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Eclipta alba (L.) is a valuable medicinal plant. However, its medicinal efficacy can be affected by geminivirus infection. Therefore, identification of healthy specimen is essential before to use as medicine. The present study provided the taxonomic characterization of geminivirus infected and healthy E. alba plant by studying apparent morphology and microscopic features through light and scanning electron microscopy. Before taxonomic characterization infected and healthy specimens were separated through molecular detection of geminivirus. Results of morphological studies reported that geminivirus infected E. alba plant showed systematic symptoms of infection like stunted growth, distortion and chlorosis of leaves, decrease in size of root, shoot and fruit, and so forth in comparison to healthy specimen. Anatomical findings reported that in both plants anomocytic and anisocytic types of stomata with multicellular warty trichomes were present. However, variations were observed in quantitative measures such as size of trichomes, epidermal, subsidiary and guard cells. Palynological observations identifies that both plants possessed tricolporate type of pollen but variation was mainly observed in size and shape of pollen, thickness of exine and intine, P/E ratio, pore size, interspecific difference, size of colpi, and pollen ornamentation. Overall this study concluded that both healthy and infected E. alba do not reported much variations in qualitative taxonomic features, but can be differentiated in terms of quantitative taxonomic evidences. Future studies are recommended for pharmacological analysis of both healthy and virus infected plants. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Eclipta alba has incredible therapeutic worth, but due to geminivirus infection the plant is affecting badly. Hence, the present studies give a comprehensive taxonomic report on the geminivirus infected and healthy plant species.

Present research work was carried out to clarify the variations among species of genus Paspalum morphologically and palynologically as this genus is taxonomically difficult due to having multiple similar morphologically overlapping characters which make it difficult to identify. Henceforth present research work was carried out to delimit taxa within the same genus by morphological and palynological tools through light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Both these tools are considered as the most useful taxonomic characters for taxonomically problematic genera. The results showed a lot of variations among morphological characters. In Paspalum dilatatum, the upper glume was ovate whereas in the other two species, the upper glume was elliptic. The upper glume apex found in P. dilatatum and Paspalum scrobiculatum was obtuse whereas in Paspalum distichum, upper glume apex was acute. Glume nerves showed variation in all three species. Paspalum distichum was 3 nerved, P. scrobiculatum was 5-7 nerved, and P. dilatatum was 5-9 nerved. All three species showed variation in lemma nerves. Paspalum scrobiculatum had 3 nerved lemma whereas in P. distichum 3-5 nerved and P. dilatatum 5-9 nerved lemma were present. In polar and equatorial view, pollen grains ranged from 25 (20-30) to 37.5 (30-45) μm. Paspalum distichum appeared to be the smallest in size whereas P. dilatatum was the largest. Exine thickness ranged from 0.75 (0.5-1) to 1.35 (1.2-1.5) μm. The higher value of pollen fertility was found in P. scrobiculatum as 87.69% and the lowest value was in P. distichum as 78.08%. Morphological keys were also given for correct identification.

The President of The University of Texas at Austin discusses UTIMCO's investment strategy with its Chief Investment Officer.As the administrator of a perpetual endowment for the University of Texas and Texas AM(2) the health of the leveraged loan market;and (3) the search for new and better exit opportunities. All agreed that deal pricing was a perennial challenge, and that PE firms must work to develop a special “edge” in an intensely competitive market, where some firms consider a thousand deals a year to close on just two or three.The founder of Benchmark Capital begins by mentioning his firm's almost exclusive focus on early‐stage ventures and preference for being “the first money in.” He also notes Benchmark's different ownership structure;perhaps unique among venture firms, it is an equal partnership in which all partners have “the same economics,” the new as well as the oldest.The main investment advice offered is that, with interest rates so low, and some public company stocks trading at 30 to 50 times revenue, investors should remain as liquid as possibleThe recent popularity of SPACs is viewed as a response by issuers to “a broken IPO system” whose main symptom is runaway IPO underpricing and wealthy bankers. Noting that the amount of first‐day underpricing of IPOs has risen from $2 billion in 2016 to $30 billion in 2020, Gurley predicts that direct IPO listings, or DLs, will become much more common in the future.As for the recent frenzy of retail trading and the rise of Robinhood, Gurley says of the new trading firm's CEO,He tells the world that he's democratizing investing, but I don't think this is about investing at all. I think he's gamifying speculation… and I strongly suspect that the success rate of retail investors in options is really crappy. It should also scare the Biden administration that a lot of the money in Robinhood accounts came from stimulus checks this summer.

Paspalum is one of the 10 largest genera in Poaceae and is considered as a complex and taxonomically difficult genus due to its similar morphological characters within the species which makes it difficult to delimit taxa within the same genus. The current research work establishes the distinction among species of this genus and resolves taxonomic confusions among this genus. And this distinction is done by micro morphological foliar anatomical characterization by light and scanning electron microscopy. Both the abaxial and adaxial epidermal cuticles of three different species of genus Paspalum were studied and their phytoliths were observed through elemental dispersive spectrophotometric analysis by SEM first time in Pakistan. Results showed great variation in studied anatomical features. P. dilatatum Poir. was comprised of macro-hairs in the intercostal regions only whereas no macro-hairs were found in P. distichum Linn. and P. scrobiculatum Linn. Beak-shaped prickles were found in the intercostal regions on adaxial surface only in P. distichum Linn. and P. scrobiculatum Linn. whereas in P. dilatatum Poir., knife-shaped prickles were present in intercostal regions only on both abaxial and adaxial surfaces of leaf epidermis. No papillae were seen in P. dilatatum Poir whereas in P. distichum Linn. and P. scrobiculatum Linn. papillae were found abundantly. In genus paspalum, P. dilatatum Poir. phytoliths showed lowest mass percentage of silicon as 15.13% whereas P. distichum Linn. phytoliths showed highest mass percentage of silicon as 22.00%. Based on micro morphological foliar characteristics a taxonomic key of studied species is also provided to delimit the taxa.

Grass taxonomy is quite problematic and insignificant taxonomic work has been done on Echinochloa with special reference to Pakistan. Therefore, the present study was carried out to provide taxonomic keys for the identification of this genus through microscopic epidermal leaf anatomical parameters. Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were done to delimit the different species. Special structures like hook cells, short and long cells, stomata, macro- and micro-hairs, prickles and silica bodies showed a lot of variation among each species. For instance, E. frumentacea can be distinguished from E. walteri by the presence of macro hairs between the veins. Furthermore, E. crus-galli can be distinguished from E. frumentacea in terms of macro hair size, that is, 45-60 μm and 20-60 μm, respectively. Similarly, E. colona showed marked variations in terms of prickles abundance from E. frumentacea. Overall results of this research reports valuable qualitative and quantitative diagnostic futures for the genus Echinochloa.

Around 30 pollen samples, 16 families and 25 genera that were gathered, identified and preserved from 6 different localities of District Sheikhupura. Light and scanning electron microscopy was done for all collected flora. Out of the total samples, 43% specie was identified as herbs, 23% as shrubs, and 33% were identified as trees. The flora was both wild and cultivated. Wild plants were 33%, cultivated 40% and 26% of them were both wild and cultivated. Qualitative and Quantitative survey of pollens revealed polar shape of pollens were 37% spheroidal, 20% prolate spheroidal, 17% oblate spheroidal, remaining were rectangular and pecolpate. Sexine and nexine were available in 100% of samples. Thirty-three percentage of pollen grains were having spines on them. The presence of spines on pollen grains represents the evolutionary relationship amongst the plants. Current study was conducted to record and analyze palynomorphic diversity in district Sheikhupura, Punjab, Pakistan.

In the present study anatomical characterization of 30 species of Fabaceae endemic to Lahore, Pakistan were done under light and scanning electron microscopy. Variety of qualitative and quantitative anatomical characters like epidermal cells shapes and size, stomata types, length, and width of guard cells, subsidiary cells, trichomes, silica bodies, shapes, and their numbers were studied. Overall polygonal, irregular smooth, thick walled epidermal cells were observed at both abaxial and adaxial surfaces except Dalbergia sisso Roxb in which hexagonal epidermal cells were reported. Milletia ovelifolia Kurz. possessed the largest length of epidermal cell i.e., 273.1 μm whereas Calliandra bella Benth. showed the smallest length i.e., 76.5 μm. Average width of epidermal cells ranged from 44 to 265.5 μm. M. ovelifolia Kurz had largest width while Acacia nilotica L. had the smallest width respectively. In adaxial surface epidermal cells length ranged 317 to 46.4 μm, Glycyrriza glabra L. showed the smallest length whereas Prosopis juliflora DC. had largest length. In adaxial numbers of stomata is high as compare to the abaxial surface, mostly paracytic, anisocytic, and anomocytic stomata were observed. There is not much variations observed in trichomes of studied members. Generally non glandular, unbranched, uniserate, mulicellular bulbous base with pointed tips were reported . Oval, rounded, triangular shaped silica bodies were observed in some species. It is concluded that qualitative and quantitative anatomical variations in epidermal cells, stomata and trichomes are of good taxonomic value for the studied Fabaceae species.

The present study was carried out to identify the 20 medicinally important species of family Euphorbiaceae by the aid of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the foliar anatomical characteristics. Both qualitative and quantitative measurements for the anatomical characters like epidermal cells, stomata, trichomes, and subsidiary cells on both abaxial(ab) and adaxial(ad) epidermis were recorded. Remarkable variations in these anatomical features had been observed among the studied Euphorbiaceae species. Most species had epidermal cells irregular or polygonal in shape, only five species had hexagonal cells, that is, Euphorbia neriifolia L., Euphorbia prostate Aiton, Jatropha integerrima Jacq., Vernicia fordii (Hemsl.), and Euphorbia royleana Boiss. Stomata were abundant on abaxial epidermis as compared to adaxial epidermis. E. prostate Aiton, Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. Ex Klotzsch and Phyllanthus emblica L. possessed anomocytic stomata, and Euphorbia helioscopia L., Euphorbia cotinifolia L., E. neriifolia L., and Ricinus communis L. possessed anisocytic stomata, while rest of the species had paracytic stomata. Trichomes were present in very few species including Euphorbia hirta L., E. prostate Aiton, E. pulcherrima Willd. Ex Klotzsch, and Putranjiva roxburghii Wall. Similarly, variations were also reported by quantitative features such as E. helioscopia L. can be distinguished from E. hirta on the basis of length of epidermal cells, that is, 103.4 ± 0.15 and 74.9 ± 0.55 μm, respectively. Moreover, E. pulcherrima Willd. Ex Klotzsch had trichomes with the length of 408 ± 0.55 μm and P. roxburghii Wall. had trichome with the length of 314.2 ± 1.35 μm, respectively. These findings confirmed that taxonomic utility of the anatomical traits for the identification of studied Euphorbiaceae taxa.

AIMS To determine whether HbA1c mismatches (HbA1c levels that are higher or lower than expected for the average glucose levels in different individuals) could lead to errors if diagnostic classification is based only on HbA1c levels. METHODS In a cross-sectional study, 3106 participants without known diabetes underwent a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (fasting glucose and 2-h glucose) and a 50-g glucose challenge test (1-h glucose) on separate days. They were classified by oral glucose tolerance test results as having: normal glucose metabolism; prediabetes; or diabetes. Predicted HbA1c was determined from the linear regression modelling the relationship between observed HbA1c and average glucose (mean of fasting glucose and 2-h glucose from the oral glucose tolerance test, and 1-h glucose from the glucose challenge test) within oral glucose tolerance test groups. The haemoglobin glycation index was calculated as [observed - predicted HbA1c ], and divided into low, intermediate and high haemoglobin glycation index mismatch tertiles. RESULTS Those participants with higher mismatches were more likely to be black, to be men, to be older, and to have higher BMI (all P

Background The use of quality control tool for adulteration of Senna (Cassia aungustifolia) a pharmaceutically very important. They were used for multiple health disorders such as constipation, indigestion, epilepsy, asthma, piles, migraine, and heart problems. Two different species of same family or same genus used commercially in Indo-Pak using the same medicine name Senna. One named as Senna (C. aungustifolia) and its adulterant named as Sickle Senna (Cassia obtusifolia). Methodology These two plants were analyzed using classical microscopic techniques light microscopy and the modern chemotaxonomic traits scanning electron microscopy, fluorescence studies and phytochemical studies. Results The C. aungustifolia L. had found to be a perennial herb with trilobed pollen, diacytic, paracytic, and anisocytic stomata having smooth walled epidermal cells, whereas the C. obtusifolia stands out as a perennial shrub with spheroidal and circular pollen and paracytic type of stomata having irregular shaped epidermal cells. The powdered drug of C. aungustifolia is dark grayish green, whereas the powdered drug of C. obtusifolia is light green in color. Investigation and other techniques used in this project provided the basis for the authentication of this species.

Adulteration in traded medicinal plants is a significant issue nowadays and use of these adulterated medicinal plants can impose harmful impact to end user. However, this problem can be overcome by ensuring the identification of traded medicinal plants which are used in making different herbal medicines. In this regard, palynological markers are considered to be an important taxonomic tool in the identification of original medicinal plant from its adulterant. Hence this study attempted to provide particular reliable palynological markers for distinguishing selected medicinal plants from their adulterants, that is, Cinnamomum verum versus Canella winterana, Cinnamomum tamala versus Cinnamomum obtusifolium, Gymnema sylvestre versus Gymnema lactiferum, Artemisia maritima versus Artemisia absinthium, Achillea millefolium versus Adhatoda vasaka, Sphaeranthus indicus versus Sphaeranthus africanus, Averrhoa carambola versus Butea monosperma, and Morus nigra versus Morus alba. Results demonstrated great variations in multiple palynological characters between original medicinal plant and its adulterant such as in pollen size, shape, colpi length, exine, intine thickness, and fertility. In equatorial view, circular to spheroidal shape of pollen was found in A. millefolium while oblate shape was observed in A. vasaka. Similarly B. monosperma pollen was 34 μm, whereas pollen of its adulterant A. carambola was 21 μm. Moreover, colpi length of A. maritima was 11.8 μm, whereas 4.5 μm in A. absinthium. Hence it can be concluded that palynological characters are commendably helpful in identification of genuine medicinal plant from its adulterant.

Current study was focused to examine the total bacterial count in packed and unpacked ice cream and kulfa collected from 12 different localities of Lahore. The bacterial colonies were isolated and grown on agar-broth media under sterilized conditions. Serial dilution technique was used to compose the replicates to get total viable count of bacteria. Results in case of packed ice cream samples indicated maximum (618 × 10-6 CFU/g) and minimum (79 × 10-6 CFU/g) bacterial count while in case of unpacked ice cream samples maximum and minimum bacterial count was 163 × 10-6 CFU/g and 71 × 10-6 CFU/g, respectively. Whereas in case of packed kulfa samples, maximum and minimum recorded bacterial count was 163 × 10-6 CFU/g and 72 × 10-6 CFU/g, respectively. The LM and SEM of the isolated bacteria were also performed for correct identification. Results indicated that the total bacterial count recorded in the samples exceeded the standard tolerable range which can lead to serious health damage of consumers.

A number of herbal plants sold in herbal markets of Lahore are under adulteration threat which can pose harmful health effects to end-user. This adulteration problem of medicinal plants can be resolved by the implication of some valuable taxonomic parameter such as leaf epidermal anatomical characteristics. Hence, this research was aimed to provide viable anatomical markers in order to resolve this adulteration issue persisted in some common marketed medicinal plants of district Lahore, that is, Cinnamomum verum Presl., Cinnamomum tamala (Buuch.-Ham.) T.Nees&Eberm., Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) R.Br.ex Sm., Sphaeranthus indicus Linn., Artemisia maritima Linn., Achillea millifolim L., Adhatoda vasica Nees, Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub, and Morus nigra L. Overall multiple anatomical variations (epidermal cell shape, their length and width, type of stomata, length and width of guard cells along with presence or absence of trichomes) had been reported in the study that could be worthwhile for the correct identification of medicinal plants. Irregular shapes of epidermal cells were observed in Cinnamomum verum and Achillea millifolium while pentagonal and polygonal cells were found in their adultaerants, that is, Canella winterana and Adhatoda vasica, respectively. Types of stomata were also strikingly varied among genuine plant and its adulterant, for example, anisocytic stomata were observed in Artemisia maritima while in its adulterant (Artemisia absinthium) anomocytic stomata were found. Similarly, paracytic stomata were observed in Butea monosperma, whereas its adulterant plant (Averrhoa carambola) characteristically possessed anisocytic stomata. Hence, anatomical characteristics were proved to be a valuable taxonomic tool in resolving the adulteration issue of medicinal plants.

In continuation of our previous work on cancer and inflammation, 15 novel pyrazole-pyrazoline hybrids (WSPP1-15) were synthesized and fully characterized. The formation of the pyrazoline ring was confirmed by the appearance of three doublets of doublets in 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra exhibiting an AMX pattern for three protons (HA , HM , and HX ) of the pyrazoline ring. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their in vitro anticancer activity against five cell lines, that is, MCF-7, A549, SiHa, COLO205, and HepG2 cells, using the MTT growth inhibition assay. 5-Fluorouracil was taken as the positive control in the study. It was observed that, among them, WSPP11 was found to be active against A549, SiHa, COLO205, and HepG2 cells, with IC50 values of 4.94, 4.54, 4.86, and 2.09 µM. All the derivatives were also evaluated for their cytotoxicity against HaCaT cells. WSPP11 was also found to be nontoxic against normal cells (cell line HaCaT), with an IC50 value of more than 50 µM. The derivatives were also evaluated for their in vitro anti-inflammatory activity by the protein (egg albumin) denaturation assay and the red blood cell membrane stabilizing assay, using diclofenac sodium and celecoxib as standard. Compounds that showed significant anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities were further studied for COX-2 inhibition. The manifestation of a higher COX-2 selectivity index of WSPP11 as compared with other derivatives and an in vitro anticancer activity against four cell lines further established that compounds that were more selective toward COX-2 also exhibited a better spectrum of activity against various cancer cell lines.

The generation of differentiated and functional neurons is a complex process, which requires coordinated expression of several proteins and microRNAs (miRNAs). The present study using nerve growth factor (NGF)-differentiated PC12 cells led to the identification of miR-200, miR-221/222 and miR-34 families as major up-regulated miRNAs in fully differentiated neurons. Similar to PC12 cells, induction of miR-200 family was observed in differentiating neural stem cells, demonstrating a direct role of miR-200 family in neuronal differentiation. Over-expression of miR-200 induced neurite formation in PC12 cells and regulated neuronal markers in favour of differentiation. However, inhibition of miR-200 induced proliferation of PC12 cells. In differentiating PC12 cells and neural stem cells, an inverse relationship was observed between expression of reprogramming transcription factors (SOX2, KLF4, NANOG, OCT4 and PAX6) and miR-200. Over-expression of miR-200 in PC12 cells significantly down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of SOX2 and KLF4. Moreover, we observed two phases of dramatic down-regulation of miR-200 expression in developing rat brains correlating with periods of neuronal proliferation. In conclusion, our results indicate that increased expression of the miR-200 family promotes neuronal differentiation, while decreased expression of the miR-200 family promotes neuronal proliferation by targeting SOX2 and KLF4.

2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) fed aerobic granules were cultivated in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). Stable and compact granules were obtained in 60 days of SBR operation. Formed granules were compact and strong with closed packed channels. After granulation, effluent chemical oxygen demand and 2,4-DCP concentrations were 95 and 2.5 mg L−1 with corresponding removal efficiencies of 96% and 95% were achieved. Degradation profile shows a high initial degradation rate which decreases later. Degradation rate was found to be directly proportional to the substrate concentration. Specific degradation rate of 2,4-DCP was 6.54 mg 2,4-DCP gVSS−1 h−1 at 60 mg L−1 and specific cell growth rate was 0.042 ± 0.02 day−1. High optical density (OD600) the system shows effective retention of biomass which is the main advantage of present technique. Des granules aerobies ont ete cultives avec succes pour la degradation du 2,4-DCP. Des granules stables et compacts ont ete obtenus apres 70 jours d'operations en reacteur a sequencement et par lots. Des efficiences de demande chimique finale en oxygene et d'elimination de 2,4-DCP s'elevant a 96% et 95% ont ete atteintes. Le profil de degradation montre que le taux de degradation etait initialement eleve mais qu'il ralentit plus tard. On a observe une bonne correspondance entre la demande chimique en oxygene et le profil d'elimination de 2,4-DCP. Le taux de degradation est directement proportionnel a la concentration de substrat. Le taux specifique de degradation de 2,4-DCP etait de 6.54 mg de 2,4-DCP gVSS−1 L−1 h−1 a 60 mg L−1 et le taux specifique de croissance cellulaire etait de 0.042 ± 0.02 day−1. Une haute densite optique du reacteur a sequencement et par lots montre une retention de la biomasse effective, ce qui est l'avantage principal de cette technique.

Aim: To assess and validate the best model for fetal weight estimation in the Pakistani population. Material and Methods: The cohort included 178 women with singleton pregnancies at term (37–41 weeks) who had an ultrasound scan within 7 days of delivery. A proportionality formula was used to compensate for the fetal weight gain between the scan and the delivery. Data points from 119 pregnancies were used to derive the fetal weight formula, which was subsequently tested on the remaining 59 pregnancies. The best model for fetal weight estimation from ultrasound biometric parameters was selected. Results: The selected model showed an interclass correlation coefficient with birthweight of 0.89. The systematic and random errors were −10 and 250 g, respectively. This validity assessment compared favorably with the performance of the more commonly used formulae when applied to our population. Conclusions: We describe a new model for fetal weight estimation in a Pakistani population which produces more valid and reliable estimates than currently used models derived from other populations.

This paper deals with a comprehensive study of the mixed micellization and adsorption behavior of mixed systems enclosing an amphiphilic antidepressant drug nortriptyline hydrochloride (NOT) and Triton X-114 (TX-114) (nonionic surfactant) in aqueous/urea (500 mmol·kg−1 and 1000 mmol·kg−1) solutions by tensiometric method. The NOT is used for the cure of depression. For comparison purpose cmc value of pure drug NOT was also evaluated by conductimetric technique. Different theoretical models like Clint, Rubingh, and Rosen were used to get information about the nature of interaction between the components in bulk and at the interface. Because of the occurrence of urea increase in the surface charge of the micelles was obtained resulting a delay of the micelles formation. The cmc values of the mixed systems of NOT and TX-114 were found to be in between the cmc values of pure components, which signify nonideal mixed system having attractive interactions in the absence and presence of urea. Various parameters such as micellar mole fractions of TX-114 (X1m, X1σ) in solution and at interface, interaction parameter (βm/βσ) in solution and at interface, and activity coefficient in solution and at interface were evaluated and discussed using Rubingh's and Rosen's models. Surface excess (Γmax) increases that means minimum area per head group (Amin) decreases as mole fraction (α1) of TX-114 increases in the absence/presence of urea. Different thermodynamic parameters have been calculated and discussed. The ∆G0m values achieved are all negative both in the absence and occurrence of urea.