Prevalence and co-infection of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in Apodemus sylvaticus in an area relatively free of cats

The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is prevalent worldwide and can infect a remarkably wide range of hosts despite felids being the only definitive host. As cats play a major role in transmission to secondary mammalian hosts, the interaction between cats and these hosts should be a major factor determining final prevalence in the secondary host. This study investigates the prevalence of T. gondii in a natural population of Apodemus sylvaticus collected from an area with low cat density (<2·5 cats/km2). A surprisingly high prevalence of 40·78% (95% CI: 34·07%–47·79%) was observed despite this. A comparable level of prevalence was observed in a previously published study using the same approaches where a prevalence of 59% (95% CI: 50·13%–67·87%) was observed in a natural population of Mus domesticus from an area with high cat density (>500 cats/km2). Detection of infected foetuses frompregnant dams in both populations suggests that congenital transmission may enable persistence of infection in the absence of cats. The prevalences of the related parasite, Neospora caninum were found to be low in both populations (A. sylvaticus: 3·39% (95% CI: 0·12%–6·66%); M. domesticus: 3·08% (95% CI: 0·11%–6·05%)). These results suggest that cat density may have a lower than expected effect on final prevalence in these ecosystems

Role of Citrate Ions in the Phosphonate-based Inhibitor System for Mild Steel in Aqueous Chloride Media

The corrosion inhibition efficiency of phosphonic acid and its derivatives for the inhibition of corrosion of mild steel in neutral chloride media is decided by its ability to form protectivefilm over the surface. In this context, the effect of addition of metal cations and certain organic compounds, such as citrate in conjugation with phosphonic acid to impart synergistic corrosion inhibition has been explored. The experiments were carried out using various concentrations of trisodium citrate and zinc ions in an aqueous solution of 2-carboxyethyl phosphonic acid (2CEPA) at 25 ppm. The corrosion characteristics have been determined using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy together with determination of corrosion rate by weight-loss method. It has been observed that a combination of inhibitive ions, namely citrate, ZCEPA, and zinc ions at 25 ppm gives 96 per cent inhibition efficiency and this corrosion inhibition is due to the formation of a protective film. By increasing the concentration of citrate beyond 25 ppm, the corrosion inhibition efficiency decreases. This paper discusses the role of citrate and zinc ions in imparting added corrosion inhibition ability using 2CEPA on the basis of experimental results

SOME RESULTS ON SEMI-REFLEXIVITY AND REFLEXIVITY IN LOCALLY CONVEX SPACES

In this paper we discuss that if E[] is a barreled space such that every bounded subset of E is relatively compact, then E[] is reflexive, and that a barreled space E[τ] in which there is a denumerable system of convex compact subsets is reflexive. We also discuss Some hereditary-type properties of reflexive locally convex spaces. Keywords: Bornological space, barreled, hereditarily-reflexive, M-space, quasi-complete, reflexive, strong dual. AMS (2010) Mathematics Subject Classification: 46A25

STANDARDIZATION OF YOGAAMRUTO RASA BY USING MODERN ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES

Rasa Shastra is a partially independent branch of Ayurvedic medicine, which deals with preparation of the drugs with metals and minerals to produce the drugs with higher efficacy in lower dose with good palatability. Yogaamruto Rasa (YMR) is one such Rasoushadhi mentioned in Rasa Kamdhenu indicated for all types of Kushta. Parada, Gandhaka, Tamra churna, Vatsanabha, Vacha, Trikatu, Musta and Vidanga are the main ingredients of YMR. Shodhana, Mardana, Murchchana, Pishti nirmana, Aagni paaka are the important steps involved in preparation of YMR. Till date no standards are available for the above drug. Need of the hour is to revalidate the safety and efficacy of the above said formulation. In the current study of YMR it was subjected to analysis through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Zeta potential (ZP). XRD of YMR reveals that major peaks are of Cu20 (Cuprite) and minor peaks of HgS (Meta Cinnabar), Cu2S (Cuprous Sulphide). SEM study found the smallest grain size ranging between115nm at 5Kx magnification to 82.11 nm at 7Kx magnification. EDX study reveals that YMR contains significant percentage of O-25.96%, Cu-22.82%, C-20.41%, Hg- 12.84 %, S- 9.8%. w/w. ZP mean value for YMR is 51.4 mV which indicates moderate colloidal stability.

Collisions of micron-sized, charged water droplets in still air

We investigate the effect of electrical charge on collisions of hydrodynamically interacting, micron-sized water droplets settling through quiescent air. The relative dynamics of charged droplets is determined by hydrodynamic interactions, particle and fluid inertia, and electrostatic forces. We analyse the resulting relative dynamics of oppositely charged droplets by determining its fixed points and their stable and unstable manifolds. The stable manifold of a saddle point forms a separatrix that separates colliding trajectories from those that do not collide. The qualitative conclusions from this theory are in excellent agreement with experiments.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, supplemental materia