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Emulsifiers are important functional additives in modern food processing, which can emulsify and stabilize emulsions and perform many diverse functions in food product development. Typically numerous emulsifiers are used in baking industries to improve the quality of baked products. The objective of this study was to prepare a cake with three types of emulsifiers such as an ester of monoglyceride, glycerol monostearate and disodium phosphate and investigate the effects of emulsifiers on physicochemical properties, colour and sensory attributes of cake during the storage period. Cakes prepared with emulsifiers had lower specific gravity and higher dough yield than those prepared without emulsifiers. The protein, fat and ash contents of the cakes were dependent on emulsifier types throughout the storage period. L* values were decreased whereas a*, b* and firmness were increased for all samples after 30 days of storage. Control samples were not acceptable after 15 days of storage. There was no statistically significant difference in overall acceptability among all cakes prepared with emulsifiers. Therefore, the results showed that good quality cake could be made with the ester of monoglyceride, glycerol monostearate and disodium phosphate and quality could be maintained for up to 30 days without any nutritional changes.

Summary More than 24,000 species of helminth parasitize wild birds worldwide, and this number is expanding as interest in wildlife parasitology increases. The objective of the current study was to update the baseline of helminthological surveys conducted on chukar partridges (Alectoris chukar) in northern Pakistan. After reviewing the available literature, a parasite-host association checklist was developed. Nematodes (53.8 %) were the most commonly reported parasite, followed by cestodes (15.3 %) and trematodes (15.3 %) respectively. Seventy (70) chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar) distributed across the Malakand division of northern Pakistan were screened for parasitosis during the period from October 2020 to the end of December 2021. Blood samples of all the specimens were screened for haemoprotozoa, the digestive tract was examined for protozoans and helminths. The examined birds were infected with nine different helminth parasite species identified as cestodes (4 species), trematodes (2 species) and 3 species of nematodes. 29 out of 70 birds were infected, with the male and female infection rates being 36 % and 52.1 %, respectively, with a total prevalence of 41.3 %. Among the infected birds 10 (34.4 %) contained cestodes, 2 (6.8 %) contained trematodes and 17 (58.6 %) contained nematodes. Of which Ascaridia galli and Capillaria phasianina recorded the highest prevalence (10 %). While Amoebotaenia cuneate, Choanotaenia infundibulum, Hypoderaeum conoideum, Lyperosomum longicauda recorded the least (1.4 %) respectively. Reporting of Raillietina echinobothrida, Amoebotaenia cuneate and Lyperosomum longicauda constitute new host records. A. cuneate is a new record in the parasitological list in the country. In terms of host’s sexuality, the overall figures show no significant changes in infection indices.

An attempt was taken to investigate the effect of drying air temperature and slice thickness on the drying kinetics and quality of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) dried in a novel cabinet dryer (HSTU Fruit and Vegetable Dryer). Fresh bitter gourd was sorted, cleaned, and sliced at 4 mm, 6 mm, and 8 mm thickness. All the samples were blanched in boiling water at 100°C for 3 mins. Then the slices with an initial moisture content of 96.47±0.6% were dried, spreading as a thin layer in the trays of the cabinet dryer using three drying air temperatures of 60, 70, and 80°C until the desired final moisture content (MC) of 4.66±0.4% was obtained. The results indicated that the shortest drying time (2.08 hrs) was required by the sample of 4 mm thickness, which was dried at 80°C to reduce moisture from 96.47±0.6% initial (wet basis, wb) to 4.66±0.4% final moisture (wb). The sample of 8 mm thickness dried at 60°C took the longest drying time (6.67 hrs). The higher drying rate (34.32 gm H2O/min.cm2 ) was noticed at a constant drying rate period in the case of a 6 mm thick slice at 70°C. Whereas a lower drying rate (9.29 gm H2O/min.cm2 ) was observed for drying 8 mm slices using 60°C air temperature. Even though, the effect of blanching on drying characteristics of bitter gourd was not noticed so much, the drying rate was found to be increased slightly of pretreated bitter gourd thus drying time was shorter. A comparison on colour analysis of both fresh and blanched bitter gourd showed that a 6 mm slice dried at 70°C was found better in retaining green colour than other samples. The rehydration ratio (6.63±0.62) and the percentage of water uptake (86.75±0.58) of rehydrated pretreated bitter gourd were also higher in a dried sample of 6 mm. Therefore, pretreated bitter gourd is suggested to dry quickly using 70oC in a cabinet dryer slicing at 6 mm thickness to obtain a better quality dried product.

Data sharing statement: The protocol, consent form, definition and derivation of clinical characteristics and outcomes, training materials, regulatory documents, information about requests for data access, and other relevant study materials are available online at https://www.phosp.org/ Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Background: The scale of COVID-19 and its well documented long-term sequelae support a need to understand long-term outcomes including frailty. Methods: This prospective cohort study recruited adults who had survived hospitalisation with clinically diagnosed COVID-19 across 35 sites in the UK (PHOSP-COVID). The burden of frailty was objectively measured using Fried's Frailty Phenotype (FFP). The primary outcome was the prevalence of each FFP group—robust (no FFP criteria), pre-frail (one or two FFP criteria) and frail (three or more FFP criteria)—at 5 months and 1 year after discharge from hospital. For inclusion in the primary analysis, participants required complete outcome data for three of the five FFP criteria. Longitudinal changes across frailty domains are reported at 5 months and 1 year post-hospitalisation, along with risk factors for frailty status. Patient-perceived recovery and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were retrospectively rated for pre-COVID-19 and prospectively rated at the 5 month and 1 year visits. This study is registered with ISRCTN, number ISRCTN10980107. Findings: Between March 5, 2020, and March 31, 2021, 2419 participants were enrolled with FFP data. Mean age was 57.9 (SD 12.6) years, 933 (38.6%) were female, and 429 (17.7%) had received invasive mechanical ventilation. 1785 had measures at both timepoints, of which 240 (13.4%), 1138 (63.8%) and 407 (22.8%) were frail, pre-frail and robust, respectively, at 5 months compared with 123 (6.9%), 1046 (58.6%) and 616 (34.5%) at 1 year. Factors associated with pre-frailty or frailty were invasive mechanical ventilation, older age, female sex, and greater social deprivation. Frail participants had a larger reduction in HRQoL compared with before their COVID-19 illness and were less likely to describe themselves as recovered. Interpretation: Physical frailty and pre-frailty are common following hospitalisation with COVID-19. Improvement in frailty was seen between 5 and 12 months although two-thirds of the population remained pre-frail or frail. This suggests comprehensive assessment and interventions targeting pre-frailty and frailty beyond the initial illness are required. Funding: UK Research and Innovation and National Institute for Health Research. The study was funded with grants from UK Research and Innovation (MR/V027859/1) and The National Institute of Health Research (COV0319). This study would not be possible without all the participants who have given their time and support. We thank all the participants and their families. We thank the many research administrators, health-care and social-care professionals who contributed to setting up and delivering the study at all of the 40 NHS trusts and 25 research institutions across the UK, as well as all the supporting staff at the NIHR Clinical Research Network, Health Research Authority, Research Ethics Committee, Department of Health and Social Care, Public Health Scotland, and Public Health England, and support from the ISARIC Coronavirus Clinical Characterisation Consortium. The authors would also like to acknowledge the support of the eDRIS Team (Public Health Scotland) for their involvement in obtaining approvals, provisioning and linking data and the use of the secure analytical platform within the National Safe Haven.

Data sharing: The PHOSP-COVID study protocol, consent form, definition, and derivation of clinical characteristics and outcomes, training materials, regulatory documents, information about requests for data access, and other relevant study materials are available online. UK Biobank information can be released once necessary approvals have been obtained. Other data (eg, the R code and protocol) will be made available on reasonable request to the corresponding author. Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Background: Sleep disturbance is common following hospital admission both for COVID-19 and other causes. The clinical associations of this for recovery after hospital admission are poorly understood despite sleep disturbance contributing to morbidity in other scenarios. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and nature of sleep disturbance after discharge following hospital admission for COVID-19 and to assess whether this was associated with dyspnoea. Methods: CircCOVID was a prospective multicentre cohort substudy designed to investigate the effects of circadian disruption and sleep disturbance on recovery after COVID-19 in a cohort of participants aged 18 years or older, admitted to hospital for COVID-19 in the UK, and discharged between March, 2020, and October, 2021. Participants were recruited from the Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID). Follow-up data were collected at two timepoints: an early time point 2–7 months after hospital discharge and a later time point 10–14 months after hospital discharge. Sleep quality was assessed subjectively using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire and a numerical rating scale. Sleep quality was also assessed with an accelerometer worn on the wrist (actigraphy) for 14 days. Participants were also clinically phenotyped, including assessment of symptoms (ie, anxiety [Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale questionnaire], muscle function [SARC-F questionnaire], dyspnoea [Dyspnoea-12 questionnaire] and measurement of lung function), at the early timepoint after discharge. Actigraphy results were also compared to a matched UK Biobank cohort (non-hospitalised individuals and recently hospitalised individuals). Multivariable linear regression was used to define associations of sleep disturbance with the primary outcome of breathlessness and the other clinical symptoms. PHOSP-COVID is registered on the ISRCTN Registry (ISRCTN10980107). Findings: 2320 of 2468 participants in the PHOSP-COVID study attended an early timepoint research visit a median of 5 months (IQR 4–6) following discharge from 83 hospitals in the UK. Data for sleep quality were assessed by subjective measures (the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire and the numerical rating scale) for 638 participants at the early time point. Sleep quality was also assessed using device-based measures (actigraphy) a median of 7 months (IQR 5–8 months) after discharge from hospital for 729 participants. After discharge from hospital, the majority (396 [62%] of 638) of participants who had been admitted to hospital for COVID-19 reported poor sleep quality in response to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire. A comparable proportion (338 [53%] of 638) of participants felt their sleep quality had deteriorated following discharge after COVID-19 admission, as assessed by the numerical rating scale. Device-based measurements were compared to an age-matched, sex-matched, BMI-matched, and time from discharge-matched UK Biobank cohort who had recently been admitted to hospital. Compared to the recently hospitalised matched UK Biobank cohort, participants in our study slept on average 65 min (95% CI 59 to 71) longer, had a lower sleep regularity index (–19%; 95% CI –20 to –16), and a lower sleep efficiency (3·83 percentage points; 95% CI 3·40 to 4·26). Similar results were obtained when comparisons were made with the non-hospitalised UK Biobank cohort. Overall sleep quality (unadjusted effect estimate 3·94; 95% CI 2·78 to 5·10), deterioration in sleep quality following hospital admission (3·00; 1·82 to 4·28), and sleep regularity (4·38; 2·10 to 6·65) were associated with higher dyspnoea scores. Poor sleep quality, deterioration in sleep quality, and sleep regularity were also associated with impaired lung function, as assessed by forced vital capacity. Depending on the sleep metric, anxiety mediated 18–39% of the effect of sleep disturbance on dyspnoea, while muscle weakness mediated 27–41% of this effect. Interpretation: Sleep disturbance following hospital admission for COVID-19 is associated with dyspnoea, anxiety, and muscle weakness. Due to the association with multiple symptoms, targeting sleep disturbance might be beneficial in treating the post-COVID-19 condition. Funding: UK Research and Innovation, National Institute for Health Research, and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. UK Research and Innovation, National Institute for Health Research, and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

The coexistence of ecologically similar species is facilitated by differential use of resources along habitat, diet, and/or temporal niche axes. We used feces of non-native rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), hare (Lepus europaeus), goat (Capra hircus), and the native plains viscacha (Lagostomus maximus) to compare the utilization of spatial and trophic resources in an arid ecosystem of Argentina. We expected herbivores to present differential responses in the use of at least one of the niche axes (habitat and/or trophic) associated with seasonal changes in resource availability and according to the origin of the species (native, non-native). We evaluated habitat use and selection through Chi-squared goodness-of-fit tests and Bonferroni confidence intervals, and factors shaping habitat selection (particular components of the habitat type) using generalized linear mixed-effects models. We analyzed the seasonal compositions of diets, breadth of trophic niches, and dietary overlaps. The assemblage of herbivores did not segregate markedly in spatial resource use, showing that hares and goats were more generalist than rabbits and plains viscacha in the utilization of different habitat types. Native and non-native herbivores overlapped markedly in the trophic niche dimension but segregated to some degree in the use of space during wet and dry seasons. The four herbivores shared a similar diet composition. Among dietary items, grasses contributed high percentages during the wet season. Under conditions of resource limitation (dry season), the native plains viscacha differed in feeding strategy from the non-native herbivores. These results deepen our understanding of likely underlying mechanisms that allow coexistence of native and non-native herbivores in an arid ecosystem.

Data sharing statement This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license The ISARIC4C protocol, data sharing and publication policy are available at https://isaric4c.net. ISARIC4C's Independent Data and Material Access Committee welcomes applications for access to data and materials (https://isaric4c.net). The PHOSP-COVID protocol, consent form, definition and derivation of clinical characteristics and outcomes, training materials, regulatory documents, information about requests for data access, and other relevant study materials are available online: https://phosp.org/resource/. Access to these materials can be granted by contacting phosp@leicester.ac.uk and Phospcontracts@leicester.ac.uk. All data used in this study is available within ODAP and accessible under reasonable request. Data access criteria and information about how to request access is available online: https://phosp.org/resource/. If criteria are met and a request is made, access can be gained by signing the eDRIS user agreement. Supplementary data are available online at https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(22)00584-9/fulltext#supplementaryMaterial . Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Background: Most studies of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 focus on circulating antibody, giving limited insights into mucosal defences that prevent viral replication and onward transmission. We studied nasal and plasma antibody responses one year after hospitalisation for COVID-19, including a period when SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was introduced. Methods: In this follow up study, plasma and nasosorption samples were prospectively collected from 446 adults hospitalised for COVID-19 between February 2020 and March 2021 via the ISARIC4C and PHOSP-COVID consortia. IgA and IgG responses to NP and S of ancestral SARS-CoV-2, Delta and Omicron (BA.1) variants were measured by electrochemiluminescence and compared with plasma neutralisation data. Findings: Strong and consistent nasal anti-NP and anti-S IgA responses were demonstrated, which remained elevated for nine months (p < 0.0001). Nasal and plasma anti-S IgG remained elevated for at least 12 months (p < 0.0001) with plasma neutralising titres that were raised against all variants compared to controls (p < 0.0001). Of 323 with complete data, 307 were vaccinated between 6 and 12 months; coinciding with rises in nasal and plasma IgA and IgG anti-S titres for all SARS-CoV-2 variants, although the change in nasal IgA was minimal (1.46-fold change after 10 months, p = 0.011) and the median remained below the positive threshold determined by pre-pandemic controls. Samples 12 months after admission showed no association between nasal IgA and plasma IgG anti-S responses (R = 0.05, p = 0.18), indicating that nasal IgA responses are distinct from those in plasma and minimally boosted by vaccination. Interpretation: The decline in nasal IgA responses 9 months after infection and minimal impact of subsequent vaccination may explain the lack of long-lasting nasal defence against reinfection and the limited effects of vaccination on transmission. These findings highlight the need to develop vaccines that enhance nasal immunity. Funding: This study has been supported by ISARIC4C and PHOSP-COVID consortia. ISARIC4C is supported by grants from the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Medical Research Council. Liverpool Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre provided infrastructure support for this research. The PHOSP-COVD study is jointly funded by UK Research and Innovation and National Institute of Health and Care Research. The funders were not involved in the study design, interpretation of data or the writing of this manuscript. This work is supported by the following grants: The PHOSP-COVD study is jointly funded by UK Research and Innovation and National Institute for Health and Care Research (grant references: MR/V027859/1 and COV0319). ISARIC4C is supported by grants from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (award CO-CIN-01) and the Medical Research Council (grant MC_PC_19059) Liverpool Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre provided infrastructure support for this research (grant reference: C18616/A25153). Other grants which have supported this work include: the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium [funder reference:1257927], the Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR Imperial BRC, grant IS-BRC-1215-20013), the Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Respiratory Infections at Imperial College London and NIHR HPRU in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections at University of Liverpool, both in partnership with Public Health England, [NIHR award 200907], Wellcome Trust and Department for International Development [215091/Z/18/Z], Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) [grant code: 2021.0155], Medical Research Council [grant code: MC_UU_12014/12], and NIHR Clinical Research Network for providing infrastructure support for this research. FL is supported by an MRC clinical training fellowship [award MR/W000970/1]. LPH is supported by Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre. AART is supported by a BHF Intermediate Clinical Fellowship (FS/18/13/33281). SLRJ receives support from UKRI, GCRF, Rosetrees Trust, BHIVA, EDCTP, Globvac. JDC has grants from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, Gilead Sciences, Grifols, Novartis and Insmed. RAE holds a NIHR Clinician Scientist Fellowship (CS-2016-16-020). AH is currently supported by UK Research and Innovation. NIHR and NIHR Manchester BRC. BR receives support from BHF Oxford Centre of Research Excellence, NIHR Oxford BRC and MRC. SJD is funded by an NIHR Global Research Professorship [NIHR300791]. DW is supported by an NIHR Advanced Fellowship. AH has received support from MRC and the Coronavirus Immunology Consortium (MR/V028448/1). LVW has received support from UKRI, GSK/Asthma + Lung UK and NIHR for this study. MGS has received support from NIHR UK, MRC UK and Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging & Zoonotic Infections, University of Liverpool. JKB is supported by the Wellcome Trust (223164/Z/21/Z) and UKRI (MC_PC_20004, MC_PC_19025, MC_PC_1905, MRNO2995X/1, and MC_PC_20029). PJMO is supported by a NIHR Senior Investigator Award [award 201385]. LT is supported by the Wellcome Trust [clinical career development fellowship grant number 205228/Z/16/Z], the Centre of Excellence in Infectious Diseases Research (CEIDR) and the Alder Hey Charity.

Native chickens are important for the rural poor women and marginalized section for subsidiary income and safe nutrition. Considering that views, the study were conducted taking objectives is assessing the profitability of native chicken and to find the livelihood status of native chicken farmers. The study areas were selected from six districts, namely, Joypurhat Sadar under Joypurhat, Dinajpur Sadar under Dinajpur, Dumoria under Khulna, Kotalipara under Gopalgonj, Nokla under Sherpur and Sonagazi under Feni district on the basis of improved native chickens project implementation areas. The selected areas were consisted of 30 treatment groups and 30 control groups from each upazila. The total sample size was 360 (P/H). In the case of profitability, the treatment group earned BDT 3,450 per 10 birds per annum followed by control group earned BDT 2,476. The BCR was found 2.04 and 1.45, respectively for treatment and control group. It was evident that treatment group produced 60 native chickens annually and on the other hand, control group produced 30 native chickens. For control group, labour cost occupied 32 percent and the feed cost captured 23 percent. On the other hand, for treatment group, feed cost occupied 34 percent and the labour cost was 38 percent. Fifty percent farmers opined that they reared native chicken for additional family income followed by 37 percent home consumption, 9 percent ceremonies and 4 percent creating employment opportunity. Rearing of native chicken entirely depends on women’s decision but the usage of money is controlled by women and men. It was found that women dominated most activities in rearing native chicken. Based on the result of the study, 100 percent women was the decision maker for rearing native chicken in both groups. Decision on selling of native chicken made by women was 92.15 percent in treatment group and 73.28 percent in control group. Money received from native chicken was also controlled 78.26 percent in treatment group and 51.57 percent in control group by women. Lack of access to livestock extension service, bad eggs quality, access to credit also was the challenges for native chicken farmers covering 7 percent, 4 percent and 4 percent, respectively. From this study, it was clear that rearing native chicken farming brought positive changes in economic, social and specially women empowerment indicators. Bang. J. Livs. Res. Vol. 27 (1&2), 2020: P. 24-38

The study evaluated the efficacy of ethanolic extracts of Catharanthus roseus (C. roseus) in altering growth performance, viscera development and intestinal microarchitecture in broilers. Day-old broiler chicks (n = 175) were randomly divided into seven groups (n = 25/group) with 5 replicates (n = 5). The chicks in the control groups were fed a corn-soya-based basal diet, whereas groups 2 - 4 had the same basal diets supplemented with 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.2% ethanolic leaf extracts (ELE), respectively. Chicks in groups 5 - 7 were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.2% ethanolic root extracts (ERE) of C. roseus, respectively. The growth performance and feed conversion ratio remained unchanged, but feed consumption of birds supplemented with 0.1% ERE increased in weeks 1 and 3. The relative length of the small intestine was lower in the 0.05% ERE group compared with the control. Villus height, width, surface area, and lamina propria thickness were higher in the 0.1% ERE group in all three segments of the small intestine than in the control. Broilers supplemented with 0.1% ERE performed better in terms of feed consumption and improved intestinal microarchitecture of the small intestine.

Background: A better understanding of the role of persistent C. trachomatis infections in tubal factor subfertility may be useful in optimizing the fertility work-up by incorporating screening tests for persistent C. trachomatis infections. The aim is to accurately estimate the risk of persistence and identify those women who are at highest risk of tubal pathology. Aim: To compare the frequency of chlamydial infection in infertile women compared to normal women. Study Design: Case control study. Settings: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Hospital, Bahawalpur. Study duration: 1st October 2019 to 31st March 2020. Methods: A total of 88 women (44 infertile and 44 normal), having normal semen analysis report, of age ranging from 18 to 40 years were included. Patients with polycystic ovarian disease, hyperprolactinemia, & hypothyroidism were excluded. Blood sample of all women in both groups was sent to the institutional pathology laboratory for presence or absence of chlamydial infection. Results: The mean age of women in case group was 27.80 ± 3.60 years and in control group was 28.05 ± 3.69 years. The mean duration of marriage in case group was 4.93 ± 1.66 years and in control group was 4.95 ± 1.68 years. The mean BMI in case group was 29.36 ± 2.52 kg/m2 and in control group was 29.50 ± 2.51 kg/m2. My study reveals the frequency of chlamydial infection in infertile women was seen in 15 (34.09%) women as compared to 05 (9.09%) in normal women which has shown p-value of 0.007 and odds ratio of 5.17 which is significant. Conclusion: This study concluded that frequency of chlamydial infection in infertile women is higher compared to normal women. Keywords: Infertility, chlamydial infection, tubal factor, sexually transmitted diseases

There is a strong etiological connection between human psychology with the surroundings. A pandemic can create a huge negative impact on humans. This impact can be both physical and mental. With the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic all the stimulus in life has been stopped. It left an adverse impact on the students, too. All kinds of educational institutions are closed, and classes are going online. This paper focuses on the psychological impact on the students as a result of being detached from campus oriented educational and other activities. A survey has been conducted on the students to find out their psychological impact during this situation where many students participated. It is revealed that prolonged isolation and segregation from normal campus activities has created mental trauma in the young minds of the students.

Cotton seed oilcake and mustard oilcake are excellent and high quality organic manures enriched with essential nutrient elements. A field experiment was carried out at the Soil Science Field Laboratory of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during boro season of 2019 to investigate the influence of cotton seed oilcake and mustard oilcake on yield attributes, yield, nutrient content and uptake by rice cv. BRRI dhan29. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications and seven treatments viz. T1: control, T2: 100% Recommended Fertilizer Dose (RFD), T3: 50% RFD, T4: 50% nitrogen (N) from RFD + 50% N from cotton seed oilcake, T5: 50% N from RFD + 50% N from mustard oilcake, T6: 50% N from RFD + 25% N from cotton seed oilcake + 25% N from mustard oilcake, T7: 50% N from cotton seed oilcake + 50% N from mustard oilcake. The maximum values of all the yield components viz. plant height, panicle length, number of effective tillers hill-1 and filled grains panicle-1 and yields (grain and straw) were found in treatment T2. The highest content and uptake of nutrients – N, P, K and S were also recorded in T2. The performance of T4 and T2 was statistically similar in producing yield parameters, grain and straw yields, nutrient contents and uptake by rice. Among the integrated approaches, the performance of T4 was the best as it produced the second highest grain yield of 6.24 t ha-1 and straw yield of 8.17 t ha-1 with higher nutritional improvement of rice. Application of cotton seed oilcake compensated up to 50% of chemical fertilizer. Therefore, considering the significance of organic manures and soil health, cotton seed oilcake should be considered for application in association with chemical fertilizers for yield enhancement and nutritional improvement of rice. Progressive Agriculture 31 (3): 144-153, 2020

Data sharing statement: PHOSP-COVID: The protocol, consent form, definition and derivation of clinical characteristics and outcomes, training materials, regulatory documents, requests for data access and other relevant study materials are available online at https://www.phosp.org. COVIDENCE UK: De-identified participant data will be made available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author. Supplementary data is available online at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666776223000546?via%3Dihub#appsec1 . Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Background: The risk factors for recovery from COVID-19 dyspnoea are poorly understood. We investigated determinants of recovery from dyspnoea in adults with COVID-19 and compared these to determinants of recovery from non-COVID-19 dyspnoea. Methods: We used data from two prospective cohort studies: PHOSP-COVID (patients hospitalised between March 2020 and April 2021 with COVID-19) and COVIDENCE UK (community cohort studied over the same time period). PHOSP-COVID data were collected during hospitalisation and at 5-month and 1-year follow-up visits. COVIDENCE UK data were obtained through baseline and monthly online questionnaires. Dyspnoea was measured in both cohorts with the Medical Research Council Dyspnoea Scale. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify determinants associated with a reduction in dyspnoea between 5-month and 1-year follow-up. Findings: We included 990 PHOSP-COVID and 3309 COVIDENCE UK participants. We observed higher odds of improvement between 5-month and 1-year follow-up among PHOSP-COVID participants who were younger (odds ratio 1.02 per year, 95% CI 1.01–1.03), male (1.54, 1.16–2.04), neither obese nor severely obese (1.82, 1.06–3.13 and 4.19, 2.14–8.19, respectively), had no pre-existing anxiety or depression (1.56, 1.09–2.22) or cardiovascular disease (1.33, 1.00–1.79), and shorter hospital admission (1.01 per day, 1.00–1.02). Similar associations were found in those recovering from non-COVID-19 dyspnoea, excluding age (and length of hospital admission). Interpretation: Factors associated with dyspnoea recovery at 1-year post-discharge among patients hospitalised with COVID-19 were similar to those among community controls without COVID-19. Funding: PHOSP-COVID is supported by a grant from the MRC-UK Research and Innovation and the Department of Health and Social Care through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) rapid response panel to tackle COVID-19. The views expressed in the publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the National Health Service (NHS), the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. COVIDENCE UK is supported by the UK Research and Innovation, the National Institute for Health Research, and Barts Charity. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the funders. PHOSP-COVID: This study would not be possible without all the participants who have given their time and support. We thank all the participants and their families. We thank the many research administrators, health-care and social-care professionals who contributed to setting up and delivering the study at all of the 65 NHS trusts/Health boards and 25 research institutions across the UK, as well as all the supporting staff at the NIHR Clinical Research Network, Health Research Authority, Research Ethics Committee, Department of Health and Social Care, Public Health Scotland, and Public Health England, and support from the ISARIC Coronavirus Clinical Characterisation Consortium. We thank Kate Holmes at the NIHR Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure (NOCRI) for her support in coordinating the charities group. The PHOSP-COVID industry framework was formed to provide advice and support in commercial discussions, and we thank the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry as well NOCRI for coordinating this. We are very grateful to all the charities that have provided insight to the study: Action Pulmonary Fibrosis, Alzheimer's Research UK, Asthma + Lung UK, British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Kidney Research UK, MQ Mental Health, Muscular Dystrophy UK, Stroke Association Blood Cancer UK, McPin Foundations, and Versus Arthritis. We thank the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre patient and public involvement group and Long Covid Support. COVIDENCE UK: We thank all participants of COVIDENCE UK, and the following organisations who supported study recruitment: Asthma UK/British Lung Foundation, the British Heart Foundation, the British Obesity Society, Cancer Research UK, Diabetes UK, Future Publishing, Kidney Care UK, Kidney Wales, Mumsnet, the National Kidney Federation, the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, the North West London Health Research Register (DISCOVER), Primary Immunodeficiency UK, the Race Equality Foundation, SWM Health, the Terence Higgins Trust, and Vasculitis UK.

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of bio-pesticides and chemical insecticides namely Novastar 56EC, Stargate 48SC, Confidor 70WG, Actara 25aWG, Tracer 45SC, Ecomec 1.8EC, Bioneem plus 1EC to control thrips infesting mung bean in the experimental field of Sher-e- Bangla Agricultural University during November 2017 to February 2018. An untreated control observation was also evaluated. Efficacy of the treatments differed significantly and showed effective results in reduction of thrips population and infestation on mung bean at vegetative and reproductive growth stages of the plant. Stargate 48SC (clothianidin) was the most effective insecticide against the thrips species Megalurothrips usitatus and Thrips palmi with the highest reduction of population on top trifoliate leaves and terminal shoots (100.00 and 89.40%, respectively) at vegetative stage and reduction on flower buds and flowers (86.04 and 85.95%, respectively) at reproductive stage of mung bean. The lowest flower bud and flower infestation (7.22 and 3.41%, respectively) and shedding (4.21 and 1.06%, respectively) by thrips with the highest number of pod (23.80 plant-1), seed (10.20 pod-1), 1000 seed weight (48.40 g) and yield (1026.91 kg ha-1) were also found in Stargate 48SC treated plots followed by Confidor 70WG and Actara 25WG treatments. SAARC J. Agri., 17(2): 43-52 (2019)

Tapeworms of zoonotic importance have been described as a leading public health problem. Current research was aim to assess the prevalence of tapeworms among 5-12years school children residing in district Lower Dir, Pakistan from January 2019-December 2019. The wet mount preparation in saline/iodine/methods were used for stool examination. Data was analyzed using appropriate descriptive, static methods. Of the 400 children studied 71.7% were infected with one or more species of intestinal parasites. Single infection of cestode species was found in 69 individuals with 17.2% prevalence and multiple parasitic infections were identified in 19.7% (n=79/400) individuals. The multiple infection were comprised as 10% (n=40) double, 6.75% (n=27) triple and 3% (n=12) quadruple. A total of 9 species of helminths and one species of protozoan infection. Among the helminths Ascaris lumbricoides was the most prevalent 33.1% (n=95), Taenia saginata 22.6% (n=65), hookworm 19.8% (n=57), Hymenolepis nana 18.8% (n=54), Enterobius vermicularis and Hymenolepis diminuta 1.39% (n=4each), Trichuris trichura 1.04% (n=3), Toxocara spp 0.69% (n=2) and Schistosoma japonicum 0.34% (n=1) were reported. One protozoan species was Cryptosporidium spp 0.69% (n=2) in current study. In case of A.lumbricoides, hookworm, E.vermicularis, T.trichura, T.saginata, H.nana and H.diminuta the male children of below 8 years of age were highly infected. Other infections are reported in the same prevalence with slight difference if any. We conclude that there is a need for mass scale campaigns to create awareness regarding health and hygiene in children and the need for development of effective poverty control programs because deworming alone is not adequate to control parasitic infections. Resumo As tênias de importância zoonótica têm sido descritas como um dos principais problemas de saúde pública. A pesquisa atual teve como objetivo avaliar a prevalência de tênias entre crianças em idade escolar de 5 a 12 anos que residem no distrito de Lower Dir, Paquistão, de janeiro de 2019 a dezembro de 2019. Os métodos de preparação para montagem úmida em solução salina/iodo foram usados para exame de fezes. Os dados foram analisados usando métodos descritivos e estáticos apropriados. Das 400 crianças estudadas, 71,7% estavam infectadas com uma ou mais espécies de parasitas intestinais. Infecção única de espécies de cestóides foi encontrada em 69 indivíduos com prevalência de 17,2% e infecções parasitárias múltiplas foram identificadas em 19,7% (n = 79/400) indivíduos. As infecções múltiplas foram compostas por 10% (n = 40) dupla, 6,75% (n = 27) tripla e 3% (n = 12) quádrupla. Um total de 9 espécies de helmintos e uma espécie de infecção por protozoários. Entre os helmintos, Ascaris lumbricoides foi o mais prevalente 33,1% (n = 95), Taenia saginata 22,6% (n = 65), ancilóstomo 19,8% (n = 57), Hymenolepis nana 18,8% (n = 54), Enterobius vermicularis e Hymenolepis diminuta 1,39% (n = 4cada), Trichuris trichura 1,04% (n = 3), Toxocara spp 0,69% (n = 2) e Schistosoma japonicum 0,34% (n = 1). Uma espécie de protozoário foi Cryptosporidium spp 0,69% (n = 2) no estudo atual. No caso de A.lumbricoides, ancilostomíase, E.vermicularis, T.trichura, T.saginata, H.nana e H.diminuta, as crianças do sexo masculino com menos de 8 anos de idade estavam altamente infectadas. Outras infecções são relatadas na mesma prevalência, com ligeira diferença, se houver. Concluímos que há uma necessidade de campanhas em massa para criar consciência sobre saúde e higiene em crianças e a necessidade de desenvolvimento de programas eficazes de controle da pobreza, porque a desparasitação por si só não é adequada para controlar infecções parasitárias.

Agriculture and industry are tied up and both are complementary to each other. The fourth industrial revolution is an advanced digital technology, it focuses an opportunity that could change the environment in the way human think and work. The farms and factories must implement smart technology to move very fast and it should be an innovative applications to embrace the fourth industrial revolution robustly for Bangladesh. The fourth industrial revolution concept combines artificial intelligence and big data that have achieved significant attention and popularity in precision farming like in monitoring, diagnosing insect pests, measuring soil moisture, diagnosing harvest time and monitoring crop health status and reducing complicated monitoring by human. Industry that extend precision agriculture using artificial intelligence with robotic technology in fourth industrial revolution and its application is embedding into smart observation that retrieve real-time information from field level data with minor human interference. The fourth industrial revolution builds a smart farming technology which brings advanced and sustainable changes for both production and agroprocessing. The fourth industrial revolution extends farms production and also increase their value. This paper reviewed the past effects of industrial revolution, discussed expanded benefit into smart farming and predicted impacts of fourth industrial revolution in Bangladesh agriculture. Ann. Bangladesh Agric. (2019) 23(2) : 115-122

Background The impact of COVID-19 on physical and mental health and employment after hospitalisation with acute disease is not well understood. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of COVID-19-related hospitalisation on health and employment, to identify factors associated with recovery, and to describe recovery phenotypes. Methods The Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) is a multicentre, long-term follow-up study of adults (aged ≥18 years) discharged from hospital in the UK with a clinical diagnosis of COVID-19, involving an assessment between 2 and 7 months after discharge, including detailed recording of symptoms, and physiological and biochemical testing. Multivariable logistic regression was done for the primary outcome of patient-perceived recovery, with age, sex, ethnicity, body-mass index, comorbidities, and severity of acute illness as covariates. A post-hoc cluster analysis of outcomes for breathlessness, fatigue, mental health, cognitive impairment, and physical performance was done using the clustering large applications k-medoids approach. The study is registered on the ISRCTN Registry (ISRCTN10980107). Findings We report findings for 1077 patients discharged from hospital between March 5 and Nov 30, 2020, who underwent assessment at a median of 5·9 months (IQR 4·9–6·5) after discharge. Participants had a mean age of 58 years (SD 13); 384 (36%) were female, 710 (69%) were of white ethnicity, 288 (27%) had received mechanical ventilation, and 540 (50%) had at least two comorbidities. At follow-up, only 239 (29%) of 830 participants felt fully recovered, 158 (20%) of 806 had a new disability (assessed by the Washington Group Short Set on Functioning), and 124 (19%) of 641 experienced a health-related change in occupation. Factors associated with not recovering were female sex, middle age (40–59 years), two or more comorbidities, and more severe acute illness. The magnitude of the persistent health burden was substantial but only weakly associated with the severity of acute illness. Four clusters were identified with different severities of mental and physical health impairment (n=767): very severe (131 patients, 17%), severe (159, 21%), moderate along with cognitive impairment (127, 17%), and mild (350, 46%). Of the outcomes used in the cluster analysis, all were closely related except for cognitive impairment. Three (3%) of 113 patients in the very severe cluster, nine (7%) of 129 in the severe cluster, 36 (36%) of 99 in the moderate cluster, and 114 (43%) of 267 in the mild cluster reported feeling fully recovered. Persistently elevated serum C-reactive protein was positively associated with cluster severity. Interpretation We identified factors related to not recovering after hospital admission with COVID-19 at 6 months after discharge (eg, female sex, middle age, two or more comorbidities, and more acute severe illness), and four different recovery phenotypes. The severity of physical and mental health impairments were closely related, whereas cognitive health impairments were independent. In clinical care, a proactive approach is needed across the acute severity spectrum, with interdisciplinary working, wide access to COVID-19 holistic clinical services, and the potential to stratify care. Funding UK Research and Innovation and National Institute for Health Research.

The radiation shielding abilities of waste marbles with different concentrations of WO3 (tungsten oxide) nanoparticles were investigated. Four marbles were prepared with 0, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 WO3 nanoparticles. The study aims to investigate the effect of the WO3 concentration, the density, and the particle size of the waste marble samples. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) of the S1 sample, the sample with no WO3, was determined theoretically and experimentally, and the results demonstrated that they were close enough together to adequately determine the LAC of the other samples. Additionally, the samples with nano-WO3, rather than micro-WO3, were found to have a greater LAC, showing that decreasing the particle size of the sample improves their shielding ability. Samples with greater WO3 content also had higher LAC values. The LAC of the marbles was also evaluated at a wide energy range (0.015–15 MeV) to examine the shielding properties of the samples for a wide range of applications, and an inverse trend between LAC and energy was observed. The radiation protection efficiency (RPE) of the marbles demonstrated that the marbles absorb almost all incoming photons at low energies. As energy increases, the efficiency of the samples naturally drops, as the photons are able to penetrate through them with greater ease. High energy dependence was found when calculating the half-value layers (HVL) of the samples. When comparing the LAC and mean free paths (MFP) of the marbles, an inverse relationship was observed. Furthermore, the samples with nano-WO3 had a smaller MFP than those with micro-WO3, meaning that decreasing the particle size of the samples improves their radiation shielding ability. The Zeff of the micro-WO3 samples was also determined and the values followed three distinctive trends depending on the energy range of the incoming photons.

The Rufous treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda) belongs to family corvidae, order Passeriformes which includes about 100 species. The current study was conducted to gather information about the Population distribution and habitat analysis of D. vagabunda at District Abbottabad, Pakistan. The data were collected on monthly basis both morning and evening times (2018-2019). “The ‘’Point count Method” was used for population estimation and ‘’Quadrates Method” for habitat analysis of study area. The result shows an average month-wise population density of D. vagabunda was maximum at Jhangra 0.14±0.039/ha, whereas minimum at Havelian 0.11±0.022/ha. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) among monthly population densities of D. vagabunda, however, a significant difference (p 0,05) entre as densidades populacionais mensais de D. vagabunda, entretanto foi encontrada diferença significativa (p

One of the most challenging works on compact antenna design is to maintain the flexibility orientation. This paper demonstrates a coplanar waveguide (CPW) fed monopole antenna with rubber substrate at 2.45 GHz center frequency for ISM band application. The proposed antenna attained the realized gain at 4.06 dB with the radiation efficiency around 90% at peak value and the bandwidth of 541.5 MHz. The antenna was designed using the CPW structure. CST microwave studio applied to design the proposed antenna simulation. The main purposed of this study is to improve the antenna performances specially the bandwidth, gain, and radiation efficiency. Moreover, another aim of that antenna design is to reduce the antenna size and thickness upon the existing related design with rubber substrate.

This study was aimed to identify risk factors of preterm LBW babies by following a cross sectional type of comparative study. This study was conducted at inpatient department of paediatrics of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital from January 2009 to December 2010. A total 150 preterm babies were included in this study. The mothers of the babies were studied to identify some selected risk factors. Maternal poor nutritional status (p

The focus of the study was to determine the pesticide control measures practiced by the farmers in Sadar Upazila of Gazipur district of Bangladesh. Data were collected through personal interview during the period of November 2016 to March 2017. Total numbers of 90 respondents were selected as the sample of the study. Safety measures were not taken by most of the respondents. Education, training, experience, extension contact and knowledge towards practices of pesticide use had significant positive relationships (at 1% level) with the pesticide use for vegetable cultivation. Age, farm size, family size, farming experience and annual income of the respondents had no significant relationships with the pesticide use for vegetable cultivation. "Hand sprayers are used for pesticide application in your plot" was identified as the first highest scores (PPI = 296) and "Use of appropriate pesticide" was the second highest scores (PPI = 287) and "Use Knapsack Sprayer for pesticide application" achieved the lowest scores (PPI = 2) about their use of recommended pesticides and methods. The above findings suggested that the farmers did not use knapsack sprayer. Applicators usually spray their field with different types of hand sprayer machine for vegetable cultivation. In this regard "Take bath right after spraying" (PPI = 299) was the highest and "Use Shoes/Head cover/Glasses when applied pesticide" (PPI =73) was the lowest scores. Majority of the farmers were aware about safety measures about ‘after using pesticide they took bath’, but most of the farmers were not aware of using of shoes, head cover and glasses while using pesticide in their field. Progressive Agriculture 29 (3): 259-266, 2018

La ganadería impacta los ecosistemas, particularmente a través del consumo y dispersión de especies introducidas que afectan la ora nativa. La dispersión de semillas de vegetación introducida por mamíferos exóticos es un ejemplo de facilitación entre especies exóticas. En este trabajo se abordaron tresaspectos (composición de la dieta, viabilidad y germinación de semillas) para evaluar el rol del ganado doméstico en la dispersión de Rosa rubiginosa, rosa mosqueta, en bordes de vegas de baja altura en la provincia de Mendoza. Se recolectaron heces frescas de ganado vacuno y equino (n=60), y se contabilizaron las semillas enteras de Rosa rubiginosa. La dieta de ambas especies estuvo conformada principalmente por ora nativa, sobre todo gramíneas (Poaceae). Tanto la vaca como el caballo aumentaron la tasa de germinación de las semillas enteras de rosa mosqueta en comparación con los controles establecidos. Ambos herbívoros introducidos utilizan la rosa mosqueta como un recurso importante y actúan como dispersores legítimos de sus semillas. Livestock impacts ecosystems, particularly through the consumption and dispersion of introduced plant species that affect native flora. The dispersion of seeds introduced by exotic mammals is an example of facilitation among exotic species. In this work, three aspects (diet composition, viability and germination of seeds) were approached to evaluate the role of domestic livestock in the dispersion of Rosa rubiginosa, sweetbriar rose, on edges of low-altitude vegas in Mendoza province. Fresh feces were collected from cattle and horses (n = 60), and the intact seeds of Rosa rubiginosa were counted. The diet of both species was mainly made up of native flora, especially grasses (Poaceae). Both cows and horses increased the germination rate of intact sweetbriar rose’s seeds compared to established controls. We can highlight that both introduced herbivores use sweetbriar rose as an important resource and act as legitimate dispersers of their seeds. Fil: Dacar, María Ana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; Argentina Fil: Dalmasso, Antonio Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; Argentina Fil: Bobadilla, Sabrina Yasmin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; Argentina Fil: Cuevas, Maria Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; Argentina

In the absence of effective vaccines and because of practical limitations in management options to control the snail intermediate hosts, the control of liver fluke infection and disease in livestock relies heavily on the use of flukicidal anthelmintics. Nitroxynil is a nitrate derivative from benzene compounds and presents a flukicide effect and is commonly used as the one with best spectrum from all the nitrate derivative trematocides. The drug is in fact, a low spectrum anthelmintic effective against fascioliasis, an important parasitic disease caused by flukes like Fasciola hepatica, Fasciola gigantica, affecting significantly the ruminant production by means of reducing the growth, conversion rate, milk production, quality and quantity of meat and reproduction. Nitroxynil also does hold efficacy against few roundworms mainly blood-sucking species as well as certain myiasis. It is not effective against most of the tape worms or external parasites. It is chemically constitute of yellow benzene crystals, slightly soluble in water and soluble in organic solvents, almost odorless and is characterized for being a stable solution, but it precipitates in presence of calcium and other salts. It is marketed as bright orange-red injectable solution due that by this route is six times more efficient than by oral route. Nitroxynil is a safe drug and it can be used at any stage of pregnancy. It does not affect fertility, gestation or fetus formation and in no way impede the reproductive performance of stallions. It’s presented as two salts, nitroxynil megaglumine and nitroxynil eglumine. The nitroxynil in salt is hydrosoluble having neutral pH and is exclusively administered to animals by subcutaneous route. The flukicide resistance phenomenon is already present in many countries in the same way that resistance against other anthelmintic drugs is spreading around worldwide. Because of the absence of new drugs against fluke infections, it is necessary to prove and compare the efficacy of the anthelmintics to prevent resistance development. In view of that we endeavored elucidating the latest progress of one such widely used flukicide nitroxynil.

Due to increased number of herbicide resistant weeds, it is needed to explore the allelopathic potential of plants as an alternative. The research was conducted to investigate allelopathic effects of Carica papaya L. leaf powder and aqueous extract on seeds as well as pre-germinated seeds of Avena fatua L., Helianthus annuus L., Rumex dentatus L., Zea mays L. and Triticum aestivum L. on filter paper and soil in Weed Management Program Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection at PARC Institute of Advanced Studies in Agriculture, National Agriculture Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan. Germination percentage (%), radicle length (cm) and plumule length (cm) were parameters observed for ‘Plant leaf powder bioassay’ and ‘Aqueous extract method’. Most significant growth inhibition was observed in A. fatua seedlings in filter paper method. A. fatua radicle length was reduced by C. papaya aqueous extract (80%) and leaf powder (89%) bioassays. Plumule length was reduced under the influence of aqueous extract (57-73%) and powdered material (59-77%). The inhibitory effects on other test species were in sequence of H. annuus followed by Z. mays and R. dentatus. The aqueous extract showed non-significant effect on wheat seed germination, radicle and plumule growth. It is suggested that C. papaya aqueous extract can be used as source of weed management in wheat crop. Resumo Devido ao aumento do número de ervas daninhas resistentes aos herbicidas, é necessário explorar o potencial alelopático das plantas como uma alternativa. A pesquisa foi conduzida com o objetivo de investigar os efeitos alelopáticos do pó foliar de Carica papaya e do extrato aquoso das sementes, bem como das sementes pré-germinadas de Avena fatua, Helianthus annuus, Rumex dentatus, Zea mays e Triticum aestivum em papel de filtro e solo no Laboratório do Programa de Manejo de Ervas Daninhas, Departamento de Plantas e Proteção Ambiental do Instituto PARC de Estudos Avançados em Agricultura, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa Agrícola, Islamabad, Paquistão. A porcentagem de germinação (%), o comprimento radicular e o comprimento da plúmula (cm) foram os parâmetros observados para o 'Bioensaio de Pó de Folha de Planta' e o 'Método de Extração Aquoso'. A maior inibição do crescimento foi observada em mudas de A. fatua no método de papel de filtro. O comprimento radicular de A. fatua foi reduzido com os extratos aquosos de C. papaya (80%) e pó de folhas (89%). O comprimento das plúmulas foi reduzido sob a influência do extrato aquoso (57-73%) e material em pó (59-77%). Os efeitos inibitórios em outras espécies-teste foram na sequência de H. annuus seguido por Z. mays e R. dentatus. O extrato aquoso apresentou efeito não significativo na germinação das sementes de trigo, nos crescimentos radiculares e das plúmulas. Sugere-se que o extrato aquoso de C. papaya pode ser utilizado como fonte de manejo de plantas daninhas na cultura do trigo.

Current study assessed the impact of Lantana camara invasion on native plant diversity in Pothohar region of Pakistan. The approach used for study was random samplings and comparisons of diversity indices [number of species (S), abundance (N), species richness (R), evenness (Jꞌ), Shannon diversity index (Hꞌ) and Simpson index of dominance (λ)] with two categorical factors i.e., invaded and non-invaded (control). Control plots harboured by an average of 1.74 more species/10m2. The control category was diverse (Hꞌ=2.56) than invaded category (Hꞌ=1.56). The higher value of species richness in control plots shows heterogeneous nature of communities and vice versa in invaded plots. At multivariate scale, ordination (nMDS) and ANOSIM showed significant magnitude of differences between invaded and control plots at all sites. The decrease in studied diversity indices in invaded over control sites indicated that plant communities become less productive due to Lantana invasion. Resumo O presente estudo avaliou o impacto da invasão de Lantana camara na diversidade de plantas nativas na região de Pothohar, no Paquistão. A abordagem utilizada para o estudo foram a amostragem aleatória e a comparação de índices de diversidade, como número de espécies (S), abundância (N), riqueza de espécies (R), equitabilidade (Jꞌ), índice de diversidade de Shannon (Hꞌ) e índice de dominância de Simpson (λ), com dois fatores categóricos, ou seja, invadidos e não invadidos (controle). As parcelas não invadidas tinham, em média, 1,74 espécie a mais / 10 m2 que parcelas invadidas. A categoria controle foi mais diversa (Hꞌ = 2,56) do que a categoria invadida (Hꞌ = 1,56). O maior valor da riqueza de espécies em parcelas de controle mostra a natureza heterogênea das comunidades, e vice-versa, em parcelas invadidas. Na escala multivariada, ordenação (nMDS) e ANOSIM mostraram magnitude significativa das diferenças entre as parcelas invadidas e controle em todos os locais. A diminuição nos índices de diversidade estudados em locais invadidos por controle indicou que as comunidades de plantas se tornam menos produtivas por causa da invasão de Lantana.

As the UK prepares to leave the EU, the UK government has indicated a need for the country to become even more global and internationalist in action and spirit. “Outward mobility can form a key part of this agenda, in enhancing the domestic skills base and making students more globally engaged. The benefits of mobility are many and varied: international experience helps develop critical skills such as intercultural awareness and foreign language competency, and can increase students’ employability, helping them to be competitive in the global jobs market. Beyond these private benefits, the international mobility of students can create positive externalities by internationalising campuses, and fostering global networks that can in turn facilitate research, knowledge transfers and university–business engagement. These external benefits also help enhance the UK’s soft power and support the UK’s trading and diplomatic relationships longer term” (UUKi, 2017a). There’s a significant body of research that demonstrates the benefits of student mobility and the positive impact outward mobility can have on students and their personal development and growth However, despite the many positive benefits of an international mobility experience, the UUKi (2018:8) report identified only 7.2% of the 2015-16 graduating cohort were mobile during their degree programme. At Manchester Metropolitan University, only 1% of students undertake a mobility experience, which is lower than the national sector average of 7.2% of the student population. Students from the lowest HE participation neighbourhoods (LPNs) are underrepresented in the internationally mobile population each year, while students from the highest HE participation neighbourhoods have been overrepresented by a greater percentage. The university has an ambition to increase student outward mobility from 1% to 5% by 2021. My interest in this area is as a practitioner researcher. In order to work on the ‘Routes into Languages’ thematic strand of promoting ‘student outward mobility’ for undergraduates in my faculty, I wanted to undertake a small scale research project to explore some of the factors influencing students’ choices/decisions regarding outbound mobility. In addition to the reports and policy documents, I wanted to hear the rich narratives and experiences of students who opted/did not opt for a study/work abroad opportunity during their undergraduate study, with the view to increase student outward mobility. Building on a theoretical framework focusing on the globalisation/education/mobility relationship and based on semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students and policy document analysis, the thesis identifies some of the similarities and disconnects between the two with the view to assist formulating tailored remedial interventions to boost undergraduate students’ outward mobility in MMU’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

Informal sectors, especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) plays a significant role in the national economy’s development and employment but lack of Health and Safety concerns regarding their works. This study aims to increase the informal sector’s awareness towards occupational health and safety aspects by conducting occupational health and safety (OHS) risk mapping through an integrated platform in Sukahati Village, Citeureup, West Java. One of this study’s outcomes is to create an integrated online database platform that contains occupational health and safety data from the sampled MSMEs called SiUMKM. This study was conducted with samples of MSMEs across Sukahati Village using questionnaire-based interviews. The highest proportion of work accidents within the population includes punctures, cuts, and scratches. In contrast, the highest occurring health issues in MSMEs in Sukahati are waist pain, back pain, and muscle stiffness. Many of the existing health issues cause are manual handling tasks and inadequate workstation arrangements (up to 91% contribution). In conclusion, the OHS problems surrounding MSMEs mainly resulted from the low comprehension of OHS in the workplace. Therefore, an integrated platform like SiUMKM can be a solution for comprehensive information regarding the health and safety aspects of MSMEs work environment.

Seed dispersal by exotic mammals exemplifies mutualistic interactions that can modify the habitat by facilitating the establishment of certain species. We examined the potential for endozoochoric dispersal of exotic plants by Callosciurus erythraeus introduced in the Pampas Region of Argentina. We identified and characterized entire and damaged seeds found in squirrel faeces and evaluated the germination capacity and viability of entire seeds in laboratory assays. We collected 120 samples of squirrel faeces that contained 883 pellets in seasonal surveys conducted between July 2011 and June 2012 at 3 study sites within the main invasion focus of C. erythraeus in Argentina. We found 226 entire seeds in 21% of the samples belonging to 4 species of exotic trees and shrubs. Germination in laboratory assays was recorded for Morus alba and Casuarina sp.; however, germination percentage and rate was higher for seeds obtained from the fruits than for seeds obtained from the faeces. The largest size of entire seeds found in the faeces was 4.2×4.0mm, whereas the damaged seeds had at least 1 dimension ≥ 4.7mm. Our results indicated that C. erythraeus can disperse viable seeds of at least 2 species of exotic trees. C. erythraeus predated seeds of other naturalized species in the region. The morphometric description suggested a restriction on the maximum size for the passage of entire seeds through the digestive tract of squirrels, which provides useful information to predict its role as a potential disperser or predator of other species in other invaded communities. Fil: Bobadilla, Sabrina Yasmin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable; Argentina Fil: Benitez, Verónica Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable; Argentina Fil: Guichon, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable; Argentina

This research was carried out to study the effect of osmotic dehydration behavior of oyster mushroom. The effect of solution concentration, immersion time and temperature on mass transfer parameters were observed during osmotic dehydration of oyster mushroom at three different temperatures −12, 27 and 45°C. A number of process parameters on osmotic dehydration such as water loss (WL), solid gain (SG), and normalized solid content (NSC) were investigated. Results showed that increase in salt concentration and immersion time resulted in %WL, %SG and NSC. The highest NSC (4.09 g solids/100g of initial weight of sample) was achieved for product osmosed in 25% salt solution for 6 hr immersion time. The pseudo diffusion coefficient, k was determined by using Fick’s First Law of diffusion equation. Plotting k values against inverse absolute temperature an Arrhenius type relationship was developed from which the calculated activation energy values of 1.8 and 3.64 kcal/gm-mole were obtained for 20% and 15% salt solution respectively.

In this paper, a Multiple Input Multiple Output (2x2MIMO) patch antenna for multiband applications has been proposed. It has been designed using groups of rings nearby the stepped cut at four corners of the patch and a separation in mid slot. This modification is proposed in order to increase the resonant frequencies and reduce the mutual coupling. The proposed 2x2 MIMO patch antenna is simulated using Computer Simulation Technology (CST), fabricated and tested. With such small geometrical dimensions, the proposed antenna is suitable for LTE (1.8 GHz), WiFi (2.4 GHz), and WiMax (3.5 GHz, 5.2 GHz and 5.5 GHz) applications

This research investigates the process and matters concern in planning for open space in urban residential area. In Malaysia, for developing a residential neighbourhood, urban planner will prepare a layout plan that applies government policies. However, the roles of a landscape architect only take places once the layout approved which has resulted to inappropriate zoning for open space in neighbourhood area. Hence, the open space is not fully utilised by the residents. Therefore, this paper explores the connections between urban planner and landscape architect in planning for open space in the residential neighbourhood.

This study attempts to estimate the income from native poultry production and analyze the efficiency of resources used covering three coastal districts of Bangladesh namely Noakhali, Patuakhali and Satkhira. A total of 180 poultry rearers were selected from different villages of the districts using purposive sampling technique. Primary and secondary data were collected and analyzed following a combination of descriptive statistics, sensitivity analysis, statistical model and mathematical technique. Gross and net returns per household per day from native poultry rearing were estimated at Tk. 34.04 and Tk. 27.93, respectively. The undiscounted benefit cost ratio was 5.57, implying that this enterprise is highly profitable. Moreover, the contribution from poultry rearing to total income was 8.25 percent. Sensitivity analysis shows that the gross margins and benefit cost ratios were strongly influenced by the factors such as the cost of inputs, price of outputs and poultry inventory. Multiple Regression model revealed that almost all variables were influenced income from native poultry farming except rearing cost. Increasing returns to scale was found which indicates that there was bright prospect to earn more through the use of more inputs in the production process. Finally, a number of problems faced by the poultry farmers were identified and some suggestions were recommended accordingly. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjas.v42i1.15781 Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2013. 42 (1): 49-56

Neurofibromatosis (NF) with sphenoid wing dysplasia is a rare clinical entity. Herewith, we present a case of NF with sphenoid wing dysplasia which presented with pulsatile progressive proptosis. Other ocular symptoms or visual disturbances were absent. Diagnosis of the condition was not easy and the management was a challenging task which needed multidisciplinary approach as there were ocular, neurological, orthopedic, and dermatological manifestations. With neurosurgical intervention, reconstruction of the sphenoid wing was possible. Proptosis was corrected without any disturbance of vision.

Leaf curl disease poses a major constraint to chilli (Capsicum annuum) production in Pakistan. In October 2014, chilli plants exhibiting geminivirus-like symptoms, including leaf curling and stunting were observed at the National…