Background: Haemonchosis is one of the major parasitic infestations in small ruminants. Haemonchus contortus is a highly pathogenic parasite that localises in the abomasum of affected animals and exerts its pathogenicity by blood-sucking activity, adversely affecting the health and productivity of animals. In recent years, there is widespread development of anthelmintic resistance against Haemonchus spp. Therefore, a sustainable strategy needs to be implemented to effectively control haemonchosis in goats. The aim of the present study was to find out the efficacy of herbal anthelmintic drug (Carica papaya aqueous seed extract) and haemato-biochemical alterations in Haemonchus infection. Methods: In this study, goats were screened for Haemonchus spp. by the FAMACHA technique. Hemato-biochemical examination was done before and after the therapeutic trial. Herbal anthelmintic drug was prepared from Papaya seed. In-vitro and in-vivo trial were carried out to test the efficacy of prepared herbal anthelmintic drug. Result: The present study showed that FAMACHA can be used for the early screening of Haemonchus spp. in a herd. Significant improvement in haemato-biochemical examination was found in the group treated with the prepared herbal anthelmintic drug. Thus, the herbal anthelmintic (Carica papaya seed extract) can be a good alternative for controlling Haemonchosis in goats.

Background: Theileria spp. were targeted for detection and differentiation from clinical samples using PCR in the current investigation and the diagnostic sensitivity of this method was evaluated in comparison to microscopic observations. The clinical characteristics of bovine tropical theileriosis as clinical markers were also analysed based on the PCR data. Methods: On the basis of clinical evaluation and microscopic inspection of blood smears, 200 blood samples from cattle suspected of having theileriosis were examined. To confirm the disease, the PCR method was employed by using 18S rRNA and Cyto b1 gene to confirm Theileria spp. and Theileria annulata respectively in clinical samples. Result: The results showed that microscopic examination detected 65/200 (32.50%), whereas, the PCR assay identified 120/200 (60.00%) for Theileria spp. Of the total 200 samples studied, 77 (38.50.3%) were positive for T. annulata specific PCR. Based on PCR confirmation of T. annulata infection in cattle, the predominant clinical signs were pyrexia, ticks’ infestations, anorexia, enlargement of lymph node, pale mucous membrane, lacrimation, coughing, drop in milk production and emaciation. The other clinical signs were observed as icterus, nasal discharge, salivation, melena and exophthalmia.

The increasing emergence of wildlife diseases with the possibility to ecological threats as well as domestic animals and human health has prompted the importance of understanding disease dynamics and associated risks in biological conservation. The present study was undertaken from North Eastern part of India from January, 2017 to March, 2018 to identify Plasmodium relictum based on blood smear examination in various wild birds. The birds were captured by netting system. After blood was collected from wing veins, birds were released from the cages. Blood samples were examined after staining with Giemsa stain. Out of 350 birds examined, 73 (20.85%) were found positive for P. relictum based on morphological characteristics. It can be inferred from the study that P. relictum is fairly common in wild birds.

AIMS:Canine demodicosis is a parasitic condition affecting the skin of dogs. The present study was designed to characterize chitin synthase gene of Demodex canis. The molecular technique was used for better understanding of this gene.METHODS:A total of 75 dogs which are reared as pets with or without showing any skin lesions were examined during the study period. Skin scrapings were examined by indirect method using 10% potassium hydroxide solution under 10 × microscope. DNA samples were extracted from positive skin samples and were subjected to PCR for molecular identification.RESULTS:A total of 25 dogs irrespective of age, sex, breed or coat showed positive result for D. canis. The PCR revealed a single amplified product of 339 bp length which exactly matched with D. canis. The chitin synthase gene was amplified by PCR, subsequently cloned, sequenced, and compared with available data in GenBank for the particular gene of D. canis. Only one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was noticed at 231 position of the chitin synthase gene sequence when compared to other isolates.CONCLUSION:The molecular technique confirms with the morphological identity of D. canis. This report signifies the value of peculiar tool to identify 'follicular mite' even from apparently healthy skin.

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), is a pioneer in the ODL system as it champions the cause of accessibility and equity. The University reaches out to learners who either wish to update themselves or wish to rejoin the mainstream through education. This includes learners who are left unserved by the formal system, and also includes those who are located in remote areas. The main motto of IGNOU is to reach the unreached; therefore it becomes essential for the university to constantly innovate in the ways and means to reach out to various sections. The University believes in offering Programmes, which are relevant and which offer employable skills, which will help the students to achieve sustainable livelihood options. The Sustainable Development Goal 9 of the United Nations also adopted by India aims to achieve the targets to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation by 2030. Keeping this goal in mind it is essential for all organizations and especially educational institutions to foster innovative ecosystem. This study has been conducted with the aim to analyze (i) flexibility of IGNOU as educational institution to promote innovation in programme being offered (ii) the interplay of the stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem of IGNOU. This is a case study and is based on a programme which has been awarded Gold Medal for Innovation by IGNOU. The study provides information to focus on the right ecosystem in terms of processes, which will facilitate innovation in the distance learning process. This will involve all the relevant stakeholders as an essential participant in course design for the programmes of IGNOU.

1 Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl, India. 2 Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl, India. 3 Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl, India. 4 Department of Veterinary Parasitology, West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, 37-K. B. Sarani, Kollkata-700037. 5District Microbiologist, Malda Medical College, Malda, West Bengal, India 6 FCLA, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl, India.

Oestrus ovis, the sheep ‘nasal bot fly’, somewhat looks like a honey bee, has a rudimentary mouth parts and do not feed. The larva of the sheep nasal fly is responsible for causing a condition in sheep and goat called nasal myiasis, oestriosis or ‘false gid’. The disease occurs when adult fly deposit first larvae (L1) into the nostrils of its host. The larvae develop into L2 and L3 in the nasal cavities and sinuses in due course. Sneezing and nasal discharges are the major clinical signs seen in infected animals. The pathogenic reaction occurs when the larvae irritate the mucosa with their spines and hooks during their development and also due to an allergic reaction induced by molecules excreted/secreted by the larvae. Sometimes damage of the skulls of the bones and injury to the brain occur to such an extent that signs of high-stepping gait and in-coordination suggesting the animal suffers from Coenurus cerebralis infection and hence the infection is also called false gid. Keeping in view the importance of the fly, the morphology, biology, pathogenesis, immunological reaction and various control measures of Oestrus ovis are discussed in this review. Keywords— Oestrus ovis; morphology; biology; immunopathology; control measures.

The objective of the present study is to observe the surface morphology, structure and elemental composition of the ash particles produced from some thermal power stations of India using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA). This information is useful to better understand the ash particles before deciding its utility in varied areas.

1 Department of Veterinary Parasitology; College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl, India. 2 Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry; College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl, India. 3 Department of Veterinary & Animal Husbandry Extension; College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl, India. 4 Department of Veterinary Public Health & Epidemiology; College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl, India. 5 Department of Veterinary Parasitology; WBUAFS, Kolkata-37, West Bengal, India. 6 Department of Veterinary Pharmacology & Toxicology; College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl, India. 7 District Microbiologist, Malda Medical College & Hospital, Malda, West Bengal, India. 8 FCLA; College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl, India.

Protozoan infections in animals are responsible for significant losses of production and many protozoan parasites are of zoonotic importance. Among various parasitic infections, several protozoan parasites cause severe morbidity and mortality in animals and thus affect the economy of livestock in tropical and sub-tropical regions including India. The most common way to combat protozoan diseases is based on using anti-protozoal drugs. However, increasing evidence of anti-protozoan resistance and drug residues in food producing animals has emerged as the major concern for protozoan control programmes in various parts of the world. The most efficient and cost effective way to control protozoan infections is to vaccinate animals to control such infections. Although initial cost of vaccination is high, the long lasting immunity resulting from vaccination of animals offer a cheaper and effective alternative to control such infections. Based on this objective, this review underscores up to date information to the reader to overview on the trends, advances and future prospects of vaccine development against important protozoan disease of livestock and poultry viz, coccidiosis, babesiosis, theileriosis, anaplasmosis to name but a few.

1 Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl, India. 2 Department of Veterinary Parasitology, West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, 37 K. B. Sarani, Kolkata-37, West Bengal, India. 3 Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl, India. 4 District Microbiologist, Malda Medical College and Hospital, Malda, West Bengal, India. 5 FCLA, College of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl, India.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common form of Dementia prevailing in the old generation. This review paper aims to put forward different non-invasive methods and tools that are available for the diagnosis of people suffering from Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. It explains why Electroencephalography (EEG) signal analysis is considered a better method compared to others and also the safest one. Non-stationary and not deterministic nature of EEG signals make them difficult to be analyzed. This paper provides an introduction to various time-frequency domain methods which facilitate the analysis in both the domains together thus making it easier to analyze such signals. The paper also reviews several work done towards the improvement of biomarkers which can help in early detection of such neurodegenerative disorders. Several methods discussed in this paper can help to differentiate between a healthy control (HC) and one suffering from AD or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).

OBJECTIVETo study the advantage of Core Needle Biopsy (CNB) over Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) in palpable breast lumps by comparing the diagnostic accuracy in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values considering the histopathological diagnosis of incised or excised specimen as the gold standard. METHODSA prospective study of 100 female patients with palpable breast lump was conducted in the Department of Pathology of a tertiary care teaching hospital of Northern part of India.All the patients were randomly selected, irrespective of their age, religion, marital status, occupation or social status for FNAC following a thorough clinical check-up.During the study period, 54 patients were selected for core needle biopsy on the basis of insufficient FNAC material for making definitive diagnosis and for sub-typing the tumours.All core biopsy samples were subjected for histopathological examination.The diagnostic findings were compared with the histopathological findings of the lumpectomy or mastectomy specimen and with those of FNAC findings for each and every patient. RESULTSThe sensitivity of FNAC and CNB was 96.29% and the specificity for malignant lesions was 100%.The positive predictive value was 100% and the negative predictive value was 95.12%. CONCLUSIONThere is no significant difference in the diagnostic accuracy between core needle biopsy and FNAC.

Thelaziasis were observed in eyes of two Black Bengal goats and treated successfully with Levamisole orally along with instillation of eye drops.

As per faecal examination the incidence of gastrointestinal helminth parasite infection in goats was 80 per cent.The percentage of infections was highest in monsoon season followed by winter and summer season.Susceptibility to the infection was highest in older age groups (>24 months age) followed by adult goat (12.1-24 months age) and kid (1-12 months age).The infection percentage in female is slightly high as compared to the male goats due to maintenance and production stress.Majority of the goats were suffering from mix infection of Haemonchus species, Trichostrongylus species, Stongyloides species, Oesophagostomum spp., amphistomes and Fasciola spp. with some cases of Trichuris spp., Bunostomum spp.and Moniezia spp.Ivermectin and Clorsulon was found to be most effective for the treatment of gastrointestinal nematode parasites as compared to Closantel and Fenbendazole.

Background RNA interference (RNAi) leads to sequence specific knock-down of gene expression and has emerged as an important tool to analyse gene functions, pathway analysis and gene therapy. Although RNAi is a conserved cellular process involving common elements and factors, species-specific differences have been observed among different eukaryotes. Identification of components for RNAi pathway is pursued intensively and successful genome-wide screens have been performed for components of RNAi pathways in various organisms. Functional comparative genomics analysis offers evolutionary insight that forms basis of discoveries of novel RNAi-factors within related organisms. Keeping in view the academic and commercial utility of insect derived cell-line from Spodoptera frugiperda , we pursued the identification and functional analysis of components of RNAi-machinery of Sf21 cell-line using genome-wide application. Results The genome and transcriptome of Sf21 was assembled and annotated. In silico application of comparative genome analysis among insects allowed us to identify several RNAi factors in Sf21 line. The candidate RNAi factors from assembled genome were validated by knockdown analysis of candidate factors using the siRNA screens on the Sf21-gfp reporter cell-line. Forty two (42) potential factors were identified using the cell based assay. These include core RNAi elements including Dicer-2, Argonaute-1, Drosha, Aubergine and auxiliary modules like chromatin factors, RNA helicases, RNA processing module, signalling allied proteins and others. Phylogenetic analyses and domain architecture revealed that Spodoptera frugiperda homologs retained identity with Lepidoptera ( Bombyx mori ) or Coleoptera ( Tribolium castaneum ) sustaining an evolutionary conserved scaffold in post-transcriptional gene silencing paradigm within insects. Conclusion The database of RNAi-factors generated by whole genome association survey offers comprehensive outlook about conservation as well as specific differences of the proteins of RNAi machinery. Understanding the interior involved in different phases of gene silencing also offers impending tool for RNAi-based applications.

In this paper, a study was carried out to evaluate the annual thermal and exergy performance of hybrid photovoltaic-thermal greenhouse dryer, located at IIT Delhi, India by considering various silicon and non-silicon-based photovoltaic (PV) modules namely mono crystalline silicon (c-Si), multi crystalline silicon (mc-Si), nano crystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, Cadmium Telluride and Copper Indium Gallium Selenide. The annual net electrical energy savings for these modules for a, b, c and d type weather conditions for New Delhi has been calculated. Embodied energy and annual energy outputs have been used for evaluation of energy matrices such as energy payback time, electricity production factor (EPF) and life cycle conversion efficiency (LCCE) of the system. The results also showed that EPF, LCCE, CO2 mitigations and carbon credits earned, were maximum for c-Si-type PV module, and hence it was recommended for the proposed system.

Hypertensive disorders are important causes of premature delivery, IUGR and intra uterine fetal death. It accounts for 15% to 20% of maternal deaths in developing as well as developed nations. An association of serum uric acid with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The main objective of the present study was measuring and evaluating serum uric acid values in normal pregnant and preeclamptic and eclamptic cases to see the trend in the rise of serum uric acid in toxemic cases. Therefore we planned this study. The present study was conducted on Control (15 Normal non pregnant healthy women) and 140 cases they were further sub divided as, 60 Normal pregnant women in different trimesters, 60-Preeclampticcases, 20-Eclampticcases. Then Preeclampsia was divided into3groups (Mild preeclampsia BP at least 140/90 mmHg. Moderate preeclampsia - BP more than 140/90 but <160/110 mmHg. Severe preeclampsia - BP>160/110 mmHg but without convulsions). Estimation of serum uric acid was done at Department of Biochemistry, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, Jharkhand during June 2008 to Sept. 2009. The cases were selected from outdoor, indoor and emergency of department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, RIMS, Ranchi. The serum value of uric acid was studied in 60 preeclamptic cases and 20 cases of eclampsia.. The mean +/- S.D. values of serum uric acid in normal non pregnant cases was 3.68 +/- 0.66, in normal pregnant cases in 1st trimester was 3.60 +/- 0.78, normal pregnant cases in 2nd trimester was 3.40 +/- 0.33, normal pregnant cases in 3rd trimester was 4.64 +/- 0.70. in preeclamptic patients, the mean was 6.70 +/- 0.78 and in eclamptic patients it was 7.52 +/- 0.95. on doing analysis of this it shows significant changing patterns in serum uric acid level between normal non-pregnant cases and normal pregnant cases in the 3rd trimester. Also there is a good significance between normal cases in 3rd trimester and preeclamptic cases as a whole. The above study undertaken shows a definite rise in serum uric acid level in diseased subjects as early as first and early second trimester, although difference rise in serum uric acid in mild cases when compared to normal cases was not statistically significant. But, it can be concluded that serum uric acid measurement is one of the best markers of the diagnosis as well as severity of preeclampsia and will be a useful index for the management of the same.