Chemical fertilizer overuse in Pakistan’s wheat systems has led to low nutrient use efficiency, soil degradation, and rising input costs, while conventional biofertilizers suffer from poor storage viability and rapid field decline. This study developed and evaluated a chitosan-zinc oxide nanocomposite encapsulated multi-strain PGPR nano-biofertilizer to reduce chemical NPK dependency without yield penalty. The formulation was synthesized by ionic gelation and characterized for particle size,…

Deforestation and the consequent loss of biodiversity represent two of the most pressing and interlinked environmental crises of the twenty-first century. This paper provides a comprehensive examination of the global patterns of forest loss, the mechanisms through which deforestation drives species extinction, and the cascading ecological, climatic, and socioeconomic consequences that ensue. Drawing upon recent empirical data, satellite analyses, and peer reviewed literature, this study…

Background: Delirium is a common to and life-threatening complication in the Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit (CSICU), which is linked to a prolonged period of mechanical ventilation, a long duration of hospitalization, and cognitive impairment. Although it is becoming more apparent that structured nursing interventions may decrease the prevalence of delirium, their implementation and efficacy in the CSICU setting have not been examined…

Measles remains a major public health concern despite the availability of an effective vaccine. In Zambia, outbreaks continue to occur due to gaps in immunisation coverage, surveillance systems, and healthcare service delivery. Chasefu District has experienced recurrent measles cases despite ongoing routine immunisation programmes. This study assessed the prevalence of measles and healthcare system factors associated with its outbreak in Chasefu District, Eastern Province, Zambia. A…

Pakistan, like other emerging nations, sees farmers weighing the pros and cons before adopting BT cotton. Given its benefits to Pakistani farmers, we anticipate similar advantages for small-scale cotton producers in many other developing countries. Another lesson from Pakistan underscores the importance of domestic biotechnology research. The concurrent development of BT cotton by government researchers and its introduction by foreign firms created a strong lobby in support of this…

Despite the current advances in the field, articular cartilage defects and osteoarthritis remain a challenge in the clinic due to the fact that mature cartilage lacks blood supply, is poorly cellular and has a weak intrinsic repair response. Although conventional treatments focusing on the symptoms can alleviate pain and surgical methods can restore some function in a few lesions, regeneration of hyaline cartilage with native zonal architecture is rare. Exosomes, or small extracellular…

Synthetic biology is transforming the field of crop improvement by allowing the precise control of genetic circuits, metabolic pathways, and regulatory networks. Unlike the conventional transgenic approaches, which involve the alteration of single genes, synthetic biology involves the incorporation of multi-gene constructs, synthetic promoters, and programmable regulatory networks to control the physiological processes in crops. For instance, the engineering of photosynthetic genes such as…

Background: One of the frequent problems after gynaecological surgery is postoperative pain which can have a significant impact on the patient's recovery, hospital stay and overall satisfaction. The use of minimally invasive gynaecological procedures such as Laparoscopic Surgery is growing in popularity as they have a smaller incision, less tissue trauma and quicker recovery time when compared to traditional open surgery. But there are clinically significant differences…

The global health burden of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is growing, with over 537 million adults estimated to be affected, rising to 783 million by 2045. Growing evidence shows that gut microbiome dysfunction plays an important role in the development of T2DM. Microbiome dysbiosis contributes to insulin resistance by multiple overlapping mechanisms and presumes the disruption of intestinal barrier functions (e.g., by endotoxins generated by Lipopolysaccharides [LPS]) and the depletion of…

Medicinal plants constitute a major renewable source of bioactive secondary metabolites that underpin traditional and modern pharmaceutical industries, yet their supply from wild and field-cultivated sources is increasingly constrained by slow growth rates, seasonal and geographic variability, over harvesting, and inconsistent phytochemical yield. Biostimulants - including seaweed extracts, humic substances, protein hydrolysates, and Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) - and Plant…