Annual Research & Review in Biology

Facial teratoma is an extremely rare germinal tumor in newborn babies. It is often diagnosed antenatally by means of ultrasound and even MRI.

The prognosis of this tumor depends mainly on the size and the location of the lesion (eye, respiratory and digestive tracts). Multidisciplinary examination is needed to ensure the newborn’s survival. Pre-operative conditioning is needed to avoid complications and carcinogenic risks.

The aim of this article is to Specify the anatomical features of facial teratoma and consider the interests of foetopathology review.

We report a male baby, prematurely born at 28 WA dead at hour 23. Physical examination reveals a frontal mass on the left side of the face plus a facial dysmorphia. Dissection shows hyperplasia of lungs, hypertrophied liver and a splenomegaly. Histological examination reveals neural tissue associated with areas of cartilage and hair; hence the diagnosis of congenital teratoma of the face.

Antenatal diagnosis of congenital teratoma of the face is very crucial allowing a multidisciplinary care involving obstetricians, neonatologists, surgeons and anesthesiologists.

Aims: Information about degradability of nutrients, effective degradability (ED) values and digestion kinetics of agricultural wastes is important for feed manufacturing industry and farmers performing feed mixing practices who currently rely on nutritive values published by research institutions. Almond hull (AH) and cucumber plant (CW) were evaluated for ruminal dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) degradation kinetics.

Methodology: Duplicate bags containing 3 g ground raw material each were incubated in the rumen of two ruminally cannulated Assaf rams for 4, 8, 16, 24, 48 and 72 h. Rate and extent of ruminal degradation were estimated.

Results: Significant effects of byproduct type were observed in rapidly soluble and potentially degradable fractions, and degradation rates of DM, CP, ADF and NDF. The rapidly soluble DM, CP, ADF and NDF fractions were 16.10, 15.2, 10.64 and 14.06% for CW, and 7.21, 6.64, 6.00 and 5.62% for AH. The potentially degradable DM, CP, ADF and NDF fractions, respectively, were 55.82, 62.30, 49.40 and 55.09% for CW, and 47.61, 44.26, 46.34 and 48.53% for AH. The DM, CP, ADF and NDF disappearance in CW were higher (P < 0.05) compared to those in AH. Similarly, the effective degradability (ED) of DM, CP, ADF and NDF in AH were higher compared to AH (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: The new data presented in this study could be useful for the purposes of ration formulation and ruminants’ performance. Considering these findings, one can propose using both byproducts, together or separately as part of ruminant rations. It can be introduced in these rations as part of roughage (wheat and barley straw). CW can be incorporated in ruminant rations as part of better quality roughage (legume hay).

Approximately conispirally coiled shells make the bulk of shell structure among marine gastropod species, apart from those shells with strongly overlapping whorls (typical, in particular, of Cones, Cowries and the like). By selecting appropriately the set of geometrical parameters appropriate to describe the interspecific variations of shell-shape, an original pattern of covariances and independences was unveiled between these parameters, providing, in turn, a partly renewed understanding of the interspecific diversification of shell-shapes among conispirally coiled marine gastropods. This novel approach should be considered as complementary, rather than alternative, to the traditional and well established models by Raup and others. Among the four selected descriptive parameters (the whorl expansion ratio, the degree of whorl compression, the number of whorls of fully blown shell and the shell apical angle), four strong covariances and two mutual independences are empirically documented and analysed theoretically. Two covariances (apical angle covarying positively with the whorl expansion ratio and negatively with the degree of whorl compression) are imposed by geometrical constraints exclusively; one covariance (negative between the number of whorls and the whorl expansion ratio) is likely attributable to purely biological causes, tentatively associated to either developmental or functional constraints; while the last covariance (negative between apical angle and number of whorls) involves both geometrical and biological determinisms.

Thus, the conispiral coiling mode, in marine gastropods, involves quite an intricate interplay of covariances among the parameters describing shell-shape. While limiting thereby the range of occupation of the potential morphospace, this pattern of covariances introduces enhanced shell shape complexity. Highlighting this underlying complexity may, in turn, contribute to a more thorough and fundamental understanding of the ontogenetic aspects involved in the profuse diversity of shell-shapes among marine gastropods.

An experiment was conducted in nine suitable (average .10±2 ha) creeks of Rangamati hill tracts Bangladesh viz., of Langadu, Naniarchar and Sadar Upazila for evaluating growth, survival and production performance of Indian major carps (Labeo rohita, Catla catla, Cirrhinus mrigala) in a completely randomized design into three different treatments with three replications for a period of one year. Stocking density, growth, survival was checked periodically and total yield calculated from stocking and harvesting data. A significant spatial variation in specific growth rate (SGR) and yields was found despite uniform stocking densities, attributable to variation in environmental parameters. Among the results rohu was found to have comparatively higher SGR of 1.51±0.55 in Naniarchar where as langadu creek was reported with higher SGR of 1.46±0.94, 1.57±0.41 and 1.46 ±.64 for rohu catla, and mrigal. Rangamati sadar Upazilla creek was found to be conducive to Catla with a SGR of 1.55±.78. In general, higher gross and net productions were reported from Sadar Upazilla, Langadu and Naniarchar creeks, suggestive of its suitability for developing creeks aquaculture technology. However research findings will help the community of Chittagong hill tracts by giving appropriate technology for sustainable fish production in creeks.

Chromium is widely used in medical and dental implants, appliances and tools, where sufficient content s of this chemical element can provide a protective corrosion-resistant oxide on the alloy surface. At low concentrations chromium is used for medical purposes, and it is also involved in natural human lipid and protein metabolism. However, at sufficiently high concentrations particularly hexavalent chromium is toxic and carcinogenic. The healthy risks can be expected regardless whether the chromium originates from external sources such as polluted drinking water or internally from corroding dental appliances. As the latter source is likely to provide chromium exposure only at low to modest concentrations, no acute effects are generally expected. The current paper aimed to briefly review the toxicology aspects of chromium in general and in oral exposure from applications, used in dentistry. It was concluded that most likely oral effects are chronic, including carcinogenic impact, but more studies are directed to investigation on the chronic effects of chromium release from dental appliances.