Genome-wide survey of HMA gene family and its characterization in wheat ().

Background: Abiotic stresses, particularly drought and heavy metal toxicity, have presented a significant risk to long-term agricultural output around the world. Although the heavy-metal-associated domain (HMA) gene family has been widely explored in Arabidopsis and other plants, it has not been thoroughly studied in wheat (). This study was proposed to investigate the HMA gene family in wheat.

Integrating Pharmacological and Computational Approaches for the Phytochemical Analysis of and Its Anti-Diabetic Potential.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease caused by improper insulin secretion leading to hyperglycemia. has excellent therapeutic properties due to its high levels of phytochemicals. The current research aimed to evaluate the anti-diabetic potential of plant's seeds and the top two phytochemicals (kaempferol and gallic acid) were selected for further analysis.

Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Eliminate the Effect of Drought Stress in Plants: A Review.

Plants evolve diverse mechanisms to eliminate the drastic effect of biotic and abiotic stresses. Drought is the most hazardous abiotic stress causing huge losses to crop yield worldwide. Osmotic stress decreases relative water and chlorophyll content and increases the accumulation of osmolytes, epicuticular wax content, antioxidant enzymatic activities, reactive oxygen species, secondary metabolites, membrane lipid peroxidation, and abscisic acid.

Molecular Aspects of MicroRNAs and Phytohormonal Signaling in Response to Drought Stress: A Review.

Phytohormones play an essential role in plant growth and development in response to environmental stresses. However, plant hormones require a complex signaling network combined with other signaling pathways to perform their proper functions. Thus, multiple phytohormonal signaling pathways are a prerequisite for understanding plant defense mechanism against stressful conditions.

Comprehensive genomics and expression analysis of eceriferum (CER) genes in sunflower ().

Unlabelled: Sunflower occupies the fourth position among oilseed crops the around the world. Eceriferum (CER) is an important gene family that plays critical role in very-long-chain fatty acids elongation and biosynthesis of epicuticular waxes under both biotic and abiotic stress conditions. The aim of present study was to investigate the effect of sunflower genes during drought stress condition.

Associative effects of lignin-derived biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi applied to soil polluted from Pb-acid batteries effluents on barley grain safety.

While disobeying environmental regulations of Pakistan, several Pb-acid batteries recycling and repairing units discharge their effluents into water canals that irrigate arable fields. Resultantly, serious ecological risks, as well as human health hazards through consumption of edible crops grown on such Pb-polluted soils have been reported. In this experiment, we observed associative effects of amending a soil polluted from Pb-acid batteries effluents (SPB) with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and lignin-derived biochar (LBC) on barley grain safety to human health.

Promoting the productivity and quality of brinjal aligned with heavy metals immobilization in a wastewater irrigated heavy metal polluted soil with biochar and chitosan.

Depleting aquifers, lack of planning and low socioeconomic status of Pakistani farmers have led them to use wastewater (WW) for irrigating their crops causing food contamination with heavy metals and ultimately negative effects on human health. This study evaluates the effects of chitosan (CH) and biochar (BC) on growth and nutritional quality of brinjal plant together with in situ immobilization of heavy metals in a soil polluted with heavy metals due to irrigation with wastewater (SPHIW) and further irrigated with the same WW. Both CH and BC were applied at three different rates i.

Improvement in productivity, nutritional quality, and antioxidative defense mechanisms of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) in nickel contaminated soil amended with different biochar and zeolite ratios.

Nickel (Ni) contaminated soils pose a potential ecological risk to the environment, soil health, and quality of food produced on them. We hypothesized that application of miscanthus biochar (BC) and cationic zeolite (ZE) at various proportions into a Ni contaminated soil can efficiently immobilize Ni and reduce its bioavailability to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and maize (Zea mays L.

Knowledge and attitude regarding Ebola virus disease among medical students of Rawalpindi: A preventable threat not yet confronted.

Objective: To assess the knowledge and attitude regarding Ebola virus disease (EVD) among medical students of Rawalpindi.

Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was carried out in a medical college of Rawalpindi from September 2014-November 2014. About 400 students were inducted with 77% (n=308) response rate.

ASSOCIATION OF MATERNAL PERIODONTITIS WITH LOW BIRTH WEIGHT IN NEWBORNS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL.

Background: Low birth weight is a major public health problem in Pakistan. So there is a need for identification of its modifiable risk factors like periodontitis which will reduce its burden on the society. The objectives of the study were to find out the association between maternal periodontitis and low birth weight in new-borns of all gestational ages delivered in a tertiary care hospital of Abbottabad as well as to see the frequency of periodontitis severity in these subjects.

OBSERVANCE OF WHO TEN STEPS TOWARDS SUCCESSFUL BREASTFEEDING; A SURVEY FROM POSTPARTUM MOTHERS.

Background: Breastfeeding is a physiological phenomenon; nonetheless, this act is a learned behaviour that requires continuous active support to make it successful. This study determines the frequency of mothers practicing successful breastfeeding according to the WHO ten steps at tertiary care hospital.

Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in the Obstetrics department of Military Hospital, Rawalpindi over six month duration from July to December 2014.

Frequency of co-existence of dengue and malaria in patients presenting with acute febrile illness.

Objective: To find out the frequency of co-existence of malaria and dengue fever in patients presenting with acute febrile illness.

Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Military Hospital Rawalpindi from June to November 2012. A total of 500 patients with complaint of acute febrile illness were selected after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Clinical observations in leprosy cases treated at Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.

Objective: To document clinical status and disabilities among live treated leprosy patients.

Methods: The observational, descriptive study was carried out at the Leprosy Field Clinic, Diamer, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, over a period of six months from April 1, 2009 to September 30, 2009. All leprosy patients of either gender and all ages presenting at the centre were included.

RNA interference: the story of gene silencing in plants and humans.

RNA interference is an exciting field of functional genomics that can silence viral genes. This property of interfering RNA can be used to combat viral diseases of plants as well as animals and humans. It is a short sequence of nucleic acid that can bind to the mRNA of the gene and interferes the process of its expression.