tool for Identification
Authors
1 Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati-32, Assam, IN
Source
International Journal of Health Research and Medico Legal Practice, Vol 2, No 2 (2016), Pagination: 56-62Abstract
Establishing the identity of the living or the deceased, which is an essence of any crime investigation, is one of the most challenging matters that forensic science has to deal with. Cheiloscopy is one of the newly emerging tools that aid in this. It is the study of the grooves present on the human lips, at the zone of transition of outer skin and inner labial mucosa. The present study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy, Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati, Assam, amongst a group of 145 1st MBBS students comprising of 89 males and 56 females, with an aim to determine the predominant lip print pattern in different lip quadrants and also to find out any similarity in distribution of lip print patterns in different quadrants in males and females. The prints were analysed after dividing the lips into four quadrants: right upper as Quadrant I, left upper as Quadrant II, left lower as Quadrant III, and right lower as Quadrant IV. The patterns were analyzed following the classification of Suzuki and Tsuchihashi. The recorded data were then statistically analysed using Student's T-test. P value < 0.05 is considered as statistically significant. The data obtained in this study hopes to contribute to the knowledge and understanding of the uniqueness and distribution of lip prints and in turn help in certain medico-legal practices.Keywords
Cheiloscopy, Lip Print, Identification.- Morphological Study of Human Spleen in Different Age Groups
Authors
1 Gauhati Medical Colllege (GMC), IN
2 Jorhat Medical College, Jorhat, IN
3 GMC, Guwahati, Assam, IN
Source
International Journal of Health Research and Medico Legal Practice, Vol 2, No 2 (2016), Pagination: 77-81Abstract
Spleen is the largest lymphoid organ. It is a haemolymphatic organ containing large amount of lymphatic tissues and plays a vital role in metabolism and defence mechanism of body. It is the largest lymphoid organ and its size varies with individuals' age, sex and underlying metabolic conditions. Spleen takes an important part in body immunity, as high incidences of serious bacterial infections were reported following splenectomy in infancy. A research work was carried out in the department of Anatomy, Gauhati Medical College. The morphological characteristics of 21 normal human spleens were studied in different age groups and to correlate them functionally. The specimen of spleen varies from newborn to eighty year old cadavers, within stipulated time limit after fulfilling the formalities. The spleens were first washed in normal saline, dried with blotting paper, weight was taken by electronic weighing machine and dimensions are measured by verniar calliper. The dimensions and weight were measured and statistically analysed. The recorded data were then statistically analysed using Student's T-test. P value 0.05 is considered as statistically significant. The data obtained in this study will help in certain medico-legal practices. This study may be used as a pedestal for further sophisticated studies.Keywords
Human Spleen, Length , Breath, Thickness, Weight.- A Study on Length of Human Appendix in Different Ages
Authors
1 Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati: 32, Assam, IN
Source
International Journal of Health Research and Medico Legal Practice, Vol 2, No 2 (2016), Pagination: 101-106Abstract
The vermiform appendix is a narrow, vermiform (worm like) tube which arises from the posterior medial caecal wall, approximately 2 cm below the end of the ileum. Appendicitis is the most common cause of acute abdomen in young people. Obstruction of the lumen is the dominating factor in acute appendicitis. In appendix lymphoid follicles are absent at birth but accumulate over the first 10 years of life to become a prominent feature of it. But in elderly people, the lymphoid follicles atrophy and are replaced by collagenous tissue, and the appendix may be filled with fibrous scar. The appendix is longest in childhood and gradually shrinks throughout adult life. The present study was undertaken at Gauhati Medical College&Hospital involving the departments of Anatomy and Forensic Medicine. Specimens of appendix were taken from the department of Forensic Medicine before putrefaction of the body. Specimens were collected after due permission / consent from the concerned authority and also from the nearest relatives of the deceased. Appendix of 63 males and 63 females were studied in four age groups as '0 to 20 years', '21 to 35 years', '36 to 50 years'&'51 to 70 years'. The data recorded was analysed statistically using Student's T-test. P value 0.05 is considered as statistically significant. Such a study may be useful in establishing a database which may be useful in medical science.Keywords
Appendicitis, Lymphoid Follicles, Inflammation.- A Study on the Importance of Thumb Print in Human Identification
Authors
1 Dept. of Anatomy, Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati-32, Assam, IN
Source
International Journal of Health Research and Medico Legal Practice, Vol 4, No 1 (2018), Pagination: 66-69Abstract
Introduction: Human identification by the use of finger prints is infallible, because the ridge arrangement on every finger of every human being is unique and does not alter with growth or age. The present study has been conducted with an aim to determine the most common thumb print pattern in both males and females and whether there is any relation between them. Methods: The study has been conducted in the Department of Anatomy, Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati, amongst a group of 145 1st MBBS students (89 males and 56 females), having different ethnic backgrounds after approval of the Institutional Ethical Committee. Participants were briefed about the purpose of the study and written informed consent was also taken from them. The thumb print of the dominant hand was taken using printer’s blue ink and was transferred on to a white bond A4 paper. The prints thus recorded were studied with a magnifying lens and were classified on the basis of Michael Kucken’s classification system as Loop, Arch, Whorl and Composite pattern. Results: The present study revealed that there is no significant difference between male and female as far as the distribution of the different types of thumb print is concerned. Also, it is seen that the ‘loop’ and ‘whorl’ variety is much higher than the ‘arch’ and ‘composite’ variety of print which is more evident in case of males. Discussion: The finding of our study has the similarity with the observations made by other researchers in this field. Conclusion: Such a study may be useful in establishing a database which may be useful in various medicolegal cases to identify an individual.Keywords
Fingerprints, Thumb-Prints, Identification, Dermatoglyphics.References
- Bansal N, Sheikh S, Bansal R, Pallagati S. Correlation between lip prints and fingerprints in sex determination and pattern predominance in 5000 subjects. J of Forensic Odonto-Stomatology 2013, December;31(1):8-14.
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- Abidullah M, Kumar MN, Bhorgonde KD, Reddy DS. Cheiloscopy and dactyloscopy: do they dictate personality patterns? J Forensic Dent Sci 2015 May-Aug;7(2):114-20.
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- Srilekha N, Anuradha A, Vijay Srinivas G, Sabitha Devi R. Correlation among lip print pattern, finger print pattern and ABO blood group. J of Clinical and Diagnostic Research 2014 Mar;8(3):49-51.
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- Shailesh Gondivkar, Atul Indurkar, Shirish Degwekar, Rahul Bhowate. Cheiloscopy for sex determination. J of Forensic Dental Sciences 2009;1(2):56-60.
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- A Study on the Size of Pineal Gland in Different Ages
Authors
1 Dept. of Anatomy, Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati-32, Assam, IN
Source
International Journal of Health Research and Medico Legal Practice, Vol 3, No 2 (2017), Pagination: 49-52Abstract
Introduction: At various times in the history of medicine the precise function of the small discrete pea-like structure we have in the centre of our brains, called the pineal gland (“corpus pineale”), was considered to be a memory valve, a valve controlling circulating vital fluids, the seat of the soul, and the site of a presumed pathology causing certain types of mental illness. In the mid nineteen fifties this confusion began to clear when the pineal gland’s true function was discovered. The gland is a neuroendocrine gland and consists of parenchymal cells, called pinealocytes and neuroglial cells. Melatonin, 5methoxy- N-acetyltryptamin, is a neurohormone of the brain produced by pineal gland. The modern systematic study of the pineal gland began in 1954. There are very few literatures where the size of the pineal gland has been described.
Material and Methods: In the present study 50 numbers of MRI cases done for various purposes, where no pathology of brain was detected were taken in the Radiology department of Gauhati Medical College after obtaining due consent. The length (Anteroposterior diameter) and breadth (Cranio-caudaldiameter) of the pineal gland was recorded. The data recorded was analysed statistically using Student’s T-test. P value d” 0.05 is considered as statistically significant.
Result: The maximum mean length of pineal gland was observed asbe 5.715±0.651 mm in the age group of ‘20 to below 40’ years.
Discussion: The findings of our study has the similar [ty with the observations made by other researchers f this field.
Conclusion: Such a study may be useful in establishing a database which may be useful in correlating the size of the gland with various brain pathology.