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Background: Mucormycosis is a rare, opportunistic fungal infection with high morbidity and mortality. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) associated mucormycosis has been increasing in frequency since early 2021, particularly among patients with uncontrolled diabetes and systemic corticosteroid treatment. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to study mucormycosis occurrence in COVID-19 patients at Government General Hospital, Nizamabad – A tertiary care center and to correlate mucormycosis with comorbidities and previous treatment modalities among admitted post COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional retrospective study was done for 3 months, from June 2021 to August 2021. Fifty suspected cases of mucormycosis specimens sent to the Department of Pathology, Government General Hospital, Nizamabad for histopathological diagnosis were considered. Clinical history and treatment details were noted. Tissues obtained were fixed in 10% formalin, routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stains were done. Gomori’s methenamine silver stains were done. Results: Mucormycosis was most common in males 37 (74%) and common in the age group of 41–50 years (26%). Diabetes mellitus is the most common comorbidity (60%). The mean duration between diagnosis of COVID-19 and development of symptoms of mucor was 6–40 days. Out of 50 cases, 46 patients received steroid therapy and 39 cases were given oxygen support. Conclusion: Mucormycosis is a rapidly progressive life-threatening opportunistic infection. Post COVID-19 patients with uncontrolled diabetes are more prone to it and an important predisposing factor. Treatment with steroid therapy and oxygen support must be carefully monitored and used in a vigilant manner. Histopathological examination and clinical correlation are essential for early diagnosis and treatment.

Angiopoietin-like proteins (ANGPTL) constitute a family of eight proteins (1–8) which play a pivotal role in the regulation of various pathophysiological processes. The current study sought to identify high-risk, “non-synonymous, single-nucleotide polymorphisms” (nsSNPs) in both ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL8 to evaluate the role that these nsSNPs play in various types of cancer. We retrieved a total of 301 nsSNPs from various databases; 79 of these candidates constitute high-risk nsSNPs. Moreover, we identified eleven high-risk nsSNPs that cause various types of cancer: seven candidates for ANGPTL3 (L57H, F295L, L309F, K329M, R332L, S348C, and G409R) and four candidates for ANGPTL8 (P23L, R85W, R138S, and E148D). Protein–protein interaction analysis revealed a strong association of ANGPTL proteins with several tumor-suppressor proteins such as ITGB3, ITGAV, and RASSF5. ‘Gene-expression profiling interactive analysis’ (GEPIA) showed that expression of ANGPTL3 is significantly downregulated in five cancers: sarcoma (SARC); cholangio carcinoma (CHOL); kidney chromophobe carcinoma (KICH); kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC); and kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP). GEPIA also showed that expression of ANGPTL8 remains downregulated in three cancers: CHOL; glioblastoma (GBM); and breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA). Survival rate analysis indicated that both upregulation and downregulation of ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL8 leads to low survival rates in various types of cancer. Overall, the current study revealed that both ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL8 constitute potential prognostic biomarkers for cancer; moreover, nsSNPs in these proteins might lead to the progression of cancer. However, further in vivo investigation will be helpful to validate the role of these proteins in the biology of cancer.

The dynein motor complex mediates polarised trafficking of a wide variety of organelles, intracellular vesicles and macromolecules. These functions are dependent on the dynactin complex, which helps recruit cargoes to dynein’s tail region and activates motor movement. How dynein and dynactin orchestrate trafficking of diverse cargoes is unclear. Here, we identify HEATR5B, an interactor of the AP1 clathrin adaptor complex, as a novel player in dynein-dynactin function. HEATR5B is one of several proteins recovered in a biochemical screen for proteins whose association with the human dynein tail complex is augmented by dynactin. We show that HEATR5B binds directly to the dynein tail and dynactin and stimulates motility of AP1-associated endosomal membranes in human cells. We also demonstrate that the HEATR5B homologue inDrosophilais an essential gene that promotes dynein-based transport of AP1-bound membranes to the Golgi apparatus. As HEATR5B lacks the coiled-coil architecture typical of dynein adaptors, our data point to a non-canonical process orchestrating motor function on a specific cargo. We additionally show that HEATR5B promotes association of AP1 with endosomal membranes in a dynein-independent manner. Thus, HEATR5B co-ordinates multiple events in AP1-based trafficking.

Terrestrial life forms rely on productive soils to provide a medium for plant growth and meet most of their nutrition needs. The aim of this study was to determine the variation in soil organic carbon stocks (SOCS), micro-arthropod communities, and physicochemical properties under different crop cover in Oshikhandas valley, Karakoram Range, Pakistan. Soil samples were collected from three depths under three different crop cover types, i.e., alfalfa, wheat and potato. Standard methods were used to analyze selected soil quality parameters and SOC. Berlese-Tullgren funnel method was used for the extraction of soil microarthropods. ANOVA results showed that physicochemical parameters were non-significantly variable between different crops. At different soil depths, bulk density (BD), pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), and SOCS were highly significantly (p

The main objective of this review is to understand of pathophysiology of Kushta with special reference to psoria- sis. Sapta Dravya that is Tridosha, Twak, Raktha, Mamsa and Lasika plays an important role in pathogenesis of Kustha. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory, hyper proliferative, erythematous scaly plaques skin disease. Lang- erhans cells and other factors plays in pathology of psoriasis. In this article we tried to explain pathology of Kustha with special reference to psoriasis. Keywords: Kushta, Psoriasis

Ciliary motors locked closed by Shulin Motile cilia and flagella are vital cellular organelles with functions that include setting up the left-right body axis, clearing airways of mucus, and driving single-cell movements. Cilia beating is powered by arrays of dynein motors, the key force generators being the outer dynein arm (ODA) complexes. Using the protozoan Tetrahymena , Mali et al. identified a factor, which they name Shulin, that binds newly synthesized ODAs. Cryo–electron microscopy revealed how Shulin locks the dynein motors together by shutting off motor activity and facilitating delivery of ODAs from the cytoplasm to their final position in the cilia. Science , this issue p. 910

Pastoralists in Karakorum Mountains are experiencing rapid climatic change, causing new challenges for the pastoral systems with negative impacts on livestock herding due to shrinking pastures, declining forage productivity, and varying weather patterns. We investigated perceptions of local pastoralists about climate change and its impact on pastoralism, by interviewing 135 households in the study area. We also assessed climatic changes using meteorological data acquired during 1984–2013. The results revealed that pastoralists in the study area perceive climate change and its negative impacts on herding patterns and pastoral livelihoods. The perceived impacts on the local climate were increasing temperature and unpredictable rainfalls with extreme events. The climatic data also showed increasing trends of temperature (mean annual increase of 0.042°C) and precipitation (mean annual increase of 1.42 mm) over 1984–2013. Local people adapt to climate stresses through their traditional and local experiences. The majority of the respondents used some traditional adaptation measures such as raising the different types of livestock, rotational use of pastures, changing traditional grazing patterns, changing herd composition, building new channels to pasture lands, changing feeding strategies to cope with climate change and its consequences. These responses are not enough to cope with such large variability in climate and its adverse impacts. A better adaptation mechanism can be promoted by integrating the traditional practices with science-based improved adaptation measures.

Appropriate irrigation water quality is essential for maintaining soil properties. This study investigates numerous physicochemical properties of irrigation water in three Himalayan valleys in northern Pakistan, receiving water from different sources. A total of 36 samples (3 replicates from four points at each site) were randomly collected and analyzed following standard laboratory techniques. The results revealed that most of the physicochemical parameters were within the permissible limits as specified by FAO, USEPA, and WWF for agriculture water. However, the total dissolved solids, potassium, mercury, nickel, and cadmium were found beyond the recommended ranges. Analysis of variance indicated that the mean values of various constituents differed significantly across the sources. Among the water sources, the mix of spring and glacial meltwater was found to contain maximum parameters within the permissible limits. The study recommends further investigating the implications of the existing water quality parameters on crop productivity and human health.

Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan is highly vulnerable and hazard-prone area according to National DisasterManagerment Authority, based on frequency of avalanches, landslides, glacier lake outburst floods, rockfall and flashfloods. These hazards have been quite frequent since 2010, potentially due to changing climatic conditions and uniquetectonic setting resulting in massive destruction, economic loss and human migration. In this study, geospatial techniques(GIS/RS) were used to identify landslide hazard with elements at risk. The resultant maps will be used for betterplanning and resilience of local communities. Landslide area has been marked based on field observations (GPS data).Risk category is ranked high, medium and low based on field observations, geological setting and historical landslidedata. There are six offshoots of MKT crossing parallel to each other along KKH from Chalt to Ahmadabad. Chalt fault iscrossing nearby the Mayoon landslide, which may affect the entire valley. This study identifies landslide as a majorhazard in the area.

Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan is highly vulnerable and hazard-prone area according to National Disaster Managerment Authority, based on frequency of avalanches, landslides, glacier lake outburst floods, rockfall and flash floods. These hazardshave been quitefrequent since 2010, potentially due to changing climatic conditions and unique tectonic setting resulting in massive destruction, economic loss and human migration. In this study, geospatial techniques (GIS/RS) were used to identify landslide hazard withelements at risk. The resultant maps will be used for better planning and resilience of local communities. Landslide area has been marked based on field observations (GPS data). Risk category is ranked high, medium and low based on field observations, geological setting and historical landslide data. There are six offshoots of MKT crossing parallel to each other along KKH from Chalt to Ahmadabad. Chalt fault is crossing nearby the Mayoon landslide,which may affect the entire valley. This study identifies landslide as a major hazard in the area.

The role of community-based conservation (CBC) and natural resource management (CBNRM) in protecting ecosystems and improving socioeconomic well-being has received considerable attention, but its contribution to climate adaptation is less understood. Using a mixed-method case study approach, the current study compares two sites (Khyber and Khudaabad) in northern Pakistan with comparable socioeconomic features but varying levels of effectiveness of CBC/CBNRM programmes. The CBC in Khyber has been proactive than that of Khudaabad. The data was collected through household surveys (n = 220, 110 at each site), key informant interviews (n = 8 office-bearers of community-based organizations, 4 at each site), and extensive document review. In comparison to Khudaabad, the findings revealed that the local communities in Khyber demonstrated improved resilience to climate change because of a proactive community-based governance system, improved practices, access to social services, disaster preparedness, and improved knowledge of climate change. The study concludes that CBC/CBNRM contributes to building climate resilience among vulnerable mountain communities by strengthening social and ecological systems. The study suggests that for building the climate resilience of vulnerable communities, instead of investing in stand-alone adaptation measures, the governments must focus on ecosystem-based adaptions or integrate the specific adaptation or mitigation actions into the existing CBC/CBNRM programmes.

In this study, iron oxide (Fe3O4) was coated with ZrO2, and doped with three rare earth elements((Y/La/Ce), and a multi-staged rare earth doped zirconia adsorbent was prepared by using uniform design U14, Response Surface methodology, and orthogonal design, to remove As3+ and As5+ from the aqueous solution. Based on the results of TEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR, and N2-adsorption desorption test, the best molar ratio of Fe3O4:TMAOH:Zirconium butoxide:Y:La:Ce was selected as 1:12:11:1:0.02:0.08. The specific surface area and porosity was 263 m2/g, and 0.156 cm3/g, respectively. The isothermal curves and fitting equation parameters show that Langmuir model, and Redlich Peterson model fitted well. As per calculations of the Langmuir model, the highest adsorption capacities for As3+ and As5+ ions were recorded as 68.33 mg/g, 84.23 mg/g, respectively. The fitting curves and equations of the kinetic models favors the quasi second order kinetic model. Material regeneration was very effective, and even in the last cycle the regeneration capacities of both As3+ and As5+ were 75.15%, and 77.59%, respectively. Adsorption and regeneration results suggest that adsorbent has easy synthesis method, and reusable, so it can be used as a potential adsorbent for the removal of arsenic from aqueous solution.

In this study, iron oxide (Fe3O4) was coated with ZrO2, and doped with three rare earth elements((Y/La/Ce), and a multi-staged rare earth doped zirconia adsorbent was prepared by using uniform design U14, Response Surface methodology, and orthogonal design, to remove As3+ and As5+ from the aqueous solution. Based on the results of TEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR, and N2-adsorption desorption test, the best molar ratio of Fe3O4:TMAOH:Zirconium butoxide:Y:La:Ce was selected as 1:12:11:1:0.02:0.08. The specific surface area and porosity was 263 m2/g, and 0.156 cm3/g, respectively. The isothermal curves and fitting equation parameters show that Langmuir model, and Redlich Peterson model fitted well. As per calculations of the Langmuir model, the highest adsorption capacities for As3+ and As5+ ions were recorded as 68.33 mg/g, 84.23 mg/g, respectively. The fitting curves and equations of the kinetic models favors the quasi second order kinetic model. Material regeneration was very effective, and even in the last cycle the regeneration capacities of both As3+ and As5+ were 75.15%, and 77.59%, respectively. Adsorption and regeneration results suggest that adsorbent has easy synthesis method, and reusable, so it can be used as a potential adsorbent for the removal of arsenic from aqueous solution.

Glycosylation is a diverse and abundant modification of proteins, lipids and RNA. The fidelity of glycosylation is, in part, assured by the correct compartmentalisation of Golgi-resident glycosylation enzymes within the Golgi stack. The COPI adaptor GOLPH3 has been shown to interact with the cytoplasmic tails of a subset of Golgi enzymes and direct their retention in the Golgi. However, other mechanisms of retention, and other roles for GOLPH3, have been proposed, and a comprehensive characterisation of the clientele of GOLPH3 and its paralogue GOLPH3L has been lacking. The role of GOLPH3 is of particular interest as it is frequently amplified in several solid tumour types. Here, we combine two orthogonal proteomic analyses to identify a diverse range of GOLPH3+3L clients and find that they act in a wide spectrum of glycosylation pathways, or have other roles in the Golgi. Using binding studies, bioinformatics and an in vivo Golgi retention assay, we show that GOLPH3+3L interact with the cytoplasmic tails of their clients through membrane-proximal positively-charged residues. Furthermore, deletion of GOLPH3+3L causes diverse defects in glycosylation. Thus, GOLPH3+3L are major COPI adaptors that impinge on most, if not all, of the glycosylation pathways of the Golgi.

Soil quality is a fundamental component of environmental quality and impact of land use is also a keydetrimental factor in today’s rapid urbanization era. The study aims to evaluate the effects of different land-use type on selected soil quality indicators. Sixty soil samples were collected from various land use types, i.e, pasture, forest and agriculture from a depth of 0-15cm. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the land use type significantly affected the soil’s physical and chemical properties. The moisture content was significantly higher (p pasture land (2.9%, 1.2%) > arable land (2.5%, 1.1%). NO3-N, available P and exchangeable K did not vary significantly across land use types. However, mean values were higher for agriculture (10.2mg/kg, 4.5mg/kg, 66mg/kg) than forest (10mg/kg,3.5mg/kg, 60mg/kg) and pasture (9.8mg/kg, 4.3, 60.2mg/kg). Alpine soils are good ecological indicators because of vulnerability to environmental change, therefore, regular monitoring of soil properties along with carbon stocks is essential to maintain soil health, enhance agricultural productivity and sustain agroecosystems.

Mountainous areas of northern Pakistan are rich in biodiversity, glaciers and key watershed of Indus Riversystem which provide ecosystem services for their inhabitants. These regions have experienced extensive deforestationand are presently vulnerable by rapid land cover changes, therefore an effective assessment and monitoring is essentialto capture such changes. The aim of this study is to analyze the observed changes in land cover over a period of thirtynine years, divided into three stages (1976-1999, 1999-2008 and 2008-2015). Four images from Landsat 2Multispectral Scanner System (MSS), Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper andLandsat 8 Operation Land Imager data were obtained to detect land cover change. This study used supervisedclassification-maximum likelihood algorithm in ERDAS imagine to identify land cover changes perceived in GilgitRiver Basin, Pakistan. The result showed that the range land, glaciers, water bodies, built-up/agricultural cover are themajor categories that have been altered by the natural and anthropogenic actions. In 1976, built up/agriculture, rangeland, water bodies and glacier cover was 1.13%, 45.3%, 0.66% and 13.2%, respectively. Whereas in 2015, builtup/agriculture, range land, water bodies and glacier cover was 3.25%, 12.7%, 0.91% and 8.2%, respectively. Thesesland cover shifts posed acute threat to watershed resources. Therefore, a comprehensive watershed resourcemanagement is essential or otherwise, these resources will deplete rapidly and no longer be capable of playing their rolein socioeconomic and sustainable environmental development of the area

Mountainous areas of northern Pakistan are rich in biodiversity, glaciers and key watershed of Indus River system which provide ecosystem services for their inhabitants. These regions have experienced extensive deforestation and are presently vulnerable by rapid land cover changes, therefore an effective assessment and monitoring is essential to capture such changes. The aim of this study is to analyze the observed changes in land cover over a period of thirty-nine years, divided into three stages (1976-1999, 1999-2008 and 2008-2015). Four images from Landsat 2 Multispectral Scanner System (MSS), Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper and Landsat 8 Operation Land Imager data were obtained to detect land cover change. This study used supervised classification-maximum likelihood algorithm in ERDAS imagine to identify land cover changes perceived in Gilgit River Basin, Pakistan. The result showed that the range land, glaciers, water bodies, built-up/agricultural cover are the major categories that have been altered by the natural and anthropogenic actions. In 1976, built up/agriculture, range land, water bodies and glacier cover was 1.13%, 45.3%, 0.66% and 13.2%, respectively. Whereas in 2015, built up/agriculture, range land, water bodies and glacier cover was 3.25%, 12.7%, 0.91% and 8.2%, respectively. Theses land cover shifts posed acute threat to watershed resources. Therefore, a comprehensive watershed resource management is essential or otherwise, these resources will deplete rapidly and no longer be capable of playing their role in socioeconomic and sustainable environmental development of the area

This study deals with the synthesis of benzophenone sulfonamides hybrids (1–31) and screening against urease enzyme in vitro. Studies showed that several synthetic compounds were found to have good urease enzyme inhibitory activity. Compounds 1 (N′-((4′-hydroxyphenyl)(phenyl)methylene)-4′′-nitrobenzenesulfonohydrazide), 2 (N′-((4′-hydroxyphenyl)(phenyl)methylene)-3′′-nitrobenzenesulfonohydrazide), 3 (N′-((4′-hydroxyphenyl)(phenyl)methylene)-4′′-methoxybenzenesulfonohydrazide), 4 (3′′,5′′-dichloro-2′′-hydroxy-N′-((4′-hydroxyphenyl)(phenyl)methylene)benzenesulfonohydrazide), 6 (2′′,4′′-dichloro-N′-((4′-hydroxyphenyl)(phenyl)methylene)benzenesulfonohydrazide), 8 (5-(dimethylamino)-N′-((4-hydroxyphenyl)(phenyl)methylene)naphthalene-1-sulfono hydrazide), 10 (2′′-chloro-N′-((4′-hydroxyphenyl)(phenyl)methylene)benzenesulfonohydrazide), 12 (N′-((4′-hydroxyphenyl)(phenyl)methylene)benzenesulfonohydrazide) have found to be potently active having an IC50 value in the range of 3.90–17.99 µM. These compounds showed superior activity than standard acetohydroxamic acid (IC50 = 29.20 ± 1.01 µM). Moreover, in silico studies on most active compounds were also performed to understand the binding interaction of most active compounds with active sites of urease enzyme. Structures of all the synthetic compounds were elucidated by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, EI-MS and FAB-MS spectroscopic techniques.

Introduction: Broad ligament pregnancy also known as inter ligamentous pregnancy is a rare type of ectopic pregnancy. It is one type of secondary abdominal pregnancy. Although ultrasonography is usually helpful in making the diagnosis but it is mostly established during laparotomy. Very few successful live births have been reported in this condition, where such pregnancies reached term and with live birth of a baby. Case Report: A case of 30 year old 2nd gravida of 38 weeks gestation with lower abdominal pain for 20 hours was admitted into Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital, Barishal; Bangladesh. She was suggested for caesarean section as the ultrasonogram revealed transverse lie with complete placenta praevia. Intraoperative diagnosis of right sided broad ligament pregnancy was made and an incision was given on the anterior leaf of the broad ligament and a male live fetus was extracted. Post operative period was uneventful. Both mother and baby were discharged on seventh postoperative day in good health condition. Discussion: Broad ligament pregnancy usually results from rupture of tubal pregnancy through the tubal serosa and the mesosalpinx, with secondary implantation of trophoblast between the leaves of broad ligament. Incidence of broad ligament pregnancy is reported as 1 in 300 ectopic pregnancies. The prognosis is poor with the risk of dying from an abdominal pregnancy is 7.7 times higher than from other forms of ectopic pregnancy and often results from a delay in diagnosis. Trans-vaginal rather than transabdominal ultrasonography is superior in the evaluation of ectopic pregnancy. If there is no intrauterine pregnancy on ultrasonography and the ectopic sac is beside the lower part of the uterus a strong suspicion of broad ligament ectopic should be considered. Very rarely such pregnancy may reach up to term. Bleeding from placental implantation site is the most life-threatening complication during laparotomy. Conclusion: Abdominal pregnancy with resultant healthy newborn is very rare. High level of suspicion, careful clinical and ultrasound examinations are the routine means of diagnosis. Bleeding is the single most important life-threatening complication for the mother. Early diagnosis and proper management are vital in order to decrease maternal morbidity. Medicine Today 2019 Vol.31(1): 60-63

Proximity labelling provides a powerful in vivo tool to characterize the proteome of sub-cellular structures and the interactome of specific proteins. Using the highly active biotin ligase TurboID, we optimize a proximity labelling protocol for C. elegans. We use this protocol to characterise the proteomes of the worm’s gut, muscle, skin, and nervous system. We express TurboID exclusively in the pair of AFD neurons and show we can identify known and previously unknown proteins expressed selectively in AFD. We knock TurboID into the endogenous elks-1 gene, which encodes a presynaptic active zone protein. We identify many known ELKS-1 interacting proteins as well as previously uncharacterised synaptic proteins. Versatile vectors, and the inherent advantage of C. elegans for biochemistry, make proximity labelling a valuable addition to the nematode’s armory.TeaserWe optimize a TurboID proximity labeling protocol for C. elegans and use it to characterize tissue and synaptic proteomes

The main force generators in eukaryotic cilia and flagella are axonemal outer dynein arms (ODAs). During cilio-genesis, these ∼1.8 MDa complexes are assembled in the cytoplasm and targeted to cilia via an unknown mechanism. Here we use the ciliate Tetrahymena to identify two novel factors (Q22YU3 and Q22MS1) which bind ODAs in the cytoplasm and are required for their delivery to cilia. We show that Q22YU3, which we name Shulin, locks the ODA motor domains into a closed conformation and inhibits motor activity. Cryo-EM reveals how Shulin stabilizes this compact form of ODAs by binding to the dynein tails. Our findings provide a molecular explanation for how newly assembled dyneins are packaged for delivery to the cilia.

Brain barrier and support in a dish Deep within the brain, the choroid plexus filters blood and secretes cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a nutrient-rich liquid that bathes and supports the brain and protects it from entry of toxic compounds. Current understanding of this vital tissue in humans is limited. Pellegrini et al. developed choroid plexus organoids that quantitatively predict human brain permeability of small molecules and secrete an isolated CSF-like fluid (see the Perspective by Silva-Vargas and Doetsch). This CSF model reveals secretion of developmental factors and disease-related biomarkers by key cell types and provides a testing ground for drug entry into the brain. Science , this issue p. eaaz5626 ; see also p. 143

not available J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2019; 37(1): 43-45

Proximity labeling provides a powerful in vivo tool to characterize the proteome of subcellular structures and the interactome of specific proteins. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is one of the most intensely studied organisms in biology, offering many advantages for biochemistry. Using the highly active biotin ligase TurboID, we optimize here a proximity labeling protocol for C. elegans. An advantage of TurboID is that biotin's high affinity for streptavidin means biotin-labeled proteins can be affinity-purified under harsh denaturing conditions. By combining extensive sonication with aggressive denaturation using SDS and urea, we achieved near-complete solubilization of worm proteins. We then used this protocol to characterize the proteomes of the worm gut, muscle, skin, and nervous system. Neurons are among the smallest C. elegans cells. To probe the method's sensitivity, we expressed TurboID exclusively in the two AFD neurons and showed that the protocol could identify known and previously unknown proteins expressed selectively in AFD. The active zones of synapses are composed of a protein matrix that is difficult to solubilize and purify. To test if our protocol could solubilize active zone proteins, we knocked TurboID into the endogenous elks-1 gene, which encodes a presynaptic active zone protein. We identified many known ELKS-1-interacting active zone proteins, as well as previously uncharacterized synaptic proteins. Versatile vectors and the inherent advantages of using C. elegans, including fast growth and the ability to rapidly make and functionally test knock-ins, make proximity labeling a valuable addition to the armory of this model organism.

Soil organic carbon tends to respond more sensitively to climate change and land use intensification in ecologically fragile and economically marginal regions of mountainous areas. This study aims to evaluate the soil organic carbon stock dynamic across various land uses at different altitudes in the Bagrot valley, Northern Karakoram, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Soil samples from 0–20, 20–40 and 40–60 cm depth were collected from three land uses: pasture, forest, and adjacently located arable land at different altitude (ranging from 2100–4163 m). The variables investigated were soil bulk density (BD), soil organic carbon concentration (SOC), soil organic carbon stock (SOCS) and pH. A significant variation in all tested variables were found across the land uses and altitudes. Likewise, soil under forest had significantly higher values of SOCS (59.35 Mg ha−1) than pasture (42.48 Mg ha−1) and arable land (23.63 Mg ha−1). Similarly, SOCS increased with increasing altitude and decreased with soil depth...

Livestock depredation has particular significance in pastoral societies across the Himalayas. The dynamics of depredation by the snow leopard Panthera uncia and wolf Canis lupus were investigated by means of household surveys in the Hushey Valley, in the Karakoram Mountains of Pakistan. During 2008–2012 90% of the households in the valley lost livestock to snow leopards and wolves, accounting for 0.8 animals per household per year. The cost of depredation per household was equivalent to PKR 9,853 (USD 101), or 10% of the mean annual cash income. The majority (41%) of predation incidents occurred in summer pastures, predominantly at night in open spaces. Of the total number of predation incidents, 60% were attributed to snow leopards and 37% to wolves; in 3% of cases the predator was unknown. As an immediate response to predation the majority of the local people (64%, n = 99) opted to report the case to their Village Conservation Committee for compensation and only 1% preferred to kill the predator; 32% did not respond to predation incidents. The perceived causes of predation were poor guarding (77%), reduction in wild prey (13%), and livestock being the favourite food of predators (10%). The most preferred strategies for predator management, according to the respondents, were enhanced guarding of livestock (72%), followed by increasing the availability of wild prey (18%), and lethal control (10%). Livestock depredation causing economic loss may lead to retaliatory killing of threatened predators. For carnivore conservation and livestock security in this area we recommend improved livestock guarding through collective hiring of skilled shepherds and the use of guard dogs.

This preliminary research was conducted to evaluate the alpine stream health by using water quality as an indicator in Khunjerab National park of the Karakoram ranges located in Pak-China boarder Pakistan having altitude of 3660 m. This study investigated the stream health in the context of the presence or absence of sensitive species, their diversity, and their taxa richness. The water and macroinvertebrate samples were collected from 17 different locations from upstream and downstream of the river by using random sampling method. Macroinvertebrate samples were obtained using kick net (500-μm mesh size) and hand-picking method (NYSDEC). A total of 710 counts including 41 families of macroinvertebrates were recorded comprising of 7 orders including: Ephemeroptera (46%) being the most dominant group, Plecoptera (33%), Trichoptera (5%), Chironomidae (Diptera) (14%), Heteroptera (1%), and Coleoptera (1%). Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, and Plecoptera (EPT) were found in abundance at the main source, Qarchanai, Dhee, and Tourqeen Nullah, as compared to the other locations of the stream. The most dominant macroinvertebrate was Ephemeroptera whose relative abundance is Pi = 0.49 by using the Shannon index. However, different statistical tools, including principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis (CA), ANOVA, and linear regression model, show a strong correlation between water quality and macroinvertebrates. The overall results of the biological indicators showed better ecological health at downstream compared to upstream. This study will provide basic information and understanding about the macroinvertebrates for future researchers, and the data will be helpful for upcoming research programs on alpine streams for the discovery and occurrences of macroinvertebrates and associated fauna.

The GTPases of the Ras superfamily regulate cell growth, membrane traffic and the cytoskeleton, and a wide range of diseases are caused by mutations in particular members. They function as switchable landmarks with the active GTP-bound form recruiting to the membrane a specific set of effector proteins. The GTPases are precisely controlled by regulators that promote acquisition of GTP (GEFs) or its hydrolysis to GDP (GAPs). We report here MitoID, a method for identifying effectors and regulators by performing in vivo proximity biotinylation with mitochondrially-localized forms of the GTPases. Applying this to 11 human Rab GTPases identified many known effectors and GAPs, as well as putative novel effectors, with examples of the latter validated for Rab2, Rab5 and Rab9. MitoID can also efficiently identify effectors and GAPs of Rho and Ras family GTPases such as Cdc42, RhoA, Rheb, and N-Ras, and can identify GEFs by use of GDP-bound forms.