Assessment of Indications and Complications of Caesarean Section in A Private Medical College Hospital of Bangladesh.

Caesarean section (CS) is the most frequently performed major operation in obstetrics. Its frequency is gradually increasing because of extended indications. Now-a-days, caesarean section is also being performed at patient's request in absence of a medical indication. It is necessary to assess the risk and benefits to take a judicious decision to select cases for caesarean section. The cross sectional descriptive type of observational study was carried out among purposively selected 100 pregnant women admitted to the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Community Based Medical College Hospital, Mymensingh, Bangladesh during the period of August 2011 to January 2012 to identify elective and emergency indications of caesarean section, to identify the common complications to identify the risk factors associated with complications and to establish a comparison between complications of elective and emergency caesarean section. The median age group of patients being operated was 20 to 25 years and operation were carried out on patients due to various indications. Principal indications were faetal distress (26%), PROM (15%), failed progress of labour and breech presentation were 8% each, other indications were eclampsia (4%), obstructed labour (5%), scar tenderness (4%), history of previous 2 caesarian section 5%. The rate of elective caesarean section was 21% while emergency operations were done in 79% of cases. Among the 100 patients 19% patients developed complications. Among the complications wound infection was most common (37%), then post partum haemorrhage and urinary tract infection 26% and 11% respectively. Other complications were abdominal distension, Puerperal sepsis, anaemic heart failure, wound dehiscence and Wound haematoma 5% each. We should try to keep the rate of caesarean section within optimum ranges (10%) as recommended by World Health Organization.

First Report of Leaf Blight of Chinese Ground Orchid (Phaius tankervilliae) Caused by Botrytis cinerea in India.

Chinese ground orchid (Phaius tankervilliae Banks:Blume) is a beautiful, terrestrial orchid, which belongs to the family Orchidaceae. It is used as a cut flower, which lasts for 4 to 5 weeks. This species is considered endangered and rare in nature. In June of 2007, potted plants of P. tankervilliae in Shillong, Meghalaya (northeast India; maximum temperature 24°C, minimum temperature 18°C, and 83.5% relative humidity) exhibited leaf blight. Symptoms included water-soaked lesions and dense, gray mold growing on infected tissues. Thirty-six percent of the plants surveyed were found to have this disease. For isolation, diseased tissue was surface disinfested by soaking it in 0.5% sodium hypochlorite for 1 min, air dried, plated on potato dextrose agar, and incubated at 20°C. Mycelia were initially white but later turned gray. Mature, unicellular, ellipsoid, hyaline conidia (6.3 to 8.2 × 9.6 to 11.4 µm) were formed in botryose heads. Hard, black, irregular-shaped sclerotia (average size 1.8 × 2.3 mm) were formed after 15 days. On the basis of these morphological characters, the pathogen was identified as Botrytis cinerea Pers.:Fr. (1). Pathogenicity was confirmed by spraying plants with a spore suspension (106 spores per ml), which were then maintained under high humidity for 48 h at 20 to 22°C by covering with cheesecloth. Five potted plants were inoculated and five were sprayed with sterile water. Lesions and spore masses that were identical to those observed appeared 5 to 6 days after inoculation. Water-treated control plants remained asymptomatic. B. cinerea was reisolated from inoculated plants. A literature search revealed no previous record of this disease in India. So, to our knowledge, this is the first record of B. cinerea on P. tankervilliae in India. References: (1) M. B. Ellis. Dematiaceous Hyphomycetes. CMI, Kew, Surrey, England, 1971.

Learning disabilities in Costa Rica: challenges for an "army of teachers".

Special education services in the country of Costa Rica have been affected by factors that most developing countries confront: shortages of trained personnel, geographic isolation of a large sector of the population, and severe economic limitations. Despite these challenges, services for students with learning disabilities in Costa Rica have rapidly expanded in the last 15 years through the development of resource rooms, recargo classrooms, and itinerant teacher delivery systems. The history and evolution of special education services in Costa Rica are described, along with critical issues that impede the expansion of educational services to students with learning disabilities, particularly in rural areas.

Habituation of alpha attenuation responeses in depressed patients and normal subjects.

Habituation of alpha attenuation responses (AAR) obtained from a group of 20 depressed patients was compared with a group of 20 matched normal controls. The slope of the AAR habituation curve over trial showed that the normals habituated much quickly than those of patients. The findings were interpreted in terms of the level of arousal of the patients/subjects tested.