Evaluating a worldwide wheat collection for resistance to Hessian fly biotype 'Great Plains'.

Hessian fly (HF), Mayetiola destructor, is a major insect pest that causes severe losses in grain yield and quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum). Growing resistant cultivars is the most cost-effective approach to minimize wheat yield losses caused by HF. In this study, 2,496 wheat accessions were screened for resistance to the HF biotype 'Great Plains' (GP) in the greenhouse experiments. To purify seeds from heterogeneous resistant accessions, we recovered single resistant plants from 331 accessions that had at least one resistant plant after HF infestation of a global collection of 1,595 accessions and confirmed 27 accessions with high resistance (HR), and 91 accessions with moderate resistance (MR) to the GP biotype using purified seeds. Screening of 203 U.S. winter wheat accessions in three experiments identified 63 HR and 28 MR accessions; and screening of three additional Asian panels identified 4 HR and 25 MR accessions. Together, this study identified 96 HR accessions and 144 MR accessions. Analysis of the geographic distribution of these HR and MR accessions revealed that these countries with HF as a major wheat pest usually showed higher frequencies of resistant accessions, with the highest frequency of HR (81.3%) and MR (30.6%) accessions identified from the U.S. In addition, phenotyping of 39 wheat accessions that carry known HF resistance genes showed that all the accessions except H1H2 remain effective against GP biotype. Some of these newly identified resistant accessions may contain new HF resistance genes and can be valuable sources for developing HF resistant wheat cultivars.

Analyzing solitary wave solutions of the nonlinear Murray equation for blood flow in vessels with non-uniform wall properties.

Solitary wave solutions are of great interest to bio-mathematicians and other scientists because they provide a basic description of nonlinear phenomena with many practical applications. They provide a strong foundation for the development of novel biological and medical models and therapies because of their remarkable behavior and persistence. They have the potential to improve our comprehension of intricate biological systems and help us create novel therapeutic approaches, which is something that researchers are actively investigating. In this study, solitary wave solutions of the nonlinear Murray equation will be discovered using a modified extended direct algebraic method. These solutions represent a uniform variation in blood vessel shape and diameter that can be used to stimulate blood flow in patients with cardiovascular disease. These solutions are newly in the literature, and give researchers an important tool for grasping complex biological systems. To see how the solitary wave solutions behave, graphs are displayed using Matlab.

Remediation of organic pollutant from the aqueous environment using in-house fabricated polyaniline-based hybrid composite (PANI-MnPBA/NiCoMnS) materials.

Polyaniline-based hybrid material (PANI-MnPBA/NiCoMnS) was prepared by hydrothermal-solvothermal approach. Synthesized hybrid material was characterized through FTIR-spectroscopy, p-XRD, SEM, EDX, BET, and Zetasizer techniques. Hybrid material as adsorbent for removal of Congo red (CR) from water system showed excellent results such as 98 % removal efficiency and 254 mg/g adsorption capacity. Furthermore, various studies like adsorption isothermal, kinetic, thermodynamic, and statistical analysis were performed to understand the adsorption phenomenon. From various kinetic models, pseudo-first and second-order kinetic models, intra-particle and liquid film diffusion kinetic models, pseudo-first-order kinetic model, and liquid-film diffusion kinetic model both are most suitable for explaining the adsorption phenomenon due to the greater value of R2 (0.955) for CR. According to these kinetic models, physio-sorption and diffusion play a basic role in the adsorption of CR. Moreover, ΔG (-1779.508 kJ mol-1) and ΔH (61,760.889 kJ mol-1) values explained the spontaneous and exothermic nature of the adsorption process, respectively. Furthermore, for support of the adsorption mechanism via electrostatic attractions before and after the adsorption process FTIR results of as-synthesized adsorbent were measured (NH peaks before 3668.88, after 3541.41 cm-1). These results confirm electrostatic attraction for the adsorption process. Finally, the statistical model was added (n < 1), according to this model, adsorption follows a multi-anchorage approach and adsorbent contains enough sites for adsorption of CR.

Enhanced Tribological Properties of Electrodeposited Fe-W Alloy Coatings through Carburization.

Carburization is a promising surface-hardening approach to maximize the tribological and mechanical properties of metals and alloys by making thin-layer surface carbides. The current study investigates the effect of carburizing on the electrodeposited Fe-W alloy coating. This process involeves the thermal decomposition of ethanol in an argon (Ar) atmosphere at varying temperatures. The amorphous electrodeposits of Fe-W alloy coating formed at optimized current density (500 A/cm2) are transformed to the uniform W-rich reinforced bimetallic carbide (Fe3W3C) layers at a carburizing temperature of 850 °C. The sample Fe-50WC (850 °C) shows enhanced hardness and highest wear resistance with a lowest specific wear rate (10-7 mm3/Nm) as compared to the as-electrodeposited Fe-W alloy and other Fe-W, Co-W, and hard chromium coatings reported in the literature. The present strategy can be applied to develop alternative, low cost, and environmentally friendly W-based composite coatings to replace the toxic chromium coatings.

Detection of genetic divergence among putative ethyl methane sulfonate mutants of super basmati using microsatellite markers.

BACKGROUND: Seeds of super basmati were mutagenized with different ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS) doses for creating genetic variability. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 48 randomly selected putative EMS mutants of super basmati were analyzed to dissect the genetic diversity by using 25 SSR primers located on twelve chromosomes of rice. SSRs analysis revealed that wide-range of genetic diversity is present among mutants of super basmati. A sum of 91 alleles were identified, out of these, 82 alleles were polymorphic and the rest of nine alleles were monomorphic in nature. The range of allele number was 2-10 with mean of 3.64 alleles/locus. The value of polymorphic information content was range between 0.039 (RM5) and 0.878 (RM44) with mean of 0.439 for each locus. A number of polymorphic markers showed unique bands of various sizes ranges from 75 to 1000 bp, during genetic dissection of mutant population. Dendrogram divided whole mutant population into four major groups. Phylogenic analyses revealed that 40-96%genetic similarity is present among individuals of mutant population. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that EMS induced genetic variability and SSRs markers (RM44, RM154, RM1, RM252, RM334, RM487, RM110 and RM257) could be handy for the selection of rice mutants as parents for functional genomic and molecular breeding program.

Synergistic Antibacterial Screening of Cymbopogon citratus and Azadirachta indica: Phytochemical Profiling and Antioxidant and Hemolytic Activities.

Current studies were performed to investigate the phytochemistry, synergistic antibacterial, antioxidant, and hemolytic activities of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Azadirachta indica (EA and WA) and Cymbopogon citratus (EC and WC) leaves. Fourier transform infrared data verified the existence of alcoholic, carboxylic, aldehydic, phenyl, and bromo moieties in plant leaves. The ethanolic extracts (EA and EC) were significantly richer in phenolics and flavonoids as compared to the aqueous extracts (WA and WC). The ethanolic extract of C. citratus (EC) contained higher concentrations of caffeic acid (1.432 mg/g), synapic acid (6.743 mg/g), and benzoic acid (7.431 mg/g) as compared to all other extracts, whereas chlorogenic acid (0.311 mg/g) was present only in the aqueous extract of A. indica (WA). Food preservative properties of C. citratus can be due to the presence of benzoic acid (7.431 mg/g). -Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis demonstrated the presence of 36 and 23 compounds in A. indica and C. citratus leaves, respectively. Inductively coupled plasma analysis was used to determine the concentration of 26 metals (Al, As, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Si, Sn, Sr, V, Zn, Zr, Ti); the metal concentrations were higher in aqueous extracts as compared to the ethanolic extracts. The extracts were generally richer in calcium (3000-7858 ppm), potassium (13662-53,750 ppm), and sodium (3181-8445 ppm) and hence can be used in food supplements as a source of these metals. Antioxidant potential (DDPH method) of C. citratus ethanolic extract was the highest (74.50 ± 0.66%), whereas it was the lowest (32.22 ± 0.28%) for the aqueous extract of A. indica. Synergistic inhibition of bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli) was observed when the aqueous extracts of both the plants were mixed together in certain ratios (v/v). The highest antibacterial potential was exhibited by the pure extract of C. citratus, which was even higher than that of the standard drug (ciprofloxacin). The plant extracts and their mixtures were more active against S. aureus as compared to E. coli. No toxic hemolytic effects were observed for the investigated extracts indicating their safe medicinal uses for human beings.

Designing Electron-Deficient Diketone Unit Based Non-Fused Ring Acceptors with Amplified Optoelectronic Features for Highly Efficient Organic Solar Cells: A DFT Study.

Organic solar cells (OSCs) made of electron-acceptor and electron-donor materials have significantly developed in the last decade, demonstrating their enormous potential in cutting-edge optoelectronic applications. Consequently, we designed seven novel non-fused ring electron acceptors (NFREAs) (BTIC-U1 to BTIC-U7) using synthesized electron-deficient diketone units and reported end-capped acceptors, a viable route for augmented optoelectronic properties. The DFT and TDDFT approaches were used to measure the power conversion efficiency (PCE), open circuit voltage (Voc), reorganization energies (λh, λe), fill factor (FF), light harvesting efficiency (LHE) and to evaluate the potential usage of proposed compounds in solar cell applications. The findings confirmed that the photovoltaic, photophysical, and electronic properties of the designed molecules BTIC-U1 to BTIC-U7 are superior to those of reference BTIC-R. The TDM analysis demonstrates a smooth flow of charge from the core to the acceptor groups. Charge transfer analysis of the BTIC-U1:PTB7-Th blend revealed orbital superposition and successful charge transfer from HOMO (PTB7-Th) to LUMO (BTIC-U1). The BTIC-U5 and BTIC-U7 outperformed the reference BTIC-R and other developed molecules in terms of PCE (23.29% and 21.18%), FF (0.901 and 0.894), normalized Voc (48.674 and 44.597), and Voc (1.261 eV and 1.155 eV). The proposed compounds enclose high electron and hole transfer mobilities, making them the ideal candidate for use with PTB7-Th film. As a result, future SM-OSC design should prioritize using these constructed molecules, which exhibit excellent optoelectronic properties, as superior scaffolds.

First theoretical probe for efficient enhancement of optical nonlinearity via structural modifications into phenylene based D-π-A configured molecules.

The design of nonlinear optical (NLO) materials using conjugated molecules via different techniques is reported in the literature to boost the use of these systems in NLO. Therefore, in the current study, designed phenylene based non-fullerene organic compounds with a D-π-A framework were selected for NLO investigation. The initial compound (PMD-1) was taken as a reference and its seven derivatives (PMDC2-PMDC8) were made by introducing different acceptor moieties into the chemical structure of PMD-1. To explain the NLO findings, frontier molecular orbital (FMO), transition density matrix (TDM), density of states (DOS), natural bond orbital (NBO) and UV-Vis study of the title compounds was executed by applying the PBE1PBE functional with the 6-311G(d,p) basis set. The descending order of band gaps (E gap) was reported as PMDC7 (2.656) > PMDC8 (2.485) > PMD-1 (2.131) > PMDC3 (2.103) > PMDC2 (2.079) > PMDC4 (2.065) > PMDC5 (2.059) > PMDC6 (2.004), in eV. Global reactivity parameters (GRPs) were associated with E gap values as PMDC6 with the lowest band gap showed less hardness (0.0368 E h) and high softness (13.5785 E h). The UV-Vis investigation revealed that the maximum λ max (739.542 nm) was exhibited by PMDC6 in dichloromethane (DCM) as compared to other derivatives. Additionally, natural bond orbital (NBO) based findings revealed that PMDC6 exhibited the highest stability value (34.98 kcal mol-1) because of prolonged hyper-conjugation. The dipole moment (µ), average linear polarizability 〈α〉, first hyperpolarizability (ß tot) and second hyperpolarizability (γ tot) were evaluated for the reference and its derivatives. Consequently, among the designed compounds, the highest ß tot (4.469 × 10-27 esu) and γ tot (5.600 × 10-32 esu) values were shown by PMDC6. Hence, it's concluded from said results that these structural modifications proved PMDC6 as the best second and third order NLO candidate for various applications like fiber optics, signal processing and data storage.

Determination and detoxification of aflatoxin and ochratoxin in maize from different regions of Pakistan.

The contamination of food commodities with mycotoxins could be a serious health threat to humans and animals. Therefore, identification, quantification and reduction of mycotoxins in food commodities, particularly of aflatoxins (AFs) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in grain foods, is essentially required to guarantee safe food. This study determined the levels of AFs and OTA in 135 maize grains samples belonging to eight salient maize varieties cultivated in Pakistan, and evaluated the usefulness of radiations and adsorbents to reduce their levels. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-based method was validated for the determination of AFs and OTA in maize grains. The results showed that 69 and 61% samples were positive for AFs and OTA, respectively and 54 and 22% of the respective samples had AFs and OTA above the permissible limits set by Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority. The concentration of AFs, AFB1and OTA in grains ranged from 14.5 to 92.4, 1.02 to 2.46 and 1.41 to 53.9 µg kg-1, respectively. Among the varieties, Pearl had the highest level of total AFs and OTA, whereas YH-5427 had the highest AFB1 level. The lowest concentration of AFs and OTA was found in Malaka and 30Y87, respectively. The use of 15 kGy gamma irradiation for 24 h, sunlight-drying for 20 h and UV irradiation for 12 h almost completely degraded the mycotoxins. The microwave heating for 120 s resulted in 9-33% degradation of mycotoxins. Moreover, the treatment of grains' extract with activated charcoal (5% w/w) removed > 96% of total AFs and AFB1, and up to 43% of OTA. The use of bentonite at the same rate removed OTA, total AFs and AFB1 by 93, 73 and 92%, respectively. Thus, it is concluded that contamination of maize grains with mycotoxins was fairly high in the collected maize grain samples in Pakistan, and treatment with radiations and adsorbents can effectively reduce mycotoxins contamination level in maize grains.

Influence of End-Capped Modifications in the Nonlinear Optical Amplitude of Nonfullerene-Based Chromophores with a D-π-A Architecture: A DFT/TDDFT Study.

Nonlinear optical (NLO) materials have several uses in many fields such as solid physics, biology, medicine, nuclear physics, and material research. Therefore, a series of nonfullerene-based derivatives (CC10D1-CC10D8) with a D-π-A configuration was planned for the NLO investigation using CC10R as the reference molecule with structural alternations at acceptor moieties. Natural bonding orbital (NBO), UV-vis spectra, frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), global reactivity parameters (GRPs), transition density matrix (TDM), and density of states (DOS) were analyzed using the M06/6-311G(d,p) functional in chloroform solvent to understand the NLO responses of CC10R and CC10D1-CC10D8. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) band gaps of CC10D1-CC10D6 were illustrated to be lower than that of CC10R, with the larger bathochromic shift (726.408-782.674 nm) resulting in a significant NLO response. Along with the band gap, the FMO method also identified an efficient interfacial charge transfer from D to A moieties via a π-bridge, which was further supported by the DOS and TDM map. Moreover, NBO calculations demonstrated that extended hyperconjugation and strong internal molecular interactions were important in their stabilization. The dipole moment (µ), linear polarizability ⟨α⟩, hyperpolarizability (ßtotal), and second-order hyperpolarizability (γtotal.) were studied for CC10R and CC10D1-CC10D8. Among all of the derivatives, CC10D2 was proven to be the most appropriate candidate because of its suitable NLO behavior such as being well-supported by a reduced band gap (2.093 eV) and having a suitable maximum absorption wavelength (782.674 nm). Therefore, CC10D2 was reported to have a greater value of first hyperpolarizability (208 659.330 a.u.) compared with other derivatives and CC10R. For the second hyperpolarizability, a greater value was obtained for CC10R (5.855 × 107 a.u.), and its derivatives showed results comparable to that of the parent chromophore for γtotal. This theoretical framework reveals that structural customization with different acceptor units plays a significant role in obtaining attractive NLO materials for optoelectronic applications.

Exploration of Nonlinear Optical Properties for the First Theoretical Framework of Non-Fullerene DTS(FBTTh2)2-Based Derivatives.

Organic compounds having significant nonlinear optical (NLO) applications are being employed in the optoelectronics field. In the current work, a series of non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) based compounds are designed by modifying the acceptors with different substituents using DTS(FBTTh 2 ) 2 R1 as a reference compound. To study the NLO responses to the tuning of various acceptors, DFT and TD-DFT based parameters were calculated at the M06 level along with the 6-31G(d,p) basis set. The designed compounds (MSTD2-MSTD7) showed smaller values of the energy gap in comparison to the reference compound. The energy gaps of the title compounds were linked to global reactivity insights; MSTD7 provided a lower band gap, with smaller and larger quantities for hardness and softness characteristics, respectively. Further, UV-vis analyses were performed for all of the designed compounds, displaying wavelengths red-shifted from that of DTS(FBTTh 2 ) 2 R1 . The intraelectron transfer (ICT) process and stability of the title compounds were explored via frontier molecular orbital (FMO) and natural bond orbital (NBO) studies, respectively. Out of all the designed compounds, the highest value of linear polarizability ⟨α⟩ of 3.485 × 10-22 esu, first hyperpolarizability (ßtotal) of 13.44 × 10-27 esu and second-order hyperpolarizability ⟨γ⟩ of 3.66 × 10-31 esu were exhibited by MSTD7. In short, all of the designed compounds exhibited promising NLO properties because of their low charge transport resistance. These NLO properties may be useful for experimental researchers to uncover NLO materials for modern applications.

Genetic Alterations, DNA Methylation, Alloantibodies and Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Type III von Willebrand Disease.

Type III von Willebrand disease is present in the Punjab province of Pakistan along with other inherited bleeding disorders like hemophilia. Cousin marriages are very common in Pakistan so genetic studies help to establish protocols for screening, especially at the antenatal level. Factors behind the phenotypic variation of the severity of bleeding in type III vWD are largely unknown. The study was conducted to determine Mutations/genetic alterations in type III von Willebrand disease and also to determine the association of different mutations, methylation status, ITGA2B/B3 mutations and alloimmunization with the severity of type III vWD. After informed consent and detailed history of the patients, routine tests and DNA extraction from blood, mutational analysis was performed by Next Generation Sequencing on Ion Torrent PGM. DNA methylation status was also checked with the help of PCR. In our cohort, 55 cases were detected with pathogenic mutations. A total of 27 different mutations were identified in 55 solved cases; 16 (59.2%) were novel. The mean bleeding score in truncating mutations and essential splice site mutations was relatively higher than weak and strong missense mutations. The mean bleeding score showed insignificant variation for different DNA methylation statuses of the VWF gene at the cg23551979 CpG site. Mutations in exons 7,10, 25, 28, 31, 43, and intron 41 splice site account for 75% of the mutations.

Impact of Refractive Errors on the Academic Performance of High School Children of Lahore.

Introduction: The process of learning begins in childhood and accurate vision can greatly affects a child's learning capacity. It is documented that visual impairment in children can have a significant impact on their performance at school as well as their social interaction and development. Objective: This research aimed to study the impact of refractive corrections on the academic performance of high school children in Lahore. Methodology: A total of 2,000 students with equal distribution of gender, public, private school, and locality were included in the study. All students were screened for defective vision. The academic performance before and after corrections was recorded on the prescribed proforma. Results: The prevalence of refractive error was high among the public high schools 244 (59.2%) as compared to the private schools 168 (40.8%). The area-based prevalence was higher among the students in urban settings 255 (62%) while in rural it was 157 (38%). It was found that in the public sector, the average score of academic results before the intervention was 56.39 ± 13.24 which was increased to 60.27 ± 14.94 after the intervention while in the private sector, before the intervention, the average score was 63.53 ± 17.50 which was improved to 67.12 ± 18.48. It was found to be statistically significant at p-value < 0.05. Conclusion: A significant impact was observed in the average academic scores of the results after refractive corrections.

Genotyping-by-Sequencing Based Molecular Genetic Diversity of Pakistani Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Accessions.

Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most imperative staple food crops, with an annual production of 765 million tons globally to feed ∼40% world population. Genetic diversity in available germplasm is crucial for sustainable wheat improvement to ensure global food security. A diversity panel of 184 Pakistani wheat accessions was genotyped using 123,596 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers generated by genotyping-by-sequencing with 42% of the SNPs mapped on B, 36% on A, and 22% on D sub-genomes of wheat. Chromosome 2B contains the most SNPs (9,126), whereas 4D has the least (2,660) markers. The mean polymorphic information content, genetic diversity, and major allele frequency of the population were 0.157, 0.1844, and 0.87, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance revealed a higher genetic diversity (80%) within the sub-population than among the sub-populations (20%). The genome-wide linkage disequilibrium was 0.34 Mbp for the whole wheat genome. Among the three subgenomes, A has the highest LD decay value (0.29 Mbp), followed by B (0.2 Mbp) and D (0.07 Mbp) genomes, respectively. The results of population structure, principal coordinate analysis, phylogenetic tree, and kinship analysis also divided the whole population into three clusters comprising 31, 33, and 120 accessions in group 1, group 2, and group 3, respectively. All groups were dominated by the local wheat accessions. Estimation of genetic diversity will be a baseline for the selection of breeding parents for mutations and the genome-wide association and marker-assisted selection studies.

Positron emission tomography - computed tomography as a monitoring response tool in pre-fibrotic myelofibrosis: A case report.

Primary myelofibrosis is a haematopoietic stem cell neoplasm resulting in ineffective haematopoiesis and bone marrow fibrosis. We present a case of a 67-year-old male patient who came to the oncology/haematology department of Dr. Ziauddin Hospital, Karachi, in February 2020 with complaints of weight loss, gastroesophageal reflux and loss of appetite. Examination revealed splenomegaly and initial workup demonstrated bicytopenia on complete blood picture. Bone marrow biopsy was consistent with pre-fibrotic myelofibrosis (Janus kinase 2 (JAK-2) positive). He was categorized as intermediate-2 risk according to Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System (DIPPS) with score of 3 and was advised to start JAK-1/JAK-2 inhibitors. Prior to therapy, he underwent positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) scan which showed increased fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in the spleen and bone marrow. Monitoring by the scan after initiating treatment demonstrated decreased FDG uptake in bone marrow and spleen, demonstrating that PET/CT is a non-invasive way to assess and monitor treatment response in pre-fibrotic myelofibrosis.

Field-in-Field Technique With Intrafractionally Modulated Junction Shifts for Craniospinal Irradiation Planning With Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Planning craniospinal irradiation (CSI) with ''field-in-field'' (FIF) homogenization technique in combination with daily, intrafractional modulation of the field junctions is needed to avoid spinal cord overdose. Photon-based techniques for CSI may result in dose inhomogeneity within the treatment volume and usually require a weekly manual shift of the field junctions to minimize the possibility of spinal cord overdose. Nowadays, FIF technique is used to feather out the dose inhomogeneity caused by multiple fields. We have started using this technique after acquiring advanced technology machines in recent years. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Sixteen patients treated with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) for CSI were retrospectively chosen for analysis. These patients were treated during 2019-2020. Contouring of planning target volume (PTV) and organs at risk (OAR) was done, and planning was done on Varian EclipseTM Treatment Planning System (TPS) (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA). These patients were planned with lateral craniocervical fields and posterior spinal fields using a forward-planned FIF technique. Field junctions were automatically modulated and custom-weighted for maximal homogeneity within each treatment fraction. Dose-volume histogram (DVH) was used for analysis of results. A corresponding plan without FIF technique was planned; then maximum dose at the junction was noted for each patient with both plans, and the readings were evaluated. Paired sample t-test was used to compute the p-values for the inferential statistics. RESULTS: Without FIF technique, the volume receiving 110% of the prescribed dose ranged from 39% to 74% (mean: 62.12%) and volume receiving 120% dose ranged from 8% to 28% (mean: 17.68%), whereas with FIF technique, the thecal sac volume receiving 110% of dose ranged from 2% to 18% (mean: 11%) and volume receiving 120% ranged from 0% to 2%. Volume receiving 100% of the dose was also calculated in both techniques; mean values of this dose range was almost similar in both groups. Later p-value was calculated, and in both dose ranges of thecal sac volume receiving 110% and 120%, the difference in values was statistically significant. Therefore, it proved that plan inhomogeneity improved with FIF technique. This technique provided consistent dose delivery during each fraction of treatment across the junctions. The maximum doses calculated at the junction were higher in the CSI plans without FIF compared to those with FIF technique. CONCLUSION: This study concludes that better dose homogeneity is achieved with FIF technique as compared to non-FIF technique, and the difference in values was statistically significant.

Psychological impacts of COVID-19 and satisfaction from online classes: disturbance in daily routine and prevalence of depression, stress, and anxiety among students of Pakistan.

The present study investigated the (i) socio-demographic predictors of psychological distress, (ii) socio-demographic predictors of satisfaction from online classes, and (iii) the relationship between psychological distress and satisfaction from online classes among university students of Pakistan during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online questionnaire-based survey was conducted. A total of 2220 respondents that was enrolled at the University of the Punjab (PU), University of Management and Technology (UMT), and the University of Central Punjab (UCP) were involved in the current study. Data were collected at a 64% response rate and analyzed with SPSS IBM Version 21.0. Results revealed that approximately 41% of the students were facing severe psychological distress while about 65% were found unsatisfied with online classes. Besides, a linear negative relationship between the independent variable, i.e. psychological distress and the dependent variable, i.e. satisfaction from online classes was found. Therefore, to minimize the level of psychological distress and increase students' satisfaction with online classes it is highly recommended to take precautionary measures by the relevant stakeholders.

Clinico-Pathological Features Of Granular Cell Astrocytoma.

We report a rare case of Granular cell astrocytoma (GCA) in a 59 years old male and the dilemma related to its histopathological diagnosis. As Granular cell Astrocytoma cells resemble macrophages this case is important in the pitfalls in its diagnosis and this report emphasizes on the issues related to it. This particular patient had neurological complaints for 7 months and was not investigated. Later he had a CT scan followed by a contrast-enhanced MRI of the Brain that showed multiple focal lesions with surrounding oedema. After metastatic workup with PET/CT scan which was negative; he underwent craniotomy and biopsy of the lesion, which at first was reported as benign. Later his blocks were sent abroad and on further immunohistochemical markers it was finally reported as Granular Cell Astrocytoma (Granular cell Astrocytoma). Granular cell Astrocytoma is a very rare subtype of glioblastoma, which was first described by Markesbery et al in 1973 as a granular cell tumour (GCT) in the brain/central nervous system. GCAs are rare and highly aggressive brain tumours. The cells of GCA are distinguished from macrophages by their expression of glial immune-stains, including glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The perplexity in diagnosing GCA in this case and its similar characteristics as other benign conditions; makes it a unique rare brain tumour on which we should keep an eye on when we have a fix in diagnosis of similar brain lesions.

Surveillance of Patulin in Apple, Grapes, Juices and Value-Added Products for Sale in Pakistan.

The prime objective of the current study was to investigate the occurrence of mycotoxin patulin (PAT) in apples, grapes and their value added products. PAT was determined by a validated method based on HPLC with UV detector. A total of 381 samples comprising apple and grape fruits (n = 133 each), apple-based products (n = 76, juice, puree, jam) and grape juice (n = 39) were analyzed. PAT was found in 58.9% samples of apple and apple-based products, with a mean of 49.8 µg/kg (maximum 396 µg/kg), while 27.3% samples contained PAT beyond the maximum regulatory limit of 50 µg/kg. The average levels of PAT contamination in apple-derived products was higher in apple juice concentrate, followed by apple puree, apple juice and apple jam. The incidence of PAT in table grapes was 65.1%, with a mean of 53.9 µg/kg (maximum 505 µg/kg), whereas 23.8% exceeded the maximum level. Among the fruit samples, there were differences in PAT contents due to apple variety (6 types) or grape variety (8 types), as well as for sampling location. Our investigations showed the wide PAT occurrence in fruits and derived value-added products affecting consumer product safety, so that the population is chronically exposed to this toxin.

Unusual pattern of aflatoxins and ochratoxin in commercially grown maize varieties of Pakistan.

The contamination of food with mycotoxins could be a major health risk. Identification and quantification of mycotoxins in maize are essentially required to guarantee food safety. Seven commonly grown maize cultivars were sown at semi-arid conditions in Pakistan. After harvesting plants, total aflatoxin (AFs), aflatoxins B1 (AFB1), B2 (AFB2), G1 (AFG1), G2 (AFG2), and ochratoxin-A (OTA) contents were determined in maize flour using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results showed an unusual pattern of AFs in maize with a higher concentration of AFG1 in all maize varieties. The AFB1 was not found in most of the samples, however, all maize grains contained AFs above the maximum tolerable limit (20 µg/kg). The highest concentration of AFs was recorded in Ayub-1/26 maize (362.8 µg/kg). Ochratoxin-A (OTA) was detected in 71% maize samples ranged from 2.14 to 214 µg/kg. The highest OTA and microbial load were recorded in Ayub-2/27 grains that exceeded the FDA limit (50 µg/kg). These results indicated the higher prevalence of total AFs, AFG1, and OTA at the harvest stage of maize that could pose significant health hazards to humans and livestock.