Comparison between Right and Left Hemisphere Lesion of Stroke Patients for Functional Gait Assessment

Objective: To compared the functional gait among left and right hemisphere lesion patients of stroke. Methods: This cross sectional comparative study included 126 patients with right and left sided hemispheric lesion. The study was conducted from December 2019 to March 2020. Patients were selected consecutively from different hospitals and rehabilitation centers of Lahore, Pakistan on the basis of inclusion & exclusion criteria. Functional gait assessment (FGA) scale was used to measure functional gait performance and disturbance related to balance in stroke patients. Independent sample t-test was used for comparison of functional gait between left and right hemispheric lesions. A p-value ≤ .05 was taken statistically significant. Results: A total of 126 patients of stroke with right and left sided hemisphere lesion were assessed for functional gait assessment. The mean age of patients in group A and B was 54.19±8.54 years and 51.46±8.57 years, respectively. The mean weight of patients in group A and B was 61.95±8.82 kg and 58.67±5.83 kg, respectively. Functional gait assessment mean score in group A was 12.56±2.60 and in group B was 15.59±4.17 points with p-value of 0.001. There was a significant difference of FGA scores present between the two groups. Conclusions: The study concluded that ambulatory functions differ with respect to site of hemisphere lesion. The site of hemisphere lesion impact on patient's functional gait has statistically significant

High Temperature Superconductors

One of the pioneers who introduced superconductivity of metal solids was Kamerlingh Onnes (1911). Researchers always struggled to make observations towards superconductivity at high temperatures for achieving goals of evaluating normal room temperature superconductors. The physical properties are based entirely on the behavior of conventional and metal superconductors as a result of high-temperature superconductors. Various synthetic approaches are employed to fabricate high-temperature superconductors, but solid-state thermochemical process which involves mixing, calcinating, and sintering is the easiest approach. Emerging novel high-temperature superconductors mainly engaged with technological applications such as power transmission, Bio-magnetism, and Tokamaks high magnetic field. Finally, in this chapter, we will discuss a brief outlook, future prospects, and finished with possible science fiction and some opportunities with high-temperature superconductors

Bio-Inspired Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles: Anticancer Drug Carrier, Catalytic and Bactericidal Potential

Green route was adopted for the synthesis of stable silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) using Cenchrus ciliaris (C. ciliaris) seeds exudates. A variety of techniques were deployed for the characterization of the bio-synthesized Ag-NPs using ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer-UV_Vis, X-ray diffraction-XRD, scanning electron microscopy-SEM, transmission electron microscopy-TEM and fourier transform infrared spectrometry-FTIR. Increasing C. ciliaris concentration leads to a reduction in the particle size accompanied with agglomeration between the NPs. The results demonstrate that Ag-NPs (1-3CC) are less agglomerated and exhibited significant antimicrobial potential against various bacterial strains compared to 4-5CC. In this project performance of nanocatalyst was evaluated on toxic contaminants that exhibit excellent degradation of methylene blue (MB) and congo red (CR) by NaBH4 in an eco-friendly manner. In addition, Ag-NPs were loaded with anticancer drugs (ACD) [doxorubicin (Dox) hydrochloride, and daunorubicin (Dono)] to develop novel drug carrier with high loading capacity and rapid drug adsorption rate to hampered the side effects of ACD. The loading capacity of ACD was investigated as a function of contact time and adsorption dosages had a maximum adsorption capacity of 404.19 and 253.85 mg/g for Dox and Dono respectively. Moreover, kinetic models were conducted to evaluate the adsorption kinetics.Authors would like to thanks higher education commission (HEC) Pakistan through indigenous 5000 PhD fellowship program and gratefully acknowledges the support of Australian Research Council DP150101939, Australian Research Council DE160100569, and Westpac 2016 Research Fellowship

Soybean and Sustainable Agriculture for Food Security

Global food security is under-challenged due to over increasing human population, limited cropland, and risk of climate change. Therefore, an appropriate agricultural policy framework needs to be developed for food security that should be sustainable economically and ecologically. Nitrogen (N) is a crucial element that controls the growth productivity of crop plants. N accounts for around 78 volume per cent of the atmosphere but all crop plants cannot use it directly. Agricultural land is mostly dominated by cereals (e.g. rice, wheat, maize) which have specifically high N demand as compared to food legumes. Soybean exemplifies the most significant and cultivated food legume, presently cultivated worldwide under varying climatic conditions. It plays a significant role in global food security as well as agricultural sustainability due to a high seed protein and oil concentration, and low reliance on N fertilization. Soybean enriches soil health by fixing atmospheric N through biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), the most productive and economical system for N fixation and crop production, associated with more intensive production systems. However, the efficiency of BNF depends on several factors. This study is focused to develop more reliable guidelines for managing BNF by using the potential of natural agro-ecosystems

Mammographic parenchymal patterns in solid breast tumors

Objective: to determine the frequency of various breast parenchymal patterns on mammography and an association of the presence of a solid tumor with any pattern.Study design: analytical descriptive study.Duration and Setting: January 2009 to September 2010, at Radiology Department, Dow University of Health Sciences/Civil Hospital Karachi.Methods: Adult females diagnosed with single solid breast lesion placed in BIRADS category II-VI on mammography and ultrasound, were included. The parenchymal pattern of breast was classified into predominantly fatty (N1), \u3c 25% glandular (P1), \u3e25% glandular (P2) and very dense glandular tissue (DY) according to Wolffe’s classification. Those with multiple lumps, ductal dilatation, chemo or radiation therapy to breast, or recent hormonal or contraceptive use were excluded. The overall data was described as measures of central tendency and dispersion. Significance of association was determined using chi square test at P\u3c0.05.Results: There were a total of 76 patients with mean age of 47.6± 10.45 years; 74 (97.4%) were married with average parity of 4.5 ± 2.8 and 64 (84.2%) had lactated. Lesions included 65 (82.2%) carcinomas, 10 (10.5%) fibro adenomas and 01 (1.3%) lipoma. The distribution of parenchymal patterns was found to be 22.4% N1, 44.7% P1, 26.3% P2 and 6.6% DY patterns. There was a strong association of P1 and P2 patterns with solid breast lesions (p=0.024). The overall association of carcinoma with P1 and DY patterns was also significant (p= 0.041).Conclusion: Scattered fibro glandular and heterogeneously dense mammographic parenchyma had a strong association with presence of solid malignant lesion in breast. These findings are incongruous with the reported patterns from the West and may represent inherent oncogenic characteristic in Pakistani ladies

The Legacy of Plant Invasion: Impacts on Soil Nitrification and Management Implications

Plant invasions can have long-lasting impacts on soil nitrification, which plays a critical role in nutrient cycling and plant growth. This review examines the legacy effects of plant invasion on soil nitrification, focusing on the underlying mechanisms, context dependence, and implications for management. We synthesize literature on the positive, negative and neutral legacy effects of plant invasion on soil nitrification, highlighting the complexity of these effects and the need for further research to fully understand them. Positive legacy effects include increased soil microbial biomass or activity, potentially enhancing nutrient availability for plants. However, negative legacy effects, like reduced nitrifier abundance, can result in decreased soil nitrification rates and nutrient availability. In some cases, changes to nitrification during active invasion appear transitory after the removal of invasive plants, indicating neutral short-term legacies. We discuss the context dependence of legacy effects considering factors, including location, specific invasive plant species, and other environmental conditions. Furthermore, we discuss the implications of these legacy effects for management and restoration strategies, such as the removal or control of invasive plants, and potential approaches for restoring ecosystems with legacy effects on soil nitrification. Finally, we highlight future research directions, including further investigation into the mechanisms and context dependence of legacy effects, and the role of plant–microbe interactions. Overall, this review provides insights into the legacy effects of plant invasion on soil nitrification and their implications for ecosystems

Overexpression of Nitrate Transporter <i>OsNRT2.1</i> Enhances Nitrate-Dependent Root Elongation

Root morphology is essential for plant survival. NO3&#8722; is not only a nutrient, but also a signal substance affecting root growth in plants. However, the mechanism of NO3&#8722;-mediated root growth in rice remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of OsNRT2.1 on root elongation and nitrate signaling-mediated auxin transport using OsNRT2.1 overexpression lines. We observed that the overexpression of OsNRT2.1 increased the total root length in rice, including the seminal root length, total adventitious root length, and total lateral root length in seminal roots and adventitious roots under 0.5-mM NO3&#8722; conditions, but not under 0.5-mM NH4+ conditions. Compared with wild type (WT), the 15NO3&#8722; influx rate of OsNRT2.1 transgenic lines increased by 24.3%, and the expressions of auxin transporter genes (OsPIN1a/b/c and OsPIN2) also increased significantly under 0.5-mM NO3&#8722; conditions. There were no significant differences in root length, &#223;-glucuronidase (GUS) activity, and the expressions of OsPIN1a/b/c and OsPIN2 in the pDR5::GUS transgenic line between 0.5-mM NO3&#8722; and 0.5-mM NH4+ treatments together with N-1-naphthylphalamic acid (NPA) treatment. When exogenous NPA was added to 0.5-mM NO3&#8722; nutrient solution, there were no significant differences in the total root length and expressions of OsPIN1a/b/c and OsPIN2 between transgenic plants and WT, although the 15NO3&#8722; influx rate of OsNRT2.1 transgenic lines increased by 25.2%. These results indicated that OsNRT2.1 is involved in the pathway of nitrate-dependent root elongation by regulating auxin transport to roots; i.e., overexpressing OsNRT2.1 promotes an effect on root growth upon NO3&#8722; treatment that requires active polar auxin transport

Omics Approaches in Invasion Biology: Understanding Mechanisms and Impacts on Ecological Health

Invasive species and rapid climate change are affecting the control of new plant diseases and epidemics. To effectively manage these diseases under changing environmental conditions, a better understanding of pathophysiology with holistic approach is needed. Multiomics approaches can help us to understand the relationship between plants and microbes and construct predictive models for how they respond to environmental stresses. The application of omics methods enables the simultaneous analysis of plant hosts, soil, and microbiota, providing insights into their intricate relationships and the mechanisms underlying plant–microbe interactions. This can help in the development of novel strategies for enhancing plant health and improving soil ecosystem functions. The review proposes the use of omics methods to study the relationship between plant hosts, soil, and microbiota, with the aim of developing a new technique to regulate soil health. This approach can provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying plant–microbe interactions and contribute to the development of effective strategies for managing plant diseases and improving soil ecosystem functions. In conclusion, omics technologies offer an innovative and holistic approach to understanding plant–microbe interactions and their response to changing environmental conditions

A Comprehensive Investigation Of Novel Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana) Products From South Punjab, Pakistan

Ber also known as jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana) is an evergreen shrub and known as poor man’s apple belongs to the Rhamnacae family. It is a minor fruit of Pakistan with short post-harvest shelf life. The present study was planned to develop jujube products such as jam, syrup, jelly, dehydrated jujubes, pickle, and candied jujube from Dil Bahar cultivar followed by a shelf-life study based on TSS, Ascorbic acid, total sugars, moisture and crude fiber content at prescribed intervals. Results showed higher total phenolic content in Dil Bahar (144.38 mgGAE/100g) cultivar as compared to other cultivars. Shelf life study showed that total soluble solids of jujube products increased when storage time increased. Moisture content in products was reduced as storage time was increased. Ascorbic acid content showed significant values when storage time was increased. Sugars content in products showed significantly high values with increased storage time. Crude fiber content showed a minute difference and remained stable when storage time was increased

Both Adaptability and Endophytic Bacteria Are Linked to the Functional Traits in the Invasive Clonal Plant <i>Wedelia trilobata</i>

The role of the interactions between endophytes and host plants is unclear in invasive plants from different geographical latitudes. In this study, we aimed to explore the relationship between endophytic microbes and the functional traits of the invasive plant Wedelia trilobata. We explored the relationship between endophytes and the clonal growth traits of the invasive clonal plant Wedelia trilobata from different geographical latitudes using high-throughput sequencing technology and a common garden-planting experiment. We found that: (1) Different W. trilobata populations had similar endophytic fungi but different endophytic bacteria. However, no latitudinal variation pattern of the overall microbial community was found; (2) plant clonal growth performance (i.e., spacer length) was significantly correlated with endophytic bacterial diversity but not fungal diversity; and (3) the latitudinal variation pattern of the plant clonal growth performance of W. trilobata populations was found in pre-cultivated (i.e., wild) individuals but disappeared in post-cultivated W. trilobata. Our results suggest both environmental adaptability and the endophytic bacterial community are linked to the functional traits of the invasive clonal plant W. trilobata, and these functional traits tend to increase its invasiveness, which may enhance its invasion success