Organisms have naturally build defense mechanisms against infections and diseases caused by pathogens. This system known as immune system comprises of innate immunity and adaptive immunity. Innate immunity is non specific and produces a quick response to the invading pathogens. Macrophages play central role in innate immunity, also called natural immunity. The other part of immunity is rather specific and it takes some time to show its response, this type of immunity is called adaptive immunity. Adaptive immunity can be either T cell mediated or B cell mediated in response to intra cellular or extra cellular pathogens respectively. When it is T cell mediated it will lead to the secretion of cytokines including interferon along with other substances, which help to fight intra cellular pathogens especially viruses by activating natural killer cells and macrophages. B cell mediated immune system leads to production of antibodies in response to extra cellular pathogens in blood or other body fluids. The whole immune system including innate immunity and adaptive immunity mediated by both T cell and B cell are not separate from each other but rather linked with each other and activating each other against foreign invaders. For example macrophages activate T cells, T cells activate macrophages, B cells and other T cells. Purpose of present study is to know about the adaptive immune system of two farm fishes, rainbow trout and common carp which are main source of protein in Pakistan. This study will provide a guide line to improve the immune system of farm fishes so that they can be resistant to diseases. This will ultimately benefit the human beings as they will get more Omega 3 rich protein, which is good for the over all health of human beings. In the present work both cellular and humoral aspects of adaptive immune system mediated by T and B lymphocytes were studied. Two teleost fishes rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Scottish farm fish) and common carp Cyprinus carpio (Pakistani farm fish) were taken as experimental animals. Immune genes which regulate interferon production as a cellular immune response to viruses or other intracellular pathogens, werestudied in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, B cell mediated immune system leading to production of antibodies was studied in common carp Cyprinus carpio. It was found that production of interferon is regulated by immune genes known as interferon regulatory factor (IRF) genes. These IRF genes are 10 in number and are named as IRF1, IRF2, IRF3, IRF4, IRF5, IRF6, IRF7, IRF8, IRF9& IRF10 and altogether form IRF family. IRF genes have been sequenced so far in many species including human beings. In rainbow trout IRF1, 2, 3&7 have been sequenced till to date. In present project work was done on remaining members of the IRF family. During the project two full length genes IRF 4& IRF8 were sequenced along with partial sequences of IRF 5& IRF10. It was found that certain toxicants like Poly I: C trigger IRF genes to produce positive immune response by secreting cytokines like interferon. Poly I: C (Polyinosinic: polycytidylic acid) is a synthetic double-stranded RNA that is used experimentally to model viral infections in vivo. IRF4 gene was expressed in rainbow trout spleen cells treated with Poly I: C for 4 hours. IRF 8 gene was expressed in spleen and head kidney cells. After multiple alignments of genes it was found that the gene structure of IRF4&8 genes found in rainbow trout had close structural resemblance with IRF4&8 genes found in other fish like zebra fish or even in mammals like human being and mouse. IRF4 &IRF8 play an important role in maturation of B and T lymphocytes. The other aspect of adaptive immune system, B cell mediated or humoral immunity was studied in common carp Cyprinus carpio. It was found that humoral antibodies are detected in serum of fish after secondary immunization with particulate antigen SRBC (sheep red blood cells). Proliferative response in lymphoid tissues especially in spleen and kidney was high while there was less response in liver. HGG localization in these tissues was studied by using fluorescent labeled antibodies against HGG. Farm fish in Pakistan are built in agricultural lands and so these fish are in contact with the pesticides used on crops through water run off to these fish farms. It was found during experimental work that toxicants like pesticides affect the immune system of common carp by suppressing the production of antibodies. Histological studies were also conducted which showed that besides affecting immune system of fish, these pesticides also have harmful affects on lymphoid tissues of fish and also on immune system of fish.
شیخ علی طنطاوی گزشتہ ماہ عربی زبان کے نام ور ادیب مشہور واعظ ومصلح علامہ شیخ علی طنطاوی کا انتقال ہوگیا، اناﷲ وااناالیہ راجعون۔ وہ کافی معمر اور ضعیف ہوچکے تھے۔ انتقال کے وقت ان کی عمر سو برس سے تجاوز تھی۔ مسجد حرام میں ان کی نماز جنازہ ادا کی گئی اور بلد حرام میں مدفون ہوئے۔ ان کی نسبت سے پتہ چلتا ہے کہ ان کا آبائی وطن طنطا مصر تھا، مگر وہ ایک مدت تک شام میں مقیم رہے اور وہاں منصب قضا پر بھی فائز رہے، شام میں فوجی انقلاب کے بعد غالباً وہ وہاں سے سعودیہ عربیہ منتقل ہوگئے اور عمر کا بقیہ حصہ یہیں بسر کیا۔ سعودی ریڈیو اور ٹیلی ویژن پر ان کی مذہبی تقریریں اور علمی سوال و جواب کا سلسلہ کافی مقبول ہوا۔ وہ عربی کے بلند پایہ ادیب اور انشا پر داز تھے، حضرت مولانا سید ابوالحسن علی ندوی مدظلہٰ سے ان کے گہرے علمی روابط تھے، چنانچہ مولانا کی کئی کتابوں پر انہوں نے پیش لفظ لکھا۔ دارالعلوم ندوۃالعلماء بھی تشریف لائے اور اس کے متعلق والہانہ جذبات کا اظہار کیا۔ ندوہ کے عربی رسالہ ’’البعث الاسلامی‘‘ میں ان کے مضامین برابر نقل کئے جاتے تھے۔ شیخ طنطادی کا خاص مشن عرب نوجوانوں کی مذہبی اصلاح تھا، وہ خاص طور پر ان کو دینی حمیت و غیرت اور مغرب سے عدم مرعوبیت کی دعوت دیتے تھے، ان کی تقریروں اور تحریروں کے متعدد مجموعے شایع ہوچکے ہیں۔ اﷲ تعالیٰ ان کی خدمات کو قبول کرے اور مغفرت فرمائے۔ آمین!! (’’ع ۔ع‘‘، اگست ۱۹۹۹ء)
Drawing on the theoretical perspectives of structural vulnerability and violence, this study examines how the ‘2005 earthquake’ in Pakistan affected the female gender. It aims to find out the unique experiences of the socio-cultural vulnerability of gender, which led them to migrate towards other places. It attempts to identify those factors which contributed to women's vulnerability. Qualitative research methods, such as key-informant and in-depth interviews, were used in this research. In-depth interviews were conducted by using a purposive sampling technique with thirty highly affected women of Balakot belonging to twenty-five households. The present study finds out six major themes, almost all dealing with a lack of privacy and females’ private domain. These include: a) gendered migration; b) ethnicity; c) problems of toilet and bathing; d) problems for pregnant women; e) difficulty in looking after the family; and, f) forced sexual relations. Data collection from respondents of different ages, class, and caste helped us to understand the lived experiences of the women of Balakot. The study finds out that gendered vulnerability plays a very important role in making decisions to migrate. This study might influence governments to bring the required changes in their policies to serve the women population better during and after disasters.
Diversification patterns within the Himalayan region have been paramount to the understanding of worldwide biodiversity. Apart from recent wide scale report, a hyperdiverse genus of the temperate region under angiosperm—Carex L. (Cyperaceae), consists of ca. 2100 species globally has not been examined in the Himalayan region, which covers 189 Himalayan Carex taxa. The timing, phylogenetic relationship and ecological diversification of Himalayan lineage in this remarkable genus were aimed to infer. Particularly inspected whether priority and adaptation to this ecological system, or both enlighten the success of radiation from the Kobresia clade (~ 60 species, among which ca. 40 are the Himalayan) of Himalayan Carex. The Phylogenetic patterns were evaluated employing maximum likelihood method (ML) of two (ITS and ETS) nrDNA regions and one (matK) plastid gene; the ML tree was used for time-calibration under penalized likelihood approach and with a fossil calibrated at the base of the tree. The estimation of phylogeographical reconstruction for ancestral ranges and historical processes was achieved with the model, dispersal-extinction-cladogenesis (DEC) implemented in BioGeoBEARS and reciprocal impacts of diversification were analyzed employing the model, geographic state speciation and extinction (GeoSSE). The climatic niche for all Carex species with available mapped georeferenced specimen data were assessed along with climatic records from WORLDCLIM, and therefore, niche evolution was estimated with a group of two models for adaptive range shift and inferring ancestral character states under Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (O-U) models and a Brownian motion model, respectively. During the exploration of Carex flora across the Western Himalayan range Carex simpliciuscula Wahlenb. (1803: 141), previously with doubtful record in the Flora of Pakistan, was confirmed for the region. The Himalayan taxa appears in three of the five reported major Carex clades, and characterized by multiple origins within each major clade. The oldest Himalayan Carex radiation was dated back to ~ 20 Ma, close the period of Himalayan orogeny, contributed to now abundant the Kobresia clade through longdistance migration from the region Nearctic. The Carex taxa in the Himalayas represents a heterogeneous model of diversifications derived from all through the cosmopolitan, however mostly temperate radiations. Several Himalayan radiations are relatively recently evolved, on the other hand, the most widespread and diverse Himalayan Kobresia radiation appeared at the lower Miocene. The timing and predominance of Hiamalayan taxa in Kobresia clade distributed in great elevation Himalayan meadows reveals that Kobresia may have eliminated other Carex taxa (non Kobresia) due to the consequence of mainly priority, competitive exclusion and historical contingency. A significant biodiversity needs to be discovered in order to explore new flora for the region. Around seventy specimens of 19 species collected with GPS reading of collecting sites from Western Himalayas (Pakistan) and 21 species requested from different herbaria, collectively made 40 for this study. Carex simpliciuscula, a new flora and numerous new collection localities for this region were explored. Additionally, morphological characters of pistillate scales studied particularly under scanning electron microscope seem to contribute to identifying taxa for the region. Therefore, these findings encourage further research on micro- and macromorphological studies of pistillate scales in Carex.