Studies on Pakistan reptiles. Pt. 3. Calotes versicolor

Volume: 5Start Page: 14End Page: 3

Calotes versicolor nigrigularis Auffenberg and Rehman 1993 a Junior Primary Homonym

Volume: 6Start Page: 27End Page: 2

Cyrtopodion baturense Khan & Baig 1992

Cyrtopodion baturense (Khan & Baig 1992) Figures 1–3 Tenuidactylus baturensis Khan & Baig 1992, Pakistan Journal of Zoology 24: 273. Type locality: Pasu, Gilgit Agency Pakistan, 3620 ’N, 7450 ’E, 2,446 m. Cyrtodactylus baturensis (lapsus calami) Khan 1999, Pakistan Journal of Zoology 31: 278. Mesodactylus baturensis Khan 1999, Pakistan Journal of Zoology 31: 278. Altigekko baturensis Khan 2003, Journal of Natural History and Wildlife 2: 2. Specimens examined. Gilgit Agency, Federally Administered Northern Areas (FANA), Pakistan: Pasu (often spelled Passu), BMNH 1990.3 (holotype; Fig. 1), paratypes CAS 170529 and USNM 284136 (Fig. 2) from holotype locality; Dih, Hunza District, UF 79147 (Fig. 3). Description of holotype. Female. Snout-vent length (SVL) = 50.9 mm; tail regenerated; head length [HL]/SVL = 0.265; head width [HW]/HL = 0.637; head height [HH]/HW = 0.616; eye diameter [EYD]/eye– nostril [EYN] = 0.697; ear diameter [EAD]/EYD = 0.233; three post-nasals; one medial scale between postnasals; nine supralabials; seven infralabials; 14 interorbitals; nine scales surrounding roundish dorsal tubercles; 141 scales between post-mentals and cloaca; 26 subdigital lamellae on fourth toe; three pairs of post-mentals; four large, lateral tubercles on each tail whorl; dark color bands: one on head, one on nape, and five on body; 15 scales between eye and ear; 10 longitudinal rows of tubercles; 27 transverse rows of ventrals at mid-body; 12–13 subdigital lamellae on first toe; two cloacal spines; 20 subdigital lamellae on fourth finger; first pair of post-mentals in contact; head scales homogenous in size; mental triangular; tail whorls distinct; pre-cloacal pores absent; dark color bar from nostril through eye; femoral spines and pores absent; enlarged tubercles on limbs (Fig. 1). Variation. Medium-sized geckos (SVL of largest adult = 58.5 mm), tail longer than body; limbs moderate, hind limb extends to just beyond axilla, forelimb to nostril; body and head moderately dorsoventrally compressed. Head moderate (HL/SVL, mean = 0.268 + 0.008, HW/HL, mean = 0.630 + 0.010, HH/ HW, mean = 0.591 + 0.026), snout slightly longer than distance between eye and ear. Eye large (EYD/EYN, mean = 0.735 + 0.057; ear opening ovate to roundish, prominent, EAD/EYD, mean = 0.253 + 0.027. Nostril bordered by rostral, first supralabial, and three postnasals, medial postnasal largest, others subequal in size; one medial scale between postnasals. Dorsal head scales homogeneous in shape, slightly larger on snout; scattered flattened tubercles in occipital region; 14–19 interorbital scales; loreals with small projections on posterior half of eye; 15–16 scales between eye and ear opening; rostral partially cleft; nine to 10 supralabials, seven to eight infralabials. Mental triangular, longer than broad. Three pairs of postmentals, decreasing in size posteriorly, first pair in contact, with a broad suture. Dorsum of body and limbs with small roundish, beaded to flat scales intermixed with larger, roundish tubercles; tubercles surrounded by rosettes of eight - nine small scales; tubercles two–three times larger than granular scales, smooth, flat to rounded, often conical laterally; arranged in ten longitudinal rows at midbody, lateral rows indistinct; limbs with scattered enlarged dorsal tubercles. Lateral fold indistinct, often absent. Venter with roundish, slightly imbricate scales, 27–30 across middle of belly; 141–150 from postmentals to cloaca; gulars small. Pre-cloacal pores absent. Femoral pores and spines absent. Subfemoral scales large, in five series, imbricate, slightly larger than ventrals. Cloacal spines present, two per side. Digits moderate, subdigital lamellae well-developed, smooth, nearly as broad as digit, 20–21 on fourth finger, 20–22 on first toe, 24–26 on fourth toe. Tail dorso-ventrally compressed in anterior two-thirds, round posterior one-third; anterior half with dorsal medial groove; anterior half distinctly segmented, tapering to point; seven to nine whorls in anterior third of tail; each segment in anterior half with two enlarged dorso-lateral tubercles (medial tubercle smallest, keeled, other bluntly acuminate) and two much larger, acuminate, lateral tubercles per side; tubercles reduced in size and number distally, indistinct or absent on posterior one-third; eight–ten rows of scales per whorl, terminal row not enlarged, comprised of a series of small squarish scales (Fig. 2); base of tail with numerous small scales below, transverse series of five to six larger scales, slightly larger than adjacent scales at third whorl; regenerated tail of holotype swollen and lobed, whereas paratype (USNM 284136) (broken at third whorl), not swollen nor lobed; dorsum of regenerated tail uniformly covered with small, flat to bluntly conical scales; regenerated subcaudals much larger than dorsal scales with transverse series of three or four scales largest. Dorsal ground color light to medium gray with seven to eight irregular transverse darker brown bands, with even darker posterior margins, one in occipital area, one at nape, and five to six on body; nine to 15 dark bars on tail, regenerated tail with elongated brown speckles; limbs with short brown bars; grayish-brown bar from nostril through eye; top of head irregularly mottled; labials with dark blotches and specks; venter whitish. Distribution. Known only from the holotype locality and nearby village of Dih, Hunza District (Fig. 4). Habitat. Found on side of stone wall and under stones on hillsides from 2,438–3,078 m elevation. Reproduction. All previously known specimens are female. UF 79147 collected 12 July 1990 is also a female, with one vitellogenic follicle in each ovary. Khan & Baig (1992: 276) do not mention if their specimens were gravid. Khan & Baig (1992) speculate that males of high altitude gecko species are rare or absent based on the small number of males encountered by Gruber (1981) (~ 14 %, 2 males out of 14 specimens) and by the absence of males in the few specimens of C. baturense so far collected.Published as part of Auffenberg, Kurt, Krysko, Kenneth L. & Rehman, Hafizur, 2010, Studies on Pakistan Lizards: Cyrtopodion baturense (Khan and Baig 1992) and Cyrtopodion walli (Ingoldby 1922) (Sauria: Gekkonidae), pp. 1-20 in Zootaxa 2636 on pages 4-7, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19844

Cyrtopodion walli Ingoldby 1922

Cyrtopodion walli (Ingoldby 1922) Figures 5–7 Gymnodactylus walli Ingoldby 1922, Journal of the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 28: 1051. Type locality: Chitral, Northwest Frontier Province, Pakistan. Gymnodactylus stoliczkai (in partim) Smith 1935: 57, Fauna of British India, Reptilia and Amphibia vol. 2, Sauria. Gymnodactylus (Cyrtodactylus) stoliczkai (in partim) Mertens 1969, Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde 197: 25. Cyrtodactylus stoliczkai (in partim) Minton 1988: 160, Reptiles of the Pakistan Deserts. Tenuidactylus stoliczkai (in partim) Szczerbak & Golubev 1984: 55, Vestnik Zoologii. Cyrtopodion stoliczkai Welch et al. 1990: 17, Lizards of the Orient A Checklist. Gonydactylus stoliczkai (in partim) Kluge 1991, Smithsonian Herpetological Information Service 85: 13. Gymnodactylus walli Khan 1992, Herpetological Journal 2: 106. Gymnodactylus chitralensis Smith 1935: 46, Fauna of British India, Reptilia and Amphibia, vol. 2, Sauria, pl. I, fig. E. Type locality: Karakal, Bumhoet Valley, Northwest Frontier Province, Pakistan. Khan 1992, Herpetological Journal 2: 106. Cyrtodactylus walli Kluge 1993: 9, Gekkonoid Lizard Taxonomy. Tenuidactylus walli Khan 1997: 384, Biodiversity of Pakistan. Mesodactylus walli Khan 1999, Pakistan Journal of Zoology 31: 278. Mediodactylus walli Khan 2003, Journal of Natural History and Wildlife 2: 5. Specimens examined. Chitral District, Northwest Frontier, Pakistan; Chitral: BMNH 1910.7. 12.1 (holotype; Fig. 5), BMNH 1946.5. 23.19 (recataloged, previously BMNH 1933.7. 8.2, syntype of Gymnodactylus chitralensis Smith 1935, but see discussion below; Fig. 6), UF 82302 –12, 88003– 20 (UF 88011 illustrated in Fig. 7); 7.0 km N Drosh: UF 82366 – 67; Ayun, ca. 20.0 km S Chitral: UF 82368 – 75; Bamburet Valley: UF 88022 – 23; Bermoghluscht: UF 88024 – 25; Drosh Tehsil: UF 88027 – 36. Description of holotype (neonate, gender unknown). SVL = 26.0 mm; TL = unknown, associated tail does not match holotype; HL/SVL = 0.300; HW/HL = 0.628; HH/HW = 0.714; EYD/EYN = 0.800; EAD/ EYD = 0.062; two post-nasals; four medial scales between post-nasals; 10–11 supralabials; eight to nine infralabials; 20 interorbitals; nine scales surrounding roundish dorsal tubercles; 165 scales between postmentals and cloaca; 23 subdigital lamellae on fourth toe; three pairs of post-mentals; dark color bands: one on head, one on nape, five on body; 15 scales between eye and ear; 10 longitudinal rows of enlarged, dorsal tubercles; 24 transverse rows of ventrals at mid-body; 12 subdigital lamellae on first toe; three cloacal spines; 20–21 subdigital lamellae on fourth finger; first pair of post-mentals in contact; head scales not homogenous in size; mental triangular; pre-cloacal pores absent; dark color band from nostril through eye; femoral spines and pores absent. Variation. Medium-sized geckos (SVL of largest adult = 61.8 mm), tail longer than body (longest TL = 82.5 mm), SVL/TL, mean = 0.745 + 0.072 (n = 22); limbs moderate, hind limb extends to axilla, forelimb to nostril; body and head moderately dorso-ventrally compressed. Head moderate (HL/SVL, mean = 0.254 + 0.014, HW/HL, mean = 0.733 + 0.035, HH/HW, mean = 0.510 + 0.041, snout slightly longer than distance between eye and ear. Eye large, EYD/EYN, mean = 0.719 + 0.071; ear opening ovate, small, EAD/EYD, mean = 0.285 + 0.064. Nostril bordered by rostral, first supralabial, and three postnasals; middle postnasal largest, others subequal in size; zero to four medial scales between postnasals, usually one or two. Dorsal head scales heterogeneous in size, slightly larger on snout, scattered enlarged tubercles in occipital region; 16–22 interorbital scales; loreals with small projections on posterior half of eye; 14–19 scales between eye and ear opening; rostral partially cleft; nine to 11 supralabials, seven to 10 infralabials; mental triangular, about as long as broad; three pairs of postmentals, decreasing in size posteriorly, first pair in contact, with a broad suture; third pair often variable in size, may be substantially larger on one side, sometimes separated from infralabials by a series of smaller scales. Dorsum of body and limbs with small roundish, beaded to flat scales intermixed with larger, roundish to ovate tubercles. Tubercles surrounded by rosettes of eight to 12 small scales; tubercles four to five times larger than granular scales, smooth, flat to rounded, sometimes indistinctly keeled, often conical laterally; arranged in 10–12 longitudinal rows. Paravertebral rows separated by three to four granular scales. Limbs with scattered enlarged flat to conical dorsal tubercles. Lateral fold indistinct, often absent; venter with hexagonal to roundish, slightly imbricate scales, 27–36 across middle of belly; 143– 182 from postmentals to cloaca; gulars small, granular; a chevron-shaped series of four enlarged pre-cloacal scales, often broken into two pairs separated by one or two much smaller scales; four pre-cloacal pores present in males; larger females with indentations in each of four enlarged scales. Femoral pores and spines absent; subfemoral scales uniform in size, about three-fourths as large as ventrals. Cloacal spines usually present, zero to four per side. Digits moderate, clawed, subdigital lamellae well-developed, smooth, nearly as broad as digit, 16–22 on fourth finger, 11–14 on first toe, 22–28 on fourth toe. Tail dorso-ventrally compressed in anterior two-thirds, round posterior one-third, base swollen in males, anterior two-thirds with shallow dorsal medial groove, anterior half distinctly segmented, tapering to point, seven to nine whorls in anterior third of tail, each segment in anterior half with one enlarged, rounded to weakly keeled dorso-lateral tubercle and two to three enlarged, bluntly conical lateral tubercles per side, medial tubercle largest; tubercles reduced in size and number (two) distally, indistinct or absent on posterior one-third; six to 10 rows of scales per whorl, two terminal rows (distal to enlarged tubercles) comprised of transverse series of rectangular scales. Ventral tail base with numerous small scales, gradually becoming larger with central transverse series of two scales largest; dorsal four-fifths with single series of transversely enlarged scales, usually with two smaller scales ventral to enlarged tubercles; shallow medial groove in anterior half to two-thirds of tail; dorsum of regenerated tail with uniformly-sized, flattened scales, tubercles lacking, a single series of transversely enlarged scales below. Dorsal ground color light - to medium - gray with seven to nine irregular transverse darker gray to brown bars, with even darker posterior margins, one in occipital area, one at nape, and five to seven on body; nine to 15 dark bars on tail; limbs with short grayish-brown bands; grayish-brown bar from nostril through eye; top of head sparsely mottled; labials with dark speckles; venter whitish. Distribution. All known records occur north of the Lowari Pass (3,209 m elevation) in the lower Chitral District of northwestern Pakistan from Drosh northward as far as Birmogh Lasht, a village a few kilometers north of the town of Chitral (Fig. 4). These localities lie along the highway that generally follows the Kunar River. It has also been collected in the Bumboret River valley, a large tributary of the Kunar River within the Kafir Kalash Tribal Area (also see Smith 1935 for Gymnodactylus chitralensis). These localities range from 1,970–2,120 m elevation. We are unaware of any records from other tributaries of the Kunar River in the Kalash region (Rumbur and Birir rivers), as well as the Shishi River drainage to the east, and upper Chitral District (north of Birmogh Lasht), albeit these areas of Pakistan are very poorly surveyed. Additionally, its distribution southwest of Drosh in the Kunar River valley is unknown. The species may occur in the Nuristan region of the borderlands of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Habitat. The lower elevations of the mountains in Chitral District are denuded of much of their original conifer forests. River valleys have been mostly converted to agriculture although they are often forested with various broadleaf species. Wall (1911: 132) states that the species (as Gymnodactylus stoliczkai) is common around Drosh Fort, being found in packing crates and rubbish piles during the day and in the open at night. Individuals were encountered active at night most often on human habitations, including wooden and earthen structures during our surveys. Others were collected at night on tree trunks in a reforestation project site. Reproduction. Two neonates (UF 82370 collected 7 July 1991 and UF 88004 collected 16 June 1993, SVL = 31.6 mm and 30.8 mm, respectively) indicate that hatching takes place in spring to early summer.Published as part of Auffenberg, Kurt, Krysko, Kenneth L. & Rehman, Hafizur, 2010, Studies on Pakistan Lizards: Cyrtopodion baturense (Khan and Baig 1992) and Cyrtopodion walli (Ingoldby 1922) (Sauria: Gekkonidae), pp. 1-20 in Zootaxa 2636 on pages 7-11, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19844

Sedimentation study and dispersion behavior of Al2O3–H2O nanofluids with dependence of time

Elsevier IP: 125.17.16.94 Wed, 23 May 2012 15:03:01 Nanofluids are kind of engineering material, with a new challenge for thermal sciences provided by nanotechnology. Nanofluids are being investigated for numerous applications, including cooling process, manufacturing process, chemical process pharmaceutical process and medical treatment process etc. Nanofluids are basically the suspension of solid nanoparticles with size typically 1-100 nm in base fluid. In current research, Alumina size less than 50 nm has been used. The tested fluids have been prepared by dispersing Al O into DI water at three different conditions by using 1 wt%, 3 wt% and 5 wt%. concentrations of alumina without using any surfactant. To ensure the quality of dispersion and stability of alumina nanoparticles in DI water, an ultrasonicator with 47 kHz frequency and dispersion time until 3 hrs has been used. Particle sedimentation test of these different condition nanofluid samples has been critically checked. As per result, after 30 days approximately 28% particle sedimentation recorded in 3 wt% and 21% sedimentation recorded in 5 wt% Al O nanofluid, prepared with 3 hrs ultrasonicator dispersion time. Also the particle size (PSS) result for 3 wt% and 5 wt% Al O nanofluid with dispersion time 3 hrs got as 46 nm and 60 nm respectively. The present research will be helpful to investigate the dispersion behavior of different condition water-based Al O nanofluid with respect to time without using any using any surfactants or any other surface additives to use further in heat transfer processes

Pharmacokinetic, Metabolomic, and Stability Assessment of Ganoderic Acid H Based Triterpenoid Enriched Fraction of Ganoderma lucidum P. Karst

Ganoderma lucidum P. karst is an edible fungus that is used in traditional medicine and contains triterpenoids as the major phytoconstituents. Ganoderic acids are the most abundant triterpenoids that showed pharmacological activity. As Indian varieties contain ganoderic acid H (GA-H), we aimed to prepare GA-H-based triterpenoid enriched fraction (TEF) and evaluated its pharmacokinetics, metabolomics, and stability analysis. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed to quantify GA-H in TEF and rat plasma. Based on GA-H content, a stability assessment and pharmacokinetic study of TEF were also performed. After its oral administration to rats, TEF’s the metabolic pattern recognition was performed through ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy (UPLC–MS). The developed HPLC method was found to be simple, sensitive, precise (<15%), and accurate (>90% recovery) for the quantification of GA-H. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed that GA-H reached its maximum plasma concentration (Cmax 2509.9 ng/mL) within two hours and sustained quantifiable amount up to 12 h with a low elimination rate (Kel) 0.05 L/h. TEF contained ten bioavailable constituents. The prepared TEF was found to be stable for up to one year at room temperature. The prepared TEF, enriched with ganoderic acid, is stable, contains bioavailable constituents, and can be explored as phytopharmaceuticals for different pharmacological properties. Highlights: (1). Preparation of triterpenoid enriched fraction (TEF) from Ganoderma lucidum. (2). Major triterpenoid in TEF is ganoderic acid H (GA-H). (3). TEF contains several bioavailable phytoconstituents. (4). TEF (considering only GA-H) is stable for up to one year at room temperature. (5). GA-H is rapidly absorbed and has high systemic exposure

Chromatography Based Metabolomics and In Silico Screening of Gymnema sylvestre Leaf Extract for Its Antidiabetic Potential

Gymnema sylvestre, popularly known as gurmar, is extensively used in traditional systems of medicine for diabetes, stomach ailments, liver diseases, and cardiac disorders. Dried leaf powder of G. sylvestre was extracted through soxhlation using 70% (v/v) alcohol. The hydroalcoholic extract was concentrated to 1/4th of its volume and basified to isolate gymnemic acid enriched extract using chloroform. The isolated extract was checked for its antioxidant potential against 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), which showed scavenging activity of 82.31% at 80 μg/mL of extract. Quality control analysis of the extract was carried out by TLC. Chloroform and methanol (9.5:0.5, v/v) were used as a solvent system and separated compounds were detected at 254 and 366 nm. A total of 13 metabolites were separated. However, major peaks were at Rf 0.12, 0.69, 0.79, and 0.85. Further, UPLC-MS fingerprinting of the extract was done using acetonitrile and 0.5% formic acid in water as mobile phase in gradient elution mode. A total of 21 metabolites were separated and tentatively identified from the database. Deacyl gymnemic acid and quercetin are the two major metabolites found in the extract. Gymnemic acid, deacyl gymnemic acid, and quercetin were docked with ten different proteins associated with glucose metabolism, transport, and glucose utilization. It has been observed that gymnemic acid was more potent than deacyl gymnemic acid in terms of binding affinity towards proteins and showed a favorable interaction with amino acid residues at the active site. Thus, the present study gives an insight of identified metabolites with protein interaction and a reason for the hypoglycemic potential of deacyl gymnemic acid enriched extract, which can be further explored for in vitro and in vivo studies to establish its phytopharmacological and therapeutic effect