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ABSTRACT: Our objectives were to develop and evaluate an integrated system consisting of a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) and an electronic portable imaging device for determination of pregnancy status of cows based on plasma concentrations of pregnancy-specific protein B (PSPB). Experiment 1 was conducted to test the performance of the LFIA for PSPB (PSPB-LFIA), whereas experiment 2 was conducted to evaluate the performance of the integrated system, including both the LFIA and imaging device. The PSPB-LFIA strips were made of nitrocellulose membrane with polystreptavidin, anti-mouse antibody, europium anti-PSPB conjugates, and biotin PSPB. After adding buffer and plasma in a 96-well plate, strips were dipped to initiate flow and were read in a fluorescence microscope to estimate PSPB concentrations based on the test-to-control line signal (T/C ratio). The T/C ratio of standards was linearly associated with PSPB (R2 = 0.99 in both experiments) concentrations. To test the ability to identify pregnant cows of the PSPB-LFIA only or the integrated system, plasma samples were collected and transrectal ultrasonography (TUS) was conducted 29 to 35 d after AI in lactating Holstein cows (experiment 1: n = 83; experiment 2: n = 205). A cow was considered pregnant (Preg) if concentrations of PSPB in plasma obtained by ELISA were ≥2 ng/mL or if an embryo was visible by TUS. In experiment 1, the accuracy of the PSPB-LFIA compared with ELISA was 92.7% (91.2% sensitivity [Se]; 96.1% specificity [Sp]; 98.1% positive predictive value [PPV]; 83.3% negative predictive value [NPV]) and compared with TUS was 90.4% (100% Se; 78.9% Sp; 84.9% PPV; 100% NPV). The agreement between LFIA and ELISA (kappa = 0.84; 95% CI 0.71–0.96) or LFIA and TUS (kappa = 0.80; 95% CI 0.67–0.93) as methods to classify cows as Preg or nonpregnant (Non-Preg) was high. In experiment 2, the accuracy of the PSPB-LFIA compared with ELISA was 96.1% (93.8% Se; 100% Sp; 100% PPV; 90.5% NPV) and compared with TUS was 92.2% (99.0% Se; 84.7% Sp; 87.6% PPV; 98.8% NPV). The agreement between LFIA and ELISA (kappa = 0.92; 95% CI 0.86–0.97) or LFIA and TUS (kappa = 0.84; 95% CI 0.77–0.92) as methods to classify cows as Preg or Non-Preg was high. We conclude that a system integrating a fluorescence-based LFIA and an optical reader was effective for classifying cows as pregnant or not pregnant based on estimations of plasma concentrations of PSPB. This novel system serves as a platform for further development of on-farm pregnancy testing tools based on measurement of biomarkers of pregnancy in bodily fluids of cattle.

Owing to rapid progress in field of nanotechnology, various mathematical model has been proposed regarding the flow of nanofluids. Based on boosted thermal properties, multidisciplinary applications of such materials has been claimed in various engineering and industrial processes. In current work, a theoretical analysis is performed for bioconvective flow of Carreau fluid with applications of magnetic dipole. The significance of magnetic dipole are presented with interaction of ferrofluid. The applications of viscous dissipation have also been entertained. The flow is subject to applications of stretched surface. Similarity variables are used for making transformation to obtain set of nonlinear ODEs from set of PDEs. The numerical computation is also made by using of well-known numerical method termed as bvp4c. Influences of various non dimensional fluid parameters like Brownian motion, viscous dissipation, Curie temperature, Weissenberg number, motile difference parameter and bioconvection Paclet number are examined and expressed graphically. It is perceived that ferrofluid's concentration declines when Brownian diffusive variable is augmented while opposite characteristics are reported for Schmidt number. Current results conveying applications in the biofuels, better heat transport medium, fertilizers, catalysts, electronics, paints, semiconductors, speakers, drug delivery, fertilizers etc.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple food and major source of dietary calories in Pakistan. Improving wheat varieties with higher grain yield and disease resistance is a prime objective. The knowledge of genetic behaviour of germplasm is key. To achieve this objective, elite wheat varieties were crossed in 4 by 3, line × tester design, and tested in 2019 in a triplicate yield trial to estimate genetic variance, general and specific combining ability, mid-parent heterosis and stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis L.). High grain 3358 kg·ha–1 was recorded in F1 hybrid (ZRG-79 × PAK-13). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant genotypic variance in grain yield. Broad sense heritability (H2) was recorded in the range of 28 to 100 %. General combining ability (GCA) significant for grain yield in parents except FSD-08 and PS-05 was recorded, while specific combining ability (SCA) was recorded to be highly significant for grain yield only in two crosses (ZRG-79 × NR-09 and ZRG-79 × PAK-13). Mid-parent heterosis was estimated in the range of –28 to 62.6 %. Cross combinations ZRG-79 × PAK-13 depicted highly significant mid-parent heterosis (62.6 %). Highly significant correlation was observed among spike length, spikelets per spike, plant height and 1000-grain weight. Rust resistance index was recorded in the range of 0 to 8.5. These findings suggest exploitation of GCA for higher grain yield is important due to the presence of additive gene action and selection in the filial generations will be effective with improved rust resistance, while cross combinations ZRG-79 × PAK-13 high GCA are best suited for hybrid development.

Tin oxide (SnO2), with its low resistivity properties and high transparency in the visible spectrum, makes it an attractive electron transfer layer (ETL) for use in perovskite solar cells. Here, we use two techniques, coprecipitation and solvothermal, to synthesize pure and 4% copper-doped SnO2. The X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the films synthesized using both methods have a crystalline structure with a tetragonal arrangement. Furthermore, the lack of any secondary peaks indicated the absence of mixed tin oxide (Sn2O4) or copper oxide (CuO) components. Additionally, it demonstrated that adding a 4% Cu doping concentration reduced the crystal size in both methods. The optical results indicate adequate transmission in the central range of the visible spectrum. Calculations were performed to find the energy gap of pure SnO2 in both techniques to be 3.85 eV and 4.17 eV, respectively. When we doped SnO2 with 4% Cu, this band gap energy decreased to 3.75 eV and 3.9 eV. Furthermore, with 4% Cu doping, the particle size decreases, as demonstrated by FESEM. The EDX spectroscopy images revealed that the synthesized nanoparticles consisted of copper, oxygen, and tin. The analysis of functional groups using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and the roughness analysis using AFM images showed a decrease in roughness from 46.1 nm to 12.3 nm in doped samples prepared by solvothermal synthesis, compared to those synthesized by the coprecipitation technique from 4.7 nm to 0.3 nm. We discovered that Cu plays an essential role in reducing nanocrystalline SnO2 particle sizes. In addition, the solvothermal technique is more impressive than coprecipitation in the synthesis of tin oxide nanostructure.

Abstract Aims ARIADNE aimed to assess the association between effects of sacubitril/valsartan and no sacubitril/valsartan treatment and clinical characteristics, functional capacity, and clinical outcomes (cause‐specific mortality and hospitalizations) in outpatients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Methods ARIADNE was a prospective European registry of 9069 patients with HFrEF treated by office‐based cardiologists or selected primary care physicians. Of the 8787 eligible for analysis, 4173 patients were on conventional HF treatment (non‐S/V group), whereas 4614 patients were either on sacubitril/valsartan treatment at enrolment or started sacubitril/valsartan within 1 month of enrolment (S/V group). We also generated a restricted analysis set (rS/V) including only those 2108 patients who started sacubitril/valsartan treatment within the month prior to or after enrolment. Results At the baseline, average age of patients enrolled in the study was 68 years, and 23.9% (2099/8787) were female. At the baseline, the proportions of patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III symptoms were 30.9 (1288/4173), 42.8 (1974/4614), and 48.2% (1015/2108), in non‐S/V, S/V, and rS/V groups, respectively. After 12 months of treatment, the proportion of patients with NYHA Class III at baseline who improved to Class II was 32.0% (290/907) in the non‐S/V group vs. 46.3% (648/1399) in S/V group and 48.7% (349/717) in rS/V group. The overall mortality rate was 5.0 per 100 patient‐years. Rates of HF hospitalizations were high (20.9, 20.3, and 21.2 per 100 patient‐years in the non‐S/V, S/V, and rS/V groups, respectively). Emergency room visits without hospitalization occurred in 3.9, 3.2, and 3.9% of patients in the non‐S/V, S/V, and rS/V groups, respectively. Conclusions This large HFrEF European registry provides a contemporary outcome profile of outpatients with HFrEF treated with or without sacubitril/valsartan. In a real‐world setting, sacubitril/valsartan was associated with an improvement of symptoms in patients with HFrEF compared with the conventional HFrEF treatment.

Integration of 5D Building Information Modeling (BIM) into large rail projects has the potential to significantly enhance cost management and control. Nevertheless, 5D-BIM implementation has encountered difficulties stemming from technical, functional, and governance-related factors. This paper builds a conceptual framework to support financial decision making, enhances project management, and promotes efficient project delivery. The framework encompasses a set of interrelated elements that include project governance, BIM policies and standards, digital platforms, BIM LOD, cost-estimation classification, and continuous improvement. The proposed framework acknowledges the significance of project governance in guiding and organizing the implementation of 5D-BIM. Additionally, BIM policies and standards ensure the adherence to quality standards for the produced BIM models. Digital platforms serve as the basis for multiple users to generate, access, share, and exchange project information. BIM LOD promotes collaboration and coordination among all project stakeholders. Cost-estimation classification aligns the estimation process with the development of project scope and financial decision making. Continuous improvement plays a vital role in optimizing processes, enhancing efficiency, and achieving higher-quality outcomes. Moreover, it fosters stakeholder satisfaction, improves project performance, and nurtures a conducive environment for innovation and learning. The study analyzes the framework utilization in Victorian rail projects and identifies key implementation challenges. The main technical hurdles encountered were the lack of current horizontal infrastructure standards for data exchange and the lack of compatibility with current cost-management standards. Increased project complexity and the absence of clear project governance strategies and processes also posed organizational challenges. A further validation of the framework in real-world rail projects was recommended to achieve the implementation goals.

We report the investigation of the electrical and optical properties of hybrid nanocomposite which could help to prepare the solution processable and tunable OLEDs. The hybrid nanocomposite was used for the preparation of OLEDs, for which the external quantum efficiency was analyzed to optimize their electro-optical properties. The fluorescence and electroluminescence spectra demonstrated that the color quality and color temperature of the OLEDs can be tuned from cool to warm light. Furthermore, the results suggest that the external quantum efficiency of the PFO-based OLEDs may be increased by 46% when introducing ZnO nanoparticles into the polymer matrix. These hybrid nanocomposites are compatible with low-cost printing electronics technology which could provide high-performance OLEDs for novel applications.

A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the adverse effects of drought on different okra cultivars and to identify the most suitable okra cultivar for growing in drought conditions. Five okra cultivars namely Pusa Green, Clemson, Sabz Pari, Pusa Swani and Mehak Pari were subjected to three drought levels i.e., control (100% Field capacity),50% and 25% Field Capacity (FC). Physiological parameters like fresh and dry weight of plant and plant height were recorded along with biochemical attributes such as chlorophyll content (a, b, total) carotenoids, total protein, proline content, and Membrane stability index (MSI%). Results showed that drought significantly reduced all the studied parameters and at maximum drought (25% FC) lowest values of fresh weight (12.42g), dry weight (1.22g), plant height (7.86cm), chlorophyll a (9.02mg/g FW), chlorophyll b (18.69mg/g FW), total chlorophyll (27.71mg/g FW), carotenoids (11.80mg/g FW), total protein (2.73mg/g FW),whereas maximum Proline (21.36μg/g FW), and MSI (72%) were observed under the same drought. The results concerning responses of okra cultivars under drought conditions showed that maximum. Fresh weight (15.25g) and Dry weight (2.74g) was observed in Pusa green while maximum Plant height (13.77cm), Chlorophyll a (14.38mg/g FW), Chlorophyll b (24.41mg/g FW), Total Chlorophyll (38.80mg/g FW), Carotenoids (18.57mg/g FW), Total Protein (5.44mg/g FW), Proline (27.78μg/g FW), and MSI (56.33%) were produced by Sabz Pari. Hence it can be concluded that drought causes significant variation on physical and biochemical attributes of okra whereas Sabz Pari showed resistance towards the applied stress and produced better results.

Mega projects delivering rail infrastructure are constantly seeking cost-effective and efficient technologies to sustain the growing population. Building information modeling (BIM) and BIM for cost management (5D-BIM) have shown great potential in the building industry and have been adopted widely. However, 5D-BIM implementation in rail infrastructure is still in its infancy. This paper presents a systematic literature review of 380 publications related to cost overrun, cost management and 5D-BIM for rail infrastructure, including rail projects. The review identified knowledge gaps and synthesized existing research on cost overrun in rail projects, cost estimation models, and the current use of 5D-BIM. The review revealed that there is no current study integrating 5D-BIM into the rail project lifecycle. This paper highlights the importance of integrating 5D-BIM systematically in the rail project life cycle to avoid/minimize cost overrun. The review provides researchers and practitioners with crucial information for deploying 5D-BIM to minimize cost overruns in rail projects.

Abstract Aims Sacubitril/valsartan (sac/val) has shown superior effect compared with blockade of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. We aimed to investigate effects of sac/val compared with valsartan in a pressure overload model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Methods and results Sprague–Dawley rats underwent aortic banding or sham (n = 16) surgery and were randomized to sac/val (n = 28), valsartan (n = 29), or vehicle (n = 26) treatment for 8 weeks. Sac/val reduced left ventricular weight by 11% compared with vehicle (P = 0.01) and 9% compared with valsartan alone (P = 0.04). Only valsartan reduced blood pressure compared with sham (P = 0.02). Longitudinal early diastolic strain rate was preserved in sac/val compared with sham, while it was reduced by 23% in vehicle (P = 0.03) and 24% in valsartan (P = 0.02). Diastolic dysfunction, measured by E/e'SR, increased by 68% in vehicle (P

Abstract Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) induces colibacillosis, an acute and systemic disease, resulting in substantial economic losses in the poultry sector. This study aimed to investigate the antibiotic resistance pattern associated with frequent virulence gene distribution in APEC O78:K80 that may cause pathological alterations in chickens. The antibiogram profile showed high resistance to erythromycin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, ampicillin, and co-trimoxazole, followed by intermediate resistance to ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, enrofloxacin, norfloxacin, nitrofurantoin, and doxycycline hydrochloride, and sensitive to amikacin, streptomycin, gentamicin, and colistin. Virulence gene distribution identifies eight (irp-2, iutA, ompT, iss, iucD, astA, hlyF, iroN) genes through a conventional polymerase chain reaction. APEC O78:K80 caused significantly high liver enzyme concentrations, serum interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels in experimental birds. Also, infected birds have hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia, and hyperglobulinemia. Necropsy examination revealed fibrinous perihepatitis and pericarditis, congested lungs, intestinal ecchymotic hemorrhages and necrotizing granulomatosis of the spleen. Histopathological examination depicted hepatocellular degeneration, myocardial necrosis, interstitial nephritis, intestinal hemorrhages and lymphopenia in the spleen. This study is the first evidence to assess the antibiotic resistance profile linked with virulence genes and clinicopathological potential of APEC O78:K80 in chickens in Pakistan, which could be a useful and rapid approach to prevent and control the disease by developing the control strategies.

Our study (the leadership role of women in the crisis society)is one of important topics that we highlighted especially amongst a traditional (male)society that is governed by these social customs and traditions on the one hand. And on the other it has be come over the past decades bear a set of challenges among the crises educated by iragi society .but it she managed to find her way and rise to assume responsibility and assume leadership positions in the field of work. The importance of this study came through the importance of the role of women as the main pillar in laying sound . foundations in the anbar society this study aimed to identify the conditions and social characteristics that enhance the leadership role of women .as for the field aspect the researcher used in the study the methodology of the social survey and the tools used are the interview and questionnaire from it consisted of (26)basic and specialized questions and the random stratified nonproportional sample was used .the complete sample size reached (230)distributed to two institutions the anbar university institution which included the college of education for girls .the college of pharmacy and the college of medicine .the anbar health foundations the department of pharmacy .the dental division and the medical equipment division and put for ward several hypotheses for the study. The study came out with several results including that social media and media played a role in increasing the awareness of women of their leadership capabilities as well as that ther are social obstacles thet stand in the way of the women progress in the leadership position including the male societies view social customs and traditions.a social policy was developed in the light of the results of the field study.

Extensively managed grasslands, particularly in mountain regions, are considered to be one of the most diverse agroecosystems worldwide. Their decline due to land use abandonment affects the diversity of both plants and associated pollinators. Extensive grasslands constitute an important habitat type and food resource for hoverflies (syrphids); however, not much is known about the effects of abandonment on this important pollinator group. In the present study, we investigated how abandonment affects species richness and the composition of syrphids in mountainous meadows. We recorded the richness of vascular plants, vegetation cover, flower cover and the surrounding landscape to examine whether and how syrphids are affected by plant and landscape parameters. We investigated the species richness, abundance and species composition of syrphids by sweep netting and by using observation plots in 18 semidry meadows across two Austrian regions and one Swiss region. For each region, we selected three meadows abandoned for more than 20 years and three annually mown non-fertilized meadows. Abandonment or mowing had no significant effect on the total number of syrphid species or individuals or on the number of aphidophagous and non-aphidophagous species and individuals. However, the total number of species and the number of non-aphidophagous species significantly increased with the increasing number of plant species. The surrounding landscape and other plant parameters showed no association with the assessed syrphid parameters. Although syrphids were unaffected by abandonment, higher syrphid species numbers in response to a higher plant richness in annual mown meadows suggest that the management of mountain meadows is beneficial in preserving syrphid richness.

To achieve high quality localization of nodes, a smart-mesh strategy is employed in the discontinuous Galerkin time-domain (DGTD) simulation. The strategy is able to adjust adaptively the nodes defined on the unstructured triangular element in real-time simulation, thus an arbitrary or uncertain shaped object can be modeled accurately. The benefits of smart-mesh strategy are demonstrated for a partially dielectric filled cavity with microscale random material height and uncertain rough interface. Numerical experiments show that the smart-mesh approach can capture fine structural information and achieve more effective positions to match variable shapes.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its effects on an individual’s life have altered the consumer behavior. In the context of purchase and consumption, a shift from conventional to green purchase has been noticed. Although the factors underlying this shift were relatively unexplored, the study aimed to identify the factors that influenced a significant role in the green purchases during the outbreak and the relationship of these factors with green purchase behavior (GPB). Subsequently, this study investigates and interprets the role of fear of COVID-19 (FCV), psychological distress (PD), and mortality salience (MS) in predicting consumer’s GPB. This research adopted a quantitative methodology using data collected from 432 respondents in various cities across Pakistan. Smart-PLS 3 was used to evaluate the measurement model, structural model, and multi-group analysis (MGA). Despite having the negative psychological and physical impact of the pandemic, a significant proportion of customers have switched to healthier and sustainable products. This research revealed that the FCV, PD, and MS plays a substantial role in adopting GPB. All the direct relationships were positive and significant. In addition, MS and PD partially mediate the effect of FCV on GPB. Furthermore, the MGA revealed that the infected respondents were interested in purchasing green products than uninfected respondents due to their FCV; conversely, the PD and MS were higher in uninfected individuals than infected ones. However, there is a vast literature on GPB, but little has investigated the cumulative impact of FCV, PD, and MS on GPB.

Abstract Binders are the products that are used to bind, glue or hold the various feed ingredients together in order to maintain pellet integrity. For aqua-culturists, feed manufacturing is an expensive exercise due to the high cost of ingredients along with traditional artificial binders. The use of grain starches as aqua feed binders have advantages which include availability of that binder, nutritional contribution, and minimization of feed cost. A research trial was conducted to test physical properties such as palatability, water stability, dustiness, friability, settling velocity and floatation time of locally available starch i.e. wheat gluten, pea starch and guar gum and to assist their incorporation in on-farm aqua feed. Results revealed that among these three starch, the starch from pea source was proved superior over other two (wheat gluten and guar gum) as all physical quality parameters (dustiness, water stability and friability) revealed better performance of pea starch except pelletability in which guar gum performed best. Although not a single diet proved best in case of flotation time (Tf) and settling velocity (Vset) at varying lengths (6mm, 9mm and 12 mm). This finding indicates the significance of suitable binders for optimal water pollution and sustainable aquaculture. The use of these binders i.e. wheat gluten, pea starch and guar gum in fish feed pellets may also reduce dependence on synthetic binders and minimizes cost.

Abstract Local and exotic germplasm of tomato remains a major source for genetic improvement. Assessment of such lines for biotic stresses particularly viral diseases are the most important criteria for selection in Pakistan, where Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV) and Tomato Mosaic Virus (ToMV) are the major diseases/viruses. A set of 40 accessions (including indigenous Pakistani lines and exotic germplasm from Europe, the United States, and Asia) were evaluated for their resistance/infection response to ToMV with artificial inoculation under greenhouse conditions. Infection response was quantified through disease scoring and DAS-ELISA test (for ToMV). A subset of 24 lines, was further screened for TYLCV using disease scoring and TAS-ELISA. The tested lines showed significant variability for resistance to ToMV. Only one accession (Acc-17878) was resistant to the ToMV whereas seven accessions i.e. Acc-17890, AVR-261, CLN-312, AVR-321, EUR-333, CLN-352, and CLN-362 expressed resistance to TYLCV. Correlation between phenotypic evaluation was confirmed by the ELISA results in both diseases, although both tools complemented to assess the viral infection status. In future, tomato breeding programs must consider breeding for ToMV and TYLCV resistance (using identified germplasm in our study) so as to deliver virus resistant tomato varieties.

Abstract The main purpose of this study was to find out a possible association between ABO blood groups or Rh and diabetes mellitus (DM) in the local population of eight (8) different towns of Karachi, Pakistan. For this purpose a survey was carried out in Karachi to have a practical observation of these towns during the period of 9 months from June 2019 to Feb. 2020. Out of eighteen (18) towns of Karachi, samples (N= 584) were collected from only eight (8) Towns of Karachi and gave a code-number to each town. Diabetic group sample was (n1=432) & pre-diabetes sample was (n2 =152). A standard Abbot Company Glucometer for Random Blood Sugar (RBS) and Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) tests, standard blood anti sera were used for ABO/Rh blood type. Health assessment techniques were performed ethically by taking informed consent from all registered subjects. Finally data was analyzed by SPSS version 20.0. In our current study, the comparison of ABO blood groups frequencies between diabetic and pre-diabetic individuals were carried out. The percentage values of blood Group-B as given as: (32% in DM vs. 31% in pre-diabetics), followed by blood Group-O as: (18% in DM vs. 11% in pre-diabetics). Contrary to Group-“B” & “O”, blood Group-A and Group-AB were distribution percentage higher pre-diabetic as compared to DM patients, as given as: Group-A (32% in pre-diabetics vs. 26% in DM) & Group-AB (26% in pre-diabetics vs. 24% in diabetic’s patients). In addition, percentage distribution of Rh system was also calculated, in which Rh+ve Group was high and more common in DM patients as compared to pre-diabetics; numerically given as: Rh+ve Group (80% in DM vs. 72% in pre-diabetics). Different views and dimensions of the research topic were studied through literature support, some have found no any association and some established a positive association still some were not clear in making a solid conclusion. It is concluded that DM has a positive correlation with ABO blood groups, and people with Group-B have increased susceptibility to DM disease.

Abstract This study was aimed to investigate Carbofuran (CF)-induced pathological changes in cattle egret. Two hundred cattle egrets were reared and equally divided into four groups and given different CF concentrations (0.03 mg/L, 0.02 mg/L, 0.01 mg/L and 0 mg/L (control group)). Hematology, serum biochemistry, histopathology, and immunological markers were studied. Our results confirm that CF induces anemic conditions, leukocytosis, elevated liver enzymatic activity, and alterations in renal biomarkers. Moreover, specific microscopic lesions such as multifocal necrosis, pyknotic nuclei, hemorrhages, congestion, and inflammatory cell proliferation were observed in the liver, kidney, spleen, and thymus. These findings suggest that CF can induce harmful effects, so the application of this pesticide in the field must be strictly monitored to mitigate the possibility of exposure to non-target species.

Abstract The assessment of the comparative effect of biosal (phytopesticide), deltamethrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin (pyrethroids) were made against two fodder pests, Hermolaus modestus and Hermolaus ocimumi by filter paper impregnation method. The activity of total protein contents, GPT (glutamic-pyruvic transaminase) and GOT (glutamic oxaloacetate transaminase) were affected in Hermolaus modestus and Hermolaus ocimumi against biosal, deltamethrin, and lambda cyhalothrin. The activity of total protein contents in H. modestus was 31.053%, 4.607%, and 24.575%, against biosal, deltamethrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin, respectively. The activity of total protein contents was observed as 24.202%, 15.25%, and 56.036% against deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, and biosal, respectively in H. ocimumi. The activity of GOT was observed as 98.675% for biosal 33.95% for deltamethrin and 83.619% for lambda-cyhalothrin in H. modestus. The GOT activity was estimated in H. ocimumi as 78.831%, 47.645%, and 71.287% against biosal, deltamethrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin, respectively. The efficacy of GPT enzyme against biosal, deltamethrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin was calculated as 89.26%, 73.07%, and 47.58%, respectively in H. modestus. The H. ocimumi showed GPT activity as 77.58% for biosal, 68.84% for deltamethrin, and 52.67% for lambda-cyhalothrin, respectively.

Objective To assess current management practice of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in multinational primary care (PC) and determine whether N-terminal-pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP)-guided referral of HFrEF patients from PC to a cardiologist could improve care, defined as adherence to European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guideline-recommended pharmacotherapy.Methods PRospective Evaluation of natriuretic peptide-based reFERral of patients with chronic HF in PC (PREFER) study enrolled HFrEF patients from PC considered clinically stable and those with NT-pro-BNP ≥600 pg/mL were referred to a cardiologist for optimisation of HF treatment. The primary outcome of adherence to ESC HF guidelines after referral to specialist was assessed at the second visit within 4 weeks of cardiologist’s referral and no later than 6 months after the baseline visit. Based on futility interim analysis, the study was terminated early.Results In total, 1415 HFrEF patients from 223 PCs from 18 countries in Europe were enrolled. Of these, 1324 (96.9%) were considered clinically stable and 920 (65.0%) had NT-pro-BNP ≥600 pg/mL (mean: 2631 pg/mL). In total, 861 (60.8%) patients fulfilled both criteria and were referred to a cardiologist. Before cardiologist consultation, 10.1% of patients were on ESC guideline-recommended HFrEF medications and 2.7% were on recommended dosages of HFrEF medication (defined as ≥50% of ESC guideline-recommended dose). Postreferral, prescribed HFrEF drugs remained largely unchanged except for an increase in diuretics (+4.6%) and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (+7.9%). No significant increase in patients’ adherence to guideline-defined drug combinations (11.2% post-referral vs 10.1% baseline) or drug combinations and dosages (3.3% postreferral vs 2.7% baseline) was observed after cardiologist consultation.Conclusions PREFER demonstrates substantial suboptimal treatment of HFrEF patients in the real world. Referral of patients with elevated NT-pro-BNP levels from PC to cardiologist did not result in meaningful treatment optimisation for treatments with known mortality and morbidity benefit.

Abstract Blood and fecal samples of chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar), albino pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera), rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) and turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) were analyzed to check parasitic prevalence. To record parasites these five avian species were placed kept in separate cages at Avian Conservation and Research Center, Department of Wildlife an Ecology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan. 100 fecal and 100 blood samples for each bird species were inspected to analyze internal parasites. During present study, 17 species of endoparasites 14 from fecal samples and three from blood were examined. Two species of ectoparasites i.e. mite Dermanyssus gallinae 42% and fowl ticks Args persicus 41%were studied. Blood parasites included Plasmodium juxtanucleare 50%, Leucoctoyzoon simond having parasitic prevalence 40%, and Aegyptinella pullorum having parasitic prevalence of 40%. Parasitic species recorded from fecal samples included 6 species of nematodes viz. Allodpa suctoria 2%. Syngamus trachea with parasitic prevalence of 60%, Capillaria annulata 37.5%, Ascardia galli 24%, Capillaria anatis 40% and Heterakis gallinarum 28.3%. Similarly, two species of trematodes viz. Prosthogonimus ovatus having parasitic prevalence of 50% and Prosthogonimus macrorchis 21% were also documented from fecal avian samples . Single cestode species Raillietina echinobothrida having parasitic prevalence of 72% and 3 protozoan species i.e. Eimeria maxima having parasitic prevalence of 21%, Giardia lamblia 41% and Histomonas meleagridis 18% were documented during corpological analysis. In our recommendation, proper sanitation, medication and vaccination of bird’s enclousres are suggested to avoid parasites.

Abstract This study determines the associations among serum lipid profiles, risk of cardiovascular disease, and persistent organic pollutants. Using Gas chromatography technique, the intensity of toxic pollutant residues in serum samples of Hypertensive patients were measured. Based on statistical analysis, the effects of different covariates namely pesticides, age, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and lipid profile duration was checked using the logistic regression model. Statistical computation was performed on SPSS 22.0. The P-values of F-Statistic for each lipid profile class are greater than 0.01 (1%), therefore we cannot reject the null hypothesis for all cases. The estimated coefficients, their standard errors, Wald Statistic, and odds ratio of the binary logistic regression model for different lipid profile parameters indicate if pesticides increase then the logit value of different lipid profile parameters changes from -0.46 to -0.246 except LDL which increases by 0.135. The study reports a significantly increased threat of cardiovascular disease with increased concentrations of toxic pollutants.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the level of expression (mRNA) of specific developmental marker genes, viz. Growth Differentiation Factor 9 (GDF9), Growth Hormone Receptor (GHR) and Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) in bovine cumulus cells and oocytes in relation to in vitro developmental competence. Good quality Cumulus- Oocytes- Complexes (COCs) were selected for in vitro maturation and fertilization. The mean percentage of in vitro fertilization performance was 59.84 ± 4.28. The relative quantification values of GDF9 were 2.38, 98.13, 1 and 132.58; GHR were 4.31, 1.47, 1 and 43.58; PTX3 were 0.28, 0, 1 and 0.5 in immature cumulus cells, immature oocyte, mature cumulus cells and mature oocyte respectively when compared to the reference control. The expression of GDF9 gene was found to be up-regulated in oocytes compared to cumulus cells. The expression pattern of GDF9 was relatively more in in vitro matured oocytes compared to cumulus groups. The expression of GHR gene was up-regulated in oocytes. The relative abundance of PTX3 was slightly up-regulated in mature cumulus cells as compared to immature counterparts. Thus, GDF9 and GHR genes could be considered as embryonic developmental markers for bovine oocytes, while PTX3 gene for bovine cumulus cells.

The narrative of the digital phenotype as a transformative vector in healthcare is nearly identical to the concept of “data drivenness” in other fields such as law enforcement. We examine the role of a prescription drug monitoring program in California—a computerized law enforcement surveillance program enabled by a landmark Supreme Court case that upheld “broad police powers”—in the interprofessional conflict between physicians and law enforcement over the jurisdiction of drug use. We bring together interview passages, clinical artifacts, and academic and gray literature to investigate the power relations between police, physicians, and patients to show that prescribing data appear to the physician as evidence of problematic patient behavior by the patients, and to law enforcement as evidence of physician misconduct. In turn, physicians have adopted a disciplinary approach to patients, using quasi-legalistic documents to litigate patient behavior. We conclude that police powers have been used to pave data infrastructure through a contested jurisdiction, and law enforcement have used that infrastructure to enroll physicians into the work of disciplining patients.

Traditionally managed mountain grasslands are biodiversity hotspots in central Europe. However, socio-economic trends in agriculture during the last decades have changed farming practices, leaving steep and remote sites abandoned. Especially the abandonment of meadows is well known to directly affect plant and insect diversity. However, not much is known about the effects on soil processes and soil biota. To assess this, we studied four extensively managed (mown once a year, no fertilization) and four abandoned (no mowing, no fertilization) semi-dry meadows in a mountain region in Austria. Plant species richness, plant cover, plant traits, plant biomass, litter decomposition (tea bag index), and earthworm species richness and density were assessed. Additionally, soil temperature, moisture and electrical conductivity were measured. Results showed that managed meadows contained more plant species than abandoned meadows (118 vs. 93 species, respectively). We also observed different plant species assemblages between the two management types. In managed meadows, hemirosette and ruderal plant species were more abundant, while more plant species without rosettes and a higher plant necromass were found in abandoned meadows. Additionally, decomposition rate was higher in abandoned meadows. There was a trend towards higher earthworm densities in managed meadows, but there was no difference in earthworm species richness. We conclude that meadow management has effects on both aboveground vegetation and belowground biota and processes. Both abandoned and extensively managed meadows were important to sustain overall biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the study region.

A total of 896 1-day-old straight-run (Ross-308) broilers were used to investigate the interactive effects of protein source (PS), diet structure (DS) and butyric acid (BA) on live performance and carcass characteristics, gut development and its morphology and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of protein and amino acids (AA). Eight experimental diets comprising 8 replicates with 14 birds each were tested in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with complete randomized design by two levels of BA (0 and 0.1%), two forms of DS (whole vs. ground wheat) and two PS, i.e., soybean meal and canola meal (SBM vs. CM). Throughout the entire experimental period (0 to 35 d), broilers fed SBM-based diets exhibited better (p < 0.05) growth performance (feed intake (FI), body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR)), carcass parameters (p < 0.05), gut health (p < 0.05), and nutrient digestibility (p < 0.05) than CM-fed broilers. Dietary whole wheat (WW) positively affected FI (p = 0.001), BWG (p = 0.004) and FCR (p = 0.035) during the overall experimental period. Broilers fed WW had 6, 5, 8, 11 and 10% lower empty relative weights of crop, proventriculus, jejunum, ileum and colon and 25 and 15% heavier gizzard and pancreas, respectively, with longer villus height (p < 0.001), reduced crypt depth (p = 0.031) and longer villus height-to-crypt depth ratio (p < 0.001) than those fed ground-wheat-based diets. Broilers fed WW had greater (p < 0.05) AID of CP and most of the AA. Butyric acid supplementation resulted in improved (p < 0.05) growth performance and digestibility of threonine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, serine and aspartate. The broilers consuming SBM had 28% lower abdominal fat than those fed CM-based diets. In conclusion, harmful consequences of a less digestible PS can partially be compensated by the inclusion of WW, and supplementation of BA further reduces these detrimental effects.

Abstract The present research was carried out to explore the spider fauna of Buner valley with taxonomic study from February 2018 to January 2019. For this purpose samples were collected, four times at each month from 4 tehsils: Daggar, Gagra, Mandan and Totalai. Two methods were used, hand picking and sweep net for collection of samples. During day and night, three habitats, arid area, agriculture land and building area were search for collection. A total of 534 samples of spider were collected from four sampling sites, in which 379 were belonging to family Araniedae. After confirmation, the identified species were belonging to 8 genera (Neoscona, Argiope, Cyclosa, Araneus, Cyrtophora, Larinia, Erivoxia and Poltys) and 19 species. 18 of them were identified to specie level while a single specie to its generic level. The genus Neoscona was the dominant genus 26.31% having 5 species while the genus Argiope 21.05% is the second dominant having 4 species followed by Cyclosa 15.78% having 3 species followed by Cyrtophora and Araneus 10.52% having two species both. The Poltys and Larinia 5.26% are the rarest genera represent single-single specie both. Statistical analysis show that specie richness (D) = 5.77, Simpson index (1-D) = 0.87, Shannon index (H) = 2.33. Diversity of spiders was evenly distributed and calculated Evenness value was H/InS = 0.5408. There is also few atypical species and Fisher alpha estimate high value (Fisher α) = 4.42. Chao-1 estimated we have reported 22 species.

Abstract Extensive field surveys were carried out to explore the distribution of Leisler’s Bat Nyctalus leisleri (Kuhl, 1819) in selected area of FATA regions, Pakistan. Specimens of Leisler’s Bat Nyctalus leisleri (Kuhl, 1819) (n5) were collected from Kurram Agency (Shublan) (N33.8229788 E70.1634414) at elevation 1427m and Khyber Agency (Landi Kotel) (N34.0909899 E71.1457517) at elevation 1091m for two years survey extending from May 2013 through August 2015. The mean head and body length, hind foot length, ear length and tail length the Nyctalus leisleri specimens captured from the study area was 65.08 ± 1.58 mm, 44.06 ± 0.52 mm, 8.38 ± 0.60 mm, 13.20 ± 0.99 mm and 39.46 ± 1.46 mm, respectively. For molecular analysis the sequences of COI gene were obtained and analyzed. The mean intraspecific divergences of Nyctalus leisleri was 0.04%. The mean interspecific divergences of Nyctalus noctula and Nyctalus leisleri was 0.2%. The mean concentration of each nucleotides was A = (26.3%), T = (32.8%), G = (15.9%) and C = (25.0%). The mean A+T contents were 59.2%and C+G were 40.9%. In the phylogenetic tree Nyctalus leisleri and Nyctalus noctula clustered with significant bootstrap support value.

Abstract Using wire mesh live traps distribution pattern of the Rattus rattus and Mus musculus in different shops of three districts of Malakand region, Pakistan were recorded from September 2014 to October 2015. Over all 103 rodents (Rattus rattus 86 and Mus musculus 17) were caught during in 0.04 trap success (2448 trap nights). Regression of daily captures on cumulative captures revealed an estimate of 103 rodents from all the sampled structures with an average of 3.55 rodents per shop. R. rattus; 83.4% of captures were numerically dominant in almost all types of shops sampled, and were significantly different than Mus musculus; 16.5% of captures. Both species were found together in some shops while they were mostly trapped from the separate shops. Male rodents outnumbered the females.

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have potential for enhancing drug delivery in selected cancer patients, including those which have cells that have disseminated within cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pathways. Here, we present data related to the creation and in vitro use of new two-part MNPs consisting of magnetic gold-iron alloy cores which have streptavidin binding sites, and are coated with biotinylated etoposide. Etoposide was chosen due to its previous use in the CSF and ease of biotinylation. Etoposide magnetic nanoparticles (“Etop-MNPs”) were characterized by several different methods, and moved at a distance by surface-walking of MNP clusters, which occurs in response to a rotating permanent magnet. Human cell lines including D283 (medulloblastoma), U138 (glioblastoma), and H2122 (lung adenocarcinoma) were treated with direct application of Etop-MNPs (and control particles), and after remote particle movement. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay and trypan blue exclusion. Results indicated that the biotinylated etoposide was successfully bound to the base MNPs, with the hybrid particle attaining a maximum velocity of 0.13 ± 0.018 cm/sec. Etop-MNPs killed cancer cells in a dose-dependent fashion, with 50 ± 6.8% cell killing of D283 cells (for example) with 24 h of treatment after remote targeting. U138 and H2122 cells were found to be even more susceptible to the killing effect of Etop-MNPs than D283 cells. These findings indicate that the novel Etop-MNPs have a cytotoxic effect, and can be moved relatively rapidly at physiologic distances, using a rotating magnet. While further testing is needed, intrathecal administration of Etop-MNPs holds promise for magnetically-enhanced eradication of cancer cells distributed within CSF pathways, particularly if given early in the course of the disease.

In this paper, a Lorenz-like chaotic system was developed to encrypt the dorsal hand patterns on a microcomputer. First, the dorsal hand vein images were taken from the subjects via an infrared camera. These were subjected to two different processes called contrast enhancement and segmentation of vein regions. Second, the pre- and post-processed images were encrypted with a new encryption algorithm in the microcomputer environment. For the encryption process, random numbers were generated by the chaotic system. These random numbers were subjected to NIST-800-22 test which is the most widely accepted statistical test suite. The speeded up robust feature (SURF) matching algorithm was utilized in the initial condition sensitivity analysis of the encrypted images. The results of the analysis have shown that the proposed encryption algorithm can be used in identification and verification systems. The encrypted images were analyzed with histogram, correlation, entropy, pixel change rate (NPCR), initial condition sensitivity, data loss, and noise attacks which are frequently used for security analyses in the literature. In addition, the images were analyzed after noise attacks by means of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), mean square error (MSE), and the structural similarity index (SSIM) tests. It has been shown that the dorsal hand vein images can be used in identification systems safely with the help of the proposed method on microcomputers.

The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of administration of lecirelin acetate, hCG and progesterone after AI on ovarian picture, serum progesterone concentrations and first service conception rate in cross-bred cattle. A total of 160 lactating cross bred (Friesian x Sahiwal) cattle were divided into 4 groups after AI. The groups were treated as follows: control (injected i.m with normal saline 2ml, n=40), d 7-LA (injected i.m with lecirelin acetate100 µg, n=40), d 7-hCG (injected with hCG 3300 IU, n=40) and d 7-P4 (injected i.m with Progesterone 0.5 mgdaily for 4 days, n=40) group. The hormonal treatments were given to animals on day 7 after AI. The ultrasonography and blood sampling was done before treatment and then 7 days later. All animals were examined for pregnancy through ultrasonography at 40 ± 1 day after AI. The diameter of SCL on 7 days after treatment was higher (P < 0.01) in group d 7-LA and d 7-hCG group cows as compared to control cows. In contrast, the diameter of SCL in d 7- P4 treated cows did not differ from control cows. Formation of ACL was observed only in 50 % & 80 % cows in d 7-LA and d 7-hCG group respectively. No ACL was observed in control and d 7- P4 cattle on day 7 after treatment. The P4 concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in d 7-hCG treated cattle as compared to control at 7 days after treatment. As compared to 10 percent First Service Conception Rate (FSCR) in controls, an increase (P < 0.05) of 50 percent and 40 percent was observed in each treatment group (d 7-hCG & d 7-LA), non-significant (P > 0.05) difference in FSCR was observed between control and d 7-P4 group. It was concluded that the use of hCG or LA, 7 days after AI is a beneficial tool to improve conception rate in cross-bred cattle whereas use of parental P4 post-breeding has no effect on SCL diameter and conception rate.

ABSTRACT: The study aimed to highlight the impact of naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and irrigation regimes on the productivity of coarse rice under agro-ecological conditions of Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan. The experiment was comprised of two factors with four levels (0, 60, 90, 120 mL ha-1) of NAA and irrigation at the depths (60, 75, 90 and 105 cm) of soil profile. The data was interpreted to observe the plant height (cm), productive tillers (m-2), sterility percentage (%), biological yield (t ha-1), and grain yield (t ha-1) of coarse rice. The benefit cost ratio (BCR) was also calculated. The results indicated that the application of NAA was found very effective in improving paddy yield and hence resulted in better BCR value. The maximum paddy yield was attained under the application of NAA 90 mL ha-1 as PGR (NAA) at 75 cm irrigation depth. The experimental data confirm that the application of NAA at the rate of 90 mL ha-1 with irrigation upto depth of 75 cm increases grain yield in rice and ensures better economic returns, thus inclusion of 90 mL ha-1 as PGR (NAA) at 75 cm irrigation depth under arid conditions assist in boosting paddy yield.

ABSTRACT: In order to examine application of various herbicides for controlling weeds in wheat crop, a field trial was conducted at the Agronomic Research Area, Faculty of Agriculture, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) during the year 2015-2016. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with split-plot arrangements having three replications. The main plot was comprised application time of herbicides while the use of herbicides was assigned to sub-plots. The data revealed that most of the weed parameters, physiological traits and agronomic attributes of crop plants were significantly affected by weed management practices including the use of herbicides at different time intervals over the weedy check. Hand weeding technique excelled all other weed management practices in almost all the parameters studied. This technique was found to be the most effective treatment against all prevailing weeds and obtained the highest grain yield of wheat under climatic conditions of Dera Ismail Khan.

Modern technology has changed human life by making it faster and easier. Technology innovation emerged as source of competitive strength and can achieve success through new innovation. ATM plays vital role in banking industry by providing all necessary banking facilities in easy and handy way to their customers at their doorstep. As Kurdistan is growing economy, therefore to assess perception and expectation of ATM customers, 315 respondents from different places of Kurdistan region were taken into consideration. This study is based on personal approach and observation. Structured questionnaire administered after taking opinion and modification by banking personal, customer discussion and review of literatures. For the convenience of respondents Likert measurement scales was used. To identify most service quality dimensions in connection with overall customer satisfaction; reliability test, descriptive analysis, correlation and coefficient and regression analysis test and ANOVA tests are done through SPSS 25.0. At the end it is concluded that most of factors are positively, significantly correlated with overall customer satisfaction. Based on personal discussion with customers and bank officials’ and literature reviews, recommendations are mentioned at the end.

this study concentrates on Predicting Breast Cancer Survivability using data mining, and comparing between three main predictive modeling tools. Precisely, we used three popular data mining methods: two from machine learning (artificial neural network and decision trees) and one from statistics (logistic regression), and aimed to choose the best model through the efficiency of each model and with the most effective variables to these models and the most common important predictor. We defined the three main modeling aims and uses by demonstrating the purpose of the modeling. By using data mining, we can begin to characterize and describe trends and patterns that reside in data and information. The preprocessed data set contents were of 87 variables and the total of the records are 457,389; which became 93 variables and 90308 records for each variable, and these dataset were from the SEER database. We have achieved more than three data mining techniques and we have investigated all the data mining techniques and finally we find the best thing to do is to focus about these data mining techniques which are Artificial Neural Network, Decision Trees and Logistic Regression by using SAS Enterprise Miner 5.2 which is in our view of point is the suitable system to use according to the facilities and the results given to us. Several experiments have been conducted using these algorithms. The achieved prediction implementations are Comparison-based techniques. However, we have found out that the neural network has a much better performance than the other two techniques. Finally, we can say that the model we chose has the highest accuracy which specialists in the breast cancer field can use and depend on.

The outcome of assessments of the biodiversity of a taxonomic group often depend on the sampling method. The choice of an adequate method is especially important for biomonitoring purposes. In this study, the effectiveness of two methods of sampling syrphids (Diptera: Syrphidae) is compared: observation plot method vs. line transect, both sampled by sweep netting. Altogether, 18 meadows were selected in three mountain regions in the Austrian and Swiss Alps. We recorded a significantly higher abundance and richness of syrphids using the observation plot method than the line transect method in 2015. Comparing data for one region recorded in 2015 and 2016, similar results were obtained. Syrphid species assemblages were affected by sampling method in both years. More syrphid species and individuals were recorded using the observation plot method, which makes it more suitable for studies aiming at comparing differences in the numbers of adult syrphids in different grassland habitats.