Multidisciplinary investigation on the catfish parasite Hamatopeduncularia Yamaguti, 1953 (Monogenoidea: Dactylogyridae): description of two new species from India, and phylogenetic considerations

Hamatopeduncularia was erected with Hamatopeduncularis arii as the type species. This genus comprises monogenoidean species mostly found as ectoparasites of marine catfishes belonging to the Ariidae. There is a significant taxonomic ambiguity among Hamatopeduncularia species due to their morphological similarity, but so far only a few morphological studies have succeeded in addressing interspecific variation and relationships. Moreover, little molecular data is available for this genus. A multidisciplinary, integrated study consisting of morphological, morphometric and molecular analyses was conducted on different species of Hamatopeduncularia recovered from the gills of two marine catfishes, Arius jella Day and Plicofollis dussumieri (Valenciennes). Five species of Hamatopeduncularia, two of which represent new species, were investigated: H. arii, H. elongatum, H. thalassini, H. madhaviae sp. nov. and H. bifida sp. nov. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using the 18S rDNA sequence as a molecular marker. The most important results of the present work are: (1) the multidisciplinary description of two novel species; (2) the multidisciplinary redescription of two species and of the type species of the genus; (3) the first molecular characterisation of 18S rDNA sequences of five species of genus Hamatopeduncularia; and (4) molecular support for the monophyly of the genus. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1333F4CC-E497-4D0A-AD7D-276D44AE6413 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:43D18F75-6F4A-4F9B-8C00-6234E5BA652

Malignant melanoma presenting as an isolated pleural effusion

Isolated pleural effusion is a very rare presentation of malignant melanoma. A 46 year-old male patient presented to us with complaints of shortness of breath during the previous month. A contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) imaging scan of his thorax showed right-sided pleural effusion with the absence of any mass lesion or mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Cytology of his pleural fluid showed pigmented cells suggestive of malignant melanoma. Staining of the pleural fluid cells with immunohistological markers for melanoma (HMB 45 and S 100) were positive. An examination of his skin did not reveal any pigmented lesion, nor was there a past history of malignant melanoma for this patient. The patient responded well to therapy for malignant melanoma and has remained asymptomatic for the last year. This patient was diagnosed with a rare case of primary malignant melanoma of the pleura presenting as isolated pleural effusion

A Green Approach for the Synthesis of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles by Using Roots of A. Racemosus and Its Deg-radation of Dye Methyl Orange.

Metal oxide nanoparticles have been used in various fields ranging from catalysis and opto-electronic materials to sensors, environmental remediation and biomedicine. The present study reports green synthesized Fe2O3 nanoparticles by using roots of A. racemosus. This approach involves ecofriendly and non-toxic method. Powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope analysis revealed that synthesized Fe2O3 nanoparticles are in spherical shape with an average particle size of 40 nm. The synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles are utilized as green catalyst for the effective degradation of dye methyl orange

Green synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles using Boerhaavia diffusa plant extract and their anti bacterial activity

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles was carried out using Boerhaavia diffuse plant extract as a reducing agent. The biosynthesized AgNPs were characterized by SEM-EDAX, XRD, TEM, UV-Vis, and FT-IR spectroscopy techniques. UV-Vis spectroscopy of prepared silver colloidal solution showed absorption maxima at 418 nm. XRD and TEM analysis revealed that AgNPs are face-centered, cubic structure being spherical in shape with an average particle size of 25 nm. The AgNPs were tested for antibacterial activity against three fish bacterial pathogens viz., Aeromonas hydrophila, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Flavobacterium branchiophilum and they demonstrated highest sensitivity toward F. branchiophilum when compared to other two bacterial pathogens. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Green Synthesis of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Using Aloe vera Leaf Extract and Its Antibacterial Activity Against Fish Bacterial Pathogens

The present study reports biologically oriented process for green synthesis of CuO nanoparticles by using ecofriendly and non-toxic Aloe vera leaf extract. Powder X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope analysis revealed that synthesized CuO nanoparticles are in monoclinic phase with average particle size of 20 nm. The antibacterial activity of green synthesized CuO nanoparticles was tested against three bacterial fish pathogens "viz" Aeromonas hydrophila, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Flavobacterium branchiophilum, which are responsible for causing severe infectious diseases in fishes. CuO NPs exhibits enhanced antibacterial activity against all the fish pathogens even at lower concentrations, i.e. above 20 mu g/mL

Effect of Acute Toxicity of Lead Nitrate on Serum Biochemical and Enzymological Parameters of Indian Major Carp, Labeo rohita

To determine the LC 50 value of lead nitrate, Labeo rohita were exposed to different concentrations of the heavy metal through static assay method. LC50 value was calculated by employing Probit analysis and its acute toxicity was found to be 851mg/L. The acute toxic effect of lead nitrate on serum biochemical parameters of Labeo rohita were studied through 96-hour acute toxicity assay. Significant alterations were noticed in serum biochemical parameters viz. Total protein, Albumin, Globulin, and enzymes like Serum glutamate oxalate transaminase (SGOT), Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP). There was an increase in the mean values of total protein, albumin, globulin, SGOT, SGPT and ALP in lead nitrate exposed fishes when compared to the control fishes, but fluctuations were noticed in the ALP mean values

Delineating the Mangrove Patches along Coastal Kerala using Geographical Information System, Satellite Data and Field Validation

Mangroves, wetlands and coral reefs are dynamic ecosystems that are easily affected by natural calamities as well as human interferences. The 2004 tsunami has served to improve awareness on the need to conserve and sustainably manage the mangroves. Therefore, mangrove areas are categorized as ecologically sensitive under the Indian coastal regulatory zone notification I (CRZ-I) in 2011. An accurate delineation of mangrove areas is important for its in situ conservation. Satellite remote sensing data and geographical information system (GIS) tools can be effectively used to define the boundary of mangrove patches. The advantages are that these are less expensive and less time-consuming than in situ sampling of individual patches. In the present study, we have used Google Earth Pro image search engine, Quantum GIS (Version QGIS 3.10) and SNAP (Sentinel Application Platform Version 8.0)—all open-source GIS softwares to map the distribution and features of mangrove areas. Cloud-free Sentinel-2 multispectral images (MSI) were acquired from the Copernicus data hub hosted by the European Space Agency (ESA). The pre-processing of satellite data and classification using the Random Forest (RF) method were carried out in SNAP and semi-automated classification using the maximum likelihood classification (MLC) method in QGIS. The pixel-based RF classification using Sentinel-2 satellite in SNAP showed the highest accuracy based on Cohen’s kappa coefficient (K) among the three classification algorithms (RF (K = 0.80), MLC (K = 0.68) and K-nearest neighbour (K = 0.61) methods), followed by semi-automated classification in QGIS and Google Earth image-based classification. The pixel-based RF classification enables the fine classification of mangroves from other vegetation. These outputs are field verified with the ground control points (GCPs), collected during an extensive field survey along the coastal districts of Kerala. The successful methodology was employed to delineate the entire mangrove patches throughout the coastal regions of Kerala. This methodology can be adopted for mapping mangroves in the remaining coastal states of India to make an appropriate mangrove distribution library for India. This would help make a successful conservation plan to protect the diminishing mangrove forests in India. This book chapter highlights the utilization of advanced techniques in satellite remote sensing and GIS for better management of mangroves all across the globe

Extended distribution of Kandelia candel along the coast of Andhra Pradesh, India – taxonomic identification with molecular confirmation

The paper describes the first report of Kandelia candel (Rhizophoraceae), a rare mangrove from Bhavanapadu, a coastal village in Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh, India. This species is relatively less abundant along the east coast of India. During our study covering all the 41 mangrove patches in the state of Andhra Pradesh, 16 mangrove species were observed throughout the state and the Kandelia candel was seen only in Bhavanapadu (patch 2). The plant sighted was identified using taxonomic keys and confirmed using DNA barcoding. The identified specimen is deposited in the museum repository at ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Kochi (accession no. MB.1.1.1.1) and its gene sequence is deposited in National Center for Biotechnological Information (NCBI) (accession no. MH243746). Patch 2 where K. candel was observed is separated away from the other clusters in the principal component one, with the patch showing an average dissimilarity of about 71.79% from the other patches. K. candel is a mangrove highly sensitive to changes in salinity. The presence of a lone member of a rare species in the state at the sampling location raises questions on its endurance in the region. The study underlines the relevance of monitoring the mangroves and advocate adequate conservation measures for proper protection, proliferation and management of this globally dwindling resource

Free functional platysma transfer for restoration of spontaneous eye closure in facial paralysis: an analysis of anatomy, imaging, and clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND Facial palsy patients suffer an array of problems ranging from functional to psychological issues. With regard to the eye, lacrimation, lagophthalmos and the inability to spontaneously blink are the main symptoms and if left untreated can compromise the cornea and vision. This paper reports the outcomes of 23 free functional vascularized platysma transfers used for reanimation of the eye in unilateral facial paralysis. METHODS Data was collected prospectively for all patients undergoing reanimation of the paralyzed eye using free functional platysma transfer. The only exclusion criterium was that a minimum of a two-year follow up was required. Patients were assessed pre- and post-operatively and scored using the eFACE tool focusing on eye-symmetry with documentation of blink reflex. RESULTS A total of 26 free functional platysma transfer were completed between 2011 and 2018; three patients were excluded due to inadequate follow up. The mean age was 9.1 years (SD 7.1) and a ratio of 12 males to 11 females. Pre-operatively no patients had evidence of a blink reflex in comparison to 22 patients at two-year follow up. There was a statistically significant improvement in palpebral fissure (p < 0.001) and full eye closure (p < 0.001) scores at two-year follow up however, there was no statistically significant difference in gentle eye closure (p = 0.15). CONCLUSIONS This is the first report of free functional platysma long-term outcomes in eye reanimation. The results demonstrate that successful restoration of the blink reflex can be achieved and full eye closure is obtainable following surgery