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This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), bioceramic putty (BP) and tannic acid (TA) for experimental pulpotomy. Our in-vivo experimental study involved sample of 45 rats that were randomly divided into 4 groups: Group 1 (subdivided into negative (1-A) and positive (1-B) subgroups), Group 2 (MTA treated), Group 3 (BP treated) and Group 4 (TA treated). 4 weeks post pulpotomy, specimens were analyzed histologically, immunohistochemically using dentin sialoprotein marker, and histomorphometrically by assessing the thickness of newly formed dentin bridge. Group 1-B showed pulp necrosis without hard tissue formation. Group 2 showed moderate dentin formation while group 3 presented a thick layer of calcific barrier. Group 4 showed dentin bridge formation, however, irregular pulp calcifications and radicular pulp necrosis were seen. The thickness of newly formed dentin bridge showed a significant difference between group 1-B and group 2, 3 &4. Significant difference was found between group 2&3 and group 3&4. Dentin sialoprotein immunohistochemical expression was negative in group 1-B, mild in group 2, strong in group 3 and moderate in group 4. MTA and BP proved to be effective pulpotomy agents with BP being superior. For TA, further studies are required to explain the recorded unfavorable effects in some specimens., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Investigation of a unique and fast method for the determination and separation of a mixture of three drugs viz., ciprofloxacin (CIP), Ibuprofen (IBU), and diclofenac sodium (DIC) in actual samples of human plasma. Also, the technique was used to look at their pharmacokinetics study. Hydrocortisone was chosen as the internal standard (IS). The drugs were chromatographically separated using an Acquity ultra-performance liquid chromatography UPLC ® BEH C18 1.7 µm (2.1 × 150 mm) column with a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile: water (65:35, v/v) adjusted to pH 3 with diluted acetic acid. Plasma proteins were precipitated with acetonitrile. The separated drugs ranged from 0.3 to 10, 0.2-11, and 1-25 µg/mL for CIP, IBU, and DIC, respectively. Calibration curves were discovered to achieve linearity with acceptable correlation coefficients (0.99%). Examination of quality assurance samples showed exceptional precision and accuracy. Following the successful application of this improved technique to plasma samples, the pharmacokinetic characteristics of each selected drug were evaluated using (UPLC) with UV detection at 210 nm. Two green metrics were applied, the Analytical Eco-scale and the Analytical GREEnness Calculator (AGREE). Separation was achieved in only 4-min analysis time. The method's validation agreed with the requirements of the FDA, and the results were sufficient., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Many dimensions of human life and the environment are vulnerable to anthropogenic climate change and the hazards associated with it. There are several indices and metrics to quantify climate hazards that can inform preparedness and planning at different levels e.g., global, regional, national, and local. This study uses biased corrected climate projections of temperature and precipitation to compute characteristics of potential climate hazards that are pronounced in the Gomal Zam Dam Command Area (GZDCA)- an irrigated agricultural area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The results answer the question of what the future holds in the GZDCA regarding climate hazards of heatwaves, heavy precipitation, and agricultural drought. The results of heatwaves and agricultural drought present an alarming future and call for immediate actions for preparedness and adaptation. The magnitude of drought indices for the future is correlated with the crop yield response based on AquaCrop model simulations with observed climate data being used as input. This correlation provides insight into the suitability of various drought indices for agricultural drought characterization. The results elaborate on how the yield of wheat crop grown in a typical setting common in the South Asian region respond to the magnitude of drought indices. The findings of this study inform the planning process for changing climate and expected climate hazards in the GZDCA. Analyzing climate hazards for the future at the local level (administrative districts or contiguous agricultural areas) might be a more efficient approach for climate resilience due to its specificity and enhanced focus on the context., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Obesity is an outcome of multiple factors including environmental and genetic influences. Common obesity is a polygenic trait indicating that multiple genetic variants act synergistically to influence its expression. We constructed a genetic risk score (GRS) based on five genetic variants (MC4R rs17782313, BDNF rs6265, FTO rs1421085, TMEM18 rs7561317, and NEGR1 rs2815752) and examined its association with obesity-related traits in a sample of Pakistanis. The study involved 306 overweight/obese (OW/OB) and 300 normal-weight (NW) individuals. The age range of the study participants was 12-63 years. All anthropometric and metabolic parameters were measured for each participant via standard procedures and biochemical assays, respectively. The genetic variants were genotyped by allelic discrimination assays. The age- and gender-adjusted associations between the GRS and obesity-related anthropometric and metabolic measures were determined using linear regression analyses. The results showed that OW/OB individuals had significantly higher mean ranks of GRS than NW individuals. Moreover, a significant association of the GRS with obesity-related anthropometric traits was seen. However, the GRS did not appear to affect any obesity-related metabolic parameter. In conclusion, our findings indicate the combined effect of multiple genetic variants on the obesity-related anthropometric phenotypes in Pakistanis.