Search

Yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) is valuable edible specie with economic significance in China. Passion fruit faces yield losses due to viral diseases. This study used tissue culture of nodal shoot segments to propagate virus-free plants. Surface-sterilized nodal shoot segments were used and shoots were initiated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with various concentrations of 6-Benzyladenine (6-BA) (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 mg L−1). Multiple shoots were initiated (5.2 ± 1.09 shoots/explant) with a 6-BA concentration of 2.0 mg L−1. Sub-culturing of these multiple shoots on MS medium augmented with 2.0 mg L−1 6-BA and 0.2 mg L−1 IAA was successful in vitro with maximum numbers of shoots (6.6 ± 1.17) within four weeks of incubation. These regenerated shoots were assayed for presence of passion fruit woodiness virus (PWV) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); only virus-free shoots were used for further propagation. Root formation was very good in each indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and (IAA) at a concentration of 0.6 mg L−1 with a maximum number of roots (7.2 ±1.30). Rooted plantlets were gradually acclimatized in a greenhouse and successfully established in soil. Thus, virus-free plants can be successfully regenerated directly from nodal shoot segments.

Government response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 came as a wave of physical closures requiring sudden change in the method of instruction from face-to-face to a completely online. Assessment of student's adaptation to this change during emergency lockdown is the focus of this study. Students' test scores related to perception of persistence levels were studied using correlation analysis. In addition, a regression analysis was performed to examine prediction factors of medical student grades during COVID-19. Students' grades in the module during COVID-19 were significantly higher compared to the grades in recent prior years at the p<0.001 level [F (3, 692) = 9.08]. Pearson product-moment correlation results showed a strong and positive correlation between students' persistence level (M = 3.46, SD = 0.997, n = 79), and their module grade during COVID-19 (M = 258.777, SD = 14.6878, n = 79), r = 0.33, p = < 0.01. The multiple linear regression analysis accounts for 14% of the variance in students' module grades and the variance was statistically significant at p < 0.05. As such, we conclude that students' persistence to adjust to a new learning environment, coupled with module directors and faculty successfully employing remote education methods, met the learning challenges during the pandemic and students maintained a high level of academic success.

Objective: This study was designed to analyse the toxic effects of the anti-cancer drug cisplatin on rat spleen and blood parameters and its amelioration by the root extract of a naturally occurring antioxidant Withania Somnifera. Methods: This experimental study was conducted in Baqai Medical University and Jinnah Medical and Dental College, Anatomy department, after the approval of Institutional Animal Ethical Committee. 60 male Albino Wistar rats, 14-16 weeks old and weighing 200-250gm were randomly divided in to 4 groups. Group A received no treatment, group B was given intraperitoneal injection of Cisplatin only for, group C received a combination of IP cisplatin and W. somnifera root extract orally and group D was given W. somnifera root extract only. Initial and final body and splenic weights, blood and histological analysis was carried out and difference between the groups were recorded. Statistical analysis of data was done using SPSS version 25.0. Results: The rats of Cisplatin only group B showed significant toxic changes in splenic histology: thickened splenic capsule, white pulp reduction with reduced PALS areas, central artery vacuolization. These changes were improved in cisplatin and W. somnifera group C. Blood profiles showed decreased Hb, TLC and platelets in cisplatin only group B but it was improved in the cisplatin and W. somnifera group C. Conclusion: Our study concluded that the W. Somnifera root extract protects against cisplatin induced damage to splenic tissue and hematological alterations in rat model. This ponders on its potential as an adjuvant therapy with anticancer cisplatin treatment for minimizing its side effects.

The world is facing an alarming situation in terms of pollution, with water contamination being a critical concern for scientists aiming to protect the ecosystem. Contaminants produced from municipal, industrial, commercial, and agricultural processes, along with domestic activities, pose serious threats to aquatic life and human welfare. Addressing these pollutants requires serious attention. Various physical, chemical, and biological approaches are used for water purification, each showing different levels of efficacy. Recent advancements in wastewater treatment techniques, such as Non-Thermal Plasma Discharge, Genetic Engineering, Nanotechnology, CRISPR-Cas9, Elimination of Emerging Organic Pollutants (EOPs), and the use of durable substrates with Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks, have shown promising results. For example, Nanotechnology has demonstrated a removal efficiency of up to 95% for heavy metals, while MOFs have achieved over 90% efficiency in organic pollutant degradation. The effectiveness of these techniques varies depending on the pollutant type and environmental factors. Consequently, selecting the appropriate method is crucial for achieving better and cost-effective outcomes in water treatment.

Pakistan has a rich diversity of herpetofauna. While numerous diversity studies on snakes have been carried out in Sindh and Baluchistan regions, none exists on the Cholistan desert landscape. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a one-year study on the different microhabitats of the Cholistan desert, to estimate the distribution and density of Brown sand boa (Eryx johnii). The sampling techniques include hand-picking, pitfall traps, and opportunistic visual encounters by amateur trackers. During the present study, 36 specimens of E. johnii were recorded for the assessment of the GIS-based distribution of species from the study area. E. johnii was recorded from 20 localities in the Cholistan desert. Further, we identified five different microhabitats have been identified from the study area for population estimation and morphological variation of E. johnii. The relative abundance of males, females, and juveniles was 0.5, 0.33, and 0.6, respectively. Morphologically, the males are significantly larger and heavier than females. We recorded two types of coloration, i.e., yellowish and reddish morphs, from various habitats of the Cholistan desert. This study provides important information on the distribution and density of the Brown sand boa in the understudied Cholistan desert landscape. The current study evaluates the distribution ranges of Brown sand boa to estimate the population density for their conservation in current localities. More investigation is required to evaluate the diversity and distribution of other species in the area because the one-year study timeframe and use of amateur trackers may have produced bias in data collecting.

The current study aims to examine how and why actors contest the business education field through rankings. Inspired by the field structuration process and field level change, we argue that categorization systems, in this case, rankings, construct boundaries of the business education field and redefine authority and elites for the field. Ten highly ranked Pakistani business schools were selected through a purposive sampling method. For the thematic analysis adopted in the current study, we collected empirical evidence mainly through interviews with the directors of accreditation and ranking bodies, deans, and marketing directors of business schools. The interview data was also supplemented by secondary data such as internal student surveys, business school's annual reports, and other relevant sources of data. The current study showed institutional work in the business education field. Through categorization systems, actors use their authority to challenge the existing social order and define the uncontested space of the business education field in developing countries. Actors then populate the uncontested space with new members thus legitimizing new rules and standards for the field and promoting new elites for the field thus creating new social order.

Air pollution poses significant public health risks, necessitating accurate and efficient monitoring of particulate matter (PM). These organic compounds may be released from natural sources like trees and vegetation, as well as from anthropogenic, or human-made sources including industrial activities and motor vehicle emissions. Therefore, measuring PM concentrations is paramount to understanding people’s exposure levels to pollutants. This paper introduces a novel image processing technique utilizing photographs/pictures of Do-it-Yourself (DiY) sensors for the detection and quantification of PM10 particles, enhancing community involvement and data collection accuracy in Citizen Science (CS) projects. A synthetic data generation algorithm was developed to overcome the challenge of data scarcity commonly associated with citizen-based data collection to validate the image processing technique. This algorithm generates images by precisely defining parameters such as image resolution, image dimension, and PM airborne particle density. To ensure these synthetic images mimic real-world conditions, variations like Gaussian noise, focus blur, and white balance adjustments and combinations were introduced, simulating the environmental and technical factors affecting image quality in typical smartphone digital cameras. The detection algorithm for PM10 particles demonstrates robust performance across varying levels of noise, maintaining effectiveness in realistic mobile imaging conditions. Therefore, the methodology retains sufficient accuracy, suggesting its practical applicability for environmental monitoring in diverse real-world conditions using mobile devices.

Objective: To determine the outcome of Open and laparoscopic Inguinal Hernioplasty. Study Design: Comparative prospective study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Surgery Combined Military Hospital, Multan Pakistan, from Sep 2021 to Oct 2022. Methodology: One hundred patients were enrolled and divided into Group-A and Group-B based on a technique used. Patents with a working diagnosis of inguinal hernia aged 13 to 90 years were included in the study. The data was collectedbfrom the participants at one week and six months post-operatively. Results: The mean age of patients was 43.87±13.63 years. The mean operative time was 70.5±10.48 minutes. The mean hospital stay was 1.88±0.79 days. The median post-op pain at 0 hours was 2(2 – 1); at 6 hours was 4(6 – 3); at 12 hours was 5(5 – 4) and at 24 hours was 5(6-3). Conclusion: The laparoscopic surgical technique is a wonderful addition to the surgical tool kit of a surgeon. When performed by experienced persons, there is speedy recovery and reduced hospital stay with minimal morbidity and mortality. It is highly recommended for inguinal hernioplasty.

Aim:A variety of developmental abnormalities of the tracheobronchial tree and pulmonary parenchyma are found in the newborn. There is limited data available on their presentation and clinical course from third world countries.Materials and Methods:A retrospective review of the medical records of children with congenital lung malformations was conducted at our tertiary care hospital from June, 2014 to June, 2018.Results:This study included 30 patients with 12 males and 18 females. The mean age at diagnosis was 13 months (range 1 month to 4 years). Congenital pulmonary airway malformation was the most common malformation present in 18 (60%) patients, followed by congenital lobar emphysema in 4 (13.3%), bronchogenic cyst in 3 (10%), bronchopulmonary sequestration in 2 (6.7%), bronchial atresia in 2 (6.7%) and pleuropulmonary blastoma in 1 (3.3%) patient. The most common presentation was recurrent upper respiratory tract infection (53.3%). Lobectomy was the most common surgical procedure performed in 86.6% of the patients, followed by excision of cyst in 10% of the patients. The post-operative complication rate was 30% with an overall survival rate of 93.3%. The average follow-up duration was 9 months.Conclusion:The predominant lung malformation in this study was congenital pulmonary airway malformation. Recurrent respiratory tract infection with or without respiratory distress was the most common mode of presentation. Health education to raise awareness and emphasis on antenatal ultrasonography can avoid inordinate delays in diagnosis and treatment. Surgery is curative with good long-term outcomes.