Some observations on a copepod parasite from a flying fish and a bunch of flying fish eggs attached to a flotsam

observations made on a copepod parasite from a flying fish and a bunch of flying fish eggs are described

A rare presentation of hypothyroidism

In this case report, we have brought out a very rare presentation of hypothyroidism in the form of cataplexy and this case is of significance because there have been no similar case reports of hypothyroidism presenting as cataplexy so far. The other highlight of the case is that treatment of hypothyroidism alone resulted in complete freedom from cataplexy without the need for agrypnotic drugs

Distribution and abundance of pteropod and heteropod molluscs in the EEZ and adjoining waters of India

The pteropod and heteropod molluscs formed an Important constituent in the zooplankton of the EEZ of India and the adjacent areas. Between them the pteropods dominated numerically over the heteropads in all situations. The average density of pteropods in the area investigated was 734 (expressed as number per 1000 m3 of water) and heteropoda was33

Quantitative abundance of amphipods around Andaman-Nicobar Islands

The present study deals with the quantitative distribution and abundance of amphipods of the Andaman Sea in time and space, based on the zooplankton samples collected during the cruises 46- 73 of FORV Sagar Sampada during 1988-1990. Mean number of amphipods (no/1000 m ) reached the maximum of 1763 in January and the minimum of 315 in July. The seasonal density was maximum during the northeast monsoon and minimum for the southwest monsoon and their mean numbers were estimated as 812 and 463/1000 m respectively. In general, they were abundant in the region where the station depths ranged between 50 and 100 m with the mean estimated as 800/1000 m of water. Analysis of day and night samples did not show any remarkable variation. The distribution and abundance of amphipods in relation to time and space are discussed in the paper

Zooplankton abundance in the continental shelf waters of the northeast coast of India

Higher concentrations of zooplankton standing stock and population occurred in the region off Chilka lake and Paradip (19° 10'N-19° 55'N and 85°09'E-86° 50'E) during January and off Visakhapatnam (17°30'N- 18°28'N and 83°14'E- 84°29*E) during November and April. The most productive period along the northwestern part of the Bay of Bengal was the northeast monsoon season (October-January) followed by the premonsoon season (February-May). High abundance of copepods, chaetognaths, siphonophores, cladocerans, fish larvae, planktonic molluscs, amphipods, foraminifers and larval polychaetes constituted the northeast monsoon maximum. Very low biomass values were recorded during the southwest monsoon season (June-September). The neretic zone up to 50 m depth was rich in zooplankton population during northeast monsoon and further to a lesser extent up to 100 m during the premonsoon season. However, a steady decline was evident with increasing depth zones. The less saline northern part exhibited remarkable differences in the abundance of the population and standing stock in such a way that 63% of the total was confined to the northern region. Fish eggs were predominant during February-May and larvae in July and January-February. The peak period of the zooplankton population coincided with the maximum landings of the pelagic and demersal fishery resources of the northwestern coast of the Bay of Bengal

Distribution and abundance of cladocerans in the eastern Arabian Sea

Of the two species, Penilia avirostris Dana and Evadne tergestina Claus encountered, 86% of the population of the former occurred within the 50 m depth zone and 75% of the total population of the latter in the 50 m-100 m depth zone. Striking day-night variations in the population densities of Penilia and Evadne were observed. The samples collected at night contained 99.7% and 88% of the populations of the former and latter species respectively. Swarming of Evadne and Penilia is a regular phenomenon during the southwest monsoon season.The highest concentration of the former species was observed in August and that of the latter in September. High concentrations of Penilia and Evadne were observed in the 30 m depth zone off Cochin and in the 40 m depth zone off Karwar. The abundance of Penilia observed in the 30 m depth zone of Wadge Bank off Cape Comorin coincided with its maximum recorded in August off Cochin. The length frequency studies on Penilia and Evadne showed that different size classes dominated in the different regions from 07°N to 19°N and that an increase in size of the individuals was evident from south to north in both Penilia and Evadne. Fecundity of Penilia was the highest in the southernmost region between 07°00'N and 09°00'N while that of Evadne was in the northern region, 15°N- 19°N. Gamogenetic females of both Penilia and Evadne were very few in number. Occurrence of large numbers of parthenogenetic females of Penilia and Evadne with well developed advanced embroys in their brood pouches in the night samples probably suggest nocturnal brood maturation

Antidiabetic activity of 3-hydroxyflavone analogues in high fructose fed insulin resistant rats

Synthetic 3-hydroxyflavone analogues (JY-1, JY-2, JY-3, JY-4), were tested for antidiabetic activity in high-fructose-diet-fed (66 %, for 6 weeks) insulin-resistant Wistar rats (FD-fed rats). The fasting blood glucose, insulin, creatinine and AGEs were decreased to near normal upon treatment with test compounds. Insulin resistance markers such as HOMA-IR, K-ITT, plasma triglycerides, lipids, endogenous antioxidant defense and glycogen were restored in FD-fed rats after treatment with 3-hydroxyflavones. It is known that insulin resistance is partly because of oxidative stress and hence antioxidant activity was determined. They exhibited significant in vitro DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity (IC50: 10.66-66.63 μM). Test compounds inhibited ROS and NO production in RAW 264.7 cells (IC50: 10.39–42.63 μM) and they were found as potent as quercetin. Further, the test compounds inhibited lipid peroxidation at low concentrations (IC50: 99.61-217.47 μM). All test compounds at concentrations 100-200 μM protected calf thymus DNA-damage by Fenton reaction. In addition, test compounds inhibited protein glycation in different in vitro antiglycation assays. JY-2 showed maximum potency in all the stages of glycation which was comparable to the standard quercetin and aminoguanidine. Test compounds also enhanced the glucose uptake by L6 myotubes at an EC50 much lower than that of quercetin. Thus the synthetic 3-hydroxyflavones were found to have good antidiabetic activity by pleotropic and multimodal suppression of insulin resistance and enhancement of glucose uptake by skeletal muscles. These compounds are non-toxic at the doses tested. Further, the combined antioxidant and antiglycation activities of these molecules have complementary benefits in management of diabetes

Ichthyofauna of the Mangrove Ecosystem

The mangroves are breeding, nursery, feeding and hiding grounds for a certain group of finfish, crustacea and shellfish among the aquatic fauna and include those which enter from the sea as well as those which migrate down from the upstream stretches of rivers. An inventory of the ichthyofauna of the mangrove ecosystems has been prepared as part of a NATP project to assess the biodiversity

Zooplankton abundance and secondary production in the seas around Andaman-Nicobar Islands

Areas of remarkably higher concentrations of zooplankton standing stock were encountered in the northeastern (12°46'-13° 30 N and 93°03'-93°35' E) and southern (08°30'-09°30'N and 92o00'-92o41'E) regions the Andaman and Nicobar seas. The NE monsoon (October-January) was the most productive season followed by the premonsoon (February-May). The zooplankton population occurred in high abundance when the surface waters were characterised by low temperature and salinity. Occurrence of eggs and larvae of finfishes, pelagic tunicates, euphausiids, copepods, amphipods, foraminifers and lucifers in profusion accounted for the NE monsoon maximum. SW monsoon (June-September) was the least productive season. Monthly variations displayed high standing stock during November-February period and low during April-October with slight improvements in May-June and August-September. A comparison made on the standing stock of the southern and northern regions with respect to 10°N revelaed a rich population in the less saline waters north of 10°N to the west and east of islands contributing to the overall abundance of almost all the groups especially of the fish eggs and larvae, larval decapods, larvae of molluscs and mysids. The difference in biomass observed with reference to 93CE to the east and west was conspicuous such that the lowest 45.97 ml occurred in the eastern Bay of Bengal and the highest 54.44 ml in the western Andaman sea. Greater proliferation of zooplankton fauna encountered in the southwest, southeast and northwest regions of the island system during the NE monsoon was followed by the premonsoon maximum in the northeastern region. The neretic areas upto 50 m depth showed poor abundance, however, the 50-100 m depth zone was singularly rich recording further steady decline with increasing depth. The average values of secondary production estimated for the entire area of investigation was 4.8 gC/m2/yr. The peak period of the zooplankton population in the northern and southern sectors coincided with the maximum landings of the pelagic fishery resources of the Andaman-Nicobar Islands

High Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin-T STAT in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients and Healthy Individuals: A Comparative Study

Introduction: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder that shares the phenotype of hyperglycaemia, with several factors contributing to the disease, including decreased insulin secretion and glucose utilisation, as well as increased glucose production. There is a strong association between DM and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). High-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), which is a marker of subclinical myocardial damage, is used in the risk stratification of asymptomatic individuals. Aim: To estimate and compare hs-cTnT Short Turn Around Time (STAT) levels in diabetic patients without Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) with age and sex matched controls and also to investigate the correlation between hs-cTnT STAT and Glycated Haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels. Materials and Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Biochemistry and Outpatient Clinic, Department of Medicine, Government Medical College, Kozhikode, Kerala, India, from April 2019 to April 2020. The study subjects were divided into two groups: Group 1 consisted of 58 patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) without AMI, and Group 2 comprised 58 healthy individuals who were age and sex matched. No specific sampling technique was employed. After obtaining consent, T2DM patients who attended the outpatient clinic were evaluated with fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, Electrocardiogram (ECG), and hs-cTnT STAT estimation. Controls were selected and evaluated for the same from apparently healthy bystanders of other patients, medical and paramedical staff, and others willing to participate. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 software. Results: The mean value of Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) and HbA1c was higher in T2DM patients compared to healthy individuals. hs-cTnT showed a positive moderate correlation with HbA1c (rho=0.53), which was statistically significant (p-value<0.001). Simple linear regression analysis showed that in the case group, for a 1% increase in HbA1c levels, there was a 2.38 unit increase in hs-cTnT levels, which was statistically significant (p-value<0.001). Conclusion: hs-cTnT levels are significantly elevated in T2DM patients without overt CVD compared to age and sex matched healthy individuals. T2DM is a risk factor for increased levels of biomarkers for atherosclerotic CVD, and proper glycaemic control reduces the levels of hs-cTnT in T2DM patients