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Governance and regulation of the use of live animals in research and teaching is examined in Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan and India. A comparison of the systems in different countries will enable the determination of best practice and fit-forpurpose regulation. The most comprehensive government regulation of animal welfare in institutions covers a broad range of animals and institutions are required to have an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, whose membership is specified in guidelines or regulations. The work of the Committees is rigorously overseen by government and facilities that use live animals are audited externally. All countries examined have legislation governing the use of live animals in research, although only Australia and Malaysia have a fully equivalent mandated oversight of teaching. Teaching that uses live animals is partly covered in the Philippines, Japan, Singapore and Thailand This paper thus aims to review the regulation of animal use in different Asian jurisdictions in order to determine best practices that are appropriate to those settings. The most comprehensive oversight is provided in Australia and Malaysia that essentially use the same regulatory framework.

The paper intends to discuss India's humane cultural traditions and its animal protection laws, justify the current need for humane education in Indian schools and preschools, offer examples of humane education curriculum ideas, and highlight the work of animal welfare organizations in India. Since ancient times, reverence and compassion for animals have been woven into India's cultural motif. All major religions in India uphold these beliefs. Hinduism, in particular, has endowed animals with a sacred status and perceives animals within the same spiritual unity that pervades the cosmos. Although not presented formally in schools, children in India grew up listening to stories that highlighted compassion for animals and participated in family rituals that showed reverence for animals. However, such cultural beliefs and practices are losing ground for a host of reasons in recent years. For example, while pet ownership has increased in recent years, incidents of pet abandonment, as well as stories of cruelty towards animals, have also wound their ways into the news headlines. Many animal protection laws have been introduced over the years, yet violations of these laws continue. Laws will not protect the rights of animals in India, but humane citizens will. Humane education programs have the potential to help plant the seed of compassion and justice for all animals early in children's hearts. Teachers may implement a carefully crafted humane education curriculum based on free resources provided by animal welfare organizations worldwide. A review of the literature shows that humane education is still uncharted territory for scholars in India. It is hoped that the article will draw attention to the topic of humane education among Indian researchers.

The objectives of the study on which this paper is based, were to develop an IT [Information Technology] based expert system on dairy cattle diseases for Continuing Veterinary Education (CVE) of veterinarians and to assess its effectiveness. The veterinarians working in three districts under the Animal Husbandry Department, Kerala were the respondents of the study. The research was conducted in three phases. A needs analysis was conducted to prioritize the dairy cattle diseases based on which the content was developed. Concerned experts validated the content of different dairy cattle diseases before being incorporated into the software tools. The perceived applicability of the expert system 'DIAREX-K' was assessed using a stratified proportionate random sampling to identify participants who then completed a structured questionnaire. The majority of the respondents rated the expert system as highly satisfactory and indicated a favorable attitude toward computer usage. Simplicity and design aspects of the system received top ranking. The findings indicate that it is essential for the organization to take the initiative and motivate the veterinary professionals to use computer-assisted aids such as the expert system as a CVE program to improve their clinical and diagnostic practices.

Reflective narrative writing on unfolding ethics case vignettes has the potential to promote values like empathy among medical students, which will prove useful in their future. The objective of this study was to explore the scope of guided reflective narratives on unfolding ethics case vignettes integrated into physiology teaching to promote empathy among first-year medical students. First-year medical students (n = 150) were presented with unfolding case vignettes exploring ethical issues, as part of their physiology curriculum, with questions and prompts for a guided reflective narrative. Feedback about the program was obtained through a semistructured questionnaire. The contents of the students' reflective narratives and feedback were analyzed. The narratives revealed that students empathized with the various individuals involved in medical treatment and research, which was also reflected in student feedback (n = 116; 79%) and high Likert scale scores (74%). The program was considered effective by students in broadening their perspective and promoting critical thinking (n = 129; 88%). Through analysis of reflections, a rubric that would enable the evaluation of students' empathy on a scale of increasing ability to look at a situation from another's point of view emerged. This rubric could be used to quantitatively assess the impact of similar programs. Although divided in their individual opinions, the study population was able to relate to all individuals involved in medical practice and research, recognizing the need for fair and ethical practices. The content analysis led to the development of a rubric to grade empathy.

In this paper we frame children as geological agents, very much part of epoch and biospherical processes, enfolded in Earth system changes. We draw on the experiences of Indian childhoods in a context where the land, water, animals, children's bodies and forests are being shaped by a politics of corporate city building. We analyse how children and young people contribute to Earth system changes and consider the everyday, multispecies consequences of living with anthropogenic urbanism. The paper shows how children's bodies are entangled with human and non-human forces; they are geological agents which challenge, negotiate and have cyclical and rhythmic relationships with land and resources. We argue that time, scale and multispecies vulnerabilities are important reference points in our thinking through anthropogenic processes and thus contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the place of children and young people in the new epoch.

The Kodaikanal years were from late 1942 to March, 1944, a period of internment for Maria Montessori against her will in India. Yet in these remote hills, a fanfare and training course emerged, and so did the inspiration for an in-depth unification principle for the elementary program which we now loosely call Cosmic Education. These two interviews with Lena Wikramaratne and Mario Montessori Sr. [see EJ1078110 for the interview with Mario Montessori Sr.] capture a period of new thinking about Montessori education that personifies the interdependent components of land and water, air and energy, animals and plants, alongside the human-made world. Both Mario and Maria Montessori lived near a complex that housed families with children from infancy to age eighteen, and this location is considered to be the inspiration for their emerging insights around childhood and adolescence. [This article was reprinted from "The NAMTA Quarterly" 5,1 (1979, Fall): 44-54.]

This article provides an interview transcript between David Kahn and Mario Montessori (1898-1982), son of Dr. Maria Montessori. Mario Montessori dedicated his life to the preservation, dissemination and application of Montessori's works. Herein Kahn asks Montessori about his time living in the hills of Kodaikanal, India. Montessori touches upon the elementary class he taught there, the influence of Cosmic Education on his lessons, and his exploration of the sciences with the children. [This article was reprinted from "The NAMTA Quarterly" 5,1 (1979, Fall): 56-59. For "Chapter I," see EJ1078126.]

Environmental education as a theory and practice of ecopedagogical simulation positively acknowledges various accidental happenings in the learner's experience. By working with and on the accidents, the learner is encouraged to imagine the real object that escapes his/her experience and thus cannot be and should not be reduced into human subjectivities. For less anthropocentric environmental education and its research, this article empirically and conceptually develops the ecopedagogy as/in escapeScape--or (e)Scape--via three case studies derived from various experientially educative settings related to tourism.

Purpose: Livelihood diversification is a sound alternative for higher economic growth and its success or failure is conditioned by the interplay of a multitude of factors. The study of the profile of the farmers in which they operate is important to highlight the factors leading to success in diversified livelihoods. Design/Methodology/Approach: A total of 160 households of farmers were selected randomly and were interviewed to collect primary data for the study. To measure the success of diversified occupation a success-failure scale was developed following the steps used by Singh et al., "t" statistics was used to compare the two groups. Discriminant function analysis was used to identify the factors determining success and failure in diversified occupation. Findings: The study revealed that 53% of the diversifiers were successful in their diversified activities. Around 62.50% diversifiers under the high success category were adopted non-farming nature of diversification along with farm diversification. Number of livestock holding, resource mobilisation potentiality, contact with extension personnel, distance from market, share of non-farm income, credit-seeking behaviour and dependency ratio were major characters discriminating successful diversifiers from unsuccessful diversifiers. Practical Implications: The paper would be useful for the researchers and policy-makers to assess and compare the livelihood security of different rural communities in the country. Originality/Value: The study was originally conducted by the authors. Nothing similar has been previously published or is currently under consideration for publication by another journal.

Purpose: To identify various organizational climatic factors responsible for role performances of veterinary officers in Andhra Pradesh, India. Design/methodology/approach: Study was conducted in 11 selected districts. Data were collected from 220 respondents through a pretested interview schedule and subjected to correlation and multiple regression to draw valid inferences. Organizational climate was measured by using the index specially prepared for the study. Findings: Around 76% of the respondents perceived that the organizational climate prevailing in the department of animal husbandry was favorable. Leadership, teamwork and trust had significant contribution towards perception of organizational climate. The respondents were least satisfied with motivation, decision-making and goal setting components of the organizational climate. The model with seven variables out of 16 independent variables was a good fit with R square of 85.59%. Work motivation, persistence disposition, participativeness, job satisfaction, physical facilities availability and timeliness of availability of facilities were found to have significant positive influence while job stress had significant negative influence on perceived organizational climate. Practical implications: This investigation has an organizational and social significance for development of livestock organizations not only in India, but also to other SAARC countries as well. Originality/value: No empirical evidence on inter-relation between organizational climate and job performance of veterinarians is available at present in Andhra Pradesh.

Recent studies indicate that young children preferentially attend to snakes, spiders, and lions compared with nondangerous species, but these results have yet to be replicated in populations that actually experience dangerous animals in nature. This multi-site study investigated the visual-detection biases of southern Indian children towards two potentially dangerous taxa, snakes and lions, that constituted major threats during human evolution. Three- to 8-year-old children from two distinct populations were presented with visual-search tasks containing one target image embedded in matrices of eight distractor images. Children living in Bangalore city, an urban setting in which exposure to dangerous animals would only occur occasionally during family outings to zoos and forest areas, were compared with children living in and around National Parks where exposure to dangerous species is frequent. In the first two experiments, children from both locations detected snake and lion images more rapidly than nonthreatening lizard and antelope images, respectively. Neither urban nor rural children displayed a bias for detecting horses versus cows, the latter constituting a familiar animal with strong religious significance. For all three experiments, the reaction times of urban and rural children were very similar, indicating that periodic exposure to dangerous animals early in life, coupled with adult cautioning, did not facilitate better snake and lion detection. This consistency of urban and rural children with different exposure to dangerous animals suggests that detection of some dangerous species may reflect both experience in nature and visual biases shaped by natural selection. (Contains 7 figures.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify and rank the SWOT issues of India's veterinary and animal science education. Design: The data were collected at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) from 168 post-graduate students. The two surveys generated 72% (N = 121) and 68% (N = 114) response rates, respectively. In the first stage, the vital SWOT issues were listed by respondents and in the second stage, they ranked the top eight issues on a Likert scale. Findings: Uniform curriculum; merit-based admissions; and huge demand and employment prospects were perceived as major strengths. Gaps in curriculum revision and inadequate faculty, colleges and hands-on experience were perceived as key weaknesses. Regular curriculum revisions; novel instructional methods; and single admission tests were important opportunities perceived. Out-dated education model; urban biased admissions; and regional barriers were the major threats perceived. Practical implication: The SWOT issues identified are similar to those faced by veterinary education programmes in many countries with minor variations. Originality/value: The findings are of interest for veterinary faculties in developing and under-developed countries to harmonize their veterinary education systems on par with global norms. The related implications for policy and future directions are discussed. (Contains 2 notes and 6 tables.)

This paper describes and analyses the experience of designing, installing and evaluating a farmer-usable touch screen information kiosk on cattle health in a veterinary institution in Pondicherry. The contents of the kiosk were prepared based on identified demands for information on cattle health, arrived at through various stakeholders meetings. Information on these cattle diseases and conditions affecting the livelihoods of the poor was provided through graphics, text and audio back-up, keeping in mind the needs of landless and illiterate poor cattle owners. A methodology for kiosk evaluation based on the feedback obtained from kiosk facilitator, critical group reflection and individual users was formulated. The formative evaluation reveals the potential strength this ICT has in transferring information to the cattle owners in a service delivery centre. Such information is vital in preventing diseases and helps cattle owners to present and treat their animals at an early stage of disease condition. This in turn helps prevent direct and indirect losses to the cattle owners. The study reveals how an information kiosk installed at a government institution as a freely accessible source of information to all farmers irrespective of their class and caste can help in transfer of information among poor cattle owners, provided periodic updating, interactivity and communication variability are taken care of. Being in the veterinary centre, the kiosk helps stimulate dialogue, and facilitates demand of services based on the information provided by the kiosk screens. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

The sixth-grade art curriculum includes world cultures and the art-history timeline. This lesson was created as the authors were developing relevant projects. They also presented it at an Ohio Art Education Association fall conference as part of their thematic unit, "Art of the Himalayas." As teachers, they were fascinated by the annual Jaipur Elephant Festival in Rajasthan, India, and thought a related project would be great for their students. Students were intrigued to learn that for millennia, elephants have held an important place in Indian society. Elephants are part of many major religious ceremonies, processions--and even marriage ceremonies. To begin this lesson, the authors shared with students images of Indian elephants decorated for festivals and other events. In this activity, the sixth-grade artists were thrilled to be making festive Indian elephants of their own.

Leptospirosis is one of the most neglected zoonotic infections of public health concern worldwide and a remerging infection in tropical countries such as India. The infection least explored disease and the epidemiological and other critical data are scarce for the disease rate reported and to control the infection. Leptospirosis as sapronosis is as underrated as the infection itself, and this article aims to explore the significance of this aspect of the disease. The research review aimed at the epidemiological understanding of the infection to control the negative impact of the disease. A mixed review and analysis were carried out to understand the knowledge published on the critical and understudied areas like epidemiology, transmission, diagnosis, treatment, and control of infection. A systematic analysis was carried out to extract information about the reported circulating strains, and research lacunae in India with the published data available in PubMed. The article elaborately discusses crucial inference areas of infection transmission and addresses lacunae in critically unacclaimed areas of infection to control the spread of infection using one health approach (OHA), and strategies to control leptospiral infection are proposed. The article also reviewed how and why Leptospirosis can be best studied and controlled by "One health approach" in India. Highlights: Leptospiral strains reported from one health domain source, human, animal, and environmental samples in India are listed to display the epidemiology of infection in India. This article discusses the lacunae in Leptospirosis research in crucial domains and one of the core areas of transmission and how it is the major target for the control of infection in animals and humans. The study has a list of recommendations for the establishment of a One Health working group and possible control strategies for transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leopard attacks on human beings is common in Uttarakhand which is an area of national conservation. The objective of this study is to examine the pattern of injuries and circumstances to encourage ways of reducing such conflicts. There were eight deaths from leopard attacks brought for autopsy to the mortuary between January 2019 and August 2020. Incidents occurred mostly in a forest close to human settlements. One tourist was among the male victims, the remainder of whom were women carrying out household duties near the forest. Leopard attack injuries present in the head and neck were ante-mortem, with abdomen, buttocks and limbs post-mortem. People living at the border of protected areas need alternative means of support to enable them to avoid using forest resources, tourists must be warned to avoid wandering in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Animal bites to humans are a public health problem, posing a potential threat of rabies to over 3.3 billion people worldwide. Knowledge regarding various epidemiological aspects of animal bite cases will be helpful to achieve the target of rabies elimination. In this regard, this study aimed to determine the trend and epidemiology of animal bite cases in a tertiary care hospital of North India. Materials and Methods: The secondary data analysis of records was conducted in Antirabies Clinic of BPS Government Medical College for Women Khanpur Kalan, Sonepat. Nearly all the facilities for animal bite management are available in this antirabies clinic hence a reasonable coverage is expected. The data of cases reported in 10 years (January 2012 to December 2021) were analyzed after seeking necessary permission from the authorities. Results: A total of 35,427 new cases of animal bite were reported in the decade. After interpretation of data from 2012 to 2021, the frequency of cases showed a rising trend from the year 2012, with the highest number of cases in the year 2019, while animal bite cases were maximum in month of March followed by February. There were almost two-third number of cases in males as compared to one-third females, with highest number of cases being in rural area. Conclusion: Animal bite cases are rising over the years. Most of the animal bite cases occurred during the start of the spring season, commonly occurred in children and males. We need to increase the frequency of information, education, and communication activities to properly handle animal bite so that rabies can be prevented and the target of rabies elimination by 2030 can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the rising problems in the whole world in wild animals. As we know, countries like India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Pakistan, etc. are considered the home of many endangered wildlife species like the Asian elephant, Rhinoceros, Markhor, Snow Leopard, and Bengal tiger. These countries carry 44% of the burden of TB in the form of human TB, livestock TB, and wildlife TB. The TB pathogen has a wide host range, therefore it is of great importance and need of the hour to work under one health concept to construct a composite TB control program in the medical as well as veterinary fields. Moreover, further research is yet to be made on this challenging arena. Globally, many studies have been conducted to discover the types of tuberculosis in wild animals. Recent studies have declared that Mycobacterium tuberculosis is not only the causative agent of tuberculosis in wild animals but other mycobacterium species are also a growing threat. It was demonstrated that a wide variety of mycobacterium strains are present in the whole region, particularly in developing countries pointing out its endemic distribution. Tuberculosis in the free-ranging Rhinoceros in South Africa, Nepal, and Sri Lanka is associated with the M. bovis and M. orygis that also signify the threats of TB in other wild animal species including chances of unknown maintenance host. Some other research has revealed that there is a rising challenge of TB in the elephants in different countries of the World. Being a major reservoir host of tuberculosis, wildlife has become a conservation and public health challenge all over the World. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat cultivation in southern India is unique as it is grown in high altitudes (1500 m amsl), surrounded by the pristine environment of the Western Ghats. Also, it can be grown throughout the year, unlike only once a year in India’s central and northern plains. The faunal pressure on wheat cultivation in southern India is different from the other wheat-growing regions in the country. However, information on faunal diversity associated with wheat crops in this unique ecosystem is meagre. Hence, the present study aimed to acquire knowledge based on the fauna associated with and their influence on wheat cultivation in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, South India. Our results indicated that the phylum Arthropoda dominated the ecosystem with 61 species, followed by the Chordata with 41 species, and the Nematoda with 22 species. The coleopterans were found to be dominant among arthropods followed by lepidopterans. In chordates, small birds such as spotted munia and common rosefinch were observed often, while among the Nematoda, the plantparasitic order Tylenchida topped the list. During different phases of cultivation, the overall diversity was highest during the early stages of the crop and least during the vegetative phase. This study also highlights the human– animal interaction in the context of agriculture, as it was observed that the damage caused by Nilgiri gaur, spotted munia and common rosefinch was one of the major reasons for non-preference of wheat crops by the farmers besides the lack of cost-effective technologies to ward-off wild animals. This initiative may encourage researchers to perform more comprehensive studies on the faunal diversity of the entire crop-growing areas in the southern hill regions of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rabies is one of zoonotic viral disease, estimated to cause 59000 human deaths annually in over 150 countries, of which 20,000 are from India alone; about 40% of which are in children under the age of 15. Rabies though 100% fatal is preventable with post-exposure prophylaxis which includes wound washing, anti-rabies vaccination and rabies immunoglobulin. Objective: To describe the clinico-social profile of animal bite patients attending the anti-rabies clinic of BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the anti-rabies clinic of Nehru hospital, BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur from January 2022 to May 2022. Study participants were interviewed by using a pre-phrased, pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire. Data regarding socio-demographic and clinical profile of the study participants following animal bite exposure was collected. Results: The total number of animal bite victims were 250, in which majority of them were males (76.77%) and highest percentage was of adult population (20-59 years). Maximum number of victims were from rural area (78.70%). 19.35% were working and 39.35% were students. 77.43% were category III bites and in 50.96% cases lower limb was the site of bite and dogs were responsible for 89.67% of the bites. 60.64% victims did not wash the wound properly before reaching the anti-rabies clinic. Conclusion: This study concludes that as majority of the animal bite victims were students and majority of victims were unaware about the importance of wound care, therefore a step can be taken to create awareness in various schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tangsas are rich in their traditional knowledge-based medicinal practices. They employ various traditional healing mechanisms like spiritual healing, herbal healing and zootherapeutic healing to deal with numerous health-related problems. This paper investigates the traditional knowledge of animal-based remedies among the Tangsa community of Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, India. The paper deals with three important areas; first, it attempts to identify some of the animal species which are useful for medicinal purposes, secondly to understand how animal-based medicines are prepared and applied, and lastly to know about different diseases that can be treated traditionally with animal-based products. The present study is based on the empirical data collected during fieldwork conducted in seven villages located in different parts of Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh. It has been observed that use of animal-based remedies among the Tangsa community is gradually declining due to varied reasons like modern medical facilities, education, intervention of the govt., lack of resources and products, shortage of medicine experts, and so on. Thus, this study is important to document the use of animal-based remedies as part of a traditional knowledge system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a zoonotic mosquito-borne virus that causes a significant burden of disease across Asia, particularly in India, with high mortality in children. JEV circulates in wild ardeid birds and domestic pig reservoirs, both of which generate sufficiently high viraemias to infect vector mosquitoes, which can then subsequently infect humans. The landscapes of these hosts, particularly in the context of anthropogenic ecotones and resulting wildlife-livestock interfaces, are poorly understood and thus significant knowledge gaps in the epidemiology of JEV persist. This study sought to investigate the landscape epidemiology of JEV outbreaks in India over the period 2010-2020 to determine the influence of shared wetland and rain-fed agricultural landscapes and animal hosts on outbreak risk.Methods: Using surveillance data from India's National Centre for Disease Control Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, JEV outbreaks were modelled as an inhomogeneous Poisson point process and externally validated against independently sourced data.Results: Outbreak risk was strongly associated with the habitat suitability of ardeid birds, both pig and chicken density, and the shared landscapes between fragmented rain-fed agriculture and both river and freshwater marsh wetlands.Conclusion: The results from this work provide the most complete understanding of the landscape epidemiology of JEV in India to date and suggest important One Health priorities for control and prevention across fragmented terrain comprising a wildlife-livestock interface that favours spillover to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 11-year-old boy with acute myeloid leukemia was brought for treatment of severe acute respiratory infection in the National Capital Region, New Delhi, India. Avian influenza A(H5N1) infection was laboratory confirmed. Complete genome analysis indicated hemagglutinin gene clade 2.3.2.1a. We found the strain to be susceptible to amantadine and neuraminidase inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To study clinical and pathological features of parasitic lesions in the ocular adnexa in a tertiary care ophthalmic center in south India.Methods: 43 cases of ocular parasitosis were analysed clinically and correlated with the pathological findings (gross morphology and histopathology) over a period of five years (2015-2020).Results: Among the 43 cases, the age group ranged from 9 months to 78 years (mean age of 41.6 years). Female patients were more common than male patients, with a percentage of 63% (27) and 37% (16) respectively. Cystic lesion in the lid or orbit was seen in 23 cases (53.4%); solid mass lesions were seen in 17 cases (39.5%); subconjunctival worms in three cases; and subretinal parasite in one. Gross examination and histopathologic study showed Dirofilaria in 23 cases (53.5%), followed by Cysticercus in six cases (14%) and Microfilariae in four cases (9.3%). Exact species identification was not possible in ten cases (23.25%). Correlation between the type of lesion and type of inflammatory cells with the specific parasite was done.Conclusion: Our study showed that important clinicopathological correlations can be made from the parasitic lesions in the eye and adnexa, which can aid in definitive diagnosis and prompt identification of the parasite for patient management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the Kadalundi estuary, Kerala's first community reserve, investigating the prevalence and impacts of microplastics on both the estuarine environment and selected fish species. This study presents the initial evidence indicating the consumption of microplastic particles by 12 commercially important edible fish species inhabiting the Kadalundi estuary. Analysis revealed significant accumulations of microplastic fibers within the surface water. In examining 12 fish species from demersal and pelagic habitats, microplastics were found in both the gastrointestinal tracts and gills. In the digestive tracts, microplastic fragments constituted the highest proportion (46%), while in the gills, microplastic fibers were dominant (52.4%). This study observed a prevalence of blue microplastics over other colors in both water and fish samples. Notably, demersal species showed a higher incidence of ingested microplastics. Polymer analysis identified Polypropylene (PP), Nylon, Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene isotactic (iPP), PE 1 Octene copolymer, and Rayon in water samples, while fish samples predominantly contained LDPE, PP, PE, and Nylon. Risk assessment utilizing the Polymer Hazard Index (PHI) categorized certain polymers as posing minor to moderate risks. Pollution Load Index (PLI) computations indicated moderate to high levels of microplastic contamination across various sampling sites in the estuary. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed a lack of correlation between fish size and microplastic ingestion, underscoring environmental factors' influence on microplastic intake. The study emphasizes the implications of microplastic pollution on the fragile ecosystem of the Kadalundi estuary, posing potential risks to biodiversity and human health., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: Mosquitoes are widespread globally and have contributed to transmitting pathogens to humans and the burden of vector-borne diseases. They are effectively controlled at their larval stages by biocontrol agents. Unravelling natural sources for microbial agents can lead us to novel potential candidates for managing mosquito-borne diseases. In the present study, an attempt was made to isolate a novel bacterium from the field-collected agricultural soil for larvicidal activity and promising bacterial metabolites for human healthcare., Methods and Results: Field-collected soil samples from the Union territory of Puducherry, India, have been used as the source of bacteria. Isolate VCRC B655 belonging to the genus Lysinibacillus was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and exhibited promising larvicidal activity against different mosquito species, including Culex (Cx.) quinquefasciatus, Anopheles (An.) stephensi, and Aedes (Ae.) aegypti. The lethal concentration (LC) of Lysinibacillus sp. VCRCB655 was observed to be high for Cx. quiquefasciatus: LC 50 at 0.047 mg/l, LC 90 at 0.086 mg/l, followed by An. stephensi and Ae. aegypti (LC 50 : 0.6952 mg/l and 0.795 mg/l) respectively. Additionally, metabolic profiling of the culture supernatant was carried out through Gas chromatography and Mass spectrophotometry (GC/MS) and identified 15 major secondary metabolites of different metabolic classes. Diketopiperazine (DKPs), notably pyro lo [1, 2-a] pyrazine1, 4-dione, are the abundant compounds reported for antioxidant activity, and an insecticide compound benzeneacetic acid was also identified., Conclusions: A new bacterial isolate, Lysinibacillus sp. VCRC B655 has been identified with significant larvicidal activity against mosquito larvae with no observed in non-target organisms. GC-MS analysis revealed diverse bioactive compounds with substantial biological applications. In conclusion, Lysinibacillus sp. VCRC B655 showed promise as an alternative biocontrol agent for mosquito vector control, with additional biological applications further enhancing its significance., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Background: Onion thrips ( Thrips tabaci ) is a complex of cryptic species with subtle morphological differences and distinct genetic backgrounds; thus, species identification using traditional methods remains challenging. The existence of different haplotypes and genotypes within a species can significantly influence various aspects of its biology, including host preference, reproductive capacity, resistance to pesticides, and vector competence for plant viruses. Understanding the genetic diversity and population structure of cryptic species within T. tabaci will not only aid in the development of more effective control strategies tailored to specific genetic variants but also in monitoring population dynamics, tracking invasive species, and implementing quarantine measures to prevent the spread of economically damaging thrips biotypes., Methods: This study aims to explore intraspecies genetic diversity and molecular evolutionary relationships of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase gene subunit I (mtCOI) in T. tabaci populations from India. To capture diversity within the Indian T. tabaci populations, amplicon sequencing was performed for the thrips mtCOI gene from eight diverse localities in India. A total of 48 sequences retrieved for the mtCOI gene from the NCBI Nucleotide database were analysed., Results: Multiple insertions and deletions were detected at various genomic positions across the populations from different localities, with the highest variation observed in the 300-400 genome position range. Molecular diversity analyses identified 30 haplotypes within the population, with certain subpopulations exhibiting higher gene flow. Analysis of single nucleotide polymorphism patterns within the mtCOI gene across diverse Indian locales revealed significant intrapopulation genetic heterogeneity and its potential repercussions on gene functionality. Elevated F statistics (Fst) values in the northern-western subpopulations suggested high genetic variability, particularly evident in haplotype networks originating mainly from the northern region, notably Delhi. While most populations displayed stable and ancient evolutionary histories, thrips populations from northern, western, and north-eastern regions indicated rapid growth., Competing Interests: Suresh Gawande is an Academic Editor for PeerJ., (©2024 Gawai et al.)

Background: Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive pollutants in the marine environment, exhibiting persistence in coastal sediment over extended periods. However, the mechanism of their uptake by marine organisms and distribution in habitat is less understood. The objective of the present study was to investigate the presence of MP contamination in burrow sediment, feeding pellets, and tissue of Dotilla blanfordi in the Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat State., Methods: A total of 500 g of burrow sediment, 100 g of feeding pellets, and body tissue of 10 resident D. blanfordi were pooled as one replica. Such seven replicas from each site were analyzed for MP extraction from three sites, including Asharmata, Mandvi, and Serena, located in the Gulf of Kachchh. The standard protocol was used during the analysis of the collected samples in order to isolate MPs., Results: The abundance of MP was found higher in burrow sediment, feeding pellets and tissue of D. blanfordi at study site Mandvi, followed by Serena and Asharmata. The abundance of MP was found higher in D. blanfordi tissue, followed by burrow sediment and feeding pellet. A significant variation was observed in MP abundance among burrow sediment, feeding pellets, and tissue. MPs with various shapes (fiber, film, and fragment), sizes (1-2, 2-3, 3-4, and 4-5 mm), and colors (blue, green, black, pink, purple, red transparent) were recorded from all the study sites. Polyurethane and polyvinyl chloride were recognized as the chemical profile of the extracted MPs. The current investigation revealed greater accumulation of MPs in D. blanfordi 's tissues compared to sediment and pellets, suggesting a risk of MP contamination in marine benthic fauna with a greater rate of bioaccumulation. D. blanfordi plays a significant role as a structuring agent for MP distribution in the intertidal flat through burrowing activity., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024 Zala et al.)

Mithun (Bos frontalis), a domestically raised herbivore, holds significant economic importance for the farming community of Northeast India. This study aimed to elucidate the genetic parameters governing Mithun body weight traits across different ages using data from the sole organized semi-intensive Mithun farm in India. Information was gathered from 110 Mithuns born over a period spanning from 2011 to 2022. Body weight taken at week 1 (W1), 1-month (M1), 3-months (M3), 6-months (M6), 9-months (M9), 12-months (M12), 30-months (M30) and 45-months (M45) were considered for the study. The genetic parameters estimation employed the BLUPF90 suite of programs, incorporating univariate Gibbs sampler animal model with fixed effects; season and period of birth, and sex of the animal. Variance and covariance components, including direct additive genetic effects, were estimated. Heritability estimates for the eight body weight traits ranged from 0.47 ± 0.0050 to 0.50 ± 0.0043, indicating varying genetic influence across growth stages. Results revealed that Mithun herd has a substantial genetic variability for growth traits and therefore there is ample scope to select for a better growth rate. Here, we conclude that Month 12 (M12) and Month 9 (M9) body weights exhibit higher heritability, indicating potential for genetic improvement through selective breeding., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

India's livestock sector has been facing significant losses due to episodes of disease outbreaks since time immemorial. Hence, biosecurity measures are very important to maintain and improve animal health along with prevention of disease outbreak. Keeping these facts into consideration, the study was proposed with an objective to assess the existing biosecurity practices adopted by the commercial dairy, pig and poultry farms. The current study was undertaken in the state of Uttar Pradesh as it is the leading state in milk and meat production. A total of 120 farmers were selected randomly including 40 each practicing commercial dairy, pig and poultry farming. An ex-post facto research methodology was used with face-to-face interview and observation to collect data. The biosecurity practices were assessed under seven dimensions such as, location and design of farm, restricted access, isolation and quarantine, cleaning and disinfection, management of feed and water, disposal of carcass, manure and waste, and health management. Results elicited that about 50% of the farmers had medium level of adoption who adopted 18-34 practices out of 51 practices. The average overall adoption score was 34.17 out of 51 (67%) which makes an overall adoption gap of 33%. Maximum adoption gap was seen in case of restricted access (43%) whereas minimum gap in adoption was seen in case of management of feed and water (27%). Pig and poultry farmers showed significantly higher biosecurity measures than dairy farmers (p < 0.05). The more significant contributors to the adoption of biosecurity measures were the level of knowledge of the farmers (p < 0.01). Other factors such as education, income, herd/flock size, Information and Communication Technology utilization, number of trainings also had a significant contribution (p < 0.05) in actual implementation of biosecurity. Hence, better understanding of these measures among the farmers must be ensured by hands on training along with proper demonstration of various procedures involved in maintaining farm biosecurity is need of the hour., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Background: Driven by habitat loss and fragmentation, large carnivores are increasingly navigating human-dominated landscapes, where their activity is restricted and their behaviour altered. This movement, however, raises significant concerns and costs for people living nearby. While intricately linked, studies often isolate human and carnivore impacts, hindering effective management efforts. Hence, in this study, we brought these two into a common framework, focusing on an interface area between the critical tiger habitat and the human-dominated multiple-use buffer area of a central Indian protected area., Methods: We employed a fine-scale camera trap survey complemented by GPS-collar movement data to understand spatio-temporal activity patterns and adjustments of tigers in response to anthropogenic pressures. We used an occupancy framework to evaluate space use, Bayesian circular GLMs to model temporal activity, and home range and step length analyses to assess the movement patterns of tigers. Further, we used predation-risk models to understand conflict patterns as a function of tiger presence and other habitat variables., Results: Despite disturbance, a high proportion of the sampled area was occupied by 17 unique tigers (ψ = 0.76; CI [0.73-0.92]). The distance to villages (β ± SE = 0.63 ± 0.21) and the relative abundance of large-bodied wild prey (β ± SE = 0.72 ± 0.37) emerged as key predictors of tiger space use probability, indicating a preference for wild prey by tigers, while human influences constrained their habitat utilisation. Distance to villages was also identified as the most significant predictor of the tigers' temporal activity (μ ± σ = 3.03 ± 0.06 rad) that exhibited higher nocturnality near villages. A total of 11% of tiger home ranges were within village boundaries, accompanied by faster movement in these areas (displacement 40-82% higher). Livestock depredation probability by tigers increased with proximity to villages ( P = 0.002) and highway ( P = 0.003). Although tiger space use probability ( P = 0.056) and wild prey abundance ( P = 0.134) were non-significant at the 0.05 threshold, their presence in the best-fit predation-risk model suggests their contextual relevance for understanding conflict risk. The results highlight the importance of appropriately managing livestock near human infrastructures to effectively mitigate conflict., Conclusions: Shared space of carnivores and humans requires dynamic site-specific actions grounded in evidence-based decision-making. This study emphasises the importance of concurrently addressing the intricate interactions between humans and large carnivores, particularly the latter's behavioural adaptations and role in conflict dynamics. Such an integrated approach is essential to unravel cause-effect relationships and promote effective interface management in human-dominated landscapes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024 Mohan et al.)

The study investigates the pollution characteristics of 16 priority PAHs, accumulated in copepods from a major fishing harbour and its adjacent coastal waters of Veraval, west coast of India. The total PAH accumulation is in the range of 922.16-27,807.49 ng g -1 dw, with the mean concentration of 5776.59 ng g -1 dw. High concentrations of PAHs were present in the copepod samples from inside the harbour. Notably, there was no significant correlation between the lipid content of copepods and the accumulation of PAHs. The molecular diagnostic ratio method (MDR) indicates that the PAH sources are petrogenic in origin, while principal component analysis (PCA) points to petroleum, coal combustion and vehicular emission sources. Total cancerous PAHs (C-PAHs) in the study area dominate by 40% of the total PAHs identified; moreover, the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) is very high in the offshore area, which is also a fishing ground. The global relevance and magnitude of the present study in the Veraval, one of the prime seafood exporting hubs in India, should be dealt with utmost avidity as the accumulation status of PAHs in the zooplankton has never been explored in the Indian coastal waters. Moreover, the current study gives the foremost data on the bioaccumulation status of PAHs in copepods from the tropical waters of India., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: A molecular approach for the identification of unknown species by the using mitochondrial cox1 gene is an effective and reliable as compared with morphological-based identification. Hirudinaria manillensis referred to as Asian Buffalo Leech, is found in South Asia and traditionally used as medicine owing to its medicinal properties., Methods and Results: The study aimed to isolate and identify the leech species using cox1 gene sequencing and their phylogenetic relationships. The nucleotide sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) mitochondrial genes were analyzed for species identification and the phylogenetic relationship of crucial therapeutic leech Hirudinaria manillensis. The isolated DNA from the leech sample was amplified with cox1 gene-specific primers. BLAST results with the H. manillensis sequence showed 89.24% homology with H. manillensis and phylogenetic tree analysis revealed the genetic relationship with other GenBank submitted sequences., Conclusion: The present study concluded that the cox1 gene could be an effective way to identify the leech H. manillensis and provided sufficient phylogenetic information to distinguish H. manillensis indicating a significant mtDNA-based approach to species identification., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The soil-plant-animal continuum represents an evolving realm in biological research that's why this study was undertaken in the middle Gangetic plain region of India. Trace and ultra-trace elements were analyzed in 100 soil samples, 147 feed and fodder samples, as well as 69 blood and 127 hair samples with the help of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The levels of trace and ultra-trace elements in the soil were significantly higher than those in the feed, and similarly, the concentrations in the feed were notably higher than those in the blood of dairy cattle. Blood and hair samples from the cattle showed deficiencies in copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn), with reaching approximately 20% and 50%, respectively. Correlation analysis indicated significant (P < 0.05) associations between the trace and ultra-trace elements in plants and the corresponding elements found in cattle's hair, specifically for iron (Fe) and molybdenum (Mo). Conversely, a significant (P < 0.05) negative correlation was observed between soil composition and cattle's blood, while a positive correlation was evident only in the case of silver content between plant and cattle's hair. Regression analyses revealed positive linear relationships between minerals in soils and plants, as well as between plants and cattle. However, the correlation coefficients were statistically insignificant. The regression equations established to predict mineral concentrations in cattle based on soil and plant mineral contents indicated a positive relationship for both trace and ultra-trace elements, suggesting the potential to measure the mineral status in dairy cattle through this approach., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), is a polyphagous and major pest of cotton worldwide. Both adults and nymphs of B. tabaci affect the crop by causing direct and indirect damage. A severe whitefly outbreak was experienced during 2015 on cotton in North India and this was followed by a profound infestation during 2022. The present research rigorously examined whether the proliferation in the whitefly population was an outbreak or the result of a multi factor resurgence. During 2015, whitefly counts remained above the economic threshold level (ETL) between 28th and 35th Standard Meteorological Week (SMW). However, during 2022 above ETL population was observed in 27th SMW and it persisted until 36th SMW. The peak incidence of the whitefly was noticed during 31st and 29th SMW in 2015 and 2022, respectively. The early pest build up in 2022 and longer persistence (≥10 weeks) over the cotton season resulted in more damage to cotton crop. Additionally, pest survillence across the zone on the farmers' fields during 2022 revealed 44.4 per cent spots (585 out of 1,317 locations) above ETL while the corresponding locations in 2015 was 57% (620 out of 1,089). Thus, in 2022 infestation was not uniform in the entire zone wherein only few blocks of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan states of India experienced severe infestations of the whitefly. This study reports the complex of factors including weather, delayed sowing, use of tank mixtures/ subleathal doses of insecticides, pest resurgence etc . that might have possibly contributed to these upsurges in whitefly on cotton in north India., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024 Kumar et al.)

Rivers are vital and complex natural systems that provide a wide range of ecosystem services. This study presents a methodology for assessing the riverine provisioning and supporting ecosystem services, whose applicability has been demonstrated over the Budhabalanga River Basin of India. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is used to generate streamflow time series at various ungauged sites, and then the streamflow is characterized for the evaluation of provisioning services. Further, the diversity and abundance of macroinvertebrates, along with the Lotic-invertebrate Index for Flow Evaluation (LIFE), is used to study the riverine supporting ecosystem services. The streams show intermittent behavior and strong seasonality for low flows, which limits the water availability, particularly during pre-monsoon season. The Baseflow Index (BFI) is greater than 0.6, indicating that groundwater contributes more than 60% of the total streamflow. Interestingly, despite the high BFI, the streams did not conform to the prevailing opinion that a greater baseflow contribution results in a later commencement of the low-flow period in the hydrological year. Furthermore, the study depicts significant variations in the diversity and abundance of the macroinvertebrates across the various sampling sites. However, the LIFE score across the sites remained consistent within a narrow range, i.e., 8 to 9, suggesting a steady supply of supporting ecosystem services. The results of the study can help the policymakers towards an informed decision making and the simplistic methodology proposed in this study can be replicated in other river basins for identifying vulnerable watersheds and prioritizing management actions., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

The present study aimed to evaluate the genetic parameters of first parity reproductive traits. Information on 762 reproductive records on Saanen × Beetal (S × B) goats reared for approximately five decades was collected from ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana (1973-2020). For genetic analysis, single-trait and multiple-trait animal models were used. Gibbs sampler for animal model (GSAM) approach was used for estimating (co)variance components of reproductive traits. Six different single-trait animal models (with or without maternal and environmental effects) were used and the deviance information criterion (DIC) determined the best model. The least squares mean for age at first service (AFS), age at first kidding (AFK), service period (SP), dry period (DP), gestation length (GL), kidding interval (KI), litter weight (LW), number of kids born (NKB) and number of female kids born (NFKB) in first parity were 526.99 ± 4.86, 662.96 ± 5.03, 219.11 ± 6.25, 109.38 ± 6.00, 150.48 ± 0.27, 356.63 ± 4.80 days, 3.87 ± 0.05 kg, 1.27 ± 0.02 and 0.67 ± 0.03, respectively. Lower heritability estimates for these reproductive traits revealed a sparse scope for genetic improvement. Multivariate analysis using Model 1 was carried out to evaluate the genetic and phenotypic correlation of these nine reproductive traits. The genetic correlation of DP and SP was negatively with LW, NKB and NFKB, which is favourable as reduction in SP and DP can improve these economically important traits through indirect selection. Consistent efforts towards genetic improvement of these goat flock poses a promising future for meat industry owing to high prolificacy and good reproductive potential in this flock., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The Bachaur is a mediumized draft purpose breed which has been recognized by ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) Karnal, India, and presently is on the verge of extinction. Since there are no data regarding the seminal parameters of this breed, this work was performed to evaluate seminal parameters of freshly ejaculated semen. A total of three healthy breeding Bachaur bulls aged 2.5-5 years were selected for the study which were maintained under identical managemental conditions. Semen parameters of these bulls were studied across 10 ejaculates. The average scrotal circumference and testicular weight of the three bulls were 27.78 ± 1.2 cm and 400.67 ± 26.6 g, respectively. The average overall volume (mL), pH, concentration (million/mL), liveability (%), abnormality (%), HOST (%) and acrosome integrity (%) were 2.20 ± 0.19, 6.86 ± 0.06, 1245.60 ± 23.49, 85.09 ± 0.91, 4.13 ± 0.06, 81.16 ± 1.18 and 83.54 ± 1.32, respectively. The average overall mass motility of three Bachaur bulls was 3.57 ± 0.06 in 0-5 scale and individual motility averaged 84.78 ± 1.70 per cent. The volume of ejaculates in Bachaur bull seemed to be lower as compared to other exotic and Indian breeds. However, the semen parameters with regard to mass motility, liveability, abnormalities, hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST) and acrosomal integrity seemed similar to other exotic and Indian breeds., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Sonia Sen is Group Leader at the Tata Institute for Genetics and Society in Bangalore, India. Her group is interested in understanding neurodevelopment and behaviour in Drosophila and Anopheles. We spoke to Sonia over a video call to talk about her research career, her transition to becoming a group leader, and the work that the Indian Society of Developmental Biologists is doing., (© 2024. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)

Coxiellosis in animals is caused by the zoonotic pathogen, Coxiella burnetii. Although the disease is of public health importance it remains underdiagnosed and underreported. The cross- sectional study was aimed to estimate the occurrence of the disease in livestock of study area and also to identify the risk factors associated with the disease in animals. Blood, serum, and vaginal swabs samples were collected from 200 ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goats), across various farms in Karnataka, India. These samples were then screened using ELISA and PCR (com1 and IS1111). A questionnaire was administered to the farm owners to collect the risk factor-related information. About 5.26 % cattle, 12.3 % sheep, and 12.5 % goats were positive by ELISA. By PCR, 9.47 % cattle, 9.3 % sheep, and 10 % goats were positive. Overall, the occurrence of 14.73 %, 18.46 % and 17.5 % was estimated in cattle, sheep and goat, respectively. PCR targeting the IS1111 gene detected higher number of samples as positive as compared to the com1 gene PCR. Higher number of vaginal swab samples were detected as positive as compared to blood. History of reproductive disorders (OR: 4.30; 95 %CI:1.95- 9.46), abortion (OR: 30.94; 95 %CI:6.30- 151.84) and repeat breeding (OR:11.36; 95 %CI:4.16- 30.99) were significantly associated with coxiellosis (p < 0.005). Multivariable analysis by logistic regression model analysis suggested retained abortion, repeat breeding and rearing of animal in semi-intensive system as factors significantly associated with the infection. Cultural identification of the PCR positive samples were cultured using embryonated egg propagation and cell culture techniques and positivity was confirmed in six samples. Phylogenetic analysis of the com1 and IS1111 gene revealed clustering based on similar geographic locations. The study estimated the occurrence of the disease in the study area and identified the potential risk factors., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper, (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Sea cucumbers, members of the echinoderm class Holothuroidea, are marine invertebrates with ecological significance and substantial commercial value. With approximately 1700 species, these organisms contribute to marine ecosystems through nutrient cycling and face various threats, including overfishing and habitat loss. Despite their importance, they are extensively exploited for diverse applications, from seafood to pharmaceuticals. This study investigates sea cucumbers' nutritional profile and bioactive elements, emphasizing their role as sources of essential compounds with potential health benefits. The demand for sea cucumbers, especially in dried form, is significant, prompting exploration into various drying techniques. Examining the global trade in sea cucumbers highlights their economic importance and the conservation challenges they face. Conservation efforts, such as awareness campaigns and international collaboration, are evaluated as essential steps in combating illicit trade and promoting the sustainable stewardship of sea cucumber populations. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Around 1700 species of sea cucumbers were identified as vital ecological scavengers in the Holothuroidea class. High commercial value due to their health benefits, particularly their demonstrated inhibitory effect against various types of cancer. "Beche-de-mer" holds a 90% market share and is regarded as a luxury food item in Southeast Asian countries. Due to overexploitation, the species is classified as Schedule I under the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) in India, prompting the implementation of a blanket ban on their harvesting to ensure its conservation., (© 2024 Institute of Food Technologists.)

Many primate species show various behavioural and ecological adaptations to provisioning, one of which is the unusual occurrence of twins. Here, we report observations on two pairs of surviving twins in lion-tailed macaques Macaca silenus in the Anamalai Hills of the Western Ghats, India. The Puthuthottam population of lion-tailed macaques has historically been restricted to a rainforest fragment measuring 92 ha, situated adjacent to human settlements. Over the last 10 years, however, several groups from this population have begun to directly interact with the local human communities, visiting settlements at a rate of 0.52 events/day and exploiting various anthropogenic food resources. We followed and opportunistically collected behavioural ad libitum data on two sets of twins for a year, between March 2019 and March 2020. Both of the mothers were primarily terrestrial, although the mother with the younger set of twins also used the tree canopy and other precarious substrates, such as cables. Although two previous cases of twinning have been reported in this population, one in the late 1990s and one between 2000 and 2002, neither of those sets of twins survived beyond a few weeks, with at least one infant in each pair dying of unknown causes. We discuss, but discount, the possibility that one of the infants in either set of twins was an adoptee. Our observations indicate that some lion-tailed macaque twins can survive under free-ranging conditions if they receive adequate care from their biological mother or another female. Our findings also provide further evidence of increased rates of twinning as a consequence of dietary changes in synanthropic non-human primate populations., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Japan Monkey Centre.)

Human gastrointestinal infections caused by Campylobacter species is the second most important foodborne illness after salmonellosis worldwide. Poultry represent one of the main sources of Campylobacter organisms. In the present study, the short variable region of flagellin gene (SVR-flaA) typing was carried out to determine the variation among the circulating strains of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. The C. jejuni and C. coli isolated from poultry and poultry meat were screened for the presence of virulence determinants like cadF, flaA, cdtB, and wlaN gene. The screening for wlaN gene is crucial in view of the fact that most patients with Guillian Barre's (GB) syndrome with a preceding history of diarrheal illness have been found to harbor wlaN gene-positive C jejuni strains. Out of the 200 samples comprising poultry meat and cloacal swabs, 21.5% of samples were found to harbor Campylobacter spp. of which 2.5% were Campylobacter jejuni, and 19% were confirmed as Campylobacter coli. The cadF, flaA, cdtB virulence genes were detected in all the Campylobacter spp. isolated in the present study. The presence of the wlaN gene in the Campylobacter jejuni isolated in the present study may pose a public health threat with long-term human health implications. The SVR-flaA typing of twelve Campylobacter isolates obtained in the present study revealed that Campylobacter coli flaA sequence OL471375 is a new strain with a novel allele type 1,675 and peptide sequence 5 which stands deposited in pubMLST database for Campylobacter. The other flaA-SVR gene sequences identified in this study were OL471369, OL471370, OL471371, OL471372, OL471373, and OL471374. Among twelve Campylobacter spp., three distinct DdeI-RFLP patterns were observed, each varying in size from 100 to 1,000 base pairs. Antimicrobial profiling of the Campylobacter spp. isolated in the present study revealed that 50% of the strains were multidrug resistant. All the Campylobacter spp. were resistant to ciprofloxacin (CIP), ampicillin (AMP), penicillin (PEN), and nalidixic acid (NAL) whereas 57.1% of strains were resistant to tetracycline (TET) and erythromycin (ERY) 28% to amoxicillin (AMX) and enrofloxacin (ENO), 85% to amikacin (AMK). The high degree of resistance to fluoroquinolones observed in the present study is crucial in view of fluoroquinolones being drugs of choice for the treatment of human Campylobacter infections., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A massive fish mortality of the major species, viz., Mugil cephalus, Chanos chanos, and Oreochromis mossambicus, occurred on November 27, 2017 in the Adyar estuary. This catastrophe followed a spell of heavy rainfall and flash floods. A detailed study of water quality parameters (pH, water temperature, salinity, total suspended matter, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, and nutrients) and heavy metals, i.e., chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn), in the sediment and fish tissues were analyzed. Pollution indices like the enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), potential ecological risk index (PERI), and biota sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) were used to measure heavy metals. The pollution indices revealed that metals were significantly enriched in the sediments. The Igeo indicates that there was moderate contamination by Cd (2.27-3.25), whereas CF shows high contamination by Cd (7.22-9.72) and moderate contamination by Pb (2.5-3.25). The PLI (1.04-1.13) suggests that heavy metal contamination of sediments has occurred. Results showed that high concentrations of the toxic metals Pb and Cd were found in the sediment as well as in fish tissues. Length and weight of fish are significantly correlated (r2 = 0.98, p < 0.05). The study revealed that the mass fish kill was due to impulsive changes in the water quality and heavy metal pollution from untreated urban sewage discharges in this region., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Plastic particles have emerged as a growing threat to both ecosystems and human well-being, as they are being ingested and accumulate at different trophic levels. However, microplastic and mesoplastic contamination and its risk to coastal and marine water fish have not been well studied, particularly in the northern Bay of Bengal. In this study, the presence of small-scale plastic particles (micro- and meso-sized) in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and muscles of six edible fish species from the northern Bay of Bengal Coast were identified and analyzed. The overall range of microplastics was 1.74 ± 0.23-3.79 ± 2.03items/g in muscle and 0.54 ± 0.22-5.96 ± 3.16 items/g in the GIT, with 16.38 ± 8.08-31.88 ± 12.09 items/individual. No mesoplastics were found in muscle tissue, but they were present in the GIT at concentrations ranging from 0.33 ± 0.27 to 0.03 ± 0.02 items/g and from 0.51 ± 0.05to 1.38 ± 1.01 items/individual. Lepturacanthus savala accumulated the most microplastics in muscle, and Harpadon nehereus had the least. In addition, the highest levels of mesoplastics were detected in the GIT of Polynemus paradiseus and the lowest was detected in the GIT of Lutjenus sanguineus. Omnivorous fish showed higher plastic concentrations than carnivorous fish, which was linked to dietary habits, feeding strategies and digestive processes. Plastic material predominantly accumulated in the GIT rather than in the muscle. The majority of ingested plastic particles were fibres (95.18 %), were violet in color (34 %), and were < 0.5 mm in size (87 %). The dominant microplastic polymers included 38 % PE, 15 % PP, 33 % PU, and 14 % CES. In contrast, the prevalent mesoplastic polymers comprised 45 % PE, 19 % PP, 13 % PS, 16 % PA, and 7 % PET. Subsequently, a hazard analysis using the polymer hazard index (PHI) revealed that plastic contamination was of distinct hazard categories for different polymer types, ranging from grade I (<1) to grade IV (100-1000). The assessment of the contamination factor (1 < CF < 3) and pollution load index (PLI > 1) indicated moderate contamination of fish by the ingestion of plastic debris. This study provides the foremost evidence for the presence of mesoplastics and microplastics in coastal and marine fish in the study region, paving the way for future investigations and policy implementation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There are no known conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Microplastic (MP) pollution has engulfed global aquatic systems, and the concerns about microplastic translocation and bioaccumulation in fish and other aquatic organisms are now an unpleasant truth. In the past few years, MP pollution in freshwater systems, particularly rivers and subsequently in freshwater organisms, especially in fish, has caught the attention of researchers. Rivers provide livelihood to approximately 40 % of the global population through food and potable water. Hence, assessment of emerging contaminants like microplastics in rivers and the associated fauna is crucial. This study assessed microplastics (MPs) in fish, sediment and freshwater samples across the third largest riverine system of peninsular India, the Mahanadi River. The number concentrations of MPs measured in water, sediment and fish ranged from 337.5 ± 54.4-1333.3 ± 557.2 MPs/m 3 , 14.7 ± 3.7-69.3 ± 10.1 MPs/kg. Dry weight and 0.4-3.2 MPs/Fish, respectively. Surprisingly, MPs were found in every second fish sample, with a higher MP number in the gut than in the gills. Black and blue coloured filaments with <0.5 mm size were the dominant MPs with polypropylene and polyethylene polymers in abundance. The Polymer Hazard Index (PHI) and the Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI) studies revealed that the majority of the sampling sites fell in Risk category V (dangerous category). An irregular trend in the MP concentration was observed downstream of the river, though relatively elevated MP concentrations in water and fish samples were observed downstream of the river. t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbour Embedding (t-SNE) unveiled distinct patterns in MP distribution with a higher similarity exhibited in the MPs found in fish gill and gut samples, unlike water and sediment, which shared certain characteristics. The findings in the current study contribute to filling the knowledge gap of MP assessment and accumulation in global freshwater systems and highlight the microplastic contamination and accumulation in fish with its potential implications on human health., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)