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Background: The second most common illness after malaria that is transmitted by vectors and that may be lethal if untreated is leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis is caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania, which are classified into two subgenera, Viannia and Leishmania. Methodology: A total of 100 sample collected from presumed clinically as CL patients by dermatologist, with 50 positive cases and 50 negative cases on Geimsa stain microscopy for Leishman Donovan (LD) bodies. After permission from Ethical board in Khyber medical university KPK and inform consent from patient or their guardian in case of children was taken. The lesion and its surroundings were cleaned with 70% ethanol, and the fluid oozing out of the first prick was obtained and disperse over a glass slide, left to dry and fixed with methanol, and stained with Giemsa stain. Two pricks were administered with a sterile BD syringe at the active margin of the lesion. The second prick's fluid was collected and kept in an EDTA tube for PCR usage at -20°C at the IBMS laboratory of KMU in Peshawar. Results: Out of 100 CL patients, 53 were female and 47 were male. The patients age was ranged from two year to 89 year. PCR was positive in 64 cases and negative in 36 cases out 100 for CL. Out of 50 positive microscopic cases 37cases were positive on PCR. Out of 50 microscopic negative cases 27 (54%) were positive by PCR. A statistically significant difference was found between PCR and microscopic method in the detection of CL. Conclusion: The finding in our study specifies that PCR base analysis is superior to microscopy for diagnosis of CL. Therefore, we recommend use of PCR for the detection of CL along with Giemsa staining in order to improve the quality and sensitivity of routine diagnosis of the disease. Keywords: Polymerase Chain Reaction, Giemsa staining, Cutaneous leishmaniasis

Eight transgenic (Cry1Ac -endotoxin) genotypes and one non-GMO cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) variety were used in the investigation. Cry1Ac protein was expressed at various extents in several strains. In a greenhouse environment, sixty days after planting, the cry 1Ac gene's expression peaked. At 60 DAP, the variety Bt.CIM-598 (1.871 g/g) expressed the most toxin of any genotype. Throughout the cropping season, larvae of the Helicoverpa armigera were gathered from every section of the nation that produces cotton. H. armigera larvae that were captured in the field were raised on artificial feeds. There was a negative relationship between the DAP and the amount of Cry1Ac protein (-0.332). The greatest amount of death was seen when first-instar larvae consumed the leaves of 60 DAP plants. It was found that transgenic variants had a considerable effect on the percentage mortality of H. armigera. MNH-886 larvae showed the highest mortality percentage when fed on leaves that were harvested 30 DAP (days after planting). When larvae were fed on 60 and 90 DAP leaves on CIM-598 and IR-1524, the mortality rate was greater. However, AA-802 had the highest death rate when larvae were fed on 120 DAP leaves. The variety with the highest death rate was CIM-598. When H. armigera consumed 60 DAP leaves, the greatest overall mortality was noted. The plant-toxin interaction in cotton varied depending on a number of physiological changes in plants. Regardless of plant age or variety, the highest rate of mortality of H. armigera larvae was seen after feeding 48-hour of treatment or feeding.

Drought has an impact on agricultural growth and development, which significantly reduces output and degrades produce quality. Fifty cotton genotypes were tested in the field for performance under artificially produced water deficit stress conditions. In 2015, sowing was carried out in the first week of May with two sets of every genotype in each replication. While the other set continued to be stressed by a water shortage, one set was regularly irrigated. The crop was allowed to grow for a duration of four weeks. Data on various physiological markers related to different genotypes' resistance to water stress were gathered. The findings showed that under normal and stressful conditions, the genotypes differed significantly (p 0.01) in a number of physiological variables e.g. relative water content, cell damage, leaf water potential, excised leaf water loss, osmotic potential, and stomatal conductance. For the several variables examined, very significant interactions (p0.01) were also found between genotypes and water stress. The genotypes include (Include nut shell results indicating susceptible and tolerant varieties)

Background: Currently, patients with coronary artery disease are advised to use coronary stenting as their primary revascularization method. This study aims to compare outcome of MACE after DEB Vs DES in treatment of patients within stent restenosis (ISR) presented with chest pain. Methodology: The current study was Quasi experimental study carried out at the Department of Cardiology, MTI-HMC Peshawar for duration of six months from 21 April 2021 to 21 Nov 2021. In this study, 94 patients in DEB group and 94 patients in DES group were followed for 06 months to look for development of MACE. All data was collected through a well-defined proforma. Data was entered on computer software SPSS version 22. Results: In DEB group, 52 (55.3%) male patients and 42 (44.7%) female patients were recorded whereas in DES group, 57 (60.6%) male patients while 37 (39.4%) female patients were recorded. In DEB group, 15 (16.0%) patients were recorded with MACE whereas in DES group, 38 (40.4%) patients were recorded with MACE. Conclusion: Our study showed that DEB is superior to DES in the management of in-stent restenosis and results in fewer major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), so DEB may be considered as a treatment option for CAD patients admitted to our setting in in order to reduce mortality and morbidity associated to restenosis in such patients.

Introduction: Predilation ballooning in high thrombus-laden ST-elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMIs) is a technique used during emergent percutaneous coronary revascularization (PCI) to improve blood flow and reduce clot burden in the coronary artery. Objectives: The main objective of the study is to find the predilation ballooning in high thrombus laden STEMIs as an independent predictor of slow flow in patients undergoing emergent percutaneous coronary revascularization. Material and methods: The study was a retrospective analysis of 280 consecutive patients who underwent emergent PCI for STEMI at Hayat Abad Medical Complex. Data were collected from electronic medical records of patients who met the inclusion criteria, which were patients with STEMI who underwent emergent PCI and had high thrombus burden as assessed by angiography. Patients who did not undergo predilation ballooning or who had missing data were excluded from the analysis. The collected data included demographics, clinical characteristics, laboratory values, angiographic findings, procedural details, and outcomes. Results: The results of the study show that predilation ballooning is an independent predictor of slow flow in patients undergoing emergent percutaneous coronary revascularization for high thrombus burden STEMI in the sample of 280 patients. Data presents a comparison between two groups of patients who underwent emergent percutaneous coronary revascularization with and without predilation ballooning. The comparison is based on demographic, clinical, and angiographic characteristics, as well as postprocedure in-hospital complications and outcomes. The two groups were propensity-matched in a 1:1 ratio to account for potential confounding factors. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study suggests that predilation ballooning may be an independent predictor of slow flow in patients undergoing emergent percutaneous coronary revascularization. The comparison of demographic, clinical, and angiographic characteristics between the predilation ballooning (+) and predilation ballooning (-) groups did not reveal any significant differences, indicating that the two groups were similar in terms of baseline characteristics.

Introduction: Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) is a commonly performed procedure for treating coronary artery disease. However, one of the potential complications of this procedure is Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), which can result in significant morbidity and mortality for patients. Objectives of the study: The main objective of the study is to find the association of radial artery access with reduced incidence of acute kidney injury in patient undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Material and methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at Medical Teaching Institute-Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar between January 10, 2022 and June 13, 2022. The study was approved by the institutional review board. Data were collected from electronic medical records, including demographic information, medical history, procedural details, laboratory values, and outcomes. The primary outcome was the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI), defined as an increase in serum creatinine of ≥0.3 mg/dL or ≥50% within 48 hours after the procedure. Results: Based on a study of 300 patients undergoing cardiac catheterization, there was a significant association between the use of radial artery access and reduced incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI). The odds ratio for radial artery access was 0.59 (95% CI 0.32-1.09), indicating a lower risk of AKI with this approach. This finding is consistent with the results presented in Table 3, which also showed a lower incidence of AKI in the radial artery access group. However, the p-value for radial artery access was 0.09, indicating that this association did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that radial artery access may be associated with a lower incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and fewer bleeding complications compared to femoral artery access in patients undergoing cardiac procedures such as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Background Hepatitis C virus, a silent killer, has infected 71 million people globally. The recombinant viral antigenic proteins might be used in the early diagnosis of HCV infection. The NS3 and NS5A genes of HCV function in HCV replication and influence host cellular factors that are involved in HCV pathogenesis. The current study was designed to select NS3 and NS5A antigenic sites, amplified, cloned, and expressed in order to find out better assays for diagnosis or drug and vaccine development. The antigenic sites within NS3 and NS5A genes were selected and confirmed through sequencing and were cloned. The antigenic recombinant proteins were expressed in bacterial strain E. coli BL21ply*, and the expression was confirmed by western blotting by using gene-specific and vector-specific antibodies. Results Specific antigenic regions within the NS3 and NS5A genes of the HCV 3A genotype were amplified. PCR results showed 328 bp and 747 bp antigenic regions, respectively. The regions were confirmed by DNA sequencing and cloned into a bacterial expression vector. Expression analysis showed 12 kDa and 28 kDa of NS3 and NS5A antigenic recombinant proteins, respectively. Taken together, these studies will help to analyze the genetic variability within the local HCV isolates as these antigenic recombinant proteins were quite important in the screening of HCV-infected patients. Conclusions This study might help to enhance the progress in the treatment of HCV infection through the modeling of HCV non-structural genes (NS3 and NS5A) from local isolate, and it might also present the viral genes as potential therapeutic targets.

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common and recurring diseases and the second leading cause of death in women. Despite prevention, diagnostics, and therapeutic options such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy, the number of occurrences increases every year. Therefore, novel therapeutic drugs targeting specifically different checkpoints should be developed against breast cancer. Among drugs that can be developed to treat breast cancer, natural products, such as plant-derived compounds, showed significant anti-breast cancer properties. These substances belong to different chemical classes such as flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolic acids, and alkaloids. They exert their in vitro and in vivo cytotoxic activities against breast cancer cell lines via different mechanisms, including the inhibition of extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways, the arrest of the cell cycle, and the activation of autophagy. Moreover, they also exhibit anti-angiogenesis and antimetastatic action. Moreover, chemoprevention effects of these bioactive compounds were signaled only for certain drugs. Therefore, the aim of this review is to highlight the pharmacological actions of medicinal plants and their bioactive compounds on breast cancer. Moreover, the role of these substances in breast cancer chemoprevention was also discussed.

A novel analytical protocol was developed for general quality screening of chicken meat based on IEF and protein extraction. To demonstrate the developed protocol, 24 chickens were divided into three groups; each had eight chickens. The chickens in Group 1 were slaughtered by exsanguination, Group 2 asphyxiated in water, and that in Group 3 were infected by new castle disease virus. Proteins were extracted from the meat samples by using pure water as an extractant, separated by IEF, verified by western blot, and quantified via imaging analysis. The relevant experiments demonstrated that two myoglobin (Mb) bands were detected at pI 6.8 and 7.04 for all samples of Groups 1, 2, and 3, but there were additional hemoglobin (Hb) bands at pI 7.09 and 7.13 (P < 0.05) for the samples of Groups 2 and 3. The results implied that Hb bands might be a potential biomarker for the screening of chicken meat quality. The RSD values of two Mb bands (pI 6.8 and 7.04) in Group 1 were respectively 4.08 and 3.63%, the ones of two Hb bands (pI 7.09 and 7.13) in Group 2 were 3.66 and 2.10%, and those in Group 3 were 2.17% and 2.77%, respectively. All the RSD values indicated high stability and reliability of the developed protocol. Additionally, the protocol had a direct readout of protein bands in IEF without staining. However, it was time-consuming and had high cost. Even so, the relevant general method and finding have potential for screening of chicken meat quality.

Assays of uric acid (UA) in human urine and blood are of great significance to clinic diagnoses of many diseases, such as gout, renal failure, and hyperuricemia. Portable and visual quantification method, however, has been rarely developed for POCT detection of UA in urine and blood samples. In this work, we developed the electrophoresis titration (ET) model, the relevant sensing method and the portable chip device for portable and visual detection of UA in both urine and blood based on moving reaction boundary (MRB). In the model, uricase catalyzes UA in the anode well to allantoin, producing hydrogen peroxide, which oxidizes leucocrystal violet dye without charge to crystal violet (CV+) with one positive charge. Under an electric field, a MRB was created between the violet CV+ moving from the anode well into the channel and the alkaline sodium acetate in channel, resulting in an ET sensing. The model indicated that the distance of MRB under given conditions was as a function of UA content, implying an extraordinary simple sensing for UA. Based on the MRB-ET model, a series of experiments were conducted. The results evidently validated the model and method of ET-MRB. The experiments not only demonstrated the high facility and portability of MRB-ET model, but also showed the visuality, selectivity and rapidity. In addition, the experiments revealed the fair sensitivity (

High portability and environmental safety ("green") are two of the most important objectives pursued by microfluidic methods. However, there remain many challenges for the design of portable and visual microfluidic methods (e.g., chip electrophoresis) due to use of a cumbersome pump, power supply and detector. Herein, a facile double inner standard plot (DISP) model of electrophoresis titration (ET) was proposed for portable and visual assay of proteins in test milk samples without use of a pump, power supply or detector based on a moving reaction boundary (MRB) chip. The DISP-ET model predicted that: (i) by setting the upper limit (UL) and lower limit (LL) of double inner standard milk protein contents, points U and L were, respectively, achieved in the relationship D = -aC + b (D: MRB motion distance; C: protein content); and (ii) the two points divided both the C-axis and D-axis into "poor", "eligible" and "superior" rulers scaled for quantitative assay of test samples. To demonstrate the model of DISP-ET, an original portable device (120 mm × 78 mm × 30 mm, 341 g) was designed, which had a chip (25 mm × 25 mm × 4 mm) of three channels (15 mm × 200 μm × 80 μm), platinum electrodes, a lithium cell and touch screen. A series of experiments were undertaken based on the developed portable device. The relevant experiments demonstrated systemically the validity of the DISP-ET model, theory and method. In particular, the experiments clearly showed the advantages of the DISP-ET chip: portability, visuality, green use, rapidity, and flexibility for real-life use. Finally, the device was applied for a portable and visual assay of fresh milk from a cow on a dairy farm. The DISP-ET model opens a window for designing portable and visual quantitative methods of food-safety control and clinical diagnoses.

Background & Objectives: Traumatic Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition that results in life long disability. Impairments associated with traumatic SCI such as sensory, motor, and autonomic dysfunctions lead to an array of secondary SCI-specific complications. Neuropathic pain is one of the most common medical complications of traumatic SCI which significantly affects motor function and activities of daily living (ADL) in people with traumatic SCI. Neuropathic pain is one of the main factors for dependency, decreased quality of life (QOL), poor rehabilitation outcomes, and depression in traumatic SCI individuals. The main aim of the current study was to determine the frequency of neuropathic pain and its effects on rehabilitation outcomes, balance function, and QOL in people with traumatic SCI. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out at PCP from March to August 2020. Overall, 123 participants were added to the study using a non-probability convenience sampling technique. Information was collected using an adapted, validated questionnaire. Both male and female traumatic SCI patients with age between 18-60 years who received at least two weeks of rehabilitation, 42 days after diagnosis of traumatic SCI were included in current study while patients with Acute SCI, SCI patients with any other condition which can affect neuropathic pain such as traumatic brain injury, diabetic neuropathy, amputation, etc. and progressive neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Guillain barre syndromes were excluded. Patients who have received at least two weeks of rehabilitation, 42 days after diagnosis of traumatic SCI. Patients with traumatic SCI. Results: Overall, 123 traumatic SCI patients were included in the study. The majority of the (n=101, 82%) participants were male and 83 (67.5%) were from urban areas. Eighty-Seven (70.73%) participants had neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain was significantly associated (P-value

Objective: Consider the recurrence of heavy skin indications and their relationship to the severity of the disease in the Pakistani population. Methods: 110 outdoor patients visiting the Lahore General Hospital, Lahore were examined during a period from May 2017 to April 2018. BMI was determined by estimating heaviness in kilograms isolated by square of height in meters. The skin appearance of tall patients with Class I (CI) [BMI >30-35.7 kg/m2] and Class II (CII) [BMI 36-41 kg/m2] disease was recorded. Results: The mean age was 41.85±8.61 years while the mean BMI was 34.52±3.52 kg/m2. A critical contrast for diabetes mellitus, striae and acanthosis nigricans was observed among the CI and CII clusters (p Conclusion: Acanthosis nigricans and rashes are more often manifested by heaviness. Keywords: Obesity, cutaneous manifestations.

Objective: Consider the recurrence of heavy skin indications and their relationship to the severity of the disease in the Pakistani population. Methods: 110 outdoor patients visiting the Lahore General Hospital, Lahore were examined during a period from May 2017 to April 2018. BMI was determined by estimating heaviness in kilograms isolated by square of height in meters. The skin appearance of tall patients with Class I (CI) [BMI >30-35.7 kg/m2] and Class II (CII) [BMI 36-41 kg/m2] disease was recorded. Results: The mean age was 41.85±8.61 years while the mean BMI was 34.52±3.52 kg/m2. A critical contrast for diabetes mellitus, striae and acanthosis nigricans was observed among the CI and CII clusters (p Conclusion: Acanthosis nigricans and rashes are more often manifested by heaviness. Keywords: Obesity, cutaneous manifestations.

Objective: Post-operative chills are a normal problem and occur in many cases recovering from universal or provincial anesthesia, postponing recovery and release from the medical clinic. The current purpose was to analyze viability of pethidine and tramadol in cure of postoperative shivering in cases experiencing elective medical intervention underneath GA. Methods: This dual-blind, randomized, measured, preliminary study of visually impaired patients was led from October 2017 to April 2018 at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore. Due to the non-probabilistic back-to-back inspection technique, an example of 50 cases in every set was used. Cases by fever, a past of spasms, any neuromuscular irregularities, and those who received vasoconstrictors, adrenergic agonists, pethidine, tramadol, cold fluids, or a large blood transfusion during the medical procedure remained omitted. Patients with postoperative tremor were randomly assigned to 2 sets using a lottery technique. Patients in Group T received tramadol 2.0 mg/kg intravenously and patients in Group P received pethidine 0.6 mg/kg in a 15 mL syringe gradually over 5 minutes. Altogether cases were tested afterward 17 minutes of initiation of intravenous medication to decide on the viability of medicine. Results: Tramadol seemed to remain viable in 92% of cases by postoperative chills while pethidine was potent in 78.6% of cases (p > 0.06). Conclusion: Pethidine 0.6 mg/kg and tramadol 2.0 mg/kg administered intravenously gradually over 6 minutes were both viable in controlling post-anesthetic chills after GA in the common cases. Key words: GA; Pethidine; Postoperative shivering; Tramadol.

Low back disorders (LBD) are the most common musculoskeletal problem among farmers, with higher prevalence than other occupations. Although studies of the general population have shown an association between LBD and awkward working posture, farmers have unique work context and exposures that may modify this relationship. This review aimed to 1) identify published research studies investigating posture as a risk factor for LBD in farmers/agricultural workers, and 2) determine the strength of the relationship between postural exposure and LBD risk of bias assessment.Comprehensive electronic searches of Medline, Web of Science, CINAHL, SCOPUS, PubMed, and EMBASE were carried out with combined conceptual groups of search terms for 'farming' and 'LBD.' After screening, data were extracted to summarize the study design, sample characteristics, exposure assessment methods, LBD risk factors, demographic information, data collection methods, farm commodities, job context, and sampling strategy. Data were synthesized to determine the weight of evidence for awkward working posture as a risk factor for LBD among farmers.Nine studies were included in this review. All studies used self-report; there were no field-based studies including direct measurement of awkward posture. There was diversity in exposure definition, exposure assessment, LBD definition, worker characteristics, and analytical approaches. There was evidence to support association between awkward working posture and LBD among farmers.Despite the diversity, the weight of evidence supported a relationship between awkward posture and LBD. Well-designed epidemiological studies with quantitative physical workload assessments, consistent and valid LBD definitions, and longitudinal designs are recommended to clarify the relationship between awkward posture and LBD.

As an effective separation tool, free-flow electrophoresis has not been used for purification of low-abundance protein in complex sample matrix. Herein, lysozyme in complex egg white matrix was chosen as the model protein for demonstrating the purification of low-content peptide via an FFE coupled with gel fitration chromatography (GFC). The crude lysozyme in egg while was first separated via free-flow zone electrophoresis (FFZE). After that, the fractions with lysozyme activity were condensed via lyophilization. Thereafter, the condensed fractions were further purified via a GFC of Sephadex G50. In all of the experiments, a special poly(acrylamide- co-acrylic acid) (P(AM-co-AA)) gel electrophoresis and a mass spectrometry were used for identification of lysozyme. The conditions of FFZE were optimized as follows: 130 μL/min sample flow rate, 4.9 mL/min background buffer of 20 mM pH 5.5 Tris-Acetic acid, 350 V, and 14 °C as well as 2 mg/mL protein content of crude sample. It was found that the purified lysozyme had the purity of 80% and high activity as compared with its crude sample with only 1.4% content and undetectable activity. The recoveries in the first and second separative steps were 65% and 82%, respectively, and the total recovery was about 53.3%. The reasons of low recovery might be induced by diffusion of lysozyme out off P(AM-co-AA) gel and co-removing of high-abundance egg ovalbumin. All these results indicated FFE could be used as alternative tool for purification of target solute with low abundance.

In this paper, an optimized method based on gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOFMS) platform has been developed for the analysis of gut microbial-host related co-metabolites in fecal samples. The optimization was performed with proportion of chloroform (C), methanol (M) and water (W) for the extraction of specific metabolic pathways of interest. Loading Bi-plots from the PLS regression model revealed that high concentration of chloroform emphasized the extraction of short chain fatty acids and TCA intermediates, while the higher concentration of methanol emphasized indole and phenyl derivatives. Low level of organic solution emphasized some TCA intermediates but not for indole and phenyl species. The highest sum of the peak area and the distribution of metabolites corresponded to the extraction of methanol/chloroform/water of 225:75:300 (v/v/v), which was then selected for method validation and utilized in our application. Excellent linearity was obtained with 62 reference standards representing different classes of gut microbial-host related co-metabolites, with correlation coefficients (r2) higher than 0.99. Limit of detections (LODs) and limit of qualifications (LOQs) for these standards were below 0.9 nmol and 1.6 nmol, respectively. The reproducibility and repeatability of the majority of tested metabolites in fecal samples were observed with RSDs lower than 15%. Chinese rhubarb-treated rats had elevated indole and phenyl species, and decreased levels of polyamine such as putrescine, and several amino acids. Our optimized method has revealed host-microbe relationships of potential importance for intestinal microbial metabolite receptors such as pregnane X receptor (PXR) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) activity, and for enzymes such as ornithine decarboxylase (ODC).

The various aspects of MDR-TB, type of pathogen, different drug sensitive methods and mutation (s) in specific genes were determined. The histone-like protein ( hupB ) gene of M. tuberculosis was targeted by using primer sets: N & S and M & S (produced 645 bp & 318 bp fragment respectively). The most significant risk factors were the poverty and male gender of ages 11–25 years. All samples were detected as M. tuberculosis . By Drug Proportion method, the highest percentage (37%) was found resistant to only Rifampin. By MGIT method, the highest percentage (82.2%) was found resistant with the triple combination (Rifampin-RIF + Isoniazid-INH + Ethambutol-EMB) of the drugs. The highest mutations (76.92%) were found in gene rpoB (codon 531) in MDR TB patients. By, MAS-PCR, the highest percentage (34%) were found resistant to combination (INH + RIF) of the drugs. Minimum samples were resistant to RIF and RIF + INH drugs by MGIT, while proportionate results were observed from MAS-PCR and DP. Moreover, by MAS-PCR mutation in gene embB (306) caused EMB resistance (51.64%). We found that M. tuberculosis was the main cause of MDR-TB. Our findings may further be used for an early diagnosis of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.

Cotton growth and development is effected by various ecological issues like temperature fluctuations, distribution and quantity of rainfall, relative humidity and winds which are the climate change attributes. A field experiment was carried out to find out the response of cotton to weather variables in terms of total variation in yield and quality. The effect of planting times and thermal temperatures (cumulative heat units) on yield of 4 cotton cultivars viz; CIM-600, CIM-616, CIM-622 & CRIS-641 was evaluated. Plants were sown on 6 planting times during the year 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 in an experiment conducted in randomized complete block design having three replications. Cotton cultivars depicted significant variances for number of bolls plant-1, boll weight and seed cotton yield. The cultivar CIM-616 depicted the highest seed cotton yield of 2083.60 kg·ha-1 on interpretation of highest bolls and boll weight. Maximum seed cotton yield was noted in planting time from 1st April to 15th April whereas early and late planting decreases the seed cotton yield on account of less accretion of cumulative heat units. Regression analysis depicted that rise of one unit (15 days) from early to optimal date (15th March to 15th April) enhanced the seed cotton yield by 93.76 kg·ha-1 (y = -93.764x2 + 521.04x + 1364). Delayed planting also reduces the seed cotton yield with the same ratio. It is therefore established that cotton must be cultivated from 1st April to 1st May to harvest good production in this type of climate.

Genetic diversity provides the foundation for crop improvement. Genetic variation and associations among Cotton Leaf Curl Disease (CLCuD), fiber and yield related traits were investigated in exotic lines of Gossypium arboreum L. in an experimental field at the Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), Multan, Pakistan during the crop season 2011-12. One hundred and nineteen (119) accessions imported from USA through the Pakistan and US “Cotton Productivity Enhancement Program” (CPEP), were evaluated in this study. Various statistical approaches including descriptive statistics, correlation and principal component analysis was performed to evaluate and identify desirable genotypes. Results revealed that seed cotton yield was significantly and positively correlated with boll weight and number of bolls plant-1. Similarly, plant height was also significantly correlated with sympodial branches, lint percentage and micronaire value. Lint percentage showed a highly significant and positive correlation with plant height, sympodial branches and micronaire value. With respect to fiber traits, negative and significant relationships were observed between the micronaire value (MIC) and fiber strength. CLCuD showed no relationship with any of the studied traits, as all the G. arboreum L. lines evaluated were scored resistant to CLCuD. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the first four out of 11 components contributed about 65.88% of the total variation having an eigen value greater than 1. Based on PCA, the genotypes GS-4, GS-9, GS-8, GS-55 and GS-50 could be utilized successfully in a future breeding program based on having the highest positive loading factor for staple length (0.135) in PC1 and seed cotton yield (0.625), number of bolls plant-1, boll weight, first sympodial nod, staple length and fiber strength in PC2 respectively.

Objectives: Low back disorders (LBD) are the most common musculoskeletal disorder among farmers, and awkward trunk postures such as repetitive bending are often cited as a contributor. However, it ...

Isoelectric focusing (IEF) has been used for determination of meat quality with high stability analysis. However, it still suffered from time-consuming, laborious and cost-effective performances, e.g., 3 h protein extraction, more than 10 h rehydration time, 5–12 h focusing time, and imaging of protein band. To overcome these issues, a speedy extraction of colorful proteins was developed by controlling extraction and centrifugation of 0.2g sample within 10 min and 15 min respectively; a rapid analytical method was designed by using a quick array IEF with 25 min rehydration, 7 min focusing, 2 min online scanning and imaging of focused proteins. The total analytical time was well controlled within 1 h, significantly less than the traditional IEF time of 24 h. To demonstrate the proposed method, 18 chickens were classified into three groups, e.g., the normal slaughtering, death treatment underwater, and death with infection via the New castle disease (NDV) virus. The experiments demonstrated that two Mb bands with pI 6.8 and 7.4 were present in slaughtered chickens, while four other bands with pI 6.83, 6.95, 7.09, and 7.13 were observed in abnormal chicken. The additional four proteins bands were identified by western blot (WB) as hemoglobin proteins. Furthermore, array Immobilized pH Gradient (IPG) has high sensitivity (absolute LOD of Mb and Hb were 1.3 ng and 5.5 ng), fair stability (RSD values of 2.32%, 2.27%, and 1.69%) for slaughtered, drowned, NDV-infected chickens for intra-day and (2.94%, 1.66%, and 1.07%) for inter-days, and good recovery (100%, 98.25% and 99.75%). Finally, the developed method could be used for the identification of chicken meat quality with less time and small volume reagents consuming.

An aptamer-linked assay of a target biomarker (e.g., thrombin) is facing the challenges of long-term run, complex performance, and expensive instrument, unfitting clinical diagnosis in resource-limited areas. Herein, a facile chip electrophoresis titration (ET) model was proposed for rapid, portable, and low-cost assay of thrombin via aptamer-linked magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), redox boundary (RB), and horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In the electrophoresis titration-redox boundary (ET-RB) model, thrombin was chosen as a model biomarker, which could be captured within 15 min by MNP-aptamer 1 and HRP-aptamer 2, forming a sandwich complex of (MNP-aptamer 1)-thrombin-(HRP-aptamer 2). After MNP separation and chromogenic reaction of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) within 10 min, an ET-RB run could be completed within 5 min based on the reaction between a 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine radical cation (TMB•+) and l-ascorbic acid in the ET channel. The systemic experiments based on the ET-RB method revealed that the sandwich complex could be formed and the thrombin content could be assayed via an ET-RB chip, demonstrating the developed model and method. In particular, the ET-RB method had the evident merits of simplicity, rapidity (less than 30 min), and low cost as well as portability and visuality, in contrast to the currently used thrombin assay. In addition, the developed method had high selectivity, sensitivity (limit of detection of 0.04 nM), and stability (intraday: 3.26%, interday: 6.07%) as well as good recovery (urine: 97-102%, serum: 94-103%). The developed model and method have potential to the development of a point-of-care testing assay in resource-constrained conditions.

Absolute quantification of ligand capped on the surface of nanoparticles (NPs) has faced a great challenge without the use of complex inner standards (CIS). Herein, we proposed a facile electrophoresis titration (ET) model, designed an ET device, and developed a relevant method for counting the ligand on NPs without the use of CIS, based on moving reaction boundary (MRB). Furthermore, we conducted the relevant ET runs by using 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) and quantum dots (QDs) as the model ligand and NPs, respectively. The experiments revealed that the ligand content of 1518 ± 295 obtained via an ET was close to the one of 1408 ± 117 determined via NMR, validating the ET model. Moreover, the experiments showed fair stability (RSD < 5.62%) and simplicity of ET without the use of CIS. Evidently, the ET model opens a window for facile assay of ligand capped on NPs.

Melamine was sometimes adulterated to dairy products for false protein content increase in developing countries. However, a portable sensor has not been developed for on-spot determination of melamine in dairy products yet. Herein, a distance-based sensor was advanced for the quantification of melamine in dairy products based on chip electrophoretic titration (ET) of moving neutralization boundary (NB) and EDTA photocatalysis. In the chip sensor, EDTA, H2O2, and leucomalachite green (LMG) were added in the anode well. Under UV light, EDTA photocatalyzes H2O2 and colorless LMG as H2O and color malachite green (MG) with one positive charge. When applying an electric field, the MG in the anode well migrated into the channel and was neutralized with the base in the channel, resulting in colorless MG-OH and NB. If the melamine-content dairy sample was added into the EDTA-H2O2-LMG system, H2O2 reacts with melamine, leading to the decrease of MG. Thus, the higher the melamine content in dairy products, the short...

Whole body vibration is a significant physical risk factor associated with low back pain. This study assessed farmers’ exposure to whole body vibration on the Canadian prairies according to ISO 2631-1. Eighty-seven vibration measurements were collected with a triaxial accelerometer embedded in a rubber seat pad at the operator-seat interface of agricultural machinery, including tractors, combines, pickup trucks, grain trucks, sprayers, swathers, all-terrain vehicles, and skid steers. Whole body vibration was highest in the vertical axis, with a mean (range) frequency-weighted root mean squared acceleration of 0.43 m/s2 (0.19−1.06 m/s2). Mean crest factors exceeded 9 in all 3 axes, indicating high mechanical shock content. The vertical axis vibration dose value was 7.55 m/s1.75 (2.18−37.59 m/s1.75), with 41.4% of measurements within or above the health guidance caution zone. These high exposures in addition to an ageing agricultural workforce may increase health risks even further, particularly for...

Direct workplace whole-body vibration exposure assessment provides ecological validity for evaluating health risk in epidemiological studies, yet it is complex and expensive in practical applications. Exposure prediction modeling could be a cost-efficient alternative to directly assessing occupational vibration exposures. The objective of this study was to model directly measured whole-body vibration exposures with predictors from machinery, farm, and self-reported characteristics among Canadian prairies farmers. As per ISO 2631-1, whole-body vibration data were measured on the seat surface at three axes (x, y, z), then summarized into vector sums of the root-mean-squared (RMS) acceleration and the vibration dose value (VDV). All candidate predictors were obtained via questionnaires and onsite observations. A total of 87 whole-body vibration measurements were collected from 40 male farm workers located at 21 central Saskatchewan farms. Using log-transformed RMS and time-standardized VDV outcomes, modeling started from the bivariate analysis where predictors with P-values < 0.2 were considered eligible for multivariate analysis. With random effects of 'farm' and 'farmer', a series of mixed-effects models were constructed through the manual backward elimination method. Final models were internally validated by 1000 bootstrapped samples. The RMS model explained 47.7% of the variance in the directly measured RMS vector sum, with 42.7% obtained from five predictors of 'horsepower', 'transmission', 'vehicle year', 'jerk/jolt frequency', and 'seat bottom-out frequency', while the VDV model explained 19.5% of the variance in the directly measured VDV vector sum, with 11.6% described by the same five predictors as the RMS model. Predictive ability of the RMS model among 1000 bootstrapped samples can be anticipated to range from 14.3 to 69.1%, which may be considered adequate as exposure assessment tool for uses of epidemiological studies. The percentage of variance explained ranged from 0 to 40.5% for the VDV model, which is not robust and therefore likely not appropriate for use in survey-based exposure prediction. Whole-body vibration exposure modeling remains valuable, but is challenging in farming; the described model variance may increase with a more comprehensive list of candidate variables collected and quantified at machinery, farm, and farmer level. Predictors identified in the current and future models may provide a better understanding of how whole-body vibration exposure is modified, guide farmer's future decision on updating equipment, and allow for the development and initiation of interventions.

'CIM-496' cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) (Reg. No. CV-125, PI 657627, Pak 024263) was developed by the Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), Multan, Pakistan, and released in 2005 for general cultivation as a part of investigations oriented toward evolving high-yielding cotton cultivars that are resistant to the cotton leaf curl virus disease (CLCuD). The cultivar was developed through crossing CIM-425 with 755-6/93. CIM-496 was tested in multiple trials conducted by various public agencies, as well as by CCRI Multan. In varietal trials conducted for three successive normal cotton-growing seasons (2000-2002) at three different sites, CIM-496 outyielded significantly all the standard varieties included in the present study. In zonal trials arranged at 26 different sites, the seed cotton yield (SCY) of CIM-496 was 11.1% and 9.8% more than checks 'CIM-473' and 'CIM-499', respectively. In the National Coordinated Varietal Trial (NCVT), CIM-496 produced more SCY than the standards for two consecutive years (2003 and 2004). CIM-496 is resistant to the Multan strain of CLCuD and also possesses a higher lint percentage compared with the existing commercial varieties. The commercial cultivation of this cultivar has substantially contributed in sustaining cotton production in Pakistan and can also be used as valuable genetic resource in future cotton breeding programs.