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The effect of of carbamate pesticides (Oxamyl) on some parameters of cytogenetics of human peripheral blood lymphocytes was studied. These parameters were induction of chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and it's types; and formation of Micronuclei (Mn); in addition to estimating the mitotic index (MI) of cultured cells. The concentrations used were (0.1, 0.5, 5, 25, 50) × 10 -5 M which were added to lymphocyte cultures. Results indicated that the concentrations induced the CAs as the concentrations increased with positive correlation coefficient (r = + 0.904). Abnormalities in the control treatment were mainly as chromosomal breaks , these increased to 2 , 4 , 4 , 10 , 18 respectively and were with significant differences compared to control treatment (P0.01), but started to decline at concentrations 5, 25, 50 × 10 -5 M and the values were 1.77, 1.5, 1.33 respectively compared to control treatment (2.5) with significant difference (P

Pesticides effect human cytogenetic parameters adversely. This negative effect can be monitored in peripheral blood lymphocytes. The study conducted to investigate the effect of pesticides (mixture) on some cytogenetic parameters in risk groups represented by farmers, pesticide sellers and pesticide manufacture workers (all of them were men ), each group involved 25 person in addition to control group (25 men) from Baghdad university staff. The cytogenetic parameters studied were; estimation of chromosomal aberrations (CA), induction of micronuclei (Mn) and mitotic index ( MI ). Results showed that the chromosomal aberrations spontaneous was less than 1% (Control group ), then these abnormalities increased in farmer, sellers and pesticides workers (1.48 % , 2.86 % , 3.42 % respectively ) . Mn profile was similar to CA as represented direte or indirect parameter. MI in farmers was with no significance compared to control group (1.72) (P

The Chinkara gazelle (Gazella bennettii), an endangered species, faces a serious threat from anthropogenic activities and climate change. In Balochistan, climate change and drought have created extremely challenging circumstances for its survival. The population status of many species cannot be determined due to a lack of data. If the current situation persists, there is a high risk of extinction for this species in its natural habitat. The purpose of this study was to examine the population dynamics and distribution patterns of Chinkara gazelle in the Khuzdar and Lasbela districts of Balochistan, Pakistan. The study covered an area of approximately 45,123.97 km² and involved a double-observer survey at six sites from 2019 to 2022, using the BBRecapture package in the R programming language. The study detected a decreasing population trend in the Chinkara population over a four-year period. A population of 700, 683, 613 and 583 individuals were observed in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively. Rocky shrub land consistently recorded the highest number of chinkara sightings among various habitats. This study provides valuable information about the Chinkara gazelle population, including population trends, gender ratios, habitat preferences, and density. The findings contribute significantly to our understanding of the species and will be used to develop local-level conservation initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

تهدف الدراسة الى توضيح على تقنية Blockchain والمجالات التي يمكن تطبيقها، فضلاً عن استخدام هذه التقنية في تطوير الانظمة المحاسبية وزيادة جودة المعلومات المحاسبية لتسهيل عملية اتخاذ القرارات المتعلقة بمنح الائتمان، وكذلك بيان دور هذه التقنية في التنبؤات المستقبلية وتحسين إدارة المخاطر الائتمانية. ولتحقيق اهداف الدراسة، تم اعتماد منهج البراغماتي التي تمزج بين المنهجين الاستقرائي والاستنباطي لمناقشة أساسيات تقنية Blockchain وأهم آثارها المحاسبية من خلال استمارة استبانة المخصصة لأخذ آراء الأكاديميين والمهنيين من الأساتذة العاملين في الجامعات الحكومية العراقية وإقليم كوردستان. وتوصلت نتائج هذا البحث الى وجود تأثير تقنية Blockchain في تحسين إدارة المخاطر الائتمانية. وان هذا التأثير جاءت نتيجة التغيرات التي حصلت في مستوى تحسين إدارة المخاطر الائتمانية ناتج عن التغير في مستوى استخدام تقنية Blockchain.

Background: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), a cardiac hormone produced by ventricular myocytes, plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure and fluid volume. Although serum BNP level increases with age in normals, this response and possible sex variations in the presence of drug-induced myocardial injury need to be explored further. Methods: Twenty-four Wistar rats were separated into two groups, the controls and doxorubicin-myocardial injury (DOX-MI) model group. Each group was further subdivided into aged (100–104 weeks) and young (13–14 weeks), having an equal number of males and females (n = 3). The DOX-MI Model group was given 2.5 mg/kg DOX through intra-peritoneal injection on alternate days to a cumulative dose of 12.5 mg/kg. Blood samples were then collected and centrifuged at 3000 g for 15 min and serum BNP analysis was conducted using BNP ELISA Kit (BIOTUVA LIFE SCIENCES, UK). Results: BNP was significantly lower (P = 0.003) in the aged (100–104 weeks) DOX-MI-model group compared to aged controls. Similarly, it was lower in the young (13–14 weeks) DOX-MI-Model group than the young controls, but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.16). The analysis between aged and young rats within each group indicated significantly higher BNP levels in the aged rats compared to the young in both groups (P = 0.01 for aged vs. young DOX-MI-Model and P = 0.02 for aged vs. young controls). Conclusion: DOX-induced-MI has caused a significant reduction in BNP production in the aged rats (100–104 weeks) compared to the young (13–14 weeks).

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the major trichothecene mycotoxins commonly found in grains, in particular barley. This study focused on the reduction of DON concentration on barley samples using atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) treatment. The effects of moisture content, post-treatment storage, and relative humidity of air on DON degradation on barley were evaluated. Additionally, the germination and the quality parameters of barley, including protein content, β-glucan, and moisture content, were evaluated. The results showed that ACP treatment for 6 and 10 min reduced DON concentration by 48.9% and 54.4%, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the DON degradation levels by increasing the moisture content of barley from 9.5 to 15.7 g water/100 g sample and relative humidity of air from 12 to 60%. Steeping of barley grains without subsequent drying prior to ACP treatment significantly increased the degradation rate of DON by ACP due to the presence of water on the grain surface. No significant differences were observed for the tested quality parameters of barley in comparison with control samples. This study shows that ACP may offer an effective DON reduction in barley without affecting the quality attributes. However, ACP treatment parameters should be optimized to achieve a better DON reduction efficacy.

One of the biggest issues the world is currently experiencing is the scarcity of pure water due to the contamination of pure water by human activities. Highly efficient, semiconducting photocatalytic materials have great potential as future catalytic materials for facilitating the clean-up process of contaminated water. Among the many semiconductor photocatalysts, non-metal-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles have attracted special attention in the scientific field for environmental remediation applications. The present paper reports an easy and viable synthesis of C-, N-, and S-based ZnO semiconductor photocatalysts through a simple heating method. The structural changes in the obtained samples were studied using XRD, TG/DTA, and FT-IR analyses, and morphological examinations were performed using TEM and SEM. The quantification of non-metal dopants was carried out using CNS and XPS analyses. The surface areas of the samples were analyzed using the BET method and the band energies of the samples were measured using UV-vis-diffuse reflectance Kubelka-Munk plots. Photoactivity studies were performed and revealed that the utilized in situ method resulted in the development of high-performance sulphur - (81.4%, k = 1.951 × 10 -2 min -1 ), nitrogen - (78.5%, k = 2.271 × 10 -2 min -1 ), and carbon - (67.2%, k = 1.392 × 10 -2 min -1 ) doped ZnO photocatalysts. As revealed through XPS and UV analyses, a possible electron-transfer mechanism is suggested, wherein electronic transition occurred from different sub-bands when non-metal elements were introduced into the ZnO lattice. The study paves the way for the bulk-scale fabrication of doped nanoparticles through a simple heating method, whereby the unique combination of the present method with bandgap engineering will ultimately produce advanced non-metal-based ZnO photocatalysts that could find useful applications in sustainable industrial sectors., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Livestock herding is a vital practice in Balochistan, contributing to the economy and culture. The livestock sector is significant in Balochistan, providing 20% of the national stock. Large predators and their prey species, including livestock, have coexisted in these mountainous landscapes for centuries. The aim of the present research is to investigate the impacts of livestock depredation by large predators on livelihoods and predator conservation in two districts of Balochistan, Pakistan. A human-carnivore conflict survey was conducted from July to September 2019, collecting data from 311 residents in a selected study area. Large predators in the study area preyed on a total of 876 livestock during a one-year period, including 560 goats, 292 sheep, 19 cows, and 5 donkeys. The gray wolf is the leading predator, responsible for 66.3% of livestock depredation, followed by the caracal (24.3%), Asiatic jackal (8.9%), and striped hyena (0.6%). The total economic loss was USD 78,694. Overall, 80% of respondents had a negative perception of wolves compared to 24.4% for caracals. Only 20.6% of respondents knew about the importance of conserving carnivores. Livestock depredation by carnivores in the study area created a negative perception of these animals among people. There is a lack of awareness about the importance of conserving carnivore species and their role in the ecosystem. This lack of understanding has ultimately led to detrimental effects on predator populations. It is imperative to raise awareness among people about the ecological significance of carnivores through community meetings, seminars in educational institutions, and providing basic education to herders about effective livestock guarding practices.

Objective: To determine the incidence of pressure injuries (PIs) and their impact on clinical outcomes in patients treated with prone positioning for COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)., Method: All patients with COVID-19 ARDS who were treated with prone positioning were categorised as cases and those who were not treated with prone positioning were categorised as controls. Demographics, clinical data and confounding variables affecting outcomes were recorded. Outcome variables of mortality and length of stay in intensive care units (ICUs) for both groups were recorded. Both groups' incidence of PIs were recorded and compared using statistical tests. Fisher's exact test was used for categorical variables, and Mann-Whitney U test was used for continuous variables., Results: The sample included 212 patients, treated with prone position (n=104) and without prone treatment (n=108). The incidence of PIs was n=75 (35.4%). PIs were significantly higher in patients in the prone position (n=51, 49%) compared with patients who were not (n=24, 22%); p=0.001. Patients in the prone position were found to have lower APACHE-2 scores, longer stays on the ventilator, ICU and in the hospital., Conclusion: PIs are more prevalent in patients in the prone position and it adversely impacts clinical outcomes; it prolongs the length of stay on the ventilator, in the ICU and in the hospital.

Background: Most chemotherapeutics used in cancer therapies exhibit considerable side effects to the patients. Thus, developing new chemo agents to treat cancer patients with minimal toxic and side effects is urgently needed. Recently, the combination of different chemotherapeutics has become a promising strategy to treat malignancies. Thymoquinone (TQ) is a primary bioactive compound derived from the folk medicinal plant Nigella sativa, which has been found an antitumor, chemopreventive and chemopotentiating agent against human neoplastic diseases., Purpose: We briefly summarize the current research of the biomolecular mechanisms of TQ and evaluate the existing literature on TQ adjuvant therapies against various cancers., Method: The data in this review were gathered by several search engines including, Google Scholar, PubMed and ScienceDirect. We highlighted and classified the outcomes of both in vitro and in vivo experiments of TQ adjuvant therapies against human cancers and their chemopreventive activities on vital organs., Results: Several studies have shown that TQ synergistically potentiated the antitumor activity of numerous chemo agents against human neoplastic disease, including lung, breast, liver, colorectal, skin, prostate, stomach, bone and blood cancers. TQ also acted as a chemopreventive agent and reduced the toxicity of many chemo agents to vital organs, such as the heart, liver, kidneys and lungs., Conclusion: In summary, we highly recommend an advanced evaluation of TQ adjuvant therapies at the level of preclinical and clinical trials, which could lead to a novel combinatorial therapy for cancer treatment with low or tolerable adverse effects on patients., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Background: Nigella sativa, or commonly called black cumin is a small herb of family Ranunculaceae is a well-known medicinal plant but its effects on tissue mineral concentrations of animal bodies is unknown., Purpose: To study the effect of oral administration of fixed oil of black cumin seeds on tissues mineral content using laboratory rats as experimental model., Study Design: Experimental animals were exposed to two oral doses of seed oil (60 and 120 ml kg -1 body weight). Short- and long term experiments lasted 24 h and 60 days respectively, with three replicates each., Methods: Oil extracted from black cumin seeds was subjected to GC-MS to identify chemical components. Following the wet digestion in nitric acid, samples of whole blood and organs of rats were subjected to atomic absorption spectrophotometry for determination of elements concentrations. Data were compared statistically at p < .05., Results: Compared to control, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn showed decrease, whereas Co, Na, Mg and K demonstrated increase, but Ca showed both increase and decrease in most of the tissues upon short term exposure to low and high doses of black cumin oil. During long term exposure, Cr, Fe, Mn, Cu exhibited decrease; Co, Na, Mg and Ca concentrations demonstrated an upregulation, whereas Ni and Zn showed increase and decrease in most of the tissues. Comparison of short term with long term experiments at low dose revealed increases in Fe, Zn, Cu, Mg, K and Ca, a decrease in Cr, Mn, Ni and Cu in most tissues, but both increase and decrease in Na. At high dose, an increase occurred in Fe, Ni, Zn, K, Ca, Mg, a decrease in Cr, while both increase and decrease in Cu, Co and Na concentrations., Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that oral administration of black cumin seeds oil to laboratory rats significantly alters tissue trace elements and electrolytes concentrations. The study appears beneficial but indicates modulatory role of black cumin oil as regards mineral metabolism with far reaching implications in health and disease., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

Objective: To confirm that either Fibrinolytic therapy or open decortication which of the two is an effective First line treatment of pleural empyema., Methods: This prospective comparative study was conducted in the department of surgery Sheikh Zayed Medical College and Hospital, Rahim Yaar Khan. Seventy eight (78) patients were included in this study. There were two groups of patients; Group I (n=35) patients treated with fibrinolytic therapy, Group II (n=43) patients treated with open decortication. Data was entered and analyzed in SPSS v16. Student's t-test was used for comparison of quantitative variables. Chi-square and Fisher's Exact test were used for comparison of qualitative variables. P-value ≤ 0.05 was taken as significant difference., Results: There was no significant difference in base baseline characteristics of patients of Group I and II. Incidence of comorbidities was also same between the groups. Most of the patients in Group I and II were in empyema stage III. Fluid cultures was positive in 33 (94.3%) patients in group I and 39 (90.7%) patients in group II. 30 (85.7%) was successfully treated using fibrinolytic therapy but this therapy failed in five (14.3%) patients, two of these patients expired within the hospital. There was only one (2.3%) treatment failure in open decortication Group that patient expired within the hospital (p-value 0.04). Overall duration of hospitalization was significantly high in fibrinolytic group, this was 17.6± 1.95 days versus 12.09± 2.18 days in open decortication group (p-value<0.0001). There was no significant difference regarding operative mortality within the two groups., Conclusion: Open Drainage is associated with better outcomes as compared to fibrinolytic therapy when used as a First line treatment of empyema.

A hybrid probabilistic modeling approach that integrates artificial neural networks (ANNs) with statistical Bayesian conditional probability estimation is proposed. The suggested approach benefits from the power of ANNs as highly flexible nonlinear mapping paradigms, and the Bayes' theorem for computing probabilities of bacterial growth with the aid of Parzen's probability distribution function estimators derived for growth and no-growth (G/NG) states. The proposed modeling approach produces models that can predict the probability of growth of targeted microorganism as affected by a set of parameters pertaining to extrinsic factors and operating conditions. The models also can be used to define the probabilistic boundary (interface) between growth and no-growth, and as such can define and predict the values of critical parameters required to keep a desired pre-specified bacterial growth risk in check. A modular system incorporating the various computational modules was constructed to illustrate the application of the hybrid approach to the probabilistic modeling of growth of pathogenic Escherichia coli strain as affected by temperature and water activity. The proposed approach was compared to other techniques including the traditional linear and nonlinear logistic regression. Results indicated that the hybrid approach outperforms the other approaches in its accuracy as well as flexibility to extract the implicit interrelationships between the various parameters. Advantages and limitations of the approach were also discussed and compared to those of other techniques.