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Puddling in butterflies is an essential physiological phenomenon, by which they gain mineral nutrients required for their reproductive success and flight. The preference given to the puddling by butterflies has been analysed by two hypotheses: butterflies puddle when there is a scarcity of nutritional resource in one hypothesis and competition with other males to increase their probability of mating in the other. In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to verify these hypotheses through experimental evidences in the butterfly Papilio polytes, in which only males are known to puddle. Our investigation revealed the significance of puddling as an alternative source of nutrition in the absence of nectar. However, increase in the number of males in a given vicinity with constant number of females enhances the puddling activity in males. This shows the importance of puddling as a distinct competitive behaviour by which male improves their chances of mating. Additionally, in both cases the puddling is drastically regulated by the environmental temperature. Males prefer to puddle at a temperature ranging from 26 °C to 28 °C, which is considered as optimum for puddling activity. Further, the fecundity and longevity of imago are completely unaffected by puddling activity. All these results are in good agreement with the existing hypotheses and show the behavioural significance of puddling in butterflies.

BACKGROUND: The first national severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) serosurvey in India, done in May-June, 2020, among adults aged 18 years or older from 21 states, found a SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody seroprevalence of 0·73% (95% CI 0·34-1·13). We aimed to assess the more recent nationwide seroprevalence in the general population in India. METHODS: We did a second household serosurvey among individuals aged 10 years or older in the same 700 villages or wards within 70 districts in India that were included in the first serosurvey. Individuals aged younger than 10 years and households that did not respond at the time of survey were excluded. Participants were interviewed to collect information on sociodemographics, symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, exposure history to laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases, and history of COVID-19 illness. 3-5 mL of venous blood was collected from each participant and blood samples were tested using the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay. Seroprevalence was estimated after applying the sampling weights and adjusting for clustering and assay characteristics. We randomly selected one adult serum sample from each household to compare the seroprevalence among adults between the two serosurveys. FINDINGS: Between Aug 18 and Sept 20, 2020, we enrolled and collected serum samples from 29 082 individuals from 15 613 households. The weighted and adjusted seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in individuals aged 10 years or older was 6·6% (95% CI 5·8-7·4). Among 15 084 randomly selected adults (one per household), the weighted and adjusted seroprevalence was 7·1% (6·2-8·2). Seroprevalence was similar across age groups, sexes, and occupations. Seroprevalence was highest in urban slum areas followed by urban non-slum and rural areas. We estimated a cumulative 74·3 million infections in the country by Aug 18, 2020, with 26-32 infections for every reported COVID-19 case. INTERPRETATION: Approximately one in 15 individuals aged 10 years or older in India had SARS-CoV-2 infection by Aug 18, 2020. The adult seroprevalence increased approximately tenfold between May and August, 2020. Lower infection-to-case ratio in August than in May reflects a substantial increase in testing across the country. FUNDING: Indian Council of Medical Research.

Background: Aqueous leaf extract of Wrightia tinctoria has been in use for artisanal cheese preparation in diverse parts of India. Scientific validation behind the milk clotting potential of W. tinctoria stem proteases purified through three-phase partitioning (TPP) has been attempted. However, its contribution to cheese quality standards has not been tried yet. Objective: To evaluate the suitability of three-phase partitioned W. tinctoria (WT) stem proteases in fresh cheese making. Methods: Fresh cheese was prepared using W. tinctoria TPP proteases and its characteristics were compared with that of commercial plant milk coagulant, Enzeco® (CEz) and rennin (CRn). Yield, organoleptic and textural properties, total fat, protein and moisture content of all cheese were determined according to FSSAI standards. Toxicity of the TPP proteases was assessed on the shrimp model (Artemia salina egg and Litopenaeus vannamei post-larval shrimps). Results: TPP proteases were found to be non-toxic and safe for human consumption with no change in egg hatchability and survival of the shrimps in comparison to that of control. Cheese analysis results indicated perceptible resemblance in nutritional characteristics of WT cheese with control cheese. Yield, textural properties and organoleptic acceptance of WT cheese resembled more closely with that of CEz cheese. Conclusion: Observation from the study paves the way for the acceptance of W. tinctoria proteases as a suitable vegetable rennet for fresh cheese making.

Medicinal plants act as an important source of drug with potential therapeutic effects. The present study focuses on the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of Hibiscus schizopetalus (Dyer) Hook. f. (leaves and flowers) extracts. The cold water and hot water extract was prepared for plant sample without drying and whereas cold water, hot water, methanol, ethanol extract was prepared for the plant sample after drying. The present study on extract of H. schizopetalus demonstrated in vitro anti-inflammatory properties as evidenced by inhibition of albumin denaturation, membrane stabilization test and proteinase inhibitory action. This justifies that the traditional use of this plant in treatment of pains and inflammation.

Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) is an aggressive, destructive form of dental caries that affects the children younger than 6 years of age. Candida is known to increase the adherence of Streptococcus mutans to the oral biofilm and produce acids that cause tooth demineralization. Aim of the Study: To evaluate the efficacy of six commercially available children's toothpaste on clinical isolates of Candida albicans obtained from ECC patients. Materials and Methods: The study population comprised 60 children aged 3–6 years having ECC. Samples were divided into six groups comprising ten children in each group. Samples were collected using sterile cotton swabs, inoculated on Sabouraud dextrose agar, and incubated at 37°C for 24 h. Species identification was done by germ tube test and growth on corn meal agar. After the confirmed growth of C. albicans, the six commercially available children's toothpaste namely Organic Children's Coconut Oil Toothpaste®, Aloe Dent Children's Toothpaste®, Patanjali Dant Kanti Junior Toothpaste®, Colgate Kids Toothpaste®, Pediflor Kids Toothpaste®, and Crest Pro-Health Stages Kids Toothpaste® and distilled water as control group were subjected for antifungal activity of C. albicans. Agar plates were incubated at 37°C for 48 h, and the diameter of the zones of inhibition was measured and recorded. Data were tabulated and statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Science (16.0) version. Results: Pediflor kids toothpaste® showed maximum antifungal activity and Aloe Dent children's toothpaste® showed minimum antifungal activity. Conclusion: All brands of children's toothpaste show antifungal activity against Candida albicans.

Background: Dengue is a debilitating condition caused by a flavivirus. The female Aedes mosquito widely transmits this virus. The prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and malaria is very high in the northern and southern parts of Karnataka. Objectives: This study aims to find the prevalence of dengue and its clinical occurrence in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Methodology: A prospective observational study was carried out in a tertiary care teaching hospital in a hospitalized patient diagnosed with dengue fever. Patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. All the relevant data was collected in a specially designed data collection form. The data were analyzed by using computer tools like Microsoft Excel and SPSS software version 20.0. Results: In our study out of a total of 315 patients males were higher than female and the dengue was commonly prevalent in the age group of 15–30 years followed by 30–45 years. Fever (99.7%) and generalized body ache (GBA, 58.5%) were the most common clinical presentations. Ns1 antigen (67.61%) was found to be positive in the majority of patients. Blood hematocrit was elevated (26.63%) in most of the abnormal cases and white blood cell count (36.19%) and platelets (96%) counts were decreased. Platelet was found the most common laboratory parameter to get affected in dengue fever. Conclusion: The most common symptoms for dengue are concluded as fever, GBA, Headache and joint pain in our study. Blood hematocrit was elevated, but WBC and platelet counts were severely decreased. The prevalence was found higher in the monsoon season of September to November. All the patients enrolled in the study were counseled regarding diseases, and education was provided on various preventive measures.

Context: As reports on colistin resistance are slowly emerging from different parts of the world, it is imperative that the clinical microbiology laboratories should generate accurate in vitro colistin susceptibility results. Aim: The aim is to generate preliminary data on the diagnostic utility of MicroScan WalkAway 96 Plus Identification ID/ Antimicrobial susceptibility testing AST system in determining in vitro colistin susceptibility of carbapenem-resistant clinical Gram-negative bacterial isolates. Settings and Design: A pilot study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital located in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, between May and June 2019. Materials and Methods: Thirty-four carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. isolated from various non-repetitive clinical samples during the study period, were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing using MicroScan ID/AST system. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used to confirm identity of these isolates. Additional colistin susceptibility testing of all test isolates was performed using Mikrolatest minimum inhibitory concentration antibiotic susceptibility testing kit (reference method), which is based on broth micro dilution (BMD) principle. Statistical Analysis Used: Fisher's exact test. Results: 11.8% (4/34) of the test isolates (100% [2/2] Acinetobacter junii, 10% [1/10] E. coli and 14.3% [1/7] P. aeruginosa respectively) exhibited in vitro colistin resistance by BMD method. Categorical agreement between MicroScan ID/AST system and Mikrolatest kit w. r. t in vitro colistin susceptibility test results was as follows: 71.4% (Acinetobacter baumannii), 85.7% (P. aeruginosa) and 100% (A. junii, A. johnsonii, E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae), respectively. Two major errors (MEs) for A. baumannii and one very ME for P. aeruginosa respectively were observed. Conclusions: Data generated by this study will be of help to the clinicians who are often faced with the dilemma of treating multi drug resistant infections with limited treatment options.

The steady increase in world cheese demand keeps the search for appropriate coagulating enzymes as rennet substitutes in the scientific focus. This work reports the milk-clotting activities of aqueous crude enzyme (CE) from different parts of Calotropis gigantea using skim milk as substrate. CE from latex exhibited high caseinolytic (86.445 ± 1.055 U/ml) as well as milk-clotting activity (450 U/ml) when compared to other parts. Significant milk clotting index (MCI) was presented by crude enzyme of latex followed by stem, flower and leaf in the decreasing order (p

Rapid diagnosis of typhoid fever is very important in the timely initiation of therapy.To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the Enterocheck WB(®) test.In a prospective study, the sensitivity and specificity of Enterocheck WB(®) that detects IgM antibodies to Salmonella typhi were compared with blood culture using BacT/Alert.Four hundred and fifty patients with suspected typhoid fever were assessed both by blood culture and Enterocheck WB(®); 100 of them were either Enterocheck WB(®)-positive or blood culture-positive or both for S. typhi. Both tests were positive in 47 of the 100 patients. In 45 patients, Enterocheck WB(®) was positive but blood culture was negative. In eight cases, Enterocheck was negative but blood culture was positive. Using blood culture as the gold standard, the sensitivity of Enterocheck WB(®) was 85.5%, specificity 88.6%, negative predictive value 97.7% and positive predictive value 51.1%.The Enterocheck WB(®) test can be performed at the bedside in 15 minutes and is a useful rapid method for diagnosis of typhoid fever.