Eld's deer (Cervus eldi) is a highly endangered cervid, distributed historically throughout much of South Asia and Indochina. We analysed variation in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region for representatives of all three Eld's deer subspecies to gain a better understanding of the genetic population structure and evolutionary history of this species. A phylogeny of mtDNA haplotypes indicates that the critically endangered and ecologically divergent C. eldi eldi is related more closely to C. e. thamin than to C. e. siamensis, a result that is consistent with biogeographic considerations. The results also suggest a strong degree of phylogeographic structure both between subspecies and among populations within subspecies, suggesting that dispersal of individuals between populations has been very limited historically. Haplotype diversity was relatively high for two of the three subspecies (thamin and siamensis), indicating that recent population declines have not yet substantially eroded genetic diversity. In contrast, we found no haplotype variation within C. eldi eldi or the Hainan Island population of C. eldi siamensis, two populations which are known to have suffered severe population bottlenecks. We also compared levels of haplotype and nucleotide diversity in an unmanaged captive population, a managed captive population and a relatively healthy wild population. Diversity indices were higher in the latter two, suggesting the efficacy of well-designed breeding programmes for maintaining genetic diversity in captivity. Based on significant genetic differentiation among Eld's deer subspecies, we recommend the continued management of this species in three distinct evolutionarily significant units (ESUs). Where possible, it may be advisable to translocate individuals between isolated populations within a subspecies to maintain levels of genetic variation in remaining Eld's deer populations.

The survival rates in the IM-SAM program were very high. However, the moderate recovery rates documented seem to indicate that the protocols currently in use need to be improved. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01917734.

Since decade or two, the development of floating drug delivery systems becomes a significant and novel tool as having low density than gastric content. There are various advanced polymers including chitosan, eudragit, etc., and excipients such as; pore forming agent, surfactants, etc. All of them are discussed briefly, and results are concluded from various reputed researches. We have discussed all natural and synthetic systems with their effect on the release and other parameters which are essential for the floating formulation development.

Ten polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized from Chital deer ( Cervus axis ). These loci show high levels of allelic diversity with four to eight alleles per locus in the 22 individuals of the free-ranging population of Chital deer in Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad. In addition, we found that all the loci show cross-amplification in closely related as well as distantly related deer species. The amplification of these markers in different genera further indicates that these can be applied to a wide range of endangered deer species for their population genetics studies and conservation management.

Background: The birth of an infant that needs care in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be stressful for the parents. The parent-infant bonding process that occurs during the newborn period establishes the foundation for a lifelong relationship. This typical process does not occur when the infant spends the first several weeks or months in the NICU. Quantifying stress levels of parents and identifying the greatest environmental stressor by understanding the aspects of infants, parents and the environment that can cause stress may be useful in assisting the health personnel in understanding their importance and in improving the quality of care. The objective of the study was to quantify stress levels of parents of babies admitted in NICU and compare the sources of stress for mothers and fathers.Methods: This was a cross-sectional, observational, hospital based study where stress levels were assessed using Parental Stressor Scale: neonatal intensive care unit (PSS: NICU) questionnaire among parents of 400 newborn admitted in NICU. Stress was quantified using 5 point Likert scale from 1 (not at all stressful) to 5 (extremely stressful). The overall stress levels were calculated for each subscale and total scale and compared.Results: NICU environment is moderately stressful for both mother and father. The highest score was in the field of Relationship with the baby and parental role for mothers as well as for fathers. Mothers had significantly higher stress scores for each subscale and the total scale compared to fathers.Conclusions: NICU parents are under significant stress and this is need of time to give family centered care.

The snow leopard, Panthera uncia, is an elusive high-altitude specialist that inhabits vast, inaccessible habitat across Asia. We conducted the first range-wide genetic assessment of snow leopards based on noninvasive scat surveys. Thirty-three microsatellites were genotyped and a total of 683 bp of mitochondrial DNA sequenced in 70 individuals. Snow leopards exhibited low genetic diversity at microsatellites (A N = 5.8, H O = 0.433, H E = 0.568), virtually no mtDNA variation, and underwent a bottleneck in the Holocene (∼8000 years ago) coinciding with increased temperatures, precipitation, and upward treeline shift in the Tibetan Plateau. Multiple analyses supported 3 primary genetic clusters: (1) Northern (the Altai region), (2) Central (core Himalaya

All cat species, except domestic cats, are either threatened or endangered. The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica), a critically endangered species, is driven to a single habitat zone in Gir forests in India for its survival. The present status of this big cat compels us to acquire deeper knowledge of its genetic variability and phylogenetic relationships. Here we report the isolation of highly polymorphic microsatellite loci from a partial genomic library of the Asiatic lion. These loci were characterized and have shown high levels of variation ranging from six to 11 alleles per locus in the population studied.

Genetic isolation of populations is a potent force that helps shape the course of evolution. However, small populations in isolation, especially in fragmented landscapes, are known to lose genetic variability, suffer from inbreeding depression and become genetically differentiated among themselves. In this study, we assessed the genetic diversity of lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus) inhabiting the fragmented landscape of Anamalai hills and examined the genetic structure of the species across its distributional range in the Western Ghats. We sequenced around 900 bases of DNA covering two mitochondrial regions–hypervariable region-I and partial mitochondrial cytochrome b–from individuals sampled both from wild and captivity, constructed and dated phylogenetic trees. We found that the lion-tailed macaque troops in the isolated forest patches in Anamalai hills have depleted mitochondrial DNA diversity compared to troops in larger and continuous forests. Our results also revealed an ancient divergence in the lion-tailed macaque into two distinct populations across the Palghat gap, dating to 2.11 million years ago. In light of our findings, we make a few suggestions on the management of wild and captive populations.