Hematological and Biochemical Parameters of Pregnant and Lactating Goats in Rangeland of Cholistan Desert, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

Jattal goats (n=90) of approximately 2-6 years of age being reared in Cholistan desert of Pakistan were studied during January to December, 2015 to examine the alterations in hematochemical parameters of Jattal goats at different reproductive phases while feeding on natural vegetations of desert areas of Cholistan. These were divided into three equal groups (non-pregnant, pregnant and lactating). Blood samples were collected by jugular vein puncture from goats of these three groups. Hematological parameters, white blood cells (WBC), lymphocytes (LYM), monocytes (MON), granulocytes (GRA), red blood cells ( RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit ( HCT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean cell hemoglobin (MCH), mean cell hemoglobin concentration ( MCHC) and red cell distribution width RDW were recorded. The results obtained revealed that all these parameters were generally lower in non-pregnant goats. The study revealed that significant higher values of hemoglobin (Hb), mean cell hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were observed in the lactating goats (P<0.05). Pregnant goats showed a significantly (P<0.05) higher values of leucocytes (WBC) than lactating and non-pregnant goats. Plasma sodium (Na) and potassium (K) concentration were markedly lower in lactating goats. Plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were significantly lower in pregnant goats. The Plasma concentration of cholesterol and triglycerides were higher in pregnant goats. In conclusion in present study changes in some hematochemical parameters have been determined in pregnant, non-pregnant and lactating goats of Jattal breed.Jattal goats (n=90) of approximately 2-6 years of age being reared in Cholistan desert of Pakistan were studied during January to December, 2015 to examine the alterations in hematochemical parameters of Jattal goats at different reproductive phases while feeding on natural vegetations of desert areas of Cholistan. These were divided into three equal groups (non-pregnant, pregnant and lactating). Blood samples were collected by jugular vein puncture from goats of these three groups. Hematological parameters, white blood cells (WBC), lymphocytes (LYM), monocytes (MON), granulocytes (GRA), red blood cells ( RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit ( HCT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean cell hemoglobin (MCH), mean cell hemoglobin concentration ( MCHC) and red cell distribution width RDW were recorded. The results obtained revealed that all these parameters were generally lower in non-pregnant goats. The study revealed that significant higher values of hemoglobin (Hb), mean cell hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were observed in the lactating goats (P<0.05). Pregnant goats showed a significantly (P<0.05) higher values of leucocytes (WBC) than lactating and non-pregnant goats. Plasma sodium (Na) and potassium (K) concentration were markedly lower in lactating goats. Plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were significantly lower in pregnant goats. The Plasma concentration of cholesterol and triglycerides were higher in pregnant goats. In conclusion in present study changes in some hematochemical parameters have been determined in pregnant, non-pregnant and lactating goats of Jattal breed

Comparison of trimethylgallium and triethylgallium as "ga" source materials for the growth of ultrathin GaN films on Si (100) substrates via hollow-cathode plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition

GaN films grown by hollow cathode plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition using trimethylgallium (TMG) and triethylgallium (TEG) as gallium precursors are compared. Optimized and saturated TMG/TEG pulse widths were used in order to study the effect of group-III precursors. The films were characterized by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Refractive index follows the same trend of crystalline quality, mean grain, and crystallite sizes. GaN layers grown using TMG precursor exhibited improved structural and optical properties when compared to GaN films grown with TEG precursor. © 2015 American Vacuum Society

Effect of substrate temperature and Ga source precursor on growth and material properties of GaN grown by hollow cathode plasma assisted atomic layer deposition

GaN thin films grown by hollow cathode plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition (HCPA-ALD) at two different substrate temperatures (250 and 450 °C) are compared. Effect of two different Ga source materials named as trimethylgallium (TMG) and triethylgallium (TEG) on GaN growth and film quality is also investigated and reviewed. Films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometery, and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. GaN film deposited by TMG revealed better structural, chemical, and optical properties in comparison with GaN film grown with TEG precursor. When compared on basis of different substrate temperature, GaN films grown at higher substrate temperature revealed better structural and optical properties. © 2016 IEEE

Schizophrenia risk conferred by rare protein-truncating variants is conserved across diverse human populations

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a chronic mental illness and among the most debilitating conditions encountered in medical practice. A recent landmark SCZ study of the protein-coding regions of the genome identified a causal role for ten genes and a concentration of rare variant signals in evolutionarily constrained genes1. This recent study—and most other large-scale human genetics studies—was mainly composed of individuals of European (EUR) ancestry, and the generalizability of the findings in non-EUR populations remains unclear. To address this gap, we designed a custom sequencing panel of 161 genes selected based on the current knowledge of SCZ genetics and sequenced a new cohort of 11,580 SCZ cases and 10,555 controls of diverse ancestries. Replicating earlier work, we found that cases carried a significantly higher burden of rare protein-truncating variants (PTVs) among evolutionarily constrained genes (odds ratio = 1.48; P = 5.4 × 10−6). In meta-analyses with existing datasets totaling up to 35,828 cases and 107,877 controls, this excess burden was largely consistent across five ancestral populations. Two genes (SRRM2 and AKAP11) were newly implicated as SCZ risk genes, and one gene (PCLO) was identified as shared by individuals with SCZ and those with autism. Overall, our results lend robust support to the rare allelic spectrum of the genetic architecture of SCZ being conserved across diverse human populations