High-yielding Wheat Varieties Harbour Superior Plant Growth Promoting-Bacterial Endophytes

Background and Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the endophytic microbial flora of different wheat varieties to check whether a better yielding variety also harbours superior plant growth promoting bacteria. Such bacteria are helpful in food biotechnology as their application can enhance the yield of the crop.Material and Methods: Three wheat varieties (Seher, Faisalabad and Lasani) were selected, Seher being the most superior variety. endophytic bacteria were isolated from the histosphere of the leaves and roots at different growth phases of the plants. The isolates were analyzed for plant growth promoting activities. Isolates giving best results were identified through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Statistical analysis was done using Microsoft Excel 2013. All the experiments were conducted in triplicates.Results and Conclusion: The endophytes of Seher variety showed maximum plant growth promoting abilities. Among the shoot endophytes, the highest auxin production was shown by Seher isolate SHHP1-3 up to 51.9μg ml-1, whereas in the case of root endophytes, the highest auxin was produced by SHHR1-5 up to 36 μg ml-1. The bacteria showing significant plant growth promoting abilities were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. Bacillus, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria species were the dominant bacteria showing all the traits of plant growth promotion. It can be concluded that Seher variety harbours superior plant growth promoting endophytes that must be one of the reasons for its better growth and yield as compared to the other two varieties. The investigated results support possible utilization of the selected isolates in wheat growth promotion with respect to increase in agro-productivity. The application of such bacteria could be useful to enhance wheat yield and can help in food biotechnology.Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest

AN ASSESSMENT OF OVARIAN CANCER FEMALE PATIENTS' DEATH AND SURVIVAL RATE AFTER SURGICAL INTERVENTION: NEOADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY VERSUS PRIMARY DEBULKING SURGERY

Objective: The main purpose of the study is to determine the survival and death rate of the female after surgical operation. This is determined by the two different methods of treatment between the females suffering from ovarian cancer. Methods: The study arranged was of a retroactive type and it was held at Mayo Hospital, Lahore from February to September 2017. The study was associated with the data obtained in 1999 and 2008 about the female’s treatment suffering from ovarian cancer. The clinical data obtained during the previous analysis was again studied and revised. And similar knowledge was obtained about the environmental, medical, therapeutically, pathological aspects of studies. Overall existence of patients was compared with growthfree existence. The comparison was made between patients who went either debulking surgery or neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery. Mathematical identification was performed by using SPSS. Results: Total 118 patients were undergone surgical cure. Out of which 66% gained the primary debulking surgery and rest of the 34% received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The average age and tumour antigen 125 level before treatment was same. In the debulking group, two stages of patients were identified. That group had 94.8% patients with stage 3 carcinoma and 5.1% stage 4 carcinoma. While in other groups the percentage of patients in stage 3 and 4 were 80% and 20% correspondingly. The most favourable occurrence of debulking was 56.8% in the earlier group as compared to 79.4% in the second group. At the time of surgery, the total loss of blood was recorded as 1500 ml. The loss of blood was almost the same in the different exhaustive care unit. In addition to the loss of blood, the rate of urinary swathe, bowel grievance and bowel reactions were also analogous. The growth free existence was also comparable in both groups. Conclusion: Equivalent existence rates and peri-operative difficulties can be created by neo-adjuvant chemotherapy followed by intermission debulking. Keywords: Ovarian epithelial cancer, Chemotherapy, Gynecological surgical procedure, Survival analysis

Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Prospects of the Solar Cell Market

[EN] The production and consumption of energy must be converted to renewable alternatives in order to meet climate targets. During the past few decades, solar photovoltaic systems (PVs) have become increasingly popular as an alternative energy source. PVs generate electricity from sunlight, but their production has required governmental support through market interventions due to their lack of competitiveness on the energy market. Despite 40 years of attempts to establish PV technology through such interventions, the aim of this paper is to find out what general conclusions can be drawn regarding different technologies. Our study examines peer-reviewed studies from the start of PV technology up to 2023 to answer these questions. The literature indicates that not only developed countries but also developing and emerging nations possess significant potential to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change by adopting renewable energy sources. Leading market players can offer support to these less developed countries by subsidizing both equipment and installation processes. As a result, this initiative can contribute to sustainable development on our planet.The author Amal Bouich acknowledges MCIN for funding support through Margarita Salas Fellowship (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033). This work has been funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (Spain) and by the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigacion through projects BESTMAT PID2019-107137RB-C21/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and PID2019-107137RB-C22/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the ERDF under the funding project "A way of making Europe".Bouich, A.; Guaita-Pradas, I.; Aziz Khan, M.; Hameed Khattak, Y. (2023). Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Prospects of the Solar Cell Market. Sustainability. 15(21):1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152115445115152

Effect of diabetic counseling based on conversation map as compared to routine counseling on diabetes management self-efficacy and diabetic distress among patients with diabetes in Pakistan: a randomized controlled trial (study protocol)

Background: Novel interactive and pictorial health education tool named Diabetes Conversation Map (DCM) might be effective for the improvement of diabetes management self-efficacy (DMSE) and diabetes distress (DD) among diabetic patients in lower middle-income setting. This study protocol will assess the effectiveness of DCM as compared to routine care (RC) to improve DMSE, decrease DD and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Methods: This will be two arms randomized controlled trial, conducted at national institute of diabetes and endocrinology (NIDE) in Karachi, Pakistan. A sample of 120 T2DM patients of age 30–60 years with suboptimal diabetes control will be screened through eligibility criteria and DD screening tool. Patients who fulfill the eligibility criteria and have diabetes distress will be randomized into interventional and control arm. The intervention arm will receive four education sessions (40 min each) using DCM for 4 weeks duration of enrollment. Controlled arm will receive RC. DMSE and DD will be measured using the validated Likert tools at baseline and after 3 months of enrollment. Latest results of HbA1c will be retrieved from the respective medical record files at baseline and 3 months. Change in DMSE, DD scores and HbA1c levels within groups (pre-post) and between the groups after 3 months of enrollment will be compared. Multivariable linear regression will be conducted to adjust for any potential confounders. Discussion: In a study in UK, 70% of the patients with diabetes reported DCM had helped them in controlling their diabetes and recommended this method to teach other patients with diabetes also. In China, a study found that patients with diabetes who received DCM based education had significantly lower DD and significantly higher diabetes empowerment score after six months of the intervention as compared to the traditional counselling. A cross sectional study conducted in Pakistan also demonstrated that teaching based on DCM was useful in improving the knowledge, attitude and practices of patients with T2DM. Besides, no other study has evaluated the effectiveness of these novel tools for DMSE and diabetes distress DD in well-designed, sufficiently powered clinical trials. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03747471. Date of registration: Nov 20. 2018. Version and Date of Protocol: Version 1, IRB Approval date 28 June 2018

Immunoinformatic and reverse vaccinology-based designing of potent multi-epitope vaccine against Marburgvirus targeting the glycoprotein

Marburg virus (MARV) has been a major concern since its first outbreak in 1967. Although the deadly BSL-4 pathogen has been reported in few individuals with sporadic outbreaks following 1967, its rarity commensurate the degree of disease severity. The virus has been known to cause extreme hemorrhagic fever presenting flu-like symptoms (as implicated in COVID-19) with a 90% case fatality rate (CFR). After a number of plausible evidences, it has been observed that the virus usually originates from African fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus, who themselves do not indicate any signs of illness. Thus, efforts have been made in the recent years for a universal treatment of the infection, but till date, no such vaccine or therapeutics could circumvent the viral pathogenicity. In an attempt to formulate a vaccine design computationally, we have explored the entire proteome of the virus and found a strong correlation of its glycoprotein (GP) in receptor binding and subsequent role in infection progression. The present study, explores the MARV glycoprotein GP1 and GP2 domains for quality epitopes to elicit an extended immune response design potential vaccine construct using appropriate linkers and adjuvants. Finally, the chimeric vaccine wass evaluated for its binding affinity towards the receptors via molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies. The rare, yet deadly zoonotic infection with mild outbreaks in recent years has flustered an alarming future with various challenges in terms of viral diseases. Thus, our study has aimed to provide novel insights to design potential vaccines by using the predictive framework

The Impact of Sun Drying on the Occurrence of Aflatoxin in Red Chilies

A major challenge in post-harvest protection of chilies is its rapid drying to prevent quality deterioration as a result of fungal contamination. The speed and efficiency of drying is crucial as the improper and prolonged drying may eventually initiate the buildup of mycotoxins. This research demonstrated levels of aflatoxin in samples at different stages of drying with the objective to assess the efficiency of the common practice of on-farm sun drying in Pakistan. The results indicated that there was no significant pre-harvest contamination of aflatoxins in chilies grown at different locations under study. Sun drying of the harvested chilies over a post drying stage reduced average moisture content from 69.70% to 9.87%, but also led to a gradual increase in the level of aflatoxins. The correlation between the observed increase in aflatoxin levels and the length of the drying period was found to be statistically significant (P<0.05) at all the locations investigated. The implications of the findings are discussed in relation to optimizing the post-harvest drying process to minimize the levels of aflatoxin in chilies

The Impact of Sun Drying on the Occurrence of Aflatoxin in Red Chilies

A major challenge in post-harvest protection of chilies is its rapid drying to prevent quality deterioration as a result of fungal contamination. The speed and efficiency of drying is crucial as the improper and prolonged drying may eventually initiate the buildup of mycotoxins. This research demonstrated levels of aflatoxin in samples at different stages of drying with the objective to assess the efficiency of the common practice of on-farm sun drying in Pakistan. The results indicated that there was no significant pre-harvest contamination of aflatoxins in chilies grown at different locations under study. Sun drying of the harvested chilies over a post drying stage reduced average moisture content from 69.70% to 9.87%, but also led to a gradual increase in the level of aflatoxins. The correlation between the observed increase in aflatoxin levels and the length of the drying period was found to be statistically significant (P<0.05) at all the locations investigated. The implications of the findings are discussed in relation to optimizing the post-harvest drying process to minimize the levels of aflatoxin in chilies

Maize (<em>Zea mays</em>) Response to Abiotic Stress

The most extensively produced crop globally is Maize (Zea mays). Its response to diverse environmental stressors is dynamics and complicated, and it can be plastic (irreversible) or elastic (reversible). There is a wide range of soil and climatic conditions in which Maize can be grown. Climate change, for example, has the potential to impair grain quality and productivity of Maize all over the world. For the best harvest yield, the maize crop requires the right temperature. As a result of climate change, environmental stress factors such as abiotic and biotic stress factors are projected to intensify and become more common. Abiotic stress such as drought, temperature, and salinity are the major constraints limiting Maize’s worldwide production (Z. mays L.). In places prone to various stresses, the development of stress-tolerant crop types will be useful. Drought, salinity, and temperature extremes are examples of abiotic factors that can significantly impact the development and growth of the plant. Furthermore, various management options available may aid in the development of strategies for better maize performance in abiotic stress conditions to understand the maize response to resistance mechanisms and abiotic stress. Therefore, this chapter will focus on the impact of abiotic stress regarding temperature on Maize

Antimicrobial potential and phyto-physio-chemical characterization of brans from wheat, oat, and rice

In this study, the effect of different bran additions on the physicochemical and rheological properties of bread dough was investigated to determine the optimum levels and combinations. Specifically, wheat bran, rice bran, and oats were added at 20% and 40% quantity levels to the dough, and their effects were evaluated through qualitative and quantitative experiments. The results of the study showed that the addition of bran and grains at different ratios significantly affected the profile and quality of bread. Rice bran at 20% showed the maximum moisture content (25.20%), while 40% rice bran showed the highest levels of fat (4.98%), ash (0.97%), zinc (8.98%), and iron (31.87%). Oats had the highest protein content (11.94%). Furthermore, the addition of 40% oat bran (T4) resulted in the highest values of dough development time (DT) and farinograph quality number (FQN), at 14.10 and 141.0, respectively. The maximum values of maximum torque increase (MTI), dough development time (DDT), and stability were observed in T3 (63.0), T6 (40% rice bran), and T6 (7.40), respectively. In addition, the highest moisture content was observed in 20% rice bran (13.10%). During the storage study, the maximum mean value of total phenolic compound was observed in T4 (oats 40%), at 209, while the highest firmness was observed in T2 (wheat bran 40%), at 9.52. The maximum value of mold count was observed in T4 (40% oats bran), at 3.29. The data was analyzed using SPSS statistical software to validate the output of the study. In conclusion, the results suggest that the addition of bran and grains at different ratios can significantly impact the properties of bread dough, and the optimal levels and combinations should be carefully selected to achieve the desired quality characteristics

Frequency of Diabetic and Non-diabetic patients having fetal anomalies at 3rd trimester using ultrasound

Background: Pre-gestational or gestational diabetes in pregnancy is now more common among pregnant mothers as a result of the obesity pandemic. Objective: To determine frequency of diabetic and non-diabetic patients having fetal anomalies at 3rd trimester using ultrasound. Methodology: Descriptive study was conducted at radiology department Chughtai Lab, Lahore. About 250 Diabetic and Non-Diabetic pregnant women of all age were included in this study. Consecutive sampling technique was used Data was analyzed by SSPS version 24.0. All quantitative variables were reported in mean ± S.D were presented in frequency and percentage and bar charts were presented. Results: The mean age of 250 participants was 28±5.1 with minimum age of 15 years and maximum age of 45 years. Out of 250 participants, 210(84%) had no Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and 40(16%) had Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. Out of 250 patients, 204(81.6%) had adequate Amniotic Fluid Index value, 27(10.8%) had Oligohydramnios and 19(7.6%) had Polyhydramnios. In our study 16(6.4%) diabetic patients and 26(10.4%) non-diabetic patients have anomalies. Conclusion: The study concluded that frequency of anomalies doesn’t depend on patients being diabetic or non-diabetic. As in our study diabetic patients are lesser anomalies than the non-diabetic patients. &nbsp