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In the majority of plant biotechnology laboratories throughout the world, plant transformation is a common practice to improve several traits of plants, particularly grain yield. During the experiments, only a small percentage of cells transform in the targeted population. For selection of transformed cells, it is necessary to use the selectable markers such as Neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII), Chloramphenicolacetyle transferase (Cat), Hygromycin phosphotransferase (hph), Streptomycin phosphotransferase (spt), Phosphinothrycin acetyletransferase (pat) and Dihydrofolate reductase (dhf). The majority of these and other markers detoxify different antibiotics including paromomycin, kanamycin, hygromycin, neomycin, and streptomycin etc. But as these antibiotics become resistant, most of the markers raise serious safety concerns to human health. Additionally, in case of multiple genes transfer, it also limits the availability of these selectable markers. Keeping in view the limitations of selectable markers, production of marker-free transgenic plants is becoming the global trend. Current review explored the probabilities and prospects to cope with these issues. This review describes in detail the various plant transformation systems for the development of selectable marker gene (SMG) free transgenic plants. Replacement of selectable marker with screenable marker and some worldwide examples of SMG free crop plants produced by these strategies are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Amyloid β (Aβ) fibril agglomeration is crucial in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) etiology, leading to significant harm to the central nervous system. Polyphenols have been investigated for their capacity to hinder Aβ agglomeration. Objective: This investigation aimed to assess the potential of Ajwa date palm (Phoenix dactylifera)-based bioactives in binding and disrupting resilient Aβ1-42 fibrils through in-silico studies. Methods: The primary phytochemicals present in date palms were subjected to molecular docking with three different conformers of Aβ1-42 and Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity (ADMET) analysis. The stability of the system was assessed through molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Results: It was noted that Diosmetin, Rutin, and Genistein effectively bind with 2BEG, 2MXU, and 2NAO fibrils, respectively, with docking energies ranging from −7.2 to −8.2 kcal/mol. Diosmetin, Rutin, and Genistein show notable pharmacokinetic variability, with LogP values from −1.69–2.58, with 1–6 rotatable bonds, and total polar surface areas (TPSA) between 112.52 and 240.90 Å2, characteristics important for drug candidacy evaluation. Their ADMET properties include solubility values of −3.238 to −3.595 mol/L, intestinal absorption of 23.4–93.4%, and VDss ranging from 0.094 to 1.663 L/kg. The ensuing MS simulations spanning 100 ns, illuminated the establishment of a robust peptide-chemical complex. Hydrophobic interactions, ionic and hydrogen bonds play a critical role in the ligand binding with their respective targets. Conclusions: These findings underscore the potential of these botanicals as leads for developing potent Aβ agglomeration inhibitors. However, before introducing into clinical settings, these findings need to be validated further.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to evaluate the awareness, comportment and attitude/perception of dentists regarding the use of photodynamic (PD) therapy before and during COVID-19 pandemic around the globe. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: An online survey was performed by sending out an online questionnaire comprising 21 questions among dental practitioners working in four different countries: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Malaysia and United Kingdom. The survey evaluated dental practitioners’ level of awareness about the PD therapy, comportment and attitude for its implication and prevalence in daily clinical practice. For statistical significance the Chi-square analysis with Spearman Correlation coefficient was conducted to assess the sub-groups and correlating the factors with the level of awareness of the dental practitioners. RESULTS: A total of 1,219 dental practitioners from four different countries (Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Malaysia and United Kingdom) responded to the questionnaire. The median age of the respondents from was 37, 34, 36 and 39 respectively. The majority of dental practitioners demonstrated to have an acceptable level of awareness regarding PD therapy. Nearly 76%, 74%, 79% and 80% of the individuals from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Malaysia and United Kingdom respectively were aware of the role/mechanism of action of the PD therapy. Moreover, in preponderance, practitioners were confident that the effect of PD therapy will not be reduced in patients infected with COVID-19. The majority of dental practitioners were convinced that successful dental treatment due to PD therapy is linked majorly with therapies done in relation to four major dental specialties: prosthodontics, endodontic, restorative dentistry and periodontology. Approximately more than 90% of the dentists were sure that the rate of COVID-19 transmission can be reduced by using PD therapy in oral treatments. The dental practitioners from Saudi Arabia (91%), Pakistan (82%), Malaysia (83%) and United Kingdom (82%) were contented to learn about PD therapy for its use in clinical practice. Nearly more than 95% of the practitioners from the four countries were keen to attend the lectures/hands-on workshops regarding PD therapy to enhance their skills and knowledge. More than 80% of dentists do not refuse the peripheral role of PD therapy with their patients. CONCLUSIONS: The respondents from the four countries displayed passable level of awareness regarding basic information of PD therapy and its clinical implication in dental specialty. Nevertheless, there is a need to develop awareness regarding the use of PD therapy among dental practitioners during their undergraduate program. Furthermore, lectures and hands-on workshops should be arranged to train dental practitioners in order to enhance their skills for its solicitation in clinical practice. It is perceived by the dentists in the four countries that the use of PD therapy can effectively reduce COVID-19 rate of transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reference evapotranspiration (ETo) is an essential environmental variable that is intimately significant to agriculture. Managing water and crop planning relies heavily on precise forecasting of ETo. This research used a novel time series decomposition technique, Empirical Fourier Decomposition (EFD), to forecast ETo accurately. Four machine learning techniques were used to forecast ETo using decomposed lagged ETo values. The input data source was from Prince Edward Island (PEI) weather stations (Harrington and St Peters Stations). First, autocorrelation analysis was performed to determine effective lags. Then, ETo data were decomposed using EFD, and lagged data was created based on EFD results. The Kbest feature selection algorithm was used to choose effective inputs, reducing the training time. The accuracy of models was evaluated using different statistical metrics such as correlation coefficient (R) and root mean square error (RMSE). The results showed that using EFD decomposition can significantly improve forecast accuracy. The comparison between different machine learning models showed that the deep learning-based model (Bidirectional LSTM (Long Short Term Memory)) (R = 0.956, RMSE= 0.451 mm/day for Harrington station and R = 0.956, RMSE= 0.451 mm/day for St Peters station) performed better than the Generalized Regression Neural Network (GRNN), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), and Random Forest (RF) models. Finally, the best model (EFD-Bidirectional LSTM) was used to forecast multitemporal ETo at both stations. Results showed that the developed model can forecast ETo for up to 28 days with reasonable accuracy. However, the accuracy of multi-step ahead forecasting decreases when evapotranspiration values are high, as the models tend to underestimate these values. The findings of this study can assist in accurately calculating crop water requirements and help farmers optimize their irrigation schedules.

Root-knot nematode (RKN) (Meloidogyne incognita) is a major plant parasitic nematode that severely damages crops, leading to significant yield losses and substantial economic impact globally. This study aims to investigate an environmentally sustainable biological strategy for mitigating parasitic populations of the root-knot nematode, M. incognita. Specifically, the research focuses on assessing the nematicidal efficacy of Acalypha indica against M. incognita mortality and second-stage juveniles’ (J2) hatching under controlled in vitro conditions. A. indica leaf aqueous extract was applied at varying concentrations (250, 500, 750, and 1000 ppm) to J2s and egg masses of M. incognita. Notably, at 1000 ppm, a significant increase in J2 mortality and hatching inhibition was observed, while 250 ppm concentration showed the least favorable outcome; with mortality rates ranging from 22–82%. Chemical analysis via gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) identified Benzoic acid, Cyclooctasiloxane, and 3-Isopropoxy-1,1,1,7,7,7-hexamethyl-3,5,5-tris (trimethylsiloxy) tetrasiloxane as predominant compounds. The nematicidal activity of A. indica leaf extract was further validated through in silico molecular docking, revealing that benzoic acid, Cyclooctasiloxane, and 3-Isopropoxy-1,1,1,7,7,7-hexamethyl-3,5,5-tris (trimethylsiloxy) tetrasiloxane bind to the ODR 3 protein of M. incognita with binding energies of −15.72, −8.91, and −7.35 kJ/mol, respectively. These findings hold promise for environmentally benign root-knot nematode management, contributing to improved soil health.

OBJECTIVE: The present labbased investigation aimed at evaluating the canal disinfectants using photodynamic therapy (PDT) using different photosensitizers, conventional NaOCl, a mixture of doxycycline, citric acid, and a detergent (MTAD) and their impact on the bond strength of glass fiber post to radicular dentin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty extracted human premolars were gathered and disinfected. The decoration was performed up to the cementoenamel junction. Using the crown down technique cleaning of the canal was done following rinse with distilled water. All canals were dried with paper points and obturated with gutta-percha. Post space was prepared using peso reamers and samples were randomly allocated into four groups following different disinfection regimes: Group 1 - Methylene blue photosensitizer (MBP) + MTAD; Group 2 - RBP (Rose Bengal photosensitizer) + MTAD; Group 3 - CP (curcumin photosensitizer) + MTAD and Group 4 - 2.25% NaOCl + MTAD (control). Following disinfection, the canals were dried and the post was placed and cemented within the canal. Samples were dissected at coronal, middle, and apical third and placed in a universal testing machine for push-out bond strength (PBS). Debonded surfaces were evaluated for failure modes. PBS was examined using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The means of PBS were compared using Tukey multiple comparison tests with a significance threshold of (p<0.05). RESULTS: Group 3 canals disinfected with CP and MTAD had the highest PBS at two levels: cervical (9.57±1.21 MPa), middle (6.37±0.79 MPa), and group 2 canal space disinfected by RBP and MTAD had the maximum PBS in apical portion (5.35±0.42 MPa). No significant difference at all root levels between group 2 (RBP + MTAD) and group 3 (p>0.05). Canal irrigation with group 1 (MBP + MTAD) and group 4 control (2.25% NaOCl + MTAD) exhibited comparable PBS at all three levels of the root. CONCLUSIONS: CP, MTAD, RBP and MTAD for canal disinfection and bonding of glass fiber post to radicular dentin demonstrated comparable bond values at all three root levels and can be recommended in clinical settings after further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coffee (Coffea spp.) is one of the world's most valuable agricultural export commodities produced by small-scale farmers. Its germplasm, which holds useful traits for crop improvement, has traditionally been conserved in field genebanks, which presents many challenges for conservation. New techniques of in vitro and cryopreservation have been developed to improve the long-term conservation of coffee. But a question remains as to whether these new techniques are more cost effective than field collections and more efficient at reducing genetic erosion. This study compared the costs of maintaining one of the world's largest coffee field collections with those of establishing a coffee cryo-collection at the Centro Agron6mico Tropical de Investigacion y Ensenanza (CATIE) in Costa Rica. The results indicate that cryopreservation costs less (in perpetuity per accession) than conservation in field genebanks. A comparative analysis of the costs of both methods showed that the more accessions there are in cryopreservation storage, the lower the peraccession cost. In addition to cost, the study examined the advantages of cryopreservation over field collection and showed that for species that are difficult to conserve using seeds, and that can only be conserved as live plants, cryopreservation may be the method of choice for long-term conservation of genetic diversity. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2008.12.0736

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the bacterial-adherence to the experimental pellicle pretreated with commercially available oral-rinse/photosensitizer (mimicking use of oral-rinse/photosensitizer before meals). MATERIALS AND METHODS: An artificial mouth (NAM) system was used for the development of single-species biofilm (Actinomyces viscosus, Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus sanguinis respectively). Two commercially available oral-rinses containing active ingredients [Essential oils (EO) and Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) were used. Curcumin photosensitizer (PS) was used as a photosensitizer against the microbes. For the adherence study, the experimental pellicle on the beads (in the capillary tubes of the NAM system) was pretreated with the oral-rinse and photosensitizer before the inoculation of bacteria; this would resemble the use of rinse/photosensitizer before meal. The bacterial population of the biofilm was determined using serial dilution assay and expressed as colony forming unit per ml. Deionized distilled water was used in place of oral-rinse/photosensitizer and served as a negative-control. For the qualitative study, bacterial population viewing was carried out using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). RESULTS: It was observed that on treatment with the oral-rinses the bacterial population of S.mitis, S.sanguinis and A.viscosus (adherence) was significantly reduced where the reduction was less for EO-based oral-rinse compared with that of CHX and curcumin PS in the following sequence EO

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the tensile BS of FPs luted with conventional and self-adhesive resin modified GIC cement on disinfection of post-space radicular dentin with various photo-activated photosensitizer (chitosan, TB and Clp6). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-six orthodontically extracted mandibular pre-molars were selected on specific exclusion/inclusion criteria, trailed by thorough debridement of plaque/calculus and disinfected by immersion in Chloramine T trihydrate solution for 48 hrs. The selected teeth were sectioned from the cement-enamel junction removing the crown. The radicular region of the samples was entrenched perpendicularly in heat cure resin modified acrylic. The pulpal tissue was detached using K-files trailed by canal shaping with ProTaper Next rotary NiTi (Dentsply Sirona, Gloucestershire, UK) files under continuous irrigation with NaOCl. The canals were dried using paper points trailed by obturation by Pro Taper Next Obturators gutta-percha points (Dentsply, UK) coated with ADSEAL (Meta Biomed, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea). After incubation for seven days in an environment mimicking oral cavity, post space was created using peso reamers. The space was disinfected by G1: chitosan 3 mg/mL; G2: 13-15 mg/mL TB and G3: Clp6. After photo-irridation the FPs were luted with conventional (n=11) and resin modified self-adhesive cement (n=11) for each group respectively. The specimens were incubated for 48 hrs prior to tensile BS testing. The type of bond fracture/failure was evaluated under 30x magnification. The tensile BS was statistically analyzed using ANOVA trailed by Tukey's test to respective groups. RESULTS: FPs luted using self-adhesive resin modified cement with prior to disinfection by TBs displayed highest tensile BS 291.47 N ± 5.36. On the contrary, post-space disinfected by Clp6 displayed statistically significant (p = 0.05) lowest bond strength (276.62 N ± 4.31). Intra-group analysis displayed statistically significant difference in bond strength of the luting dental materials (p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The self-adhesive resin modified cement revealed utmost bond strength on pre-treatment of post-space with respective photo-activated photosensitizer (chitosan, TB & Clp6) in contrast to conventional GIC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many diseases such as human dental caries result in the destruction of tooth structure; dental caries is an infectious disease leading to the destruction of tooth structure due to the acids produced on the fermentation of dietary carbohydrates by acidogenic bacteria. Bacteria colonise non-shedding oral surfaces, and produce lactic, acetic, and formic acids. Preserving tooth structure using fluoride in dental products may have its adverse effects on human health. The use of fluoride-containing dental products without supervision in children when the teeth are developing can lead to fluorosis. Therefore, the main aim of the present review was to identify natural oral healthcare products having minimum or no adverse effects in maintaining the integrity of tooth enamel. The active compounds observed in the natural plant products till date are polyphenolic compounds which contain antibacterial effects, and a potential to shift demineralisation to remineralisation. But their mechanism of action remain unclear. Therefore, further studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of these natural products and enhance their effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal mechanism of non-Newtonian nanofluid coated by lubricated power law material has been theoretically worked out. The slip interaction constraints has been proposed for inspecting the thermal transport. The modelling of heat transfer is processed via updated Cattaneo-Christov (CC) expressions. The rheological constraints of nonlinear model are observed by Walter B fluid. The flow phenomenon is governed by stagnation point flow. The differential system is associated to interaction of similarity variables. The solution technique is based on new developed hybrid homotopy analysis scheme. The hybrid homotopy algorithm is developed by combining the shooting technique and traditional HAM. The accuracy regarding the developed scheme is carefully inspected after making comparison of results with earlier claimed studies. The different physical aspect of transport phenomenon is attributed in view of parameters.

The Eucalyptus globulus is one of the important forest tree species which reveals enhanced tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses. The enhanced tolerance of E. globulus against low temperature is linked to the presence of enhanced accumulation of lysine-rich dehydrin proteins. The accumulation of dehydrin protein of Mr 10 kDa in response to multiple abiotic stresses prevents cells from dehydration. It is encoded by a novel dehydrin-10 (DHN-10) gene. In the present study, we have used the DHN-10 gene of E. globulus of Pakistani origin, which was cloned in a bacterial expression vector pET30(a) and sequenced. We have found the 315 bp long coding sequence of this gene which has been enrolled as Eucalyptus GZJ-2018 DHN-10 gene under GenBank accession number MG948256.1. The in silico studies have identified several differences of this gene from the earlier enrolled DHN-10 genes: the studied gene possessed higher amphipathic character because of the presence of five additional electrically charged amino acids (two positively charged histidine, one negatively charged glutamate, and two negatively charged aspartate residues) and one extra lysine residue. The studied DHN-10 gene has been successfully expressed in the BL21-DE3 expression strain of Escherichia coli and 10 kDa protein has been detected on the nitrocellulose membrane. Our study is the first report of the sub-cloning of the DHN-10 gene and its expression outside the Eucalyptus cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil moisture variability caused by soil erosion, weather extremes, and spatial variations in soil health is a limiting factor for crop growth and productivity. Crop evapotranspiration (ET) is significant for irrigation water management systems. The variability in crop water requirements at various growth stages is a common concern at a global level. In Canada’s Prince Edward Island (PEI), where agriculture is particularly prominent, this concern is predominantly evident. The island’s most prominent business, agriculture, finds it challenging to predict agricultural water needs due to shifting climate extremes, weather patterns, and precipitation patterns. Thus, accurate estimations for irrigation water requirements are essential for water conservation and precision farming. This work used a satellite-based normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) technique to simulate the crop coefficient (Kc) and crop evapotranspiration (ETc) for field-scale potato cultivation at various crop growth stages for the growing seasons of 2021 and 2022. The standard FAO Penman–Monteith equation was used to estimate the reference evapotranspiration (ETr) using weather data from the nearest weather stations. The findings showed a statistically significant (p < 0.05) positive association between NDVI and tabulated Kc values extracted from all three satellites (Landsat 8, Sentinel-2A, and Planet) for the 2021 season. However, the correlation weakened in the subsequent year, particularly for Sentinel-2A and Planet data, while the association with Landsat 8 data became statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). Sentinel-2A outperformed Landsat 8 and Planet overall. The Kc values peaked at the halfway stage, fell before the maturity period, and were at their lowest at the start of the season. A similar pattern was observed for ETc (mm/day), which peaked at midseason and decreased with each developmental stage of the potato crop. Similar trends were observed for ETc (mm/day), which peaked at the mid-stage with mean values of 4.0 (2021) and 3.7 (2022), was the lowest in the initial phase with mean values of 1.8 (2021) and 1.5 (2022), and grew with each developmental stage of the potato crop. The study’s ET maps show how agricultural water use varies throughout a growing season. Farmers in Prince Edward Island may find the applied technique helpful in creating sustainable growth plans at different phases of crop development. Integrating high-resolution imagery with soil health, yield mapping, and crop growth parameters can help develop a decision support system to tailor sustainable management practices to improve profit margins, crop yield, and quality.

Abstract The sol-gel technique was used to fabricate ZnO Nano-swirlings (ZNsw) at a predetermined agitation rate (of >> 1900 rpm), with around 21.94 gm of zinc acetate dihydrate and 0.2 g cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide (CTAB) and a cationic surfactant (drop-wise). The impact of the predetermined agitation condition on the molecular size and morphology of ZNsw is examined, and the outcomes are dissected by useful characterization tools and techniques viz. XRD, SEM embedded with EDS, TEM, FT-IR and UV–visible. The SEM and TEM results suggest that the product formed into a big cluster of adequate ZNsw, containing a significant quantity of folded long thread-lengths. Each group indicated a fair amount of the volume of these lengths. The photocatalytic process of ZNsw was carried out as a result of the irradiation time due to the deterioration of Azo Dye AR183, resulting in approximately 79 percent dye discoloration following an 80-min UV light irradiation in the presence of ZNsw. Additionally, the synthesized ZNsw was tested for antagonistic activity, and the growth hindrance of two plant pathogenic fungal strains found. Per cent inhibition in growth of Rhizoctonia solani and Alternaria alternata were observed in response to ZNsw.

Objectives of the experiment were to determine effects of dietary hay concentration in a dry total mixed ration and its carryover effects on intake, growth performance, faecal score, and feed efficiency of weaned dairy calves. Eighteen Friesian x Jersey weaned calves (n = 6 calves/treatment) were randomly assigned to three rhodes grass hay treatments (RG13, RG26, and RG39). The experimental diets were rhodes grass hay-based total mixed rations containing 13%, 26%, and 39% chopped hay on a DM basis. The experiment had two phases of four weeks each. In phase 1 (weeks 1-4), weaned calves were fed RG13, RG26, or RG39. Then, in phase 2 (weeks 5-8), all calves were shifted to a maize silage-based diet. All the diets were iso-nitrogenous and were fed ad libitum. Calves were housed in individual pens and had free access to water and feed. Average daily gain and daily dry matter intake were analysed as repeated measures, whereas bodyweight and feed efficiency were analysed using one-way ANOVA. In phases 1 and 2 dry matter intakes were similar. Growth rate decreased linearly with increasing concentration of hay in phase 1. Overall, daily dry matter intake, average daily gain, change in body condition score and structural measurements were not affected by dietary treatments. However, overall feed efficiency was improved for calves fed RG26 compared with RG13 and RG39. Thus, feeding a moderate level of hay had positive impacts on the transition to a silage-based TMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advancements in biotechnology resulted in rapid adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops in the agriculture systems. At the same time, transgene escape has also been reported and examples reveal global dimension of the problem. Pollen mediated gene flow (PMGF) is the major pathway for transgene escape. Almost all transgenes have been escaped into their Non-GM counterpart and wild relatives. Although gene flow varies between species, crops, and ecological zones/environments but intraspecific gene flow (> 10%) is not uncommon in adjacent populations. Whereas in outcrossing species, 1% gene flow at thousand meters’ isolation is not unusual, and magnitude is even higher than the mutation rate. It is well documented that transgene flow is deteriorating different production systems in agriculture and famers choice to cultivate GM, conventional and organic crops. If comprehensive policy is not implemented, then in future it will be difficult to detect and remove transgenes from the environment; if unexpected problems arise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Phoenix dactylifera L. has a diverse set of pharmacological properties due to its distinct phytochemical profile. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anticancer potential of Phoenix dactylifera seed extract (PDSE) in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells, as well as liver cancer HepG2 cells, and to investigate the anticancer efficacy in triple-negative MDA-MB-231 cells, followed by in silico validation of the molecular interaction between active components of PDSE and caspase-3, an apoptosis executioner protein . Methods In this study, human cancer cell lines were cultured and subsequently treated with 10 to 100 μg/mL of PDSE. MTT test was performed to determine the cell viability, MMP was measured using fluorescent probe JC-1, nuclear condensation was determined by Hoechst 33258 dye, Annexin V-FITC & PI staining and cell cycle analysis were evaluated through flow cytometer, and apoptotic markers were detected using western blotting. The bioactive agents in PDSE were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The binding affinity was validated using molecular docking tools AutoDock Vina and iGEMDOCK v2.1. Results Cell viability data indicated that PDSE inhibited cell proliferation in both breast cancer cells and liver cancer cells. MDA-MB-231 cells showed maximum growth inhibition with an IC50 value of 85.86 μg/mL for PDSE. However, PDSE did not show any significant toxicity against the normal Vero cell line. PDSE induced MMP loss and formation of apoptotic bodies, enhanced late apoptosis at high doses and arrested cells in the S phase of cell cycle. PDSE activated the enzymatic activity of cleaved caspase-3 and caused the cleavage of poly-ADB ribose polymerase (PARP) protein. PDSE upregulated pro-apoptotic Bax protein markedly but no significant effect on tumor suppressor protein p53, while it downregulated the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein expression. HPLC analysis showed the presence of rutin and quercetin bioactive flavonols in ethanolic extract of PDS. Interestingly, both active components revealed a strong binding interaction with amino acid residues of caspase-3 (PDB ID: 2XYP; Hetero 4-mer - A2B2) protein. Conclusion PDS could serve as a potential medicinal source for apoptotic cell death in human breast cancer cells and, thus, could be used as a promising and crucial candidate in anticancer drug development. This study warrants further in vivo research, followed by clinical investigation.

The meiosis-specific LINC complex, composed of the KASH5 and SUN1 proteins, tethers the moving chromosomes to the nuclear envelope to facilitate homolog pairing and is essential for gametogenesis. Here, we applied whole-exome sequencing for a consanguineous family with five siblings suffering from reproductive failure, and identified a homozygous frameshift mutation in KASH5 (c.1270_1273del, p.Arg424Thrfs*20). This mutation leads to the absence of KASH5 protein expression in testes and non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) due to meiotic arrest before the pachytene stage in the affected brother. The four sisters displayed diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), with one sister never being pregnant but still having dominant follicle at 35 years old and three sisters suffering from at least 3 miscarriages occurring within the third month of gestation. The truncated KASH5 mutant protein, when expressed in cultured cells, displays a similar localization encircling the nucleus and a weakened interaction with SUN1, as compared with the full-length KASH5 proteins, which provides a potential explanation for the phenotypes in the affected females. This study reported sexual dimorphism for influence of the KASH5 mutation on human germ cell development, and extends the clinical manifestations associated with KASH5 mutations, providing genetic basis for the molecular diagnosis of NOA, DOR, and recurrent miscarriage.

The field performance of a newly developed novel smart variable-rate sprayer was evaluated. The sprayer uses convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for target detection and spot-applications of agrochemicals within potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) fields attacked by lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album L.) and corn spurry (Spergula arvensis L.) weeds and the early blight potato disease caused by Alternaria solani Sorauer. There was a non-significant effect of treatment conditions (i.e., cloudy, partly cloudy, and sunny) on spray volume during weed and diseased plant detection experiments (p-value = 0.93 and 0.75, respectively) showing that the smart sprayer performed well during all treatment conditions. There was a significant effect of spraying application techniques on the use of spray volume (p-value ≤ 0.05) reflecting a significant saving of spraying liquid during variable-rate application (VA). On average, the sprayer reduced spray volume by 47 and 51% for weeds and diseased plant detection experiments as compared to the values of chemicals applied at constant-rate application (CA), respectively, under all treatment conditions. The analysis of water-sensitive papers (WSP) data resulted in non-significant differences between CA and VA under all field conditions. These results suggest that this sprayer has a great potential to get a suitable spot application of agrochemicals and reduce the use of plant protection products thereby ensuring farm profits and environmental stewardship.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of Amlodipine with Captopril in the management of patients presenting to the emergency department with uncontrolled blood pressure. Study Design: Comparative prospective study. Place and Duration of Study: Emergency Department, Combined Military Hospital, Malir Pakistan, from Jul to Dec 2021. Methodology: A total of 127 individuals presenting to the Emergency Department with two readings of uncontrolled blood pressure (Systolic blood pressure ≥ 160mmHg and Diastolic blood pressure ≥90mmHg) were included. They were administered a tablet of Captopril 12.5mg per oral and a tablet of Amlodipine 10mg per oral on the turn by turn basis. Patients were observed for 3 hours and monitored for the reduction in blood. The efficacy of medication was judged based on the ability to achieve target blood pressure reduction, which was at least a 20-30% reduction in systolic blood pressure. Results: Out of 127 individuals, 65(51.2%) patients were given a tablet of Captopril 12.5mg orally, and 62(48.8%) were given a tablet of Amlodipine 10mg orally. The mean reduction in systolic blood pressure was 20.73±5.17 in all patients. In addition,target blood pressure reduction was achieved in 35(53.8%) individuals of the Captopril-Group and 33(53.2%) of the Amlodipine-Group, with a total of 68(53.5%) individuals achieving target blood pressure within 3 hours after medication. Conclusion: Both medications were efficient in achieving target blood pressure levels. However, no drug was superior to another in reducing blood pressure in an emergency.

Although, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZRTs) as an anti-cancer agent have been the subject of numerous studies, none of the reports has investigated the impact of the reaction entry time of ion-carriers on the preparation of ZRTs. Therefore, we synthesized variants of ZRTs by extending the entry time of NaOH (that acts as a carrier of hydroxyl ions) in the reaction mixture. The anti-proliferative action, morphological changes, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and nuclear apoptosis of ZRTs on human A431 skin carcinoma cells were observed. The samples revealed crystallinity and purity by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of ZRT-1 (5 min ion carrier entry) and ZRT-2 (10 min ion carrier entry) revealed microtubule like morphology. On prolonging the entry time for ion carrier (NaOH) introduction in the reaction mixture, a relative ascent in the aspect ratio was seen. The typical ZnO band with a slight shift in the absorption maxima was evident with UV-visible spectroscopy. Both ZRT-1 and ZRT-2 exhibited non-toxic behavior as evident by RBC lysis assay. Additionally, ZRT-2 showed better anti-cancer potential against A431 cells as seen by MTT assay, ROS generation and chromatin condensation analyses. At 25 μM of ZRT-2, 5.56% cells were viable in MTT test, ROS production was enhanced to 166.71%, while 33.0% of apoptotic cells were observed. The IC50 for ZRT-2 was slightly lower (6 μM) than that for ZRT-1 (8 μM) against A431 cells. In conclusion, this paper presents a modest, economical procedure to generate ZRT nano-structures exhibiting strong cytotoxicity against the A431 cell line, indicating that ZRTs may have application in combating cancer.

Introduction In Saudi Arabia, the epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is not well studied and is marked by inconsistencies in clinical diagnosis. Therefore, in this study, we explored the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and diagnostic validity of a prediction score based upon disease markers in orthropedic clinics’ patients in the Madinah region of Saudi Arabia. Method The clinical data for this retrospective cross-sectional study were retrieved from the database registry of orthopedic clinics in selected hospitals of the Medinah province of Saudi Arabia. Sociodemographic features, disease markers and the clinical characteristics were collected for a period of 6 months, from December 1, 2020, to May 31, 2021. The prediction score was generated from the sum of disease markers, coded as dichotomous variables. Results The total sample size of our study was 401. The prevalence of RA in the study subjects (n = 401) was 14.46% (n = 58). Among RA patients, the majority were females (60.3%). Painful joints (69%) and swollen joints (51.7%) were the most common clinical complaints among RA patients. RA patients suffered from arthritis (51.7%) and experienced fatigue (46.6%), weight loss (44.8%), and loss of appetite (41.4%). Diabetes (55.2%) was the most common comorbidity in the RA patients. The sensitivity and specificity of the prediction score at the criterion score of 2.5 were 67.3% and 63.0%, respectively. The area under the curve was 0.69 (95% CI [0.62–0.76]). Conclusion There was a moderately high prevalence of RA in patients visiting the orthropedic clinics of the selected hospitals of Madinah region of Saudi Arabia. The diagnostic validity of the prediction score, though promising, was slightly lower than the acceptable range.

Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is a severe factor of male infertility; it affects approximately 1% of the global male population and accounts for 40% of male infertility cases. However, the majority of NOA cases remain idiopathic. This is the first study using whole-exome sequencing (WES) to identify a novel missense mutation in the DND1 gene (c.212A>C, p. E71A) from a Pakistani family, that includes three males with NOA. This mutation is predicted to cause DND1 protein misfolding and weaken the DND1 interaction with NANOS2, a significant regulator in primordial germ cell development. Our study identified a DND1 pathogenic mutation in NOA patients and highlighted its critical role in male fertility in humans.

Objective: To compare the first 30-day outcomes of Trans-peritoneal and Extra-peritoneal Radical cysto-prostatectomy. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Urology, Rawalpindi, from Mar 2015 to Mar 2019. Methodology: A total of 100 patients who underwent Radical cystoprostatectomy were observed in two groups either by extra or trans-peritoneal approach. Patients diagnosed with carcinoma urinary bladder (both muscle and non-muscle invasive) vetted through multidisciplinary meeting, with or without neo-adjuvant chemotherapy were included. Patients undergoing salvage cystectomy or any previous open abdomino-pelvic surgery were excluded. The standard techniques were used for both approaches. Variables under study were recorded for first 30-day-followup period. Results: The mean age was 59.9 ± 7.231 years (range=34-80). In extra-peritoneal group the mean duration of surgery was 5.6 ± 1.16 hours comparing to 7.2 ± 1.34 hours in the trans-peritoneal group. Statistically significant trend was also noted in the favour of extra-peritoneal group for stay in Intensive care in post-operative period (3.00 ± 1.19 days/4.77 ± 1.20, p

Objective: To determine the effect of paired formative assessment on students’ learning. Study Design: Quasi experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Islamic International Medical College Rawalpindi, from Jan 2018 to Jun 2018. Methodology: A total of 160 students who attended otolaryngology module were included in the study. Randomized allocation was done by computerized software programme and students were divided into 2 groups i.e. experimental (group A) and control group (group B). Later on in group A, pairing of students was done by lottery method. Group A and B were dealt with paired and individual formative assessment respectively. Effectiveness of both methods of learning was calculated on the basis of academic scores obtained in tests consisting of 20 MCQs from predefined and taught syllabus. A p-value were obtained by applying independent sample t-test and considered statistically significant at 0.05. Results: Out of 160 participants, 94 (58.7%) were females and 66 (41.3%) were males. In individual testing phase mean scores of group A was 13.36 ± 2.22 and mean scores of group B was 13.24 ± 2.5 (p 0.861). In paired formative assessment phase, mean scores of group A was 16.70 ± 1.94 (CI 95% 2.16-4.55) and mean of scores of group B was 13.40 ± 2.23 (CI 95% 2.16-4.55) p=0.001. Conclusion: The effectiveness of paired formative assessment. This method provides students a conducive environment to achieve learning objectives.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the most prevalent form of dementia. The generation of oxygen free radicals and oxidative damage is believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of AD. It has been suggested that date palm, a plant rich in phenolic compounds and flavonoids, can provide an alternative treatment to fight memory loss and cognitive dysfunction due to its potent antioxidant activity. Thus, we studied the effect of flavonoids present in date palm on Aβ1−40 amyloid formation using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. AutoDock. Myricetin was used as a positive control drug. The flavonoids Diosmetin, Luteolin, and Rutin were found to be potent inhibitors of aggregation (docking energies ≤ −8.05 kcal mol−1) targeting Aβ1−40 fibrils (both 2LMO and 6TI5), simultaneously. Further screening by physicochemical properties and drug-likeness analysis suggested that all flavonoids except Rutin followed Lipinski's rule of five. Rutin was, thus, taken as a negative control (due to its violation of Lipinski's rule) to compare its dynamics with Diosmetin. Diosmetin exhibited the highest positive scores for drug likeness. Since Luteolin exhibited moderate drug-likeness and better absorption properties, it was also included in molecular dynamics simulation. Molecular dynamics of shortlisted compounds (Rutin, Diosmetin, and Luteolin) were performed for 200 ns, and the results were analyzed by monitoring root mean square deviations (RMSD), root mean square fluctuation (RMSF) analysis, the radius of gyration (Rg), and solvent accessible surface area (SASA). The results proved the formation of a stable protein-compound complex. Based on binding energies and non-bonded interactions, Rutin and Luteolin emerged as better lead molecules than Diosmetin. However, high MW (610.5), lowest absorption rate (16.04%), and more than one violation of Lipinski's rule make Rutin a less likely candidate as an anti-amyloidogenic agent. Moreover, among non-violators of Lipinski's rule, Diosmetin exhibited a greater absorption rate than Luteolin as well as the highest positive scores for drug-likeness. Thus, we can conclude that Diosmetin and Luteolin may serve as a scaffold for the design of better inhibitors with higher affinities toward the target proteins. However, these results warrant in-vitro and in-vivo validation before practical use.

Background: The emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 throughout the world has created an enormous socioeconomic impact. Although there are several promising drug candidates in clinical trials, none is available clinically. Thus, the drug repurposing approach may help to overcome the current pandemic. Methods: The main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for cleaving nascent polypeptide chains. Here, FDA-approved antiviral and anti-infection drugs were screened by high-throughput virtual screening (HTVS) followed by re-docking with standard-precision (SP) and extra-precision (XP) molecular docking. The most potent drug's binding was further validated by free energy calculations (Prime/MM-GBSA) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Results: Out of 1397 potential drugs, 157 showed considerable affinity toward Mpro. After HTVS, SP, and XP molecular docking, four high-affinity lead drugs (Iodixanol, Amikacin, Troxerutin, and Rutin) with docking energies −10.629 to −11.776 kcal/mol range were identified. Among them, Amikacin exhibited the lowest Prime/MM-GBSA energy (−73.800 kcal/mol). It led us to evaluate other aminoglycosides (Neomycin, Paramomycin, Gentamycin, Streptomycin, and Tobramycin) against Mpro. All aminoglycosides were bound to the substrate-binding site of Mpro and interacted with crucial residues. Altogether, Amikacin was found to be the most potent inhibitor of Mpro. MD simulations of the Amikacin-Mpro complex suggested the formation of a complex stabilized by hydrogen bonds, salt bridges, and van der Waals interactions. Conclusion: Aminoglycosides may serve as a scaffold to design potent drug molecules against COVID-19. However, further validation by in vitro and in vivo studies is required before using aminoglycosides as an anti-COVID-19 agent.

Objective: To assess the safety and oncological outcomes of Open Partial Nephrectomy in management of small renal tumours. Study Design: Case series. Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Urology, Rawalpindi, from Jan 2015 to Dec 2018. Methodology: We prospectively studied 61 patients with renal tumours either observed on computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) having size ≤7cm and underwent open partial nephrectomy. The collected data included demographics, dimension of tumour, indication for surgery, cold ischemia time, hospital stay, complications and histopathological finding including involvement of margins. Patients were followed up for atleast 2 years. Results: Among 61, 39 patients were male and 22 females. The age of patients ranged from 20-72 years. Mean cold ischaemia time was 24.7 ± 6.37 minutes. Except for 2 patients with Von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) disease, all other patients had solitary renal growth. Nine (14.75%) patients had solitary kidney. The mean of maximum dimension of tumours was 3.84 ± 1.38 cm and mean hospital stay was 3.18 ± 2.19 days. Histopathological results showed 34 tumours to be conventional renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (55.73%) followed by 12 papillary renal cell carcinoma (19.67%). Two (3.27%) patients had positive surgical margin who were operated for >5 cm tumours and later managed expectantly. Twenty one patients had Grade I and II complications while 2 patients were stented post operatively for urine leak. At 2 years follow up there was no recurrence of tumour in any of the patient operated. Conclusion: Open ..........

Objective: To assess morbidity and success of transabdominal (O’Conor) repair of vesicovaginal fistula with or without interposition of flap between vagina and urinary bladder. Study Design: Prospective comparative study. Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Urology, Rawalpindi, from Mar 2016 to Jan 2019. Methodology: Fifty five patients were randomized into group A & B by lottery method. An inclusion criterion was single fistulous opening of ≤3cm. Complex and recurrent fistulae were excluded. Patients in group A underwent O’Conor repair without interpositional flap while in group B vesicovaginal fistulae were repaired with flap interposition. Results: Twenty two patients were randomized in group A while 27 in group B. Mean age of patients was 41.65 ± 11.93 years. Gynecological and obstetrical surgery was the main cause of fistula. Mean duration of surgery was 162.7 ± 18.49 minutes. Per-operative ureteric catheterization was done in 9 (16.8%) patients. Seventeen (30.6%) patients had paralytic ileus. There was transient fever in 4 (7.6%) of cases and wound infection was seen in 3 (5.8%) of patients. Mean hospital stay was 3.4 ± 2.3 days. Cystogram was done in 35 (64.5%) of patients before the removal of per-urethral catheter. The overall success rate was 92.9%. Ten (18.2%) of patients developed denovo urgency which was managed conservatively. There was no statistical difference in both groups in terms of morbidity and success. Conclusion: In simple Vesico-vaginal fistulae repair, interposition of flap can be omitted and it does not affect the outcomes in terms of success and morbidity.

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Objective: To review the outcomes of a consecutive cohort of 1000 patients with renal stones managed with mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy at our institute. Study Design: Prospective observational study. Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Urology Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from Jan 2016 to Dec 2018. Methodology: Surgery was carried out under general anesthesia in prone position. Access was made by single step dilatation by 14-17 French sheath, pneumatic lithoclast was used for stone disintegration and fragments removed. Foley and ureteric catheters were removed following morning of surgery after confirming stone clearance on plain X-Ray kidney ureter and bladder. Results: Mean stone size was 3.1 ± 2.1cm (2-6). Upper pole access was utilized in 398 (39.8%) while lower pole in 587 (58.7%) cases. Mean operative time was 67 ± 15.4 minutes (45-120) while the mean hospital stay was 22 ± 13.2 hours (20-120). A complete clearance rate of 93.3% was achieved as assessed by plain X-Ray kidney ureter & bladder. Residual stones were treated with either shock wave lithotripsy or redo mini-Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy. 910 (91%) of patients were discharged within 24 hours of surgery. Conclusion: Mini Percutaneous nephrolithotomy was found as a safe and feasible alternative contemporary established technique for treatment of nephrolithiasis which can be offered as a day case surgery except for complete staghorn calculi.

Water Resources availability is very important to social and economic well-being of the people and has huge impacts on the socio-economic scenarios of a country. Precipitation and snow cover area assessment is some of the major inputs in hydrologic modelling and also for assessing and managing water resources in a basin. The change in the water availability in a basin has huge socio-economic impacts because of the water usage for food production, industries, and many others. The main aim of this study was to measure the snow cover area and precipitation from 2001 to 2015 in the Kabul basin. Moderate Resolution Image Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Tropical Rainfall measuring Mission (TRMM) data were used to study snow cover area and precipitation respectively during 2001-2015. 8-day snow cover product for 15 years (January) was used to analyse the snow cover while monthly data of TRMM (3B43) were used to analyse the rainfall from 2001-2015. Different image processing techniques were applied on the data retrieved using GIS and Remote Sensing softwares. Initially, SCA was seen increasing, but during the last 3-4 years, it kept decreasing gradually. Rainfall was initially recorded as low, while later on, it was recorded high and reached the highest during 2010.

Bioplastics, synthesized by several microbes, accumulates inside cells under stress conditions as a storage material. Several microbial enzymes play a crucial role in their degradation. This research was carried to test the biodegradability of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) utilizing PHB depolymerase, produced by bacteria isolated from sewage waste soil samples. Potent PHB degrader was screened based on the highest zone of hydrolysis followed by PHB depolymerase activity. Soil burial method was employed to check their degradation ability at different incubation periods of 15, 30, and 45 days at 37±2°C, pH 7.0 at 60% moisture with 1% microbial inoculum of Aeromonas caviae Kuk1-(34) (MN414252). Without optimized conditions, 85.76% of the total weight of the PHB film was degraded after 45 days. This degradation was confirmed with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. The presence of bacterial colonies on the surface of the degraded film, along with crest, holes, surface erosion, and roughness, were visible. Media optimization was carried out in statistical mode using Plackett Burman (PB) and Central Composite Design (CCD) of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) by considering ten different factors. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Pareto chart, response surface plots, and F-value of 3.82 implies that the above statistical model was significant. The best production of PHB depolymerase enzyme (14.98 U/mL) was observed when strain Kuk1-(34) was grown in a media containing 0.1% PHB, K2HPO4 (1.6 gm/L) at 27 ℃ for seven days. Exploiting these statistically optimized conditions, the culture was found to be a suitable candidate for the management of solid waste, where 94.4% of the total weight of the PHB film was degraded after 45 days of incubation.

Therapeutics, based on small interfering RNA (siRNA), have demonstrated tremendous potential for treating cancer. However, issues such as non-specific targeting, premature degradation, and the intrinsic toxicity of the siRNA, have to be solved before they are ready for use in translational medicines. To address these challenges, nanotechnology-based tools might help to shield siRNA and ensure its specific delivery to the target site. Besides playing a crucial role in prostaglandin synthesis, the cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme has been reported to mediate carcinogenesis in various types of cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We encapsulated COX-2-specific siRNA in Bacillus subtilis membrane lipid-based liposomes (subtilosomes) and evaluated their potential in the treatment of diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma. Our findings suggested that the subtilosome-based formulation was stable, releasing COX-2 siRNA in a sustained manner, and has the potential to abruptly release encapsulated material at acidic pH. The fusogenic property of subtilosomes was revealed by FRET, fluorescence dequenching, content-mixing assay, etc. The subtilosome-based siRNA formulation was successful in inhibiting TNF-α expression in the experimental animals. The apoptosis study indicated that the subtilosomized siRNA inhibits DEN-induced carcinogenesis more effectively than free siRNA. The as-developed formulation also suppressed COX-2 expression, which in turn up-regulated the expression of wild-type p53 and Bax on one hand and down-regulated Bcl-2 expression on the other. The survival data established the increased efficacy of subtilosome-encapsulated COX-2 siRNA against hepatocellular carcinoma.

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In spite of its high effectiveness in the treatment of both leishmaniasis as well as a range of fungal infections, the free form of the polyene antibiotic amphotericin B (AmB) does not entertain the status of the most preferred drug of choice in clinical settings. The high intrinsic toxicity of the principal drug could be considered the main impedance in the frequent medicinal use of this otherwise very effective antimicrobial agent. Taking into consideration this fact, the pharma industry has introduced many novel dosage forms of AmB to alleviate its toxicity issues. However, the limited production, high cost, requirement for a strict cold chain, and need for parenteral administration are some of the limitations that explicitly compel professionals to look for the development of an alternate dosage form of this important drug. Considering the fact that the nano-size dimensions of drug formulation play an important role in increasing the efficacy of the core drug, we employed a green method for the development of nano-assemblies of AmB (AmB-NA). The as-synthesized AmB-NA manifests desirable pharmacokinetics in the treated animals. The possible mechanistic insight suggested that as-synthesized AmB-NA induces necrosis-mediated cell death and severe mitochondrial dysfunction in L. donovani promastigotes by triggering depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential. In vivo studies demonstrate a noticeable decline in parasite burden in the spleen, liver, and bone marrow of the experimental BALB/c mice host. In addition to successfully suppressing the Leishmania donovani, the as-formed AmB-NA formulation also modulates the host immune system with predominant Th1 polarization, a key immune defender that facilitates the killing of the intracellular parasite.

Genetically modified organisms have become obligatory to adopt certain precautions to overcome the risks related to release of GMOs. Through this study, an attempt was made to evaluate bio-safety concerns of transgenic sugarcane with insect resistant gene, Cry1Ac. In short term feeding trial of 120 days, 20 broiler chicks divided into four random groups were caged separately. Group-I fed on commercial chicken diet; group-II fed on non-transgenic sugarcane diet; group-III fed on transgenic diet (commercial to transgenic ratio was 1:1) while group-IV was fed on high dose transgenic diet (commercial to transgenic ratio was 1:2). Body weights of chicks increased normally in all four groups during the course of study. Biochemical tests and molecular tests done on chick's blood reported no significant difference among assorted groups. At the termination of the experiment, chicks were slaughtered and dissected vital organs were used for histological studies. It was found that tissues belong to group 3 and 4 were morphologically and histological similar to group 1 and 2. Also, no mRNA expression was observed in total RNA isolated from chicken's tissues. These findings suggest that there was no deleterious or harmful effect of the GM sugarcane on the chick's health and no transgene fragment has transferred from GM crop to animal's blood neither in their vital tissues. Conclusively, it is suggested that at least in short-term period feeding trial, the genetically modified sugarcane doesn't not have adverse effect on animals feeding them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional gravimetric methods of estimating soil moisture content (θ) are laborious, time-consuming, and destructive to agricultural fields. We evaluated the performance of DualEM-II sensor in non-destructive way of θ prediction and for predicting θ variations within potato fields in Atlantic Canada. Values of θ were measured from four potato fields in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island using a pre-calibrated (R2 = 0.98) time domain reflectometry (TDR) from root zone of potato tubers under grid sampling arrangements. Horizontal co-planar (HCP) and perpendicular co-planar (PRP) readings were taken using DualEM-II sensor from the same locations of θ measurements. There was a better correlation between PRP and θ (r: 0.64-0.83) was calculated than between HCP and θ (r: 0.41-0.79). There was no significant difference (R2: 0.60-0.69; RMSE (root mean square error): 2.32-4.02) between the θ values measured with TDR (θM) and those predicted with DualEM-II (θP) confirming that the use of electromagnetic induction technique, evaluated during this study, is labor saving, quick, non-destructive, and accurate and can be considered a precision agriculture tool for efficiently managing soil water in potato fields.