Civet latrines in three habitats of a coffee dominated landscape of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot

Civets are frugivorous animals in the Order Carnivora. They are relatively less shy towards people and anthropogenic habitats. It has been reported that the civets' preference of defecating in open sites enable them to be important seed dispersers of degraded forests and urban ecosystems of Asia and Africa. We surveyed for scats of palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) in forest fragments of sacred groves (closed), coffee plantations (partly closed) and home gardens (relatively open) during the fruit ripening period of Coffee and Caryota urens - the two preferred fruits of civet - to report the microhabitat characteristics and seed composition of civet latrines. The microhabitat of each scat position - whether on or off the ground and the shade type - was recorded. The scat analysis showed the presence of 4234 seeds belonging to coffee (90.2%), C. urens (9.7%), and an anonymous Rubiacea species (0.10%) in a total of 105 scats collected from coffee plantations (55), home gardens (5), and sacred groves (45). The number of scats sampled from the three habitats was different, but not the number of seeds per scat. Overall, the number of scats increased with the canopy cover, but the trend was different for different habitats. In home garden and coffee plantations, it decreased, but in sacred groves, it increased with the canopy cover. The number of scats sampled above the ground - on tree branches, logs and built-up structures- was more than that was on the ground. The findings contradict the general belief that the civet latrines occur more in open areas than the shaded areas. Because the civet latrines are seen more above ground than on the ground, their efficiency as seed dispersal agent may be examined critically in different contexts.

Detection and Classification of Diabetic Retinopathy using Deep Learning

Detection of Diabetic Retinopathy at the early stages could significantly reduce the need for complicated and expensive surgeries. The availability of large datasets has fuelled research in this field. In this project, diabetic retinopathy is detected and classified into five stages: no DR, severe DR, Moderate DR, Proliferative DR, and mild DR. This is made possible with the help of various deep learning techniques. A trained model (ResNet-50 architecture) is used for the extraction of various features from the images. This model gives an accuracy of 0.47% in testing. The dataset used is the Aptos 2019 dataset which is available on Kaggle.

Urban tropical forest islets as hotspots of ants in general and invasive ants in particular

Urbanization is a crucial driver of environmental and biodiversity change. It is suggested that urbanization favours generalist and invasive species and might harm specialists of natural and semi-natural habitats. In this study, we examined how an urbanization gradient and environmental gradients in the habitat area, habitat diversity, elevation, and proportion of built-up area influenced the abundance and richness of ants within tropical forest islet habitat in south India. We used abundance (proportional trap incidence) of overall ants, native ants, invasive ants, and Anoplolepis gracilipes—a globally notorious invasive ant of possible south Asian origin—and rarefied richness as the response variables. We found that native ant abundance was greater and A. gracilipes abundance was lesser in less-urbanized landscape compared to moderately-urbanized and highly-urbanized landscape. The richness of ants and abundance of overall and invasive ants were unaffected by the urbanization. We also found that none of the measured environmental gradients but habitat diversity influenced abundance of overall ants, native ants, overall invasive ants, and richness of ants; however, A. gracilipes abundance was negatively correlated with habitat diversity. Ant species composition of less-urbanized landscape was distinct from that of higher urbanization levels. The richness and abundance of native ants and abundance of non-A. gracilipes invasive ants decreased with the abundance of A. gracilipes. Because the forest islets of all three urbanization levels supported similar richness of native ants, the urbanization seems not to have an adverse effect for the native ants of native forest islets. The increasing population of A. gracilipes in urban green islets, however, is a concern. Future studies might investigate its effect on other invertebrates of epigeal and soil strata.

Performance of a Cantilever Energy Harvester under Harmonic and Random Excitations

The technique of harvesting the energy from base structural vibration through a piezoelectric transducer attached at an appropriate location on the vibrating structure is gaining popularity in recent years. Although the amount of energy harvested depends on the type and magnitude of base excitation, the energy harvest under random excitation as compared to equivalent harmonic excitations is not yet well understood and is investigated in this paper through a cantilever energy harvester. Initially, the energy harvested under harmonic excitations is numerically simulated and experimentally validated under increasing base accelerations with different load resistances. Subsequently, the performance of this energy harvester is experimentally studied under random excitations. The results demonstrate that the harvested energy (a) reaches maximum value when the base excitation matches the natural frequency of the harvester, (b) increases with the increase in base accelerations irrespective of the type of excitation, and (c) increases by 2-14 times under random excitations as compared to equivalent harmonic excitations i.e. under same energy input. It is recommended that the energy harvester be used in aerospace structures where random vibration amplitude is higher, to harvest more energy.

Molecular dynamics, physical and thermal stability of neat amorphous amlodipine besylate and in binary mixture

In this paper, a stable amorphous solid dispersion of an antihypertensive drug, amlodipine besylate (AMB) was prepared by entrapping it in a polymer matrix, polyvinyl pyrrollidone, in different weight ratios (AMB/PVP 05:95, 10:90, 20:80, 30:70). The glass forming ability of all binary dispersions were studied by means of differential scanning calorimetry and found good correlation between experimental T_g and Fox Flory's prediction. By considering the daily dosage limit of 5 mg, a weight ratio of 05:95 was further considered for the study. The structures of neat and binary of AMB were characterized by density functional theory, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy. Further, detailed molecular dynamics of both pure and binary were investigated using broadband dielectric spectroscopy to judge the physical stability of the amorphous dispersions. Translation-rotation coupling of AMB possibly explains the dual conductivity and dipolar nature of the secondary relaxation in neat AMB. Thus, the binary dispersion of AMB with commercially acceptable weight ratio with strong glass forming behaviour and better shelf life was prepared and characterized for practical applications.

Molecular dynamics and the translational–rotational coupling of an ionically conducting glass-former: amlodipine besylate

We studied the conductivity relaxation originating from a glass-former composed of cations and anions, and the relation to the structural α-relaxation at temperatures above and below the glass transition temperature. The material chosen was amorphous amlodipine besylate (AMB), which is also a pharmaceutical with a complex chemical structure. Measurements were made using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) and X-ray diffraction, and the characterization was assisted using density functional theory (DFT). The X-ray diffraction pattern confirms the amorphous nature of vitrified AMB. Both the ionic and dipolar aspects of the dynamics of AMB were examined using these measurements and were used to probe the nature of the secondary conductivity and dipolar relaxations and their relation to the conductivity α-relaxation and the structural α-relaxation. The coupling model predictions and quantum mechanical simulations were used side by side to reveal the properties and nature of the secondary conductivity relaxation and the secondary dipolar relaxation. Remarkably, the two secondary relaxations have the same relaxation times, and are one and the same process performing dual roles in conductivity and dipolar relaxations. This is caused by the translation–rotation coupling of the AMB molecule. Thus, AMB has both conductivity α- and β-relaxations, and application of the coupling model shows that these two relaxations are related in the same way as the structural α-relaxation and the Johari–Goldstein β-relaxation are. This important result has an impact on the fundamental understanding of the dynamics of ionic conductivity.

We studied the conductivity relaxation originating from a glass-former composed of cations and anions, and the relation to the structural α-relaxation at temperatures above and below the glass transition temperature.

Myopathy in Patients Taking Atorvastatin: A Pilot Study

AIM

This study aims to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of statin-induced myopathy.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A total of 200 patients aged ≥ 40 years and taking atorvastatin 10 mg/day or more for at least 2 weeks were recruited in the study. A detailed history of participants and anthropometry of study participants was recorded, and features of myopathy were explained. Biochemical investigations along with thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and Vitamin D were done in all patients.

RESULTS

Mean age of study population was 54.81 ± 9.10 years. Sixty-five percent (65.5%) of atorvastatin users had coronary heart disease, 62.5% were hypertensive, 38% had diabetes. Thirty-five percent (35.5%) patients were taking 10 mg/day atorvastatin, 45% were taking 20 mg/day, and 19.5% were taking 40 mg/day. The overall frequency of myopathy among statin users was 7.5% which was significantly higher with increasing dose of atorvastatin (1.4% in 10 mg/day group, 10% in 20 mg/day group, and 12.8% in 40 mg/day, P < 0.05). The frequency of atorvastatin-related myopathy was higher in females 8.65% compared to 6.25% in males. Serum TSH levels in patients with myopathy were 4.05 ± 7.76 μIU/ml while in those without myopathy were 3.13 ± 2.88 μIU/ml (P = 0.649). Serum 25-hydroxy Vitamin D levels were measured in 66 patients randomly. Mean levels in patients with myopathy were 15.98 ± 12.94 ng/ml and without myopathy were 10.20 ± 5.64 ng/ml (P = 0.285).

CONCLUSION

The present study demonstrates that a significantly higher number of patients taking atorvastatin develop myopathy in real life clinical condition. The frequency of myopathy increases with increase in atorvastatin dose.

Diversity of Platygastridae in Leaf Litter and Understory Layers of Tropical Rainforests of the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot, India

Platygastridae is the third largest family of parasitic Hymenoptera in the world. It includes important egg and larval parasitoids of insects and spiders. Therefore, Platygastridae is functionally important in maintaining the stability of tropical rainforests and agroecosystems. Although the diversity of Platygastridae is relatively well-known in agroecosystems, we know little about their diversity in tropical rainforests, and particularly about that of the leaf litter layer. Here, we address the importance of monitoring Platygastridae in tropical rainforests, using data from the relic primary forests of the sacred groves of the Western Ghats. First, we demonstrate that pitfall traps allow us to catch a wide array of representative diversity of Platygastridae of the tropical rainforests, and we establish an efficient collection method to study Platygastridae of leaf litter layer. Second, we demonstrate that the community structure and composition of Platygastridae of the leaf litter layer is different from that seen in the understory of the forests. This indirectly informs us that the Malaise traps capture only a minor subset of the species active in the rainforests. Third, we find that the dry and wet seasons captured dissimilar community of Platygastridae, suggesting that the season might alter the potential host species or host stages. We conclude that monitoring parasitic Hymenoptera in the leaf litter layer of tropical rainforests can provide fresh insights on the species distribution of both the parasitoids and their hosts, and allows us to examine the current state of the tropical rainforests from a functional point of view.

Reproductive disorders in dairy cattle under semi-intensive system of rearing in North-Eastern India

Aim:

This study was conducted to determine the incidence of major reproductive problems of dairy cattle reared under a semi-intensive system by small and marginal farmers in Meghalaya province of North-Eastern India.

Materials and Methods:

In a 3 years study, a total of 576 crossbred dairy cattle (212 Holstein Friesian cross and 364 Jersey cross) from all districts (n=11) of Meghalaya were assessed with the survey, clinical examination, and personal observations.

Results:

Out of the total animal assessed, 33.85% (n=195) were found to be affected with one or more of the clinical reproductive problems. Repeat breeding (RB), anestrus, retention of fetal membrane, and abortion were found to be the major clinical reproductive problems. Out of the total animal affected with reproductive disorders, the incidence of anestrus, RB, retention of fetal membrane, and abortion was found to be 31.79% (n=62), 24.61% (n=48), 14.35% (n=28), and 11.25% (n=22), respectively. In addition, dystocia (5.12%), prolapse (1.53%), endometritis (4.61%), and pyometra (6.66%) were minor clinical reproductive problems. There was a significant difference in the incidence of reproductive disorders with respect to breed, age, and parity.

Conclusion:

It was revealed from this study that RB, anestrus, retention of fetal membrane, and dystocia are the major clinical reproductive problems in Meghalaya. Results indicated unsatisfactory feeding, housing, and health management practices are the main cause of low fertility of dairy cows. Lack of scientific knowledge, low access to breeding, and health services further contributed to low productivity and fertility.

Crystal engineering of homochiral molecular organization of naproxen in cocrystals and their thermal phase transformation studies

Crystal engineering principles were used to produce the homochiral R- and S-chains of naproxen (NPX) by cocrystallization with bipyridine (BPY) and piperazine (PIZ).

2 year followup of patients with diabetes mellitus nephropathy showing albuminuria reversal following angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors

INTRODUCTION

Two-year follow-up of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) nephropathy shows albuminuria reversal following angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.

AIM

To study about a clinical profile of 2-year follow-up of patients with DM nephropathy showing albuminuria reversal following ACE inhibitors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty patients were taken up for study with duly informed consent and suggested for glycemic profile with HbA1C. Baseline renal function, urine microscopy, albuminuria, and other microvascular complications such as neuropathy and retinopathy. These patients were followed up for a period of 2 years with every month follow-up and monthly dose titration of ACE inhibitors, enalapril (Quote: Dr. M. K. Mani), to a maximum tolerable dose and checked after 1 week for raise in creatinine and potassium.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

Twenty patients, who have attended a secondary level diabetic clinic with diabetic nephropathy and are on regular follow-up for 2 years, were selected.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Sick patients requiring parenteral feeds, IV antibiotics, co-morbid conditions such as autonomic gastroparesis and diabetic foot infections, type 1 diabetes and other known kidney disease, chronic kidney disease on dialysis are excluded from the study. EXPECTED RESULT: Reversal of albuminuria.

CONCLUSION

Enalapril is a safe, cheaper ACE inhibitors and the good dose titration coupled with early screening for DM nephropathy really help in halting the progression of chronic kidney disease from DM nephropathy.

Glycemic control and fetal abdominal circumference

Aim:

To study about the correlation between the glycemic status and increase in fetal abdominal circumference in gestational diabetes patients and its relationship with fetal birth weight.

Materials and Methods:

Seventy-five gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients were taken up for study with duly informed consent and suggested for anthropometry profile and glycemic profile with HbA1C. Fetal abdominal circumference was measured during routine scans. The patients were followed up till delivery and the fetal birth was noted.

Inclusion Criteria:

Seventy-five gestational diabetic mothers who have attended a secondary level diabetic clinic and on regular follow-up were included in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

Pre-GDM mothers, patients with co-morbid disease were excluded from the study.

Expected Results:

Fetal abdominal circumference correlated well with fluctuating glycemic control and fetal birth weight.

Comparision between body mass index and abdominal obesity for the screening for diabetes in healthy individuals

Aim:

To study about the usefulness of Waist-Height Ratio as a clinical marker in patients with Metabolic Syndrome.

Materials and Methods:

A clinic-based study of patients attending a secondary level Diabetic Clinic and correlation of their Anthropometry data like waist circumference, height to other parameters namely body mass index (BMI), Waist-Hip Ratio, Blood pressure, Glycemic Control, Lipid Profile, and Duration of Diabetes.

Inclusion Criteria:

Randomly selected 10 000 patients attending a secondary level diabetic clinic.

Exclusion Criteria:

Type 1 DM, Gestational Diabetes.

Result:

Waist-Height Ratio is a better parameter than Waist-Hip Ratio and it is significant in applying for people with different Stature with Normal BMI.

Conclusion:

Waist-Height Ratio is a better and easier tool when compared with BMI or Waist-Hip Ratio and can be used for assessment of Cardio-metabolic parameter for public health.

Goniometry in limited joint mobility

AIM

To study about the utility of goniometry in screening for limited joint mobility (LJM) in patients attending a secondary level Diabetic Clinic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Randomly selected data of 100 patients attending a secondary level diabetic clinic without any complications were used. Baseline neuropathy assessments, namely monofilament and biothesiometry were done. Range of movement around the ankle joint and 1(st) metatarsal joint was done using goniometry. Both the results were compared.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

Selected 100 patients attending a secondary level diabetic clinic and on regular follow-up were included in the study.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Sick patients requiring parenteral feeds, IV antibiotics, co-morbid conditions such as microvascular complication, autonomic gastroparesis, and diabetic foot infections were excluded from the study.

CONCLUSION

Goniometric screening for LJM is a cheap and effective screening tool for detecting early structural deformity producing a higher plantar pressure and ulcer, and thereby preventing them at early stage.

Oral health quality-of-life among undergraduate Malaysian dental students

AIM

To assess the oral health quality of life among Malaysian dental students using the Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) scale.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Malaysian dental students of Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal campus, Manipal University, Manipal answered a structured questionnaire recording the demographic characteristics, behavioral characteristics and eight items of OIDP.

RESULTS

The mean OIDP ADD and OIDP SC scores were respectively, 4.10 (sd = 5.16, range 8 - 40) and 2. 3 (sd = 2.3, range 0-8). A total of 50%, 32.9% and 28.6% of the dental students confirmed difficulties with eating, cleaning teeth and sleeping and relaxing, respectively. Statistically significant relationships were observed between OIDP (ultimate oral impact) and a count of non-clinical oral health indicators representing the second (intermediate) levels of oral impact. Logistic regression analysis revealed that dental students who were dissatisfied with their oral health had greater oral impact than their counterparts. The odds ratios for satisfaction with oral health, dental visits and frequency of brushing teeth were respectively 1.74 (0.58-5.32), 0.59 (0.11-3.24) and 1.33 (0.41-4.30).

CONCLUSION

The study reports the Oral Impact on Daily Performance among Malaysian dental students and provides evidence of importance of social and behavioral characteristics in shaping dental students response.

Assessment of total maximum daily load implementation strategies for nitrate impairment of the Raccoon River, Iowa

The state of Iowa requires developing total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for over 400 water bodies that are listed on the 303(d) list of the impaired waters. The Raccoon River watershed, which covers approximately 9400 km2 of prime agriculture land and represents a typical Midwestern corn-belt region in west-central Iowa, was found to have three stream segments impaired by nitrate-N. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was applied to this watershed to facilitate the development of a TMDL. The modeling framework integrates SWAT with supporting software and databases on topography, land use and management, soil, and weather information. Annual and monthly simulated and measured streamflow and nitrate loads were strongly correlated. The watershed response was evaluated for a suite of watershed management scenarios where land use and management changes were made uniformly across the watershed. A scenario of changing the entire land to row crop resulted in an increased nitrate load of about 12% over the baseline condition at the watershed outlet. Results from the 15 nitrate load reduction strategies were found to reduce nitrate from < 1% to about 85%, with the greatest potential reduction associated with changing the row crops to grassland. This research demonstrated the use of a modeling system to facilitate the analyses of TMDL implementation strategies, including the ability to target the most efficient allocation of alternative practices on a subwatershed basis.

Different interaction motifs of dipolar S=O...C=O contacts that associate diastereomers of 2,4(6)-di-O-benzoyl-6(4)-O-{[(1S)-7,7-dimethyl-2-oxobicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-1-ylmethyl]sulfonyl}-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoacetate

Diastereomeric mixtures of 2,4(6)-di-O-benzoyl-6(4)-O-[(1S)-10-camphorsulfonyl]-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoesters associate in their crystal structures via different geometries of S=O...C=O short contacts, depending upon the substitution. A comparison of the dimeric association in the orthoacetate and orthoformate (solvated) derivatives shows a sheared parallel motif of dipolar S=O...C=O contacts bridging the former, whereas perpendicular S=O...C=O contacts occur in the latter. The title compound, C(32)H(34)O(11)S, is chiral, owing to the presence of the camphor moiety.

Preparation,In vitro, preclinical and clinical evaluations of once daily sustained release tablets of aceclofenac

The objective of the present study was to develop "once daily" sustained release tablets of aceclofenac by direct compression using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-K4M (HPMC). The solubility studies of aceclofenac were conducted to select suitable dissolution media. The drug-excipient mixtures were subjected to preformulation studies. The tablets were subjected to physicochemical, in vitro drug release and stability studies. Preclinical (anti-inflammatory, analgesic, pharmacokinetic and toxicity studies) and clinical pharmacokinetic studies were conducted for optimized tablets. Based on the preformulation results, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), dicalcium phosphate and spray dried lactose (SDL) were selected as directly compressible vehicles. Because of the incompatibility with aceclofenac, SDL was excluded from the study. The physicochemical properties of tablets were found within the limits. By comparing the dissolution profiles with the marketed product, the tablet containing HPMC (45%) and MCC (30%) along with talc and magnesium stearate (1% w/w, each) (Tablet B7) was considered as a better formulation. This tablet exhibited almost similar drug release profile in different dissolution media as that of marketed tablet. Tablet B7 was stable in accelerated conditions for 6 months. The composition of this tablet showed almost similar preclinical pharmacological activities compared to marketed tablet composition and did not exhibit any toxicity in rats and mice with respect to tested haematological and biochemical parameters along with body weight, food and water intake. The pharmacokinetic study in healthy human volunteers indicated that B7 tablet produced an extended drug release of drug upto 24 h as that of marketed product with almost identical pharmacokinetic parameters.

O—H...O-bridged dimers linkedviaC—H...O and C—H...π interactions in 4,6-di-O-benzyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate

The centrosymmetric O-H...O-bonded head-to-head dimers of the title compound, C(21)H(22)O(6), are linked together via bifurcated C-H...O interactions along the a axis and via favourable C-H...pi interactions along the b axis in the crystal structure.

Lewis Acid-Promoted Annulation of o-Quinonediimines by Allylstannane: A Facile Synthesis of Quinoxaline Derivatives

[reaction: see text] Lewis acid-promoted addition of allyltri-n-butylstannane to o-quinonediimines afforded tetrahydroquinoxaline derivatives or allylated amides depending on the nature of the substituent on imine nitrogen.

Entomophthoromycosis of the nose and paranasal sinus

A case of entomophthoromycosis of the nose and paranasal sinus is presented. To our knowledge, this is the youngest patient reported with this infection. Though the clinical picture mimicked a malignancy, histopathology clinched the diagnosis of entomophthoromycosis. The lesions resolved completely with oral potassium iodide.

Visual evoked response in macular diseases

Visual evoked responses (VER) were recorded in 10 patients with unilateral maculopathy. VER latency and amplitude were compared between the affected and unaffected eyes. Evaluation of results reveals that in macular disease with fluid accumulation (Central Serous Retinopathy and Traumatic Macular Oedema) the VER showed amplitude reduction depending on reduced visual acuity with no significant change in latency, whereas, in disease with degeneration of retinal layers, (Degenerative Maculopathy) latency was markedly increased signifying associated conduction defect.