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BackroundEpilepsy has a complex etiology characterised by recurring seizures.PurposeTo study clinical profile of epilepsy patients with reference to type of epilepsy in northwest India. No previous Indian study has reported relative incidence of various types of seizures with reference to type of epilepsy.MethodsData of 400 epilepsy patients (200 idiopathic and 200 symptomatic) was collected for their clinical characteristics. The classification of epilepsy into idiopathic and symptomatic types was done on the basis of findings of EEG, CT scan and MRI tests.ResultsThe age of onset of seizures was less than 15 years in only one third of the total patients. The number of non-vegetarians was higher in SE (68.5%) than IE (58%). The male to female ratio was significantly higher (1.33:1 in IE and 1.47:1 in SE). No difference was seen for place of residence (urban vs rural) patients with epilepsy (PWE). The majority of patients (58.5% of symptomatic and 52.8% idiopathic) though reported no triggering factors, yet many of them, when questioned, had held supernatural powers to be the cause of the disease. Sleep deprivation was reported as a major triggering factor by 28.5% of idiopathic epilepsy (IE) and 25% of symptomatic epilepsy (SE) patients. The incidence of mental retardation (1.25%) and behavioral disorders (7%) was found to be relatively low. Loss of memory was reported in 46% of IE and 43.5% of SE and poor scholastic performance in 23% of IE and 16.5% of SE. A positive history was recorded in 11% first-degree relatives and 4% second-degree relatives. Generalized seizures were more common in IE patients (67.5%), while partial seizures with and without secondary generalization (50.5%), and generalized seizures (49.5%) were equally common in SE. Conclusions: The study demonstrates differences in the type of seizures between idiopathic and symptomatic epilepsies and not other demographic, clinical and psycho-social traits. The males were found to have higher risk of epilepsy than females. The epidemiological characteristics of epileptics show variations across populations and also within population.

Background In this modern era, advancement in technology is seen in every aspect of our life making it comparatively much easier. Likewise, in the field of fingerprinting, the digital scanners have replaced conventional methods of taking fingerprints, as it is accurate and less time-consuming. In daily life, people often apply oils, lotions, hand sanitizers, and occasionally mehendi on their hands. These cosmetic and daily use products affect the digital recording of fingerprints, thus making it difficult for forensic experts to identify the real offender in many cases. The purpose of the study was to check the effect of oils, lotions, hand sanitizers, and mehendi on the fingerprint pattern. Results The present study was undertaken by taking 2700 fingerprints from 30 individuals. These fingerprints were recorded with the help of the SecuGen Hamster IV fingerprint scanner under controlled environmental conditions. The examination and comparison of fingerprint patterns were done on the basis of visibility (clarity and intensity). The presence of cosmetic and daily use products affected the visibility of digitally captured fingerprints. Different products caused different effects based on their properties. Synthetic mehendi, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, greasy lotion, and viscous oil caused significant differences in the fingerprint images by degrading the fingerprint quality. The non-greasy lotion and non-alcohol-based hand sanitizer showed less effect, whereas non-viscous oil and natural mehendi caused a minimal effect on the quality of fingerprint images. Conclusion The application of cosmetic and daily use products added an additional layer on the fingers which is not present naturally. The additional layer caused alterations in the fingerprint pattern of an individual. So, digital fingerprints should be collected after proper washing of hands.

Background:The presence of diatoms in human tissues contributes significantly in determining the mode of death in drowning. Conventional acid digestion of tissues for extraction of diatoms is a time consuming and potentially hazardous technique. The various techniques of extraction and analysis affect the identification of diatoms from human tissues. We have developed and tested a new method which is a simple, safe, time saving, economical extraction technique and extracts diatoms rapidly by removing the extracellular and intracellular organic matter from the siliceous frustules of diatoms. The method was compared with other conventional methods of extraction. This method provides results within 2-3 hours from the tissue samples of suspected drowning cases without interfering with microscopic observation and may be useful in current forensic practices. Materials and methods:The lung tissue samples and bone marrow from bones (femur and sternum) of 66 human cases suspected for drowning death were taken. The human tissue samples of humans were analyzed by the modified reverse aqua regia digestion method and the conventional acid digestion method simultaneously. Results: The results showed that the modified reverse aqua regia digestion method was less time consuming having very strong digestive ability with less impurity as the structure of diatoms remained almost intact, diatoms were identified with clear striations and the recovery rate was higher as compared to conventional acid digestion method. Conclusion:The modified reverse aqua regia acid digestion method is a new scientific approach in the field of forensic diatomology as this is simple and rapid procedure that produces more effective results.

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