Most Viewed Articles

Floriculture is the branch of horticulture that deals with the cultivation and management of flowers and ornamental plants and has blossomed into commercial activity with considerable growth and a useful crop diversification option, particularly for small farmers over the past three decades. It is a global industry with significant economic, social, and aesthetic values. Globally 171 countries practice floriculture. India occupies 51st position in terms of exports and contributes Rs. 455 crores which is 0.06% of global trade.The present study was carried out during the College on Wheels project organized by the Higher Education Council, Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, and was aimed to explore the floral and ornamental plant diversity of major metropolitan cities like Delhi, Goa, Bengaluru, Mumbai, etc. of India for evaluating their suitability for introduction in floriculture of Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.The floral and ornamental plant species were explored, photographed, evaluated, identified, and inventorised. A total of 51 species belonging to 23 different families of floral and ornamental plants were explored and evaluated in terms of parameters like climate, soil type, photoperiod requirements, watering needs, and maintenance requirements for their cultivation. It was found that some of the explored species of ornamental plants were already introduced into the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir because the parameters for the successful growth and thriving of these species match with the existing climatic and other conditions in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Besides, the climatic and other requirements of some of the explored species were found in conformity with the climatic and other parameters available in the Union Territory of J&K for the successful establishment and growth of plants. Thus, there is an urgent need to introduce these explored species into the region to enhance the floral diversity of ornamental plants, beautify the landscape, and promote tourism and the generation of better livelihood. The Department of Floriculture should take a lead role in this direction to import these floral and ornamental plant specimens from pan India.

Ilex paraguariensis, also known as ‘Yerba mate’, occurs naturally in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay and is also grown in these countries with different intensities. Leaves and branches of this plant are used in the preparation of a stimulant beverage that beside social importance has notorious health impact. However, the cultivated herbs present low productivity, due to deficiencies in cultivation and harvesting techniques, as well as due to the abiotic stresses that this species is subject to. The discovery and characterization of cold response mechanisms in plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana, began research in order to unravel the physiological and molecular mechanisms in response to cold in other plant species. In this work, we studied the physiological response observed in Ilex paraguariensis plants submitted to low temperatures (0°C), with or without a pre-moderate acclimatization treatment period of (8°C). Our results suggest the existence of an acclimation response in Ilex paraguariensis, similar to that described in other species of the same temperature.

Stable reference genes are indispensable for ensuring the fidelity of determined gene expression levels. However, the expression levels of reference genes are unable to remain constant under all possible experimental conditions. Therefore, the stability determination of reference genes is necessary in an experimental system set. In the preset study, the stability of nine cucumber candidate reference genes (CsACT, CsUBQ, CsEF1α, CsCYP, CsαTU, CsCACS, CsTIP41, CsYSL8 and CsHEL) subjected to stresses from Phytophthora melonis(P. melonis) were determined using four different analysis methods, including Delta Ct, BestKeeper, NormFinder and GeNorm. The study results revealed that CsUBQ and CsCYP were the most stable genes suitable as internal control in cucumber plants under attack by P. melonis condition.

Canine Distemper have become a major concern within the veterinary clinical work. Thus, the appearance of many cases of canine distemper in adult animals with their vaccination plan up to date has alarmed veterinarians. Many cases of canine distemper have become a major concern within the clinical veterinary task. The purpose of this work was to detect the gene of hemagglutinin of the virus canine distemper, by using the Polymerase Chain Reaction associated with Reverse transcription (RT-PCR), as confirmation of the clinical diagnosis of disease. For this, peripheral blood samples of animals were used clinically patients and were grouped according to their date of extraction and using vaccines commercial as control. The results allow to demonstrate a high sensitivity of the technique, besides allowing the use of samples up to seven days of storage at 4°C, despite the fragility of RNA viral. Detection of canine distemper virus haemagglutinin gene in field samples and its high sensitivity, suggests studying its use as a diagnostic tool complementary to the clinical diagnosis of canine distemper in our country.

Acute osteomyelitis (AOM) is defined as an inflammation of the bone secondary to infection. Among the most common complications of AOM is the development of a periosteal abscess and the extension of the focus locally to muscle (pyomyositis) and/or joint (osteoarthritis). However, complications with much lower incidence have been described, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and septic pulmonary embolisms (SPE), mainly associated with S. aureus infections. The AOM + DVT + ESP triad is a fairly uncommon entity in the pediatric population; however, if it is not diagnosed and treated in time, it implies a high morbidity and mortality. Treatment, which must be early and aggressive, includes targeted antibiotic therapy, anticoagulation, and focused control surgery. In this article, we describe the case of a 14-year-old boy with disseminated staphylococcal infection associated with the triad AOM+ DVT + SPE.

Two experimental feeding trials were conducted concurrently to study the growth response of African catfish Clarias gariepinus fingerlings to graded levels (0, 5, 10, 15 or 20%) of clupeids in Danish fish meal (DFM) based diets. Chemical analysis of the DFM and clupeids fish meal (CFM) was carried out. Completely randomized design with triplicated groups of fingerlings were used for both trials in an indoor and out-door concrete tanks for six and twelve weeks respectively. The study aimed at achieving a cost effective fish meal from local aquatic resources (clupeids fish) highly prolific and abundant in Nigeria water bodies to replace foreign fish meal in West Africa Region. A project supported by West African Agricultural Productivity Project (WAAPP) in NIFFR, Nigeria. The results of proximate, amino acid profile, mineral and fatty acid composition analysis of CFM indicated values which are very close to those of the DFM. The proximate analysis revealed CFM to contain 70.6% crude protein while DFM contains 72%. There were no significant difference between the treatments with respect to final weight, feed consumed, feed conversion ratio, digestibility and survival (P>0.05) although there was significant difference in specific growth rate (P<0.05) with the highest value obtained in the diets with both fish meal at ratio 1:1. There were no significant difference in haematological parameters (P>0.05). However the lymphocytes were high in all the groups which might not be particularly due to the treatments. The high proliferation of the body defence cells by the fish could be a mechanism of survival in the aqua-medium which is likely to be high in microbial load due to waste materials. Feed Cost/Kg for DFM was N260.16 while for CFM was N227.16. The results of chemical analysis and feeding trials indicated positive replacement of the DFM with CFM in fish feeds without negative effect on growth performance

Background: Atrophic scars following acne vulgaris are considered an aesthetic, psychological, and social problem for patients, and despite the existence of many treatment options, finding modern treatments is a necessity to reduce side effects associated with current therapies and reduce the financial burden on patients.Objectives: to evaluate the efficacy of punch elevation combined with dermapen in treating atrophic scars following acne vulgaris on the cheeks, and to evaluate patients' satisfaction with this procedure.Methods: This clinical trial involved 19 patients to evaluate the efficacy of punch elevation combined with dermapen in treating post-acne scars.Results: According to the Goodman and Baroon scale for acne scars, and after 6 months, the percentage of grade 4 decreased from 26.3% to 10.5%, grade 3 decreased from 73.7% to 31.6%, grade 2 increased from 0% to 52.6%, and grade 1 increased from 0% to 5.3%. p - value was less than 0.005, indicating a relationship between the degrees of atrophic scars on the Goodman-Baron qualitative scale after 6 months of treatment. According to the improvement scale, good improvement was 10.5%, acceptable improvement was 57.9% and no improvement was 31.6%. Patients were satisfied with the procedure after 3-6 months according to the modified Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale for Patient Evaluation.

The analysis of dependence of the length projection of Li vectors of biparametrical inhibited and activated (La) enzymatic reactions from the length projection of vectors of monoparametrical inhibited and activated enzymatic reactions on the basic σ0 plane in three-dimensional coordinate system, allows to deduct the quadratic forms of equations for the correction of the constants of inhibition (ki) and activation (Ka) of enzymes. Examples of correction of constants are given.

Introduction: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common issue impacting millions of men around the globe, with notable effects on both life quality and mental health. This clinical trial evaluated the clinical efficacy, onset of action, safety, and patient satisfaction of Tadaflexe (Tadalafil 10 mg) formulated as an oral gel in Yemeni honey sachets. The formulation was designed to enhance absorption and provide a natural delivery vehicle for Tadalafil, a selective phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor used for erectile dysfunction (ED). This study aimed to assess the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of Seldiflexe, which is a new oral gel sachet formulation of Tadaflexe (Tadalafil 10 mg) with 5 g of Yemeni honey, in comparison with standard Tadalafil 10 mg tablets. Materials and methods: A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was carried out with 80 male participants who had been diagnosed with erectile dysfunction (ED). Subjects were divided into two groups: the Tadaflexe (Tadalafil 10 mg) oral gel sachet group A (n = 40) and the standard Tadalafil 10 mg tablet group B (n = 40) for a duration of 4 weeks. The main measures included changes in the scores of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), time until effects began, and the profile of any adverse events.Results: The analysis revealed a statistically significant improvement in erectile function scores post-treatment with Tadaflex oral gel. The onset of action was notably faster compared to standard Tadalafil tablets. Adverse effects were minimal, and overall satisfaction was high among participants. The time it takes for Tadaflexe (Tadalafil 10 mg) in Yemeni honey oral gel sachet to start working is 22.5 ± 4.2 minutes, which is significantly faster than Tadalafil 10 mg tablets was 38.7 ± 5.6 minutes at p < 0.001. However, after four weeks, there was no significant difference in the IIEF scores between Tadaflexe oral gel (20.1 ± 2.8) and Tadalafil tablets (18.2 ± 3.1) were significantly different at p < 0.05. On the other hand, the adverse effects were significantly less with Tadaflexe oral gel sachet as compared with Tadalafil tablets.Conclusion: The study demonstrated a significantly faster onset of action, excellent tolerability, and improved patient preference compared with conventional tablet formulations.

Background: Disabling hearing loss is a prevalent public health issue, with significant impact on patients’ communication. The disability associated with hearing loss depends on the severity of the hearing loss. There are limited rehabilitative measures in resource challenged environment. This study assesses the incidence, the factors for hearing impairment and the management outcome. Methods: A descriptive three-year chart review of patients managed for hearing loss in a tertiary health center in a developing country. The data collected include demographic data, clinical presentation and risk factors for hearing loss, audiometric reports, rehabilitative measures and management outcome. Results: The patients with ear symptoms managed within the study period were 1350, of whom 498 (36.8%) had hearing loss of varying degrees. These included 145 (29.1%) males and 353 (70.9%) females with male to female ratio of 1:2.4. The age ranged from 8 to 80 years (median age of 35.7). Disabling hearing loss in the better-hearing ear occurred in 216 (43.4%) of cases. Increasing age and chronic supportive otitis media were associated with disabling hearing loss. The hearing thresholds improved with hearing aids and ear surgical procedures; nonetheless the patients’ rehabilitation was impaired by limited resources. Conclusion: There is poor rehabilitation of people with hearing loss, though management outcome is commendable in a few of them. Health education will reduce the risk factors for disabling hearing loss and improved rehabilitative measures are needed for these individuals.