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Pesticides are being used in agriculture in an unregulated and imprecise way, resulting in food grains having varying amounts of pesticide residues after harvest. Using farm samples to develop a new technique to determine the pesticide residue levels might result in inconsistent results. There is currently no specific technique for preparing the standard pulse samples with appropriate levels of glyphosate residual levels. The objective of this study was to develop a standard method for glyphosate spiking by evaluating the absorption of glyphosate in six types of pulses (chickpea, yellow pea, red lentil, large green lentil, French green lentil, and black beluga lentil) at four different concentrations (5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, 15 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg) using two different solvents (water and water + ethanol (50:50)). Both the type of pulse and nature of solvent significantly affected the glyphosate absorption. The highest glyphosate absorption as determined by ELISA was observed when water was used as solvent in all pulses and at all concentration levels. The values ranged from 3.45–17.46, 4.13–18.31, 4.08–17.09, 4.11–18.40, 4.99–18.43 and 4.56–18.04 mg/kg for yellow pea, chickpea, large green lentil, French green lentil, red lentil, and black beluga lentil, respectively. Among the pulses, the absorption was highest in red lentil and lowest in large green lentil, which can be attributed to their maximum moisture absorption capacity. Further, the colour changes were lower in water + ethanol solvent than water only probably due to the colour retention properties of ethanol. The results obtained with this technique showed the potential of preparing standard pulse samples with known glyphosate levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of combining Nitazoxanide with lactulose compared to lactulose alone in the treatment of overt hepatic encephalopathy. Methods: This Comparative Cross-sectional Study was conducted at the department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad from July 2019 to December 2019. In this study, 150 cirrhotic patients with overt hepatic encephalopathy were randomized into two groups: one receiving Nitazoxanide plus Lactulose (Group A) and the other receiving Lactulose alone (Group B). Patient demographics, aetiology of cirrhosis, MELD score, and efficacy of treatment were assessed. Statistical analysis was conducted to compare outcomes between the two groups. Results: A total of 150 patients, with a mean age of 44.08 ± 11.31 years were enrolled. Hepatitis C was the predominant aetiology in 81 patients (54%). The mean MELD score was 23.24 in Group A and 22.36 in Group B. Upon admission, 20 patients (13.3%) presented with grade 2 hepatic encephalopathy (HE), while 70 patients (46.6%) had grade 4 HE. The duration of hospital stay showed statistical significance in both groups (p < 0.001). Furthermore, a significant difference in drug efficacy was observed between the two groups (p < 0.005). Conclusion: In conclusion, our study suggests that combining Nitazoxanide with Lactulose yields superior efficacy compared to Lactulose alone in managing overt hepatic encephalopathy among cirrhotic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field study (three years) was carried out to evaluate the outcome of various organic nutrient management technologies including farmyard manure (FYM) and poultry manure (PM) integrated with chemical fertilizers for microbial dynamics and growth and yield of rice at Experimental Farm of Nuclear Institute of Agriculture (NIA), Tandojam, Sindh, Pakistan. The most broadly grown rice variety, NIA-Shandar was selected for this study. The experiment involved integrating organic technologies, specifically Farm Yard Manure (FYM) and Poultry Manure (PM), each applied at 10 tons per hectare. These organic technologies were combined with varying levels of inorganic fertilizers: half (60 kg N ha-1 and 45 kg P2O5 ha-1) and full (120 kg N ha-1 and 90 kg P2O5 ha-1) recommended doses. Additionally, zinc was applied at 10 kg ha-1 . The study employed a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications to assess treatment effects. Both organic technologies perform better for microbial dynamics and rice growth and yield enhancement either alone technology or combined with chemical fertilizers during three rice seasons. The maximum general microbial abundance (9.70 log10 CFU g soil-1), N2 fixing (7.37 log10 CFU g soil-1), P solubilizing (7.97 log10 CFU g soil-1) and Zn solubilizing (6.75 log10 CFU g soil-1) population was recorded in FYM alone or with half N and P2O5 fertilizer application. The highest plant height (106 cm), tiller numbers (17.10), panicle numbers (26.53), panicle length (26.32 cm), one thousand grain weight (26.53 g) and rice grain yield (7.92 t ha-1 ) were perceived in FYM with full rate N and P2O5 fertilizer application. Both technologies along with chemical fertilizer induced soil properties and soil nutrients which reflected to increase soil microbial abundance and growth and yield of rice however, FYM showed higher potential than poultry manure during the three years rice cultivation seasons. Hence, it was indicated that a significant contribution to the development of sustainable agricultural technologies that prioritize soil health, environmental stewardship, and food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing interest in BiFeO3-based alloys because of the possibility it offers for developing high-temperature high-performance piezoelectric materials and for their interesting multiferroic properties. Often such ceramics are synthesized with additives either to reduce/suppress leakage current that the system inherits from the parent compound BiFeO3 or to promote sintering via formation of the liquid phase. We demonstrate here the propensity for stabilizing ferromagnetism in the ferroelectric solid solution BiFeO3–PbTiO3 (BF–PT) when synthesized with additive MnO2. Detailed investigation revealed that the ferromagnetic property of the ceramic is extrinsic and caused by the additive enabled precipitation of trace amount of the ferrimagnetic Pb-hexaferrite phase, not easily detected in conventional x-ray diffraction measurements. We also show that the ferromagnetic property is induced in Co-modified BF–PT. However, in this case, the additive stabilizes the CoFe2O4 spinel ferrite phase. While our findings offer a strategy to develop particulate magnetoelectric multiferroic composites using additive assisted precipitation of the ferrimagnetic phase(s) in BiFeO3-based ferroelectric alloys, it also helps in better understanding of the electromechanical response in BFO-based alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid growth of global energy consumption and the increasing demand for sustainable and renewable energy sources have urged vast research into harnessing energy from various sources. Among them, the most promising approaches are nanogenerators (NGs) and solar cells (SCs), which independently offer innovative solutions for energy harvesting. This review paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the integration of NGs and SCs, exploring advanced hybrid structures and their diverse applications. First, an overview of the principles and working mechanisms of NGs and SCs is provided for seamless hybrid integrations. Then, various design strategies are discussed, such as piezoelectric and triboelectric NGs with different types of SCs. Finally, a wide range of applications are explored that benefit from the synergistic integration of NGs and SCs, including self‐powered electronics, wearable devices, environmental monitoring, and wireless sensor networks. The potential for these hybrid systems is highlighted to address real‐world energy needs and contribute to developing sustainable and self‐sufficient technologies. In conclusion, this review provides valuable insights into the state‐of‐the‐art developments in NGs and SCs integration, shedding light on advanced hybrid structures and their diverse applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable project management (SPM) is pivotal for enhancing sustainable project success (SPS) and transforming organizations into sustainable practices. Many prior studies empirically found that SPM is positively associated with SPS. This association can be further enhanced through sustainable leadership. However, the role of sustainable leadership as a moderator on the association between SPM and SPS has not been fully grabbed in the prior studies, especially the public sector development program (PSDP) in Pakistan remained unexplored. The study aimed to investigate the moderating role of sustainable leadership on the association between SPM and SPS in the PSDP projects in Pakistan. Using a quantitative survey-based design and the data from 285 completed PSDP projects collected through a single informant strategy, the hypothesized relationships were tested with the PLS-SEM-based hierarchical component modeling approach. The results revealed that SPM is positively associated with SPS and sustainable leadership moderates the association between SPM and SPS in this context. The study provides important insights into the emerging trend of SPM and SPS and evocatively contributes to the existing literature. The study also contributes to the practice and assists project managers, decision-makers, and policy-makers in planning and developing PSDP projects more effectively to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). The findings are also beneficial for other countries operating in similar circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The World Health Organization has indicated that Gulf countries, including Oman, have the highest incidence of obesity. Objectives: This study aims to describe the changes in body composition values as an index among the morbidly obese population. We investigated the gender, age, and body mass index (BMI)-related differences in morbidly obese subjects. Methods: A retrospective, hospitalbased study was carried out at the Royal Hospital, Muscat. Results: The study involved 104 morbidly obese subjects (35 males and 69 females) with a BMI ≥35 kg/m². All enrolled study subjects were compared for their gender, BMI, and age. Significant trends were observed for body fat percentage, water percentage, muscle mass, basal metabolic rate, bone mass and visceral fat between different genders in general, and between different genders within the same age frame (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed within the same gender regarding changes in BMI and weight gain (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Aging and changes in BMI have a significant effect on the body composition of morbidly obese individuals of different genders while showing no significant effects within the same genders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study (pot experiment) investigated and compared the effectiveness of Se(VI) and Se(IV) application at a rate of 1.25 mg Se kg−1 soil on growth, physiology, yield and As uptake by spring wheat on an uncontaminated and As-contaminated (1.5 mg kg−1) soil. Selenate improved wheat grain yield, relative water contents, membrane stability index, total chlorophylls, and antioxidant activities up to 43%, 18.6%, 9.5%, 16.4% and 15–46%, respectively, compared to control under As-contaminated soil. As compared to Se(IV), in accordance with above results, Se(VI) application resulted in 5-fold higher grain Se concentration and 4.4-fold higher grain Se uptake, which are partially explained by 1.3-fold higher root to grain Se translocation factor in Se(VI)-fed plants under As-contaminated soil. Concomitantly, Se(VI) offered a stronger competitive effect on As uptake thereby reducing its concentration in grains by 11% and in shoots by 44%. Translocation factor of As from root to shoots and to grains was 33% and 14.2%, respectively lesser in Se(VI)-fed plants. Thus, it is concluded that Se(VI) application, through its beneficial effects on root morphological traits, improvement in antioxidant activity and physiological behavior, is highly effective in reducing As toxicity on yield and As accumulation in wheat grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]