Aging of the skin

Skin is the largest organ in our body. It is directly exposed to the outside environment. So it is extremely important in preventing the water loss and the microbial entry. Aging of the skin affected by internal and external factors:

Environment (UV damage, skin cancers, wind, photoaging)

Diet

Heredity

Hormones

Because of the difference of these factors in different individuals skin age at different rates.

With aging thickness of the skin decreases due to the decreased basal cell layer cell division. This causes to the skin to become more fragile. Collectively this leads to decreased ability to repair the skin, increased irritation to chemicals, increased permeability (may be associated with decrease in the functional barrier??)

In dermis number of collagen fibers and fibroblasts decreases. Remaining collagen fibers make increase number of cross links and cause wrinkling of the skin.

Blood floor to the dermis decreases with the age. This contributes to the pallor of the skin, decreased clearance of foreign material, decreased wound healing ability and decreased inflammatory response.

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is a very common disease condition affecting 2%-5% of the population. It has a sex ratio of 5:1. 99% of the cases are due to an intrinsic problem of the thyroid gland. Pituitary is rarely involved.

In most of the cases reason for the hyperthyroidism is graves disease. This autoimmune disease is caused by binding of IgM antibodies with the thyroid follicular TSH receptors. This stimulates the thyroid gland to produce more thyroxin. (Escherichia coli has surface TSH receptors this may give rise to graves disease) A thyroid eye disease is very common in graves disease.

Other reasons for hyperthyroidism are,

Toxic solitary adenoma

Toxic multinodular goiter

De Quervain’s thyroiditis

Post partum thyroiditis

Common clinical features of hyperthyroidism

The eye sign

Atrial fibrillation associated with tachycardia

Group Work

An evolution in group work training has been occurring with­in counselor education since 1990. Until then, understandings of group work within the counseling profession were limited to group counseling. In fact, it could be said that group work was group counseling. Consequently, training in groups and the supporting professional literature were both focused on group counseling. Practice, how­ever, varied. Many counselors in the field included group counsel­ing in their helping repertoire but, also, other forms of group work heretofore unsystematical­ly addressed in counseling cur­ricula: counselors led commit­tees and task forces, they con­ducted skill training groups, they facilitated education and preven­tion groups, and they sometimes worked with disturbed clientele in groups. In fact, the scope of group work practice exceeded the extent of the training in groups that was being provided by counselor education programmers.

The professional training stan­dards committee of ASGW pre­dicted that the practice trend noted above would increase into the 21st century. We conclud­ed that there would be a demand for more and different kinds of groups, including brief therapy groups, prevention groups, skill-based groups, support groups, and task and team groups, as well as the more familiar counseling groups. Our mission, then, was to reflect this anticipated surge

in the range of group applications within revised train­ing standards. We intended that these standards would be used to more comprehensively prepare tomorrow's counseling practi­tioners in group work.

What is Group Work?

The standards define group work as: a broad professional practice that refers to the giving of help or the accomplishment of tasks in a group setting. It involves the application of group theory and process by a capable professional practitioner to assist an interdependent collection of people to reach their mutual goals, which may be personal, interpersonal, or task-related in.

Key elements of this definition are that group work is a broad professional practice oriented to help-giving or to task-accom­plishment. That is, group work is comprehensive, not restricted to any one particular methodology, such as group counseling or group therapy. Moreover, group work can be used to help people to grow and change, goals that are well within the heritage of group counseling, and to help people to solve task and work problems. These concepts give rise to the evolution underway to make group work training more consistent with the growing intensity and diversity of demands for group work practice.

Using Group Work

According to the standards, four major types of group work are available for use:

(a) task/work group work;

(b) guidance/psycoeducation group work;

(c) counseling/interpersonal problem-solving group work; and

(d) Psychotherapy/personality reconstruction group work.

Task group work. The practi­tioner focuses on applying group dynamics principles and processes to facilitate the accom­plishment of identified work goals in such groups as commit­tees, task forces, teams, commu­nity organizations, and discus­sion groups.

Fermentation of Cocoa beans

Cocoa beans have little commercial value if they are not properly fermented and cured. So the most important step is the correct fermenta­tion under ideal conditions. The flavour and aroma of cocoa develop in the bean only after the death of the embryo. The easiest way to kill the embryo is by subjecting it to high temperature. A temperature sufficient to kill the embryo develops when the sugar rich pulp surrounding the bean is allowed to ferment. This is the basic principle in the fermentation of cocoa. The mechanism of fermentation is very complex in nature. The notable physical changes at then end of the proper fermentation is the change of deep purple colour into chocolate brown in the forastero type and yellow tar. to cinnmon brown in criollo type. Therefore, inspection of the cut surface of beans indicates the progress at the end of proper fermentation.

Information Improvisation

The allergies are the body's natural defense against what is unsuitable for the system. The allergy research centers have found out that good and sound hygienic environment can prevent common allergic diseases. The latex allergy safety can be ensured by the proper sterilization process through beta rays be observed strictly. The eczema treatment begins by keeping the skin clean and taking care of oil and dust. Thus it is suggested that vacuum cleaners with vacuum cleaner ratings should be bought with a good quality air filter.

Uses of Pepper

Pepper has a variety of uses. From the ancient use in embalming and medicine, it is now largely used by meat packers and in canning, pickling, baking, confectionary and preparation of beverages. Black pepper consti­tutes an important component of culinary seasonings of universal use and an essential ingredient of numerous commercial food stuffs. The oil of pepper obtained by the steam distillation of crushed black pepper or as a by product in the manufacture of white pepper by steaming is a valuable adjunct in the flavouring of sausages, canned meats, soups, table sauces and certain beverages and liquors. It is also used in perfumery. White pepper commands a higher market price for use in such products as mayonnaise where specks of black pepper are not liked.

Harvesting and Processing of Pepper

Two types of commercial pepper can be prepared from the berries

(1) Black pepper from the fully mature but unripe (green) berries.

(2) White pepper from the fully ripe (red) berries.

Only black pepper is usually produced in Sri Lanka.

The correct stage of harvesting for the preparation of black pepper is when a few of the berries in the spikes begin to change color from green to yellow or when the last berries in a spike (distal end from the stalk) cannot be chopped easily with two fingers. During harvesting, each spike is picked off the fruiting branches taking care to avoid damage to tender branches or loosening vines from the supports.

The harvested pepper spikes are heaped for 24 — 48 hours and thereafter the berries separated from them by trampling. These berries are then spread in a thin layer on mats and dried in the sun for 5 — 6 days. Due to enzymatic action, the green color of the skin of pepper changes to black during drying. If there is no bright sunshine, pepper will not dry uniformly and mould may grow on the surface giving uneven colored product.

A better method used sometimes is to steep pepper in hot water (80° — 90° C) for 2-3 minutes and then drying in the sun or preferably in hot air dryers. This treatment helps to get rid of mould and other microorganisms front the surface of the berries and quicker drying. Also a uniform glossy black color is imparted to the product. A longer shelf life and better price is obtained for the pepper produced following this method. The outturn of dry pepper to green berries is 30 — 33%.

The white pepper of commerce is prepared by removing the outer rind and the pulp below it from the berries before their drying. For this spikes with fully ripened berries are collected in gunny bags and steeped in flowing water for 7-10 days. The soft outer rind of the berries is then removed by rubbing them with hands in a bucket of water. The seeds are then cleaned by washing with fresh water. The^y are then dried for 3 — 4 days by which time they become somewhat dull in color. The produce is further cleaned by winnowing and again polished by rubbing with a cloth. The recovery of white pepper is about 25% of ripe berries.

Due to the two flowering seasons, green pepper availability in Sri Lanka is spread over a wider period of the year unlike in other pepper producing countries. Taking advantage of this situation pepper can either be dehydrated or suitably canned to produce high value products.

Well dried pepper packed in gunny bags can be stored for sufficiently long periods.

STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR GRADING OF COCOA BEANS

External Appearance:

The beans should be well rounded in shape with the seed coat loose and intact. Flat, shrivelled germinated, mouldy, insect damage or other defec­tive beans are not acceptable.

External Colour : Grade I – Pinkish red to brown

Grade II– Brown or reddish brown to blackish brown

Grade III – Brown to blackish brown

Internal Appearance:

When cut lengthwise, the internal surface should be fissured and of a dark chocolate brown (Forestero Type) or cinnamon brown colour (criollo type).

Texture: The cotyledons should not be leathery. They should be brittle. Beans Size: Not more than 990 dry beans per Kg for Grade I.

Mouldy Beans: Maximum content in –

Grade I 4%

Grade II 5%

Grade III 12%

Slaty beans: Maximum content in

Grade I 3%

Grade II 8%

Grade III 10%

Defective Beans: Maximum content in

Grade I 3%

Grade II 5%

Grade III 8%

Foreign matter: Maximum content in

Grade I 0.5%

Grade II 0.5%

Grade III 0.5%

Moisture content: Not more than 7.5% in any grade.

Bordeaux Mixture

Bordeaux Mixture can be prepaired at home and can be used as a copper containing fungicide.

PREPARATION OF 1% MIXTURE:

Dissolve 1 kg powdered copper sulphate in about 8-10 L of water. Use hot water if possible as this will dissolve crystals faster. Dilute the solution to about 60L in a large vessel. Do not use plain iron vessels as copper sulphate will attack the metal. A tar barrel is suitable as the coat of tar will protect the vessel.

Place 1 kg of fine quality lime in a cloth or jute bag and suspend in 40L of water until the lime dissolves. Any dirt and sand will remain in the bag.

Add lime to the copper sulphate solution gradually and stir well. Test the acidity while adding lime by dipping an iron object e.g., the tip of a pen-knife, in the mixture. If the mixture is acidic, the object will become copper colored. Add lime until the mixture no longer acidic. When the mixture is neutral, there is no color change in the iron object. The final volume of the mixture should be about 100L.

Add 25-50 ml. of commercial detergent, Teepol to the mixture to make it adhere better when applied.

Use the mixture within a few hours of preparation.

Prepare fresh Bordeaux mixture at each time of application.

RATE OF APPLICATION:

Less than 3 years 1L per 10 trees

3-8 years 1L per 06 trees

More than 8 years 1L per 02 trees

METHOD OF Application

Hand operated sprayers – Dilute the mixture before application (1:1). The amount of water needed will depend on the capacity of the sprayer.

Power sprayers – spray the mixture without diluting it.

Cover the entire tree including the branches, trunk and any exposed roots with the mixture.

Avoid spraying when the tree is in flower. The mixture can be applied however, soon after fruit set.

Spray as soon as possible after a period of rainfall 3-6 applications a year. May be necessary depending on the rainfall distribution of the area.

Select warm dry days for spraying so that spray will dry on the trees.

Doctor – Patient Relationship (DPR)

Doctor patient relationship is an important scenario in our day to day life. It is a professional relationship and not between two equals.

Features of the doctor-patient relationship

Starts when the doctor accepts to treat the patient. Doctor has a right to choose the patient except in an emergency. But a doctor appointed to a public institution should work according to the rules and regulations of that institute. DPR lasts as long as the particular illness or its consequences lasts, unless the patient decides to give off the doctor.

In emergencies the doctors’ duty is to treat any person who needs medical care. Also in the ethical point of view this is correct. In doctor patient relationship the doctor must not divulge any information given by the patient unless otherwise specified by the patient. Doctor should obtain the consent of the patient for any treatment imposed upon him and should allow the patient to choose what best fit is for him.

COMMUNICATION SATELLITES

When you make a phone call to abroad it is connected through a communication satellite. Communication satellites are also used in television and radio transmission and it carried the world to the information technology age.

World’s first communication satellite is Telestar. It was launched by the United States of America in July 10^th of 1962.

Geostationary satellites play a major role in today’s information technology. To make a satellite geostationary its orbit should be 35787 km away from the earth. This principle was first proposed by Constantin Siyolkochski. After that Herman Potonic also explained this. Sir Arthur C. Cleark proposed, by using three geostationary satellites transmission of radio signals between any two points of the earth is possible.

Later this principle was proved by launching the first geostationary satellite, Syncom-3

My new selective

Dear friends,

I started Exercise physiology and sports medicine as my new selective project. It’s really cool. They teach us about different aspects of the sports medicine and give us a practical exposure also. This helps us to improve our knowledge on exercise, sports related injuries and normal fitness of an individual. For today we studied few basic exercises for the abdomen and back. It’s really important. In exercise you have to workout both flexor and extensor muscles.

So, for the next few days I’ll be writing on Exercise physiology and sports medicine.

Some MCQ questions to people who are in need

True & False Type

1) Neural crest cells give rise to

a) Schwann cells

b) Adrenal cortex

c) Melanocyts

d) Oligodendrocyts

e) Dorsal root ganglion cells

2) Pons

a) is connected to the cerebellum by middle cerebellar peduncle

b) contains cell bodies of the second order neuron

c) supplied by the middle cerebral artery

d) is a component of the brain stem

e) contains red nucleus

3) Cerebral cortex

a) is derived from the germinal layer

b) has Betz cells in the precentral gyrus

c) has a part buried deep in the lateral sulcus called insula

d) covers the hemispheres except in the bottom of each fissures

e) has functionally arranged layers

4) The sensation of pain

a) has an affective component

b) is detected by well defined receptors

c) carried by unmyalinated fibers is poorly localized

d) can be modified at the posterior hone

e) from the right side is carried to the right somatosensory cortex

5) Astigmatism

a) can corrected by using concave lens

b) image formed on the retina is blurred

c) formed images of distal objects in front of the retina

d) can not change the curvature of the lens

e) cornea is uniform

6) Cornea

a) is an avascular structure

b) nourished by the aqueous humor

c) developed by the ectoderm

d) tear film is indispensable to integrity of it

e) has pigmented cells

7) Tympanic membrane

a) is attached to the stapes

b) secretes wax

c) vibrates when struck with sound waves

d) has organ of corti

8) Taste sensation carried to the CNS by

a) Olfactory nerve

b) Facial nerve

c) Vagus nerve

d) Accessory nerve

e) Glossopharyngeal nerve

9) Regarding the ear development

a) Cochlear is developed by the ectoderm

b) Middle ear lining membrane is derived from the endoderm

c) Malleus is developed from the mesoderm

d) Utrical is developed from the mesoderm

e) Persistent meatal plug leads to congenital deafness

10) Dura mater contributes to form

a) Superior sagital sinus

b) Falx cerebri

c) Sphenoidal air sinuses

d) Tentorium cerebelli

e) Forth ventricle

11) Which of the following is /are mechanoreceptor/s

a) Rods of the retina

b) Miessner corpuscles

c) Pascinian corpuscles

d) Taste buds

e) Muscle spindles

12) Regard to the relationship between the vertebral level and spinal segments

a) Fifth cervical segment at third cervical vertebral level

b) Sixth thoracic segment at forth thoracic vertebral level

c) First lumbar segment at 11th thoracic vertebral level

d) Eighth thoracic segment at fifth thoracic vertebral level

e) Fifth thoracic segment at twelfth thoracic vertebral level

13) Thalamus

a) is a important part of the brain stem

b) consists of group of nuclei

c) is the main emotional center

d) is related laterally to the internal capsule

e) is an important relay station for sensory pathways

14) Motor system

a) Lower motor neuron starts at the anterior hone

b) Corticospinal tract cross at the level of internal capsule

c) Reticulospinal tract influence the motor activity

d) Premotor area is located in the temporal lobe

e) Primary motor cortex is located at the post central gyrus

15) Sympathetic cholinergic fibers innervate

a) Sweat glands

b) Heart muscle

c) Arteries of skeletal muscle

d) Piloerector muscle

e) Salivary glands

16) Stretch reflex

a) is a monosynaptic reflex

b) motor neuron supplies the intrafusal muscle

c) motor neuron increases the sensitivity of the muscle spindle

d) muscle stretch decreases the sensitivity of the muscle spindles

e) is usually inhibited by the higher centers

17) Which of the following instances of failure of neurotransmission is mainly caused by the underlined event

a) Reduced synthesis of the neurotransmitters is the primitive causative factor in Parkinson’s disease

b) In botulinum food poisoning, release of neurotransmitter is inhibited

c) In cobra toxin envenom, continues opening of specific post synaptic receptor

d) In organophosphate malathione poisoning, impaired degradation of neurotransmitter

e) When used in surgery, succynylcholine used as an Ach antagonist

18) CSF,

a) has low concentration of protein than plasma

b) is secreted about 500 ml daily]

c) is turbid

d) is secreted by arachnoid granulations

e) secretion occurs at perivascular spaces

19) Olfactation

a) Receptors are located in the lateral wall of the nasal cavity

b) Dendrites of the mitral cells synapse with the receptor axons

c) Seven primary smells can be discriminated

d) Limbic system involve in conscious perception

e) is detected by chemo receptors

Best Answer Type

20) The largest portion of the somatosensory cortex is allocated for

a) Trunk

b) Eye

c) Lips

d) External genitalia

e) Scalp

Medicinal uses of Solenium virginianum L

Medicinal uses of Solenium virginianum L

Family : Solanaceae
Common names: Katuwalbatu
Kattiri

All the parts of this plant has been used in the ayuvedic medicine for centuries to prepare various medicines. It is easy to grow and frond in many tropical countries.
Extracts of this plant can be used for:
Common cough
Allergic rhinitis
Hiccups
Common cold
Flu
And it also can be used to increase appetite