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At present teacher education in Pakistan is in a transitional phase. The Government of Pakistan has developed ten professional standards for teachers' recruitment and training (NPSTP, 2009). Two subjects 'Computer literacy' and 'ICTs in Education' have been introduced in the new curriculum to equip prospective teachers with Standard # 7 of NPSTP 2009 (i.e., 'Effective Communication and Proficient Use of Information and Communication Technologies') and to enhance contemporary technological skills required by a 21st-century educator. This quantitative descriptive study was aimed to investigate teacher educators' attitudes towards the pedagogical use of ICTs in the teaching and learning process. For this quantitative study, five research questions, one descriptive and four inferential were formulated. A questionnaire was used for data collection. The sample of the study of 133 teacher educators' was conveniently selected from different teacher training institutions of Karachi. The descriptive analysis of the attitude scale illustrates the moderate level of positive attitude towards the use of ICTs among teacher educators of Karachi TTIs. The analysis of inferential questions (null hypotheses) illustrates that there is no significant difference in attitudes of teacher educators concerning gender, age, and experience, and this finding is aligned to recent studies conducted by Mustafina (2016) and Tweed (2013). Consequently, from the findings of this study, it may be concluded that demographical variables (i.e., gender, age, and experience) are not the determinants of teacher educators' attitudes towards the use of ICTs. The findings of the study suggest that supportive conditions and hands-on training on the pedagogical use of ICTs should be conducted in TTIs.

ABSTRACT Maternal vaccination is essential for safeguarding both mother and foetus from infectious diseases. This study investigated the immunogenicity and efficacy of a maternal ORF‐B2L genetic vaccine in a pregnant rat model, focusing on maternal–neonatal immune modulation, placental and neonatal spleen transcriptomics and the underlying mechanisms contributing to neonatal immune development. Female rats received intramuscular injections of either a gene vaccine (GV) containing 200 μg of recombinant ORF‐B2L DNA and 50 μg of a subunit protein or an empty plasmid as a control. Results showed significantly higher levels of specific anti‐B2L antibodies and Th1 and Th2 cytokine levels in both maternal and neonatal sera from the GV group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Transcriptome analysis identified 1295 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the placenta and 998 DEGs in the neonatal spleen, with upregulated pathways associated with immune cell recruitment, cytokine signalling and hormone regulation in the GV group. Notably, upregulated DEGs such as TLR4, ESR1 and various cytokine/chemokine‐related genes in the placenta suggest enhanced immune regulation and foetal protection. In the neonatal spleen, increased expression of IL‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐10 and CD69 indicates enhanced T and B cell development and pathogen defence. The upregulation of IL‐1β suggests a Th1 response, while elevated IL‐10 indicates a potential Th2‐biased immunity, reflecting a balanced Th1/Th2 response that is crucial for effective adaptive immunity. Overall, maternal ORF‐B2L genetic vaccination induces a robust immune response, enhancing maternal‐foetal protection and shaping neonatal immune responses, offering valuable insights for optimizing maternal vaccination strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammation disrupts the normal function of granulosa cells (GCs), which leads to ovarian dysfunction and fertility decline. Inflammatory conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), endometriosis, and age-related ovarian decline are often associated with chronic low-grade inflammation. Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is an important precursor of NAD+ and has gained attention for its potential to modulate cellular metabolism, redox homeostasis, and mitigate inflammation. This study investigated the protective roles of NMN against lipopolysaccharide LPS-mediated inflammation in GCs. The results of this experiment demonstrated that LPS had negative effects on GCs in term of reduced viability and proliferation rates and upregulated the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Notably, the levels of NAD+ and NAD+/NADH ratio in GCs were reduced in response to inflammation. On the other hand, NMN supplementation restored the NAD+ levels and the NAD+/NADH ratio in GCs and significantly reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory markers at both mRNA and protein levels. It also enhanced cell viability and proliferation rates of GCs. Furthermore, NMN also reduced apoptosis rates in GCs by downregulating pro-apoptotic markers, including Caspase-3, Caspase-9, and Bax while upregulating anti-apoptotic marker Bcl-2. NMN supplementation significantly reduced reactive oxygen species ROS and improved steroidogenesis activity by restoring the estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) levels in LPS-treated GCs. Mechanistically, this study found that NMN suppressed the activation of the TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathways in GCs, which regulates inflammatory processes. In conclusion, the findings of this study revealed that NMN has the potential to reduce LPS-mediated inflammatory changes in GCs by modulating NAD+ metabolism and inflammatory signaling pathways. NMN supplementation can be used as a potential therapeutic agent for ovarian inflammation and related fertility disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Animal reproduction performance is crucial in husbandry. Immunocastrated animals serve as an ideal animal model for studying testicular function. During androgen suppression, the testis undergoes dramatic developmental and structural changes, including the inhibition of hormone secretion and spermatogenesis. Methods: To characterize this process, we investigated the effects of castration using a recombinant B2L and KISS1 DNA vaccine, and then identified functional genes in the testes of Yiling goats using RNA-seq and WGS. The experimental animals were divided into three groups: the PVAX-asd group (control), PBK-asd-immunized group, and surgically castrated group. Results: The results demonstrated that the administration of the recombinant PBK-asd vaccine in goats elicited a significant antibody response, and reduced serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), resulting in smaller scrotal circumferences and decreased sexual desire compared to the control group. In addition, RNA transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of the testes revealed that the biological processes after immunocastration mainly focused on the regulation of cell matrix adhesion, histone acetylation, negative regulation of developmental processes, apoptosis, and activation of the complement system and the thrombin cascade reaction system. Then, we integrated the whole-genome sequencing and testis transcriptome, and identified several candidate genes (FGF9, FST, KIT, TH, TCP1, PLEKHA1, TMEM119, ESR1, TIPARP, LEP) that influence steroidogenesis secretion and spermatogenesis. Conclusions: Multiple pathways and polygenic co-expression participate in the response to castration vaccines, altering hormone secretion and spermatogenesis. Taken together, our atlas of the immunocastration goat testis provides multiple insights into the developmental changes and key factors accompanying androgen suppression, and thus may contribute to understanding the genetic mechanism of testis function. Joint analysis of whole genome sequencing and RNA-seq enables reliable screening of candidate genes, benefiting future genome-assisted breeding of goats.

Colostrum is the initial secretion of the mammary glands following parturition, which offers main food, protection, and biological active substances for the new born. The most threatening episode of neonate's life is the initial two weeks after birth. This period is associated with high neonatal mortality and morbidity. These worthwhile losses lead to a poor prolificacy rate, low profitability, and ultimately poor performance in animal production. Hence, both diseases and mortality cause valuable losses in terms of production and economic losses. The survival of neonate is correlated with their immune status and passive immune transfer (PIT). Colostrum provides the primary source of nutrition and immunity (PIT) that protects neonates against infections. It must be given as soon as possible after birth since its immunoglobulins are absorbed within the first 16–27 hours after birth, ideally within 2–4 hours. As a result, immunoglobulin (PIT) is the most important component of distressing infectious immunity, and a passable concentration of immunoglobulin in the blood of newborn lambs is linked to their health and survival rate. In this review, we summarized the importance of colostrum in early life and its association with neonatal lamb's survival, profitability and productivity of sheep farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]