Bibliography of the Echinoderms of the Indian Ocean

Echinoderms from the point of view of their taxonomy and evolution form one of the most interesting groups of marine animals. Except for the R.I.M.S. “Investigator” collections reported on by various authors there has been no sustained work on this group in this country till detailed investigations were initiated recently by Mr. D.B. James of this Institute. In the course of extensive work carried out, he had taken considerable pains to collect a vast number of references to form a comprehensive bibliography which has been augmented with some of the references collected by Mr. R.S. Lal Mohan for Bulletin Nos. 4 and 11 issued by this Institute. There are in all 691 references listed in the present Bulletin covering all the classes of echinoderms and it is hoped that the availability of a consolidated bibliography like this would act as an incentive to interested workers to take up this group for study. The authors have done their best to make the list as comprehensive as possible. However, it would very much be appreciated if omissions and errors if any, are kindly brought to our notice

Bibliography of the Indian Ocean 1931 – 1961 - A supplement to the ‘Partial Bibliography’

This Bulletin is a continuation of Bulletin No. 4 issued from this Institute as a Supplement (for the 1900-1930 period) to the ‘Partial Bibliography of the Indian Ocean’ brought out by the U. S. Program in Biology in 1962. In spite of various handicaps my colleagues have managed to bring together as many relevant references as possible for the 1931-1961 period, which did not find a place in the ‘Partial Bibliography’. There are in all 2682 references of which the greater part comes under fishes (827), crustaceans (418) and molluscs (293). The preparation of the Bulletin was undertaken at my suggestion by Messrs. R. S. Lal Mohan, D.B. James and K.K. Appukuttan who completed the same without prejudice to their routine work. It is needless to say that they had sacrificed a great deal of their spare time for this purpose and gives me great pleasure to record my sincere thanks and appreciation for their high sense of responsibility, co-operative spirit and devotion to duty. My thanks are also due to other members of the staff who in various ways helped in the completion of the Bulletin

Bibliography of the Indian Ocean 1900-1930 –A Supplement to the ‘Partial Bibliography’

The first Bulletin of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute on the “Bibliography of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography of the Indian Ocean 1962-67” was issued in March 1968 to provide the scientific workers in this region with a reasonably comprehensive list of references relating to the area since the issue of “A Partial Bibliography of the Indian Ocean” by the U.S. Programme in Biology in June 1962. It is most gratifying that the Bulletin was very well received. More than anything else this has enabled the outside world to get a correct idea of the extent of work carried out in this country in general and in this Institute in particular in marine fisheries and oceanography during the last few years. The usefulness of the venture has encouraged us to go ahead with the programme of preparation of a supplement to the “Partial Bibliography” as indicated in the Forword of the first Bulletin. However, owing to various practical difficulties it was not possible to cover the period from 1900-1961 in one Supplement as announced earlier and therefore to avoid delay it was considered expedient to issue the present one for 1900-1930. The Supplement for the subsequent period, viz., 1931-1961, will be issued in due course

Mariculture potentials

The protected bays and lagoons of the island provide suitable sites for mariculture. Further there are many potential candidates for mariculture - food fishes, bait fishes, ornamental fishes, holothurians, turtles and sea weeds. Apart from the indigenous varieties of culturable species, fry of fast growing fishes and prawns can be transported from the mainland and cultured. But so far no serious attempts have been made to utilise the Mariculture potentials of islands

Two Sides of the Same Story: Alcohol Use and HIV Risk Taking in South India

This qualitative study examines the role of alcohol in sexual risk among male migrant workers and female sex workers in two South Indian states. Most men reported using alcohol for increased energy and courage prior to their sexual experiences and to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. Sex workers, on the other hand, often stated that they avoided alcohol prior to sex in order to stay alert and reduce the risk of violence. Both groups reported that drinking often increased male aggression and reduced condom use. Research is needed to examine the prevalence of these patterns as well as factors associated with sexual risk and violence, in order to develop targeted interventions for these groups. Future risk reduction programs may benefit from addressing safer ways of meeting the needs expressed by the participants. This may include strategies to defuse volatile situations, safe ways of improving the sexual experience, and interventions aimed at alleviating loneliness and isolation for migrants

Stranding of Pseudorca crassidens at Calicut, Kerala

During the last few years a number of strandings of whales, dolphins, and porpoises have been detected and same have been reported along our coasts. The accidental capture of dolphins and the dugong in fishing operations have also been reported. These marine mammals are protected under the Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972, and trade in many of the marine mammals is also banned or controlled under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). The present studies were documenting a few strandings of lesser cetaceans (the false killer whale Pseudorca crassidens) from along our coast

Extensive genetic diversity, unique population structure and evidence of genetic exchange in the sexually transmitted parasite <i>Trichomonas vaginalis</i>

Background Trichomonas vaginalis is the causative agent of human trichomoniasis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection world-wide. Despite its prevalence, little is known about the genetic diversity and population structure of this haploid parasite due to the lack of appropriate tools. The development of a panel of microsatellite makers and SNPs from mining the parasite's genome sequence has paved the way to a global analysis of the genetic structure of the pathogen and association with clinical phenotypes. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we utilize a panel of T. vaginalis-specific genetic markers to genotype 235 isolates from Mexico, Chile, India, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Italy, Africa and the United States, including 19 clinical isolates recently collected from 270 women attending New York City sexually transmitted disease clinics. Using population genetic analysis, we show that T. vaginalis is a genetically diverse parasite with a unique population structure consisting of two types present in equal proportions world-wide. Parasites belonging to the two types (type 1 and type 2) differ significantly in the rate at which they harbor the T. vaginalis virus, a dsRNA virus implicated in parasite pathogenesis, and in their sensitivity to the widely-used drug, metronidazole. We also uncover evidence of genetic exchange, indicating a sexual life-cycle of the parasite despite an absence of morphologically-distinct sexual stages. Conclusions/Significance Our study represents the first robust and comprehensive evaluation of global T. vaginalis genetic diversity and population structure. Our identification of a unique two-type structure, and the clinically relevant phenotypes associated with them, provides a new dimension for understanding T. vaginalis pathogenesis. In addition, our demonstration of the possibility of genetic exchange in the parasite has important implications for genetic research and control of the disease

How 'dynasty' became a modern global concept : intellectual histories of sovereignty and property

The modern concept of ‘dynasty’ is a politically-motivated modern intellectual invention. For many advocates of a strong sovereign nation-state across the nineteenth and early twentieth century, in France, Germany, and Japan, the concept helped in visualizing the nation-state as a primordial entity sealed by the continuity of birth and blood, indeed by the perpetuity of sovereignty. Hegel’s references to ‘dynasty’, read with Marx’s critique, further show how ‘dynasty’ encoded the intersection of sovereignty and big property, indeed the coming into self-consciousness of their mutual identification-in-difference in the age of capitalism. Imaginaries about ‘dynasty’ also connected national sovereignty with patriarchal authority. European colonialism helped globalize the concept in the non-European world; British India offers an exemplar of ensuing debates. The globalization of the abstraction of ‘dynasty’ was ultimately bound to the globalization of capitalist-colonial infrastructures of production, circulation, violence, and exploitation. Simultaneously, colonized actors, like Indian peasant/‘tribal’ populations, brought to play alternate precolonial Indian-origin concepts of collective regality, expressed through terms like ‘rajavamshi’ and ‘Kshatriya’. These concepts nourished new forms of democracy in modern India. Global intellectual histories can thus expand political thought today by provincializing and deconstructing Eurocentric political vocabularies and by recuperating subaltern models of collective and polyarchic power.PostprintPeer reviewe

Immunogenicity and Efficacy of Single Antigen Gp63, Polytope and PolytopeHSP70 DNA Vaccines against Visceral Leishmaniasis in Experimental Mouse Model

Polytope approach of genetic immunization is a promising strategy for the prevention of infectious disease as it is capable of generating effective cell mediated immunity by delivering the T cell epitopes assembled in series. Leishmaniasis is a significant world wide health problem for which no vaccine exists. In this study we have compared immunogenicity and efficacy of three types of DNA vaccines: single antigen Gp63 (Gp63/pcDNA), polytope (Poly/pcDNA) and Polytope fused with hsp70 (Poly/hsp/pcDNA) against visceral leishmaniasis in susceptible BALB/c mice. Mice vaccinated with these plasmids generated strong Th1 immune response as seen by dominating IFN-γ over IL-10 cytokine. Interestingly, cytotoxic responses generated by polytope DNA plasmid fused with hsp70 of Leishmania donovani were significantly higher when compared to polytope and single antigen Gp63 vaccine. Challenge studies revealed that the parasite load in liver and spleen was significantly lower with Poly/hsp/pcDNA vaccination compared to other vaccines. Therefore, our study indicates that polytope DNA vaccine is a feasible, practical and effective approach for visceral leishmaniasis

Extensive Genetic Diversity, Unique Population Structure and Evidence of Genetic Exchange in the Sexually Transmitted Parasite Trichomonas vaginalis

The human parasite Trichomonas vaginalis causes trichomoniasis, the world's most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection. Research on T. vaginalis genetic diversity has been limited by a lack of appropriate genotyping tools. To address this problem, we recently published a panel of T. vaginalis-specific genetic markers; here we use these markers to genotype isolates collected from ten regions around the globe. We detect high levels of genetic diversity, infer a two-type population structure, identify clinically relevant differences between the two types, and uncover evidence of genetic exchange in what was believed to be a clonal organism. Together, these results greatly improve our understanding of the population genetics of T. vaginalis and provide insights into the possibility of genetic exchange in the parasite, with implications for the epidemiology and control of the disease. By taking into account the existence of different types and their unique characteristics, we can improve understanding of the wide range of symptoms that patients manifest and better implement appropriate drug treatment. In addition, by recognizing the possibility of genetic exchange, we are more equipped to address the growing concern of drug resistance and the mechanisms by which it may spread within parasite populations