Examination of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) collected from several locations in North America contributed new information concerning the acanthocephalan fauna of this host. Representatives of Arythmorhynchus brevis, representing a new host record, were collected from eagles in Florida, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin. Plagiorhynchus sp. was collected from an eagle in Florida. Corynosoma ...

Using a sedimentation method, the extracted starch from Dioscorea hispida tuber was characterized for their morphological, thermal and other physicochemical properties such as total starch content, moisture content, pH, water binding capacity (WBC), solubility and swelling power. The starch content extracted from the tuber was 11.46% with the WBC and moisture content were 107% and 249% respecti...

The seeds of Benincasa hispida (Thunb) COGN. (Family: Cucurbitaceae) was extracted with ethanol and was used to study acute toxicity, antinociceptive and anti-pyretic effects. Brewer's yeast (15%) was used to induce pyrexia in rats. The extract was non lethal to the rats up to the dose of 5000 mg/kg b.w. At doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg b.w, the extract significantly (P<0.05) increased the antinoc...

Since the first documentation of climate-warming induced declines in arctic sea-ice, predictions have been made regarding the expected negative consequences for endemic marine mammals. But, several decades later, little hard evidence exists regarding the responses of these animals to the ongoing environmental changes. Herein, we report the first empirical evidence of a dramatic shift in movemen...

Neuroleptic activity of methanolic extract of Benincasa hispida was assessed using apomorphine induced cage climbing model and catalepsy test in mice. Methanolic extract showed significant reduction in apomorphine induced cage climbing activity at 600 mg/kg and catalepsy in mice .The phytochemical analysis of methanolic extract showed presence of phenolic compounds and triterpene saponins, whic...

After the existence of phlebotomine sand flies was first reported in China in 1910, the distribution of different species and their role in the transmission of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) have been extensively studied. Up until 2008, four species have been verified as vectors of VL, namely, Phlebotomus chinensis (Ph. sichuanensis), Ph. longiductus (Ph. chinensis longiductus), Ph. wui (Ph. major...

A new species, Policordia hispida, is described and compared with three similar species: Policordia densicostata (Locard, 1898); Policordia pilula (Pelseneer, 1911) and a yet un-described species, Policordia sp. (= Policordia pilula sensu Ivanova, 1977 not Pelseneer, 1911). This is a first record for the genus in the Californian province.