Barriers to adaptation of environmental sustainability in SMEs: A qualitative study.

This study examines the antecedents of environmental sustainability in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of a developing country and explores the specific internal and external factors for environmental sustainability. The study focused on SMEs in Balochistan, Pakistan, utilizing convenience and purposive sampling techniques to select a sample size of 30 SMEs. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire. The results of the study revealed that lack of finance and education are major barriers to recognizing and addressing environmental sustainability issues, along with the lack of government support and regulations to ensure compliance with environmental safety laws, hence leading to low concern for sustainability practices among SMEs. Awareness and attitude of SME owners/managers, along with customer demand and government policies, influence the adoption of environmental sustainability practices. Overcoming financial constraints and promoting cooperation among stakeholders are key to fostering sustainable practices in SMEs. This research makes an important contribution to the sustainable management literature by providing new and in-depth insights into the barriers that impede environmental sustainability in SMEs of developing countries.

Hospital Pharmacists' Viewpoint on Quality Use of Antibiotics and Resistance: A Qualitative Exploration from a Tertiary Care Hospital of Quetta City, Pakistan.

Suboptimal antibiotics use and the development of antibiotic resistance is a universal calamity. The theoretical model of therapeutic efficacy correlates quality use of antibiotics with healthcare practitioners' understanding of antibiotic use and resistance. Keeping this phenomenon in mind, we aimed to evaluate hospital pharmacists' understanding of antibiotic use and resistance at a public healthcare institute in Quetta city, Pakistan. This was a qualitative study that employed a semi-structured interview guide for data extraction. The phenomenology-based approach commissioned in-depth, face-to-face interviews with hospital pharmacists stationed at the surgical unit of Sandeman Provincial Hospital, Quetta. The interviews were audio taped followed by transcribed verbatim and were then analyzed for thematic contents by the standard content analysis framework. Although the saturation was reached after the 10th interview, we conducted two additional interviews for definite validation. Content analysis revealed five major themes: (1) Defining antibiotics, quality use of antibiotics and resistance, (2) antibiotic use: awareness and concern, (3) antimicrobial resistance: awareness and concern, (4) responding to antibiotic use and resistance, and (5) barriers to quality use of antibiotics and prevention of antibiotic resistance. The knowledge of quality use of antibiotics and resistance was promising, and the respondents were eager to address the drastic situation. The respondents were aware of the critical situation and provided valuable insights that can offer valued input while promoting the quality use of antibiotics in a developing country. The current study managed to identify an adequate understanding of antibiotic use and resistance among hospital pharmacists. Additionally, prospective concerns and possible predictors of antibiotic resistance were also highlighted. The current findings must be disseminated to the policymakers and prescribers to take prompt restorative actions to address antibiotic use and the development of antibiotic resistance in a developing country like Pakistan.

Using the artificial bee colony technique to optimize machine learning algorithms in estimating the mature weight of camels.

This paper aims to predict male and female camels' mature weight (MW) through various morphological traits using hybrid machine learning (ML) algorithms. For this aim, biometrical measurements such as birth weight (BW), length of face (FL), length of the neck (NL), a girth of the heart (HG), body length (BL), withers height (WH), and hind leg length (HLL) were used to estimate the mature weight for eight camel breeds of Pakistan. In this study, multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM) were applied to develop prediction models. Furthermore, the artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is employed to optimize ML models' internal parameters and improve prediction accuracy. The predictive performance of ML and hybrid models was evaluated on a testing dataset using goodness-of-fit measures such as mean absolute deviation (MAD), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), coefficient of determination (R2), and root mean square error (RMSE). The results of the study revealed the ABC-SVM model was the best predictive model. The experimental results of this study showed that the proposed ABC-SVM method could effectively improve the accuracy for MW prediction of camels, thus having a research and practical value.

Melatonin in Micro-Tom Tomato: Improved Drought Tolerance via the Regulation of the Photosynthetic Apparatus, Membrane Stability, Osmoprotectants, and Root System.

Environmental variations caused by global climate change significantly affect plant yield and productivity. Because water scarcity is one of the most significant risks to agriculture's future, improving the performance of plants to cope with water stress is critical. Our research scrutinized the impact of melatonin application on the photosynthetic machinery, photosynthetic physiology, root system, osmoprotectant accumulation, and oxidative stress in tomato plants during drought. The results showed that melatonin-treated tomato plants had remarkably higher water levels, gas exchange activities, root system morphological parameters (average diameter, root activity, root forks, projected area, root crossings, root volume, root surface area, root length, root tips, and root numbers), osmoprotectant (proline, trehalose, fructose, sucrose, and GB) accumulation, and transcript levels of the photosynthetic genes SlPsb28, SlPetF, SlPsbP, SlPsbQ, SlPetE, and SlPsbW. In addition, melatonin effectively maintained the plants' photosynthetic physiology. Moreover, melatonin treatment maintained the soluble protein content and antioxidant capacity during drought. Melatonin application also resulted in membrane stability, evidenced by less electrolyte leakage and lower H2O2, MDA, and O2- levels in the drought-stress environment. Additionally, melatonin application enhanced the antioxidant defense enzymes and antioxidant-stress-resistance-related gene (SlCAT1, SlAPX, SlGR, SlDHAR, SlPOD, and SOD) transcript levels in plants. These outcomes imply that the impacts of melatonin treatment on improving drought resistance could be ascribed to the mitigation of photosynthetic function inhibition, the enhancement of the water status, and the alleviation of oxidative stress in tomato plants. Our study findings reveal new and incredible aspects of the response of melatonin-treated tomato plants to drought stress and provide a list of candidate targets for increasing plant tolerance to the drought-stress environment.

Exogenous spermidine modulates polyamine metabolism and improves stress responsive mechanisms to protect tomato seedlings against salt stress.

Salt stress negatively affects plant growth, development, and crop productivity causing serious economic loss to agricultural production. Here, we investigated the exogenous application of spermidine (Spd) on tomato seedlings grown under salt stress. Salt stress reduced plant growth, biomass accumulation and chlorophyll contents, thus negatively affecting photosynthesis. Alternatively, Spd application effectively reduced the salinity-induced adverse effects in tomato seedlings by activating the H2O2 mediated signaling involving the enhanced expression of RBOH1 and salt stress-responsive genes SlMYB102, SlHKT1, SlWRKY1 and SlDREB2, and improving detoxification through higher antioxidative activity and osmolyte (proline) accumulation under salt stress. It was further confirmed by significantly lower amount of H2O2, malondialdehyde and electrolyte leakage, and better ion homeostasis (Na+/K+ ratio) and photosynthetic performance of Spd-treated seedlings under salt stress. Furthermore, Spd application modulated endogenous polyamines and enhanced the biosynthesis of endogenous Spd and spermine from putrescine. Altogether, these results confirm the important role of Spd against salt stress and suggest that the increased endogenous Spd content in plants could regulate a number of stress-responsive mechanisms to protect tomato seedlings against salt stress. These results provide a good direction for further elucidation of the detailed interplay between polyamine metabolism and H2O2-mediated signaling, which would help to improve abiotic stress tolerance in plants.

Physicians' Response and Preparedness of Terrorism-Related Disaster Events in Quetta City, Pakistan: A Qualitative Inquiry.

Background: Besides catastrophes, infrastructural damages, and psychosocial distress, terrorism also imposes an unexpected burden on healthcare services. Considerably, adequately-prepared and responsive healthcare professionals affirms effective management of terrorism-related incidences. Accordingly, the present study aimed to evaluate physicians' preparedness and response toward terrorism-related disaster events in Quetta city, Pakistan. Methods: A qualitative design was adopted. Physicians practicing at the Trauma Center of Sandeman Provincial Hospital (SPH), Quetta, were approached for the study. We conducted in-depth interviews; all interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for thematic contents by a standard content analysis framework. Results: Fifteen physicians were interviewed. The saturation was achieved at the 13th interview however we conducted another two to validate the saturation. The thematic content analysis revealed five themes and 11 subthemes. All physicians have experienced, responded to, and managed terrorism-related disaster events. They were prepared professionally and psychologically in dealing with a terrorism-related disaster. Physicians identified lack of disaster-related curricula and training, absence of a standardized protocol, recurrence of the disaster, and hostile behavior of victim's attendants during an emergency as critical barriers to effective terrorism-related disaster management. Among limitations, all respondents mentioned workspace, and resources as a foremost constraint while managing a terrorism-related disaster event. Conclusion: Although physicians understood the abilities and had the required competencies to mitigate a terrorism-related disaster, lack of workspace and resources were identified as a potential barrier to effective disaster management. Based on the results, we propose reconsideration and integration of the medical curriculum, particularly for terrorism-related disaster management, collaboration, and communication among various stakeholders to manage terrorism-related disaster events competently.

Disposal practices of unused and expired pharmaceuticals among the general public in Quetta city, Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: Although community practices towards disposal of expired and unused medications vary globally, the phenomenon is neglected specifically in developing countries. We, therefore, aimed to assess the disposal practices of unused and expired pharmaceuticals among the general public in Quetta city, Pakistan. METHODS: A questionnaire-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted among 830 respondents in Quetta city, Pakistan. A pre-validated, structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were coded and analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 26. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were sued and p<0.05 was taken as significant. RESULTS: Almost 87% of the respondents had unused medicines at their homes and reusing the medications was the purpose of medicine storage (50%). Medicines were mostly kept in refrigerators (36.0%) followed by bedrooms (28.8%). Fifty percent of the respondents never checked the expiry date before using the medications. The procedure to dispose of nearly expired or expired medicines was unknown to 88% of the respondents and for those reasons, medicines were disposed either in household trash or flushed in the toilet or sink. Interestingly, medicines were kept at home even after being expired by 27% of the respondents. Income was associated with reason of storing medicines (p = 0.004; φc = 0.402) while educational status had significant associations with storage of medications (p = 0.002; φc = 0.399), reading about storage instructions (p = 0.008; φc = 0.452) and checking expiry date before purchasing and using the medicines (p = 0.007; φc = 0.114 and p = 0.001; φc = 0.100) respectively. CONCLUSION: Improper storage and disposal of unused and expired medications is a common practice among study respondents and raised serious concerns. Findings of the current study call upon immediate development and implementation of the strategies to promote awareness and strengthen the pharmaceutical waste management program at the societal level.

Medication Errors and Type 2 Diabetes Management: A Qualitative Exploration of Physicians' Perceptions, Experiences and Expectations From Quetta City, Pakistan.

Background: Type 2 Diabetes-related medication errors are frequently reported from the hospitals and consequently are of major concern. However, such reports are insufficient when developing healthcare settings are pursued in literature. Keeping this inadequacy in mind, we therefore aimed to explore physicians' perceptions, experiences and expectations of medication errors when managing patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Methods: A qualitative design was adopted. By using a semi-structured interview guide through the phenomenology-based approach, in-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted. Physicians practicing at the medicine ward of Sandeman Provincial Hospital, Quetta, were purposively approached for the study. All interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and were then analyzed for thematic contents by the standard content analysis framework. Results: Although the saturation was reached at the 13th interview, we conducted additional two interviews to ensure the saturation. Fifteen physicians were interviewed, and thematic content analysis revealed six themes and nine subthemes. Mixed conceptualization and characterization of medication errors were identified. Medication errors were encountered by all physicians however poor understanding of the system, deficiency of logistics and materials were rated as barriers in reporting medication errors. Among contributors of medication errors, physicians themselves as well as dispensing and patient-related factors were identified. Physicians suggested targeted training sessions on medication error-related guidelines and reporting system. Parallel, establishment of an independent unit, involving the pharmacists, and strict supervision of paramedics to minimize medication errors was also acknowledged during data analysis. Conclusion: With a longer life expectancy and a trend of growing population, the incidences of medication errors are also expected to increase. Our study highlighted prescribing, dispensing and administration phases as contributing factors of medication errors. Although, physicians had poor understanding of medication errors and reporting system, they believed getting insights on guidelines and reporting system is essential. A review of admission and discharge reconciliation must be prioritized and a culture of teamwork, communication and learning from mistakes is needed.

A Comprehensive Evaluation of Salt Tolerance in Tomato (Var. Ailsa Craig): Responses of Physiological and Transcriptional Changes in RBOH's and ABA Biosynthesis and Signalling Genes.

Salinity is a ubiquitous stressor, depleting osmotic potential and affecting the tomato seedlings' development and productivity. Considering this critical concern, we explored the salinity response in tomato seedlings by evaluating them under progressive salt stress duration (0, 3, 6, and 12 days). Intriguingly, besides the adverse effect of salt stress on tomato growth the findings exhibited a significant role of tomato antioxidative system, RBOH genes, ABA biosynthesis, and signaling transcription factor for establishing tolerance to salinity stress. For instance, the activities of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants continued to incline positively with the increased levels of reactive oxygen species (O2•-, H2O2), MDA, and cellular damage, suggesting the scavenging capacity of tomato seedlings against salt stress. Notably, the RBOH transcription factors activated the hydrogen peroxide-mediated signalling pathway that induced the detoxification mechanisms in tomato seedlings. Consequently, the increased gene expression of antioxidant enzymes and the corresponding ratio of non-enzymatic antioxidants AsA-GSH suggested the modulation of antioxidants to survive the salt-induced oxidative stress. In addition, the endogenous ABA level was enhanced under salinity stress, indicating higher ABA biosynthesis and signalling gene expression. Subsequently, the upregulated transcript abundance of ABA biosynthesis and signalling-related genes suggested the ABA-mediated capacity of tomato seedlings to regulate homeostasis under salt stress. The current findings have revealed fascinating responses of the tomato to survive the salt stress periods, in order to improve the abiotic stress tolerance in tomato.

Prescribing Patterns for Upper Respiratory Tract Infections: A Prescription-Review of Primary Care Practice in Quetta, Pakistan and the Implications.

Background: To identify and address the potential overuse of antibiotics, it is important to ascertain the prescribing practices of physicians. We, therefore, conducted this prescription analysis to document URTI-specific antibiotic prescription frequency in a public primary healthcare setting of Quetta city, Pakistan. Methods: A retrospective record review was conducted of all prescriptions for URTIs in Combined Military Hospital, Quetta from 1 March to 31st May 2021. The Mann-Whitney U and Jonckheere-Terpstra test was used to evaluate the association between the tendencies of a different group of prescribers. p-value of <0.05 was of statistical significance. Results: Over the 3 months, 50,705 prescriptions were screened and analyzed according to the established inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 4,126 (8.13%) URTI prescriptions met the inclusion criteria, of which 2,880 (69.80%) prescriptions contained antibiotics. Among all antibiotics, penicillins (Amoxicillin + Clavulanate) were the most prescribed antibiotic, constituting 1,323 (45.9%) of total antibiotics prescribed for all cases, followed by the Macrolide group 527 (18.2%). The Jonckheere-Terpstra test revealed a statistically significant association between the status of the prescriber and the diagnosis (p = 0.002). Furthermore, a moderate positive trend was reported with specialists being more competent in antibiotic prescribing based on their diagnosis, followed by postgraduates and house officers (τ = 0.322). Conclusion: The prescribing patterns for the management of URTIs in the hospital were inconsistent with current guidelines. Strict adherence to guidelines must be ensured and antibiotic prescribing for URTIs should be discouraged.

Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among Nurses During the COVID-19 Wave III: Results of a Cross-Sectional Assessment.

PURPOSE: The current study was aimed to evaluate depression, anxiety, and stress among nurses during the COVID-19 (wave III) at a public hospital in Quetta city, Pakistan. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: By using the validated Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21, three hundred and twenty-five nurses practicing at the Sandeman Provincial Hospital, Quetta were approached for data collection. Through SPSS, both descriptive and inferential statistics were used during data analysis. Chi-square test was used to assess the goodness-of-fit between observed values and demographic variables. The factors that were significantly associated with depression, anxiety, and stress were further assessed by binary logistic regression analysis. The statistical significance was set at 0.05. RESULTS: Out of the 325 nurses, 297 participated in the study with a response rate of 91.3%. Mild depression and stress were reported in the current cohort of nurses (6.00 ± 5.30 and 8.01 ± 4.47), respectively. The mean anxiety score was 6.68 ± 4.86 indicating moderate anxiety among the study respondents. Marital status, working department, and job experience were significantly associated with depression, anxiety, and stress with moderate effect size (>0.3). The logistic regression reported department in which nurses were stationed (adjusted OR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.118-1.415, p < 0.001) and job experience (adjusted OR = 1.004, 95% CI = 1.001-1.215, p = 0.002) as significant predictors of depression, anxiety and stress. Nurses working in the corona ward were more likely to develop depression, anxiety and stress by a factor of 2.54 and married nurses with a factor of 1.004 provided controlling other confounding factors. CONCLUSION: Moderate depression, anxiety, and stress were observed among nurses and it calls for hospital management to consider interventions for all nurses irrespective of their present working departments. Facilitating continuous and comprehensive support mechanisms aimed at protecting nurses' mental health is of great importance during pandemics. The findings of the study have some clear suggestions for mental health advocacy among nurses that are essential for improving the quality of services and patients' safety.

The effects of camel chymosin and Withania coagulans extract on camel and bovine milk cheeses.

Withania coagulans (W. coagulans) extract and camel chymosin have aspartic protease capable of coagulating milk for cheese production. This study investigated the quality of camel and bovine milk cheeses coagulated using Withania extracts, came chymosin, and their mixture in two experiments. In Experiment (1), a factorial design with four factors (W. coagulans, camel chymosin, incubation time, and incubation temperature) was performed. The effect of these factors on cheese's yield and hardness were assessed. An enzyme concentration corresponding to a 36 µg/L of milk of W. coagulans, 50 IMCU/L of camel chymosin, holding time of 4 h, and incubation temperature of 60 °C provided the optimal textural hardness for both camel and bovine milk cheeses. Seven treatments were analyzed in experiment (2) were analyzed for physicochemical properties, yield, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGEitation). The results showed that pure Withania extract exhibited the lower coagulating effect resulting in cheeses with low yield, hardness, fat, protein, and total solids. The SDS-PAGE electropherograms of camel cheese showed several low molecular weight bands as compared to bovine cheese. This phenomenon is due to excessive proteolysis in camel cheese, which we believed is caused by the presence of endogenous enzymes.

Exploring Nurses' Perception of Antibiotic Use and Resistance: A Qualitative Inquiry.

PURPOSE: Quality use of antibiotics and the development of antibiotic resistance is a global catastrophe. In the conceptual context, the phenomenon is correlated with the healthcare practitioners' understanding of antibiotic use and resistance. Therefore, the study aimed to highlight nurses' perception of antibiotic use and resistance at a public healthcare institute in Quetta City, Pakistan. RESPONDENTS AND METHODS: By using a semi-structured interview guide through the phenomenology-based approach, in-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted. Nurses practicing at the surgical and medical units of Sandeman Provincial Hospital (SPH), Quetta, were approached for the study. All interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and were then analyzed for thematic contents by the standard content analysis framework. RESULTS: Although the saturation was reached after the 13th interview, an additional two were interviewed for absolute validation. Content analysis revealed five major themes: (1) defining antibiotics and antibiotic resistance, (2) antibiotic use: awareness and concern, (3) antimicrobial resistance: awareness and concern, (4) responding to antibiotic use and resistance, and (5) barriers to quality use of antibiotics and prevention of antibiotic resistance. Even though the understanding of nurses regarding antibiotic use and resistance was promising, certain apprehensions were also observed. The respondents were aware of the critical situation and provided valuable insights that can offer significant input while promoting the quality use of antibiotics in a developing country. CONCLUSION: While the perception towards antibiotics appeared positive, potential areas of concern and contributing factors regarding antibiotic resistance were also identified. Importantly, nurses too highlighted possible solutions to address the issue of irrational antibiotic use and the development of antibiotic resistance.

Characterization of SlBAG Genes from Solanum lycopersicum and Its Function in Response to Dark-Induced Leaf Senescence.

The Bcl-2-associated athanogene (BAG) family is a group of evolutionarily conserved cochaperones involved in diverse cellular functions. Here, ten putative SlBAG genes were identified in tomato. SlBAG2 and SlBAG5b have the same gene structure and conserved domains, along with highly similar identity to their homologs in Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, and Triticum aestivum. The qPCR data showed that BAG2 and BAG5b were highly expressed in stems and flowers. Moreover, both genes were differentially expressed under diverse abiotic stimuli, including cold stress, heat stress, salt treatment, and UV irradiation, and treatments with phytohormones, namely, ABA, SA, MeJA, and ETH. Subcellular localization showed that SlBAG2 and SlBAG5b were located in the cell membrane and nucleus. To elucidate the functions in leaf senescence of BAG2 and BAG5b, the full-length CDSs of BAG2 and BAG5b were cloned, and transgenic tomatoes were developed. Compared with WT plants, those overexpressing BAG2 and BAG5b had significantly increased chlorophyll contents, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and photosynthetic rates but obviously decreased ROS levels, chlorophyll degradation and leaf senescence related gene expression under dark stress. Conclusively, overexpression SlBAG2 and SlBAG5b could improve the tolerance of tomato leaves to dark stress and delay leaf senescence.

"Expecting the Unexpected:" Nurses' Response and Preparedness of Terrorism-Related Disaster Events in Quetta City, Pakistan.

Background: In addition to the psychiatric and societal misery, terrorism places an exceptional burden while delivering healthcare services. Accordingly, a responsive and well-prepared healthcare system ensures effective management of terrorism-related events. Within this context, with a strong historic grounding in addressing situations of societal crisis nurses are well-placed in contributing to the global arena of humanitarian policy and social research. Therefore, assessing their response and preparedness is vital in effective management of a terrorism-related disaster. For that very reason, we aimed to evaluate nurses' preparedness and response toward terrorism-related disaster events in Quetta city, Pakistan. Methods: A qualitative design was adopted to explore nurses' response and preparedness of terrorism-related disaster events. By using a semi-structured interview guide through the phenomenology-based approach, in-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted. Nurses practicing at the Trauma Center of Sandeman Provincial Hospital (SPH), Quetta, were approached for the study. All interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and were then analyzed for thematic contents by the standard content analysis framework. Results: Fifteen nurses were interviewed and thematic content analysis revealed five themes. All nurses have experienced, responded to, and managed terrorism-related disaster events. They were prepared both professionally and psychologically in dealing with a terrorism-related disaster. Among limitations, space and workforce were highlighted by almost all the respondents. Lack of disaster-related curricula, absence of a protocol, recurrence of the disaster, and hostile behavior of victim's attendants during an emergency were highlighted as a key barrier toward terrorism-related disaster management. Conclusion: The skills and expertise needed to address a terrorism-related disaster are well-understood by the nurses but are lacking for various reasons. In addition to the review and adaption of the nursing curriculum specifically for terrorism-related disaster management, collaboration and dialogue between various stakeholders is required to efficiently manage terrorism-related disaster events.

Modeling and predicting the growth of indigenous Harnai sheep in Pakistan: non-linear functions and MARS algorithm.

Five non-linear functions, i.e. Gompertz, Logistic, Negative exponential, Brody and Bertalanffy, and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) data mining algorithm were implemented with the objective to describe the body weight-age relationship of Harnai sheep of Balochistan, Pakistan. The data comprised of 1317 records of body weight from birth to 1 year were provided from Multi-Purpose Sheep Research Station Loralai, Balochistan. Each non-linear function and MARS algorithm were fitted to the data of male and female, single and twin and all lambs. Comparison among different non-linear models was based using the adjusted coefficient of determination ([Formula: see text]), Durbin-Watson statistic (DW), root mean square error (RMSE), Akaike's and Bayesian information criteria (AIC and BIC) and the coefficient of correlation (r) between observed and fitted live body weight. The best fit was provided by the Brody model in terms of the highest [Formula: see text] and r values and lowest RMSE, AIC and BIC values in male and female, single and twin and all lambs followed by Bertalanffy, Gompertz, Negative exponential and Logistic model in order of their goodness. The negative correlation between asymptotic weight and maturing rate inferred that animals with smaller mature weight mature fast. Though males and singles were found heavier at mature weight than females and twins, respectively, they mature more slowly. The results of the study suggested the use of the Brody model to accurately describe the weight-age relationship of Harnai sheep. The present study also showed a very high predictive performance of the MARS data mining algorithm for describing the growth of sheep. In conclusion, MARS algorithm may be a good alternative for breeders aiming at describing the weight-age relationship of Harnai sheep.

Development of a portable MIP-based electrochemical sensor for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigen.

The current COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is expanding around the globe. Hence, accurate and cheap portable sensors are crucially important for the clinical diagnosis of COVID-19. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as robust synthetic molecular recognition materials with antibody-like ability to bind and discriminate between molecules can perfectly serve in building selective elements in such sensors. Herein, we report for the first time on the development of a MIP-based electrochemical sensor for detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein (ncovNP). A key element of the sensor is a disposable sensor chip - thin film electrode - interfaced with a MIP-endowed selectivity for ncovNP and connected with a portable potentiostat. The resulting ncovNP sensor showed a linear response to ncovNP in the lysis buffer up to 111 fM with a detection and quantification limit of 15 fM and 50 fM, respectively. Notably, the sensor was capable of signaling ncovNP presence in nasopharyngeal swab samples of COVID-19 positive patients. The presented strategy unlocks a new route for the development of rapid COVID-19 diagnostic tools.

Profile and Predictors of Maternal Quality of Life During Physiological Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Quality of Life (QoL) and its determinants are significant in all stages of life, including pregnancy. The physical and emotional changes during pregnancy affect the QoL of pregnant women, affecting both maternal and infant health. Hence, assessing the QoL of pregnant women is gaining interest in literature. We, therefore, aimed to describe the QoL of pregnant women during physiological pregnancy and to identify its associated predictors in women attending a public healthcare institute of Quetta city, Pakistan. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Sandeman Provincial Hospital Quetta city, Pakistan. The respondents were asked to answer the Urdu (lingua franca of Pakistan) version of the Quality of Life Questionnaire for Physiological Pregnancy. Data were coded and analyzed by SPPS v 21. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to establish normality of the data and non-parametric tests were used accordingly. Quality of Life was assessed as proposed by the developers. The Chi-square test was used to identify significant associations and linear regression was used to identify the predictors of QoL. For all analyses, p < 0.05 was taken significantly. RESULTS: Four hundred and three pregnant women participated in the study with a response rate of 98%. The mean QoL score was 19.85 ± 4.89 indicating very good QoL in the current cohort. The Chi-Square analysis reported a significant association between age, education, occupation, income, marital status, and trimester. Education was reported as a positive predictor for QoL (p = 0.006, ß = 2.157). On the other hand, trimester was reported as a negative predictor of QoL (p = 0.013, ß = -1.123). CONCLUSION: Improving the QoL among pregnant women requires better identification of their difficulties and guidance. The current study highlighted educational status and trimester as the predictors of QoL in pregnant women. Health care professionals and policymakers should consider the identified factors while designing therapeutic plans and interventions for pregnant women.

Genomic signatures of domestication in Old World camels.

Domestication begins with the selection of animals showing less fear of humans. In most domesticates, selection signals for tameness have been superimposed by intensive breeding for economical or other desirable traits. Old World camels, conversely, have maintained high genetic variation and lack secondary bottlenecks associated with breed development. By re-sequencing multiple genomes from dromedaries, Bactrian camels, and their endangered wild relatives, here we show that positive selection for candidate genes underlying traits collectively referred to as 'domestication syndrome' is consistent with neural crest deficiencies and altered thyroid hormone-based signaling. Comparing our results with other domestic species, we postulate that the core set of domestication genes is considerably smaller than the pan-domestication set - and overlapping genes are likely a result of chance and redundancy. These results, along with the extensive genomic resources provided, are an important contribution to understanding the evolutionary history of camels and the genomic features of their domestication.

Mitogenome Sequencing in the Genus Camelus Reveals Evidence for Purifying Selection and Long-term Divergence between Wild and Domestic Bactrian Camels.

The genus Camelus is an interesting model to study adaptive evolution in the mitochondrial genome, as the three extant Old World camel species inhabit hot and low-altitude as well as cold and high-altitude deserts. We sequenced 24 camel mitogenomes and combined them with three previously published sequences to study the role of natural selection under different environmental pressure, and to advance our understanding of the evolutionary history of the genus Camelus. We confirmed the heterogeneity of divergence across different components of the electron transport system. Lineage-specific analysis of mitochondrial protein evolution revealed a significant effect of purifying selection in the concatenated protein-coding genes in domestic Bactrian camels. The estimated dN/dS < 1 in the concatenated protein-coding genes suggested purifying selection as driving force for shaping mitogenome diversity in camels. Additional analyses of the functional divergence in amino acid changes between species-specific lineages indicated fixed substitutions in various genes, with radical effects on the physicochemical properties of the protein products. The evolutionary time estimates revealed a divergence between domestic and wild Bactrian camels around 1.1 [0.58-1.8] million years ago (mya). This has major implications for the conservation and management of the critically endangered wild species, Camelus ferus.