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Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is an important food borne zoonosis worldwide. Although goat meat constitutes an important dietary protein source, improperly cooked meat is a potential source of infection to humans. Data on prevalence of toxoplasma in goat is scanty from India. Serological detection is the practical option for prevalence studies on T. gondii, as no biological stage of the parasite is present in the clinical materials from the intermediate hosts. The present study was undertaken in the Jharkhand state of India which is largely inhabited by economically weaker aborigine population, who depend largely on animal husbandry for livelihood. A total of 445 serum samples were collected for testing, which represented goats under intensive and free range system of rearing. T. gondii specific IgG antibodies were detected in 42.47% (n = 189) samples by rSAG1 based indirect ELISA. The seroprevalence data were analyzed in respect of age, sex, breed of the goats and altitude of the study area as well as rearing conditions of the animals to establish correlation, if any. Though age and sex of the animals had a direct correlation with infection, the same could not be established with the other factors. The sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic ELISA were compared with IFAT, as well as with a commercially available ELISA kit. The rSAG1-ELISA had 92.66% sensitivity and 90.67% specificity with a positive predictive value of 86.77% and negative predictive value 94.92% when compared with IFAT, whereas when compared with the commercial ELISA kit, 87.50% sensitivity and 90.91% specificity with a positive predictive value of 91.30% and negative predictive value 86.96% were observed. Inter rater agreement (kappa) was calculated. rSAG1-ELISA showed good agreement with IFAT (kappa = 0.824) and commercially available ELISA Kit (kappa = 0.783). Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis, revealed a larger area under curve (AUC) of 0.99 (95%CI, 0.97–1.0) when compared with IFAT as gold standard and a highest relative sensitivity 91.30 (95% CI 72–98.3) and specificity 1.0 (95% CI 85.2–100) for the cut off value of 0.6005. The present study revealed high seroprevalence of T. gondii in goats from Jharkhand, which has public health significance.

Cosmetic surgery is not a new thing. The boom of cosmetic surgery is at its pace in India; people have been getting habituated to esthetics for so many years. Esthetic adjustment of various body parts such as rhinoplasty and lip modifications are more common nowadays. A dimple is a small depression on the surface of the body which can be easily noticeable; people appreciate the presence of dimple on the face and believe that it is a sign of good fortune and prosperity. With the advancements in the cosmetic surgery, there has been a upsurge in having artificial dimple on face. With this increased demand in having facial dimples in people, surgeons now are in an idea of creating an artificial dimple with dimple surgery or “dimpleplasty.” The procedure of dimpleplasty is as simple as making a cut in the skin, suturing the underside of the skin to a deeper layer to create a small depression. The suture creates a permanent scar which maintains the dimple. It is a thumb rule that any surgery has minor risks which are avoidable; the current review enumerates the various procedures for dimpleplasty and their outcomes. This article emphasizes on routine as well as recent procedures used for dimpleplasty and its relative complications.

Graphical abstract, Highlights • The seven Eimeria spp. recognised to infect chickens are present globally. • Cryptic Eimeria operational taxonomic units (OTUs) are common in the southern but not northern hemisphere. • Parasite population structure appears to vary between Eimeria spp., The phylum Apicomplexa includes parasites of medical, zoonotic and veterinary significance. Understanding the global distribution and genetic diversity of these protozoa is of fundamental importance for efficient, robust and long-lasting methods of control. Eimeria spp. cause intestinal coccidiosis in all major livestock animals and are the most important parasites of domestic chickens in terms of both economic impact and animal welfare. Despite having significant negative impacts on the efficiency of food production, many fundamental questions relating to the global distribution and genetic variation of Eimeria spp. remain largely unanswered. Here, we provide the broadest map yet of Eimeria occurrence for domestic chickens, confirming that all the known species (Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria brunetti, Eimeria maxima, Eimeria mitis, Eimeria necatrix, Eimeria praecox, Eimeria tenella) are present in all six continents where chickens are found (including 21 countries). Analysis of 248 internal transcribed spacer sequences derived from 17 countries provided evidence of possible allopatric diversity for species such as E. tenella (FST values ⩽0.34) but not E. acervulina and E. mitis, and highlighted a trend towards widespread genetic variance. We found that three genetic variants described previously only in Australia and southern Africa (operational taxonomic units x, y and z) have a wide distribution across the southern, but not the northern hemisphere. While the drivers for such a polarised distribution of these operational taxonomic unit genotypes remains unclear, the occurrence of genetically variant Eimeria may pose a risk to food security and animal welfare in Europe and North America should these parasites spread to the northern hemisphere.

Hemoprotozoan parasites pose a serious threat to the livestock population in terms of mortality, reduced milk yield and lowered draft power. Diagnosis of these diseases often poses a challenging task. Needless to say that impact of disease in health and productivity is huge though a fair economic assessment on the quantum of economic loss associated is yet to be worked out from India. The diagnosis of hemoprotozoan infections largely depends on various laboratory-based diagnostic methods as the clinical manifestations are often inconspicuous and non-specific. Traditional diagnostic methods rely on microscopical demonstration of infective stages in blood or tissue fluids. However, it is laborious, lesser sensitive, and cannot differentiate between morphologically similar organisms. Recent development in the technologies has opened new avenues for improvement in the accurate diagnosis of parasitic infections. Serological tests are simple, fast but lack specificity. With advent of molecular techniques, as DNA hybridization assays, polymerase chain reaction and its modifications ensure the detection of infection in the latent phase of the disease. Nucleic acid-based assays are highly sensitive, free from immunocompetence and can differentiate between morphologically similar parasites. With the advent of newer diagnostics complemented with traditional ones will be of huge help for targeted selective treatment with better chemotherapeutic agents.

Trypanosomosis, caused by Trypanosoma evansi, is an economically significant disease of livestock. Systematic antigenic variation by the parasite has undermined prospects for the development of a protective vaccine that targets the immunodominant surface antigens, encouraging exploration of alternatives. The paraflagellar rod (PFR), constituent proteins of the flagellum, are prominent non-variable vaccine candidates for T. evansi owing to their strategic location. Two major PFR constituent proteins, PFR1 (1770bp) and PFR2 (1800bp), were expressed using Escherichia coli. Swiss albino mice were immunized with the purified recombinant TePFR1 (89KDa) and TePFR2 (88KDa) proteins, as well as with the mix of the combined proteins at equimolar concentrations, and subsequently challenged with virulent T. evansi. The PFR-specific humoral response was assessed by ELISA. Cytometric bead-based assay was used to measure the cytokine response and flow cytometry for quantification of the cytokines. The recombinant TePFR proteins induced specific humoral responses in mice, including IgG1 followed by IgG2a and IgG2b. A balanced cytokine response induced by rTePFR 1 and 2 protein vaccination associated with extended survival and improved control of parasitemia following lethal challenge. The observation confirms the immunoprophylactic potential of the covert antigens of T. evansi.

In the present study, the visual control system was implemented in one of the leading export oriented garment manufacturing units in Bangalore to minimize stains and damages of garments. This study was conducted in the bitting and washing section from where more stains and damages occur. Seven garment styles were selected for the study, which included pale light and bright colors. Primary data was collected using the observational method. Interaction with supervisors was also helpful in understanding types of stains and damages and the root cause of their occurrence during the process to some extent. During the initial investigation, stain and damage percentage was recorded for all the styles. After successful implementation of visual controls such as dos and don’ts displays, information boards and story board postures, the data was collected, analyzed and compared with the initial recordings. There was a considerable reduction in the percentage of stains and damages. Among the results obtained, the stains section marked the highest reduction by 50 %, whereas damages were reduced by 26.57 % which may be rated as moderate. Therefore, changing dynamics of garment manufacturing need such practical approach to prove themselves as tough competitor in global market. However, to achieve more effective results, constant motivation of workers and time to time modification of visual control tools according to the requirement is a must.

Introduction: Iliac crest is the most common donor site for autogenous bone grafting as cortical bone, cancellous bone or combination of both can be harvested in abundance depending upon the need. Ilium provides highest concentration of osteo-component cells and greater quality of bone with less morbidity. Aim: The study was conducted to evaluate the donor site morbidity associated with autogenous iliac crest bone grafting for reconstruction in maxillofacial surgery. Materials and Methods: Around 12 patients, who had undergone iliac crest bone harvesting for various maxillofacial and reconstructive surgical procedures like cleft alveolus repair, malar augmentation, mandibular reconstruction following tumour resection and cyst enucleation and other surgical procedures performed in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, over a span of two years. The donor site was evaluated for the following factors: pain, neuropraxia, abnormal gait and scar evaluation. Results: None of the 12 patients had intraoperative complications like haemorrhage, damage to the muscles/ligaments, fracture of the ilium and damage to the acetabular fossa/femur head. Any major postoperative complications were also not recorded. Minor postoperative complications like pain, contour defect, walking difficulty were present, which gradually got resolved by the time of discharge. Conclusion: Anterior iliac crest provides an adequate harvest of cancellous, corticocancellous or bicortical grafts for reconstruction of various osseous defects in the maxillofacial region with least morbidity and should be considered as a major reservoir of bone for bony reconstructive procedures.

We conducted a retrospective study and reviewed the temporomandibular joint (TMJ)-related papers published in a leading international journal, Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, between January 2014 and December 2015. The study was conducted to ascertain and compare the trends of articles being published in the years 2014 and 2015. A total of 28 articles were reviewed, of which most of the full-length articles were on clinical management and outcomes and the role of radiology. The bulk of the studies were prospective, and less interest was shown in experimental research. A thorough review and analysis thus gives the impression that there is a great need for well-designed clinical studies on TMJ.

Aim: The objective of this study was characterize the somatic soluble antigens of adult Toxocara canis (Tc-SA) by western blotting. Materials and Methods: T. canis worms were collected from the naturally infected pups after deworming. The somatic antigen was prepared as per standard procedure with slight modification. These antigens were separated using Sodium dodecyl sulphate-electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The specific reactivity of the Tc-SA proteins was checked against the serum of naturally infected dogs as well with the hyperimmune serum raised in the rabbit by western blotting. Results: On SDS-PAGE recovered proteins ranged in size from 44 to 300 kDa. The immuno-reactivity of the naturally infected dog sera with the Tc-SA antigens showed 12 prominent immunoreactive bands of distinct sizes at 28.61, 32.60, 38.10, 43.04, 49.99, 67.57, 73.22, 105.77, 144.74, 161.11, 177.84 and 196.31 kDa. The immuno-reactivity of the hyper immune serum raised in rabbits against Tc-SA antigens was observed with 10 prominent bands of distinct sizes at 17.11, 24.15, 34.83, 43.46, 52.47, 55.89, 67.57, 70, 74.60 and 105.6 kDa. Conclusions: Common antigens band were observed at 67 and 105 kDa. These antigens merit further evaluation as candidate for use in diagnosis of toxocarosis in humans and adult dogs. [Vet World 2013; 6(7.000): 424-427]

We did a retrospective study and reviewed some of the orthognathic surgery related papers that were published between January 2014 and December 2015 in a leading International Maxillofacial Surgery Journal. It was conducted to ascertain the trends of articles being published. A total of around 57 articles were reviewed, of which most of the full length articles were on post operative outcomes and obstructive sleep apnoea. Bulk of the studies were retrospective, and less interest was shown onto experimental researches. A thorough review and analysis thus gives an impression that there is a high requirement of well designed clinical studies.

A total of 480 suspected blood samples were collected from cattle (n=254) and buffaloes (n=226) during the study period from September 2011 to December 2014 for determination of prevalence of haemoprotozoan parasites from South Western Gujarat (Junagadh). The conventional optical microscopy of Giemsa stained blood smears revealed that 37% of cattle and 38.93% of buffaloes were infected with haemoprotozoan parasites including Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bigemina, Trypanosoma evansi and Theileria annulata. The animals infected with haemoprotozoan diseases showed lower total erythrocyte count (TEC), haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and higher total leukocyte count (TLC) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV). Incidence of haemoprotozoan infection between the breeds differed significantly (P0.05). The prevalence of B. bigemina in bovines was associated with various risk factors namely age, season and breed (p£0.05). Sex wise females recorded apparently higher infection rates than males. The multivariate logistic regression models showed that the risk of babesiosis was significantly higher in rainy season (OR=5.18, P=0.003) followed by summer (OR=3.9, P=0.019) compared to winter season. Conversely, in buffaloes, the risk of babesiosis was significantly higher in summer season (OR=9.0, P=0.004) followed by rainy (OR=7.43, P=0.008) compared to winter season. The risk for anaplasmosis in buffaloes increased by 3.46 times (OR=3.64, p=0.027) in non descriptive breed compared to well defined breed.

Toxocara canis is one of the most common parasitic helminth worm of dogs and also a causative agent of zoonotic disease in humans. This pilot study was conducted to determine the presence of T. canis infection in dog population in and around Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India. A total of 558 faecal samples both from stray and owned dogs were screened and overall 24.3 % dogs were found positive for T. canis. A comparison between owned and stray dogs suggests that the higher prevalence was observed in the latter group. The age of the dogs had a considerable influence on prevalence, with a much higher proportion of younger dogs being infected. Among the stray dogs, the infection rate is much higher (62.79 %) in pups, as compared to 7.8 % in adult. Similarly, of the owned dogs screened 41.74 % pups were infected while the infection rate in adults was only 3.38 %. The higher rate of prevalence of this parasite in dogs could be the source of soil contamination for transmission of Toxocariasis which is of public health importance in this region.

A seven-year-old Labrador retriever dog was presented to VetLab Meerut with a history of vomiting, anorexia, fever and weakness for 15 days. Clinical examination revealed pyrexia, pale conjunctival and oral mucous membranes. Haemato-biochemical evaluation revealed anemia (Hb-8.4g/dl, RBC-4.25 106/μl, PCV-28.2%), leukocytosis (23.32×103/μl), thrombocytopenia (1.62 lakhs/μl), hypoalbuminemia (1.83 g/dl), hyperglobulinemia (4.91 g/dl) and elevated levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (48.2 mg/dl), creatinine (3.12 mg/dl), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (121.3 U/L) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (69.6U/L). On blood smear examination Hepatozoon canis gamonts in the neutrophils were found. Subsequently, animal was treated with a combination therapy including single dose of Inj. Imidocarb dipropionate (6.6 mg/kg, SC) and Tab. Doxycycline (5 mg/kg, PO, BID) for 21 days. Supportive treatment was done with antiemetics, hepatoprotectants, hematinics, plasma expanders and acaricides. An uneventful recovery was noticed after 21 days of treatment. Our present report highlights the successful effect of combination therapy including imidocarb dipropionate and doxycycline drugs, fighting against the infection.

Results Porcine cysticercosis caused by a metacestode of zoonotically important cestode parasite is transmitted to humans through the ingestion of raw or undercooked pork. A more severe manifestation of infection in humans is development of neurocysticercosis (NCC) [1-3]. Pigs acquire infection through consumption of human faeces, or through feed and drinking water contaminated with ova. In pigs, the cysticerci commonly develop in skeletal muscles, tongue, diaphragm, heart and other organs, including brain and eye [4, 5]. The infection is endemic in many developing countries of Latin America [6, 7], Africa [8] and Asia [9] and the economic loss resulting from condemnation of infected pork is substantially high [5, 10-12]. Specific diagnosis of porcine cysticercosis is critical for identification of endemic regions and for development of strategies to control the infection [13]. Further, prevalence of porcine cysticercosis is suggestive of an active transmission of the parasite between pigs and humans [14]. Though prevalence of cysticercosis has been reported from several parts of India, information from the Bareilly region is scanty. Therefore, the present work was undertaken to study the level of prevalence of porcine cysticercosis in Bareilly region of northern India. The investigation was carried out in local makeshift slaughter houses of Bareilly District, located in the state of Uttar Pradesh in the northern part of India. Bareilly District is located between latitude 28 and longitude 78 and 79 47 east. The climate is hot, humid and subtropical, however, during winters the temperature deeps to 2 to 15 C. The annual rainfall is around 500–700 mm.

Fish compost was prepared using wastes of deep sea fish, Pricanthus hamrur, along with coffee husk as bulk material in a simple and less expensive method. The prepared fish compost was evaluated on growth and survival of Indian major carp, Labeo rohita, and production of both phytoplankton and zooplankton in 25 m3 cement cisterns. Juveniles of Labeo rohita (6.0 ± 0.35 g) were stocked @ 15 numbers/cistern. Two treatments with initial dosages of compost namely, 5 kg/cistern (2000 kg/ha), 2.5 kg/cistern (1000 kg/ha), and cattle dung @ 12.5 kg/cistern (5000 kg/ha), served as control in first installment. Subsequent monthly application of second and third installments was carried out with dosages of 1 kg/cistern (400 kg/ha) and 0.5 kg/cistern (200 kg/ha) in fish compost treatments and 2.5 kg (1000 kg/ha) of cattle dung (control). The fish were fed 30% protein diet at a rate of 5% of the fish biomass. Significantly higher growth (127.0 g) and survival (89.75%) of Labeo rohita were recorded in 2.5 and 0.5 kg fis...

Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors (DMS) are of great interest as injection sources for spin-polarized currents into semiconductors. Epitaxial devices have been synthesized with an intermediate spacer layer of the same semiconductor (zinc oxide, ZnO) used to produce the DMS material (ZnCoO) ensuring a homoepitaxial junction to help reduce the interface states and conduction mismatch. We observe a large magnetoresistance of about 32% in the devices at low temperatures. The present work suggests that spin polarized transport could be achieved with DMS materials acting as the source of injected spins into a non-magnetic host.

Cryptosporidium spp. are recognized as one of the most important enteric pathogens causing enteritis and severe diarrhoea in calves up to 1 month of age. Although the infection may be responsible for some mortality, its impact is mainly associated with the impairment of gastrointestinal functions and lower performance of animals. A female buffalo calf of 25 days old was presented to OPD section, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, SVPUA&T, Meerut, with the symptoms of severe voluminous watery cholera like diarrhea with mucous and blood tinge since 4–5 days. On physical examination, calf was dehydrated, weak, and emaciated with normal temperature. Parasitological examination of the faeces by the direct smear and modified Ziehl–Neelsen staining technique revealed presence of high number of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts. The affected female buffalo calf was treated with azithromycin and provided supportive care. Diarrohoeal symptoms were stopped from 3rd day and animal returned to normal condition by 7th day post treatment.

The structure property relationship for Ru doped La1.2Ba1.8Mn2-RuxO7 system has been studied systematically. The system crystallizes in the single-phase tetragonal structure with space group of 14/mmm. The unit cell volume is found to increase with Ru doping. The sheet type microstructure could be seen in this system, which is important for anisotropic nature of layered structure. The crystallite size is found to be 25 nm indicating nanocrystalline nature of the system. Ferromagnetic to paramagnetic (Tc) transition above the room temperature is observed in all except the highest doped Ru (x = 1.0) where the Tc is 254 K using a.c. susceptibility measurement. The large values of magnetoresistance for the x = 0.0 sample at 10 K is found to be 57% and 64% at applied fields of 5 and 10 T, respectively.

Oestrus ovis is a well-known parasite of the nasal cavities and adjoining sinuses in sheep and goats. A 3-year-old female Jamunapari goat was presented with a history of anorexia, weight loss, in-coordinated movements, nasal discharge since 10 days and two nasal bots expelled during sneezing 3 days back. Upon clinical examination the animal was dull, dysphonic, unsteady gait and having blocked nostrils with thick mucoid discharge along with an increased respiratory rate. Parasitiological examination revealed it as an O. ovis (nasal bots). The occurrence of nasal bots in a goat and its successful therapeutic management and public health significance have been reported and discussed in the present communication.

A 11 month old female goat was presented to Polyclinic, IVRI with the history of swelling in the left hind leg on the inner aspect of thigh and inguinal region. Physical and radiological examination revealed a large fluctuating fluid filled bladder with distinct dimension. The cyst was successfully removed along with its membrane and parasitological examination revealed it as a Coenurus gaigeri, the intermediate stage of T. multiceps gaigeri. The animal recovered completely by 10th postoperative day without any complications. This is being described in detail as under.

Trypanosoma evansi, the agent of surra is a widely distributed pathogenic animal trypanosome. Surra is a major disease in camels, equines and dogs, in which it can often be fatal in the absence of treatment. In the present study, blood sample of a male Labrador retriever dog of four years age at Meerut, Uttar Pradesh was examined. Wet blood film and stained blood smears showed large number of Trypanosoma evansi. Hematological parameters revealed decrease in hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, red blood cells and packed cell volume (PCV) while erythrocytes sedimentation rate (ESR) was increased in the infected dog. The animal was successfully treated with single dose of Diminazene aceturate at the dose rate of 3.5 mg/kg body weight, intramuscularly along with the supportive therapy.

A class of nanocrystalline superconducting vanadium nitrides has been prepared by a chemical synthesis route. This method involves the simultaneous decomposition of [VO(NH2O)2Gly]⋅H2O complex and nitridation at 973 K in ammonia atmosphere resulting pure and doped VN with controlled stoichiometry. The structure and stoichiometry of these samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive analysis of x-ray, transmission electron microscope, and chemical analysis. The VN materials crystallize in the cubic structure. The crystallite size was found to decrease with doping. We obtained samples having crystallite sizes between 8 and 32 nm. The electrical resistivity variation in these materials was carefully measured and the results are presented. The resistivity data in the range Tc

Coprological examination of 416 bovine faecal samples revealed the presence of parasitic stages of Toxocara vitulorum, strongyles, Strongyloides spp., Fasciola spp., amphistomes, coccidia (Eimeria spp. and Cryptosporidium spp.) and Buxtonella sulcata. About 42 % (n = 302) faecal samples from cattle and 36 % (n = 114) samples from buffaloes were positive for gastrointestinal (GI) parasitic infections. Both cattle (14.57 %) and buffalo (15.79 %) had the highest incidence of Buxtonella sulcata, respectively. The overall incidence of GI parasitic infections in young animals (below 1 year) was higher followed by older (more than 5 years) and adult animals (1–5 years) and the difference was statistically significant (p 0.05). Season wise GI parasitic infections were recorded to be non-significantly (p > 0.05) higher in monsoon (48.38 %) followed by summer (39 %) and winter (34.61 %) in cattle. There was no significant variation of GI infections in buffaloes in relation to season though highest prevalence was documented in monsoon (44.89 %) followed by winter (35.71 %) and summer (24.32 %). Similarly, sex wise females recorded higher infection rates than males in bovines and the difference being statistically non-significant (p > 0.05).

PCR-RFLP and nucleotide sequencing based genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii Indian isolates (Izatnagar and Chennai isolates and Chennai clone) vis-a vis RH-IVRI strain was conducted by targeting GRA6 as genetic marker. The 791 bp GRA6 product was PCR amplified from the genomic DNA of different T. gondii Indian isolates, including the RH-IVRI strain. Tru1I restriction endonuclease based PCR-RFLP of GRA6 sequence produced polymorphic digestion pattern that discriminated the virulent RH-IVRI strain (as type I) from the moderately virulent local isolates as type III. The PCR amplicon of T. gondii GRA6 from RH-IVRI strain as well as from the local isolates were cloned in cloning vector and custom sequenced. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of T. gondii isolates were aligned with that of the type I, II and III strains (RH, BEVERLEY, ME49, C56, TONT and NED) available in public domain and analyzed in silico using MEGA version 4.0 software. Nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of GRA6 marker from the Indian isolates revealed a close genetic relationship with type III strains of T. gondii. Further, detection of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at positions 162 and 171 of the GRA6 marker, established the lineage of Indian isolates as type III. This is the first report on characterization of T. gondii lineage as type III in selective chicken population of India based on PCR-RFLP and sequence analysis of GRA6 gene.

Toxocara canis is an important gastrointestinal nematode of dogs and also a causative agent of visceral larva migrans in humans. Arginine kinase (AK) gene is one of the important biomolecule of phosphagen kinase of T. canis which is emerging as an exciting novel diagnostic target in toxocarosis. The present study was carried out to clone and characterize AK gene of T. canis for future utilization as a diagnostic molecule. Total RNA was extracted from intact adult worms and reverse transcription was done with oligo dT primers to obtain complementary DNA (cDNA). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out using cDNA as template with specific primers which amplified a product of 1,202 bp. The amplicon was cloned into pDrive cloning vector and clone was confirmed by colony PCR and restriction endonuclease analysis. Sequence analysis of the gene showed 99.8 and 77.9 % homology with the published AK gene of T. canis (EF015466.1) and Ascaris suum respectively. Structural analysis shown that the mature AK protein consist of 400 amino acids with a molecular wt of 45360.73 Da. Further expression studies are required for producing the recombinant protein for its evaluation in the diagnosis of T. canis infection in humans as well as in adult dogs.

Toxocara canis is one of the most common helminth worm of dogs which continues to stimulate both public health concern alongside the higher scientific interest. It may cause visceral and ocular damage in humans especially in children. The identification of specific antigens of T. canis is important so as to develop better diagnostic techniques. Excretory-secretory (ES) antigens were prepared by culturing the adult T. canis worms in RPMI 1640 medium without serum supplementation followed by ammonium sulphate precipitation. These antigens were separated using sodium dodecyl sulphate-electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Recovered proteins ranged from 30 to 384 kDa. The specific reactivity of the T. canis excretory-secretory (TC-ES) proteins was checked by western blotting. The immuno-reactivity of the naturally infected dog sera with the TC-ES antigens showed five bands at 43, 57,105, 139 and 175 kDa. The immuno-reactivity of the hyper immune serum raised in rabbits against TC-ES antigens was observed with ten polypeptides of 21, 25, 30, 37, 45, 50, 57, 69, 77 and 105 kDa. Common antigens band were observed at 57 and 105 KDa. These antigens merit further evaluation as candidate for use in diagnosis of toxocariasis in humans and adult dogs.

A short, stereoselective, and a common approach for the synthesis of 4,5-disubstituted delta-lactones simplactone B and its analogue using Evans protocol is described.

Aim: The objective of this study was to determine the possible extent of soil contamination at different public places with Toxocara species eggs. Materials and Methods: A Total of 327 samples of soil were collected and examined from different locations which are of public health importance like public parks, playgrounds, door mat dusts, Sidewalks or road sides, in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, to establish the prevalence of Toxocara eggs. Samples were also categorised in to sandy type (225) and clay type (102) which were examined by Dunsmore modified technique. Results: 42 samples out of 327 (12.84%) were found to be contaminated with the Toxocara spp.eggs and public parks were more contaminated than the other sites we studied. Clay type soil samples were found to be more contaminated than sandy type with a prevalence of 17.64%. Conclusions: The prevalence of this zoonotic parasite in soil has implications for the spread of human disease in these areas. The authors believe that this may constitute a significant health risk, particularly to children. [Vet World 2013; 6(2.000): 87-90]

We report room temperature ferromagnetism in single crystal Ce1−xCoxO2−δ (x⩽0.05) films deposited on a LaAlO3(001) substrate. Films were grown by a pulsed laser deposition technique and were thoroughly characterized using x-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy coupled with electron energy loss spectroscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy-Z contrast, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, optical transmission spectroscopy, and magnetic measurements. These films are transparent in the visible regime and exhibit a very high Curie temperature ∼740–875K with a giant magnetic moment. Our results indicate that the ferromagnetic property is intrinsic to the CeO2 system and is not a result of any secondary magnetic phase or cluster formation.