The global outbreak of COVID-19 possesses serious challenges and adverse impacts for patients with progression of chronic liver disease and has become a major threat to public health. COVID-19 patients have a high risk of lung injury and multiorgan dysfunction that remains a major challenge to hepatology. COVID-19 patients and those with liver injury exhibit clinical manifestations, including elevation in ALT, AST, GGT, bilirubin, TNF-α, and IL-6 and reduction in the levels of CD4 and CD8. Liver injury in COVID-19 patients is induced through multiple factors, including a direct attack of SARS-CoV-2 on liver hepatocytes, hypoxia reperfusion dysfunction, cytokine release syndrome, drug-induced hepatotoxicity caused by lopinavir and ritonavir, immune-mediated inflammation, renin-angiotensin system, and coagulopathy. Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying liver dysfunction are not fully understood in severe COVID-19 attacks. High mortality and the development of chronic liver diseases such as cirrhosis, alcoholic liver disease, autoimmune hepatitis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma are also associated with patients with liver damage. COVID-19 patients with preexisting or developing liver disease should be managed. They often need hospitalization and medication, especially in conjunction with liver transplants. In the present review, we highlight the attack of SARS-CoV-2 on liver hepatocytes by exploring the cellular and molecular events underlying the pathophysiological mechanisms in COVID-19 patients with liver injury. We also discuss the development of chronic liver diseases during the progression of SARS-CoV-2 replication. Lastly, we explore management principles in COVID-19 patients with liver injury and liver transplantation.
19 May 2023 in Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences
The purpose of the current study was to document the variety of predatory spider species present in the cotton fields of two major cotton-producing districts in Punjab, Pakistan, as well as the population dynamics of those spiders. The research was carried out between May and October 2018 and 2019. Manual picking, visual counting, pitfall traps, and sweep netting were the procedures used to collect samples on a biweekly basis. A total of 10,684 spiders comprising 39 species, 28 genera, and 12 families were documented. Araneidae and Lycosidae families contributed a major share to the overall catch of spiders, accounting for 58.55 percent of the total. The Araneidae family's Neoscona theisi ) was the most dominating species, accounting for 12.80% of the total catch and being the dominant species. The estimated spider species diversity was 95%. Their densities were changed over time in the study, but they were highest in the second half of September and the first half of October of both years. The cluster analysis distinguished the two districts and the sites chosen. There was a relationship between humidity and rainfall and the active density of spiders; however, this association was not statistically significant. It is possible to increase the population of spiders in an area by reducing the number of activities detrimental to spiders and other useful arachnids. Spiders are considered effective agents of biological control throughout the world. The findings of the current study will help in the formulation of pest management techniques that can be implemented in cotton growing regions all over the world.
Catla catla is a member of the major Indian carp family and is a widely cultivated fish individual found in rivers, lakes and ponds throughout the world, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. To investigate the length-weight relation and length-to-length relationship for the cultivated Catla catla, 125 fish samples were collected from the research farm of Muhammad Nawaz Shareef-University of Agriculture Multan, Panjab, Pakistan. Weights of fish samples were measured and reported; condition factors with relationship or other morphometric parameters, such as eye diameter, total length, standard length, forked length, body weight, and body girth were addressed. The mean values of total length and the weight of the fish body of Catla catla were 5.04±1.43cm and 40±48.3g, respectively. Results of statistical analyses showed a highly significant correlation between the length-weight relationship and the length-length relationship of cultivated Catla catla. The intercept value (b) was 3.18 for length-weight relationships (LWRs) of cultivated Catla catla, indicating that the growth pattern is positively allometric. The current report provided information on unlike features in C. catla fish of other deviations to increase the body weight of fish marketable growth. In addition, this study is the primary effort to address the growth condition of this important species and other selected cyprinid species for their sustainable management and protection.
31 December 2023 in FRONTIERS IN CHEMICAL SCIENCES
Carpenter ant species play a significant ecological role and are widely prevalent. Ants contribute to safeguarding plants from sap-sucking pest insects through natural biological control mechanisms. The current study was conducted to collect ants from Block B farms at Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture, Multan (MNSUAM), Pakistan. In current study, various insecticides (such as Imidacloprid, Fipronil, Methoxyfenozide, Emamectin benzoate, and Flubendiamide) were formulated at different concentrations (including 160, 80, 40, 20, 10, 5, and 0 ppm) for evaluation against carpenter ants. Notably, Fipronil and emamectin benzoate exhibited heightened toxicity, even at lower doses of 5 ppm and 10 ppm, resulting in the mortality of nearly all worker ants within 24 hours. In contrast, Imidacloprid displayed no distinct preference, as most worker ants remained alive even after 72 hours. These findings indicate that Fipronil and emamectin benzoate may serve as effective active ingredients for controlling carpenter ants. The data was meticulously recorded and subjected to rigorous statistical analysis using specialized software.