Sex differences in minutiae frequencies of thumbprint with respect to dermatoglyphic patterns

Abstract

The present study is an attempt to study the sex differences in minutiae frequencies of thumbprint with respect to dermatoglyphic patterns. A sample of 100 subjects (50 males and 50 females) were gathered from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh (North India). In regards to pattern type, maximum number of minutiae was present in loop pat-tern followed by whorls and least minutiae were in the arches in the right hand of both the sexes and left hand of females only, whereas in left hand of the males highest frequency of minutiae were noticed in whorls followed by loops and lowest in the arches, thereby indicating the lessened bimanual symmetry in males. It can be inferred from the present study that the simple pattern (arch) has less discontinuance in the regular flow of the ridges, while the complex patterns (loops and whorls) exhibited more interruptions in the dermal ridges.

Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma with Nodular Fasciitis-Like Stroma in a 28-Year-Old Patient

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is considered as a relatively common type of malignancy showing a wide morphologic spectrum. Different variants of this tumor have been reported. Among PTC variants, PTC with nodular fasciitis-like stroma (PTCFLS) is rare. This variant consists of stromal components rich in spindle cells and accounts for 60-80% of tumors. In addition, there are small foci of epithelial components in PTCFLS though its features are similar to conventional PTC. In this case study, we present a new case with PTCFLS. The case is a 28-year-old female who was referred to the ENT clinic due to a painless mass on the anterior part of her neck. The mass showed a gradual increase in size over the 6 months prior to her referral. Thyroid test results were normal. Ultrasound imaging demonstrated an 84 × 36 mm heterogeneous nodule in the right thyroid lobe without calcifications but increased vascularity. There were also some reactive lymph nodes in both sub-mandibular areas. An ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of the right thyroid lobe nodule revealed a benign thyroid adenomatoid nodule. Following right thyroid lobectomy, final pathologic studies confirmed a diagnosis of PTC with exuberant fibromatosis-like stroma. In the 20-day post-surgery visit, the patient was found asymptomatic. Re-evaluation of the left thyroid lobe and follow-up were recommended. In this study, a diagnosis of a rare variant of PTC, i.e., PTC-FLS, was made through a combination of ultrasonography, fine needle aspiration cytology, and histological examination.

Referral and attendance at a specialist antenatal clinic: qualitative study of women's views

OBJECTIVE

To explore women's views on being referred to and attending a specialist antenatal hypertension clinic.

DESIGN

Qualitative interview study.

SETTING

A pregnancy hypertension clinic in a large teaching hospital in the East Midlands.

POPULATION

Twenty-one women (aged 18 years and above) attending the pregnancy hypertension clinic for the first time during their current pregnancy.

METHODS

Women who had been referred to and attended a specialist antenatal clinic participated in semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was based on the constant comparative method.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Women's experiences and perceptions of being referred to and attending a specialist antenatal clinic.

RESULTS

Being referred to the clinic conferred an 'at risk' status on women. Some women welcomed the referral but others experienced it as unsettling. Many were unclear about why they had been identified as being at risk or had difficulties in accepting the legitimacy of the reason for referral. Women were often inadequately informed about why they were referred to the clinic, what they could expect and the benefits of attending the clinic over management in the community. Although attendance at the clinic was cited as a source of reassurance, the reassurance was often made necessary by concern raised by the initial referral.

CONCLUSIONS

Women's accounts suggest that the interface between community and secondary antenatal services needs improvement to minimise possible adverse effects from identifying women as being 'at risk' during pregnancy.

Family environment of psychiatric patients : study of a north Indian sample

The study aimed at finding out the relationship of family environment to schizophrenia, affective disorders and neurosis in comparison to control group matched on socio-economic status in a North Indian Sample. 600 subjects-150 schizophrenic patients, 150 patients with affective disorders, 150 neurotics, diagnosed according to ICD-9, were studied. Results (one way ANOVA) revealed that there exists a significant difference in family environment of three categories of patients with psychiatric disorders as well as in comparison to control group. Significantly low scores of cohesiveness, independence, expressiveness, active-recreational orientation and organization, control and moral religious emphasis were found in schizophrenics. Similarly in the families of patients with affective disorders there were less cohesion and control and more expressiveness, conflict, independence and moralrelegious emphasis, while the family of neurotics had low levels of cohesion, intellectual-cultural orientation, active-recreational orientation, organisation and control.

General practitioners' attitude towards psychiatric disorders and psychiatric patients: a survey of jaipur city

A survey of 40 randomly selected general practitioners was carried out to find out their attitudes towards psychiatric disorders and psychiatric patients by administering a specially designed proforma which recorded sociodemographic characteristics as well as attitudes. Majority of GPs were of the opinion that psychiatric disorders are inherited, can occur in any normal person living under stress, are treatable. They had positive attitude towards psychiatric illness but showed more social distance with mentally ill-person. Results are discussed and their implications are highlighted.

A study of impact of stressful life-events in neurotic patients

Stressful life events preceding neurotic disorders, their impact on neurotic patients in comparison to normal subjects and relationship of impact of stressful life-events to depression and anxiety scores were studied prospectively in 100 consecutive neurotic patients, diagnosed according to ICD-9 and 100 matched normal subjects in psychiatric O.P.D. of S.M.S. Hospital, Jaipur, by administering presumptive stressful life event scale, Beck's depression inventory and Max Hamilton anxiety rating scale. It was found that number of stressful life events was higher in neurotic patients and their impact was also perceived significantly higher in them. Significantly higher depression and anxiety scores had positive corelation to number and impact of stressful life events in-neurotic patients. Cause and effect relationship of impact of stressful life events to neuroses has been discussed.

Feeling of crowding and psychiatric disorders

Relationship of high population density to mental illness has been well known. The feeling of crowding has also been found to have a causal influence on individual's mental health. Recently, it has been reported that even in high population density, the individuals w ho have a high feeling of crowding are more prone to mental illness. However, no attempt has been made by Indian researchers to study whether the amount of feeling of crowding which is supposed to be a cause of mental illness in high dense areas differs in various, psychiatric disorders. Thus, a prospective study which included 150 psychiatric patients suffering from schizophrenia, affective disorders and neuroses and 50 normal subjects, selected from high dense area of Bikaner city was taken up to find out (1) whether the amount of feeling of crowding differs in schizophrenia, affective disorders, neuroses and normal, and (2) whether the severity of illness in these subjects has any relationship of the feeling of crowding experienced by them. Results revealed that feeling of crowding differs in schizophrenics, patients with affective disorders, neurotics and normal subjects. The scores of feeling of crowding and severity of illness of all these subjects had a positive relationship. Results and their implications are discussed.

Standardisation of hindi version of goldbergs general health questionnaire

Goldberg's GHQ was translated into Hindi. An emphasis was made to have the language of common use. The reliability of GHQ Hindi version (GHQ-H) was tested by translation - retranslation method and split-half method using the scores of 500 patients attending psychiatric out-patient department and 500 normal subjects. The tool was found to be sensitive and reliable. The tool differentiates normal population (mean score 4.9) from the patient population (mean score 30.64) statistically (p < 0.01) indicating a high validity. Details of methodology are described and its subsequent use is advocated.