A nine year old non-descript male dog was presented to Madras Veterinary College Teaching Hospital with a history of anorexia, weakness, and clinical signs of respiratory distress and pyrexia. TFAST (thoracic-focused assessment with sonography for trauma) of the lung was performed to rule out pleural effusion. Upon confirmation of pleural effusion, thoracocentesis was performed and sample was collected to identify the cause. The pleural effusion was confirmed as haemothorax and cytology of the sample wasconfirmed as mesothelioma. 

Di butyl phthalate (DBP) is a most important plasticizer which is suspected as reproductive toxicant and exposure to it has the  potential effect on the human as well as animal reproductive system. The research work was conducted to evaluate the repeated dose toxicity of di butyl phthalate in male wistar rats. The animals were divided in four different groups with 12 male rats in each group.  Group I served as control and was administered corn oil (2 ml/kg body wt.) while groups II, III, and IV were administered DBP orally at  the dose rate of 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg respectively for consecutive seven days. Three rats from each group were sacrificed at 24 hrs, 7th day, 14th day and 21st day after initial dosing. There was gradual decrease in WBC count, RBC count, Hb, HCT, MCV, MCH, MCHC, gradual increase in albumin, gradual decrease in total protein, glucose values, gradual decrease in relative weights of the  testes, epididymis, prostate and seminal vesicles as well as increase in liver weight with increase in dose of DBP in group II, III and IV as compared to control group at different intervals of sacrifice. Grossly reductions in the size of testes were observed only in rats that belonged to high dose group IV on 21st day. The plasticizer DBP was found to produce histopathological lesions in male reproductive organs as well as in liver in dose dependent manner after oral administration. The finding suggested that DBP can cause toxicity  lesions in male reproductive organs especially in testes and epididymis at the dose rate of 500 to 2000 mg/kg body weight in wistar rats.

Diet of mud crab S.tranquebarica consists of crustaceans, mollusks, fish remains, detritus, debris and undigested flesh. Quantitative analysis of the gut contents contributed 53.18% crustaceans, 24.69% molluscan remains, 16.91% fish remains and 3.02% & 1.23% of detritus and debris respectively. The study indicated that this species is primarily predators of sessile and slow moving benthic macro invertebrates. The presence of detritus, debris and undigested flesh items in the stomachs suggested that the crabs are detritivorous consuming fresh and decaying flesh of all kinds. The sex wise and size wise of diet in these crabs may be largely due to relative abundance of prey species in the habitat or related to change in cheliped strength and foraging behaviour.

The study of the influence of aqueous and hydro alcoholic extracts of Tinospora cordifolia on human mammary tumor cell line MCF-7 is a common way of discovering potential therapeutics for treating people suffering from hormone-dependent problems and diseases. In the present study, the cells were treated with the extracts at three different doses viz., 200 μg/ml, 400 μg/ ml and 600 μg/ml. Both the extracts produced degenerative changes in the cell in dose-dependent manner with maximum effect being noticed at the dose level of 600 μg/ml. Thus, these findings suggest that the extracts from Tinospora cordifolia have potential for acting as an antiproliferative agent in mammary tumour.

The squat lobster, Munidopsis cylindrophthalma (Alcock, 1894) was recorded for the first time from the Indian main land coast while investigating the biodiversity of the squat lobster of Gulf of Mannar during April, 2013. One specimen of the said species was collected as an incidental by-catch in the deep sea trawl fisheries off Thoothukudi coast of Gulf of Mannar, between 08º 35’ 22.5" N lat. 78º 27’ 40.9" E long and 08º 31’ 91.2" N lat. 78º 25’ 32.7"E long at a depth of 305-310 m. The present records show its extended distribution from Gulf of Mannar to east of Andamans and further to South China Sea. 

The present investigation was carried out on 25,499 weekly test day milk yield records of first lactation pertaining to 593 Sahiwal cows spread over 49 years located at National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India. The comparison of three lactation curve models viz, quadratic model, gamma type function and mixed log function was made in the present investigation. Mixed log function described the best fit with highest coefficient of determination (97.9%) with lowest value of root mean square error (0.025 kg) value. The peak yield of 8.08 kg in 8thweek of lactation was observed by mixed log function. The closeness of the curves of mixed log function and gamma type function with the observed lactation curve was of the same order of magnitude. The least coefficient of determination (77.8%) was observed in quadratic model with maximum root mean square error (0.081 kg). The gamma type function when compared to mixed log function, explained low peak yield and it is recommended that this function can give best fit for the low yielding cows.

The present study was conducted to elucidate the growth performance changes in Wistar rats given cadmium chloride in different doses at various intervals. Wistar rats (n=12/group) were divided into four groups viz, group I (Control) given normal drinking water whereas group II, III and IV rats were given CdCl2 @ 100, 250 and 500 ppm, respectively for 12 weeks. Animals of all the groups were closely observed through out the period of experiment thrice a day for clinical signs. Daily Feed intake (FI), Body Weights (BW), Body Weight Gain (BWG) and Feed Conversion Ratios (FCR) were recorded. Clinical signs observed upto first 5 weeks were less prominent in all the treatment group rats. After 5 weeks PE, rats of all treatment groups showed varying degree of toxic signs, which included inappetence, dullness, weakness, depression, lethargy, reduced feed intake, decrease in body weight, poor fur condition, loss of hair, change in behaviour, disinclination to move, increased thirst and dehydration. In addition, group IV rats also showed nervous disorders from 9th week onwards. The average values of feed consumption, body weight and body weight gain were significantly lower in all treatment group rats as compared to control group rats in dose and duration dependent manner. Moreover, FCR increased significantly in all treatment groups from 4th week PE than control group rats upto the end of trial.

Campylobacter is the commonest reported bacterial cause of infectious intestinal disease. To study the epidemiology of Campylobacter infection among children, 100 stool samples along with patients anamnesis were collected from the clinical diarrheic reported to Enterology unit of Institute for child Health and centre for Children, Egmore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu between May 2013 to June 2013. Samples were subjected to traditional culture and modern PCR techniques, both of which revealed same results of 13% prevalence of Campylobacter sps (8% C.jejuni & 5% C.coli). Analyzing the patients anamnesis to study the epidemiological determinants, sex has a significance (P<0.05). Age and residential area have no significance and summer season and cross contamination could be probable determinants for the infection.

Data relating to 130 sows, 19 boars from 400 farrrowings spread over a period from 1984 to 1992 were utilized to study genetic and non-genetic effects in variation of litter size and weight at birth and at weaning. The overall mean litter size at birth (LSB)was 6.83 ± 0.13 piglets. The effects of period, season of farrowings and inbreeding on litter size at birth were not significant (P>0.05).The overall least squares mean of litter size at weaning(LWW) was 4.83 ± 0.12 and was significantly (Pd”0.05) affected by in breeding. Litter weight at birth (LWB) had a least square mean of 7.81 ± .16 kg and it was significantly (Pd”0.05) affected by period of farrowing. The mean LWB of non-inbred sows was 8.22 ± 0.19kg and that of inbred sows was7.41 ± 0.29 kg. The overall least squares mean for litter weight at weaning (LWW) was 39.36 ± 1.25 kg and inbreeding of sow exerted significant effect on LWW. The LWB and LWW were significantly affected by period of farrowing. The litter size at birth and at weaning and litter weight at birth and at weaning was not significantly affected by season of birth. The heritability estimates of litter size at birth and litter size at weaning were 0.096 ± 0.09 and 0.816 ± 0.27 respectively. The corresponding heritability values for LWB and LWW were 0.41 ± 0.18 and 0.53 ± 0.21 respectively. 

In animal breeding, genetic disorders are one of the most important issues for breeders. The present study was carried out to genotype HF crossbred cattle for FXI deficiency and CVM using PCR and PCR-RFLP using 50 blood samples. Amplicons of 244 bp for FXI gene and the 287 bp for SLC35A3 gene were successfully amplified. Analysis of amplicons of FXI gene revealed single 244 bp fragment which indicates absence of mutant allele. The amplicons of 287 bp of SLC35A3 gene was digested with Pst I RE which revealed two fragments of size 264 bp and 23 bp  for normal animals. In the present study, out of fifty HF crossbred animals screened neither carrier nor affected animals were found for FXID and CVM.