Molecular genetic approaches to resolve taxonomical ambiguity of mud crab species (Genus Scylla) in Indian waters

Mud crab or mangrove crab (Genus Scylla de Haan) is one of the most extensively cultured and economically important brachyuran crabs from the family Portunidae in Indo-Pacific countries, including India. Mud crabs exhibit variations in colour, size, spination, polygonal pattern and habitat. These contribute to the confusion in their identification. Accurate identification of the species is essential in the breeding programmes of domesticated stocks and is a crucial factor in the success of stock enhancement programmes. The taxonomic uncertainty of the genus Scylla in India is still an issue and several papers are being published using misleading identification. This is the first attempt to resolve the taxonomical ambiguity of mud crabs commonly found in Indian waters using multiple molecular genetic approaches. ITS-1, RAPD, PCRRFLP and mt-DNA sequencing along with traditional morphometric methods were used. Furthermore, a PCR method was developed by which mud crab species in India could be identified rapidly and accurately. The results of gene sequencing along with other molecular markers clearly indicated that the ‘green’ morph of Indian mud crab is S. serrata, while the ‘brown’ one is S. olivacea which was validated using the revised classification of mud crabs by Keenan et al. (1998). The S. serrata commonly mentioned in published literatures from India is S. olivacea and the S. tranquebarica, as believed by many Indian researchers, should be classified as S. serrata. Therefore, caution should be taken while interpreting or implementing the biological, molecular and aquaculture data published in those literatures

COVID-19 and psychological distress among the general population of India: Meta-Analysis of observational studies

Background: There is scanty evidence regarding the magnitude of COVID-19-related psychological distress (PD) among the general population of India. Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of PD among the general public of India during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis of 21 online surveys conducted across the Indian subcontinent and published between 2020 and 2021. Results: Overall estimates of PD among the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic by the random-effects model is 33.3% (95% confidence interval: 23.8%-42.8%; n = 21 studies). The level of heterogeneity was high among the included studies (I2 = 99.67%). In subgroup analysis, it was found that the survey tool and the methodological quality had a significant effect on the overall prevalence estimates. Approximately 33% of the general public reported to have PD during the COVID-19 pandemic in India, although the overall prevalence varied based on survey tools and quality of studies. Conclusion: As the pandemic crisis seems to be ebbing across the world, the current findings are a wake-up call to devise pragmatic strategies to curtail the burden of similar pandemics and to successfully meet the challenges ahead

The Prevalence of Comorbidities and Associated Factors among Patients with Dementia in the Indian Setting: Meta-analysis of Observational Studies

Background: Patients with dementia usually have multiple comorbidities. The presence of comorbidities may exacerbate the progression of dementia and decreases the patient’s ability to participate in health maintenance activities. However, there is hardly any meta-analysis estimating the magnitude of comorbidities among patients with dementia in the Indian context. Methods: We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, and relevant studies conducted in India were included. The risk of bias was assessed and a random-effects meta-analysis model was used in which I 2 statistics were calculated to measure heterogeneity among studies. Results: Fourteen studies were included in the meta-analysis based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Altogether, we found the coexistence of comorbid conditions such as hypertension (51.10%), diabetes (27.58%), stroke (15.99%), and factors like tobacco use (26.81 %) and alcohol use (9.19%) among patients with dementia in this setting. The level of heterogeneity was high due to differences in the methodologies in the included studies Conclusions: Our study found hypertension as the most common comorbid condition among patients with dementia in India. The observed lacuna of methodological limitations in the studies included in the current meta-analysis provides the urgent need for good quality research to successfully meet the challenges ahead while devising appropriate strategies to treat the comorbidities among patients with dementia