Antimicrobial activity of Coleus aromaticus (benth) against microbes of reproductive tract infections among women

Coleus aromaticus (Benth) is a commonly available medicinal herb in India. The antimicrobial activity of this herb is tested as a cure for reproductive tract infections (RTI) among women. Fresh leaf has been used as a disc in different diameters to test the antimicrobial activity; against RTI causing microbes. Candida krusei showed the highest zone of inhibition of growth; followed by Candida albicans; Proteus mirablis; Escherichia coli; Staphylococcus aureus ; Enterococcus faecalis ; Klebsiella pneumoniae and the least inhibition was observed for Neisseria gonohorreae. Coleus aromaticus exhibits an effective antifungal and marked antibacterial activity. Using the leaf as a disc seems to be a novel and easy method that can be used initially to access the antimicrobial activity of a herb; before proceeding for further studies. This herb seems to be an ideal choice to treat RTI infections among women

Biting behaviour of Armigeres subalbatus (Coquillett) with reference to host selection and landing.

Armigeres subalbatus (Coquillett), a vicious crepuscular biter, has been selected to study the biting behaviour with reference to factors affecting landing and host selection in the laboratory. The mosquito showed a higher attractancy to relatively warmer skin of human hands. There was also a significant attraction towards the artificially warmed hands than the normal ones, and the mosquitoes avoided the artificially cooled hands. Therefore, host temperature is a factor which influences the attraction and subsequent landings of A. subalbatus. When the mosquitoes were offered animal hosts, the order of host preference by these mosquitoes was hen > rabbit > guinea pig, both in single and two-host combinations thus, showing their preference to avian host.

Circadian rhythm in the biting behaviour of a mosquito Armigeres subalbatus (Coquillett).

The crepuscular biting rhythm of A. subalbatus has been found to be a genuine circadian rhythm. When the entrained biting rhythm is allowed to freerun in constant darkness (DD) and continuous illumination (LL), it persists in DD (tau = 24.36 hr) and also in LL of ca. 0.1 1x (tau-23.82 hr) thus deviating from the strict 24 hr periodicity of the geophysical day. The biting rhythm becomes arrhythmic in LL of 1.0, 10, 0.4, 4, 40 lx even the first cycle damping away.

Seismotectonic studies of the coastal areas of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Burma

Major geotectonic elements that are seismically active in the bear-shore areas of the Indian subcontinent are the Mekran fault off the coast of Pakistan, the western part of the Narmada-Son lineament, the West Coast Fault off the west coast of India - a southward extension of the Cambay Rift, the Palghat Gap, the Godavari and Mahanadi grabens, transecting rather at an angle to the eastern coast of India and the Arakan-Yoma arcuate belt of Burma, which is a part of the global Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt, continuing southwards into the Andaman-Nicobar island complex and the Java-Sumatra trench on the ocean floor of the advancing Indo-Australian Plate. Observations along the coastal areas during historic and recent times, however, confirm the absence of significant tsunamis, though very mild tsunami surges have occasionally been observed along the coastal areas of the Bay of Bengal. No active volcanoes are known to exist in the coastal areas. Water reservois situiated near the marginal areas of the Peninsular Shield exhibit moderate to intense seismic activities, viz. Ukai, Bhasta, Koyna, Parambikulam, Sholayar, Idduki, and Kinnersani.(AU)