Study of variation in price of various antidiabetic drugs available in Indian market

Background: Diabetes mellitus in early age is on the alarming rise in India, requiring lifelong treatment. There is a wide range of variation in the prices of antidiabetic drugs marketed in India. Hence, we decided to study price variations in the oral antidiabetic drugs available, either singly or in combination, and number of manufacturing companies for each, and to evaluate the difference in cost of different brands of same active drug by calculating percentage variation of cost.Methods: Cost of a particular drug being manufactured by different companies, in the same strength and dosage forms was obtained from “Current Index of Medical Specialties” July-October 2014 and “Indian Drug Review” July 2014. The difference in the maximum and minimum price of the same drug, manufactured by different pharmaceutical companies and percentage variation in price was calculated.Results: Percentage price variation among different group of drugs was found to be as follows: in sulfonylureas, it was highest in glimepiride 2 mg 836.44%, among biguanides - metformin 500 mg 245.55%, among thiazolidionediones-pioglitazone 15 mg 600%, among α glucosidase inhibitors - voglibose 284.61% and meglitinides - repaglinide 0.5 mg 181.40%. Among combination therapy glimepiride 1 mg + metformin 500 mg 366.66%, pioglitazone + metformin 207.51%, pioglitazone + glimepiride 268.42% showed maximum variation in price.Conclusion: The average percentage price variation of different brands of the same oral antidiabetic drug manufactured in India is very wide. The appropriate changes in the government policy, sensitizing the prescribers about cost of therapy and proper management of marketing drugs should be directed toward maximizing the benefits of therapy and minimizing negative economic consequences

Systematics of Trimeresurus popeiorum Smith, 1937 with a revised molecular phylogeny of Asian pitvipers of the genus Trimeresurus Lacépède, 1804 sensu lato

The pit viper snake genus Trimeresurus Lacépède, 1804 sensu lato, is a diverse group of nocturnal serpents comprising over 61 species. The genus is morphologically heterogeneous and has been divided into several subgenera. We present an updated phylogeny of Asian pitvipers and propose a revised classification. Additionally, we revise the taxonomy of T. popeiorum Smith, 1937 and propose taxonomic changes with support from molecular and morphological data. We restrict T. popeiorum sensu stricto to northeastern India, Bangladesh, southern China, and northern Myanmar; populations beyond these areas require further assessment. We also synonymize T. yingjiangensis Chen et al., 2019 with T. popeiorum based on overlapping morphological characters, molecular data, and distribution. The findings shed new light on the taxonomy of T. popeiorum, warranting the need for assessing the population of T. popeiorum from southeast Asia

Wind farms have cascading impacts on ecosystems across trophic levels

Wind farms are a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels for mitigating the effects of climate change, but they also have complex ecological consequences. In the biodiversity hotspot of the Western Ghats in India, we find that wind farms reduce the abundance and activity of predatory birds (for example, Buteo, Butastur and Elanus species), which consequently increases the density of lizards, Sarada superba. The cascading effects of wind turbines on lizards include changes in behaviour, physiology and morphology that reflect a combination of predator release and density-dependent competition. By adding an effective trophic level to the top of food webs, we find that wind farms have emerging impacts that are greatly underestimated. There is thus a strong need for an ecosystem-wide view when aligning green-energy goals with environment protection

Preliminary review of Indian Eumenophorinae (Araneae: Theraphosidae) with description of a new genus and five new species from the Western Ghats.

The theraphosid spider genera Heterophrictus Pocock, 1900 and Neoheterophrictus Siliwal & Raven, 2012 are rediagnosed in this paper and a new genus, Sahydroaraneus gen. nov. is described from Southern Western Ghats. Four new species (two each of Heterophrictus and Neoheterophrictus) and one of Sahydroaraneus gen. nov. are described from the Western Ghats. Plesiophrictus mahabaleshwari Tikader, 1977 is removed from the synonymy of Heterophrictus milleti Pocock, 1900 and is treated as a junior synonym of Heterophrictus blatteri (Gravely, 1935). Plesiophrictus bhori Gravely, 1915 is transferred to the genus Neoheterophrictus, Neoheterophrictus bhori (Gravely, 1915) new combination. The genus, Sahydroaraneus gen. nov., resembles tarantula belonging to the genus, Neoheterophrictus but differs with respect to structure of tibial apophysis and spermathecae. Detailed ultra-structure of setae type of the Indian Eumenophorinae is presented for the first time along with notes on their biogeography. Common elements among Africa, Madagascar and India like the Eumenophorinae and several other mygalomorph spiders advocate mygalomorphae as an important group for evolutionary investigation due to their inability for long distance dispersal rendering the members restrictive in distribution

On the systematics and the phylogenetic position of the poorly known, montane dragon-lizard species Pseudocalotes austeniana (Annandale, 1908) (Squamata, Agamidae, Draconinae)

The montane agamid species Pseudocalotes austeniana has had a complicated taxonomic history, as the species was initially described as a member of the genus Salea Gray, 1845. Later, the species was placed in a monotypic genus Mictopholis Smith, 1935, which was erected only to include this species; however, the species was later on transferred to the genus Pseudocalotes Fitzinger, 1843, owing to the morphological similarities, and lack of strong characters to diagnose the genus Mictopholis. Nonetheless, its precise phylogenetic and systematic position has remained unresolved due to the lack of molecular sequence data. During a herpetological expedition to Arunachal Pradesh, specimens of P. austeniana were collected from the hills near the type locality. The mitochondrial 16S rRNA, ND2 and ND4, and the nuclear RAG1 regions were subjected to molecular phylogenetics. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference gene trees revealed that P. austeniana is a member of the subfamily Draconinae. The analyses showed that the genus Pseudocalotes is polyphyletic, and P. austeniana was embedded within the genus Japalura Gray, 1853 sensu stricto. We here, thus, propose to transfer the species P. austeniana to the genus Japlaura, as Japalura austeniana comb. nov. Biogeographic and evolutionary significance of the findings are discussed

Study of knowledge, attitude and practices regarding dengue in the urban and rural field practice area of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Pune, India

Context: Dengue is the most common disease among all the arthropod-borne viral diseases. There is no specific treatment or vaccine available for dengue. The sole method of prevention and control is the knowledge attitude and practices (KAP) for the same. Although, dengue is considered an urban- and semi-urban disease, in recent years, due to water storage practices and large-scale development activities in rural areas, dengue has become endemic in rural areas of India as well. Aims: To assess the KAP regarding dengue. Settings and Design: Urban and rural field practice area of a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Pune, India. Materials and Methods: A pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire was used to study the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding dengue. Stratified random sampling technique was used. A modified B. G. Prasad criterion was used for socio-economic classification. Statistical Analysis Used: KAP represented as proportion (%). Chi-square test was used as a test of significance. P value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: 68.4% in urban areas and 40.4% in rural area knew that dengue is transmitted by mosquito. 62.6% in urban areas and 48% in rural areas respectively stated fever as a symptom of dengue. The use of anti-adult mosquito measures was 48.05% and 51.42% in urban and rural area respectively Conclusions: There is a definite need to increase the information education communication activities for dengue in the study area

A new species of gecko of the genus Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 from the Western Ghats, India

Mirza, Zeeshan A., Pal, Saunak, Bhosale, Harshal S., Sanap, Rajesh V. (2014): A new species of gecko of the genus Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 from the Western Ghats, India. Zootaxa 3815 (4): 494-506, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3815.4.