Low mercury risks in paddy soils across the Pakistan.

Mercury (Hg) is a globally distributed heavy metal. Here, we study Hg concentration and isotopic composition to understand the status of Hg pollution and its sources in Pakistan's paddy soil. The collected paddy soils (n = 500) across the country have an average THg concentration of 22.30 ± 21.74 ng/g. This low mean concentration suggests Hg pollution in Pakistan was not as severe as previously thought. Meanwhile, samples collected near brick kilns and industrial areas were significantly higher in THg than others, suggesting the influence of Hg emitted from point sources in certain areas. Soil physicochemical properties showed typical characteristic of mineral soils due to the study area's arid to semi-arid climate. Hg stable isotopes analysis, depicted mean Δ199Hg of -0.05 ± 0.12‰ and mean δ202Hg -0.45 ± 0.35‰, respectively, for contaminated sites, depicting Hg was primarily sourced from coal combustion by local anthropogenic sources. While uncontaminated sites show mean Δ199Hg of 0.15 ± 0.08‰, mean Δ200Hg of 0.06 ± 0.07‰ and mean δ202Hg of -0.32 ± 0.28‰, implying long-range transboundry Hg transport through wet Hg(II) deposition as a dominant Hg source. This study fills a significant knowledge gap regarding the Hg pollution status in Pakistan and suggests that the Hg risk in Pakistan paddies is generally low.

Population-level gene expression can repeatedly link genes to functions in maize.

Transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) can provide single gene resolution for candidate genes in plants, complementing genome-wide association studies (GWAS) but efforts in plants have been met with, at best, mixed success. We generated expression data from 693 maize genotypes, measured in a common field experiment, sampled over a 2-h period to minimize diurnal and environmental effects, using full-length RNA-seq to maximize the accurate estimation of transcript abundance. TWAS could identify roughly 10 times as many genes likely to play a role in flowering time regulation as GWAS conducted data from the same experiment. TWAS using mature leaf tissue identified known true-positive flowering time genes known to act in the shoot apical meristem, and trait data from a new environment enabled the identification of additional flowering time genes without the need for new expression data. eQTL analysis of TWAS-tagged genes identified at least one additional known maize flowering time gene through trans-eQTL interactions. Collectively these results suggest the gene expression resource described here can link genes to functions across different plant phenotypes expressed in a range of tissues and scored in different experiments.

Healthcare workers' knowledge and risk perception regarding the first wave of COVID-19 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: an online cross-sectional survey.

Background: Increased COVID-19 transmission among the populace may be caused by healthcare workers (HCWs) who lack knowledge, awareness, and good preventive practices. Additionally, it may cause elevated stress levels, anxiety, poor medical judgement, and situational overestimation. Objectives: The present survey aimed to assess knowledge and risk perception regarding COVID-19 among HCWs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. Methodology: A web-based online, pre-tested questionnaire comprising 26 items was circulated via social media in April 2020 amongst HCWs in major tertiary care facilities in KP. Results: The study's results, revealing both the commendable knowledge levels among HCWs about COVID-19 and their heightened risk perception, highlight the critical need for targeted interventions to address the potential impact on self-protective behaviour and mental health within this vital workforce. This insight is important for designing strategies that not only enhance HCWs' well-being but also ensure the continued effectiveness of healthcare delivery during pandemics. The percentage mean score (PMS) of COVID-19 knowledge was 85.14±10.82. Male HCWs and those with an age older than or equal to 32 years demonstrated a higher knowledge score (85.62±11.08; P=0.032 and 87.59±7.33, P=0.021, respectively). About 76% of HCWs feared contracting COVID-19. Nearly 82% of respondents were mentally preoccupied with the pandemic and also terrified of it. 'Of these, 81% were nurses, 87% had a job experience of 6-8 years and 54.45% were frontline workers. Feelings of panic and concern about the pandemic were found to be more in HCWs who were physicians above the age of 32, and who had 3-5 years of work experience. HCWs' overall risk perception was found to be significantly different between males (7.04±2.26) and females (8.01±1.97), job experience of 6-10 years (8.04±177) with 3-5 years and younger than or equal to 2 years job experience (7.18±2.43,6.93±2.22), respectively, and between frontline HCWs (7.50±2.10) and non-frontline HCWs (6.84±2.40). Conclusion: HCWs demonstrated good knowledge about COVID-19. As the risk perception of COVID-19 among HCWs is high, it can raise concerns about their self-protective behaviour, and mental health. These issues need to be addressed.

3D-printed biosensors in biomedical applications exploiting plasmonic phenomena and antibody self-assembled monolayers.

In this work, a 3D-printed plasmonic chip based on a silver-gold bilayer was developed in order to enhance the optical response of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) probe. More specifically, numerical and experimental results were obtained on the 3D-printed SPR platform based on a silver-gold bilayer. Then, the optimized probe's gold plasmonic interface was functionalized with a specific antibody directed against the p27Kip1 protein (p27), an important cell cycle regulator. The 3D-printed plasmonic biosensor was tested for p27 detection with good selectivity and a detection limit of 55 pM. The biosensor system demonstrated performance similar to commercially available ELISA (enzyme-linked immunoassay) kits, with several advantages, such as a wide detection range and a modular and simple-based architecture. The proposed biosensing technology offers flexible deployment options that are useful in disposable, low-cost, small-size, and simple-to-use biochips, envisaging future applications in experimental and biomedical research.

Effects of selenium on biogeochemical cycles of cadmium in rice from flooded paddy soil systems in the alluvial Indus Valley of Pakistan.

This study delves into the pollution status, assesses the effects of Se on Cd biogeochemical pathways, and explores their interactions in nutrient-rich paddy soil-rice ecosystems through 500 soil-rice samples in Pakistan. The results showed that 99.6 % and 12.8 % of soil samples exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) allowable Se and Cd levels (7 and 0.35 mg/kg). In comparison, 23 % and 6 % of the grain samples exceeded WHO's allowable Se and Cd levels (0.3 and 0.2 mg/kg), respectively. Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) model results further revealed spatial nonstationarity, confirming diverse associations between dependent variables (Se and Cd in rice grain) and independent variables from paddy soil and plant tissues (root and shoot), such as Soil Organic Matter (SOM), pH, Se, and Cd concentrations. High Se:Cd molar ratios (>1) and a negative correlation (r = -0.16, p < 0.01) between the Cd translocation factor (Cd in rice grain/Cd in root) and Se in roots suggest that increased root Se levels inhibit the transfer of Cd from roots to grains. The inverse correlation between Se and Cd in paddy grains was further characterized as Se deficiency, no risk, high Cd risk, Se risk, Cd risk, and Se-Cd co-exposure risk. There was no apparent risk for human co-consumption in 42.6 % of grain samples with moderate Se and low Cd. The remaining categories indicate differing degrees of risk. In the study area, 31 % and 20 % of grain samples with low Se and Cd indicate Se deficiency and risk, respectively. High Se and low Cd levels in rice samples suggest a potential hazard for severe Se exposure due to frequent rice consumption. This study not only systematically evaluates the pollution status of paddy-soil systems in Pakistan but also provides a reference to thoroughly contemplate the development of a scientific approach for evaluating human risks and the potential dangers associated with paddy soils and rice, specifically in regions characterized by low Se and low Cd concentrations, as well as those with moderate Se and high Cd concentrations. SYNOPSIS: This study is significant for understanding the effects of Se on Cd geochemical cycles and their interactions in paddy soil systems in Pakistan.

Predicting seizure recurrence after an initial seizure-like episode from routine clinical notes using large language models: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The evaluation and management of first-time seizure-like events in children can be difficult because these episodes are not always directly observed and might be epileptic seizures or other conditions (seizure mimics). We aimed to evaluate whether machine learning models using real-world data could predict seizure recurrence after an initial seizure-like event. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study compared models trained and evaluated on two separate datasets between Jan 1, 2010, and Jan 1, 2020: electronic medical records (EMRs) at Boston Children's Hospital and de-identified, patient-level, administrative claims data from the IBM MarketScan research database. The study population comprised patients with an initial diagnosis of either epilepsy or convulsions before the age of 21 years, based on International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification (ICD-CM) codes. We compared machine learning-based predictive modelling using structured data (logistic regression and XGBoost) with emerging techniques in natural language processing by use of large language models. FINDINGS: The primary cohort comprised 14 021 patients at Boston Children's Hospital matching inclusion criteria with an initial seizure-like event and the comparison cohort comprised 15 062 patients within the IBM MarketScan research database. Seizure recurrence based on a composite expert-derived definition occurred in 57% of patients at Boston Children's Hospital and 63% of patients within IBM MarketScan. Large language models with additional domain-specific and location-specific pre-training on patients excluded from the study (F1-score 0·826 [95% CI 0·817-0·835], AUC 0·897 [95% CI 0·875-0·913]) performed best. All large language models, including the base model without additional pre-training (F1-score 0·739 [95% CI 0·738-0·741], AUROC 0·846 [95% CI 0·826-0·861]) outperformed models trained with structured data. With structured data only, XGBoost outperformed logistic regression and XGBoost models trained with the Boston Children's Hospital EMR (logistic regression: F1-score 0·650 [95% CI 0·643-0·657], AUC 0·694 [95% CI 0·685-0·705], XGBoost: F1-score 0·679 [0·676-0·683], AUC 0·725 [0·717-0·734]) performed similarly to models trained on the IBM MarketScan database (logistic regression: F1-score 0·596 [0·590-0·601], AUC 0·670 [0·664-0·675], XGBoost: F1-score 0·678 [0·668-0·687], AUC 0·710 [0·703-0·714]). INTERPRETATION: Physician's clinical notes about an initial seizure-like event include substantial signals for prediction of seizure recurrence, and additional domain-specific and location-specific pre-training can significantly improve the performance of clinical large language models, even for specialised cohorts. FUNDING: UCB, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (US National Institutes of Health).

Heterologous expression of bacterial dehydrin gene in Arabidopsis thaliana promotes abiotic stress tolerance.

Salinity, low temperature, and drought are major environmental factors in agriculture leading to reduced crop yield. Dehydrins (DHNs) are induced transcriptionally during cellular dehydration and accumulate in different tissues during abiotic stresses. Here we isolated and characterized a bacterial gene BG757 in Arabidopsis, encoding a putative dehydrin type protein. ABA induces the expression of various dehydrins in plants, therefore, to elucidate the potential role, ABA sensitivity was examined in Arabidopsis transgenic lines expressing BG757. Interestingly, BG757-expressing plants showed hypersensitivity towards NaCl and ABA during seed germination. In addition to germination, BG757-expressing plants also showed root growth retardation in the presence of ABA and NaCl when compared with wild type (WT), suggesting that BG757 positively regulate salt stress and ABA response. Furthermore, BG757-expressing plants showed significant drought tolerance compared with WT. Consistent with drought tolerance, expression levels of stress inducible genes (DREB2A, RD22, RD26, LEA7 and SOS1) were strongly upregulated in transgenic plants compared with WT. All together these results suggest that heterologous expression of bacterial gene, BG757 in plants promotes resistance to environmental stresses. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-023-01358-w.

Mutational analysis of FOLR1 and FOLR2 genes in children with Myelomeningocele.

Myelomeningocele (MMC) is a congenital disease. For a long time, molecular mechanism of MMC, the role of folate receptor and transporter proteins remain unclear. Folate from maternal lumen to developing embryo is carried out with the help of folate transporters (SLC46A1, SLC19A1, FOLH1 and SLC25A32) and folate receptor (FOLR1, FOLR2 and FOLR3). Due to the loss of function of these important genes, complications can facilitate the risk of MMC. This study focused on the mutational analysis of FOLR1 and FOLR2 genes in children suffering from MMC. Myelomeningocele is a rare disorder so twenty blood samples from the children were collected. Primers of selected exons for FOLR1 and FOLR2 genes were designed with the help of PrimerFox software. Extracted DNA was amplified, and PCR based mutational analysis was done to check any type of mutation/SNPs in these genes. Sanger sequencing method was performed to confirm mutation in FOLR1 and FOLR2 genes. The results showed that certain environmental factors (smoking, low socio-economic status of mother bearing MMC fetus) were found to be significantly (P<0.05) associated with MMC but no mutation in the selected exons of FOLR1 and FOLR2 genes was detected. Thus, genetic variations in the folate transporter gene may have no role in the progression of MMC in the studied population.

Cryptococcal Meningitis in an HIV-Negative Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patient: A Case Report.

Cryptococcal meningitis represents a severe opportunistic fungal infection primarily observed in individuals with compromised immune systems. It frequently manifests in symptoms like headaches, vomiting, cranial nerve complications, and cognitive alterations. However, it's worth noting that up to 15% of cases may exhibit no discernible central nervous system-related symptoms. A 70-year-old male, previously diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis and undergoing treatment with anti-tubercular medications, was admitted due to changes in consciousness, sporadic low-grade fever, and cognitive impairment. An in-depth investigation revealed his HIV-negative and non-diabetic status, as well as his preserved immune competence. A plain CT head showed a communicating hydrocephalus and a lumbar puncture was positive for Cryptococcus neoformans. Treatment commenced with an induction regimen encompassing amphotericin and fluconazole, concurrently maintaining the anti-tubercular treatment course. The patient's condition displayed improvement, leading to a transition to a maintenance dosage of fluconazole. This case highlighted an extraordinary occurrence of Cryptococcal meningitis in an HIV-negative patient with no history of immunosuppressant use. Notably, Cryptococcal infection should be regarded as a primary consideration in patients afflicted by pulmonary tuberculosis who subsequently present with altered consciousness. The timely identification and proper management of such instances can substantially mitigate the risks of mortality and morbidity associated with this condition.

TP53 and its Regulatory Genes as Prognosis of Cutaneous Melanoma.

The present study was the first comprehensive investigation of genetic mutation and expression levels of the p53 signaling genes in cutaneous melanoma through various genetic databases providing large datasets. The mutational landscape of p53 and its signaling genes was higher than expected, with TP53 followed by CDKN2A being the most mutated gene in cutaneous melanoma. Furthermore, the expression analysis showed that TP53, MDM2, CDKN2A, and TP53BP1 were overexpressed, while MDM4 and CDKN2B were under-expressed in cutaneous melanoma. Overall, TCGA data revealed that among all the other p53 signaling proteins, CDKN2A was significantly higher in both sun and non-sun-exposed healthy tissues than in melanoma. Likewise, MDM4 and TP53BP1 expressions were markedly greater in non-sun-exposed healthy tissues compared to other groups. However, CDKN2B expression was higher in the sun-exposed healthy tissues than in other tissues. In addition, various genes were expressed significantly differently among males and females. In addition, CDKN2A was highly expressed in the SK-MEL-30 skin cancer cell line, whereas, Immune cell type expression analysis revealed that the MDM4 was highly expressed in naïve B-cells. Furthermore, all six genes were significantly overexpressed in extraordinarily overweight or obese tumor tissues compared to healthy tissues. MDM2 expression and tumor stage were closely related. There were differences in gene expression across patient age groups and positive nodal status. TP53 showed a positive correlation with B cells, MDM2 with CD8+T cells, macrophages and neutrophils, and MDM4 with neutrophils. CDKN2A/B had a non-significant correlation with all six types of immune cells. However, TP53BP1 was positively correlated with all five types of immune cells except B cells. Only TP53, MDM2, and CDKN2A had a role in cutaneous melanoma-specific tumor immunity. All TP53 and its regulating genes may be predictive for prognosis. The results of the present study need to be validated through future screening, in vivo, and in vitro studies.

Case Report Of A Rare Incidentaloma Of The Adrenal Gland-Schwannoma.

The Schwannoma is a benign growth of the nerve sheath cells most commonly seen in the vestibulocochlear nerve. Its prevalence in the adrenal gland is 1-3%. Here we discuss a case that presented as an incidentaloma of the right adrenal gland in a young male patient who had vague abdominal symptoms and a normal hormonal profile. He underwent an excisional biopsy of the right adrenal gland due to the large size of the lesion (more than 4cm). The histopathology report helped to establish the diagnosis of Schwannoma. Incidentaloma is defined as a lesion of the adrenal gland encountered on any radiological investigation carried out for symptoms that are not associated with adrenal pathologies. After discovering such lesions, it is imperative to perform radiological and hormonal investigations in an organised manner to plan further management of such cases.

Rosuvastatin and Simvastatin potentiate antihypertensive effect of amlodipine through vasorelaxation phenomenon.

This study is carried out to assess the effects of rosuvastatin and simvastatin on blood vessels for possible vasorelaxant effect. The study is also translating the possible vasorelaxant effect in Wistar rats for a subsequent fall in systolic blood pressure. It is evident from the EC50, that rosuvastatin is more effective on relaxing N.E induced contractions, while simvastatin is more effective on relaxing KCL induced contractions. Simvastatin is equipotent when compared to effects of amlodipine on KCl induced contractions in denuded aortae. Simvastatin produced significant right shift in test concentration 1.1× 10-6M with its respective EC50 -1.85logCa++M as compared to its respective control EC50 -3logCa++M. Rosuvastatin also produced significant right shift in the EC50. In conclusion, it is stated that rosuvastatin and simvastatin relax the aortic strips preparations through inhibition of voltage gated calcium channels and inhibition of N.E induced contractions. Rosuvastatin and simvastatin have additive effects when used in the presence of a standard vaso-relaxant drug like amlodipine, which further confirms its additive effect on decreasing the systolic blood pressure of hypertensive rats (P<0.05).

Increased burden of MDR bacterial infections; reflection from an antibiogram of ICUs of a tertiary care hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Infectious disease management in intensive care units (ICUs) is becoming more difficult due to increasing antimicrobial resistance. Hence, the aim of this study was to explore the nature of pathogens mostly encountered in an ICU and determine their antibiotic susceptibility through the compilation of ICU-specific antibiogram. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive cross-sectional study of the culture and sensitivity reports of ICU patients was conducted in a tertiary care hospital. An antibiogram was created according to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M39-A4 guidelines. RESULTS: Of the total 597 reports, the most common specimen type were respiratory secretions (n = 174), followed by blood (n = 128), wounds (n = 108), and urine (n = 80). Out of 597 isolates, the most frequently isolated bacteria were Klebsiella species (n = 156), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 117), Escherichia coli (n = 112), Enterobacter species (n = 56), Acinetobacter species (n = 52), Proteus species (n = 39), Staphylococcus aureus (n = 34) and coliform species (n = 31). An 84% multidrug resistance (MDR) rate was reported among the isolates studied, with Acinetobacter species being at the top with a 98% MDR rate. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial and alarming MDR rate was observed in our study. Furthermore, our findings demonstrated a potential interest in developing an ICU-specific antibiogram that is informative to clinicians in their clinical decision-making related to antibiotic therapy.

Cadmium inhibits powdery mildew colonization and reconstructs microbial community in leaves of the hyperaccumulator plant Sedum alfredii.

Understanding the influence of the heavy metal cadmium (Cd) on the phyllosphere microbiome of hyperaccumulator plants is crucial for enhancing phytoremediation. The characteristics of the phyllosphere of Sedum alfredii Hance, a hyperaccumulator plant, were investigated using 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer amplicon sequencing of powdery mildew-infected leaves treated or untreated with Cd. The results showed that the colonization of powdery mildew caused severe chlorosis and necrosis in S. alfredii leaves, and the relative abundance of Leotiomycetes in infected leaves increased dramatically and significantly decreased phyllosphere microbiome diversity. However, S. alfredii preferentially accumulated higher concentrations of Cd in the leaves of infected plants than in uninfected plants by powdery mildew, which in turn significantly inhibited powdery mildew colonization in leaves; the relative abundance of the fungal class Leotiomycetes in infected leaves decreased, and alpha and beta diversities of the phyllosphere microbiome significantly increased with Cd treatment in the infected plants. In addition, the inter-kingdom networks in the microbiota of the infected leaves treated with Cd presented many nodes and edges, and the highest inter-kingdom modularity compared to the untreated infected leaves, indicating a highly connected microbial community. These results suggest that Cd significantly inhibits powdery mildew colonization by altering the composition of the phyllosphere microbiome in S. alfredii leaves, paving the way for efficient heavy metal phytoremediation and providing a new perspective on defense strategies against heavy metals.

Delpinium uncinatum mediated green synthesis of AgNPs and its antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, cytotoxic and antimicrobial potentials.

Green synthesis of nanoparticles is becoming a method of choice for biological research due to its environmentally benign outcomes, stability and ease of synthesis. In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using stem (S-AgNPs), root (R-AgNPs) and mixture of stem and root (RS-AgNPs) of Delphinium uncinatum. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by standardized techniques and evaluated for their antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, cytotoxic and antimicrobial potentials. The AgNPs exhibited efficient antioxidant activities and considerable enzyme inhibition potential against alpha amylase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes. S-AgNPs showed strong cytotoxicity against human hepato-cellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) and high enzyme inhibitory effect (IC50 values 27.5µg/ml for AChE and 22.60 µg/ml for BChE) compared to R-AgNPs and RS-AgNPs. RS-AgNPs showed significant inhibition of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Aspergillus flavus and exhibited higher biocompatibility (<2% hemolysis) in human red blood cells hemolytic assays. The present study showed that biologically synthesized AgNPs using the extract of various parts of D. uncinatum have strong antioxidant and cytotoxic potentials.

Safety of purified Vero cell rabies vaccine manufactured in Pakistan: a comparative analysis of intradermal and intramuscular routes.

BACKGROUND: Rabies vaccines are conventionally given via the intramuscular (IM) route; however, switching the route of administration from IM to intradermal (ID) without affecting efficacy can be advantageous in terms of cost, dosing, and time. Hence, it is indispensable to evaluate its safety along different routes. This study was carried out to ascertain the frequency of adverse drug events (ADEs) and associated factors, as well as to compare safety based on the IM and ID routes. METHODS: A prospective observational study was carried out on 184 individuals with rabies exposure. The vaccination schedules for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) included 0.2 milliliter (mL) of purified Vero cell rabies vaccine (PVRV) administered ID at two different sites with 0.1 mL each on days 0, 3, and 7 in first group (3-dose regimen ID) and 0.5 mL administered IM on days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28 in the second group (5-dose regimen IM). The safety of the vaccines was determined by reviewing ADEs during physical examinations and follow-up. ADEs were characterized by local and systemic effects. RESULTS: Of the total, 99 (53.80%) patients reported ADEs. Those who reported local and systemic ADEs were 80 (43.48%) and 59 (32.06%), respectively, while simultaneous occurrence was reported in 40 (40.40%) patients. The most frequent local ADE (76; 41.30%) reported was pain, followed by erythema (18; 9.78%). Additionally, fever had the highest proportion (25; 13.59%) for systemic effects, followed by headache (15; 8.15%). The patients reported with ADEs by the IM and ID routes were comparable (p >.05). Similarly, both local and systemic effects were also comparable (p >.05). CONCLUSION: Half of the study participants reported ADEs. Almost similar proportions of local and systemic effects were observed. Likewise, the ADEs recorded were comparable for both routes. PVRV carries very low safety concerns with either route for administration.

Delphinium uncinatum mediated biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles and in-vitro evaluation of their antioxidant, cytotoxic, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging activities.

Nanotechnology is perhaps the most widely explored scientific domain in the current era. With the advent of NPs, revolutionary changes have been observed in various scientific disciplines. Among the NPs, ZnO-NPs are the center of contemplation owing to their biocompatible nature. These nanoparticles have been prepared using a number of techniques; however, biological methods are among the most popular synthesis approaches. The current research therefore reports the phyto-fabrication of ZnO-NPs mediated by Delphinium uncinatum root extract. The resulting NPs were subjected to standard characterization methods such fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The resulting NPs are exploited to their possible antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing potency. FTIR confirmed the capping of ZnO-NPs by a variety of phytochemicals. ZnO-NPs average size was approximately 30 nm. ZnO-NPs exhibited substantial bio-potency and proved to be highly biocompatible even at higher concentrations. ZnO-NPs revealed strong antimicrobial potency for Pseudomonas aeruginosa proving to be the most susceptible strain showing inhibition of 16 ± 0.98. ZnO-NPs also showed dose dependent antidiabetic and cytotoxic potential. COX-1, COX-2, 15-LOX and sPLA2 were efficiently inhibited upon exposure to ZnO-NPs confirming the anti-inflammatory potential of ZnO-NPs. Similarly, ZnO-NPs also revealed considerable anti-aging potential. With such diverse biological potentials, ZnO-NPs can prove to be a potent weapon against a plethora of diseases; however, further study is necessary in order to discover the precise mechanism that is responsible for the biological potency of these NPs.

Hepatoprotective effects of walnut oil and Caralluma tuberculata against paracetamol in experimentally induced liver toxicity in mice.

Walnut Oil and Caralluma are edible and form part of the traditional medicine system in many countries. These are frequently used in traditional medicine as remedies to relieve a wide range of illnesses and health problems. Walnut Oil and Caralluma species have demonstrated anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive, antidiabetics, hepatoprotective, gastric mucosa protecting, antimalarial, antioxidant, anti-trypanosomal, appetite suppressant and cytotoxic activities. The current study was planned to study the impacts of 21 days' oral administration of walnut oil and methanolic extract of Caralluma tuberculata on the levels of some liver-associated parameters and hematological parameters in paracetamol intoxicated mice. It was observed that paracetamol intoxication resulted in a considerable rise in serum ALT, cholesterol, triglycerides, Creatinine, and urea levels while a decrease in HDL level in comparison to mice normal control group (P<0.05). Serum ALT, cholesterol, triglycerides, creatinine, and urea levels of mice that were administered with walnut oil and methanolic extract of C. tuberculata at the doses of (1 ml/kg, 2 ml/kg and 3 ml/kg body weight) were significantly lower when compared to toxic control mice group (P<0.05), While HDL level was significantly increased. The significant reduction had also been observed in the levels of serum parameters of mice group, which received standard hepato-protective drug i.e., vitamin C, at the dose of 8 mg/kg body weight (P<0.05). Based on these results, it was evident that liver toxicity caused by the paracetamol administration has recovered toward the normal range by the walnut oil and C. tuberculata extract. Therefore, the present study revealed that (walnut oil and C. tuberculata) exhibit hepatoprotective activities in paracetamol intoxicated mice.

Hypobaric treatment augments the efficacy of 1-MCP in apple fruit.

This research aimed to extend the postharvest shelf life of Royal Gala apple during cold storage and maintain its market value in simulated retail conditions. Apples were treated with hypobaric pressure (50 kPa for 4 h) followed by 1-MCP (0.5 µL L-1, 0.7 µL L-1, and 1.0 µL L-1) treatment for 24 h individually and in combinations, stored at (1 ± 1 °C, 85 ± 3% RH) for 120 d and analyzed for different quality parameters (Peel color, firmness, weight loss, TSS, acidity, ethylene production rate, and respiration rate) at each 30 d interval, followed by a 20 d simulated retail condition at 20 ± 3 °C with 4 d interval. Results indicated that all 1-MCP concentrations were more effective in retaining quality compared to individual hypobaric treatment. However, a synergistic effect was observed by combining 1-MCP with hypobaric treatment. Among the combined treatments, 1.0 µL L-11-MCP + 50 kPa more effectively and significantly retained quality during cold storage. Furthermore, the apples were more juicy, tasty, and attractive in color than others in simulated conditions. Addition of hypobaric treatment to 1-MCP might reduce endogenous ethylene in fruit by outward diffusion and blocking further ethylene synthesis by the action of 1-MCP. However, in-depth study is required for further understanding the phenomena.