Tharparkar Research Articles

Interbreed variation of dairy cow milk in terms of specific proteome and lipidome for establishing criteria of milk selection.

Ruminant milk is a very complex table food and naturally encrypted with different components possessing various health-promoting characteristics. In the present study, we focused on breed-wise compositional difference in milk including various components and release of fatty acids and peptides during digestion. First, milk samples were analysed using lactoscan LW milk analyser, MALDI-TOF and gas chromatography. In addition, in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion of milk was performed to determine the fatty acid and peptide concentration. Percentage fat was significantly less in Karan Fries (KF) and Holstein Friesian (HF) milk compared to Sahiwal (SW), Tharparkar (TP), Gir (GIR) and Karan Swiss (KS). The mean conductivity displayed the healthy status in SW, TP, GIR, KF and HF milk. The protein was significantly higher in KF milk compared to SW, TP, GIR and HF milk. KS milk possessed the highest number of peptides followed by HF, SW, TP, GIR and KF milk. The fatty acid compositional difference was primarily observed in saturated fatty acids including the C4:0, C21:0 and also w6 linoleic acid. On the basis of peptide number of MALDI-TOF, milk from SW and KS was selected for digestion in in vitro to check the availability of fatty acids and peptides in the intestine. There was more release of fatty acids in SW milk and more peptide from KS milk in intestinal conditions. Therefore, the difference in composition exists based on protein and fat components in indigenous and crossbred cows' milk. The breed-wise difference in composition of milk is important to study as it not only reflected the nutritional value and various biological activities, but also emphasis on specific proteomic and lipidomic of milk that eventually can be used as criteria for selection of milk.

Monitoring the effects of climate change and topography on vegetation health in Tharparkar, Pakistan

ABSTRACT Pakistan's geographic position and socioeconomic profile make it one of the nations that are particularly susceptible to the negative effects of climate change. The Tharparkar district in Pakistan is of particular importance in this regard as it is an arid region with serious environmental issues like drought, desertification, and soil degradation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine how topographic and climatic factors affect vegetation indicators in the Tharparkar. The study utilizes spatiotemporal data spanning over 20 years (2001–2020) collected from the satellites MOD11A2 and MOD13A3. The collected data are processed using a range of tools in ArcGIS 10.4.1, and the impact of topographic and climatic conditions is analyzed based on different vegetation indices, including EVI, NDVI, STVI, OSAVI, and SAVI. The findings reveal that temperature and precipitation, both of which are controlled by topographic features, such as elevation and slope, are the key elements affecting vegetation in Tharparkar. At high elevations, rainfall (>440 mm) and LST (>39 °C) are also high and where the slope is low the density of vegetation indices is high.

A Comparative Analysis of Healthcare Facilities: With and Without 24/7 Interventions.

Background: Maternal and neonatal mortality remains disproportionately high in low and middle-income countries, particularly in remote areas with limited healthcare accessibility. The Tharparkar district of Sindh, Pakistan, exemplifies such challenges, with basic utilities and healthcare services notably lacking. Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of 24/7 availability of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) services on healthcare delivery and patient outcomes in government healthcare facilities in the Tharparkar district. Methods: This action research followed a cross-sectional study design. Data collection commenced after receiving ethical approval and written consent from the Government District Health Officer of Tharparkar. Longitudinal data were collected using District Health Information tools from six healthcare facilities, three of which operated 24/7 and the remaining three for six hours daily. Data included indicators such as general outpatient department (OPD) visits, non-vaginal deliveries (NVD), antenatal, postnatal care, family planning, immunization, neonatal deaths, stillbirths, and live births. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 25, and results were visualized using Tableau 2024. Results: Facilities operating 24/7 reported a significant increase in healthcare utilization: general OPD attendance increased by 118.5% at THQ Kheeme Jo Par, 168.2% at GD Jese Jo Par, and 150.5% at GD Mehrna Vero. There were also notable improvements in NVD, antenatal, postnatal care, and family planning services. Immunization rates improved, stillbirths decreased, and there were zero neonatal deaths reported in these facilities following the intervention. Conclusion: The implementation of 24/7 MNCH services in Tharparkar significantly enhanced healthcare service delivery and improved maternal and child health outcomes. Continuous healthcare availability is crucial for improving health indicators and achieving global health targets in underserved populations.

Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors: An Exploration of Awareness and Practice of Health Care Professionals of Tharparkar District

Background Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) are commonly prescribed drugs and their inadequate prescription can have adverse outcomes. Multiple factors are responsible for inappropriate use of PPIs including self-medication, less knowledge about PPIs in medical staff, and consumer-oriented advertising. Objective To assess the knowledge and practices about PPI use among Physicians in Tharparkar District of Sindh province, Pakistan. Methods This is a cross Sectional study that was done in the rural hospitals (Basic Health Unit, Rural Health Centre, Talukka, and District Hospital) in Tharparkar District Sindh. The study took place for 6 months from October 13, 2019, to April 12, 2020. All PMC licensed Physicians working in district Tharparkar for at least 6 months were consecutively enrolled. Knowledge questions comprised of questions about PPI and their indication and side effects while practice questions such as indication, route, and duration of action were asked. All participants were classified as having adequate knowledge and adequate practice based on the correct answer to each question. The study included PMC-licensed physicians with one-year internship/ house job experience and Physicians who had worked at district Tharparkar in a rural setting for at least 6 months. Physicians who did not give consent were excluded from the study. Results Of 102 practitioners, the mean age of the participants was 39.57 ±9.14 years. The majority of the practitioners were males (n=82, 80.4%). Most of the practitioners (n=66, 65%) were working in district hospitals, 21 (19.6%) in rural health centers, and 15 (14.7%) in basic health units. Adequate knowledge was observed in 34 (33.3%) while adequate practice in 33 (32.4%) participants. Conclusion The knowledge and practices about Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) use were found to be unsatisfactory among Physicians working at Tharparkar.

Development of cost-effective solar water desalination unit for the arid regions of rural areas of Sindh

In this study we have designed and fabricated a household solar water desalination unit for the arid regions of rural areas of Sindh like Tharparkar district. Drought conditions, shortage of drinking water and relying on saline water in arid regions of Sindh is a serious problem. In areas under these tracts, it is difficult to obtain drinkable water. This study focuses on the development of a cost effective and affordable desalination unit having simple construction, easy to use, repair, maintain and can be operated by an unskilled man. The solar desalination unit comprises of a solar oven, condenser, and collector pot. In this research various water samples were collected from three arid regions of Tharparkar district i.e., Islamkot, Diplo and Mithi. The performance of solar water desalination unit was assessed by analysing the Total Dissolve Solids (TDS), pH and Electrical Conductivity (EC) of all samples. The sample collected, before treatment had maximum TDS, conductivity, and pH values as 10421 mg/L, 20842 μS/cm and 8 respectively. Those sample after treatment reduced to TDS of 230 mg/L, conductivity of 460 μS/cm and pH of 7.4. This portable solar desalination unit showed remarkable results and found as effective in the removal of TDS from all water samples. The efficiency of unit was calculated as 35.2% with maximum daily output of 5 litres. This unit was constructed at very low cost of PAKPKR 4500/- and its complete rely on solar energy which makes it quite affordable for those which cannot afford expensive treatment techniques. This unit has very minimal maintenance cost and does not require electricity. The values for pH, TDS, and EC achieved from this unit are satisfying the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for drinking water quality.

Impact of water–sediment interaction on hydrogeochemical signature of dug well aquifer by using geospatial and multivariate statistical techniques of Islamkot sub-district, Tharparkar district, Sindh, Pakistan

Impact of water–sediment interaction on hydrogeochemical signature of dug well aquifer by using geospatial and multivariate statistical techniques of Islamkot sub-district, Tharparkar district, Sindh, Pakistan

Comparative Efficacy of Physiological Responses and Skin Temperatures in Indigenous and Crossbred Cattle Supplemented with Chlorophytum borivilianum in Summer Season

Background: Heat stress causes oxidative stress and declines milk production potential of cows. The physiological responses and skin temperature of heat stressed animals are good indices for deterring the heat stress. The efficacy of medicinal herb Chlorophytum borivilianum (CB) was tested in lowering the rise in values of physiological responses and skin temperature in crossbred vis a vis Indigenous cows. Methods: Eighteen Tharparkar (TP) and Crossbred KF cows in mid-lactation were given; No supplement (control), a low (T1, n=6) and a high dose (T2, n=6) of CB @ 40 and 80 mg/kg BW/day, respectively for 90 days during hot-humid season. Respiration rate (RR), pulse rate (PR), rectal temperature (RT) and skin temperature (ST) was recorded at the site of forehead, neck, rear body, and udder surface in the morning and afternoon at weekly intervals. Temperature-humidity index (THI) was calculated to assess the degree of thermal stress in animals. Result: Physiological responses and skin temperatures were higher (p less than 0.01) in the afternoon than morning intervals in TP and KF cows. CB feeding significantly lowered physiological responses and ST (p less than 0.01) in high dose as compared to low dose. It was concluded that CB feeding @ 80 mg/kg BW/day effectively alleviates the heat stress. Indigenous cows were found more heat tolerant in comparison to crossbred cows.

Genetic parameter estimation for growth traits in males of Karan fries cattle

The significance of sire selection in the herd is reflected by the total genetic gain through sire-to-sire and sireto- dam pathways contributing greater than 50% contribution. The present investigation was carried out to estimate genetic parameters of males of Tharparkar (TP) and Karan-Fries (KF) cattle. Data on body weights of Tharparkar and Karan Fries males born during the period 199-2012 at ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute (ICAR-NDRI), Karnal, India were utilized in the present study. The genetic and phenotypic correlations among different body weights were estimated from the analysis of variance and covariance among sire groups. Paternal half-sib correlation method was used to estimate heritability of growth traits. Heritability estimates in KF were found to be of moderate to high magnitude, as 0.23±0.06, 0.43±0.10, 0.28±0.10, 0.36±0.11, 0.39±0.12, 0.38±0.14, 0.27±0.19 for weight at birth and weight at monthly interval up to six months, respectively. Genetic and phenotypic correlations were found to vary from moderate to high among the traits. Our study revealed that the magnitude of heritability indicates a high scope of further improvement in Karan Fries. Selective breeding and positive genetic correlations should be considered while designing selection programs.

Novel and known miRNAs in zebu (Tharparkar) and crossbred (Karan-Fries) cattle under heat stress.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small single-stranded non-coding RNAs that act as the master regulator of animal growth and development. RNA-RNA interaction is an important mechanism of gene regulation during biotic and abiotic stress. Heat stress (HS) is one of the most important abiotic factors which affect the growth, milk yield and reproductive health of the dairy animals. In the present investigation, we identified 387 known and 77 novel miRNAs from Tharparkar (TH) and Karan Fries (KF) cattle under HS condition. Family distribution analysis showed the identified miRNAs belong to more than 15 different families in which miR-2284 was the most abundant. We identified 42,350 targets for the known miRNAs reported in cattle. Pathway analysis of the identified targets showed most of the target genes were involved in cancer, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, calcium signaling, Ras signaling, and cAMP signaling pathways. Differential gene expression showed more than 344 miRNAs changed their expression significantly between control and HS condition. Heat map was generated for the top 20 most up and downregulated miRNAs. Ten miRNAs were validated using qRT-PCR to be heat responsive, based on read count value and differential gene expression. These novel miRNAs are new addition to the miRNA database of cattle. This study provides an overview of miRNA profile and their interaction with the target genes which leads to further understanding in deciphering the thermotolerance mechanism in cattle.

Study of Geotechnical Assessments for The Foundation and Construction of Civil Work at Tharparkar District, Sindh, Pakistan

This study evaluates engineering properties of soils for the foundation in Tharparkar district. Three boreholes were investigated in the study area at the depths of 8m, 9m and 9m respectively. The area is mainly divided into three zones, i.e. BH-01, BH-02 and BH-03. Groundwater was not encountered in any borehole. The soil profile of all three boreholes are low dense to medium dense at 2.0m to 6.0m and the 7.0m to 9.0m depths respectively. Overburden depth was very dense (N-values ranges from 8 to 17 and 33 to more than 50 numbers). Laboratory results reveal that moisture content goes 4.8 to 6.4%, Soils are non-plastic in all three boreholes. The granular soils specify the angles of internal friction (ø) varying from 240 – 330in respective boreholes; while in the collected samples granular soils have cohesion of 2.4 to 2.5kPa. According to AASHTO soil classification, the material belongs to the type of granular soil and in the group of A-3. Furthermore, finding of the examinations is robust for the development of structures, transmission line foundations and other civil works to observe the stability and quality of good foundation for the most part in Thar zone, particularly in the studied area.

Study on the Prevalence of Peste Des Petits Virus Antibodies in Caprine and Ovine Through the Contrast of Serological Assessments in Sindh, Pakistan

Peste-des-petits-ruminants (PPR) is a notifiable, contagious and economically important transboundary viral disease of small ruminant causing high morbidity and mortality. It belongs to negative-sense, single-stranded RNA paramyxovirus of genus Morbillivirus. PPR occurs in populations of immunologically naive sheep and goats, illness and death can be high as >90%. It results in a high rate of morbidity and a moderate rate of mortality. After the eradication of the rinderpest virus, which is closely relate to PPRV of small ruminants contaminated with SRMV are diagnosed having pyrexia, oculo-nasal discharges, necrotizing and erosive stomatitis, gastroenteritis, diarrhea and broncho pneumonia, whereas, gross pathology, histological findings along with laboratory confirmation of specific virus antigen, antibodies, genome in the clinical samples through a variety of serological and molecular diagnostic tests can be useful. The goal of this study was to use competitive-ELISA to determine the prevalence of PPR in small ruminants in Sindh province. A total of n=5700 blood samples were taken from sheep (800) and goats (4900) in 06 Sindh districts. In the small ruminant population, the overall prevalence was found to be 27.84%. Goats were found to have a higher prevalence (28.29%) than sheep (25.13%). Prevalence in goats varied by age category, with 27.84%, 24.88%, and 34.29% in three age groups, i.e less than 1 years, 1-2 years, and more than 2 years and in sheep’s 18.75%, 23.95%, and 36.11% respectively. Females had a greater prevalence rate than males. The prevalence of PPR varies across the province's several agro-ecological zones. Tharparkar district had the greatest% age (35.38%), while Hyderabad district had the lowest (18.27%). Because PPR is endemic in Sindh, there is a pressing need for infection prevention through vaccination. PPR can be controlled through mass vaccination program. In the future, the preparation of a marker vaccine with a robust companion test may assist in serosurveillance for the detection of infection in vaccinated animals to control the disease.

Effect of seasons on physiological responses, milk production and composition in Indigenous cows

The present investigation was carried out to find the effect of seasons on milk production and composition in indigenous Sahiwal, Tharparkar and Gir cows maintained under the intensive management practices at the institute livestock farm. Fifteen lactating cows of Tharparkar (TP), Sahiwal (SW) and Gir breed were selected in early lactation. The experiment was conducted for a period of 10 months and the seasons were categorized as hot-humid, hot-dry, autumn and winter season. Blood and milk samples collected at fortnightly intervals were analysed for minerals and plasma hormones. Physiological responses-respiration rate (RR), pulse rate (PR) and rectal temperatures (RT) were recorded. The results showed that the milk fat, solid not fat SNF and urea levels were higher in TP cows in comparison to SW and Gir cows (p<0.01), however, protein % was lower (p<0.01) in TP cows. Milk Mg, Ca and Na levels were lower in hot-humid season than in winter season (p<0.05) in TP cows in comparison to SW and Gir. Plasma cortisol level was higher and aldosterone level was lower in hot-humid and hot-dry season in all the breeds of cows (p<0.05) than the values observed in winter season. TP cows were found to have higher aldosterone level as compared to SW and Gir cows in all the seasons. The cows response to ambient temperature in terms of RR, RT and PR was higher in hot-humid season and lowest in winter season (p< 0.01) in all the breeds, however changes in RT were of less magnitude in TP cows than SW and Gir cows in hot-hot humid season. It was concluded that TP cows have higher plasma aldosterone, milk urea and sodium levels and less diurnal variation in RT, PR and RR in comparison to SW and Gir cows in hot-dry and hot humid season which makes TP cows more heat tolerant than SW and Gir.

Cytogenetic Screening of Karan Fries and Tharparkar Males for Selection of Elites at an Early Age

The importance of sire selection in the herd is reflected in the total genetic gain through sire-to-sire path and sire-to-dam path being more than 50 percent contribution. The present investigation was envisaged with the objective of screening chromosomes with conventional cytogenetic techniques in males of Tharparkar and Karan-Fries cattle and to find association between chromosomal anomalies and performance of males. 25 and 15 males of KF (Karan Fries) and TP (Tharparkar) respectively were utilized for cytogenetic and semen evaluation work at ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal. Cytogenetic screening of animals could not show gross numerical and chromosomal aberrations, while fragile sites were revealed by induction with aphidicolin. The average percentage of fragile sites in autosomes and sex chromosomes were found 14.66 and 6.16 respectively in KF males, while in TP males average percentages were 7.66 and 4.9, respectively. Association study revealed that fragility in autosomal chromosomes had significant effect on the birth weights in KF males and no association was found between any libido and reproductive trait with the percent fragile sites either in autosomes or sex chromosomes. Cytogenetic screening is recommended at the initial stage for the propagation of only elite bull semen used for A.I. Association between autosomal fragility and birth weights although found highly significant but still need to be validated with large sample size.

Physiological changes and blood flow in different breeds of dairy cows during different seasons

ABSTRACT The experiment was carried out to investigate the changes in physiological parameters and blood flow during different seasons (winter, thermo-neutral and summer) in Sahiwal (SW), Tharparkar (TP), Gir (GR) and Karan Fries (KF) dairy cows. Four healthy lactating cows from each breed were selected from a herd of Livestock Research Center, NDRI, Karnal. All animals were fed as per the ICAR (2013) feeding standard. Physiological parameters like respiration rate, pulse rate, blood pressure, rectal temperature, skin surface temperature (head, shoulder and flank), blood flow (dorsal, abdomen, ear and mammary gland) were recorded on days 30, 45 and 60 postpartum. Respiration rate was highly significant (p < 0.01) between seasons and was significant (p < 0.05) between breeds. Pulse rate was significant (p < 0.05) between breeds and between days of experiment and was highly significant (p < 0.01) between seasons. In the present experiment, both diastolic and systolic pressure differed significantly (p < 0.05) between days and between breeds and was highly significant in the summer than winter and thermoneutral. Rectal temperature was increased non-significantly between season and between days in all breeds. The skin surface temperature among the different parts of the body differed significantly (p < 0.05) between days and between breeds and was highly significant (p < 0.01) between seasons. Blood flow was highly significant (p < 0.01) between breeds and between days during the summer and was highly significant (p < 0.01) between seasons. It was concluded that the physiological parameters like respiration rate, pulse rate, blood pressure, skin surface temperature and blood flow give an immediate response to climatic stress and thus to the level of comfort of the animal, and summer season is more stressful as compared to winter and thermoneutral season, which affects the production in the summer season. Therefore, these parameters are important in measuring the comfort level of the animal and thus the production potential of the animal.

Umbilical cord care through community-based distribution of chlorhexidine in rural Sindh, Pakistan

Abstract Background Unsafe practices such as cutting umbilical cord with unsterilized instruments and application of harmful substances, are in practice in many rural areas of Pakistan, and associated with high risk of neonatal sepsis and mortality. Methods We conducted an implementation research in 2015 in Tharparkar district, in Sindh province of Pakistan to understand the feasibility and acceptability of community-based distribution of chlorhexidine (CHX) in rural Pakistan. For this cohort group-only study, 225 lady health workers (LHWs) enrolled 495 pregnant women. Enrolled women received 4% CHX gel and user’s instructions for newborn cord care. The LHWs also counseled women on the benefits and correct use of CHX. Study enumerators collected data from CHX receiving women 3 times: at around 2 weeks before delivery, within 24 hours after delivery, and on the 8th day after delivery. We implemented this study jointly in collaboration with Ministry of Health in Sindh province, Pakistan. Results Among enrolled participants, 399 women (81%) received only the first visit, 295 women (60%) received first two visits and 261 women (53%) received all three visits by enumerators. Among 399 women, who received CHX gel, counseling on its use and were respondent to the first round data collection, 78% remembered that the CHX gel to be applied to cord stump and surrounding areas immediately after birth; but less than a third (29%) forgot the need to keep the cord clean and dry. Among 295 respondents in the first two rounds of data collection, who delivered at home, 97% applied CHX to cord stump on the first day. Conclusions Community-based CHX distribution by LHWs, along with counseling to recipient women, resulted in a high rate of cord care with CHX among newborn delivered at home. Results from this study may help program implementers to consider expanding this intervention for improving newborn cord care on the first day of life in Pakistan. Key messages Community-based distribution of chlorhexidine for newborn cord care appears as highly acceptable and feasible in rural communities in Pakistan. Relevant program policy supporting community-based CHX distribution along with counseling by LHW may help expanding coverage of newborn cord care in rural communities in Pakistan.

Climate Change and Drought: Impact of Food Insecurity on Gender Based Vulnerability in District Tharparkar

Climate change has now become a reality that has intensified the sufferings of people living in arid ecosystems. Decrease in rainfall, rise in temperature and increase in the frequency of extreme events are some of the changes observed in the semi-arid desert of district Tharparkar. For thousands of years, people of Tharparkar are coping with drought and aridity of the land by using indigenous knowledge. However, global changes in the climatic pattern and deterioration of social and economic conditions have pushed the inhabitants of this arid region into extreme vulnerable situation. This paper investigates the link between climate-induced natural disasters, particularly drought, from the perspective of changing climate patterns which have resulted in food insecurity and water scarcity. The paper analyses the rainfall pattern in the last 38 years—dividing it into two periods i.e. from 1975-1994 and 1995-2014. The findings of the paper have challenged the prevailing notions about aridity and rainfall patterns in Tharparkar district. The research found that there is an increase in average annual precipitation in the district with erratic patterns. Thus, the nature of drought in the district has changed from its historic pattern of less or no rainfall to more but erratic rainfall that is more threatening to livelihoods of the people that in turn have multiplier effect on water and food insecurity. In particularly, women are more vulnerable in the absence of social security and lack of basic necessities for their survival amidst drought. For instance, traditionally the burden of managing water resources falls on women, which leads to an increased work load during the time of drought and also water scarcity. JEL Classification: Q54, Q56, Q25, I30 Keywords: Climate, Environment and Development, Drought, Water, Poverty

Environmental impact assessment of potential mining concerns at thar coal fields and their remedies

The research covers the Tharparkar district situated in the south east of Sindh province of Pakistan. This research identifies the impacts of ongoing coal mining activity on ground water quality of Thar coal mines area and propose mitigation measures for management of the excessive water from continuous dewatering at mining area. On the basis of different EIA studies anthropogenic impacts on ground water quality of the Thar Coal mining area is determined.Removal of massive quantities of overburden will most likely alter the mass balance at the mining site and hence the sand, and overburden as well water from dewatering of aquifers must be retained within the ecosystem of the Coalfields. Ground water abstraction of about 25 million m3/year will yield abundant volume of brackish water, which will have to be desalinized for cooling purposes of the power plant and for the other beneficial use. Assessment of environmental impact shows that the overall significance of impact is of medium intensity, while the severity of impact is quite significant. Suggestions are proposed on the premise of the present investigation for the administration of Sindh and other partners. The dewatering surplus can straightforwardly be utilized as a part of the power era process as being drilled in different areas of the world. The dewatering surplus can be utilized in growing of the halophytes. The dewatering surplus can be treated with public private partnership to serve the water needs of the Thar District people, flora and fauna.

Determinants of severe acute malnutrition among children under five years in a rural remote setting: A hospital based study from district Tharparkar-Sindh, Pakistan.

Objectives:To understand and catalogue the specific determinants of this alarming rate of malnutrition among children of Tharparkar district, Sindh Pakistan.Methods:This was a hospital based analytical survey. Data was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire by interviewing mothers of the children (age 6-59 months), admitted in the hospital. Following WHO guidelines, weight and length/ height of 105 children were recorded. Study was conducted in District Headquarters Hospital, Tharparkar district of Sindh province.Results:Almost 48% children admitted in the hospital were identified with severe acute malnutrition. More males (55%) were malnourished as compared to females (45%). Maternal education, household income, family size, breastfeeding, vaccination status, and frequent infections were found to be significantly associated with the severe acute malnutrition.Conclusion:Specific interventions on promoting exclusive breastfeeding, vaccination, and timely health care seeking behaviors would definitely improve the outcomes. Nevertheless, sector wide approaches would be needed on girls’ education, poverty, and food security in the district in order to address the issue of malnutrition.

Phenotypic and Genetic Parameters Estimation For Birth Weight in Zebu and Crossbred Calves Born Under Organized Farm Conditions in India

Abstract Data on birth weight of Zebu (Sahiwal and Tharparkar) and Crossbred (Holstein Friesian X Tharparkar) cattle spread over 16 years were utilized to assess the influence of genetic and environmental factors on calf birth weight, and to estimate variance components and genetic parameters. Non genetic factors taken into consideration were season of birth, period of birth, sex of the calf, damÂ’s parity and gestation period. Least squares means for birth weights of Sahiwal (S), Tharparkar (TP) and crossbred (CB) cattle was 19.92 ± 0.18, 20.91 ± 0.25 and 28.29 ± 0.29 kg respectively. All the non genetic factors, except period of birth (Sahiwal) and gestation period (Tharparkar), included in the study had a significant effect on birth weight of calves in all the three breeds. Heritability estimate for birth weight by paternal half-sib method on 1520 progeny from 48 sires was 0.149 ± 0.055 in Sahiwal, whereas on 2360 progeny from 101 sires was 0.323 ± 0.063 in crossbred. Variance components and genetic parameters due to direct additive genetic and maternal additive genetic effects were estimated by using two univariate animal models (Model 1 and 2) using AIREML algorithm of WOMBAT software. Model 1 produced highest estimate of additive genetic variance (3.65 Kg2, 3.90 Kg2 and 15.38 Kg2 for Sahiwal, Tharparkar and crossbred respectively) and direct heritability (0.57, 0.60 and 0.67 for Sahiwal, Tharparkar and crossbred respectively) in all the three breeds. When maternal influence was included in the Model 2, the direct heritability (h2d) estimate were 0.14, 0.55 and 0.34 and the maternal heritability (h2m) estimate for birth weight were 0.19, 0.16 and 0.13 in Sahiwal, Tharparkar and crossbred respectively. Model 2 was better in estimation of variance components of birth weight for all three breeds because of significant improvement in likelihood value.

Vortex-Assisted Modified Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction of Trace Levels of Cadmium in Surface Water and Groundwater Samples of Tharparkar, Pakistan, Optimized by Multivariate Technique.

A simple vortex-assisted modified dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction procedure is proposed for the enrichment of cadmium (Cd+2) in surface (stored rainwater) and groundwater of the Tharparkar district in Pakistan, before analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate was used as a ligand to make a hydrophobic complex of Cd+2, which was extracted in an ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate), and the nonionic surfactant Triton X-114 was applied as a dispersing medium. The contents of tubes were shaken for different time intervals on a vortex mixer to enhance extraction efficiency. A multivariate strategy was used to simultaneously evaluate seven factors including, concentration of the complexing reagent, pH, amounts of ionic liquid and Triton X-114, vortex shaking time, centrifugation time and extracting solution for their influence on the percentage recovery of the analyte. The important variables were further optimized by central composite design. The preconcentration factor and LOD were observed as 76.9 and 0.048 µg/L, respectively. The Certified Reference Material SRM1643e was used to check the validity of the developed method, and the RSD was found to be 4.02%. The proposed technique was successfully applied for the enrichment of Cd+2 in groundwater and surface water samples from the southeastern part of Pakistan. The observed results revealed that the concentration of Cd+2 in groundwater was higher than the World Health Organization recommended value of 3 µg/L for drinking water. For adults weighing approximately 60 kg, consumption of groundwater for drinking and other domestic purposes would provide levels of Cd+2 that are 2- to 3-fold higher than the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake.