Immunohistochemical analysis of stromal fibrocytes and myofibroblasts to envision the invasion and lymph node metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Tumor cells work in close coordination with stromal elements from its stage of emergence to metastasis. The study was designed to assess the presence and distribution pattern of stromal fibrocytes and myofibroblasts in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Possibility of using these stromal cells as a marker for invasion and lymphnode metastasis was evaluated.

A review of sex estimation techniques during examination of skeletal remains in forensic anthropology casework.

Sex estimation is considered as one of the essential parameters in forensic anthropology casework, and requires foremost consideration in the examination of skeletal remains. Forensic anthropologists frequently employ morphologic and metric methods for sex estimation of human remains. These methods are still very imperative in identification process in spite of the advent and accomplishment of molecular techniques.

Sexual dimorphism in foot length ratios among North Indian adolescents.

Determination of sex along with other parameters of identification like stature, age and ancestry is one of the foremost criteria in establishing the biological profile of an individual. The present study was conducted to analyze the sex differences in the foot length ratios in a North Indian adolescent population. The study was conducted on 149 females and 154 males aged from 13 to 18 years.

Aruna Shanbaug: Is Her Demise the End of the Road for Legislation on Euthanasia in India?

Aruna Ramachandra Shanbaug breathed her last after 42 years of being in a persistent vegetative state. Euthanasia in any form is not permitted in India and it was only in the year 2011 that a petition was filed in the court that urged the cessation of her force feeding with a nasogastric tube and the request for her peaceful death. What followed was a string of arguments and counter arguments relating to Euthanasia.

Self-care activities among patients with diabetes attending a tertiary care hospital in mangalore karnataka, India.

Background: Increasing prevalence of diabetes in India is resulting in an epidemiological transition. The care of the people with diabetes is traditionally seen as doctor centered, but the concept of self-care of people with diabetes is a new domain and is proven beneficial.

Aim: The aim was to determine the practice of self-care activities among people with diabetes attending a tertiary care hospital in Mangalore.

Perceptions and practices of medical practitioners towards ethics in medical practice - a study from coastal South India.

Ethics is the application of values and moral rules to human activities. Medical practitioners are expected to not only have the skills and knowledge relevant to their field but also with the ethical and legal expectations that arise out of the standard practices. The present research was conducted with an aim to study the perceptions and practices of medical practitioners towards healthcare ethics in Indian scenario and to strengthen the evidence in the field of ethics training.

Awareness of medical students in a medical college in Mangalore, Karnataka, India concerning infection prevention practices.

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are an important public health problem. It is estimated that approximately 1 out of every 20 hospitalized patients will contract an HCAI. The risk is substantial not only to patients but also to healthcare workers, who may contract deadly blood-borne infectious diseases.

Awareness and practice of road safety measures among undergraduate medical students in a South Indian state.

The UN general assembly has declared 2011-2020 as the "Decade of Action for Road Safety". The declaration holds significance because road traffic accidents (RTAs) have become a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially among the adults and middle aged individuals who constitute economically most productive age groups of society. The importance of knowledge and practice of road safety measures needs to be emphasized in the prevention of RTAs.

Analysis of fatal road traffic accidents in a coastal township of South India.

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are important causes of mortality and morbidity due to the increasing number of vehicles, changes in lifestyle and the risk behaviours among general population. With the aim of exploring various epidemiological characteristics of RTAs, this retrospective analysis of medico-legal autopsies was conducted between January 2005 and December 2009 in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal in Karnataka, South India. The information was collected from post-mortem registers and inquest documents received from the investigating police officers.

Clinico-epidemiological profile of burn patients admitted in a tertiary care hospital in coastal South India.

Every year a substantial proportion of deaths in India occur due to burn injuries. Prolonged morbidity as well as temporary and permanent disability due to burns results in a heavy economic loss. The etiological factors of burn injuries vary considerably in different communities and regions and hence the need for detailed epidemiological studies to understand the problem status in different regions.

Penetrating cardiac injuries in blunt chest wall trauma.

The present photocase illustrates the possible mechanism of direct cardiac injuries from broken sharp jagged fractured ends of ribs in blunt force trauma to the chest in run over traffic mishaps. We propose that the projecting fractured ends of the ribs penetrate the underlying thoracic organs due to the transient phenomenon of deformation of chest cavity under pressure in run over traffic mishaps.

Adenomyomatous polyp of the uterus: Report of an autopsy case and review of the literature.

Adenomyomatous polyps of the endometrium are a rare subtype of endometrial polyps. In addition to the usual features of endometrial polyps, they also contain a smooth muscle component. Grossly they appear no different than ordinary endometrial polyps.

Legal terrorism in domestic violence -- an Indian outlook.

Marriage in India is a voluntary union for life of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others. It is a social association where the husband has the responsibility to take care of and maintain his wife and not to neglect his duties. But in relation to this great institution, the problem of the "dowry" still persists.

Objective structured practical examination (OSPE) in Forensic Medicine: students' point of view.

The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes of undergraduate medical students towards the objective structured practical examination (OSPE) in Forensic Medicine, in a medical college in Nepal. Participants included 59 undergraduate medical students of the 7th semester. Findings indicated that the OSPE was an acceptable tool considering the conduct of practical examination in Forensic Medicine at the undergraduate level.

Estimation of stature from the length of the sternum in South Indian females.

Estimation of stature is one of the principal elements in practical forensic casework involving examination of skeletal remains. The present study was undertaken to estimate stature from the length of the sternum in South Indian females using a linear regression equation. The material for the present study consisted of intact sternums belonging to adult females of South Indian origin aged between 25 and 35 years of age obtained during medico-legal autopsies.

Age and gender variations in trend of road traffic fatalities in Manipal, India.

Background: The incidence of road traffic fatalities has been increasing at an alarming rate and is a global cause for concern.

Aims: To assess the age- and gender-based variations in the pattern of road traffic fatalities in Manipal, southern India and to provide an epidemiological profile of the population at risk.

Settings And Design: Registry-based retrospective research on road traffic fatalities in Manipal, extending from 1994 to 2009, was conducted at the Department of Forensic Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal.

Toxicoepidemiology of fatal poisonings in Southern India.

An autopsy based retrospective study was conducted from January 2000 to December 2006 at Manipal in Southern India, and a profile of the victims of poisoning was prepared. The study was done to understand the magnitude and pattern of all poisoning fatalities in relation to the manner of death in Manipal region of Southern India. The study included a total of 198 cases of fatal poisoning.

Postmortem diagnosis of acute haemorrhagic pancreatitis.

Forensic pathologists can help in the investigation of sudden unexpected deaths in co-operation with the officials responsible for the maintenance of law and order to administer justice. Sudden unexpected deaths form the subject of medicolegal investigation if they occur in apparently healthy individuals, wherein an autopsy would shed light regarding the cause of death. A 4 year retrospective review of autopsy files at the Department of Forensic Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, South India was undertaken for cases of sudden unexpected deaths due to acute haemorrhagic pancreatitis occurring between May 2004 and April 2008.

A retrospective review of homicides in Mangalore, South India.

A five-year retrospective study of homicides was carried out to determine the profile of victims and the pattern of injuries sustained between 2001 and 2005 at Government District Wenlock Hospital, Mangalore, South India. Of the 89 victims of homicide, 71 were males and 18 were females. On an average, about 17 cases of fatal assault cases were autopsied each year.

Index and ring finger ratio--a morphologic sex determinant in South-Indian children.

To investigate the sexual dimorphism of index and ring finger ratio in South Indian children. The index finger length (IFL) and the ring finger length (RFL) were measured in 350 subjects aged between 2 and 12 years using a steel measuring tape. The index and ring finger ratio was computed by dividing index finger length by ring finger length.