TIDAL PERIODICITY IN MICROGROWTH BANDS OF BLOOD CLAM Anadara indica (Bivalvia: Arcidae): A POSSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL SCLEROCHRONOMETER IN THE TROPICS

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 (4-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Norma Afiati

This study examining the microgrowth periodicity of wild type Anadara indica (Gmelin, 1791) being submerged for 29 d in the cage and field plot. Individual clams showed daily increment growth that conforms to semilunar tidal cycle of 14.8 d. The shell therefore provided record about the absolute growth history of the organism, presumably including the environmental conditions under which shell deposition took place. Shell accretion decreased in rhythm to the gonad development and spawning measured as Condition Index. The significantly departed sex ration to 0.25:1 in favour of > 35 mm shell length females indicating the occurrence of male to female sex reversal, likewise its con-specific A. granosa (Linne, 1758) and A. antiquata (Linnaeus, 1758). It is thought that habitat overlap between A. granosa and A. indica, combined with irresponsible fisheries of the local people which commercially caught small size male clams caused the shift in population dominance among these two species, i.e., from A. granosa to A. indica. However, this study showed that A. indica might as well thrive in areas close to intertidal region likewise A. granosa, where tidal periodicity role as a forcing function to the environment.

BJS Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Apoorva Khajuria ◽  
Tuba Rahim ◽  
Mariam Baig ◽  
Kai Leong ◽  
Apoorva Khajuria

Abstract Introduction Despite perianal abscess being a common presentation, certain aspects of its management remain controversial, especially the routine use of intra-operative swab cultures. Methods A retrospective review of patients that underwent incision and drainage procedures for a perianal abscess over a six-month period was undertaken. Results Over 6 months, 50 patients were identified. The male to female ratio was 3:1 and median ASA score was 1. Only 6/50 patients presented with recurrent abscess and 1 patient had history of inflammatory bowel disease. On the basis of operative findings, 39 patients (78%) had uncomplicated abscess (not associated with cellulitis, sinus or fistula); swab cultures were performed in 26 (67%) of these patients. All patients were discharged on the same day; microbiology reports did not impact the treatment and no patients were followed up in clinic post-operatively or presented with recurrence. The number of unnecessary microbiology swabs undertaken in this cohort equates to approximately 52 unnecessary swabs a year. The cost of one swab is £10.10p, which means £520 could potentially be saved annually. Conclusion Routine intra-operative swab cultures do not impact management decisions, add to unnecessary costs and therefore should not be undertaken in uncomplicated or first presentation of peri-anal abscesses.


2015 ◽  
Vol 65 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 311-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Fabrício Mota Rodrigues ◽  
José Roberto Feitosa Silva

Studies focusing on the natural history of species are essential for developing effective conservation measures and evaluating ecological hypotheses. To this end, we describe natural history data of the Cotinga River toadhead turtle, Phrynops tuberosus, in the Banabuiú River in Ceará, Brazil, and evaluated sexual dimorphism, epibionts, and mutilation effects. We hand-captured 134 individuals by snorkeling, over a period of one year, resulting in the capture of 94 males, 24 females, and 16 juveniles. Females had larger head width and body mass than males, while males had longer tail length. One quarter of the turtles captured had some sort of injury or deformation, most common injuries being missing claws, mutilations, and shell deformations. We found no difference in body condition index between mutilated and non-mutilated animals. Mollusks, insects, and leeches were found as epibionts on P. tuberosus and most of the captured turtles had extensive algal cover. Future studies should focus on understanding the effect of mutilations on animal fitness and reproductive success.


2011 ◽  
Vol 279 (1728) ◽  
pp. 610-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin M. Winger ◽  
Irby J. Lovette ◽  
David W. Winkler

Seasonal migration in birds is known to be highly labile and subject to rapid change in response to selection, such that researchers have hypothesized that phylogenetic relationships should neither predict nor constrain the migratory behaviour of a species. Many theories on the evolution of bird migration assume a framework that extant migratory species have evolved repeatedly and relatively recently from sedentary tropical or subtropical ancestors. We performed ancestral state reconstructions of migratory behaviour using a comprehensive, well-supported phylogeny of the Parulidae (the ‘wood-warblers’), a large family of Neotropical and Nearctic migratory and sedentary songbirds, and examined the rates of gain and loss of migration throughout the Parulidae. Counter to traditional hypotheses, our results suggest that the ancestral wood-warbler was migratory and that losses of migration have been at least as prevalent as gains throughout the history of Parulidae. Therefore, extant sedentary tropical radiations in the Parulidae represent losses of latitudinal migration and colonization of the tropics from temperate regions. We also tested for phylogenetic signal in migratory behaviour, and our results indicate that although migratory behaviour is variable within some wood-warbler species and clades, phylogeny significantly predicts the migratory distance of species in the Parulidae.


2021 ◽  
pp. 72-73
Author(s):  
Laxmi Rathore ◽  
P. K. Khatri ◽  
Saroj K. Meena ◽  
Archana Bora ◽  
Suneel Bhooshan

Acute Febrile Encephalopathy is a clinical term used to describe patients presenting with short febrile illnesses with altered mental states. Demographic distribution plays an essential role in the diagnosis of viral etiologies. One hundred ve suspected AFE cases were enrolled in the study. A detailed history by predesigned performa and laboratory investigations was obtained for data collection. Viral etiology was diagnosed in 32 (30.48%) cases. The male to female ratio was 1.39:1. Total 56.25% of positive cases were from the lower class, 28.13% from the middle class, and 15.63% from the upper class. 24 (75%) cases from rural, while only 8 (25%) of the urban population showed viral etiologies. In 19 (59.4%) cases were either history of incomplete vaccination or not vaccinated, 13 (40.6%) cases had a history of complete immunization among positive cases. The predominant clinical feature was fever (100%) followed by seizures 66(62.86%), vomiting 37(35.24%), headache 14(13.33%), paresis in 16(15.24%) and altered sensorium in 29(27.62%), respectively. To conclude, the etiologic panorama of AFE varies with several factors such as time and demographical location, age, and immunization status. There is an urgent need to conduct more studies to prole the viral etiologies according to their prevalence in geographical areas so the treatment can be tailored accordingly and prophylaxis treatment or immunization can be boosted in the population at risk of getting the disease.


2021 ◽  
pp. 70-72
Author(s):  
Gaurav Santosh Nemade ◽  
Sumit Nitin Dhus ◽  
Arushi Ramesh Shetty ◽  
Neha Dhananjay Firake

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The burden of tuberculosis (TB) in India is the highest accounting for 26% of the global incidence. A total of 1.4 million people died from TB in 2019 (including 208 000 people with HIV). India accounts for a fourth of the global burden of TB and 29% of global mortality. Therefore, we carried out this study to compare demographic, lifestyle and clinical characteristic between pulmonary TB (PTB) and extrapulmonary TB (EPTB). MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY:Aretrospective analysis was carried of 348 patients diagnosed in DOTS centre, Pravara Rural Hospital, Loni. Characteristics of demographic and clinical characteristics were obtained from medical case records. RESULTS:Among the 348 cases, 71.3% were PTB and 28.7% were EPTB including, pleural (36%), meningeal (27%) and lymphatic (20%) cases. The male to female ratio in PTB and EPTB are 1.99 and 1.22 respectively. EPTB was more common at younger age (<25 years). Tobacco addiction (10.9%), diabetes mellitus (4.03%), HIV positivity (12.1%) and history of contact with Tb patients (17.7%) were more likely to be associated with PTB. CONCLUSION:Increased awareness of the risk factors may facilitate early case nding and better management outcomes for these patients.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 217-222
Author(s):  
Premwadee Chueachat ◽  
Woraporn Tarangkoon ◽  
Suwat Tanyaros

Abstract A comparative study on the nursery culture of the spat of the tropical oyster, Crassostrea iredalei, in an earthen pond and a mangrove canal was conducted over two months. The results revealed no differences in the absolute growth rate determined by shell width between the two culture sites (P < 0.05). Sub-adult oysters cultured in the mangrove canal showed a higher absolute growth rate in shell length and a higher daily growth rate than the oysters cultured in the earthen pond (P < 0.05). The mean survival rate of sub-adult oysters cultured in the earthen pond (99.8 ± 0.2%) was significantly higher than for those cultured in the mangrove canal (66.7 ± 31.4%). Decreased density from the loss of sub-adult oyster nursery culture in the mangrove canal led to higher growth performance than in the earthen pond. However, no difference was found for the fraction of oysters larger or smaller than 5 cm for the two culture sites (P < 0.05). A significant difference was noted in the Condition Index (CI) between the two culture sites (P < 0.05). The high primary productivity in mangroves is a major supporter of higher CI in sub-adult oysters cultured in mangrove canals versus in earthen ponds. Water exchange in the earthen pond to maintain calcium and magnesium concentrations resulted in no differences in the shell compressibility of sub-adult oysters compared with those cultured in the mangrove canal.


BMJ ◽  
1896 ◽  
Vol 1 (1833) ◽  
pp. 397-397
Author(s):  
J. B. Ridley

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