Aging and well-being in Goa, India: a qualitative study.

: The population of India is aging rapidly. This demographic shift brings with it a host of challenges to the health and well-being of older adults, including the increased prevalence of non-communicable diseases, among them depressive disorders. In this paper, we report on qualitative research intended to inform the development of a locally acceptable and appropriate intervention to improve the well-being of older adults in Goa, India and, specifically, to prevent late-life depression. : Semi-structured interviews with 20 individuals, aged 60 years and older, attending two primary care clinics in Goa, India. Transcripts were reviewed to identify emerging themes, a coding scheme was developed and thematic analyses were conducted. : Analyses of the interview transcripts revealed the following key themes: (1) notions of old age tended to be negative and there were widespread fears of becoming widowed or incapacitated; (2) the most frequently reported health conditions were joint pain, diabetes and heart disease; (3) emotional distress was described using the terms 'tension', 'stress', 'worry' and 'thinking'; (4) family issues often involved financial matters, difficult relationships with daughters-in-law and conflicted feelings about living with the family or independently; (5) other than a pension scheme, participants did not know of community resources available to older adults. : Our findings are in general agreement with those of previous research, and with our experiences of working with older adults in Pittsburgh and the Netherlands. This research will inform the development of an intervention to prevent depression in older adults in Goa.<br/

Insights from Amphioxus into the Evolution of Vertebrate Cartilage

Central to the story of vertebrate evolution is the origin of the vertebrate head, a problem difficult to approach using paleontology and comparative morphology due to a lack of unambiguous intermediate forms. Embryologically, much of the vertebrate head is derived from two ectodermal tissues, the neural crest and cranial placodes. Recent work in protochordates suggests the first chordates possessed migratory neural tube cells with some features of neural crest cells. However, it is unclear how and when these cells acquired the ability to form cellular cartilage, a cell type unique to vertebrates. It has been variously proposed that the neural crest acquired chondrogenic ability by recruiting proto-chondrogenic gene programs deployed in the neural tube, pharynx, and notochord. To test these hypotheses we examined the expression of 11 amphioxus orthologs of genes involved in neural crest chondrogenesis. Consistent with cellular cartilage as a vertebrate novelty, we find that no single amphioxus tissue co-expresses all or most of these genes. However, most are variously co-expressed in mesodermal derivatives. Our results suggest that neural crest-derived cartilage evolved by serial cooption of genes which functioned primitively in mesoderm

A critical appraisal of appendage disparity and homology in fishes

Fishes are both extremely diverse and morphologically disparate. Part of this disparity can be observed in the numerous possible fin configurations that may differ in terms of the number of fins as well as fin shapes, sizes and relative positions on the body. Here, we thoroughly review the major patterns of disparity in fin configurations for each major group of fishes and discuss how median and paired fin homologies have been interpreted over time. When taking into account the entire span of fish diversity, including both extant and fossil taxa, the disparity in fin morphologies greatly complicates inferring homologies for individual fins. Given the phylogenetic scope of this review, structural and topological criteria appear to be the most useful indicators of fin identity. We further suggest that it may be advantageous to consider some of these fin homologies as nested within the larger framework of homologous fin‐forming morphogenetic fields. We also discuss scenarios of appendage evolution and suggest that modularity may have played a key role in appendage disparification. Fin modules re‐expressed within the boundaries of fin‐forming fields could explain how some fins may have evolved numerous times independently in separate lineages (e.g., adipose fin), or how new fins may have evolved over time (e.g., anterior and posterior dorsal fins, pectoral and pelvic fins). We favour an evolutionary scenario whereby median appendages appeared from a unique field of competence first positioned throughout the dorsal and ventral midlines, which was then redeployed laterally leading to paired appendages.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151971/1/faf12402_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151971/2/faf12402.pd

Response of Brown Mussel, Perna-Indica, to Elevated-Temperatures in Relation to Power-Plant Biofouling Control

Contains fulltext : 28041.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Biochemical changes in tissues of crab <i style="">Sesarma quadratum</i> (Decapoda) exposed to CuCl₂

246-248Crabs of the species Sesarma quadratum were exposed to two sublethal concentrations of CuCl2 (2.8 and 9.3 ppm) for 21 days. Suitable control experiments were maintained. Sample tissues were taken from the muscle, gills and hepatopancreas of crabs of both test and control groups after an exposure to CuCl2 for 1, 7, 14 and 21 days. The levels of protein, amino acids, lipids, free sugar and protein bound sugar were found to be lower in comparison with control crabs, in the case of muscle, gills and hepatopancreas of test crabs, especially those exposed to 9.3 ppm of sublethal concentration of CuCl2. However, present data strongly suggest that CuCl2 is toxic to Sesarma quadratum resulting in alterations in major biochemical constituents of all tissues

Effect of 2,6 dibromophenol; 2,4,6 tribromophenol and the extract of <i>Ptychodera flava</i> (Eshscholtz) [Hemichordate: Enteropneusta] on the eggs of sand crab <i>Emerita asiatica</i> (Milne Edwards)

79-83Laboratory experiments were performed to study the effect of natural extract of Ptychodera flava and authentic compounds (2,6 dibromophenol and 2,4,6 tribomophenol) on respiratory rate of various developmental stages of the eggs of the sand crab Emerita asiatica. Fresh extract stimulated increased respiratory rate in Stage I eggs, while aged extract had an inhibitory effect causing decreased respiratory rate. Comparitive studies using authentic compounds indicate the likely occurrence of 2,6 dibromophenol and 2,4,6 tribromophenol in the natural extract. The compound 2,4,6 tribromophenol also enhances the respiratory rate in Stage I eggs, while 2,6 dibromophenol generally depresses the respiratory rate of eggs at all the three stages. The functional significance of the extract in altering the community structure and organisation in the habitat of P. flava is discussed

Variations in the inorganic ions and trace metals in the body parts of the Indian hemichordate Ptychodera flava [Hemichordata: Enteropneusta]

218-220Concentrations of trace metals and inorganic ions in proboscis and collar, branchiogenital, hepatic and anal parts of Ptychodera flava were investigated. Concentration levels of Fe, Cu and Mn were higher in the body parts of mature worms in comparison to juveniles. In general, maximum accumulation of trace metals and inorganic ions was observed in the branchio-genital region of mature worms, while Fe and Mg levels were higher in the anal part of juveniles