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Salinity stress is one of the primary threats to agricultural crops resulting in impaired crop growth and development. Although cotton is considered as reasonably salt tolerant, it is sensitive to salt stress at some critical stages like germination, flowering, boll formation, resulting in reduced biomass and fiber production. The mechanism of partial ion exclusion (exclusion of Na + and/or Cl – ) in cotton appears to be responsible for the pattern of uptake and accumulation of harmful ions (Na + and Cl) in tissues of plants exposed to saline conditions. Maintaining high tissue K + /Na + and Ca 2+ /Na + ratios has been proposed as a key selection factor for salt tolerance in cotton. The key adaptation mechanism in cotton under salt stress is excessive sodium exclusion or compartmentation. Among the cultivated species of cotton, Egyptian cotton ( Gossypium barbadense L.) exhibit better salt tolerance with good fiber quality traits as compared to most cultivated cotton and it can be used to improve five quality traits and transfer salt tolerance into Upland or American cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) by interspecific introgression. Cotton genetic studies on salt tolerance revealed that the majority of growth, yield, and fiber traits are genetically determined, and controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Molecular markers linked to genes or QTLs affecting key traits have been identified, and they could be utilized as an indirect selection criterion to enhance breeding efficiency through marker-assisted selection (MAS). Transfer of genes for compatible solute, which are an important aspect of ion compartmentation, into salt-sensitive species is, theoretically, a simple strategy to improve tolerance. The expression of particular stress-related genes is involved in plant adaptation to environmental stressors. As a result, enhancing tolerance to salt stress can be achieved by marker assisted selection added with modern gene editing tools can boost the breeding strategies that defend and uphold the structure and function of cellular components. The intent of this review was to recapitulate the advancements in salt screening methods, tolerant germplasm sources and their inheritance, biochemical, morpho-physiological, and molecular characteristics, transgenic approaches, and QTLs for salt tolerance in cotton.

Cotton is a valuable crop for the textile industry yet, its production is significantly affected by Cotton Leaf Curl Disease (CLCuD), a major cotton constraint. The present study was conducted under field trials and glasshouse conditions to analyze the effect of CLCuD in cotton. Single plant progeny rows (SPPRs) of different cotton accessions were grown in the field. In the glasshouse, two sets of cotton plants were maintained in a controlled environment. One set was kept healthy, while the other was graft-inoculated with a Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (CLCuV) infected plant. After 90 days post-inoculation, SPPRs and grafted plants were screened for symptom development using a disease rating scale from 0 to 6. Estimation of antioxidants and metabolites revealed significant differences in CLCuD-resistant and susceptible varieties. Elevated levels of total phenolic content (TPC), tannins, total oxidant status (TOS), total soluble proteins (TSP), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were observed by CLCuD-susceptible genotypes in the field and glasshouse. In contrast, increased antioxidants for example, peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and, catalase (CAT) were observed in CLCuD- resistant varieties. Under field conditions, CLCuD-resistant varieties showed elevated antioxidant enzymes, with CAT, POD, and APX activities increasing by 32%, 3%, and 8% respectively, while superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity decreased by 25% compared to susceptible lines. Under glasshouse conditions, resistant genotypes showed stronger antioxidant responses than susceptible ones; for instance, POD and APX activities were ~ 62% and ~ 6% higher, respectively, while CAT and SOD increased by 15% and 3%. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the field experiment indicated that five key factors contributed to 80.26% of the variation observed among genotypes. Analysis of the glasshouse experiment explained 74.24% of the total cumulative variability. These factors were identified as the most influential in explaining differences in morphological and biochemical traits. In our study, genotypes Mac-07, T7-1-2, and T7-2-5, showed high chlorophyll a, lycopene, TPC, tannins, MDA, and antioxidant enzymes in the field. Under glasshouse conditions, their un-inoculated plants exhibited elevated level of chlorophyll a and b, total chlorophyll, lycopene, APX, SOD, CAT, and POD. Overall, Mac-07, T7-1-2, and T7-2-5 demonstrated superior performance against CLCuD across both conditions and can be considered strong candidates for future CLCuD-resistant cotton breeding programs.

Enhancing cotton yield and fiber quality is challenging due to the limited genetic variation, highlighting the need for efficient use of germplasm resources. Therefore, 10 morpho-physiological characters and 10 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used to investigate the genetic variability of 50 cotton genotypes. Principal component analysis and Mahalanobis’ generalized distance (D2) were applied to morpho-physiological data. Two principal components presented 53.83% of the cumulative variability in the raw data on biomass-related variables. Four different clusters were exposed by cluster analysis (D2): Cluster I included 20 genotypes, whereas clusters II, III, and IV had 6, 18, and 6 genotypes, respectively. Intra-cluster distances were highest in Cluster IV (222.79) and Cluster I (213.65), while Cluster III had the lowest (124.89), indicating greater genetic similarity. The largest inter-cluster distance was among Clusters II and IV (109.28), whereas the smallest was among Clusters II and III (20.67). A greater inter-cluster than intra-cluster distance suggests substantial genetic diversity among genotypes. Molecular-based explorations of genetic variability generated a matrix of similarity coefficients and grouped the accessions into two main clusters. Ten markers revealed polymorphism and produced a total of 35 clearly identifiable bands, with an average of 3.5 alleles per marker. In this study, the highest number of alleles (6) were amplified by DPL0009. Polymorphism Information Content values ranged from 0.076 to 0.731. Clustering based on molecular data classified the germplasm into three groups and measuring genetic distance through Euclidean distance while structure analysis revealed three gene-exchanging populations, representing a limited genetic basis in breeding programs. DNA clustering of upland cotton germplasm revealed genetic relationships independent of geographical origin, indicating its diversity and potential for use in hybridization schemes to develop superior F1 transgressive segregates or hybrids in subsequent generations.

Salt stress is the major risk to the seed germination and plant growth via affecting physiological and biochemical activities in plants. Zinc nanoparticles (ZnNPs) are emerged as a key agent in regulating the tolerance mechanism in plants under environmental stresses. However, the tolerance mechanisms which are regulated by ZnNPs in plants are still not fully understood. Therefore, the observation was planned to explore the role of ZnNPs ( applied as priming and foliar) in reducing the harmful influence of sodium chloride (NaCl) stress on the development of spinach ( Spinacia oleracea L.) plants. Varying concentrations of ZnNPs (0.1%, 0.2% & 0.3%) were employed to the spinach as seed priming and foliar, under control as well as salt stress environment. The alleviation of stress was observed in ZnNPs-applied spinach plants grown under salt stress, with a reduced rise in the concentration hydrogen peroxide, melondialdehyde and anthocyanin contents. A clear decline in soluble proteins, chlorophyll contents, ascorbic acid, sugars, and total phenolic contents was observed in stressed conditions. Exogenous ZnNPs suppressed the NaCl generated reduction in biochemical traits, and progress of spinach plants. However, ZnNPs spray at 0.3% followed by priming was the most prominent treatment in the accumulation of osmolytes and the production of antioxidant molecules in plants.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy worldwide; therefore, the development of new anticancer agents is essential for improved tumor control. By adopting the pharmacophore hybridization approach, two series of 7-hydroxyl-4-methylcoumarin hybridized with thiosemicarbazone (V–VI) and thiazolidin-4-one moieties (VII–VIII) were prepared. The in vitro anticancer activity was assessed against MCF-7 cells adopting the MTT assay. Nine compounds showed significant cytotoxicity. The most promising compound, VIIb, induced remarkable cytotoxicity (IC50 of 1.03 + 0.05 µM). Further investigations were conducted to explore its pro-apoptotic activity demonstrating S-phase cell cycle arrest. Apoptosis rates following VIIb treatment revealed a 5-fold and 100-fold increase in early and late apoptotic cells, correspondingly. Moreover, our results showed caspase-9 dependent apoptosis induction as manifested by an 8-fold increase in caspase-9 level following VIIb treatment. Mechanistically, VIIb was found to target the PI3K-α/Akt-1 axis, as evidenced by enzyme inhibition assay results reporting significant inhibition of examined enzymes. These findings were confirmed by Western blot results indicating the ability of VIIb to repress levels of Cyclin D1, p-PI3K, and p-Akt. Furthermore, docking studies showed that VIIb has a binding affinity with the PI3K binding site higher than the original ligands X6K. Our results suggest that VIIb has pharmacological potential as a promising anti-cancer compound by the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt axis.

Objective A pilot study using a pre-post interventional design, was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of a resilience-based training workshop on the self-efficacy and resilience of schoolteachers in a peri-urban area of Karachi, Pakistan. Four in person workshops were held at the school’s location during January to June 2022. Results A total of 14 teachers participated in the workshop. The effectiveness of interventions was evaluated by assessing self-efficacy and resilience in pre- and post-teaching modules. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test determined a significant difference between the pre- to post-module scores of Self Efficacy ( p  = 0.016) and resilience ( p  = 0.006). The pre-median scores with IQR of Self-Efficacy were 28 (10), and Resilience scores 76 (12); and post-scores for Self-Efficacy and Resilience scores increased to 35 (5.5) and 88 (14) respectively. This indicated significant improvement in general self-efficacy and resilience skills after four weeks of training. This pilot study showed that building knowledge regarding mental health struggles in students and oneself, learning ways to cope with stress and manage student behavior, and forming a peer support system are crucial in building self-efficacy and resilience in teachers.

ABSTRACT Objective: To compare different factors in patients harming themselves with serious methods with or without suicidal intent in patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Fauji Foundation Hospital Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Sep 2018 to Aug 2020. Methodology: All patients who were admitted to medical, surgical or psychiatry wards of the hospital after an episode of selfharm were included in the study. Detailed history and mental state examination were carried out on all the patients by a consultant psychiatrist or post-graduate trainee in psychiatry. Methods of self-harm were assessed in all the patients, and relevant socio-demographic factors were studied. Results: Out of 350 patients who were admitted with self-harm in the hospital during the study period and consented to be included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups for comparison: 189(54%) did not use any serious methods, while 161(46%) used serious methods and expressed an intent to end their lives. Cutting (80 patients, 22.8%) was the most common method of self-harm among patients included in the study, followed by overdose of prescribed medication (59 patients, 16.8%). The presence of major mental illness and substance use were found statistically significantly more in patients who used serious methods of self-harm and intent to end their lives (p-value<0.05). Conclusion: Cutting an overdose of prescribed medication emerged as the most common method of self-harm in our data set. A considerable number of patients harmed themselves with the intent to die and also used serious methods.

SCARB1 belongs to class B of Scavenger receptors (SRs) that are known to be involved in binding and endocytosis of various pathogens. SRs have emerging role in regulating innate immunity and host–pathogen interactions by acting in co-ordination with Toll-like receptors.Query Little is known about the function of SCARB1 in milk-derived mammary epithelial cells (MECs). This study reports the role of SCARB1 in infection and its potential association in TLR4 signaling on bacterial challenge in Goat mammary epithelial cells (GMECs). The novelty in the establishment of MEC culture lies in the method that aims to enhance the viability of the cells with intact characteristics upto a higher passage number. We represent MEC culture to be used as a potential infection model for deeper understanding of animal physiology especially around the mammary gland. On E.coli challenge the expression of SCARB1 was significant in induced GMECs at 6 h. Endoribonuclease-esiRNA based silencing of SCARB1 affects the expression of TLR4 and its pathways i.e. MyD88 and TRIF pathways on infection. Knockdown also affected the endocytosis of E.coli in GMECs demonstrating that  E.coli  uses SCARB1 function to gain entry in cells. Furthermore, we predict 3 unique protein structures of uncharacterized SCARB1 ( Capra hircus) protein. Overall, we highlight SCARB1 as a main participant in host defence and its function in antibacterial advances to check mammary gland infections. 77BMn9mgrsGEVLyNf1hg2w Video Abstract

Kinnow peel oil has been reported to possess antimicrobial and antioxidant activities due to presence of many bioactive compounds. Therefore, the experiments reported in this research paper aimed to investigate the shelf stability and antioxidant potential of Cheddar cheese coated with Kinnow peel oil at various concentrations (0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.6%). The physicochemical characteristics, microbial counts, antioxidant potential, and sensory acceptability of Cheddar cheese were evaluated during ripening (up to 9 months, 4°C). The titratable acidity (%), pH, moisture (%), fat (%), protein contents (%), and soluble nitrogen (SN, %) of Cheddar cheese investigated in the present study showed significant p < 0.05 variations among treatments during ripening. The maximum plate counts (8.36 Log cfu·g−1) were observed in control cheese (T0) ripened for 3 months whereas T3 (9 months ripened) showed the minimum counts (5.04 Log cfu·g−1) among all the treatments. The maximum (3.76 Log cfu·g−1) yeast and mold counts were observed in T0 cheese ripened for 9 month whereas the respective samples of T3 showed the lowest values (2.89 Log cfu·g−1) among all the treatments. The surfaces of Cheddar cheese coated with 0.6% Kinnow peel (T3) did not show any visible signs of yeast and molds. The maximum (366.56 mg GAE/100 g) total phenolic contents were observed in T3 ripened for 6 months. The maximum values (1995.02 mM TE/100 g) of DPPH radical scavenging activity were observed in T3 ripened for 6 months. Similarly, T3 obtained the highest sensory scores among all the treatments. Hence, it was concluded that Kinnow peel oil significantly improved antioxidant potential, sensory perception, and shelf stability of Cheddar cheese.

This study aims at the proposition of a novel strategy to classify the upper body silhouette of the male population into different shapes. Instead of using an existing measuring scheme based on linear evaluation of the body, we devise the use of angle-based anthropometric data to capture the exhibited curvature of the upper body. The objectives are attained by quantifying and employing the chest-waist (CW) angle and hip-waist (HW) angle in the instigation of a more appropriate classification of the upper body. A sample of 241 males aged 17–29 years was scanned through a 3D body scanner to gather the anthropometric data including chest girth, waist girth, and hip girth and their respective heights. In the next phase, the extracted information was used to calculate the angles. Based on the empirical realizations of the resulting indices, criteria defining the classifications of the body shape were determined. The operational environment is further enriched by considering varying levels of angular differences capable of offering more notable stratification of the upper male body shapes. It is realized that the angular difference of 10° between the CW and HW angles results in the more prominent classification of the upper male body. The proposed body classification technique classifies the sample of 241 males into three body shapes that are, straight (61%), hourglass (36.51%), and torch shape (2.48%). The classification scheme proposed in this study is a step toward achieving a high degree of customer satisfaction regarding clothing fit. It is a reference for coming research in body shape classification to achieve clothing fit in customized clothing.