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A community‐based, cluster non‐randomized controlled trial was conducted in Kurram district, Pakistan between January 2018 to December 2020. Age‐appropriate lipid‐based nutrient supplements and health education (sessions conducted in the households) were given to pregnant women and their born children (6–23 months) in the intervention arm (n = 40 clusters) versus health education only in the control arm (n = 40 clusters) to evaluate its effect on child development. The first and second developmental assessments were completed at ~24 months (n = 689) and ~32 months (n = 608), respectively, using the Caregiver‐Reported Early Development Instrument Long form. The overall and domain‐specific (motor, language, cognitive and socio‐emotional) scores were computed with higher scores indicating better child development. Higher development scores, including overall (β = 0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.14, 0.65; p = 0.002), cognitive (β = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.10, 0.45; p = 0.002), motor (β = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.22, 0.56; p < 0.001) and language (β = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.14, 0.51; p = 0.001) were reported for children who received the intervention compared to the control arm at first developmental assessment. However, the effect was not sustained after the discontinuation of the intervention. The LNS received by the mothers (during pregnancy and first 6 months after delivery) and by children during 6–23 months of age was beneficial for the children. The trial is registered in the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Registry (ID: ISRCTN94319790) on December 11, 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short and long-term sound-induced stress on daily basis can affect the physiology of avian individuals because they are more susceptible to sound stress in an open environment. Objectives: An ex-situ study was carried out to determine the impact of noise on physiology and ptilochronology of non-breeding male domesticated quail birds. Methodology: During 60-days long trial, male quail birds, aged 5-weeks, weighing (c.100gm) were used. Out of 72 experimental birds, 18 birds were assigned to the Control Group (G1) while remaining 54 birds were divided equally into 3 treatment groups: Road Traffic noise (G2), Military activity noise (G3) and Human Activities noise (G4). Birds were housed in standard-sized separate cages (20 ×45 × 20 cm), every bird was kept apart in separate cage in open laboratory under maintained environmental conditions. Millet seeds and water were provided to all the experimental birds ad libitum. Noise originated from several sources of recorded high-intensity music (1125 Hz/ 90 dB), was administered for 5–6 hours per day. Observations were recorded in the morning and afternoon. The experiment was conducted during the non-breeding season from August to October in triplicate. Blood sampling was done after 60 days. Results: According to the current study, noise stress significantly (p<0.05) increased the concentrations of creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin, uric acid, cholesterol, triglycerides, total protein, and glucose while a decline in the levels of albumin was seen in treatment birds of G3. While in terms of hematology, total white blood cells count (TWBC), total red blood cells count (TRBC), mean cell volume (MCV) & packed cell volume (PCV) concentrations were raised in blood of treatment birds of G3. In terms of hormones, noise stress significantly (p<0.05) increased the serum concentrations of Corticosterone in G3 while a significant (p<0.05) decline was observed in the concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in the same group. Moreover, fault bar formation in G3 was more prominent than others. Conclusion: Noise stress can significantly affect serology, hematology, hormonal physiology and ptilochronology in quail birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To determine the practice of Early Initiation Breast Feeding(EIBF) and associated factors among mothers of children 0-23 months of age in district Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. METHODS: This study was part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Population Health Survey (KPIPHS), 2016-17 and included data of 36 union councils from district Charsadda. Women having children >2 years of age (n=357) were selected through multistage stratified-cluster random sampling. Data was collected using validated structured questionnaire. Association of breastfeeding practices was analyzed against a set of demographic variables through multivariable logistic regression analysis, using STATA-15 RESULTS: Out of 357, 211 (59.10%) children were breastfed within first hour after birth. Mean age of the mothers was 35.1±9.35 years. About 49.58% (n=177) of mothers were aging 26-35 years, 63% (n=225) were rural residents, and 50.42% (n=180) were uneducated. In EIBF children, mothers between 2635 years (n=115; 54.4%), uneducated (n=93; 44%), and residents of rural areas (n=148: 70%) had a significant association (p=≤0.05). In multivariable adjusted model, mothers between 26-35 years (OR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.1-2.9; p=0.025) and those living in rural areas (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.3-3.5; p=0.002) were more likely to initiate breastfeeding earlier as compared to those living in urban areas and above 35 years of age after adjusting for other covariates. CONCLUSION: More than half of the children under two years at district Charsadda were breastfed within first hour after birth. Residence, maternal age group, and school education had a strong association with EIBF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The organic dye pollution has become increasingly serious in recent years and removal of organic dyes from the water samples has received intense attention. In present work the acid modified purple knight (Alternanthera dentata) leaves powder (MALP) is used as an adsorbent in order to remove sodium 4-[(4-dimethylaamino) phenyldiazenyl) benzene sulphonate (methyl orange dye) from an aqueous solution. The absence of stretching vibrations (1008cm-1, 1400cm-1,1600cm-1 and 3184cm-1) of characteristic functional groups of modified purple knight plant in FTIR-analysis, as well as a significant decrease in the lambda max value from 600 to 420 in the electronic study, indicate that the texture of the purple knight (Alternanthera dentata) leaf is changed. The influences of pH and contact time on adsorption is also investigated at the actual experimental conditions as pH range of 2-4.5, a methyl orange concentration of 0.1M, and contact time of 5-60 minutes at 26 °C. Elovich and intraparticle diffusion models accurately described the kinetics experimental data for various solutions. The kinetic results indicate that adsorption process occurs in two or more steps. The adsorption models such as Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET)and Dubinin -Radusshkevich (D-R) are used to explain adsorption process at different temperatures ranging from 26 to 60 °C. In comparison to others adsorption models, equilibrium data at 26°C provide clear information about the regression coefficient, adsorption capacity, (RL= 0 to 1) and Freundlich constant (1/n <1). These values indicate Langmuir, and Freundlich models fit very well, while other fit at >26 °C. Values for the free energy change, enthalpy change, and entropy change indicate that the adsorption process is spontaneous and endothermic. The negative value of ΔGo at different temperatures indicate that at low temperatures, physical adsorption occurs, whereas at higher temperatures, its value become more negative and chemisorption occurs, revealing the orbital interaction between adsorbate and adsorbent molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]