Technical Bulletin No. 3

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Interstitial pulmonary fibrosis in a Malaysian captive Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)

A 14-year-old female captive Asian elephant in a Malaysian z oo with a history of positive sero-reactivity to Elephant TB STAT-PAK assay was humanely euthanized due to chronic weight loss and poor response to treatment. Postmortem revealed generalized congestion and emphysematous lungs. Microscopically, there were severe pulmonary emphysema, eosinophilic hyaline membrane and infiltration of mature fibrocytes in the alveolar walls. Based on the histopathological findings interstitial pulmonary fibrosis was diagnosed. The possible cause of which although not completely known, is most likely due to hypersensitivity. The allergic reaction could have been caused by exposure to antigens of avian origin or the Mycobacterium gilvum, an non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM), isolated from the lung. This is the second case reported in elephants globally, thought it has been well studied in humans and reported in horses. Providing good husbandry for elephants in captivity is important to reduce the occurrence of such condition

Mating In the Indian Squid Uroteuthis duvaucelii (cephalopoda: Loliginidae) From the Tropical Arabian Sea

The Indian squid Uroteuthis duvaucelii (D'Orbigny, 1835) is the most important commercial species of squid caught from the Indian Seas. Sperm transfer is a complex process in cephalopods, with males transferring intricate spermatophores to females during mating. However, nothing is known about the mating and sperm transfer behaviour of U. duvaucelii from the tropical Indian waters. Spermatangia implantations were tracked over the buccal membrane of 14 females and one male Indian squid Uroteuthis duvaucelii from the Arabian Sea during February and March 2021. The size of mated female individuals ranged from 110 to 160 mm dorsal mantle length (DML). The numbers of spermatangia in the buccal region range from 64 to 385 (mean=178). The length of the spermatangia ranged from 0.66 to 1.35 mm (average=0.89 mm) and the maximum width ranged from 0.14 to 0.23 mm (average=0.19 mm). Based on the statolith based age estimation, the age of the mated squid ranged from 98 to 148 days. Normally spermatophores are transferred to the buccal region of females by males during copulation, but strangely, a male buccal membrane was observed with spermatangium (n=254), which is evidence of same-sex (homosexual) mating behaviour in the Indian squid. Back-calculated hatching dates for the squids were from September 28th 2020 to 28th November 2020. The present observations give evidence for pre-monsoon mating for the species in the tropical Arabian Sea. Furthermore, we recommend a detailed study on reproductive biology for a complete understanding of the mating behaviour of loliginids in the Arabian Sea

Evaluation of Nutritional, Phytochemical, and Mineral Composition of Selected Medicinal Plants for Therapeutic Uses from Cold Desert of Western Himalaya

The aim of this study was to determine the elemental and nutritive values of leaf parts of 10 selected wild medicinal plants, Acer pictum, Acer caecium, Betula utilis, Oxalis corniculata, Euphorbia pilosa, Heracleum lanatum, Urtica dioica, Berberis lycium, Berberis asiaticaand, and Quercus ilex, collected from the high hills of the Chitkul range in district Kinnaur, Western Himalaya. The nutritional characteristics of medicinal plant species were analyzed by using muffle furnace and micro-Kjeldahl methods, and the mineral content in plants was analyzed through atomic absorption spectrometry. The highest percentage of used value was reported in Betula utilis (0.42) and the lowest in Quercus ilex (0.17). In this study, it was found that new generations are not much interested in traditional knowledge of ethnomedicinal plants due to modernization in society. Therefore, there is an urgent need to document ethnomedicinal plants along with their phytochemical and minerals analysis in study sites. It was found that rural people in western Himalaya are dependent on wild medicinal plants, and certain steps must be taken to conserve these plants from extinction in the cold desert of Himalayan region. They are an alternative source of medicine because they contain saponin, alkaloid, and flavonoid etc. as well as minerals. The leaves used for analysis possesses good mineral content, such as Na, N, K, P, Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Ca, Mg, and S. Hence, in the current study it was observed that medicinal plants are not only used for therapeutic purposes, but they can also be used as nutritional supplements

Variation in sediment quality and hydrology – Is it a reason for short-neck clam biomass depletion in Ashtamudi Lake

The internationally renowned short neck clam Paphia malabarica is India’s first MSC certified resource. Its fishery is well established in Ashtamudi Lake (Lat.8°45’-9°28’N and Long.76°28’- 77°17E) one of the Ramsar site in India and the second largest wetland in Kerala. As a locally marketed clam till 1981, its demand increased as export market began in 1981. The clam was overexploited and the stock was depleted in the year 1990, but the resource was revived through the implementation of self imposed ban suggested by CMFRI. In the present scenario, this resource is showing a declining trend in the fishery. The decadal trend in the landings, 2014 showed a peak 10810.98 and 3056 t (2020) followed by 706t in 2021.This decline is aggravated by the flood in 2018. The studies conducted by CMFRI, the textural analysis of sediment in Ashtamudi Lake showed distinct changes in the sediment quality. The preferred bottom texture for the short neck clam is sandy clay. The consecutive surveys (biomass, sediment and hydrography)and monthly sampling results revealed the prominent changes in sediment texture. High values for silt was observed after the flood in 2018. In the year 2010 the average silt percentage was 3 to 5% and 10 to 22% in 2020. Hydrographic parameters analysed for the survey samples also showed drastic changes in temperature (28.6 to 31° C),nitrite (0.002 to 0.009 mg-L), dissolved oxygen (5 to 3.49 mg-L), and chlorophyll (4.2 to 1.8 mg-L-day) values.The possible role of various environmental parameters determining the water and sediment quality on the decline of short neck clam biomass in Ashtamudi Lake is analysed in detail in this paper

Redirecting abiraterone metabolism to fine tune prostate cancer anti-androgen therapy

Abiraterone blocks androgen synthesis and prolongs survival in castration-resistant prostate cancer, which is otherwise driven by intratumoral androgen synthesis1,2. Abiraterone is metabolized in patients to D4A, which has even greater anti-tumor activity and structural similarities to endogenous steroidal 5α-reductase substrates, such as testosterone3. Here, we show that D4A is converted to at least 3 5α-reduced and 3 5β-reduced metabolites. The initial 5α-reduced metabolite, 3-keto-5α-abi, is more abundant than D4A in patients with prostate cancer taking abiraterone, and is an androgen receptor (AR) agonist, which promotes prostate cancer progression. In a clinical trial of abiraterone alone, followed by abiraterone plus dutasteride (a 5α-reductase inhibitor), 3-keto-5α-abi and downstream metabolites are depleted, while D4A concentrations rise, effectively blocking production of a tumor-promoting metabolite and permitting D4A accumulation. Furthermore, dutasteride does not deplete three 5β-reduced metabolites, which were also clinically detectable, demonstrating the specific biochemical effects of pharmacologic 5α-reductase inhibition on abiraterone metabolism. Our findings suggest a previously unappreciated and biochemically specific method of clinically fine-tuning abiraterone metabolism to optimize therapy

Circulating levels of liver enzymes and incidence of atrial fibrillation: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities cohort

Elevated levels of circulating liver enzymes have been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Their possible association with atrial fibrillation (AF) has received little attention

Ethnomedicinal Plants Used in the Health Care System: Survey of the Mid Hills of Solan District, Himachal Pradesh, India

The study was performed in the mid hills of the Dharampur region in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, India. At the study site, a total of 115 medicinal plants were documented (38 trees, 37 herbs, 34 shrubs, 5 climbers, 1 fern, and 1 grass). In the study region, extensive field surveys were performed between March 2020 and August 2021. Indigenous knowledge of wild medicinal plants was collected through questionnaires, discussions, and personal interviews during field trips. Plants with their correct nomenclature were arranged by botanical name, family, common name, habitat, parts used, routes used, and diseases treated. In the present study, the predominant family was Rosaceae, which represented the maximum number of plant species, 10, followed by Asteraceae and Lamiaceae, which represented 8 plant species. The rural inhabitants of the Dharampur region in the Solan district have been using local plants for primary health care and the treatment of various diseases for a longer time. However, information related to the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants was not documented. The rural inhabitants of the Dharampur region reported that the new generation is not so interested in traditional knowledge of medicinal plants due to modernization in society, so there is an urgent need to document ethnomedicinal plants before such knowledge becomes inaccessible and extinct

Preliminary fabrication and characterization of electron beam melted Ti–6Al–4V customized dental implant

The current study was aimed to fabricate customized root form dental implant using additive manufacturing technique for the replacement of missing teeth. The root form dental implant was designed using GeomagicTM and MagicsTM, the designed implant was directly manufactured by layering technique using ARCAM A2TM electron beam melting system by employing medical grade Ti–6Al–4V alloy powder. Furthermore, the fabricated implant was characterized in terms of certain clinically important parameters such as surface microstructure, surface topography, chemical purity and internal porosity. Results confirmed that, fabrication of customized dental implants using additive rapid manufacturing technology offers an attractive method to produce extremely pure form of customized titanium dental implants, the rough and porous surface texture obtained is expected to provide better initial implant stabilization and superior osseointegration

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London