1
|
Rahimi ST, Safari Z, Shahid S, Hayet Khan MM, Ali Z, Ziarh GF, Houmsi MR, Muhammad MKIB, Chung IM, Kim S, Yaseen ZM. Spatiotemporal changes in future precipitation of Afghanistan for shared socioeconomic pathways. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28433. [PMID: 38571592 PMCID: PMC10988002 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Global warming induces spatially heterogeneous changes in precipitation patterns, highlighting the need to assess these changes at regional scales. This assessment is particularly critical for Afghanistan, where agriculture serves as the primary livelihood for the population. New global climate model (GCM) simulations have recently been released for the recently established shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). This requires evaluating projected precipitation changes under these new scenarios and subsequent policy updates. This research employed six GCMs from the CMIP6 to project spatial and temporal precipitation changes across Afghanistan under all SSPs, including SSP1-1.9, SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5. The employed GCMs were bias-corrected using the Global Precipitation Climatological Center's (GPCC) monthly gridded precipitation data with a 1.0° spatial resolution. Subsequently, the climate change factor was calculated to assess precipitation changes for both the near future (2020-2059) and the distant future (2060-2099). The bias-corrected projections' multi-model ensemble (MME) revealed increased precipitation across most of Afghanistan for SSPs with higher emissions scenarios. The bias-corrected simulations showed a substantial increase in summer precipitation of around 50%, projected under SSP1-1.9 in the southwestern region, while a decline of over 50% is projected in the northwestern region until 2100. The annual precipitation in the northwest region was projected to increase up to 15% for SSP1-2.6. SSP2-4.5 showed a projected annual precipitation increase of around 20% in the southwestern and certain eastern regions in the far future. Furthermore, a substantial rise of approximately 50% in summer precipitation under SSP3-7.0 is expected in the central and western regions in the far future. However, it is crucial to note that the projected changes exhibit considerable uncertainty among different GCMs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sayed Tamim Rahimi
- Department of Civil Engineering, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Ziauddin Safari
- Department of Water and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, 81310, Malaysia
| | - Shamsuddin Shahid
- Department of Water and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, 81310, Malaysia
- New Era and Development in Civil Engineering Research Group, Scientific Research Center, Al-Ayen University, Thi-Qar, 64001, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Md Munir Hayet Khan
- Faculty of Engineering & Quantity Surveying, INTI International University (INTI-IU), Persiaran Perdana BBN, Putra Nilai, Nilai 71800, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Department of Water and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, 81310, Malaysia
| | | | - Mohamad Rajab Houmsi
- Department of Water and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, 81310, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Khairul Idlan bin Muhammad
- Department of Water and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, 81310, Malaysia
| | - Il-Moon Chung
- Department of Hydro Science and Engineering Research, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Goyang-si, 10223, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungwon Kim
- Department of Railroad Construction and Safety Engineering, Dongyang University, Yeongju, 36040, Republic of Korea
| | - Zaher Mundher Yaseen
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran, 31261, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jain D, Doctor JR, Samantaray A, Ali Z. Social media in anaesthesia education: Striking the right balance. Indian J Anaesth 2024; 68:317-319. [PMID: 38586270 PMCID: PMC10993949 DOI: 10.4103/ija.ija_232_24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Divya Jain
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Jeson R. Doctor
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain, Tata Memorial Hospital, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Aloka Samantaray
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Department of Anaesthesiology, SKIMS, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ren Y, Kaweesa EN, Henkin JM, Sydara K, Xayvue M, Pandey P, Chittiboyina AG, Ali Z, Ferreira D, Soejarto DD, Burdette JE, Kinghorn AD. Cytotoxic leuconoxine-type diazaspiroindole alkaloids isolated from Cryptolepis dubia. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2024; 101:129650. [PMID: 38341161 PMCID: PMC11034800 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2024.129650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Two leuconoxine-type diazaspiroindole alkaloids, the known compound, (+)-melodinine E (1), and its new analogue, (+)-11-chloromelodinine E (2), were isolated from the stems of Cryptolepis dubia (Burm.f.) M.R. Almeida (Apocynaceae), collected in Laos. The chemical structures of these compounds were determined by analysis of their spectroscopic data and by comparison of these data with literature values, of which the molecular structure of 1 has been determined previously by analysis of its single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 have been defined by their experimental and simulated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopic data and supported by 1H and 13C NMR-based DP4+ probability analysis and specific rotation calculations. When tested against a small panel of human cancer cell lines, these two compounds exhibited selective cytotoxicity toward OVCAR3 human ovarian cancer cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yulin Ren
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States
| | - Elizabeth N Kaweesa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Joshua M Henkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Kongmany Sydara
- Institute of Traditional Medicine, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao Democratic People's Republic
| | - Mouachanh Xayvue
- Institute of Traditional Medicine, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao Democratic People's Republic
| | - Pankaj Pandey
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, United States
| | - Amar G Chittiboyina
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, United States
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, United States
| | - Daneel Ferreira
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, United States; Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, United States
| | - Djaja D Soejarto
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States; Science and Education, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605, United States
| | - Joanna E Burdette
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - A Douglas Kinghorn
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Parveen K, Saddique MAB, Ali Z, Ur Rehman S, Zaib-Un-Nisa, Khan Z, Waqas M, Munir MZ, Hussain N, Muneer MA. Genome-wide analysis of Glutathione peroxidase (GPX) gene family in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under salinity stress. Gene 2024; 898:148088. [PMID: 38104951 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.148088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Chickpea is the second most widely grown legume in the world. Its cultivation is highly affected by saline soils. Salt stress damages its all growth stages from germination to maturity. It has a huge genetic diversity containing adaptation loci that can help produce salt-tolerant cultivars. The glutathione peroxidase (GPX) gene family plays an important role in regulating plant response to abiotic stimuli and protects cells from oxidative damage. In current research, the role of GPX genes is studied for inducing salt tolerance in chickpea. This study identifies the GPX gene family in Cicer arietinum. In response to the NaCl stress, the gene expression profiles of CaGPX3 were examined using real-time qRT-PCR. The results of phylogenetic analysis show that CaGPX genes have an evolutionary relationship with monocots, dicots, chlorophytes, and angiosperms. Gene structure analysis showed that CaGPX3, CaGPX4, and CaGPX5 have six, CaGPX2 has five, and CaGPX1 contains 9 exons. According to the Ka and Ks analysis chickpea has one pair of duplicated genes of GPX and the duplication was tandem with negative (purifying) selection Ka < Ks (<1). In-silico gene expression analysis revealed that CaGPX3 is a salt stress-responsive gene among all other five GPX members in chickpea. The qRT-PCR results showed that the CaGPX3 gene expression was co-ordinately regulated under salt stress conditions, confirming CaGPX3's key involvement in salt tolerance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kauser Parveen
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture Multan, Pakistan
| | | | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan; Programs and Projects Department, Islamic Organization for Food Security, Astana, Kazakhstan
| | - Shoaib Ur Rehman
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture Multan, Pakistan; SINO-PAK Joint Research Laboratory, Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture Multan, Pakistan.
| | - Zaib-Un-Nisa
- Cotton Research Institute, Multan, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Zulqurnain Khan
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture Multan, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Waqas
- Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Arid Zone Research Center, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Zeeshan Munir
- School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, 2199 Lishui Rd., Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Niaz Hussain
- Arid Zone Research Institute Bhakkar, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Atif Muneer
- International Magnesium Institute, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Elbermawi A, Zulfiqar F, Pandey P, Chittiboyina AG, Khan IA, Ali Z. Phytochemical profiling of Striga asiatica; characterisation and anti-microbial assessment of the isolates. Nat Prod Res 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38449104 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2024.2325588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
One undescribed compound, striasinol (1), and twelve previously described compounds were isolated from the aerial parts of Striga asiatica. Structure elucidation of isolated compounds was achieved by the interpretation of 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS data. The absolute configuration (1S,5S) of 1 was ascertained based on GIAO NMR calculations, DP4+ probability analysis, and a comparison of the experimental and calculated specific rotation values. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their antimalarial action, and none was found to be effective against the chloroquine-sensitive (D6) or chloroquine-resistant (W2) strains of Plasmodium falciparum. The isolates were found non-toxic to the Vero cell line as well. Subsequent testing of these metabolites for antimicrobial activities against various bacterial and fungal strains (up to 20 µg/mL), revealed that compounds 6 (chryseriol) and 7 (apigenin) showed a reasonable activity towards methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 1708 (MRSA), with IC50 values of 5.81 and 3.60 μg/mL, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Elbermawi
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of MS, University, MS, USA
| | - Fazila Zulfiqar
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of MS, University, MS, USA
| | - Pankaj Pandey
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of MS, University, MS, USA
| | - Amar G Chittiboyina
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of MS, University, MS, USA
| | - Ikhlas A Khan
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of MS, University, MS, USA
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of MS, University, MS, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Rahman A, Wadud MAH, Islam MJ, Kundu D, Bhuiyan TMAUH, Muhammad G, Ali Z. Internet of medical things and blockchain-enabled patient-centric agent through SDN for remote patient monitoring in 5G network. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5297. [PMID: 38438526 PMCID: PMC10912771 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55662-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in the use of internet resources for accessing medical care, resulting in the development and advancement of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). This technology utilizes a range of medical equipment and testing software to broadcast patient results over the internet, hence enabling the provision of remote healthcare services. Nevertheless, the preservation of privacy and security in the realm of online communication continues to provide a significant and pressing obstacle. Blockchain technology has shown the potential to mitigate security apprehensions across several sectors, such as the healthcare industry. Recent advancements in research have included intelligent agents in patient monitoring systems by integrating blockchain technology. However, the conventional network configuration of the agent and blockchain introduces a level of complexity. In order to address this disparity, we present a proposed architectural framework that combines software defined networking (SDN) with Blockchain technology. This framework is specially tailored for the purpose of facilitating remote patient monitoring systems within the context of a 5G environment. The architectural design contains a patient-centric agent (PCA) inside the SDN control plane for the purpose of managing user data on behalf of the patients. The appropriate handling of patient data is ensured by the PCA via the provision of essential instructions to the forwarding devices. The suggested model is assessed using hyperledger fabric on docker-engine, and its performance is compared to that of current models in fifth generation (5G) networks. The performance of our suggested model surpasses current methodologies, as shown by our extensive study including factors such as throughput, dependability, communication overhead, and packet error rate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anichur Rahman
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Tangail, Bangladesh.
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Constituent Institute of Dhaka University, National Institute of Textile Engineering and Research (NITER), Savar, Dhaka, 1350, Bangladesh.
| | - Md Anwar Hussen Wadud
- Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Jahidul Islam
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Green University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Dipanjali Kundu
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Constituent Institute of Dhaka University, National Institute of Textile Engineering and Research (NITER), Savar, Dhaka, 1350, Bangladesh
| | - T M Amir-Ul-Haque Bhuiyan
- Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Ghulam Muhammad
- Department of Computer Engineering, College of Computer and Information Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Xu Z, Pandey GK, Ali Z, Zhang D. Editorial: Molecular basis of stress resistant signal transduction in plants: a biotechnological intervention to develop climate-resilient crops. Front Plant Sci 2024; 15:1356520. [PMID: 38495371 PMCID: PMC10940911 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1356520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaolong Xu
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Agrobiology, The Jiangsu Provincial Infrastructure for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | | | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Dayong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Atif M, Husnain HU, Rehman AU, Younas U, Rafique T, Khalid W, Ali Z, Nadeem M. Enhancement in the dielectric and magnetic properties of Ni 2+-Cu 2+ co-doped BaFe 11Cu 1-xNi xO 19 hexaferrites (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0). RSC Adv 2024; 14:6883-6895. [PMID: 38410360 PMCID: PMC10895416 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra06684c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Herein, Ni2+-Cu2+ co-doped barium hexaferrites (BaFe11Cu1-xNixO19, 0.0 ≤ x≤ 1.0 with an interval of 0.25) were successfully synthesized using a co-precipitation method. The formation of a magnetoplumbite structure with the P63/mmc space group was confirmed by Rietveld refinement of the obtained X-ray diffraction patterns. Microstructural investigations revealed grains in the shape of hexagonal plates, while co-doping resulted in a variation in the grain sizes of the prepared samples. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was performed to determine the valence state of iron in the prepared hexaferrites. Impedance spectroscopy analysis revealed that dielectric permittivity initially decreased with an increase in the co-dopant content up to x = 0.5 and then increased by two orders of magnitude for x = 1.0. Alternatively, resistive properties showed microstructural resistance values in the range 105-108 Ω, with the highest value obtained for the sample with x = 0.5. Furthermore, magnetic measurements indicated that all the prepared samples exhibited ferrimagnetic behaviour. Saturation magnetization and magnetic anisotropy values were found to be the highest for the sample with x = 1.0, which also had the lowest coercivity among the prepared samples. Herein, the observed variations in the obtained results can be explained by the variations in grain sizes and the Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio associated with the preferential occupation of co-dopants at octahedral sites. Based on our findings, the BaFe11Ni1O19 (x = 1.0) composition appears to be the most promising choice as a microwave absorption material among the prepared samples owing to the coexistence of high dielectric permittivity (>103 at 107 Hz) and saturation magnetization (73 emu g-1).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Atif
- Functional Materials Lab, Department of Physics, Air University PAF Complex E-9 Islamabad Pakistan
| | - H Ul Husnain
- Functional Materials Lab, Department of Physics, Air University PAF Complex E-9 Islamabad Pakistan
| | - Atta Ur Rehman
- Functional Materials Lab, Department of Physics, Air University PAF Complex E-9 Islamabad Pakistan
- Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Hong Kong
| | - U Younas
- Functional Materials Lab, Department of Physics, Air University PAF Complex E-9 Islamabad Pakistan
| | - T Rafique
- Functional Materials Lab, Department of Physics, Air University PAF Complex E-9 Islamabad Pakistan
| | - W Khalid
- Functional Materials Lab, Department of Physics, Air University PAF Complex E-9 Islamabad Pakistan
| | - Z Ali
- Functional Materials Lab, Department of Physics, Air University PAF Complex E-9 Islamabad Pakistan
| | - M Nadeem
- Polymer Composite Group, Physics Division, Directorate of Science, PINSTECH P.O. Nilore Islamabad Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Raza ST, Feyissa A, Li R, Rene ER, Ali Z, Iqbal H, Sahito ZA, Chen Z. Emerging technology effects on combined agricultural and eco-vermicompost. J Environ Manage 2024; 352:120056. [PMID: 38219670 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
This study focused on the waste management of livestock manure and wetland plant residues and their increasing effect on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The benefits of nutrient-rich plants and manures are often overlooked. By conducting a soil column experiment with a fully factorial design, this work found that adding the vermicompost amendments of wetland plants [combination of Canna indica (CiV), Cyperus alternifollius (CaV), Acorus calamus (AcV), and Hydrocotyle vulgaris (HvV) vermicompost] to agricultural wastes affected maize growth throughout its growing season. The results demonstrated that the use of combined AcV and HvV wetland plant-based vermicompost as an organic fertilizer increased the plant total nitrogen (TN: 92% increase) and soil organic matter (SOM: 192% increase) compared with those in control CK. Meanwhile, the combination of CaV with HvV increased the shoot biomass by 3.4 and 4.6 folds compared with that in NPK and CK, respectively. Overall, a new approach for transforming ecological wastes into organic fertilizers was proposed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Syed Turab Raza
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion Prevention and Green Development, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China; Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Adugna Feyissa
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion Prevention and Green Development, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Rong Li
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion Prevention and Green Development, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Eldon R Rene
- Department of Water Supply, Sanitation and Environmental Engineering, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, P.o. Box 3015, 2601, DA, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Laboratory of Environmental Health & Wildlife, Department of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, 54590, Pakistan
| | - Hassan Iqbal
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Zulfiqar Ali Sahito
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, College of Environmental and Resources Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Zhe Chen
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion Prevention and Green Development, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Ammar A, Ali Z, Saddique MAB, Habib-Ur-Rahman M, Ali I. Upregulation of TaHSP90A transcripts enhances heat tolerance and increases grain yield in wheat under changing climate conditions. Funct Plant Biol 2024; 51:FP23275. [PMID: 38326233 DOI: 10.1071/fp23275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Plants have certain adaptation mechanisms to combat temperature extremes and fluctuations. The heat shock protein (HSP90A) plays a crucial role in plant defence mechanisms under heat stress. In silico analysis of the eight TaHSP90A transcripts showed diverse structural patterns in terms of intron/exons, domains, motifs and cis elements in the promoter region in wheat. These regions contained cis elements related to hormones, biotic and abiotic stress and development. To validate these findings, two contrasting wheat genotypes E-01 (thermo-tolerant) and SHP-52 (thermo-sensitive) were used to evaluate the expression pattern of three transcripts TraesCS2A02G033700.1, TraesCS5B02G258900.3 and TraesCS5D02G268000.2 in five different tissues at five different temperature regimes. Expression of TraesCS2A02G033700.1 was upregulated (2-fold) in flag leaf tissue after 1 and 4h of heat treatment in E-01. In contrast, SHP-52 showed downregulated expression after 1h of heat treatment. Additionally, it was shown that under heat stress, the increased expression of TaHSP90A led to an increase in grain production. As the molecular mechanism of genes involved in heat tolerance at the reproductive stage is mostly unknown, these results provide new insights into the role of TaHSP90A transcripts in developing phenotypic plasticity in wheat to develop heat-tolerant cultivars under the current changing climate scenario.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Ammar
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan 6000, Pakistan
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan 6000, Pakistan; and Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan; and Programs and Projects Department, Islamic Organization for Food Security, Astana 019900, Kazakhstan
| | | | | | - Imtiaz Ali
- Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Bahawalpur 63100. Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Saleem J, Zakar R, Butt MS, Aadil RM, Ali Z, Bukhari GMJ, Ishaq M, Fischer F. Application of the Boruta algorithm to assess the multidimensional determinants of malnutrition among children under five years living in southern Punjab, Pakistan. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:167. [PMID: 38216908 PMCID: PMC10787446 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-17701-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malnutrition causes nutrient deficiencies that have both physical and clinical consequences in severe acute malnutrition children. Globally, there were 47 million wasted children under the age of five in 2019. One in four were located in sub-Saharan Africa, with half being in South Asia. This study aims to apply the Boruta algorithm to identify the determinants of undernutrition among children under five living in Dera Ghazi Khan, one of the marginalized districts of densely populated Punjab Province in Pakistan. METHODS A multicenter cross-sectional study design was used to collect data from 185 children with severe acute malnutrition aged under five years visiting the OTPs centers located in Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, Pakistan. A purposive sampling technique was used to collect data using a pretested structured questionnaire from parents/caregivers regarding family sociodemographic characteristics, child nutrition, and biological and healthcare characteristics. Anthropometric measurements, including height, weight, and mid-upper arm circumference, were collected. The Boruta models were used to incorporate the children's anthropometric, nutritional, and household factors to determine the important predictive variables for undernutrition using the Boruta package in R studio. RESULTS This study included 185 children, with a mean age of 15.36 ± 10.23 months and an MUAC of 10.19 ± 0.96 cm. The Boruta analysis identifies age, mid-upper arm circumference, weaning practices, and immunization status as important predictors of undernutrition. Income per month, exclusive breastfeeding, and immunization status were found to be key factors of undernutrition in children under the age of five. CONCLUSION This study highlights age, mid-upper arm circumference, weaning practices, and immunization status as key determinants of weight-for-height and weight-for-age in children under five years. It also suggests that economic context may influence undernutrition. The findings can guide targeted strategies for combating undernutrition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javeria Saleem
- Department of Public Health, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Rubeena Zakar
- Department of Public Health, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Rana Muhammad Aadil
- National Institute of Food Sciences and Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- College of Statistical Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Muhammad Ishaq
- Department of Sociology, Institute of Social and Cultural Studies, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Florian Fischer
- Institute of Public Health, Charité- Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Chaudhary MT, Majeed S, Rana IA, Ali Z, Jia Y, Du X, Hinze L, Azhar MT. Impact of salinity stress on cotton and opportunities for improvement through conventional and biotechnological approaches. BMC Plant Biol 2024; 24:20. [PMID: 38166652 PMCID: PMC10759391 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-023-04558-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Excess salinity can affect the growth and development of all plants. Salinization jeopardizes agroecosystems, induces oxidative reactions in most cultivated plants and reduces biomass which affects crop yield. Some plants are affected more than others, depending upon their ability to endure the effects of salt stress. Cotton is moderately tolerant to salt stress among cultivated crops. The fundamental tenet of plant breeding is genetic heterogeneity in available germplasm for acquired characteristics. Variation for salinity tolerance enhancing parameters (morphological, physiological and biochemical) is a pre-requisite for the development of salt tolerant cotton germplasm followed by indirect selection or hybridization programs. There has been a limited success in the development of salt tolerant genotypes because this trait depends on several factors, and these factors as well as their interactions are not completely understood. However, advances in biochemical and molecular techniques have made it possible to explore the complexity of salt tolerance through transcriptomic profiling. The focus of this article is to discuss the issue of salt stress in crop plants, how it alters the physiology and morphology of the cotton crop, and breeding strategies for the development of salinity tolerance in cotton germplasm.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sajid Majeed
- Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department, Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Islamabad, 44090, Pakistan
| | - Iqrar Ahmad Rana
- Center of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology/Centre of Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan
| | - Yinhua Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Anyang, 455000, China
| | - Xiongming Du
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Anyang, 455000, China
| | - Lori Hinze
- US Department of Agriculture, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, College Station, TX, 77845, USA
| | - Muhammad Tehseen Azhar
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan.
- School of Agriculture Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Wang M, Lee J, Zhao J, Chatterjee S, Chittiboyina AG, Ali Z, Khan IA. Comprehensive quality assessment of peppermint oils and commercial products: An integrated approach involving conventional and chiral GC/MS coupled with chemometrics. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2024; 1232:123953. [PMID: 38101286 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2023.123953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Peppermint essential oil (EO) has a multitude of applications, such as a fragrance in cosmetics, personal care and industrial products, or as a flavoring ingredient in food and beverages. Despite its popularity and economic significance, peppermint EO is often adulterated to reduce production costs and to increase profits. Although the ISO standard for peppermint EO exists, detecting sophisticated forms of adulteration remains challenging.The current study used conventional and chiral GC/MS analysis of volatiles compounds, and chemometric techniques to evaluate an extensive set of authentic peppermint EO (n = 22) and commercial products (n = 36) purported to contain peppermint EO. Specifically, thirty-six terpenoids were examined in each sample and compared with the ISO standard. Fifty-three percent of the selected commercial products did not meet the ISO specifications and the ratio between menthone/isomenthone was proven to be a good indicator for authentication and adulteration detection. Chiral GC/MS was further employed to measure eight terpenoids: α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, menthol, menthone, isomenthone, pulegone, and menthyl acetate. The enantiomeric compositions of 27 commercial products were above or below the norm measured from authentic peppermint EOs. Of the 27 samples, eight met the ISO standard. A sample class prediction (SCP) model based on partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) of conventional GC/MS data was constructed using authentic peppermint EOs and cornmint EOs. The model can distinguish the most common types of peppermint EOs (US, India, and US/India blend) and cornmint EOs sold in the US market. After construction, the SCP model was then used to analyze commercial samples. One sample, which passed both ISO specification and chiral analysis, was identified as outlier by the SCP model. Overall, the applicability of combining both conventional and chiral GC/MS along with chemometric tools has been successfully demonstrated to address the overall quality of peppermint EOs in commerce and may help combat sophisticated adulteration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mei Wang
- Natural Products Utilization Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, University, MS 38677, United States.
| | - Joseph Lee
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, United States
| | - Jianping Zhao
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, United States
| | - Shamba Chatterjee
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, United States
| | - Amar G Chittiboyina
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, United States
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, United States
| | - Ikhlas A Khan
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, United States; Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Fattahian M, Ghanadian M, Zolfaghari B, Abdeyazdan S, Saberi S, Zulfiqar F, Khan IA, Ali Z. Phytochemical study of Seriphidium khorassanicum (syn. Artemisia khorassanica) aerial parts: sesquiterpene lactones with anti-protozoal activity. Nat Prod Res 2024; 38:16-27. [PMID: 35856479 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2022.2102630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Two new eudesmane-type sesquiterpene lactones, 1β,3α,8α-trihydroxy-11β,13-dihydroeudesma-4(15)-en-12,6α-olide (1) and 1β,4α,8α-trihydroxy-11β,13-dihydroeudesma-12,6α-olide (2), and an unprecedented elemane-type sesquiterpene lactone, 1β,2β,8α-trihydroxy-11β,13-dihydroelema-12,6α-olide (3) along with a known eudesmanolide artapshin (4) were isolated from Seriphidium khorassanicum. Structures were elucidated by NMR, HR-ESI-MS, and ECD spectral data analysis. The anti-protozoal activity was evaluated against Leishmania major promastigotes and amastigote-infected macrophages. They showed dose- and time-dependent activity against L. major amastigotes with IC50 values in the range of 4.9 to 25.3 μM being favourably far below their toxicity against normal murine macrophages with CC50 values ranging from 432.5 to 620.7 μM after 48 h of treatment. Compound 3 exhibited the strongest activity and the highest selectivity index (SI) with IC50 of 4.9 ± 0.6 μM and SI of 88.2 comparable with the standard drug, meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime), with IC50 and SI values of 15.5 ± 2.1 μM and 40.0, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Fattahian
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mustafa Ghanadian
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Shahid Beheshti Phytochemistry Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Behzad Zolfaghari
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Sara Abdeyazdan
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Sedigheh Saberi
- Department of Mycology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Fazila Zulfiqar
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, MS, USA
| | - Ikhlas A Khan
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, MS, USA
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, MS, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Liaqat S, Ali Z, Saddique MAB, Ikram RM, Ali I. Comparative transcript abundance of gibberellin oxidases genes in two barley ( Hordeum vulgare) genotypes with contrasting lodging resistance under different regimes of water deficit. Funct Plant Biol 2024; 51:FP23246. [PMID: 38252957 DOI: 10.1071/fp23246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Barley (Hordeum vulgare ) is the world's fourth most important cereal crop, and is particularly well adapted to harsh environments. However, lodging is a major productivity constraint causing 13-65% yield losses. Gibberellic acid (GA) homeostatic genes such as HvGA20ox, HvGA3ox and HvGA2ox are responsible for changes in plant phenotype for height and internodal length that contribute towards lodging resistance. This study explored the expression of different HvGAox transcripts in two contrasting barley genotypes (5-GSBON-18, lodging resistant; and 5-GSBON-70, lodging sensitive), which were sown both under controlled (hydroponic, completely randomised factorial design) and field conditions (split-plot, completely randomised block design) with two irrigation treatments (normal with three irrigation events; and water deficit with one irrigation event). In the hydroponic experiment, expression analysis was performed on seedlings at 0, ¾, 1½, 3 and 6h after application of treatment. In the field experiment, leaf, shoot nodes and internodes were sampled. Downregulation of HvGA20ox.1 transcript and 2-fold upregulation of HvGA2ox.2 transcript were observed in 5-GSBON-18 under water deficit conditions. This genotype also showed a significant reduction in plant height (18-20%), lodging (<10%), and increased grain yield (15-18%) under stress. Utilisation of these transcripts in barley breeding has the potential to reduce plant height, lodging and increased grain yield.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shoaib Liaqat
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan 60000, Pakistan
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan 60000, Pakistan; and Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan; and Programs and Projects Department, Islamic Organization for Food Security, Astana, Kazakhstan
| | | | - Rao Muhammad Ikram
- Department of Agronomy, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan 60000, Pakistan
| | - Imtiaz Ali
- Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Niaz R, Almazah MMA, Al-Rezami AY, Ali Z, Hussain I, Omer T. Proposing a new framework for analyzing the severity of meteorological drought. Geocarto International 2023; 38. [DOI: 10.1080/10106049.2023.2197512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rizwan Niaz
- Department of Statistics, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Mohammed M. A. Almazah
- Department of Mathematics, College of Sciences and Arts (Muhyil), King Khalid University, Muhyil, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Mathematics and Computer, College of Sciences, Ibb University, Ibb, Yemen
| | - A. Y. Al-Rezami
- Mathematics Department, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Statistics and Information, Sana’a University, Sana’a, Yemen
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- College of Statistical Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ijaz Hussain
- Department of Statistics, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Talha Omer
- Department of Economics, Finance and Statistics, JIBS, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Quach D, Lyons NB, Nguyen K, Olavarria OA, Bernardi K, Neela N, Dhanani NH, Jackson A, Ali Z, Liang MK. Natural history of occult hernias in adults at a safety-net hospital. Hernia 2023; 27:1467-1472. [PMID: 36795186 DOI: 10.1007/s10029-023-02754-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Occult hernias, hernias seen on radiologic imaging but not felt on physical exam, are common. Despite their high prevalence, little is known about the natural history of this finding. Our aim was to determine and report on the natural history of patients with occult hernias including the impact on abdominal wall quality of life (AW-QOL), need for surgery, and risk of acute incarceration/strangulation. METHODS This was a prospective cohort study of patients who underwent a computed tomography (CT) abdomen/pelvis scan from 2016 to 2018. Primary outcome was change in AW-QOL using the modified Activities Assessment Scale (mAAS), a hernia-specific, validated survey (1 = poor, 100 = perfect). Secondary outcomes included elective and emergent hernia repairs. RESULTS A total of 131 (65.8%) patients with occult hernias completed follow-up with a median (IQR) of 15.4 (22.5) months. Nearly half of these patients (42.8%) experienced a decrease in their AW-QOL, 26.0% were unchanged, and 31.3% reported improvement. One-fourth of patients (27.5%) underwent abdominal surgery during the study period: 9.9% were abdominal procedures without hernia repair, 16.0% involved elective hernia repairs, and 1.5% were emergent hernia repairs. AW-QOL improved for patients who underwent hernia repair (+ 11.2 ± 39.7, p = 0.043) while those who did not undergo hernia repair experienced no change in AW-QOL (- 3.0 ± 35.1). CONCLUSION When untreated, patients with occult hernias on average experience no change in their AW-QOL. However, many patients experience improvement in AW-QOL after hernia repair. Additionally, occult hernias have a small but real risk of incarceration requiring emergent repair. Further research is needed to develop tailored treatment strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Quach
- Department of Surgery, HCA Healthcare Kingwood, University of Houston, Kingwood, TX, USA
| | - N B Lyons
- Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1800 NW 10th Ave, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.
| | - K Nguyen
- Department of Surgery, HCA Healthcare Kingwood, University of Houston, Kingwood, TX, USA
| | - O A Olavarria
- Department of Surgery, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - K Bernardi
- Department of Surgery, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - N Neela
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - N H Dhanani
- Department of Surgery, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - A Jackson
- Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1800 NW 10th Ave, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Z Ali
- Department of Surgery, HCA Healthcare Kingwood, University of Houston, Kingwood, TX, USA
| | - M K Liang
- Department of Surgery, HCA Healthcare Kingwood, University of Houston, Kingwood, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Arif T, Chaudhary MT, Majeed S, Rana IA, Ali Z, Elansary HO, Moussa IM, Sun S, Azhar MT. Exploitation of various physio-morphological and biochemical traits for the identification of drought tolerant genotypes in cotton. BMC Plant Biol 2023; 23:508. [PMID: 37872477 PMCID: PMC10591375 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-023-04441-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drought is one of the limiting factors for quality and quantity of cotton lint in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Therefore, development of drought tolerant cotton genotypes have become indispensable. The identification of drought tolerant genotypes is pre-requisite to develop high yielding cultivars suitable for drought affected areas. METHODS Forty upland cotton accessions were selected on the basis of their adaptability and yield. The collected germplasm accessions were evaluated at seedling stage on the basis of morphological, physiological and biochemical parameters. The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions in greenhouse where these genotypes were sown under different levels of drought stress by following factorial under completely randomized design. The data were collected at seedling stages for root and shoot lengths, relative leaf water content, excised leaf water losses, peroxidase content and hydrogen peroxide concentrations in leaf tissues. RESULTS The biometrical analysis revealed that germplasm is significantly varied for recorded parameters, likewise interaction of genotypes and water stress was also significantly varied. The cotton germplasm was categorized in eight clusters based on response to water stress. The genotype Cyto-124 exhibited lowest H2O2 content under drought conditions, minimum excised leaf water loss under stress environment was exhibited by genotypes Ali Akber-802 and CEMB-33. Overall, on the basis of morphological and biochemical traits, SL-516 and Cyto-305 were found to be drought tolerant. Genotypes 1852 - 511, Stoneville 15-17 and Delta Pine-55 showed low values for root length, peroxidase activity and higher value for H2O2 contents. On the basis of these finding, these genotypes were declared as drought susceptible. CONCLUSION The categorization of cotton germplasm indicating the differential response of various parameters under the control and drought stress conditions. The recorded parameters particularly relative leaf water contents and biochemical assays could be utilized to screen large number of germplasm of cotton for water deficit conditions. Besides, the drought tolerant genotypes identified in this research can be utilized in cotton breeding programs for the development of improved cultivars.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tahreem Arif
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan
| | | | - Sajid Majeed
- Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department, Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Islamabad, 44090, Pakistan
| | - Iqrar Ahmad Rana
- Center of Advance Studies/Center of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan
| | - Hosam O Elansary
- Department of Plant Production, College of Food & Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ihab Mohamed Moussa
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sangmi Sun
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, 59626, Korea.
| | - Muhammad Tehseen Azhar
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan.
- School of Agriculture Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Udoy AI, Rahaman MA, Islam MJ, Rahman A, Ali Z, Muhammad G. 4SQR-Code: A 4-state QR code generation model for increasing data storing capacity in the Digital Twin framework. J Adv Res 2023:S2090-1232(23)00298-9. [PMID: 37858789 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2023.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The usage of Quick Response (QR) Codes has become widely popular in recent years, primarily for immense electronic transactions and industry uses. The structural flexibility of QR Code architecture opens many more possibilities for researchers in the domain of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). However, the limited storage capacity of the traditional QR Codes still fails to stretch the data capacity limits. The researchers of this domain have already introduced different kinds of techniques, including data hiding, multiplexing, data compression, color QR Codes, and so on. However, the research on increasing the data storage capacity of the QR Codes is very limited and still operational. OBJECTIVES The main objective of this work is to increase the data storage capacity of QR Codes in the IIoT domain. METHODS In the first part, we have introduced a 4-State-Pattern-based encoding technique to generate the proposed 4-State QR (4SQR) Code where actual data are encoded into a 4SQR Code image which increases the data storage capacity more than the traditional 2-State QR Code. The proposed 4SQR Code consists of four types of patterns, including Black Square Box (BSB), White Square Box (WSB), Triangle, and Circle, whereas the traditional 2-State QR Codes consist of BSB and WSB. In the second part, the 4SQR Code decoding module has been introduced using the adaptive YOLO V5 algorithm where the proposed 4SQR Code image is decoded into the actual data. RESULTS The proposed model is tested in a Digital Twin (DT) framework using randomly generated 3000 testing samples for the encoding module that converts into 4SQR Code images successfully and similarly for the decoding module that decodes the 4SQR Code images into the actual data. CONCLUSION Experimental results show that this proposed technique offers increased data storage capacity two times than traditional 2-State QR Codes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ababil Islam Udoy
- Department of CSE, Green University of Bangladesh, Purbachal American City, Kanchan, Rupganj, Narayanganj-1461, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Muhammad Aminur Rahaman
- Department of CSE, Green University of Bangladesh, Purbachal American City, Kanchan, Rupganj, Narayanganj-1461, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
| | - Md Jahidul Islam
- Department of CSE, Green University of Bangladesh, Purbachal American City, Kanchan, Rupganj, Narayanganj-1461, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Anichur Rahman
- Department of CSE, National Institute of Textile Engineering and Research (NITER), Constituent Institute of the University of Dhaka, Savar, Dhaka 1350, Bangladesh.
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex, United Kingdom
| | - Ghulam Muhammad
- Department of Computer Engineering, College of Computer and Information Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Elbermawi A, Zulfiqar F, Khan IA, Ali Z. Fatimanols Y and Z: two neo-clerodane diterpenoids from Teucrium yemense. RSC Adv 2023; 13:30264-30268. [PMID: 37868827 PMCID: PMC10587887 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra06083g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Teucrium yemense (Defl.), a medicinal plant, grows in Yemen and Saudi Arabia and is also referred to as Reehal Fatima. The plant has a long history of use in these regions for the treatment of diabetes, rheumatism, and renal conditions. Phytochemical investigation of the aerial parts of T. yemense yielded two previously undescribed neo-clerodane diterpenoids, namely fatimanols Y and Z (1 and 2) along with the known teulepicephin (3), 8-acetylharpagide (4) and teucardosid (5). Structure elucidation was accomplished from their 1D and 2D NMR, ECD, and MS characteristics as well as by comparing them to related reported compounds. The new molecules expand understanding of secondary metabolites of this genus. Compounds 1-5 did not show antimicrobial activity against various bacterial and fungal strains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Elbermawi
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University Mansoura 35516 Egypt +20 10-0481-1533
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University MS 38677 USA
| | - Fazila Zulfiqar
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University MS 38677 USA
| | - Ikhlas A Khan
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University MS 38677 USA
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University MS 38677 USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Safdar T, Tahir MHN, Ali Z, Ur Rahman MH. Exploring the role of HaTIPs genes in enhancing drought tolerance in sunflower. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:8349-8359. [PMID: 37606830 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08679-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Activity of plant aquaporins (AQPs) is extremely sensitive to environmental variables such as temperature, drought, atmospheric vapor pressure deficit, cell water status and also appears to be closely associated with the expression of plant tolerance to various stresses. The spatial and temporal expression patterns of genes of Tonoplast Intrinsic Proteins (TIPs) in various crops indicate the complex and diverse regulation of these proteins and are important in understanding their key role in plant growth, development and stress responses. METHODS AND RESULTS Based on phylogenetic analysis, six distinct HaTIPs were selected for studying their spatial and temporal expression in sunflower (Helianthus annuus). In this study semi quantitative polymerase chain reaction (semi q-PCR) and real time polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) analysis were used to study the spatial and temporal expression of HaTIPs in sunflower. The results indicated that all of HaTIPs showed differential expression specific to both the tissues and the accessions. Moreover, the expression of all HaTIPs was higher in cross compared to the parents. Results of semi q-PCR and real time PCR indicated an upregulation of expression of HaTIP-RB7 and HaTIP7 in drought tolerant entries at 12 h of 20% polyethylene glycol (PEG) treatment compared to 0 h. CONCLUSION Hence these genes can be utilized as potential target in improving water use efficiency and for further genetic manipulation for the development of drought tolerant sunflower. This study may further contribute to our better understanding regarding the precise role of HaTIPs through their spatial and temporal expression analysis and their application in sunflower drought stress responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tania Safdar
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef, University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan.
| | - Muhammad Hammad Nadeem Tahir
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef, University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Habib Ur Rahman
- Department of Agronomy, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef, University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
- Institute of crop science and resource conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Ali Z, Hakeem S, Wiehle M, Saddique MAB, Habib-ur-Rahman M. Prioritizing strategies for wheat biofortification: Inspiration from underutilized species. Heliyon 2023; 9:e20208. [PMID: 37818015 PMCID: PMC10560789 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between malnutrition and climate change is still poorly understood but a comprehensive knowledge of their interactions is needed to address the global public health agenda. Limited studies have been conducted to propose robust and economic-friendly strategies to augment the food basket with underutilized species and biofortify the staples for nutritional security. Sea-buckthorn is a known "superfood" rich in vitamin C and iron content. It is found naturally in northern hemispherical temperate Eurasia and can be utilized as a model species for genetic biofortification in cash crops like wheat. This review focuses on the impacts of climate change on inorganic (iron, zinc) and organic (vitamin C) micronutrient malnutrition employing wheat as highly domesticated crop and processed food commodity. As iron and zinc are particularly stored in the outer aleurone and endosperm layers, they are prone to processing losses. Moreover, only 5% Fe and 25% Zn are bioavailable once consumed calling to enhance the bioavailability of these micronutrients. Vitamin C converts non-available iron (Fe3+) to available form (Fe2+) and helps in the synthesis of ferritin while protecting it from degradation at the same time. Similarly, reduced phytic acid content also enhances its bioavailability. This relation urges scientists to look for a common mechanism and genes underlying biosynthesis of vitamin C and uptake of Fe/Zn to biofortify these micronutrients concurrently. The study proposes to scale up the biofortification breeding strategies by focusing on all dimensions i.e., increasing micronutrient content and boosters (vitamin C) and simultaneously reducing anti-nutritional compounds (phytic acid). Mutually, this review identified that genes from the Aldo-keto reductase family are involved both in Fe/Zn uptake and vitamin C biosynthesis and can potentially be targeted for genetic biofortification in crop plants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zulfiqar Ali
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Programs and Projects Department, Islamic Organization for Food Security, Mangilik Yel Ave. 55/21 AIFC, Unit 4, C4.2, Astana, Kazakhstan
| | - Sadia Hakeem
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Martin Wiehle
- Organic Plant Production and Agroecosystems Research in the Tropics and Subtropics, University of Kassel, Steinstrasse 19, D-37213, Witzenhausen, Germany
- Centre for International Rural Development, University of Kassel, Steinstrasse 19, D-37213, Witzenhausen, Germany
| | | | - Muhammad Habib-ur-Rahman
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), Crop Science Group, University of Bonn, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Hassan SU, Khalid H, Shafique S, Farid MA, Saeed MH, Ali Z, Nazir MS, Hussain M, Park YK. Investigating catalytic oxidative desulfurization of model fuel using hollow PW 12/TiO 2@MgCO 3 and performance optimization via box-behnken design. Chemosphere 2023; 339:139662. [PMID: 37499801 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
A facile and eco-friendly synthesis of PW12/TiO2@MgCO3 hollow tubes (PW12·∼· H3[PW12O40] = polyoxometalate) using a soluble and reusable MgCO3·3H2O micro-rods template was reported for the first time. The resultant hollow tubes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-visible spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which indicated that the [PW12O40]3- structure remained intact within the hollow tubes. Furthermore, the specific surface area (88.982 m2/g) and average pore size (2.6 nm) of the PW12/TiO2@MgCO3 hollow tubes were calculated using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. This study explored the catalytic performance of PW12/TiO2@MgCO3 hollow tubes using a three-level Box-Behnken design (BBD), through which optimization curves were designed. The desulfurization of model fuel using hollow tubes was optimally performed when the catalyst dose, time, temperature, and oxidant/sulfur (O/S) were 20-80 gm, 80-120 min, 25-80 °C and 3-8 molar ratio, respectively. These results were further processed, and the experiments were replicated twenty-nine times using a model based on two quadratic polynomials to create a response surface methodology (RSM). This permits a mathematical correlation linking the desulfurization and experimental parameters. The optimal performance of reaction mixture was evaluated to be 80 mg for catalyst concentration, 25 °C of temperature, reaction time of 100 min, and 5.5 for oxidant/sulfur molar ratio from 20 mL of octane simulation oil containing 350 ppm dibenzothiophene (DBT). The predicted desulfurization rate of the model fuel under these optimal conditions was 95.3%. The correspondence between the experimental results and predicted values was verified based on regression analysis, with an R2 value greater than 0.99. These hollow tubes could be used for their desulfurization properties ten times a row without significantly reducing catalytic activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sadaf Ul Hassan
- Department of Chemistry, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Defence Road, Off Raiwind Road, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Hamna Khalid
- Department of Chemistry, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Defence Road, Off Raiwind Road, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Sidra Shafique
- Department of Chemistry, University of Management and Technology, C-II, Johar Town, Lahore, 54770, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Asim Farid
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Haris Saeed
- Department of Chemistry, University of Management and Technology, C-II, Johar Town, Lahore, 54770, Pakistan
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Department of Chemistry, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Defence Road, Off Raiwind Road, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Shahid Nazir
- Department of Chemistry, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Defence Road, Off Raiwind Road, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan.
| | - Murid Hussain
- Department of Chemical Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Defence Road, Off Raiwind Road, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan.
| | - Young-Kwon Park
- School of Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul, Seoul, 02504, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Batool A, Ali Z, Mohsin M, Shakeel M. A generalized procedure for joint monitoring and probabilistic quantification of extreme climate events at regional level. Environ Monit Assess 2023; 195:1223. [PMID: 37725297 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11717-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Droughts and heat waves are currently recognized as two of the most serious threats associated with climate changes. Drought is characterized by prolonged dry periods, low precipitation, and high temperature, while heat wave refers to an extended period of exceptionally high temperature, surpassing the region's average for that time of year. There is a close relationship between droughts and heat waves, as both are often caused by similar weather patterns and can exacerbate each other's impacts. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor and quantify both droughts and heat waves jointly at a regional level in order to develop sustainable policies and effectively manage water resources. This article develops a new index, the standardized composite index for climate extremes (SCICE), for joint monitoring and probabilistic quantification of extreme climate events at regional level. The procedure of SCICE is mainly based on the joint standardization of standardized precipitation index (SPI) and standardized temperature index (STI). In the application of SCICE, results reveal that the long-term probabilities of the joint occurrence of dry and hot events are significantly greater than those of wet and cold events. Furthermore, the outcomes of the comparative assessment support the validity of using SCICE as a compact statistical approach in regional drought analysis. In summation, the study demonstrates the capability of SCICE to effectively characterize and assess the joint monitoring of drought and heat waves at a regional level, providing a comprehensive approach to understanding the joint impact of climate extremes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aamina Batool
- College of Statistical Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- College of Statistical Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Muhammad Mohsin
- College of Statistical Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Shakeel
- College of Statistical Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Cartmell KB, Doherty EA, Gikaara N, Ali Z, Qanungo S, Melikam ES, Powell RA. Kenyan palliative care providers' and leaders' perceptions of palliative care research needs and support to facilitate rigorous research. BMC Palliat Care 2023; 22:135. [PMID: 37697339 PMCID: PMC10496291 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-023-01199-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Palliative care (PC) can reduce symptom distress and improve quality of life for patients and their families experiencing life-threatening illness. While the need for PC in Kenya is high, PC service delivery and research is limited. Qualitative research is needed to explore potential areas for PC research and support needed to enable that research. This insight is critical for informing a national PC research agenda and mobilizing limited resources for conducting rigorous PC research in Kenya. OBJECTIVES To explore perceptions of priority areas for PC research and support needed to facilitate rigorous research from the perspective of Kenyan PC providers and leaders. METHODS Focus groups (FGs) were conducted in November and December of 2018 using a semi-structured interview guide. FGs were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a thematic content analysis approach. RESULTS Three FGs were conducted (n = 22 participants). Ten themes related to PC research emerged, including research on: 1) beliefs about death, disease, and treatment to inform PC; 2) awareness about PC, 3) integration of PC within the health system; 4) understanding caregiver experiences and needs; 5) community health volunteers (CHVs) and volunteer programs; 6) evaluation of costs and benefits of PC; 7) treatment approaches, including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and advanced diagnostics at end of life; 8) other suggestions for research, 9) populations in need of PC research; and 10) resources for enabling research. CONCLUSIONS Kenyan PC providers and leaders identified key areas requiring increased scientific inquiry and critical resources needed to enable this research. These findings can help to focus future PC research in Kenya and encourage funding agencies to prioritize the issues identified.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K B Cartmell
- Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA.
| | - E A Doherty
- Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - N Gikaara
- Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Z Ali
- Kenyan Hospice and Palliative Care Association, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - S Qanungo
- College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - E S Melikam
- Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - R A Powell
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, England
- Ethnicity and Health Unit, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Northwest London, London, England
- MWAPO Health Development Group, Nairobi, Kenya
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Kdimy A, Kim SJ, Ali Z, Khan MIH, Tripathi SK, El Hajjaji S, Le HV. Isolation of Two Plasticizers, Bis(2-ethylhexyl) Terephthalate and Bis(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate, from Capparis spinosa L. Leaves. Chem Biodivers 2023; 20:e202300903. [PMID: 37505806 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202300903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Many plants have been known to be contaminated and accumulate plasticizers from the environment, including water sources, soil, and atmosphere. Plasticizers are used to confer elasticity and flexibility to various fiber and plastic products. Consumption of plasticizers can lead to many adverse effects on human health, including reproductive and developmental toxicity, endocrine disruption, and cancer. Herein, we report for the first time that two plasticizers, bis(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DEHT) and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), have been isolated from the leaves of Capparis spinosa L. (the caper bush), a plant that is widely used in food seasonings and traditional medicine. 297 mg/kg of DEHT and 48 mg/kg of DEHP were isolated from dried and grounded C. spinosa L. leaves using column chromatography and semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. Our study adds to the increase in the detection of plasticizers in our food and medicinal plants and to the alarming concern about their potential adverse effects on human health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ayoub Kdimy
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA
- LS3MN2E, CERNE2D, Faculty of Science, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, 10056, Morocco
| | - Seong Jong Kim
- Natural Products Utilization Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, University, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Md Imdadul H Khan
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Siddharth K Tripathi
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Souad El Hajjaji
- LS3MN2E, CERNE2D, Faculty of Science, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, 10056, Morocco
| | - Hoang V Le
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA
- Current Address: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, North Bethesda, MD 20852, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Zulfiqar F, Ali Z, Viljoen AM, Chittiboyina AG, Khan IA. Flavonoid glycosides and ellagic acid cognates from defatted African mango ( Irvingia gabonensis) seed kernel. Nat Prod Res 2023; 37:2878-2887. [PMID: 36318869 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2022.2140151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Seventeen compounds of diverse classes including four flavonoid glycosides, five ellagic acid derivatives, and eight other metabolites were isolated from the methanolic extract of the defatted seed kernel of Irvingia gabonensis. Among the isolates, quercetin 3-O-methyl-4'-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)]-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (1) and 3,3'-di-O-methyl-4'-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosylellagic acid 4-sulfate ester (5) were found to be previously undescribed. Structure elucidation was mainly achieved by the interpretation of 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS spectral data. Though compound 6 was previously reported, its 13C NMR data is being reported herein for the first time. To the best of our literature search knowledge, this is the first phytochemical report on I. gabonensis seed kernels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fazila Zulfiqar
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA
| | - Alvaro M Viljoen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
- SAMRC Herbal Drugs Research Unit, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Amar G Chittiboyina
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA
| | - Ikhlas A Khan
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of BioMolecular Sciences School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Chittiboyina AG, Ali Z, Avula B, Khan SI, Mir TM, Zhang J, Aydoğan F, Zulfiqar F, Techen N, Parveen I, Pandey P, Adams SJ, Wang YH, Zhao J, Marshall GD, Pugh ND, Khan IA. Is Baikiain in Tara Flour a Causative Agent for the Adverse Events Associated with the Recalled Frozen French Lentil & Leek Crumbles Food Product? - A Working Hypothesis. Chem Res Toxicol 2023. [PMID: 37255213 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.3c00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The French Lentil & Leek Crumbles frozen food product was recently recalled due to reports of gastrointestinal issues. So far, 393 adverse illness complaints and 133 hospitalizations have been reported from consumption of this food, and the tara (Tara spinosa) protein flour ingredient is hypothesized to be responsible. A multipronged approach resulted in identification of (S)-(-)-baikiain in tara as a compound of interest due to its abundance, possible metabolic fate, and close resemblance to irreversible inhibitors of L-pipecolate oxidase. Oral administration of baikiain in ND4 mice showed a statistically significant increase in blood ALT levels and a reduction in liver GSH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amar G Chittiboyina
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Bharathi Avula
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Shabana I Khan
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Tahir M Mir
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Jin Zhang
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Fadime Aydoğan
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Fazila Zulfiqar
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Natascha Techen
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Iffat Parveen
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Pankaj Pandey
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Sebastian J Adams
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Yan-Hong Wang
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Jianping Zhao
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Gailen D Marshall
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson Mississippi 39216, United States
| | - Nirmal D Pugh
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Ikhlas A Khan
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Pandey P, Neal WM, Zulfiqar F, Ali Z, Khan IA, Ferreira D, Chittiboyina AG. A combined experimental and computational chiroptical approach to establish the biosynthesis and absolute configuration of licochalcone L. Phytochemistry 2023:113732. [PMID: 37245686 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2023.113732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Often, chiral natural products exist as single stereoisomers; however, simultaneous occurrences of both enantiomers can exist in nature, resulting in scalemic or racemic mixtures. Ascertaining natural products' absolute configuration (AC) is pivotal for attributing their specific biological signature. Specific rotation data commonly characterize chiral non-racemic natural products; however, measurement conditions, viz., solvent and concentration, can influence the sign of specific rotation values, especially when characterizing natural products possessing small specific rotation values. For example, licochalcone L, a minor constituent of Glycyrrhiza inflata, was reported with a specific rotation of [α]D22= +13 (c 0.1, CHCl3); however, not establishing the AC and the reported zero specific rotation for an identical compound, licochalcone AF1, resulted in debatable chirality and its biogenesis. In this study, a combined experimental and computational chiroptical approach involving specific rotation and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data, supported by time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), were effectively utilized to establish the AC of licochalcone L as the (E, 2″S)-isomer. Establishing the 2″S absolute configuration permitted the conception of a reasonable biosynthetic pathway involving intramolecular '5-exo-tet' ring opening of a chiral oxirane to form chiral licochalcone L in G. inflata.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj Pandey
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677-1848, United States
| | - William M Neal
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, Division of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677-1848, United States
| | - Fazila Zulfiqar
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677-1848, United States
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677-1848, United States
| | - Ikhlas A Khan
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677-1848, United States; Department of BioMolecular Sciences, Division of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677-1848, United States.
| | - Daneel Ferreira
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677-1848, United States; Department of BioMolecular Sciences, Division of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677-1848, United States
| | - Amar G Chittiboyina
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677-1848, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Husain I, Dale OR, Idrisi M, Gurley BJ, Avula B, Katragunta K, Ali Z, Chittiboyina A, Noonan G, Khan IA, Khan SI. Evaluation of the Herb-Drug Interaction (HDI) Potential of Zingiber officinale and Its Major Phytoconstituents. J Agric Food Chem 2023; 71:7521-7534. [PMID: 37134183 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c07912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Ginger is currently one of the most popular herbs commonly added to diverse foods, beverages, and dietary supplements. We evaluated the ability of a well-characterized ginger extract, and several of its phytoconstituents, to activate select nuclear receptors as well as modulate the activity of various cytochrome P450s and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters because phytochemical-mediated modulation of these proteins underlies many clinically relevant herb-drug interactions (HDI). Our results revealed ginger extract activated the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in AhR-reporter cells and pregnane X receptor (PXR) in intestinal and hepatic cells. Among the phytochemicals investigated, (S)-6-gingerol, dehydro-6-gingerdione, and (6S,8S)-6-gingerdiol activated AhR, while 6-shogaol, 6-paradol, and dehydro-6-gingerdione activated PXR. Enzyme assays showed that ginger extract and its phytochemicals dramatically inhibited the catalytic activity of CYP3A4, 2C9, 1A2, and 2B6, and efflux transport capabilities of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP). Dissolution studies with ginger extract conducted in biorelevant simulated intestinal fluid yielded (S)-6-gingerol and 6-shogaol concentrations that could conceivably exceed cytochrome P450 (CYP) IC50 values when consumed in recommended doses. In summary, overconsumption of ginger may disturb the normal homeostasis of CYPs and ABC transporters, which in turn, may elevate the risk for HDIs when consumed concomitantly with conventional medications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Islam Husain
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Olivia R Dale
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Mantasha Idrisi
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Bill J Gurley
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Bharathi Avula
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Kumar Katragunta
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Amar Chittiboyina
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Gregory Noonan
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, College Park, Maryland 20740, United States
| | - Ikhlas A Khan
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
- Department of Bio-Molecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Shabana I Khan
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
- Department of Bio-Molecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Salehi A, Ghanadian M, Zolfaghari B, Jassbi AR, Fattahian M, Reisi P, Csupor D, Khan IA, Ali Z. Neuropharmacological Potential of Diterpenoid Alkaloids. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16050747. [PMID: 37242531 DOI: 10.3390/ph16050747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
This study provides a narrative review of diterpenoid alkaloids (DAs), a family of extremely important natural products found predominantly in some species of Aconitum and Delphinium (Ranunculaceae). DAs have long been a focus of research attention due to their numerous intricate structures and diverse biological activities, especially in the central nervous system (CNS). These alkaloids originate through the amination reaction of tetra or pentacyclic diterpenoids, which are classified into three categories and 46 types based on the number of carbon atoms in the backbone structure and structural differences. The main chemical characteristics of DAs are their heterocyclic systems containing β-aminoethanol, methylamine, or ethylamine functionality. Although the role of tertiary nitrogen in ring A and the polycyclic complex structure are of great importance in drug-receptor affinity, in silico studies have emphasized the role of certain sidechains in C13, C14, and C8. DAs showed antiepileptic effects in preclinical studies mostly through Na+ channels. Aconitine (1) and 3-acetyl aconitine (2) can desensitize Na+ channels after persistent activation. Lappaconitine (3), N-deacetyllapaconitine (4), 6-benzoylheteratisine (5), and 1-benzoylnapelline (6) deactivate these channels. Methyllycaconitine (16), mainly found in Delphinium species, possesses an extreme affinity for the binding sites of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) and contributes to a wide range of neurologic functions and the release of neurotransmitters. Several DAs such as bulleyaconitine A (17), (3), and mesaconitine (8) from Aconitum species have a drastic analgesic effect. Among them, compound 17 has been used in China for decades. Their effect is explained by increasing the release of dynorphin A, activating the inhibitory noradrenergic neurons in the β-adrenergic system, and preventing the transmission of pain messages by inactivating the Na+ channels that have been stressed. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitory, neuroprotective, antidepressant, and anxiolytic activities are other CNS effects that have been investigated for certain DAs. However, despite various CNS effects, recent advances in developing new drugs from DAs were insignificant due to their neurotoxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arash Salehi
- Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 81746-73461, Iran
| | - Mustafa Ghanadian
- Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 81746-73461, Iran
- Isfahan Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 81746-73461, Iran
| | - Behzad Zolfaghari
- Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 81746-73461, Iran
| | - Amir Reza Jassbi
- Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 71348-14336, Iran
| | - Maryam Fattahian
- Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 81746-73461, Iran
| | - Parham Reisi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 81745-33871, Iran
| | - Dezső Csupor
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ikhlas A Khan
- National Center for Natural Products Research, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- National Center for Natural Products Research, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Ali Z, Jianzhou Y, Ali A, Hussain J. Determinants of the CO 2 emissions, economic growth, and ecological footprint in Pakistan: asymmetric and symmetric role of agricultural and financial inclusion. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:61945-61964. [PMID: 36934182 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-26138-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the effects of financial inclusion (FI), agricultural innovation (AI), trade (TR), and forest rent (FR) on carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), economic growth (Y), and ecological footprint (EFP) for Pakistan from 1970 to 2017 are examined using symmetric and asymmetric cointegration approaches. These links are investigated using linear and non-linear autoregressive distributive lag (NARDL) techniques. In contrast to the asymmetry results, the symmetric results revealed no cointegration among the variables over the long run. Moreover, asymmetry results from the Y-model indicated that a positive shock in AI significantly affects Y over the long run while raising it over the short term. Furthermore, CO2 rises in the wake of positive shocks like AI, Y, and FR but falls in the wake of adverse shocks. A negative shock to FI raises CO2 temporarily, whereas a negative shock to FR causes CO2 emissions to fall over time. According to the EFP-model, long-term EFP is decreased by both positive shocks to AI and adverse shocks to FR with one-period lags. On the other hand, positive shocks to FI and FR cause the short-term EFP to rise. In addition to a bidirectional causal relationship between Y, EFP, and FI, we found a one-way causative relationship between Y, FR, AI, CO2, and EFP. The FMOLS estimator also supports NARDL estimations. The key recommendations to help Pakistan keep its environment and economy are to enhance green mechanization in agriculture, allocate adequate research and development funds, and initiate integrated environmental and economic growth policies by relevant institutions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zulfiqar Ali
- College of Economics and Management, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Yang Jianzhou
- College of Economics and Management, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China.
| | - Amjad Ali
- College of Management, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Jamal Hussain
- Department of Economics, Karakoram International University, Gilgit, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Iftekhar H, Umair M, Hamdani STA, Imran SM, Nazir MS, Ali Z. Effect of Hybrid Weave Patterns on the Mechanical Performance of Woven Fabrics. Journal of Natural Fibers 2023; 20. [DOI: 10.1080/15440478.2022.2145411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Iftekhar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Défense Road, Off Raiwind Road, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Umair
- School of Engineering and Technology, National Textile University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | | | - Syed Muhammad Imran
- Department of Chemical Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Défense Road, Off Raiwind Road, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Shahid Nazir
- Department of Chemical Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Défense Road, Off Raiwind Road, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Department of Chemical Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Défense Road, Off Raiwind Road, Lahore, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Fantoukh OI, Al-Hamoud GA, Nasr FA, Almarfadi OM, Hawwal MF, Ali Z, Alobaid WA, Binawad A, Alrashidi M, Alasmari F, Ahmed MZ, Noman OM. Revisiting the Flora of Saudi Arabia: Phytochemical and Biological Investigation of the Endangered Plant Species Euphorbia saudiarabica. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13040556. [PMID: 37110214 PMCID: PMC10144502 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13040556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Euphorbia plants have a significant place in traditional medicine due to their numerous therapeutic properties, including their anti-tumor effects, which have been observed in several species. In the current study, a phytochemical investigation of Euphorbia saudiarabica methanolic extract led to the isolation and characterization of four secondary metabolites from the chloroform (CHCl3) and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fractions, which are reported for the first time in this species. One of the constituents, saudiarabicain F (2), is a rare C-19 oxidized ingol-type diterpenoid that has not been previously reported. The structures of these compounds were determined by extensive spectroscopic (HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR) analyses. The anticancer properties of the E. saudiarabica crude extract, its fractions and its isolated compounds were examined against several cancer cells. The active fractions were evaluated for their effects on cell-cycle progression and apoptosis induction using flow cytometry. Furthermore, RT-PCR was employed to estimate the gene-expression levels of the apoptosis-related genes. It was demonstrated that the E. saudiarabica CHCl3 and EtOAc fractions suppressed the proliferation of the cancer cells. The MCF-7 cells were the most sensitive to both fractions, with IC50 values of 22.6 and 23.2 µg/mL, respectively. Notably, both fractions caused cell-cycle arrest in the G2/M phase of the treated MCF-7 cells. The inhibition of the MCF-7 cells' proliferation was also linked with apoptosis induction by flow-cytometry analysis. Additionally, the activation of apoptosis by both fractions was demonstrated by an increase in the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2, with an increase in the expression of caspase-7. Among the isolated compounds, glutinol (1) showed potent activity against the MCF-7 cell line, with an IC50 value of 9.83 µg/mL. Our findings suggest that E. saudiarabica has apoptosis-inducing effects and shows promise as a potential source of new chemotherapeutic drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Omer I Fantoukh
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Gadah A Al-Hamoud
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fahd A Nasr
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Omer M Almarfadi
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed F Hawwal
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS 38677, USA
| | - Waleed A Alobaid
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulaziz Binawad
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Menwer Alrashidi
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fawaz Alasmari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Z Ahmed
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Omar M Noman
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Lee J, Wang M, Zhao J, Ali Z, Hawwal MF, Khan IA. Chemical Characterization and Quality Assessment of Copaiba Oil-Resin Using GC/MS and SFC/MS. Plants (Basel) 2023; 12:1619. [PMID: 37111842 PMCID: PMC10144763 DOI: 10.3390/plants12081619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, the popularity of copaiba oil-resin has increased worldwide due to its medicinal value and wide applications in industry. Despite its popularity, the oil has not been standardized by industry or regulatory agencies. Product adulteration in order to maximize profits has become a problem. To address these issues, the current study describes the chemical and chemometric characterization of forty copaiba oil-resin samples by GC/MS. The results demonstrated, with the exception of commercial samples, that all sample groups contained six characteristic compounds (β-caryophyllene, α-copaene, trans-α-bergamotene, α-humulene, γ-muurolene, and β-bisabolene) in varying concentrations. Furthermore, compositional patterns were observed in individual groups which corresponded to sample origin. Within the commercial group, two samples did not contain or contained only one of the characteristic compounds. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed distinct groups which largely corresponded to sample origin. Moreover, commercial samples were detected by PCA as outliers, and formed a group far removed from the other samples. These samples were further subjected to analysis using a SFC/MS method. Product adulteration with soybean oil was clearly detected, with each individual triglyceride in soybean oil being unambiguously identified. By combining these analytical techniques, the overall quality of copaiba oil-resin can be assessed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Lee
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Mei Wang
- Natural Products Utilization Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Jianping Zhao
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Mohammed F. Hawwal
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 4545, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ikhlas A. Khan
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Raza Q, Rashid MAR, Waqas M, Ali Z, Rana IA, Khan SH, Khan IA, Atif RM. Genomic diversity of aquaporins across genus Oryza provides a rich genetic resource for development of climate resilient rice cultivars. BMC Plant Biol 2023; 23:172. [PMID: 37003962 PMCID: PMC10064747 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-023-04151-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant aquaporins are critical genetic players performing multiple biological functions, especially climate resilience and water-use efficiency. Their genomic diversity across genus Oryza is yet to be explored. RESULTS This study identified 369 aquaporin-encoding genes from 11 cultivated and wild rice species and further categorized these into four major subfamilies, among which small basic intrinsic proteins are speculated to be ancestral to all land plant aquaporins. Evolutionarily conserved motifs in peptides of aquaporins participate in transmembrane transport of materials and their relatively complex gene structures provide an evolutionary playground for regulation of genome structure and transcription. Duplication and evolution analyses revealed higher genetic conservation among Oryza aquaporins and strong purifying selections are assisting in conserving the climate resilience associated functions. Promoter analysis highlighted enrichment of gene upstream regions with cis-acting regulatory elements involved in diverse biological processes, whereas miRNA target site prediction analysis unveiled substantial involvement of osa-miR2102-3p, osa-miR2927 and osa-miR5075 in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression patterns. Moreover, expression patterns of japonica aquaporins were significantly perturbed in response to different treatment levels of six phytohormones and four abiotic stresses, suggesting their multifarious roles in plants survival under stressed environments. Furthermore, superior haplotypes of seven conserved orthologous aquaporins for higher thousand-grain weight are reported from a gold mine of 3,010 sequenced rice pangenomes. CONCLUSIONS This study unveils the complete genomic atlas of aquaporins across genus Oryza and provides a comprehensive genetic resource for genomics-assisted development of climate-resilient rice cultivars.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qasim Raza
- Precision Agriculture and Analytics Lab, Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, National Centre in Big Data and Cloud Computing, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | | | - Muhammad Waqas
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Iqrar Ahmad Rana
- Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Centre of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Sultan Habibullah Khan
- Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Centre of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Iqrar Ahmad Khan
- Precision Agriculture and Analytics Lab, Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, National Centre in Big Data and Cloud Computing, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Rana Muhammad Atif
- Precision Agriculture and Analytics Lab, Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, National Centre in Big Data and Cloud Computing, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Osman AG, Avula B, Katragunta K, Ali Z, Chittiboyina AG, Khan IA. Elderberry Extracts: Characterization of the Polyphenolic Chemical Composition, Quality Consistency, Safety, Adulteration, and Attenuation of Oxidative Stress- and Inflammation-Induced Health Disorders. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28073148. [PMID: 37049909 PMCID: PMC10096080 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28073148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Elderberry is highly reputed for its health-improving effects. Multiple pieces of evidence indicate that the consumption of berries is linked to enhancing human health and preventing or delaying the onset of chronic medical conditions. Compared with other fruit, elderberry is a very rich source of anthocyanins (approximately 80% of the polyphenol content). These polyphenols are the principals that essentially contribute to the high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities and the health benefits of elderberry fruit extract. These health effects include attenuation of cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and inflammatory disorders, as well as anti-diabetic, anticancer, antiviral, and immuno-stimulatory effects. Sales of elderberry supplements skyrocketed to $320 million over the year 2020, according to an American Botanical Council (ABC) report, which is attributable to the purported immune-enhancing effects of elderberry. In the current review, the chemical composition of the polyphenolic content of the European elderberry (Sambucus nigra) and the American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), as well as the analytical techniques employed to analyze, characterize, and ascertain the chemical consistency will be addressed. Further, the factors that influence the consistency of the polyphenolic chemical composition, and hence, the consistency of the health benefits of elderberry extracts will be presented. Additionally, adulteration and safety as factors contributing to consistency will be covered. The role of elderberry in enhancing human health alone with the pharmacological basis, the cellular pathways, and the molecular mechanisms underlying the observed health benefits of elderberry fruit extracts will be also reviewed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed G. Osman
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Bharathi Avula
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Kumar Katragunta
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Amar G. Chittiboyina
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Ikhlas A. Khan
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Ali Z, Flynn AW. Severe aortic stenosis and the need for the right treatment, in the right place, at the right time. Heart 2023; 109:896-897. [PMID: 36914251 DOI: 10.1136/heartjnl-2022-322195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zulfiqar Ali
- Cardiology, Health Service Executive Saolta University Hospital Group, Ballinasloe, Ireland
| | - Aidan W Flynn
- Cardiology, Health Service Executive Saolta University Hospital Group, Ballinasloe, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Khalid MA, Ali Z, Tahir MHN, Ghaffar A, Ahmad J. Genetic Effects of GA-Responsive Dwarfing Gene Rht13 on Plant Height, Peduncle Length, Internodal Length and Grain Yield of Wheat under Drought Stress. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030699. [PMID: 36980971 PMCID: PMC10048141 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Reduction in plant height is generally associated with an increase in lodging resistance, drought tolerance and grain yield of wheat worldwide. Historically, a significant increase in grain yield was observed through the introduction of semi-dwarf wheat varieties utilizing the gibberellic acid-insensitive Rht genes (Rht1 or Rht2). The gibberellic acid sensitive (GA-sensitive) reduced height (Rht) genes are available that are alternatives to gibberellic acid insensitive (GA-insensitive) Rht genes, having a neutral effect on coleoptile length seedling vigor suggesting their potential in using alone or in combination with GA-insensitive Rht genes to improve grain yield and drought tolerance in wheat. This study was conducted to evaluate parents and F1 crosses under drought stress. The crossing was done using line × tester mating design, comprising eight lines and five testers having different GA-sensitive and GA-insensitive Rht genes. Parents and F1 crosses were sown in the field under RCBD with three replications in normal and drought stress. Data were recorded for morpho-physiological traits. The mean comparison showed significant differences among parents and hybrids for most of the studies’ traits. The general combining ability showed that line 1 is the good general combiner for days to heading, lodging (%), plant height, peduncle length, internodal length and days to maturity under normal conditions while L5 was the good general cobiner for chlorophyll contents and stomatal conductance both under normal and drought stress. The spcaicfic combing ability estimases showed that the cross L1 × T1 was best for days to heading, lodging (%), plant height and internodal length both under normal and drought stress. F1 hybrids showed a significant reduction in plant height (18–25%), peduncle length (20–28%) and increased grain yield (15–18%) under drought stress. Expression analysis showed upregulation of Rht13 at the middle part of the peduncle internode under drought stress. From the expression analysis, five crosses were selected, and their segregating population was raised and space-plated. Rht13 genes reduced plant height (−30 to −45%), peduncle length (−30 to −53%), peduncle internode length (−28% to −48%), increased spike length (+20% to +50%), number of grains per spike (+17 to +26%) and grain yield per plant (+29% to +50%) compared to Rht1 gene. These results suggested the possibility of using the GA-sensitive Rht13 gene for the development of high-yielding and drought-tolerant wheat varieties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Arslan Khalid
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan 66000, Pakistan
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan 66000, Pakistan
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
- Programs and Projects Department, Islamic Organization for Food Security, Astana 019900, Kazakhstan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +92-300-684-2206
| | | | - Abdul Ghaffar
- Department of Agronomy, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan 66000, Pakistan
| | - Javed Ahmad
- Wheat Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Hakeem S, Ali Z, Saddique MAB, Merrium S, Arslan M, Habib-Ur-Rahman M. Leaf wettability and leaf angle affect air-moisture deposition in wheat for self-irrigation. BMC Plant Biol 2023; 23:115. [PMID: 36849909 PMCID: PMC9969695 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-023-04123-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate change and depleting water sources demand scarce natural water supplies like air moisture to be used as an irrigation water source. Wheat production is threatened by the climate variability and extremes climate events especially heat waves and drought. The present study focused to develop the wheat plant for self-irrigation through optimizing leaf architecture and surface properties for precise irrigation. METHODS Thirty-four genotypes were selected from 1796 genotypes with all combinations of leaf angle and leaf rolling. These genotypes were characterized for morpho-physiological traits and soil moisture content at stem-elongation and booting stages. Further, a core set of ten genotypes was evaluated for stem flow efficiency and leaf wettability. RESULTS Biplot, heat map, and correlation analysis indicated wide diversity and traits association. The environmental parameters indicated substantial amount of air moisture (> 60% relative humidity) at the critical wheat growth stages. Leaf angle showed negative association with leaf rolling, physiological and yield traits, adaxial and abaxial contact angle while leaf angle showed positive association with the stem flow water. The wettability and air moisture harvesting indicated that the genotypes (coded as 1, 7, and 18) having semi-erect to erect leaf angle, spiral rolling, and hydrophilic leaf surface (<90o) with contact angle hysteresis less than 10o had higher soil moisture content (6-8%) and moisture harvesting efficiency (3.5 ml). CONCLUSIONS These findings can provide the basis to develop self-irrigating, drought-tolerant wheat cultivars as an adaptation to climate change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sadia Hakeem
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan.
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
- Programs and Projects Department, Islamic Organization for Food Security, Mangilik Yel Ave. 55/21 AIFC, Unit 4, C4.2, Astana, Kazakhstan.
| | | | - Sabah Merrium
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Arslan
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), Crop Science Group, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Muhammad Habib-Ur-Rahman
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), Crop Science Group, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
- Department of Agronomy, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Raza ST, Zhu B, Yao Z, Wu J, Chen Z, Ali Z, Tang JL. Impacts of vermicompost application on crop yield, ammonia volatilization and greenhouse gases emission on upland in Southwest China. Sci Total Environ 2023; 860:160479. [PMID: 36435259 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia (NH3) volatilization and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission are important environment pollution sources in upland agro-ecosystems. Vermicompost was used for amending purple soil and comparing NH3 and GHG emissions. A field experiment was conducted with a comparison of organic and inorganic fertilizers in a wheat-maize rotation system in the Sichuan Basin, China. The five treatments were conventional inorganic fertilizers, NPK as control; vermicompost prepared with cow dung (VCM); and pig manure (VPM); cow dung and pig manure vermicompost, respectively (VCMNPK, VPMNPK). Total nitrogen rates of all treatments were the same. Soil NH3 volatilization and GHG emissions were monitored with the static chamber method. The results showed that NH3 volatilization occurred in the first two weeks following nitrogen (N) fertilization. The cumulative fluxes of NH3 recorded in the NPK, VCM, VPM, VCMNPK, and VPMNPK treatments were 15.4, 5.7, 6.3, 10.32, and 10.29 kg N ha-1 yr-1, respectively, in the winter and 4.8, 5.5, 19.83, 12.8, and 11.9 kg N ha-1 yr-1 respectively, in the summer. The global warming potential (GWP) 773.6 and 803.9 g CO2-eq m-2 in VCM and VPM, respectively, during the wheat season 540.6 and 576.2 g CO2-eq m-2, respectively, during the maize season. The GWPs in NPK treatment were 1032.4 and 570.7 g CO2-eq m-2 during the wheat and maize seasons, respectively. The increasing effects of nutrient loops, particularly 18 % soil total nitrogen (TN) and 31 % soil organic carbon (SOC) in VCM, and crop productivity of vermicompost treatments during the wheat-maize rotation had been evaluated. This study recommends that VCM can be considered as a better organic amendment, promoting plant growth while decreasing the environmental costs of gas emissions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Syed Turab Raza
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China; Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Health in Universities of Yunnan Province, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China.
| | - Bo Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.
| | - Zhiyuan Yao
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.
| | - Jianping Wu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China; Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Health in Universities of Yunnan Province, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Zhe Chen
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China; Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Health in Universities of Yunnan Province, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Laboratory of Environmental Health & Wildlife, Department of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
| | - Jia Liang Tang
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Younas U, Atif M, Anjum A, Nadeem M, Ali T, Shaheen R, Khalid W, Ali Z. Fabrication of La 3+ doped Ba 1-x La x TiO 3 ceramics with improved dielectric and ferroelectric properties using a composite-hydroxide-mediated method. RSC Adv 2023; 13:5293-5306. [PMID: 36777949 PMCID: PMC9912143 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra06640h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Lanthanum (La3+) doped Ba1-x La x TiO3 (x = 0.0, 0.0025, 0.005, 0.0075) ceramics were synthesized by the composite-hydroxide-mediated method. Rietveld refinement of the XRD patterns confirmed the formation of a perovskite crystal structure that transforms from tetragonal to pseudo-cubic with La3+ doping content (x). Scanning electron microscopy displayed a dense and homogeneous microstructure with reduced grain size on La3+ doping. The frequency and temperature-dependent dielectric measurements showed an improvement in the dielectric permittivity, a decrease in the ferroelectric-paraelectric transition temperature, and an increase in the dielectric diffusivity with increasing La3+ doping content. Complex impedance analysis indicated the semiconducting behavior with a positive temperature coefficient of resistance effect, which could be explained in terms of a charge compensation mechanism in the donor doped BaTiO3. The ferroelectric hysteresis loops revealed that these ceramics are ferroelectric in nature, while an improvement in the energy storage density and energy storage efficiency was observed for the doped samples due to reduced grain size on La3+ doping. Here, the sample with x = 0.005 has a high dielectric permittivity, a low dielectric tangent loss, and the highest energy storage efficiency. This makes this composition interesting for energy storage applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- U. Younas
- Functional Materials Lab, Department of Physics, Air UniversityPAF Complex E-9IslamabadPakistan
| | - M. Atif
- Functional Materials Lab, Department of Physics, Air UniversityPAF Complex E-9IslamabadPakistan
| | - A. Anjum
- Functional Materials Lab, Department of Physics, Air UniversityPAF Complex E-9IslamabadPakistan
| | - M. Nadeem
- Polymer Composite Group, Directorate of SciencePINSTECHIslamabadPakistan
| | - T. Ali
- Physics Division, Directorate of SciencePINSTECHIslamabadPakistan
| | - R. Shaheen
- Physics Division, Directorate of SciencePINSTECHIslamabadPakistan
| | - W. Khalid
- Functional Materials Lab, Department of Physics, Air UniversityPAF Complex E-9IslamabadPakistan
| | - Z. Ali
- Functional Materials Lab, Department of Physics, Air UniversityPAF Complex E-9IslamabadPakistan
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Ahmed I, Khan MS, Ma V, Magsi H, Gunawan R, Ilyas AMO, Lashari NUR, Wassan N, Paidi S, Ali Z, Law AWL, Zhang Y, Cho WC, Alda M, Bergink V, Barman I, Lau C. Lithium in breast milk transiently affects the renal electrolytic balance of infants. Bipolar Disord 2023; 25:56-65. [PMID: 36409044 DOI: 10.1111/bdi.13275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of lithium during breast-feeding has not been comprehensively investigated in humans due to concerns about lithium toxicity. PROCEDURE We analyzed lithium in the kidneys of nursed pups of lithium medicated mothers, using analytical spectroscopy in a novel rat model. The mothers were healthy rats administered lithium via gavage (1000 mg/day Li2 CO3 per 50 kg body weight). RESULTS Lithium was detected in the breast milk, and in the blood of pups (0.08 mM), of lithium-exposed dams at post-natal day 18 (P18), during breast-feeding. No lithium was detected after breast-feeding, at P25 (4 days after cessation of nursing). The lithium pups blood had elevated urea nitrogen at P18 and reduced total T4 at P18 and P25, indicating a longer-term effect on the kidneys and the thyroid gland. Multivariate machine-learning analysis of spectroscopy data collected from the excised kidneys of pups showed elevated potassium in lithium-exposed animals both during- and after breast-feeding. The elevated renal potassium was associated with low nephrin expression in the kidneys measured immunohistochemically during breast-feeding. After lithium exposure is stopped, the filtration of lithium from the kidneys reverses these effects. Our study showed that breastfeeding during lithium use has an effect on the kidneys of the offspring in rats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irfan Ahmed
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Department of Electrical Engineering, Sukkur IBA University, Sukkur, Pakistan
| | | | - Victor Ma
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hina Magsi
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Sukkur IBA University, Sukkur, Pakistan
| | - Renardi Gunawan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, and Tung Biomedical Sciences Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Abdul-Mojeed Olabisi Ilyas
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Hong Kong Centre for Cerebro-Cardiovascular Health Engineering (COCHE), Hong Kong SAR, China.,Department of Physics, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
| | - Najeeb Ur Rehman Lashari
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Chemistry Physics and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Naveed Wassan
- Department of Business Administration, Sukkur IBA University, Sukkur, Pakistan
| | - Santosh Paidi
- Johns Hopkins University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Baltimore, Massachusetts, USA.,School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Alan W L Law
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yanpeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education & Shaanxi Key Lab of Information Photonic Technique, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - William C Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Martin Alda
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.,National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Veerle Bergink
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ishan Barman
- Johns Hopkins University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Baltimore, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Radiology & Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Condon Lau
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Ahmed MMA, Ragab EA, Zayed A, El-Ghaly EM, Ismail SK, Khan SI, Ali Z, Chittiboyina AG, Khan IA. Litoarbolide A: an undescribed sesquiterpenoid from the Red Sea soft coral Litophyton arboreum with an in vitro anti-malarial activity evaluation. Nat Prod Res 2023; 37:542-550. [PMID: 35491702 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2022.2071268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Soft corals distributed across the Red Sea coasts are a rich source of diverse and bioactive natural products. Chemical probing of the Red Sea soft coral Litophyton arboreum led to isolation and structural characterization of an undescribed sesquiterpenoid, litoarbolide A (1), along with 14 previously reported metabolites (2-15). The chemical structures of the isolates were assigned based on NMR as well as high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS) data. Litoarbolide A is supposed to be the biosynthetic precursor to other sesquiterpenoids, which formed via further post-translational modifications. Furthermore, these metabolites were evaluated for anti-malarial activity, where only the acyclic sesquiterpenoid of a sec-germacrane nucleus (7) showed an activity against chloroquine-sensitive (D6) and chloroquine-resistant (W2) strains of Plasmodium falciparum with IC50 at 3.7 and 2.2 mg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the isolated metabolites were all non-toxic to the Vero cell line. These findings support the consideration of L. arboreum in further natural anti-malarial studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed M A Ahmed
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.,National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, United States.,Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, United States
| | - Ehab A Ragab
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Zayed
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Tanta University, College of Pharmacy, Tanta, Egypt.,Institute of Bioprocess Engineering, Technical University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Elsayed M El-Ghaly
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Said K Ismail
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Shabana I Khan
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, United States.,Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, United States
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, United States
| | - Amar G Chittiboyina
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, United States
| | - Ikhlas A Khan
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, United States.,Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, United States
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Qaiser N, Sidra S, Javid A, Iqbal A, Amjad M, Azmat H, Arooj F, Farooq K, Nimra A, Ali Z. Microplastics abundance in abiotic and biotic components along aquatic food chain in two freshwater ecosystems of Pakistan. Chemosphere 2023; 313:137177. [PMID: 36372336 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Contaminants of global concern, microplastics (MPs) have been lately reported to be found almost everywhere. Yet there is limited evidence to suggest if these tiny particles can bioaccumulate and biomagnify along the food chain. The current study was conducted to quantify MPs load in two fresh water bodies i.e. River Ravi (Pakistan) and a fish rearing pond fed with ground water to trace MPs along the food chain including biotic and abiotic components. Samples were taken from air, water, sediments, planktons, fish and avian specimen from both water bodies. Higher MPs were found in all samples taken from river Ravi ranging from 3.0 ± 1.58 MPs items in water to 15.20 ± 3.35 MP items in air as compared to 2.8 ± 1.79 MPs in water to 11.20 ± 1.89 air-borne MP items in fish rearing ponds respectively. The mean value of MP items in the GIT of all species was higher (5.05 ± 2.25) as compared to the respiratory tract (1.57 ± 1.3) suggesting ingestion as main mode of exposure. However, this mode of exposure needs to be further investigated along with other exposure routes. Presence of MPs at all trophic levels under investigation indicates some degree of bioaccumulation of these pollutants in the ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Namra Qaiser
- Department of Wildlife and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 54600, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Safdar Sidra
- Department of Wildlife and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 54600, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Arshad Javid
- Department of Wildlife and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 54600, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Asia Iqbal
- Department of Wildlife and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 54600, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Maria Amjad
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Hamda Azmat
- Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 54600, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Fariha Arooj
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 54600, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Komal Farooq
- Department of Wildlife and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 54600, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Afzal Nimra
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Pakistan.
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- Environmental Health and Wildlife, Institute of Zoology, University of the Punjab, 54600, Lahore, Pakistan.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Avula B, Katragunta K, Osman AG, Ali Z, John Adams S, Chittiboyina AG, Khan IA. Advances in the Chemistry, Analysis and Adulteration of Anthocyanin Rich-Berries and Fruits: 2000-2022. Molecules 2023; 28:560. [PMID: 36677615 PMCID: PMC9865467 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28020560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthocyanins are reported to exhibit a wide variety of remedial qualities against many human disorders, including antioxidative stress, anti-inflammatory activity, amelioration of cardiovascular diseases, improvement of cognitive decline, and are touted to protect against neurodegenerative disorders. Anthocyanins are water soluble naturally occurring polyphenols containing sugar moiety and are found abundantly in colored fruits/berries. Various chromatographic (HPLC/HPTLC) and spectroscopic (IR, NMR) techniques as standalone or in hyphenated forms such as LC-MS/LC-NMR are routinely used to gauge the chemical composition and ensure the overall quality of anthocyanins in berries, fruits, and finished products. The major emphasis of the current review is to compile and disseminate various analytical methodologies on characterization, quantification, and chemical profiling of the whole array of anthocyanins in berries, and fruits within the last two decades. In addition, the factors affecting the stability of anthocyanins, including pH, light exposure, solvents, metal ions, and the presence of other substances, such as enzymes and proteins, were addressed. Several sources of anthocyanins, including berries and fruit with their botanical identity and respective yields of anthocyanins, were covered. In addition to chemical characterization, economically motivated adulteration of anthocyanin-rich fruits and berries due to increasing consumer demand will also be the subject of discussion. Finally, the health benefits and the medicinal utilities of anthocyanins were briefly discussed. A literature search was performed using electronic databases from PubMed, Science Direct, SciFinder, and Google Scholar, and the search was conducted covering the period from January 2000 to November 2022.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bharathi Avula
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Kumar Katragunta
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Ahmed G. Osman
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University, MS 38677, USA
| | | | | | - Ikhlas A. Khan
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University, MS 38677, USA
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Benarous L, Benarous K, Muhammad G, Ali Z. Deep learning application detecting SARS-CoV-2 key enzymes inhibitors. Cluster Comput 2023; 26:1169-1180. [PMID: 35874186 PMCID: PMC9295888 DOI: 10.1007/s10586-022-03656-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The fast spread of the COVID-19 over the world pressured scientists to find its cures. Especially, with the disastrous results, it engendered from human life losses to long-term impacts on infected people's health and the huge financial losses. In addition to the massive efforts made by researchers and medicals on finding safe, smart, fast, and efficient methods to accurately make an early diagnosis of the COVID-19. Some researchers focused on finding drugs to treat the disease and its symptoms, others worked on creating effective vaccines, while several concentrated on finding inhibitors for the key enzymes of the virus, to reduce its spreading and reproduction inside the human body. These enzymes' inhibitors are usually found in aliments, plants, fungi, or even in some drugs. Since these inhibitors slow and halt the replication of the virus in the human body, they can help fight it at an early stage saving the patient from death risk. Moreover, if the human body's immune system gets rid of the virus at the early stage it can be spared from the disastrous sequels it may leave inside the patient's body. Our research aims to find aliments and plants that are rich in these inhibitors. In this paper, we developed a deep learning application that is trained with various aliments, plants, and drugs to detect if a component contains SARS-CoV-2 key inhibitor(s) intending to help them find more sources containing these inhibitors. The application is trained to identify various sources rich in thirteen coronavirus-2 key inhibitors. The sources are currently just aliments, plants, and seeds and the identification is done by their names.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leila Benarous
- LIM Laboratory (Laboratoire d’informatique Et de Mathématique), Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science, University of Amar Telidji, Laghouat, Algeria
- LISSI-Tinc-NET Laboratory, University of Paris-Est Creteil, 94400 Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Khedidja Benarous
- Science Fundamental Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Amar Telidji, Laghouat, Algeria
| | - Ghulam Muhammad
- Department of Computer Engineering, College of Computer and Information Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11543 Saudi Arabia
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ UK
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Ali Z, Asif M, Nazir N, Rehman Irshad AU, Ullah I, Ahmad S. Financial and social efficiency of microcredit programs of partner organizations of Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280731. [PMID: 36961854 PMCID: PMC10038267 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper examines the financial and social efficiency of the microcredit programs offered by the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund partner organizations. Panel data concerning variables of interest are collected from Pakistan Microfinance Network, covering a minimum of 14 partner organizations (in 2005) to a maximum of 35 partner organizations (in 2014). The data is analyzed using the Data Envelopment Analysis, assuming both constant and variable returns to scale scenarios and the operational scale of the partner organizations. Trends in average efficiency scores have been analyzed to assess the mission drift of the partner organizations. Results reveal that managerial inefficiency is more pronounced than the sub-optimal production scale in all three scenarios under consideration. Moreover, trends in the efficiency scores indicated a slight mission drift of the microfinance providers. About 77.5% of the partner organizations were financially sustainable over the entire study period. The study recommends providing objective-oriented training, workshops, and seminars for managing microfinance providers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zulfiqar Ali
- Department of Economics, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Asif
- Department of Statistics, University of Malakand, Lower Dir, Pakistan
| | - Naila Nazir
- Department of Economics, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Ateeq Ur Rehman Irshad
- Department of Mathematics and General Sciences, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ikram Ullah
- Department of Economics, University of Malakand, Lower Dir, Pakistan
| | - Shabir Ahmad
- Department of Commerce and Management Sciences, Lower Dir, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Osman A, Chittiboyina AG, Avula B, Ali Z, Adams SJ, Khan IA. Quality Consistency of Herbal Products: Chemical Evaluation. Prog Chem Org Nat Prod 2023; 122:163-219. [PMID: 37392312 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-26768-0_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
The widespread utility of herbal products has been rising considerably worldwide, including both developed and developing countries, leading to the rapid growth of their availability in the United States and globally. This substantial increase in consumption of herbal products has witnessed the emergence of adverse effects upon oral administration of certain of these products, and thus has raised safety concerns. The adverse effects caused by the consumption of certain botanical medicines occur primarily as a result of the poor quality of plant raw materials or the finished products, which inherently may affect safety and/or efficacy. The poor quality of some herbal products can be attributed to a lack of proper quality assurance and quality control. A high demand for herbal products that surpasses production, combined with a desire for maximizing profits, along with a lack of rigorous quality control within some manufacturing facilities have led to the emergence of quality inconsistencies. The underlying causes for this involve the misidentification of plant species, or their substitution, adulteration, or contamination with harmful ingredients. Analytical assessments have revealed there to be frequent and significant compositional variations between marketed herbal products. The inconsistency of the quality of herbal products can be ascribed essentially to the inconsistency of the botanical raw material quality used to manufacture the products. Thus, the quality assurance and the quality control of the botanical raw materials is may contribute significantly to improving the quality and consistency of the quality of the end products. The current chapter focuses on the chemical evaluation of quality and consistency of herbal products, including botanical dietary supplements. Different techniques, instruments, applications, and methods used in identifying, quantifying, and generating chemical fingerprints and chemical profiles of the ingredients of the herbal products will be described. The strengths and weaknesses of the various techniques available will be addressed. Limitations of the other approaches including morphological or microscopic analysis and DNA-based analysis will be presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Osman
- School of Pharmacy, National Center for Natural Products Research, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA.
| | - Amar G Chittiboyina
- School of Pharmacy, National Center for Natural Products Research, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Bharathi Avula
- School of Pharmacy, National Center for Natural Products Research, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- School of Pharmacy, National Center for Natural Products Research, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Sebastian J Adams
- School of Pharmacy, National Center for Natural Products Research, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Ikhlas A Khan
- School of Pharmacy, National Center for Natural Products Research, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Kumar N, Ali Z, Haldar R. Novelty in research: A common reason for manuscript rejection! Indian J Anaesth 2023; 67:245-246. [DOI: 10.4103/ija.ija_143_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
|