No abstract

The diploid maritime grass Thinopyrum bessarabicum (2n=2x=14, E b E b ) hybridized with bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L., 2n=6x=42, AABBDD) yielding a self-sterile F1 intergeneric hybrid (2n=4x=28, ABDE b ). By back or top crossing, the hybrid with bread wheat cultivars, individual disomic Th. bessarabicum chromosome addition lines were produced with 44 chromosomes (2n=6x=42 + 2 = 44; AABBDD + 1E b 1E b to 7E b 7E b ). Also, earlier produced by using F1 hybrid clones were the colchicine induced amphiploids (2n=8x=56; AABBDDE b E b ). These genetic stocks were produced and maintained by the wide cross program at National agriculture research center (NARC) and studied cytologically and phenologically. The disomic chromosome additions are a conduit towards providing information on trait associations with grass chromosomes after stress screening, followed by cytogenetic manipulations to effect subtle alien chromatin transfers into homoeologous chromosomes of wheat. Each addition line was stable at 44 chromosomes, possessed regular bivalent meiosis and high fertility. The amphiploid was also cytologically normal. Phenological details permitted some additions to be readily characterized as follows: tapering spike = group 2E b 2E b , solid stem = group 3 E b E b , blue aleurone seed = group 4 E b E b and club shaped spike = group 5 E b E b . The seed repository in Pakistan is the wide cross program in NARC, Islamabad.

Present study was under taken to predict the possible DNA damages (genotoxicity) and carcinogenicity caused by radiofrequency radiations (RF) to living tissue. Dry seeds of chickpea were treated with GSM cell phone (900 MHz) and laptop (3.31 GHz) as RF source for 24 and 48 h. Untreated seeds were used as (0 h) negative control and Gamma rays (250 Gray) as positive control. Plant chromosomal aberration assay was used as genotoxicity marker. All the treatment of RF inhibits seed germination percentage. 48 h laptop treatment has the most negative effect as compared to untreated control. A decrease was observed in mitotic index (M.I) and increase in abnormality index (A.I) with the increase in exposure duration and frequency in (Hz). Cell membrane damages were also observed only in 48 h exposure of cell phone and laptop (RF). Maximum nuclear membrane damages and ghost cells were again recorded in 48 h exposure of cell phone and laptop. The radiofrequency radiations (900 MHz and 3.31 GHz) are only genotoxic as they induce micronuclei, bi-nuclei, multi-nuclei and scattered nuclei but could be carcinogenic as 48 h incubation of RF induced fragmentation and ghost cells. Therefore cell phones and laptop should not be used unnecessarily to avoid possible genotoxic and carcinogenic effects.

Purpose/ Background: To treat the cancerous tissues the unsealed radioisotopes are being in clinical practice since 7 decades. From these unsealed sources, I-131 is the choice of treatment for the treating thyroid cancers. Orally administered I-131 patients are to be kept isolated in hospital for some period until captured activity in the body reaches to national and international limits for the avoidance of unacceptably high radiation exposures to patients' family members and the general public to keep ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principal in mind. The main rationale of this study was to calculate the exposure/dose of the general public. Material and Methods: This work presents the exposure rate and dose to the general public in the corridor and the non-radioactive patients admitted in adjacent room from I-131 administered isolated patients treated at NIMRA (Nuclear Institute of Medicine and Radiotherapy) Jamshoro Pakistan. In this study exposure from 23 thyroid cancer patients treated with different activities of I-131 (50 to 200 mCi) from January 2011 to December 2012 were included. Results: The average exposure rate in the corridor was about 5.17 µSv/hr (2.14 µSv/hr to 8.15 µSv/hr) and the cumulative dose to nonradioactive patients residing in an adjacent room was 0.647 mSv (0.192 mSv to 1.664 mSv). Conclusion: This study concludes that the exposure rate to the general public especially the admitted non-radioactive patient in the adjacent room is almost within the limits of 1 mSv as specified in national and international standards.

Main aim of this work was to findout the influence of probiotic supplementation and suitable dietary protein level in creep feed for optimum growth performance of Salt Range lambs. Lambs (n ₌ 16; Age ₌ 30±10 days) were chosen and divided into four equal groups. Four dietary treatments; diet-1 (CP 18% with no probiotic), diet-2 (CP 18% with probiotic), diet-3 (CP 20% with noprobiotic) and diet-4 (CP 20% with probiotic) were randomly allocated to lambs under Completely Randomized Design. The raw data were analyzed through ANOVA technique using SAS 9.3 software. The growth performance was determined in terms of average daily gain, average daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio, feed cost per kg gain and blood parameters; hemoglobin, blood glucose, blood urea and blood cholesterol. Results indicated that average daily gain of lambs fed diets having 20% proteinwith and without probiotic supplementation are not different (P>0.05), whereas average daily gain of lambs fed 20% protein was found higher (P<0.05) than of those fed 18% protein with and without probiotic supplementation. Average daily feed intake was found higher (P<0.05) in diet-3 than diet-2 but remained not different in animals fed diet-1 and diet-4. Lambs fed dietary protein 20 percent were found more efficient (P<0.05) in terms of feed conversion ratio than that of 18 percent protein. Bloodparameters were found not different by various dietary treatments. It was inferred that creep feed with probiotic supplementation couldn’t influence growth but higher dietary crude protein 20% in creep feed improved growth performance of Salt Range lambs in pre-weaning phase.

No abstract

Sugarcane is an important perennial, polyploidy crop. Based on the growing demand, it has now attracted great attention as cash crop. Tissue culture technique, an alternative method for solving production problem and increasing production, was used in this study. The work was carried out at the Nuclear Institute of Agriculture (NIA), Tandojam, Pakistan. Standardization of protocol for proliferation of callus and induction of callus were established through in vitro culture using young meristem of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) as explants to enhance genetic variation in sugarcane varieties. Three varieties (NIA-2012, Gulabi-95 and NIA-105) were used. The shoot tips were supplemented with Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium modified with three auxins (2, 4-D, Picloram, NAA). All the auxins were applied in 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 mg L -1. MS basal medium was used as control free from concentration of auxins. Highly significant (p < 0.05) variations were observed in sugarcane varieties for all parameters of callus culture; while interactive effect of variety x treatment x concentration was non-significant for proliferation weight of callus. Among all the tested auxins 2, 4-D at 3.0 mgL -1 concentration proved to be the most effective auxin for callus proliferation and weight of all the sugarcane varieties. In light of the present research, it is concluded that auxins are preferable for future work in relation to in vitro callus induction for all varieties of sugarcane.

Three elite sugarcane varieties were used in this experiment to check the heritability parameters which consist of range, environmental variance, genetic variance, genetic advance and broad sense heritability. Four hundred and five soma clones were observed for phenotypic characters including number of tillers (plant ) and width of internode (cm) when NAA was applied in the media. In addition to this, increasing concentration of hormones had positive effect on the heritability and genetic advance for phenotypic traits of the sugarcane soma clones. Similarly, it was observed that environmental and genetic variances have optimum effect on the heritability of the sugarcane. Application of 2, 4-D and picloram were recorded as efficient in transference of high heritability and genetic advance to them. On the basis of higher heritability selection made to develop hybrid in sugarcane, higher genetic advancement helped to develop synthetic varieties in sugarcane.