Simultaneous Biofortification of Wheat with Zinc, Iodine, Selenium, and Iron through Foliar Treatment of a Micronutrient Cocktail in Six Countries.

Field experiments were conducted on wheat to study the effects of foliar-applied iodine(I) alone, Zn (zinc) alone, and a micronutrient cocktail solution containing I, Zn, Se (selenium), and Fe (iron) on grain yield and grain concentrations of micronutrients. Plants were grown over 2 years in China, India, Mexico, Pakistan, South Africa, and Turkey. Grain-Zn was increased from 28.6 mg kg-1 to 46.0 mg-1 kg with Zn-spray and 47.1 mg-1 kg with micronutrient cocktail spray. Foliar-applied I and micronutrient cocktail increased grain I from 24 µg kg-1 to 361 µg kg-1 and 249 µg kg-1, respectively. Micronutrient cocktail also increased grain-Se from 90 µg kg-1 to 338 µg kg-1 in all countries. Average increase in grain-Fe by micronutrient cocktail solution was about 12%. The results obtained demonstrated that foliar application of a cocktail micronutrient solution represents an effective strategy to biofortify wheat simultaneously with Zn, I, Se and partly with Fe without yield trade-off in wheat.

A Study of the Association between Diabetes Mellitus and Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection / Un Estudio de la Asociación entre la Diabetes Mellitus y la Infección Crónica por el Virus de la Hepatitis B

ABSTRACT Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and diabetes mellitus are major health problems associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The published literature suggests an association of diabetes mellitus with liver disease. However, the role of HBV infection in diabetes aetiology is still controversial. The present study was conducted to explore the veracity of this enigmatic association among Pakistani subjects. Methodology: The blood samples and clinical information were collected from chronic HBV-positive patients Group 1 (n = 120), and their age and gender were matched with those of the healthy control subjects Group 2 (n = 120). Hepatitis B virus-positive patients were also subdivided into two groups; (Group 1a and Group 1b) with and without liver cirrhosis for evaluation of the prevalence of diabetes. Results: The study revealed that there were statistically significant differences in the biochemical parameters in the HBV-positive and control groups. There was no correlation between diabetes and HBV with the prevalence of diabetes mellitus being similar in subjects with and without HBsAg (11.7% in the positive group and 10% in the controls). Since there were a relatively large number (32.5%) of HBV-positive patients with liver cirrhosis, a comparison of biochemical parameters was also carried out to evaluate the extent of the liver damage and its association with diabetes. During the comparison of HBV patients with and without cirrhosis for the prevalence of diabetes, no aetiologic association was found with diabetes. Conclusion: Study revealed that there was no correlation between HBV infection and diaabetes despite the significantly different biochemical parameters in the HBV-infected group and control subjects.

RESUMEN Antecedentes: La infección por el virus de la hepatitis B (VHB) y la diabetes mellitus son problemas de salud importantes asociados con morbilidad y mortalidad significativas. La literatura publicada sugiere una asociación de la diabetes mellitus con las enfermedades hepáticas. Sin embargo, el papel de la infección por VHB en la etiología de diabetes sigue siendo contro-versial. El presente estudio fue conducido con el propósito de explorar la veracidad de esta enigmática asociación entre sujetos paquistaníes. Metodología: Se recogieron muestras de sangre e información clínica de pacientes crónicos VHB positivos Grupo 1 (n = 120), y su edad y género fueron comparados con los de los sujetos sanos del control Grupo 2 (n = 120). Los pacientes positivos al virus de la hepatitis B también se subdividieron en dos grupos, a saber, (Grupo 1a y Grupo 1b) con y sin cirrosis hepática en relación con la prevalencia de la diabetes. Resultados: El estudio reveló que hubo diferencias significativas en estos dos grupos en los parámetros bioquímicos entre el grupo de control y el grupo VHB positivo. En estos dos grupos no hubo correlación entre la diabetes y el VHB. Puesto que hubo un número relativamente grande (32.5%) de pacientes VHB positivos con cirrosis hepática, se realizó también una comparación de los parámetros bioquímicos a fin de comprender el grado del daño hepático y su asociación con la diabetes. Durante la comparación de los pacientes con VHB con y sin cirrosis en relación con la prevalencia de diabetes, no se halló asociación etiológica con la diabetes. Conclusión: Este estudio reveló que no hubo correlación entre la infección por VHB y la diabetes, a pesar de los parámetros bioquímicos significativamente diferentes entre el grupo infectado por el VHB y los sujetos del control.

Prevalence and chemotherapy of babesiosis among Lohi sheep in the Livestock Experiment Station, Qadirabad, Pakistan, and environs

A total of 310 blood smears were collected from sheep of the Livestock Experiment Station, Qadirabad, Sahiwal district, Pakistan, and surrounding areas. The samples were examined microscopically and 30 (9.67 percent) were positive for babesiosis. The animals were divided into two groups (A and B) for chemotherapy. Group A sheep were treated with diminazene diaceturate while group B animals received imidocarb dipropionate. Drug efficacy was determined by negative blood smear examination. Diminazene diaceturate effectiveness against babesiosis was 80 percent while that of imidocarb dipropionate was 100 percent. Hematological studies revealed a significant decrease in hemoglobin concentrations and hematocrit values for Babesia-positive animals compared to healthy controls.(AU)

Prevalence and chemotherapy of babesiosis among Lohi sheep in the Livestock Experiment Station, Qadirabad, Pakistan, and environs

A total of 310 blood smears were collected from sheep of the Livestock Experiment Station, Qadirabad, Sahiwal district, Pakistan, and surrounding areas. The samples were examined microscopically and 30 (9.67%) were positive for babesiosis. The animals were divided into two groups (A and B) for chemotherapy. Group A sheep were treated with diminazene diaceturate while group B animals received imidocarb dipropionate. Drug efficacy was determined by negative blood smear examination. Diminazene diaceturate effectiveness against babesiosis was 80% while that of imidocarb dipropionate was 100%. Hematological studies revealed a significant decrease in hemoglobin concentrations and hematocrit values for Babesia-positive animals compared to healthy controls.(AU)

Risks of vaccination: a review

To be granted a product license, a vaccine must present adequate quality, safety and efficacy. Studies on these criteria often utilize target species in a laboratory setting. Vaccines that had been proven effective during laboratory analysis may not present the same features when sold on a large scale, after encountering field conditions, and furthermore, can even produce complications. Measures are already in place to detect adverse reactions as reported by veterinarians to manufacturers, so that vaccines under suspicion of failing can be identified and investigated. The present review article describes the main problems, specifically adverse reactions and lack of efficacy, that have been encountered following release of vaccines for general use.(AU)

Risks of vaccination: a review

To be granted a product license, a vaccine must present adequate quality, safety and efficacy. Studies on these criteria often utilize target species in a laboratory setting. Vaccines that had been proven effective during laboratory analysis may not present the same features when sold on a large scale, after encountering field conditions, and furthermore, can even produce complications. Measures are already in place to detect adverse reactions as reported by veterinarians to manufacturers, so that vaccines under suspicion of failing can be identified and investigated. The present review article describes the main problems, specifically adverse reactions and lack of efficacy, that have been encountered following release of vaccines for general use.