A study on the epidemiology of brucellosis in bovine population of peri-urban and rural areas of district Multan, southern Punjab, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by a bacterial pathogen belonging to the genus Brucella. It is one of the most frequent bacterial zoonoses globally but unfortunately, it is still considered as a neglected disease in the developing world. Keeping in view, this study was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk determinants of brucellosis in large ruminants of peri-urban and rural areas of district Multan-Pakistan. For this purpose, blood samples (n = 490) were collected from the cattle (n = 245) and buffalo (n = 245) population of the study area and subjected to preliminary screening of brucellosis using local and imported RBPT reagents. All the samples were further analyzed using commercially available multi-specie indirect ELISA kit followed by their confirmation by PCR using genus and species-specific primers. Data obtained from lab analysis and questionnaires were subjected to statistical analysis for Pearson Chi-square, Odds Ratio and Confidence intervals (95%). RESULTS: The results showed that the maximum seropositivity was recorded with local RBPT reagent (VRI, Pakistan; 12.45%; 95%CI = 9.72-15.65%) followed by RBPT-IDEXX (12.24%; 95%CI = 9.52-15.45%) and RBPT-ID.vet (11.84%; 95%CI = 9.18-14.95%) however statistical difference was non-significant (P = 0.956). The ELISA results showed an overall seroprevalence rate of 11.22% (95%CI = 8.59-14.33%) with comparatively higher rate in cattle (12.65%; 95%CI = 8.82-17.44%) as compared to buffaloes (9.80%; 95%CI = 6.49-14.15%). The PCR analysis confirmed the presence of genus Brucella in all seropositive samples whereas frequency of B. abortus and B. melitensis in seropositive samples was 80% and 20%, respectively. The co-existence of both species was also observed in 5.45% samples. The statistical analysis showed a significant association of bovine brucellosis with herd size, breed, reproductive disorders, mode of insemination, educational status and farmers' awareness about brucellosis (P < 0.05). Conversely, locality, age, weight, gender, pregnancy status, parity and puberty status had no associations with brucellosis (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, brucellosis is prevalent in large ruminants of district Multan, Pakistan. It is suggested to devise and implement stringent policies for the effective control and prevention of brucellosis in the region. Further, the current situation also warrants the need to strengthen interdisciplinary coordination among veterinarians and physicians in one health perspective to ensure and strengthen the human and animal health care systems in the region.

Individual transmembrane domains of SfABCC2 from Spodoptera frugiperda do not serve as functional Cry1F receptors.

The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a major global pest causing severe damage to various crops, especially corn. Transgenic corn producing the Cry1F pesticidal protein from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Cry1F corn) showed effectiveness in controlling this pest until S. frugiperda populations at locations in North and South America evolved practical resistance. The mechanism for practical resistance involved disruptive mutations in an ATP binding cassette transporter subfamily C2 gene (SfABCC2), which serves as a functional Cry1F receptor in the midgut cells of susceptible S. frugiperda. The SfABCC2 protein contains two transmembrane domains (TMD1 and TMD2), each with a cytosolic nucleotide (ATP) binding domain (NBD1 and NBD2, respectively). Previous reports have demonstrated that disruptive mutations in TMD2 were linked with resistance to Cry1F, yet whether the complete SfABCC2 structure is needed for receptor functionality or if a single TMD-NBD protein can serve as functional Cry1F receptor remains unknown. In the present study, we separately expressed TMD1 and TMD2 with their corresponding NBDs in cultured insect cells and tested their Cry1F receptor functionality. Our results show that the complete SfABCC2 structure is required for Cry1F receptor functionality. Moreover, binding competition assays revealed that Cry1F specifically bound to SfABCC2, whereas neither SfTMD1-NBD1 nor SfTMD2-NBD2 exhibited any significant binding. These results provide insights into the molecular mechanism of Cry1F recognition by SfABCC2 in S. frugiperda, which could facilitate the development of more effective insecticidal proteins.

Spectrum Evaluation in CR-Based Smart Healthcare Systems Using Optimizable Tree Machine Learning Approach.

The rapid technological advancements in the current modern world bring the attention of researchers to fast and real-time healthcare and monitoring systems. Smart healthcare is one of the best choices for this purpose, in which different on-body and off-body sensors and devices monitor and share patient data with healthcare personnel and hospitals for quick and real-time decisions about patients' health. Cognitive radio (CR) can be very useful for effective and smart healthcare systems to send and receive patient's health data by exploiting the primary user's (PU) spectrum. In this paper, tree-based algorithms (TBAs) of machine learning (ML) are investigated to evaluate spectrum sensing in CR-based smart healthcare systems. The required data sets for TBAs are created based on the probability of detection (Pd) and probability of false alarm (Pf). These data sets are used to train and test the system by using fine tree, coarse tree, ensemble boosted tree, medium tree, ensemble bagged tree, ensemble RUSBoosted tree, and optimizable tree. Training and testing accuracies of all TBAs are calculated for both simulated and theoretical data sets. The comparison of training and testing accuracies of all classifiers is presented for the different numbers of received signal samples. Results depict that optimizable tree gives the best accuracy results to evaluate the spectrum sensing with minimum classification error (MCE).

Pleomorphic adenomia of lower lip: A case report.

Pleomorphic adenoma is a benign tumor of the salivary glands. It commonly occurs in the parotid gland, palate, upper lip and cheek. The authors present a rare case of a pleomorphic adenoma of the lower lip in a 30 years old female admitted on 20th of July, 2022 at Akbar Niazi Teaching Hospital, Islamabad with a complaint of painless, slightly itchy swelling on the lower lip for the last four months. Careful history and examination revealed a swelling of the lower lip which had gradually increased in size but was static for the last three months. As the patient complained of cosmetic and social inconvenience, it was surgically managed. Any post-operative complications were ruled out and the patient was sent home in a good condition. Much research is warranted to know the exact etiopathogenesis and appropriate management of pleomorphic adenoma of the lower lip.

Nutrient sensing mechanism of short-chain fatty acids in mastitis control.

Bovine mastitis is a disease that is widespread in dairy cows worldwide, and its impact is significant due to economic losses at all levels of the dairy value chain. For a long time, antibiotics have been the main tool for curing mastitis, however the cure rate is not very high, and sometime side effects may occur. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of mastitis and effective solutions are urgently needed to resolve the problem that in what way to prevent and treat mastitis in order to protect the profitability of dairy farms. The importance of diet in the regulation of health are not novel. Dietary control of the intestinal flora provides a promising approach to prevent or treat certain deadly diseases. Ample amount of studies has been conducted on the role of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the maintenance of health. SCFAs are the type of dietary substance that has the ability to restore blood-milk barrier permeability, inhibit the development of mammary inflammation, and are also effective epigenomic modifiers with histone deacetylases inhibitory activity. To date, the detailed mechanism of action of SCFAs in treating mastitis is unclear, but preliminary evidences are emerging. To assess the effectiveness of this recommendation, we examined the overall mammary gland health knowledge related to SCFAs by scrutinizing their potential role and evaluating its compatibility with the immunobiology of mammary gland inflammation. We then considered preliminary in vivo and in vitro experiments and analyzed the literature on the subject. Here, we outline the production of SCFAs and its protective effect on the mammary gland, with particular emphasis on their relevance to mastitis. In addition, we also discussed the therapeutic potential of SCFAs for mammary gland inflammation. Expectantly, this theory will provide new perception for the treatment of mastitis and other infectious diseases.

Mitigation potential of individual and combined dietary supplementation of local Bentonite Clay and Distillery Sludge against Ochratoxin-A induced toxicity in broilers.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the ameliorative effects of dietary supplementation of local bentonite clay (BN) and distillery sludge (DS) alone and in combination on ochratoxin-A (OTA) induced toxicity in broilers. For this purpose, day-old-broiler chicks (n = 270) were procured from the local market and reared under standard management conditions. After 7 days of acclimatization, birds were divided into 2 main groups A and B with respect to OTA inclusion level in feed, each with four sub-groups viz. A1-A4, each challenged with OTA at a dietary inclusion level of 250 µg/kg feed and B1-B4, each challenged with OTA at the level of 500 µg/kg feed and a common control group that was fed with basal feed throughout the experiment. In groups A and B, BN and DS were administered with feed at the rate of 10 g/kg of feed and 5 g/kg of feed alone and in combination, respectively. RESULTS: Results showed that OTA administration alone resulted in poor feed conversion ratio (FCR) and immunological responses along with increased serum levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), Aspartate transaminase (AST), urea and creatinine (P < 0.05). A significant decrease (P < 0.05) in serum protein levels (albumin, globulin and total protein) was also observed in OTA-fed groups in a dose-dependent manner. The addition of BN at 10 g/kg of OTA-contaminated feed resulted in better FCR and immunological responses as compared to those fed OTA only. The BN supplementation also conferred protection against elevation of serum biochemical parameters when compared with OTA-fed groups. However, the addition of DS could not provide significant protection (P > 0.05) on alteration of serum biochemical parameters in response to the OTA induced toxicity. The combined supplementation of BN and DS resulted in amelioration of OTA-induced toxicity and showed improved FCR, immunological, hematological and serum biochemical parameters (P < 0.05) when compared with other groups. Similarly, BN and DS resulted in a significant decline (P < 0.05) in the OTA tissue residues compared with other groups and control. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, combined dietary supplementation of BN (10 mg/kg) and DS (05 mg/kg) in feed reduced the toxic effects of OTA contamination at levels of 250 and 500 µg/kg of feed in broilers. So, the combination products of BN and DS may be successfully developed for use in poultry for protection against OTA-induced toxicity in broilers.

VATS thoracoscopic decortication for empyema thoracic: A retrospective experience and analysis of 162 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the experience of empyema thoracis management using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. METHODS: The retrospective study was conducted at the Combined Military Hospitals, Rawalpindi and Lahore, Pakistan, and comprised data of empyema thoracis cases who underwent thoracoscopic decortications by the same consultant surgeon between January 2009 and 2018. Uniportal or multiportal video-assisted thoracoscopic decortications was performed. Histopathology and microbiological sampling were done in all cases. RESULTS: Of the 162 cases, 114(70.4%) were males and 48(29.6%) were females. The overall mean age was 44±16.37 years. Three ports were utilised in 58(36%) patients. Hospital stay of 122(75.3%) patients was <5 days post-procedure. Post-thoracotomy neuralgia occurred in 19(11.7%) patients, while 9(5.5%) had surgical site infection. Overall complications were 30(18.5%). There was no mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Video-assisted thoracoscopic decortications was found to be a safe, effective and efficient procedure.

Comparative residual effect of activated carbon and other organic amendments on immobilization and phytoavailability nickel and other metals to Egyptian Clover (Trifolium alexandrinum) in contaminated soil.

The effect of organic amendments on phytoavailability of nickel (Ni) and other metals in soil may change with time due to transformation of organic matter. We investigated the residual effect of organic amendments (farm manure [FM], poultry manure [PM], pressmud [PrM], and activated carbon [AC]) to immobilize Ni and other metals in soil and absorption of metals by Egyptian clover. Fresh and dry weights of Egyptian clover increased significantly (p < 0.05) due to residual effect of amendments compared to control. Extractable Ni and other metals had significant positive correlation with residual organic matter in soil. Extractable manganese (Mn) in post-harvest soil of Egyptian clover increased compared with that of post-harvest soil of maize (previous crop). However, extractable copper (Cu) decreased with amendments. Copper was the maximum in control followed by AC. Zinc in soil decreased in FM and PrM treated pots but increased in pots amended with PM and AC. Concentration of Ni, Mn, and Cu was the minimum in shoots of those plants grown with AC amended pots compared to the control. It was concluded that AC was the most effective for immobilization of metals in soil which consequently decreased the concentration of metals in shoots of Egyptian clover.

Comparison of mean pain score using topical and oral metronidazole in post milligan morgan hemorrhoidectomy patient; A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Milligan Morgan Hemorrhoidectomy is one of the most commonly performed surgeries. Post-operative pain is the major cause of morbidity in post hemorrhoidectomy patients. Metronidazole has an established role in relieving post hemorrhoidectomy pain. The objective was to evaluate the pain score by using topical and oral metronidazole in post Milligan Morgan hemorrhoidectomy patients. METHODS: A prospective randomized controlled trail was done in surgical departments of Akbar Niazi Teaching Hospital, Islamabad. A total of 166 consecutive patients with 3rd and 4th degree hemorrhoids were presenting in surgical OPD and who underwent Milligan Morgan hemorrhoidectomy between July 2018 and December 2018 were included in the study. Patients allocated in two groups, Group-A received topical metronidazole 10% post hemorrhoidectomy for seven days and Group-B were given oral metronidazole 400mg for 07 days. Analgesics were given on patient's requirement. Patients post hemorrhoidectomy pain was recorded by using VSA scale at baseline (1st day) and on 7th post-operative day. Data analysis was done by using SPSS 21. Pain calculated by compared in terms of mean, standard deviation between groups and independent sample T test was used. Association between demographic details like gender and ages of the patients with pain scale on 7th day was measured and chi-square distribution was used. RESULTS: Total 166 patients were included in this study. The mean ages of the patients were 44.07±10.62 years with minimum 20 and maximum 60 years. Out of 166 patients, female were 55 (33.1%) and male were 111 (66.9%). Results showed significantly lower pain in patients using topical metronidazole as compared to oral metronidazole (p=0.001). Association of pain with respect to ages was insignificant (p=0.202) whereas between genders inside the groups showed significant difference (p=0.028). CONCLUSION: These results showed that topical metronidazole significantly reduces pain in post hemorrhoidectomy patients as compared to oral metronidazole overall and even when data stratified among age, gender and type of hemorrhoids.

Gastroprotective and antioxidant potential of Euphorbia prostrata against aspirin induced gastric ulcers in rabbits.

Present study was planned to estimate the gastroprotective activity of Euphorbia prostrata plant against aspirin induced gastric ulcers in male adult albino rabbits. The ulcer was induced by oral administration of aspirin in all groups except normal control group. Gastric contents were used to estimate total acid output, gastric volume and gastric pH. Results showed that there was a significant decrease in gastric volume, total acid output, ulcer score and ulcer index in groups treated with extract of E. prostrata and it enhanced the pH of gastric mucosa. Blood samples were collected and serum was used for the estimation of total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA) and catalase (CAT). Results suggested that E. prostrata extract significantly (P<0.05) enhanced the TAC and CAT activity comparable to synthetic antiulcer drug cimetidine while it caused a significant (P<0.05) reduction in TOS and MDA levels. Results of this study revealed that extract of E. prostrata at 10, 20 and 40mg/kg showed gastric protection of 33.79%, 53.15% and 70.66% respectively. Cimetidine was used as a synthetic antiulcer drug in the study, which showed 72.85% gastric protection. From the above mentioned results it was demonstrated that E. prostrata extract at dose rate of 40 mg/kg showed gastroprotective activity similar as cimetidine.

A review on nanoparticle-based technologies for biodetoxification.

Nanotechnology has gained significant penetration to different fields of medicine including drug delivery, disease interrogation, targeting and bio-imaging. In recent years, efforts have been put forth to assess the use of this technology in biodetoxification. In this review, we will discuss the current status of nanostructured biomaterials/nanoparticle (NP)-based technologies as a candidate biodetoxifying agent. Patient hospitalization due to illicit drug consumption, suicidal attempts and accidental toxin exposure are major challenges in the medical field. Overdoses of drugs/toxic chemicals or exposure to bacterial toxins or poisons are conventionally treated by voiding the stomach, administering activated charcoal or by using specific antidotes, if the toxin is known. Because of the limitations of these methods for safe and effective detoxification, advancements in nanotechnology may offer novel ways in intoxication support by using nanostructured biomaterials, such as liposomes, micellar nanocarriers, liquid crystalline nanoassemblies and ligand-based NPs.

Haematopoietic effects of Angelica sinensis root cap polysaccharides against lisinopril-induced anaemia in albino rats.

CONTEXT: Angelica sinensis L. (Umbelliferae) has medicinal properties. OBJECTIVES: The present study evaluates the haematopoietic effects of A. sinensis polysaccharides (ASP) against lisinopril-induced anaemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty healthy adult male albino rats were randomly divided into five groups (n = 6). Group I was control group. Group II was treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI, 20 mg/kg/day) to induce anaemia. In group III, erythropoietin (EPO, 100 IU/kg/each) was administered in combination with ACEI. Group IV was treated with ASP (1 g/kg/day), extracted from A. sinensis root caps. In Group V, ASP (1 g/kg/day) was treated with ACEI. After 28 days, blood and tissue samples were collected for haematological and histopathological analysis, respectively. RESULTS: The results showed that ACEI significantly reduced the haemoglobin (Hb, 10.0 g/dL), packed cell volume (PCV, 39.5%), red blood cells (RBCs, 6.2 million/mm3), mean corpuscular volume (MCV, 53.5 fL) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH, 16.2 pg/cell) values. In the group treated with ASP, the Hb (13.7 g/dL) and RBCs (7.8 million/mm3) increased significantly (p < 0.05). The combination of ASP and ACEI led to the significant (p < 0.05) reduction in Hb (10.7 g/dL), PCV (33.3%), RBCs (6.0 million/mm3), MCV (54.42 fL) and MCH (16.44 pg/cell) values. While histopathological examination of the liver and kidney cells showed a mild degree of toxicity in the ASP-treated group. CONCLUSION: ASP has a potentiating effect on haematological parameters when given alone. However, when administered simultaneously with lisinopril, it showed an unfavourable effect with more complicated anaemia so it should not be used with ACEIs.

Renal clearance and urinary excretion of omeprazole in healthy female volunteers in Pakistan.

Omeprazole is a widely prescribed proton pump inhibitor to treat various gastric acid hyper secretion disorders. The present study was designed to evaluate the renal clearance and urinary excretion of omeprazole in eight healthy female volunteers to increase the understanding of the contributing factors such as demographics variability in the renal clearance and urinary excretion of omeprazole under indigenous conditions. The urine and blood samples were collected 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 hours after oral administration of enteric coated omeprazole (20 mg) and drug concentration in the samples was determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with C18 column and UV detector. Urinary excretion and renal clearance of omeprazole was calculated and data was statistically analyzed by using regression/correlation technique. Endogenous creatinine was also measured by reagent kit available in the market. The results indicate that mean diuresis was 0.0172±0.0029 ml/min/kg. While the mean values of renal clearance of creatinine and omeprazole were 1.315±0.103 and 0.066±0.0042 ml/min. kg, respectively. Whereas, clearance ratio was 0.055±0.007 which indicates back diffusion. The cumulative percentage of dose excreted was 6.71±0.358. A significant (p<0.05) negative correlation (r= -0.457) between clearance ratio and urine pH of omeprazole reflecting glomerular filtration reabsorption of drug at kidney tubular level while significant (p<0.05) negative correlation (r= -0.681) between clearance ratio and plasma concentration of omeprazole indicates the involvement of active tubular secretion of drug. It can be concluded that during glomerular filtration, omeprazole diffuse back/reabsorption. Therefore, Urinary excretion of omeprazole in indigenous healthy female subjects was observed to be lower than given in the literature values.

Determination of florfenicol residues in broiler meat and liver samples using RP-HPLC with UV-visible detection.

BACKGROUND: Broilers are vulnerable to various types of microorganisms, including Salmonella, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, resulting in multiple infections. Broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs such as florfenicol (FF) are widely used in the treatment of such infections. Suspected residues of these drugs in body tissues of treated birds can be passed to humans through meat consumption and thus lead to serious ill effects on human health. The present study was designed to estimate the presence of FF residues in broiler meat and liver samples. RESULTS: The mean residual concentrations of FF in broiler meat and liver samples were 311.42 ± 186.56 and 2585.44 ± 1759.71 µg kg(-1) respectively, which are higher than their respective maximum residual limits (MRLs). The results showed that 126 and 24 samples were FF-positive and FF-negative respectively. Of the positive samples, 84 and 42 samples were above and below the MRL respectively. CONCLUSION: The results indicate the presence of FF residues in broiler meat and liver samples. Usage of this contaminated meat causes resistance in consumers and poses a public health threat. Thus there is a need to educate farmers about the ill effects of residual drugs on human health and their withdrawal times in poultry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

In vitro and in vivo toxicological evaluations of methyl ferulate, methyl p-coumarate, and pulegone 1,2-epoxide.

CONTEXT: Toxicological screening of natural compounds for medicinal purposes. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to evaluate the toxicity of methyl ferulate (MF), methyl p-coumarate (MpC), and pulegone 1,2-epoxide (PE) with in vitro and in vivo assays. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The in vitro toxicity of MF, MpC, and PE was assessed at a concentration of 10 mg/ml with the Ames assay using two strains of Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100. Human red blood cells (RBC) were used to determine the hemolytic activity of these compounds. The cytotoxicity of above compounds was determined with brine shrimp lethality bioassay (BSLB) at the concentrations of 0.1-20 mg/ml. While dermal and ocular irritation studies were conducted on healthy rabbits (n = 8) for 96 and 12 h post-topical application of test compounds, respectively. RESULTS: PE produced 6-8% hemolysis of RBCs at all the tested concentrations while MF and MpC produced 10-5% hemolysis up to 20 mg/ml, and 50-85% hemolysis at concentrations of 40 and 80 mg/ml, respectively. The Ames assay indicated that MF, MpC, and PE were non-mutagenic as the test values were not significantly higher as compared with background values of the assay. BSLB suggested the lethal concentration (LC50) values of MF, MpC, and PE as 4.38, 6.74, and 25.91 mg/ml, respectively. In vivo ocular and dermal irritation scores of MF, MpC, and PE were comparable with ethanol (control) in rabbits indicating the non-irritant nature of these natural compounds. CONCLUSION: The present studies suggest that these compounds are non-toxic/non-irritant and might be used for medicinal purposes.

Designing efficient materials for high-performance of non-fullerene organic solar cells through side-chain engineering on DBT-4F derivatives by non-fused-ring electron acceptors.

CONTEXT: For the advancement in fields of organic and perovskite solar cells, various techniques of structural alterations are being employed on previously reported chromophores. In this study, the end-capped engineering is carried out on DBT-4F (R) by modifying terminal acceptors to improve optoelectronic and photovoltaic attributes. Seven molecules (AD1-AD7) are modeled using different push-pull acceptors. DFT/B3LYP/6-31G along with its time-dependent approach (TD-DFT) are on a payroll to investigate ground state geometries, absorption maxima (λmax), energy gap (Eg), excitation energy (Ex), internal reorganization energy, light harvesting efficiency (LHE), dielectric constant, open circuit voltage (VOC), fill factor (FF), etc. of OSCs. AD1 displayed the lowest band gap (1.76 eV), highest λmax (876 nm), lowest Ex (1.41 eV), and lowest binding energy (0.21 eV). Among various calculated parameters, all of the sketched molecules demonstrated greater dielectric constant when compared to R. The highest dielectric constant was exhibited by AD3 (56.26). AD5 exhibited maximum LHE (0.9980). Lower reorganization energies demonstrated improved charge mobility. AD5 and AD7 (1.63 and 1.68 eV) have higher values of VOC than R (1.51 eV). All novel molecules having outperforming attributes will be better candidates to enhance the efficacy of OSCs for future use. METHODS: Precisely, a DFT and TD-DFT analysis on all of the proposed organic molecules were conducted, using the functional MPW1PW91 at 6-31G (d,p) basis set to examine their optoelectronic aspects, additionally the solvent-state computations were studied with a TD-SCF simulation. For all these simulations, Guassian 09 and GuassView 5.0 were employed. Moreover, the Origin 6.0, Multiwfn 3.8, and PyMOlyze 1.1 software were utilized for the visual depiction of the graphs of absorption, TDM, and DOS, respectively of the studied molecules. A number of crucial aspects such as FMOs, bandgaps, light-harvesting efficiency, electrostatic potential, dipole moment, ionization potential, open-circuit voltage, fill factor, binding energy, interaction coefficient, chemical hardness-softness, and electrophilicity index were also investigated for the studied molecules.

Pathological effects of feeding aflatoxin-contaminated feed on immune status and reproductive performance of juvenile white leghorn males and its mitigation with ∝-tocopherol and Moringa oleifera.

This study was planned to detect the adverse pathological consequences of aflatoxin B1 in White Leghorn (WLH) layer breeder males. Eight-week-old male layer cockerels were separated into six experimental categories: A group was kept as negative control, offered with normal feed only; group B was fed with 400 ppb amount of aflatoxin, while groups F and D fed with normal feed and supplemented with vitamin E 100 ppm and 1% Moringa oleifera, respectively, whereas groups E and C were fed with 400 ppb aflatoxin containing feed and ameliorated with vitamin E 100 ppm and 1% Moringa oleifera, respectively. This study was continued for 2 months and immunologic disorders and reproductive parameters were observed during the trial. To find out immunological status lymphoproliferative response to phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P), antibody titers against sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) and carbon clear assay were performed by collecting samples from five birds from each group. The whole data was measured by ANOVA test, and group means were compared by DMR test by using M-Stat C software. Regarding the reproductive status, spermatogenesis, blood testosterone level, testes weight, testes histology, sperm motility, and morphology were negatively affected by aflatoxins, but these deviations positively ameliorated by vitamin E and Moringa. Vitamin E and Moringa found advantageous in boosting the immune status of affected bird. All the immunological parameters including antibody titers against sheed red blood cells, lymphoproliferative response to avian tuberculin and phagocytic potential of macrophages were suppressed by AFB1 however in control, Moringa and vitamin E groups these immunological responses were significantly higher.

Impact of technological innovation and renewable energy on ecological footprint in G20 countries: The moderating role of institutional quality.

The connection between ecological footprint and economic complexity has significant implications for environmental sustainability regarding the policy. Additionally, institutional quality is crucial in ensuring environmental sustainability and moderating the link between economic complexity and ecological footprint. The task of achieving sustainable environmental development and preventing further degradation of the environment poses a formidable challenge to policymakers. This study delves into the significance of technology innovation and renewable energy in creating a more sustainable environment. Recognizing the need for a more critical review, this research establishes the dynamic linkage between ecological footprint, renewable energy consumption, and technological innovation, especially in conjunction with a moderating component, particularly institutional quality, in G20 countries from 1990 to 2021. We employ advanced panel approaches to address panel data analysis concerns, such as cross-sectional dependence, slope heterogeneity, unit root, cointegration test and CS-ARDL. The long-term estimator indicates that renewable energy and technological innovation negatively but significantly impact the ecological footprint. Whilst economic growth, FDI, and urbanization have shown a positive and significant impact on ecological footprint; institutional quality negatively moderates the relationship between ecological footprint, renewable energy, and technological innovation in the G20 countries. Further evidence from the Dumitrescu-Hurlin Granger causality test shows that efforts to expand access to renewable energy, technological advancements, and economic growth will significantly affect environmental impacts. Based on our results, it is imperative to introduce more favorable legislation and encourage technological advancements in the field of renewable energy if we want to achieve our sustainable development objectives.

Microwave-assisted sustainable exploration of cocklebur leaves (Xanthium strumarium L.) as a novel source of distinct yellow natural colorant for dyeing cotton fabric.

During current times, the use of bio-colorants attained public acceptance as a sustainable alternative to synthetic ones which in turn reduced the environmental contamination. The present study focused on the green, safe, and clean technology for the resurgence of natural colorant from cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium L.) leaves and their application to cotton fabric. Natural colorants were extracted by employing an eco-friendly microwave-assisted extraction process using an aqueous and alkaline medium. Dyeing of cotton fabric was carried out using irradiated and unirradiated cotton fabric with irradiated and unirradiated natural dyes of cocklebur leaves. The results of extraction experiments revealed that 4 min microwave-assisted alkaline extract exhibited significantly outstanding color strength onto microwave-treated cotton fabric compared to aqueous one. Further to investigate the optimum dyeing conditions for cotton fabric, various dyeing variables such as dyeing time, dyeing temperature, dye concentration, and exhausting agent were monitored and found a superior result using a dye concentration of 45 ml, for dyeing cotton fabric at 75 °C for 50 min in the presence of 4 g/100 ml of table salt. For improvement in color strength and color fastness properties, the effects of various bio-mordants, such as eucalyptus bark, acacia bark, turmeric rhizome, and onion shells, and chemical mordants (aluminum and copper) on dyed cotton fabric were also evaluated. It was also observed that cotton fabric dyed with alkaline extract of cocklebur leaves using bio-mordants as pre-mordants (4% acacia, 4% eucalyptus, 2% onion) and post-mordants (3% onion, 3% eucalyptus, 4% acacia) exhibited the highest color strength and various hues with acceptable colorfastness properties against light, washing, and rubbing in comparison to chemical mordants. The ISO standard for fastness also revealed that bio-mordanting has enhanced the rating from good to excellent in comparison to chemical mordants. The results provide ample scope for the extraction of yellow natural dye from the cocklebur leaves for eco-friendly coloration of fabrics using bio-mordants.

Cervical Mediastinoscopy as a Diagnostic Tool for Mediastinal Lymphadenopathy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the yield of cervical mediastinoscopy in determining causes of mediastinal lymph node enlargement. STUDY DESIGN: Observational study. Place and Duration of the Study: CMH Rawalpindi, Lahore and Multan, from January 2010 to December 2021. METHODOLOGY: Patients who underwent lymph node biopsy through cervical mediastinoscopy approach were included. Record of the patients including age, gender, clinical presentation, and findings on CT scan chest were noted along with the record of preoperative complications and duration of surgery. Histopathology report was also recorded. RESULTS: Out of 398 patients, 259 (65%) were males and 139 (35%) were females. Out of 338 patients who were operated for diagnostic purpose, 157 (46%) had tuberculosis and 34 (10.1%) had sarcoidosis. Fifty-two (15.3%) were diagnosed to have malignancy including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and metastatic carcinoma of unspecified origin. Amongst staging group (n=60), 33 (55%) patients had negative mediastinal disease. Complication rate was 3.8%, including hoarseness of voice in three patients while 2 patients had wound infection requiring intervention. CONCLUSION: Cervical mediastinoscopy is a safe and efficacious means of diagnosis in indeterminate mediastinal lymphadenopathy and staging of lung malignancy. KEY WORDS: Mediastinoscopy, Lymph nodes, Tuberculosis, Lung cancer, Staging.