Explore the vast range of titles available.

Deficiencies of essential vitamins, iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) affect over one-half of the world’s population. A significant progress has been made to control micronutrient deficiencies through supplementation, but new approaches are needed, especially to reach the rural poor. Agronomic biofortification of pulses with Zn, Fe, and boron (B) offers a pragmatic solution to combat hidden hunger instead of food fortification and supplementation. Moreover, it also has positive effects on crop production as well. Therefore, we conducted three separate field experiments for two consecutive years to evaluate the impact of soil and foliar application of the aforementioned nutrients on the yield and seed biofortification of mungbean. Soil application of Zn at 0, 4.125, 8.25, Fe at 0, 2.5, 5.0 and B at 0, 0.55, 1.1 kg ha−1 was done in the first, second and third experiment, respectively. Foliar application in these experiments was done at 0.3% Zn, 0.2% Fe and 0.1% B respectively one week after flowering initiation. Data revealed that soil-applied Zn, Fe and B at 8.25, 5.0 and 1.1 kg ha−1, respectively, enhanced the grain yield of mungbean; however, this increase in yield was statistically similar to that recorded with Zn, Fe and B at 4.125, 2.5 and 0.55 kg ha−1, respectively. Foliar application of these nutrients at flower initiation significantly enhanced the Zn contents by 28% and 31%, Fe contents by 80% and 78%, while B contents by 98% and 116% over control during 2019 and 2020, respectively. It was concluded from the results that soil application of Zn, Fe, and B enhanced the yield performance of mungbean; while significant improvements in seed Zn, Fe, and B contents were recorded with foliar application of these nutrients.

Soil degradation with different stress conditions like accumulation of cadmium (Cd) contents in soil and drought stress has become one of the most dangerous issues that obstruct the sustainable agriculture production. Silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) play beneficial roles in combating various biotic and abiotic stresses but their role under combined metal and drought stress is not studied. A pot study was designed to determine the effect of Si NPs on wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) growth and uptake of Cd grown in Cd contaminated soil with different water levels under ambient conditions. Four different levels of Si NPs (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) were applied in the soil before 1 week of wheat sowing and two water levels (70% and 35% soil water-holding capacity) were introduced after 50 days of seed sowing for the remaining growth period. The lowest biomass, yield, and photosynthesis were observed in the control plants while oxidative stress and the highest Cd concentrations in shoots, roots, and grains were observed in the control plants, and the drought stress further enhanced this effect on the plants. The Si NPs treatments improved the plant growth indicators and photosynthesis, and reduced the Cd concentrations in wheat tissues, especially in grains either without or with drought stress. The Si NPs reduced the oxidative stress in leaves as was indicated by the reduced production of hydrogen peroxide, electrolyte leakage, and malondialdehyde contents, and increase in superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities. The improvement in wheat growth and a reduction in oxidative stress and Cd concentration in tissues were dependent on the levels of Si NPs and the effect was the highest with the highest level of NPs used.

Plants coevolved with their antioxidant defense systems, which detoxify and adjust levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under multiple plant stresses. We performed whole-genome identification of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and catalase (CAT) families in cultivated and wild soybeans. In cultivated and wild soybean genomes, we identified 11 and 10 APX genes, respectively, whereas the numbers of identified CAT genes were four in each species. Comparative phylogenetic analysis revealed more homology among cultivated and wild soybeans relative to other legumes. Exon/intron structure, motif and synteny blocks are conserved in cultivated and wild species. According to the Ka/Ks value, purifying selection is a major force for evolution of these gene families in wild soybean; however, the APX gene family was evolved by both positive and purifying selection in cultivated soybean. Segmental duplication was a major factor involved in the expansion of APX and CAT genes. Expression patterns revealed that APX and CAT genes are differentially expressed across fourteen different soybean tissues under water deficit (WD), heat stress (HS) and combined drought plus heat stress (WD + HS). Altogether, the current study provides broad insights into these gene families in soybeans. Our results indicate that APX and CAT gene families modulate multiple stress response in soybeans.

Groundwater depletion is among the most critical hydrological threats to sustainable agriculture and water security in semi-arid regions. This study presents a high-resolution, multi-sensor assessment of groundwater storage (GWS) dynamics across the Lower Chenab Canal (LCC) command area in Punjab, Pakistan—an intensively irrigated agro-hydrological system within the Indus Basin. We integrated downscaled GRACE/GRACE-FO-derived total water storage anomalies with CHIRPS precipitation, MODIS evapotranspiration (ET) and vegetation indices, TerraClimate soil moisture, land surface temperature (LST), land use/land cover (LULC), and population density using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform to reconstruct spatiotemporal GWS changes from 2002 to 2020. The results reveal a persistent and accelerating decline in groundwater levels, averaging 0.52 m yr−1, which intensified to 0.73 m yr−1 after 2014. Cumulative GWS losses exceeded 320 mm yr−1, with severe depletion (up to −3800 mm) in northern districts such as Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, and Narowal. Validation with borewell data (R2 = 0.87; NSE = 0.85) confirms the reliability of the remote sensing estimates. Statistical analysis indicates that anthropogenic drivers (population growth, urban expansion, and intensive irrigation) explain over two-thirds of the observed variability (R2 = 0.67), whereas precipitation contributes only marginally (R2 = 0.28), underscoring the dominance of human-induced stress over climatic variability. The synergistic rise in evapotranspiration, land surface temperature, and cultivation of high-water-demand crops such as rice and sugarcane has further amplified hydrological imbalance. This study establishes an operational framework for integrating satellite and ground-based observations to monitor aquifer stress at basin scale and highlights the urgent need for adaptive, data-driven groundwater governance in the Indus Basin. The approach is transferable to other data-scarce semi-arid regions facing rapid aquifer depletion, aligning with the global targets of Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water sustainability.

In the original publication [...]

To determine health related quality of life (HRQOL) of medical students and its correlation with their academic performance. Cross sectional study at Services Institute of Medical Sciences, included students of 4 and final year MBBS, who filled SF-36 proforma of HRQOL. Scores of 8-domains and of physical component and mental component summary were determined. Marks in all professional examinations were used to stratify students as high performers (≥ 70% marks) and average performing students (< 70%). HRQOL scores was correlated with academic performance using unpaired student's -test. Among 267 students included, mental health score (56.2±21.3) was lower than physical health component score (69.03±18.5). Role limitation due to emotional health (RE) (44.81), Vitality (VT) (54.19) and general health perception (GH) (58.89) had lower scores among 8-domains of questionnaire. Female students had significantly lower scores in role limitation due to emotional problems (p value <0.04), vitality (<0.05), bodily pain (p value <0.05) and general health perception (p value<0.03) than male students. Physical health and role limitation due to physical health domains were better in high performing students. Mental health of medical students is suboptimal, especially among female students. Students with better physical health have better academic performance.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic complaint with numerous short- and long-term complications that harm a person’s physical and psychological health. Plumeria obtusa L. is a traditional medicine used in the treatment of diabetes to reduce complications related to behavior. Plumeria is a genus with antipsychotic activities. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a methanolic extract of Plumeria obtusa L. in the attenuation of diabetes, on symptoms of Alzheimer disease, and on other associated behavioral aspects. A single dose of alloxan was administered to an experimental group of rats to induce development of diabetes (150 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) and the rats were then administered selected doses of methanolic extract of Plumeria obtusa L. (Po.Cr) or glibenclamide (0.6 mg/kg) for 45 consecutive days. Behavioral effects were evaluated using three validated assays of anxiety-related behavior: the open field test, the light and dark test, and the elevated plus maze. Anti-depressant effects of Plumeria obtusa L. were evaluated using the forced swim test (FST) and memory and learning were assessed using the Morris water maze (MWM) task. Po.Cr was also evaluated for phytochemicals using total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and high-performance liquid chromatography assays, and antioxidant capability was assessed through assays of DPPH radical scavenging, total oxidation capacity, and total reducing capacity. In the alloxan-induced model of diabetes, the administration of Po.Cr and glibenclamide for 45 days produced a marked decrease ( p < 0.001) in hyperglycemia compared to control animals. Po.Cr treatment also resulted in improvement in indicators, such as body weight and lipid profile ( p < 0.05), as well as restoration of normal levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) ( p < 0.001), a biomarker of liver function. Diabetic rats presented more Alzheimer-like symptoms, with greater impairment of memory and learning, and increased anxiety and depression compared to non-diabetic normal rats, whereas treated diabetic rats showed significant improvements in memory and behavioral outcomes. These results demonstrate that Po.Cr reversed alloxan-induced hyperglycemia and ameliorated Alzheimer-related behavioral changes, which supports additional study and assessment of conventional use of the plant to treat diabetes and associated behavioral complications.

Objective: To determine student’s perception of bedside clinical teaching and to correlate it with their performance in assessment. Methods: This cross-sectional study of correlational survey was conducted at Services Institute of Medical Sciences in September 2019, involving students of final professional year who filled a proforma to rate their bedside teaching experience during clinical rotations using rating scale. Mean scores of items were determined with score < 3 reflecting dis-satisfaction. Mean scores were compared between high and low performing students using student’s t test. Results: Total of 160 students participated. Physical environment domain was assigned lowest scores by students (mean 2.94±0.74) followed by teaching task by teachers (3.04±0.72), group dynamics (3.16±0.81) and patient comfort and attitude towards patient (3.87±0.60). Teaching task by teacher had maximum stems with scores < 3 needing significant improvement. Students with low academic performance were more unsatisfied with group dynamics of bedside teaching (p value 0.009), especially lack of equal opportunities of participation for every member (p value <0.000) in clinical rotations. Conclusion: Small size group with adequate space for bedside training and faculty training can enhance learning experience of students. Ensuring active participation of each group member during bedside learning can improve academic performance of students. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.6.2120 How to cite this:Sarwar S, Aleem A, Nadeem MA. Bed side teaching: Student’s perception and its correlation with academic performance. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(6):1204-1209. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.6.2120 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The rising levels of CO2 and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are proving to be a significant concern for cotton crops globally, particularly in Pakistan. It is essential to create resilient cotton cultivars that can tolerate climatic change. However, identification of heat-tolerant and stable genotypes throughout the growing season is a challenging task due to environmental fluctuations. Moreover, due to quantitative nature of heat tolerance, the effect of the environment, and the presence of G × E interaction also pose sudden challenges for identifying heat-tolerant genotypes. In this study, AMMI and GGE biplot analyses were conducted to compare cotton genotypes grown under normal and heat-stress conditions in the field. A comprehensive two-year study assessed the effectiveness of fifteen cotton genotypes and four distinct planting dates. The study involved normal sowing (E1 & E3) and sowing under heat stress conditions (E2 & E4). This research aimed to gather insightful data on how these various factors affect cotton growth and yield. A combined analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilized to investigate the impact of environment (E), genotype (G), and their interaction (G × E) on cotton genotype yield. Results indicated that all three factors significantly affected cotton yield (P < 0.1%). Further analysis revealed that FH-504 and FH-496 are high-yielding genotypes with greater G × E for normal sowing (E1 and E3) as determined by AMMI and GGE biplots. In contrast, FH-452 was identified as the ideal genotype for heat-stress environment due to its high yield. However, it was also recognized as the least stable due to its high G × E. AMMI and GGE biplots identified FH-Supper Cotton as the best genotype with excellent stability. Overall, these studies provide important information about how to maximize cotton yield and performance under various environmental circumstances. Observations have revealed significant environmental variations in identifying special and general cultivation genotypes. These findings have determined that the E1 environment is most suitable for identifying genotypes with general adaptability, while the E2 environment is best for genotypes with particular adaptability to heat stress. Additionally, both the AMMI and GGE biplot results are consistent with each other.