Rediscovery of the earthworm Megascolex hendersoni Michaelsen, 1907 (Clitellata: Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot of India

Megascolex hendersoni Michaelsen, 1907, is a poorly understood species that has only been known from the type collection. Present report concerns its rediscovery from the Palani Hills of Kerala state, near its type locality in 2013. The paper provides the description of the collected specimens, highlighting their ecological and distribution aspects

Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Caddisflies in Streams of Southern Western Ghats

The dynamics of physico-chemical factors and their effects on caddisfly communities were examined in 29 streams of southern Western Ghats. Monthly samples were collected from the Thadaganachiamman stream of Sirumalai Hills, Tamil Nadu from May 2006 to April 2007. Southwest and northeast monsoons favored the existence of caddisfly population in streams. A total of 20 caddisfly taxa were collected from 29 streams of southern Western Ghats. Hydropsyche (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) were more widely distributed throughout sampling sites than were the other taxa. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that elevation was a major variable and pH, stream order, and stream substrates were minor variables affecting taxa richness. These results suggested that habitat heterogeneity and seasonal changes were stronger predictors of caddisfly assemblages than large-scale patterns in landscape diversity

Influence of forest disturbance on earthworm (Oligochaeta) communities in the western Ghats (South India)

In the Western Ghats (South India), the natural evergreen forest has been highly disturbed and fragmented for 150 years. The resultant vegetation is a mosaic of more or less disturbed forests, pastures, and crops (mainly paddy fields). This paper aims to assess the effects of anthropic disturbance on earthworm communities. Earthworms were collected at the end of the rainy season in a wide range of milieux distinguished by their vegetation, soil properties and topography. The earthworms found belong to the families #Octochaetidae, #Megascolecidae and #Moniligastridae$. Densities ranged from 35.3 to 545.3 ind/m2. Biomass ranged from 2.35 to 52.56 g/m2. There was no clear relationship between these community characteristics and the vegetation, soil properties or topography as pastures and forests supported high or low densities (or biomasses). Nevertheless, some species were restricted to pastures, some species to forests and some species are found in all milieux. (Résumé d'auteur

Figure 1 from: Narayanan SP, Sathrumithra S, Christopher G, Julka JM (2017) New species and new records of earthworms of the genus Drawida from Kerala part of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, India (Oligochaeta, Moniligastridae). ZooKeys 691: 1-18. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.691.13174

Figure 1 - Drawida polydiverticulata sp. n. A Holotype - ventral view B Paratype – ventral view C Prostate – ventral view (gland uplifted) D Prostatic capsule – dorsal view E Spermathecal atria - dorsal view F Spermathecal atria - ventral view. Abbreviations: Atr. – Atrium; Atr.D. – Atrial duct; Pr.C. – Prostatic capsule; Prs. – Prostate; Pr.D. – Prostatic duct; Sep. – Septum; Sp.D. – Spermathecal duct; Sp.P. – Spermathecal pore; Vd – Vas deferens

The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical radiography practice: A systematic literature review and recommendations for future services planning

Introduction Worldwide, reports and experiences indicate that there has been extensive re-organisation within diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy departments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was necessary due to changes in workload and working practice guidelines that have evolved during the pandemic. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on radiography practice, service delivery and workforce wellbeing. Methods A systematic review methodology was adopted to obtain data from primary studies of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods designs from databases (PubMed, Science Direct, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL], and SCOPUS: all 2020 to present). The included articles were subjected to information extraction and results-based convergent synthesis. Results The electronic database search yielded 10,420 articles after removal of duplicates. Of these, 31 articles met the final inclusion criteria with some (n = 8) fully focussed on radiotherapy workforce and service delivery. The pandemic impact on radiography practice is broadly themed around: training, communication, and information dissemination; infrastructure, technology, and clinical workflow; and workforce mental health and well-being. Conclusion Globally, most radiographers received inadequate training for managing COVID-19 patients during the initial acute phase of the pandemic. Additionally, there were significant changes to clinical practice, working patterns and perceived increase in workload due to surges in COVID-19 patients and the consequent strict adherence to new infection protocols. These changes, coupled with fear emanating from the increased risk of the workforce to contracting the infection, contributed to anxiety and workplace-related stress during the pandemic. Implications for practice Local pandemic response strategies must be appropriately developed from standard protocols in readiness for safe clinical practice and well-being management training of practitioners