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Background & Objective: The Epidemic Act invoked during COVID-19 pandemic restricted the use of traditional methods of face-to-face teaching and learning and entailed a drastic transition of teaching histology by the time-tested traditional mode in the laboratory to that on a virtual platform. Implementation of this virtual platform as the teaching methodology in histology which evolved as a result of the pandemic can now be continued as an important new teaching-learning modality even after COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted. Hence, this article explores the effect of the use of appropriate technology on students for teaching and learning. Materials & Methods: The study undertaken at Department of Anatomy, Goa Medical College employed a non-interventional (cross-sectional) design. First year medical students participating in the online histology sessions were subjects in this study (n=144). The data collected comprised of perceptions regarding the new teaching-learning study tool which were recorded as a self-administered questionnaire imparted to them through a Google form. The responses were analyzed using chi-square test and p-values were obtained using SPSS. Results: Results indicated that virtual teaching provided the students with accessibility, flexibility, additional data and better retention of concepts. But the students ultimately were of the opinion that virtual teaching followed by laboratory teaching was the most preferred approach to learning. This preference of the integrated approach used in this study as compared to traditional classroom teaching was confirmed and found to be statistically significant as the p- value was 0.001<0.05. Conclusion: While the study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the newly implemented integrated method as a preferred tool in current day teaching-learning versus the traditional teaching method, it also highlights the potential grey areas faced by the students using this virtual learning environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The anatomy of the external ear is clinically and surgically important as it is related to the vital structures in the neck. The morphometric measurements of the external ear were undertaken to determine the sex of an individual. These findings also suggest that this study will have a role in plastic and reconstructive surgery; identification of dysmorphic features in various chromosomal disorders. Aim: The present study will enlighten us to determine the sex from the external ear and provide an insight in determining the variations in sex from the external ear with 100% accuracy. It may also serve as a guideline before surgical intervention in otoplasty so as to resculpt or reshape the ear. Materials and Methods: The subjects were 100 healthy male and 100 healthy female medical students of age group 18-25 years of Goa Medical College, Bambolim, Goa, having no history of any diseases or other genetic disorder or heredity diseases. The anatomical landmarks used for this research study were the right and left a) ear length b) ear length above tragus c) ear length below tragus d) tragus length e) ear breadth f) concha length g) concha breadth h) lobule height i) lobule width of the external ear. Results: The measurement procedure proved to be easy and it did not show any discomfort to the participants. Ear length below tragus, lobule height and lobule width were larger in females than males. This method was made applicable to all the parameters except for ear length below tragus, lobule height and lobule widths since these parameters were greater in females than males. Conclusion: In this study, we could determine the sex from the external ear in a large percentage. The parameters were of little value when subjected to demarking point analyses. However, for a larger population the mean values for the above parameters from different regions will have significantly different values and hence, DPs are to be worked out separately for the different regions. These DPs are much simpler to apply than multivariate discriminant functional techniques for identification of sex with certainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surgical approach towards greater petrosal nerve has to be done with caution as many surgeons are unfamiliar with the anatomy of the facial nerve. The anatomical landmarks selected must be reliable and above all easy to identify for identification of the greater petrosal nerve so as to avoid injury to the structures in the middle cranial fossa. Observation and Results: The present study is carried out on 100 temporal bones by examining the following measurements of the right and the left sides a) length of the hiatus for grater petrosal superficial nerve b) distance from superior petrosal sinus c) distance from lateral margin of middle cranial fossa d) arcuate eminence and e) distance from exit to the foramen ovale. Conclusion: The anatomical landmarks selected must be reliable and above all easy to identify. Bony structures are more suitable than soft tissue or cartilaginous landmarks because of their rigid and reliable location. These anatomical landmarks will definitely help the surgeon while performing vidian nerve neurectomy and also the anatomical relationship of the facial nerve in temporal bone. The middle fossa approach involves a temporal craniotomy in cases of perineural spread of adenoid cystic carcinomas hence these anatomical landmarks will serve as useful guide for the surgeons and radiologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surgical approach towards asterion has to be done with caution as many surgeons are unfamiliar with the anatomical variations. The asterion corresponds to the site of the posterolateral (mastoid) fontanelle of the neonatal skull which closes at the end of the first year. Inca bones provide information as markers for various diseases, and can mislead in the diagnosis of fractures. Observation and Results: 150 dry skull bones from the Department of Anatomy at Goa Medical College, India and other neighboring medical colleges by examining the asterion, and its sutural articulations with parietal, temporal and occipital bones and also anatomical variations if any in adults. Discussion: The anatomical landmarks selected must be reliable and above all easy to identify. Bony structures are more suitable than soft tissue or cartilaginous landmarks because of their rigid and reliable location. Presence of these bones provides false impressions of fractures or the fractures may be interpreted for inca bones especially in the region of asterion either radiologically or clinically which may lead to complications during burr hole surgeries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mandible is the largest, strongest and the lowest bone in the face. At birth, the two halves of the mandible are united by a fibrous symphysis menti in the median plane and are replaced by bone after 1 year of postnatal life. Observations and Results: The posterior symphysial surface bears a small elevation often divided into upper and lower parts, the mental spines (genial tubercles). Discussion: Superior to the mental spines, most of the mandible displays a lingual foramen that opens into a canal traversing the bone containing a branch of the lingual artery. The main aim of this present study is to determine the location and variations of the lingual foramen so as to contribute additional information to our existing knowledge during surgical interventions of symphysis menti, especially during genioplasties and implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the ability of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) to enhance growth and nutrient accumulation of rice plants grown in an Oxisol fertilized with Bayóvar rock phosphate (BRP). The experiment was entirely randomised and consisted of the following 12 treatments: individual inoculation with five PSB strains in pots containing BRP; a control with BRP without inoculation; five different soluble phosphorus (P) concentrations (50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mg P 2 O 5 dm −3 ) applied as NH 4 H 2 PO 4 and a control without P or inoculation. The PSB strains UFLA 04-21 ( Burkholderia sp.), UFLA 03-10 ( Paenibacillus kribbensis ), UFPI B5-6 ( Enterobacter sp.) and UFPI B5-8A ( Pseudomonas sp.) increased the shoot dry matter, root dry matter and total dry matter, the number of tillers and the accumulation of phosphorus, nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, sulphur and boron compared with the treatment with BRP without inoculation. The increases in the dry matter of the shoots and roots were 52% and 120%, respectively, with the strain UFLA 03-10 ( Paenibacillus kribbensis ) inoculation treatment. The four strains promoted shoot dry matter that were equivalent to approximately 60% of the shoot dry matter produced in the treatment with 150 mg dm −3 of soluble P and increased the P accumulation in the shoots compared with the treatments with 50 and 100 mg P 2 O 5 dm −3 of soluble P. These results indicate that inoculation with PSB combined with rock phosphate is an economical and sustainable strategy for improving the growth and nutrient accumulation of the rice plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (HRSV) fusion protein (F) was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21A using the pET28a vector at 37°C. The protein was purified from the soluble fraction using affinity resin. The structural quality of the recombinant fusion protein and the estimation of its secondary structure were obtained by circular dichroism. Structural models of the fusion protein presented 46% of the helices in agreement with the spectra by circular dichroism analysis. There are only few studies that succeeded in expressing the HRSV fusion protein in bacteria. This is a report on human fusion protein expression in E. coli and structure analysis, representing a step forward in the development of fusion protein F inhibitors and the production of antibodies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this article, the authors discuss the conference, "Global Health Metrics and Evaluation: Controversies, Innovation, Accountability" which aims to provide an area to share ideas on health metrics and evaluation. The authors mention the results of the call for abstracts on health in 2010 by "The Lancet" journal, which represent a wide array of works in global health. Furthermore, the participants need to engage in the conference to successfully discuss the works needed for better science.