In order to examine whether exogenous application of strigolactones (GR24) could mitigate the adverse effects of salt stress on spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), experiments were conducted under natural climatic conditions in a net-house of the Old Botanical Garden, University of Agricuture, Faisalabad Pakistan. Both wheat cultivars [S-24 (salt tolerant cultivar) and PARI-73 (moderately salt sensitive cultivar)] were grown in full strength Hoagland’s nutrient solution under non-stressed and salt stressed conditions. Experiment I was conducted to explore the effect of pre-seed treatment with strigolactone (GR24) for 16 h. on wheat under non-saline and saline conditions. There were four different levels of GR24 solution (Water (0), 0.001, 0.01 and 0.1 mg L-1). Salinity treatment applied through root growing medium to fifty day-old plants. There were two salt (NaCl) levels control (0 mM) and 150 mM (NaCl). Experimental design was completely randomized with four replicates. Data were recorded of 77 day old plants. In experiment I findings, root growing salinity (150 mM) significantly decreased growth attributes, photosynthetic efficiency of wheat plants, leaf water relations parameters except leaf turgor potential, activity of catalase enzyme, shoot and root K+ and shoot Ca2+ and yield attributes except 100-seed weight. However, concentration of ascorbic acid, activity of glutathione reductase, production of hydrogen peroxide, accumulation of organic osmotica (Proline and glycinebetaine contents) and uptake of shoot and root Na+ ion contents significantly increased under salt stress. Pre-soaking seed treatment with GR24 increased photosynthetic efficiency, only leaf water potential, enzymatic antioxidants (catalase and peroxidase) activities, accumulation of total soluble proteins, osmoprotectants like proline and glycinebetaine contents, non-enzymatic antioxidants (total phenolic contents and glutathione reductase activity) and production of hydrogen peroxide. Pre-soaking seed treatment with GR24 further slightly reduced growth and number of tillers per plant. Exogenous application of GR24 in experiment II was applied through foliar spray. In experiment II, imposition of salinity through root growing medium (150 mM) significantly reduced growth parameters, non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), electron transport rate (ETR) and co-efficient of non-photochemical quenching (qN), gas exchange characteristics, water relations parameters, ascorbic acid contents and shoot and root K+ and Ca2+ ions. Salinity increased accumulation of glycinebetaine and free proline, activities of enzymatic antioxidants and Na+ contents in both shoot and root of wheat plants. GR24 spray XV significantly increased gas exchange characteristics except transpiration rate (E), activities of enzymatic antioxidant, accumulation of free proline production but markedly increased the malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), root Ca2+ and K+ content. Overall, S-24 performed better than PARI-73 in all aspects and PARI-73 severely affected by salinity.
خودشناسی خدا شناسی ہے اللہ تعالیٰ نے ہر چیز جو پیدا فرمائی ہے اس کی ایک شناخت ہے، سورج کی ا یک شناخت ہے کہ وہ مشرق سے طلوع ہوتا ہے اور مغرب میں غروب ہوتا ہے۔ ستارے رات کو چمک کر شب دیجور کے لیے ضیاکا سامان بہم پہنچاتے ہیں اور مسافرانِ شب کے لیے خضر راہ بنتے ہیں تو یہ ستاروں کی ایک شناخت ہے، فلک بوس پہاڑ اور جبال شامخہ کا ایک طویل سلسلہ بھی اپنی شناخت رکھتا ہے۔ الغرض دنیا و مافیہا ہر چیز اپنی شناخت رکھتی ہے۔ جس کے باعث اس کا وجود قائم ہے۔ انسان کی بھی ایک شناخت ہے کہ وہ حیوان ناطق ہے اور ذوی العقول ہے، اس کی چال ڈھال، اس کی نشست و برخاست، اس کا قیام وقعود، اس کی گفت وشنید اس کو دیگر مخلوقات سے ممتاز کرتی ہے، اور پھر قرآن پاک اس کو اشرف المخلوقات کا لقب عطا فرما کر انسانیت کی معراج پرمتمکن بنادیتا ہے، اس سے بڑھ کر مسلمان جو اسلام کے زیور سے مرصعّ ہے، جس نے دینِ اسلام کا تاج اپنے سر پر سجایا ہوا ہے، جس نے عشق مصطفی صلی اللہ علیہ و آلہٖ وسلم کی خلعت ِفاخرہ زیب تن کی ہوئی ہے اس کی بھی ایک شناخت ہے، اور وہ یہ کہ ارشادِ رسالت مآب صلی اللہ علیہ و آلہٖ وسلم ہے ’’مسلمان وہ ہے جس کے ہاتھ اور زبان سے دوسرے مسلمان محفوظ رہیں‘‘ یعنی اسلام کے دعویدار تو بے شمار ہیں لیکن دینِ اسلام کے احکام پر عمل پیرا حقیقت میں وہی ہے جو مذکورہ حدیث پاک کے مطابق اپنی شناخت رکھتا ہے۔ کرسی عدالت پر بیٹھ کر فیصلہ سنانے والے منصف کی ایک شناخت ہے۔ شفاخانوں میں موجود مریضوں کے علاج کرنے والا مسیحا کی ایک شناخت ہے، سرحدوں پر مامور محافظ مجاہد کی ایک...
The present study examining the relationship between spirituality and psychological well-being among Muslims and Christians adolescents and young adults. Daily Spiritual Experience Scale and Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale were used to examine the study variables. The present study was carried out on the sample of (N = 254) i.e. Muslims (n = 123) and Christians (n = 131). The sub sample of Muslims and Christians were further divided into males (n = 48) and females (n = 75). Similarly Christian males (n = 60) and Christian females (n = 71). The instruments used to measure the variables possessed satisfactory reliability i.e. Spirituality (α =.80) for Muslims and (α =.92) for Christians and psychological well-being (α =.82) for Muslims and (α =.84) for Christians. Results of the study revealed that spirituality not only had significant positive correlation with psychological well-being but also found to be significant positive predictor of psychological well-being among Muslims as well as Christians. Additional findings of the study further revealed that significant differences exist in the terms of gender and age. Limitations, suggestion and implications were also discussed at the end of the study.
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) has a major role in morbidity and mortality of children as well as of the elder population worldwide. Pneumococcus causes pneumonia, otitis media in addition to invasive diseases such as bacteremia and meningitis, which are collectively called pneumococcal diseases or infections. Pakistan, a country located in South Asia, is the third largest contributor in pneumococcal infections, specially ‘pneumonia’ in the world (IVAC/PATH Pneumonia and Diarrhea Progress Reports 2013-2017), it makes an ideal scenario to begin with preliminary exploring of pneumococcus characterization. Above in view, first part of the present study was designed to determine the antibiotic susceptibility and serotype distribution of the pneumococcal isolates. Further studies were undertaken for pneumococcal surface protein A gene (pspA) family/clade distribution, in-silico determination of its antigenic sites, their fusion, cloning and recombinant pilot expression study in E. coli. Thirty-eight pneumococcal strains from patients with pneumococcal disease (PD) were collected from a local hospital. Antibiotic susceptibility tests indicated that all strains were susceptible to chloramphenicol and linezolid, while 80% were resistant to gentamycin. Serotype distribution revealed that 19F was the most prevalent serotype (23.6%), while ∼80% of the strains carried pspA gene belonging to PspA family 2 and clade 3. The in-silico determined PspA fusion protein was found antigenic in the immunoblotting assay. Recent epidemiological studies reveal that biofilm support and develop most human chronic infections. Keeping this, the second part of the thesis is focused on the characteristics of pneumococcal biofilm, grown on the biotic and abiotic substrate. Antibiotic susceptibility (erythromycin, 2μg/mL) and growth pattern of pneumococcal biofilm grown on biotic (Detroit-562 cells) and abiotic substrate (Thermonox coverslips) were evaluated. Results indicated that pneumococcal biofilm grown on immobilized biotic substrate challenge erythromycin more significantly than abiotic substrate. The similar results were obtained when the study was done using a bioreactor model, more xii than ∼90% increase in biofilm formation was noted when biotic substrate was provided for growth as compared to the abiotic substrate. The epithelial cells as well as the intercellular tight junction play an important role and are involved in the control of paracellular permeability. The S. pneumoniae colonize with epithelial cell layer, disrupted epithelial cells as well as tight junction, and translocate to other body parts, that promotes the development of pneumococcal invasive diseases. The third part of the study is concentrated on the analysis of invasive property of pneumococcus, using Trans Epithelial Electrical Resistance (TEER). In this study, two different types of epithelial cells, Detroit 562 cells (pharyngeal cells) and Calu-3 cells (lung cells) were used; substantial decline in TEER was observed in the pneumococcal infected epithelial cells. Our study presented that pneumococcus invades the epithelial cells and causes damage to epithelial cell barrier with cytopathic effects. It was also observed that the invasion of pneumococcus is independent of its biofilm mass density. Previous research findings have shown an adverse association between S. pneumoniae and S. aureus, present in nasopharyngeal carriage. But these epidemiological observations have no conclusive findings. The fourth part of the study was designed to demonstrate, how S. pneumoniae opposes and eradicate S. aureus. We have confirmed in this study that TIGR4, rapidly eradicated, preformed S. aureus biofilm, including biofilm produced by MRSA strain ‘USA300’. The eradication requires physical contact between S. pneumoniae and S. aureus. The requirement of physical contact was confirmed through confocal microscopy, colocalization experiments, and experiments utilizing a transwell system to separate the two bacterial species. The physical contact-mediated eradication was found very efficient as it completely eradicated a viable lawn of S. aureus biofilm with in 2 hours.