An epidemiologic study was carried out to investigate the prevalence and analysis of risk of Cryptosporidium infection in lambs in Jammu district. Faecal samples of 120 lambs of different age groups viz., \1 month, 1-3 months and 3-6 months were assessed. Cryptosporidium oocysts were identified by using modified Zeihl Neelsen technique. Statistical analysis showed that infection rates were significantly higher in lambs of \1 month age group (65 %) than other two age groups (p \ 0.05). Similarly, cryptosporidial infection rates were significantly higher in diarrhoeic (54.41 %) than in non diarrhoeic lambs (34.61 %). Winter records highest prevalence (73.33 %) which varied significantly. Sex wise higher prevalence was observed in females (51.56 %) as compared to males (39.28 %). The relationship between intensity of infection and various epidemiological factors showed that highest intensity was observed in lambs of 0-1 month age group, having diarrhoea, in winter season.

Incidence of Buxtonella sulcata was recorded as 20.9 % in bovines (n = 374) of R.S. Pura, Jammu with cattle showing higher infection rate (23.6 %) than the buffaloes (18.5 %). The infection was significantly (p < 0.0001) higher in young animals (33.1 %) than the adults (13.9 %). Animals with diarrhoeic faeces had a significantly higher (p < 0.0001) infection rate (38.5 %) than the animals with normal faeces (9.9 %), suggesting the influence of protozoan on the incidence of diarrhoeal symptoms in bovines.

The efficacy of minidose of pour-on ivermectin and eprinomectin formulations against first instar larvae of Przhevalskiana silenus was observed in naturally infested goats in the Jammu region, North India. The study was performed in mid August 2011. A total of 280 goats were randomly divided in to 7 groups of 40 each. Goats of the first three groups were treated with pour-on ivermectin at dosage of 2, 5, and 200 μg/kg body weight, respectively, whereas animals of the fourth to sixth groups were treated with pour-on eprinomectin at 25, 50, and 500 μg/kg body weight, respectively. Group VII animals were kept as untreated control. The results indicated that no warbles were recorded between December 2011 and March 2012 on back of animals treated with pour-on preparations of ivermectin at dosage of 5 and 200 μg/kg body weight, respectively, and eprinomectin at dosage of 50 and 500 μg/kg body weight, respectively. Thus, it is concluded that administration of minidose of pour-on ivermectin (5 μg/kg body weight) and eprinomectin (50 μg/kg body weight) is cost effective and so can be used for warble fly control campaign in Jammu region.

Warble fly infestation is primarily a myiasis of cattle and goat. However, a nondescript sheep from an endemic region was observed with nodules under subcutaneous tissue. So, this paper reports infestation of a sheep with Przhevalskiana silenus larvae in Jammu region of North India. The myiasis was confirmed with parasite morphology and specific histopathological changes observed in cutaneous myiasis.

Semiconductors with wide bandgap are crucial for optoelectronic devices and energy applications owing to their electron confinement, high optical transparency and tunable electrical conductivity. Therefore, in this study, the quantum confinement effect of the energy bandgap of chalcogenide semiconductor nanocrystals such as ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe, SnS, SnSe and SnTe are studied based on the Brus model using the effective mass approximation, the hyperbolic band model and the cohesive energy model. The obtained results indicate that the value of energy bandgap differs from the bulk crystals related to the quantum confinement effect. These verdicts confirm the quantum confinement effects of materials and their potential applications in optoelectronic devices. Theoretical findings are compared with its valid experimental data.

Background: Hypercalcemia associated with immobilization is an infrequent diagnosis. It is usually associated with prolonged immobility due to traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injuries. It results from rapid bone turnover. Diagnosis requires workup to rule out other causes of hypercalcemia. Keywords: Hypercalcemia; immobilizationCASE REPORT: We report a case of a 49 year old woman with severe traumatic brain injury and paraplegia following an electric-scooter accident. She had an extended stay in hospital and was noted to be hypercalcemic after six months’ in-patient. Laboratory investigations showed increased calcium level at 3.34 mmol/l (ref. 2.15–2.50 mmol/l) with diminished parathyroid hormone (PTH) level of 0.2 pmol/l (ref. 1.6–6.9 pmol/l), low 25-hydroxyvitamin D at 26.7 ug/l (toxicity &gt;100 ug/l) and low 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D at 13 pg/l (ref. 18–78 pg/l) with increased 24-H urinary calcium at 11.74 mmol/day (ref. 2.50 – 7.50 mmol/day). There was no clinical or biochemical evidence of other endocrinopathies such as hyperthyroidism or adrenal insufficiency. There was also no underlying malignancy to explain the hypercalcemia. In the context of recent prolonged immobility, a diagnosis of immobilisation hypercalcemia (IH) was made. The pathophysiology of IH is unclear. It is said that muscle activity transmits signal for bone formation through osteocytes and with immobility, mechanical stimulation is reduced, causing unopposed resorption. Another cause may be increased acidic environment due to low blood flow which impairs bone mineralization. There is also increased osteoclastic resorption, leading to loss of calcium from bones and hypercalciuria. Hypercalcemia occurs when calcium efflux from bone exceeds renal calcium excretion. For our patient, hydration therapy was initiated with no improvement in calcium. SC calcitonin was added and IV pamidronate given. Two weeks after treatment serum calcium improved to 2.38 mmol/L and remained normal on subsequent monitoring. Conclusion: IH is a known but uncommonly recognized complication in immobile patients. If not treated properly patients may develop typical complications of hypercalcemia including dehydration, confusion and renal impairment. Mobilization by using weight bearing exercises where possible is a cornerstone of long term management. In conclusion, our case serves as an important reminder of this differential and illustrates the management of IH.