STUDY OF MORPHOLOGY AND HISTOLOGY OF PLACENTA AND ITS CORRELATION WITH MATERNAL PARAMETERS AND BIRTH WEIGHT OF NEWBORN IN ANAEMIC MOTHERS

The aim of this study was to determine whether maternal anaemia [Hb <11gm/dl]would affect the morphology and histology of placenta and and correlate it with maternal parameters and birth weight of newborn and compare this with that of non-anaemic mothers. It was a cross-sectional comparative study carried out at the maternity ward and anatomy department of NSCB MEDICAL COLLEGE JABALPUR. Background & Method: Background & Method: The study was carried out on 100 placentae, mothers and their babies. The placenta was collected from Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Department of NSCB Medical College, Jabalpur. Out of 100 placentae 50 from anaemic and 50 from NON anaemic mothers. As soon as the placenta was delivered, the umblical cord was cut it was put into formal saline. It was kept in a tray, to the membranes were trimmed off cord was cut about 10 cm from the insertion. The blood clots adherent to maternal surface were picked up. Morphological parameters like placental weight, volume. diameter, thickness, no of cotyledons were measured .Any abnormality like calcification, accessory lobe, haematoma, etc were noted. histological slides were made and stained with H and stain and Masson’s Trichrome stain. Result: A Macroscopic study of the placenta revealed placental weight, placental volume, diameter, placental thickness were more than non anaemic group and number of cotyledons were less in study group. Mean placental weight in study group was 474gm and in control group was 425 (p<0.05). Mean placental volume in study group & control group were 393.23and352 ml respectively (p<0.05). Mean number of cotyledons were 13.24and 16 in study & control group significant[p<0.05] and mean diameter 18.30cms and17.05cms in study and control group. Mean placental thickness 2.4cms in study and 2.1 in control group respectively. There was an accessory lobe present in one patient of anaemic group. All morphometric parameters of placenta weight, volume, diameter, thickness were increased ,no of cotyledons were reduced .Histological findings were placental tissues shows intense congestion of septal capillaries.In the present study age, parity, height, weight, built, doesn’t found to be related with morphology of placenta. Maternal blood Hb found to be +vely correlated with weight, volume, diameter, thickness and –vely correlated with no of cotyledons and birth weight of baby. Conclusion: From the study it is concluded anaemia in pregnancy affects morphology and histology of placenta and it is correlated with various maternal parameters and birth weight of baby. Keywords: morphology, histology, placenta, anaemia, birth weight & mothers.

Encoding and control of orientation to airflow by a set of Drosophila fan-shaped body neurons

The insect central complex (CX) is thought to underlie goal-oriented navigation but its functional organization is not fully understood. We recorded from genetically-identified CX cell types in Drosophila and presented directional visual, olfactory, and airflow cues known to elicit orienting behavior. We found that a group of neurons targeting the ventral fan-shaped body (ventral P-FNs) are robustly tuned for airflow direction. Ventral P-FNs did not generate a ‘map’ of airflow direction. Instead, cells in each hemisphere were tuned to 45° ipsilateral, forming a pair of orthogonal bases. Imaging experiments suggest that ventral P-FNs inherit their airflow tuning from neurons that provide input from the lateral accessory lobe (LAL) to the noduli (NO). Silencing ventral P-FNs prevented flies from selecting appropriate corrective turns following changes in airflow direction. Our results identify a group of CX neurons that robustly encode airflow direction and are required for proper orientation to this stimulus.

A new species of Notacanthurus Tshernova, 1974 (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae) from India

A new species of Notacanthurus Tshernova, 1974 is described based on larvae from India. Notacanthurus pange Vasanth, Selvakumar & Subramanian sp. nov. can be distinguished from all known species of Notacanthurus by the following combination of characters: (i) gill lamellae 5–6 with accessory lobe; (ii) dorsal surface of femora with scattered spatulate setae (iii) male genitalia having penis lobes fused, ‘V’ shaped apically blunt with me­dian pair of spine-like titillators subapically and mesally; (iv) labrum with anterior portion straight and laterally curved; and (v) lingua of hypopharynx apically broad and convex. The distribution map of the new species is also provided.

The distributive and structural characteristics of bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) in Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus)

BackgroundBronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT), distributed in the bronchial mucosa, plays a critical role in maintaining the mucosal immune homeostasis of the lower respiratory tract. The bronchial tree is a functional structure for gas exchange with the outside environment and maintains basic lung morphology.MethodsTo explore the structural and distributive characteristics of BALT in Bactrian camels, twelve healthy adult Bactrian camels were divided into two groups (six in each group). The lungs, bronchial tree and BALT were observed and analysed systematically through anatomical and histological methods.ResultsThe results showed that Bactrian camel lungs were constituted by the left cranial lobe, left caudal lobe, right cranial lobe, right caudal lobe and accessory lobe, but lacked the middle lobe. The cranial lobe was narrow and small, the caudal lobe was extremely developed (almost four times the cranial lobe in size), and the accessory lobe was smaller than the cranial lobe; the bronchial tree, an unequal dichotomy with a tracheobronchial branch, was composed of dorsal, ventral, lateral and medial bronchiole systems. Isolated lymphoid follicles (the chief type) and aggregates of lymphoid follicles revealed two types of BALT, and germinal centres, follicle-associated epithelium and high endothelial venules could be observed in some well-developed BALT. Additionally, BALT was scattered along the bronchial tree in the entire lung, and the density increased from the trachea to the lower graded branches (densest in the bronchioles) and then decreased, with the occasional location around respiratory bronchioles or among the pulmonary mesenchyme. In the conducting portion, BALT was primarily located in the mucosa lamina propria but was also found in the submucosa, under the muscular layer, and around the submucosal glands and cartilage.ConclusionThe results demonstrated that the lung morphology of Bactrian camels was similar to that of horses, but the bronchial branches were more closely related to those of ruminants. These characteristics were in accordance with the morphological and structural variation regularity of lungs with species evolution. BALT was mainly scattered in the conducting portion, and bronchioles, as the final “checkpoint” in the surveillance, capture and recognition of antigens before pulmonary exchange, were the pivotal locational position of BALT. However, BALT at different depths of the bronchial wall of the conducting portion might be at different developmental stages. Our study provided evidence for further insight into the mucosal immunomodulatory mechanism of BALT in the respiratory system of Bactrian camels.