Comparative Study of Sodium and Potassium in Different Types of Gallstones and in Serum of Subjects with Gallstones and Controls

The study comprises evaluation of sodium and potassium in the pathogenesis of human gallstones as well as measurement of the concentration of these elements in gallstones and in sera of 109 gallstone subjects and 100 controls (age and sex matched with no personal or family history of gallstone disease). It was observed that serum concentrations for both sodium and potassium were comparable (p>0.05) between gallstone subjects and control subjects. In gallstones the concentration of sodium was significantly higher as compared to potassium (p<0.05). Normal sodium to potassium ratio was seen in serum of gallstone subjects, whereas, low sodium to potassium ratio was seen in gallstone carriers. Amongst the different types of gallstones, significantly high (p<0.05) concentrations of sodium and potassium were seen in calcium bilirubinate gallstones. The levels for these mineral elements were also raised in serum of pure calcium carbonate gallstone subjects.The results demonstrate that the higher concentration of sodium and potassium in gallstones may involve in both calcium bilirubinate gallstones and in serum of calcium carbonate gallstone subjects, which indicate their association with calcium in the precipitation of calcium bilirubinate and calcium carbonate in bile. Furthermore, low sodium to potassium ratio in gallstones indicates low ratio in bile of gallstone subjects

Ameliorative effects of Vitamin E and Urtica dioica against thiamethoxam-induced teratogenicity in embryonated chicken eggs

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the defensive effects of Vitamin E (Vit. E) and Urtica dioica (UD) in the mitigation of developmental anomalies induced by thiamethoxam (TMX) in chicken embryos.Methods: For this purpose, a total of 140 fertile eggs were equally divided into seven experimental groups (A-G); Groups A and B were kept as negative and sham control, respectively. Group C was exposed to TMX while groups D and E were supplemented with Vit. E and U. dioica, respectively along with TMX. Group F received Vit. E and group G U. dioica, only. The eggs were examined on days 10th and 20th of incubation for the assessment of developmental flaws and musculoskeletal anomalies.Results: The mortality rate was highest (40%) in group C (TMX) followed by groups D and E (20 and 15%), respectively. Developing embryos were exposed to TMX for retarded growth weight and crown-rump length (CRL) were significantly decreased as compared to the control group. The highest survival rate was recorded in negative control group A. The teratogenic defects recorded in this study include growth retardation, decreased crown-rump length, shortened beak, exencephaly, feather scantiness, and limb deformities. Morphometric analysis revealed improved growth by all parameters in Vit. E and U. dioica supplemented groups.Conclusion: It was concluded that developmental defects are due to induced TMX, can be counteracted with Vit. E and U. dioica and have no phytochemicals negative effects

The surveillance of arsenic levels in the drinking water of primary schools and the assessment of the potential cancer-related health risks of children in Multan, Pakistan

To investigate the levels of arsenic (As) in the groundwater and drinking water of primary schools and their potential impact on human health is main objective of this study. To assess risk, the following parameters i.e., carcinogenic indices (CI), hazardous indexes (HI), carcinogenic risk (CR), and hazardous quotient (HQ) have been measured for both dermal and oral arsenic exposure. This study has been focused on primary schools located in four tehsils of Multan, where water samples were collected. Arsenic levels, with concentrations ranging from 3.31 to 191 mg/l, exceeding the safe limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO) have been detected in 99.9% of the samples. The results show that arsenic content ranged from 3.31 to 191 mg/l, with 99.9% of the samples exceeding the World Health Organization's safe limit of 10 mg/l. The CR and CI exceeded the USEPA limit of 10–6 in all four tehsils ranged from 2.6 × 10-6 to 9.4 × 10-6 and 0.00023 to 0.0009 respectively in both dermal and oral cases. , Multan Sadar (1.51, 1.39) and Multan City (1.76, 1.71) exhibited HI and HQ values that surpassed the threshold of 1.0, signaling a significant likelihood of chronic and cancer-causing health consequences for individuals who are exposed to polluted water causing health. The findings suggest that the groundwater in the Multan district poses a significant health risk to humans due to high levels of arsenic contamination. This contamination is associated with an increased risk of mortality from internal cancers (including liver, kidney, lung, and bladder), as well as a higher HI &amp; CI incidence of skin cancer. Furthermore, pregnancy outcomes are affected, with associations found between arsenic exposure and lower birth weight, and infant mortality. The researchers propose that water supply organizations and educational institutions promptly take measures to ensure that the affected areas have access to arsenic-free drinking water for the well-being of students and residents

Cryopreservation of Yak Semen: A Comprehensive Review

An urgent need to boost the sustainability and efficiency of animal production exists, owing to the growing global population. Enhancing the global fertility of animals, especially cattle, is essential to ameliorate this issue. Artificial insemination and sperm cryopreservation have a considerable and favorable influence on the quantity and quality of the cattle produced. Sperm cryopreservation is crucial for livestock production because it promotes and accelerates genetic diversity and the worldwide dispersion of animals with enhanced genetics. Owing to the importance of cryobiology in reproductive technologies, researchers are developing new approaches, and they are testing cryoprotectant drugs to enhance sperm cryosurvival. However, the viability of sperm after freezing is low and widely varies across breeding yaks. These faults are crucial because they impede advances in reproductive biotechnology and the study of mammalian gametes at a fundamental level. Using chemicals, researchers have developed and enhanced various extenders with varying degrees of efficiency to reduce cryodamage and oxidative stress. In this article, we review the cryopreservation of yak semen, the development of extenders, the difficulties faced during cryopreservation, and the evaluation of semen quality using various methodologies. This review might be helpful for researchers exploring semen cryopreservation in the future, as demand for enhanced cryopreservation exists to boost the post-thaw viability and fertility of sperm

Heat Inactivation of Avian Influenza (H7N3) Virus In Experimentally Infected Chicken Meat

Introduction Avian influenza virus (H7N3) cause severe systemic disease in chickens and can be persisted in infected chicken meat that cause public health concern. Influenza viruses are heat liable but parameters for heat inactivation have not been known. Methodology The study investigated the quantitative heat inactivation of H7N3 virus from experimentally infected chicken meat. Twenty (20) sero-negative broiler chickens of 04 weeks age were divided into two group viz A (control) and B artificially infected by giving 0.1ml of 106 embryo infectious dose 50 (EID50) (H7N3) virus through intranasal route. Birds were slaughtered on day 9 post infection and tissues (trachea, kidney, lungs and liver) were collected. Inactivation curves were determined at temperature 60, 61, 62, 63 and 64°C. Results Based on D values, time to inactivate H7N3 virus depends on viral titers and inversely related to temperature. This study investigated confirmed that H7N3 virus was effectively inactivated in chicken meat at 60°C in 4 minutes while at 64°C in 1 minutes. Moreover, protocols per log EID50/g reduction in terms of D values at 60 and 64°C were noted 120 and 30 sec, the coefficient of regression ranged as 0.941 to 0.889