Preparation and application of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose blended with beeswax and essential oil edible coating to enhance the shelf life of sweet cherries.

The study involved preparing and applying edible nano-emulsion coatings containing hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), beeswax (BW), and essential oils (thyme, cinnamon, clove, and peppermint) onto sweet cherries. The application was conducted at 4 °C, and the coated cherries were stored for 36 days. This research examines synthesized nano-emulsions physicochemical properties and antibacterial and antifungal activities (C1, C2, and C3). Additionally, it evaluates the quality parameters of control and coated sweet cherry samples. The features of the three edible coatings were assessed, and the findings from the zeta sizer, zeta potential, FTIR, and SEM analyses were deemed satisfactory. It was observed that the application of nano-emulsion coating C1 yielded positive results in maintaining quality attributes such as total suspended solids (TSS), total solids (TS), color, weight loss, respiration rate, firmness, total phenolic contents, and sensory evaluations. Nano-emulsion coating C1 demonstrated efficacy as an antibacterial and antifungal agent against foodborne pathogens E. coli and A. niger, respectively. The current research results are promising and applicable in food industries. The implications suggest that composite nano-emulsion, specifically nano-emulsion edible coatings, can be extensively and effectively used to preserve the quality and shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, the environmental waste from conventional food packaging will be minimized using edible packaging applications.

Efficacy and safety of itopride SR for upper gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with diabetic gastroparesis: real-world evidence from Pakistan.

Background: Gastroparesis is a serious condition that can be caused by diabetes, surgery or infection, or can be idiopathic. When there is no mechanical obstruction, gastroparesis is characterized by delayed stomach emptying. Itopride, a prokinetic drug, inhibits acetylcholinesterase activity in addition to antagonizing dopamine D2 receptors. Methods: This prospective, multicentre study is based on real-world data from 988 patients with a diagnosis of diabetic gastroparesis for index (PAGI-SYM2) evaluation at baseline and week 4 of treatment for upper gastrointestinal disorder symptoms. Results: Upper gastrointestinal symptom severity scores improved significantly after 4 weeks of treatment (p<0.001), with significant improvement across all categories of gastroparesis (very mild (37-58.6%), mild degree (24.6-31.6%), moderate (29.3-7.3%) and severe (8.8-2.6%). Conclusion: Itopride SR (Nogerd SR) in a 150 mg once-daily dose showed promising results in reducing the severity of upper gastrointestinal disorder symptoms associated with diabetic gastroparesis. Both statistical and clinical effectiveness were observed. Moreover, the treatment demonstrated a favourable tolerability profile, with a low incidence of adverse effects.

The versatility of nanocellulose, modification strategies, and its current progress in wastewater treatment and environmental remediation.

Deterioration in the environmental ecosystems through the depletion of nonrenewable resources and the burden of deleterious contaminants is considered a global concern. To this end, great interest has been shown in the use of renewable and environmentally-friendly reactive materials dually to promote environmental sustainability and cope with harmful contaminants. Among the different available options, the use of nanocellulose (NC) as an environmentally benign and renewable natural nanomaterial is an attractive candidate for environmental remediation owing to its miraculous physicochemical characteristics. This review discusses the intrinsic properties and the structural aspects of different types of NC, including cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), and bacterial cellulose (BC) or bacterial nanocellulose (BNC). Also, the different modification strategies involving the functionalization or hybridization of NC by using different functional and reactive materials aimed at wastewater remediation have been elaborated. The modified or hybridized NC has been explored for its applications in the removal or degradation of aquatic contaminants through adsorption, filtration, coagulation, catalysis, photocatalysis, and pollutant sensing. This review highlights the role of NC in the modified composites and describes the underlying mechanisms involved in the removal of contaminants. The life-cycle assessment (LCA) of NC is discussed to unveil the hidden risks associated with its production to the final disposal. Moreover, the contribution of NC in the promotion of waste management at different stages has been described in the form of the five-Rs strategy. In summary, this review provides rational insights to develop NC-based environmentally-friendly reactive materials for the removal and degradation of hazardous aquatic contaminants.

Foliar Application of Salicylic Acid Improves Water Stress Tolerance in Conocarpus erectus L. and Populus deltoides L. Saplings: Evidence from Morphological, Physiological, and Biochemical Changes.

Reforestation efforts are being challenged as water stress is hampering the sapling growth and survival in arid to semiarid regions. A controlled experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of foliar application of salicylic acid (SA) on water stress tolerance of Conocarpus erectus and Populus deltoides. Saplings were watered at 90%, 60%, and 30% of field capacity (FC), and half of the saplings under 60% and 30% FC were sprayed with 1.0 mM SA. Results indicated that dry weight production decreased significantly in Populus deltoides under both water deficit conditions, and leaf gas exchange parameters decreased significantly in both the species under both soil water deficit conditions. Foliar application of SA resulted in a significant increase in leaf gas exchange parameters, and compatible solutes, thereby increasing the dry weight production in both of the species under soil water deficit. Oxidative stress (hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anions) increased under soil water deficit and decreased after the foliar application of SA and was parallel to the increased antioxidant enzymes activity (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase). Therefore, it can be concluded that foliar application of 1.0 mM SA can significantly improve the water stress tolerance in both species, however, positive impacts of SA application were higher in Conocarpus erectus due to improved photosynthetic capacity and increased antioxidant enzyme activity.

Comparison of effectiveness of muscle energy technique with Mulligan mobilization in patients with non-specific neck pain.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of muscle energy technique with Mulligan mobilisation in patients having non-specific neck pain. METHODS: The quasi-experimental study was conducted at the Physiotherapy Department of Mayo Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, from March to September 2017, and comprised patients of either gender having non-specific neck pain who ere divided into two groups. In group 1 patients, muscle energy technique was used, while group 2 patients had Mulligan mobilisation. Pain intensity, functional status of neck and cervical range of motion were measured before and after treatment. Data was analysed using SPSS 21. RESULTS: Of the 56 patients, 28(50%) were in each of the two groups. The overall mean age was 36.89±9.28 years. Pain intensity, functional status and neck extension range of motion improved significantly more in group 2 (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Mulligan mobilisation was found to be a better option in managing patients with non-specific neck pain.

Recovery of E. coli From Liver and Spleen of Broiler Birds and the Effects of Induced High Ammonia Level on Haematobiochemical Parameters and Its Amelioration by Different Modifiers.

The poultry sector is one of the most vibrant segments of the agriculture industry of Pakistan. In addition to different infections, ammonia (NH3) production from litter material of broiler is the most harmful pollutant and causes serious threats for the environment. To overcome this problem, different methods are proposed assuring poultry bird's health and production. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of toxic levels of NH3 on the haematology and serum proteins of broiler birds and its amelioration by using different modifiers. The recovery of Escherichia coli (E. coli) from liver and spleen of broiler birds was also carried out. A total of 100 birds were divided into 5 separate groups (groups A-D). The groups C, D and E were treated with potassium aluminium sulphate, aluminium silicate and Yucca schidigera plant extract, respectively. Blood and tissue samples were collected after slaughtering the birds at 42 days of age. This study revealed increased RBC, total leucocyte count, Hb and heterophils percentage. Serum proteins were decreased in Yucca-treated and potassium aluminium sulphate-treated groups. This study concluded that NH3 production was reduced by the application of different modifiers, and these modifiers also neutralized the changes in blood parameters induced by NH3.

Development of DNA barcodes for selected Acacia species by using rbcL and matK DNA markers.

Acacia species are very important tree species in tropical and subtropical countries of the World for their economic and medicinal benefits. Precise identification of Acacia is very important to distinguish the invasive species from rare species however, it is difficult to differentiate Acacia species based on morphological charcters. In addition, precise identification is also important for wood charcterization in the forest industry as these species are declining due to illegal logging and deforestation. To overcome thsese limitations of morphological identification, DNA barcoding is being used as an efficient and quick approach for precise identification of tree species. In this study, we selected two chloroplast and plastid base DNA markers (rbcL and matK) for the identification of five selected tree species of Acacia (A. albida, A. ampliceps, A. catechu, A. coriacea and A. tortilis). The genomic DNA of the selected Acacia species was extracted, amplified through PCR using specific primers and subsequently sequenced through Sanger sequencing. In matK DNA marker the average AT nucleotide contents were higher (59.46%) and GC contents were lower (40.44%) as compared to the AT (55.40%) and GC content (44.54%) in rbcL marker. The means genetic distance K2P between the Acacia species was higher in matK (0.704%) as compared to rbcL (0.230%). All Acacia species could be identified based on unique SNPs profile. Based on SNP data profiles, DNA sequence based scannable QR codes were developed for accurate identification of Acacia species. The phylogenetic analysis based on both markers (rbcL and matK) showed that both A. coriacea and A. tortilis were closely related with each other and clustered in the same group while other two species A. albida and A. catechu were grouped together. The specie A. ampliceps remained ungrouped distantly, compared with other four species. These finding highlights the potential of DNA barcoding for efficient and reproducible identification of Acacia species.

Impact assessment of urban development patterns on land surface temperature by using remote sensing techniques: a case study of Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan district.

Urban Heat Island (UHI) is related to the theory of higher atmosphere and surface temperature taking place in the city area as compared to the nearby rural areas. The study results explain the advantages of green spaces in urban areas. Landsat TM/OLI concept of 1998 and 2017 years was attained from USGS for this work. To find out the land-use and land cover pattern supervised classification, the maximum prospect process is adopted. A total of four classes were mapped for the study area which includes built-up, barren land, vegetation, and water bodies. Effective sensor brightness temperature has been acquired from spectral radiance by using Plank's reverse function. On the basis of surface emissivity, Normalize Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) classes are used to find out the ultimate temperature of the land surface (LST). The maximum temperature was recorded in the built-up area and barren land of the city and minimum temperatures were noted in areas with a greater cover of vegetation. The presence of UHI temperature is obvious from the land surface temperature views. An increase of 2 °C in surface temperature is recorded in district Lahore during the last two decades. Rise of 2.2 °C and 2.4 °C surface temperature has taken place in Faisalabad and Multan Districts in the last 19 years, respectively. In the establishment of a correlation among the LST, built-up, and vegetation, there is a positive sign present in their relation. With the increase in the built-up area, LST does increase as well. Moreover, with the reduction in vegetation cover, the LST is also raised. The study has revealed that there is a need for proper planning for the durable management of urbanization.

Identification of irrigation potential areas, using multi-criteria analysis in Khyber District, Pakistan.

This study explores the opportunities for irrigated agriculture in Khyber District of Former Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA). Agriculture continues to be most important economic activity in Pakistan and former FATA is no exception. However, agriculture in the semi-arid Khyber District continues to suffer a decline due to excessive reliance on rainfall, which is drastically insufficient. Khyber District have large expanses of fertile land; however, farmers depend on unpredictable rain-fed agriculture, which has low productivity and food insecurity. There are a number of rivers in the region where great prospects exist for irrigated farming. Geographical information systems (GIS)-based multi-criteria analysis can be used to map areas with irrigation potential. The current study focused on different variables including soil texture, perennial rivers, land cover, topography, and dams. For this study, data was collected from diverse sources which include Google earth images, top sheets, land use land cover, soil texture map of FATA, and SRTM 30 Meter. The collected data was analyzed by using multi-criteria analysis in Arc GIS 10.2.2 by using MIF technique. The results of this research indicate that there is great potential for irrigated farming in the study area. Potential land for this purpose were divided into three categories, i.e., highly suitable which consisted of 678 km2, or 26% of the total area; 1044 km2 representing 40% were moderately suitable to irrigation; while the remaining 698 km2 representing 27% were considered least suitable for irrigation. Likewise, 204 km2 representing 7% were deemed unsuitable for irrigated agriculture mostly consisting of barren rocks. The results also illustrate how GIS as a tool can be used in the exploration of water resources in a scientific approach, thus making decision-making easier and more accurate.