The interest in preserving cultural heritage sites and artifacts has driven the development of additional measures to protect them from deterioration, which increases over time. The Garden of the Princess (Jardim da Princesa) located at the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was the main site under evaluation in this work. Microbial colonization of the garden’s walls was evaluated at two different areas by cultivation-based approach using specific media for fungi and bacteria, including total heterotrophic bacteria, acid and iron-producing bacteria. Results demonstrated that the higher cell density was detected in the sample from the higher humidity despite the limited humidity of the walls. Molecular identification of isolates revealed that Arthrobacter was the main bacterial genus in the biofilm, even though the others predominant genera have longer survival times during starvation and higher resistance to desiccation. Sessile fungi, despite fewer in number, were also quite diverse. In conclusion, even found in such hostile environment an interesting microbial diversity was observed in this study including four genera not yet reported as biodeterioration agents in heritage sites: bacteria Ensifer, Enterobacter and Srenotrophomonas and the fungus Hypocreacea.

This study aimed to analyze the endophytic coelomycetes under direct and indirect methods from stems of Mangifera indica, Rhododendron arboreum, Taxodium distichum and T. mucronatum. Both direct and indirect methods were effective for isolation, and identifying endophytic coelomycetous fungi such as Botryodiplodia sp., Colletotrichum sp., Pestalotiopsis spp., Bartalinia sp., Monochaetia spp., Seimatosporium sp. and Truncatella sp. All the fungi are reported from this study has been identified up to species level based on classical taxonomy using microscopic techniques and chemotaxonomy. This study demonstrates first time that fatty acid profile can be used for chemotaxonomical identification of coelomycetous fungi, Pestalotiopsis spp. and other genera. In addition, the fatty acid profile has not only facilitated to determine chemotaxonomy distribution, also provided an evidence for further research in fungal secondary metabolites and mycodiesel technology.

The present study investigates the possible protective effect of curcumin on Methimazole (MMZ). It is an anti-thyroid drug induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats. In this study the rats were randomly divided into four experimental groups; first group was used as control treated with a standard diet. The second group was treated with curcumin at dose of 150 mg/kg body weight. The third group was treated with the MMZ dissolved in drinking water at dose of 60mg/kg body weight. The fourth group was treated with a liquid mixture of MMZ and curcumin. The rats were dissected after 6 weeks of treatment and livers of these animal were collected separately and used for histological and histochemical methods. It was clear form the results obtained that the MMZ caused histological alterations in the liver tissue of the MMZ treated rats. These changes appeared as congestion of blood vessels, leucocytic infiltrations and cytoplasmic vaculation of the hepatocytes. The histochemical analysis has revealed a reduction in carbohydrates content, total proteins and DNA. The histochemical results of the same rats treated with MMZ showed an increase in serum level of ALT, AST and ALP. However, the group treated with curcumin showed a remarkable improvement in the histological structure of the liver tissue. The results revealed an increase in carbohydrates level, total proteins and DNA. In addition the Biochemical results of this group showed a noticeable decrease in the hepatic enzymes (ALT, AST and ALP). These finding have confirmed that curcumin is an effective agent with special antioxidant properties that prevent and protect the liver from histological and histochemical damages induced by MMZ.

Marala headwork situated on River Chenab in Punjab, Pakistan was surveyed to assess the diversity and abundance of the fish fauna during the period September 2015 to June 2016. A total of five sampling sites were studied on monthly basis by using different fishing nets for assessing fish diversity. Total 1391 fish specimens belonging to 38 species, 30 genus, 14 families and 6 orders were recorded in the present study. Family Cyprinidae was found dominant with 14 fish species followed by Channidae (4 species) and Bagridae (3 Species). Fish abundance and diversity was assessed by using different diversity indices. The Shannon-Wiener diversity, Pielou’s evenness and Margalef,s richness indices were 2.950, 0.81 and 11.8, respectively. Present findings showed that the population of Tor putitora and Nandus nandus has declined while exotic fish species, Cyprinus carpio, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Hypophthalmicthyus molitrix, Oreochromis niloticus and Oreochromis mossambicus has become established. The low evenness in the river was an indication of the effects of anthropogenic activities such as habitat degradation, aquatic pollution, overfishing, damming and introduction of alien fish species. Present findings highlight the importance of instant mitigation measures for conserving fish diversity in the river.

With the common practice in poor Africa endemic area to take local antimalaria herbs in combination with orthodox medicine and the increasing resistance to anti-malarial drugs, this study investigates the roles of methanol leaves extract of Vernonia amygdalina, in combination with artesunate. 24 male wistar rats weighing 190g were randomly grouped, administered therapeutic doses of artesunate and extract. Plasma total protein, urea, creatinine. Alanine. amino transferase (ALT), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) were determined using international standardized methods. Percentage inhibition of lipid peroxidation, Malondialdehyde, (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) levels were determined spectrophotometrically. Results shows that extract conferred above 50% cell protection as it inhibited lipid peroxidation ,decreases MDA level significantly (P?0.05) and increases GSH level significantly (P?0.05) compared with controls, Artesunate alone and combined treatment of artesunate and extract. Plasma total protein concentrations were significantly (P?0.05) increased in all treatment groups . Artesunate alone significantly increased (P?0.05) plasma ALT, ALP and liver GGT activities while the combined treatments showed a modulatory effect as these activities were significantly decreased (P?0.05) nearly to control levels .Also, artesunate elicit significant (P?0.05) increases in plasma urea and creatinine concentrations which were attenuated to control levels in the combined treatment.Results are indicative of extract ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation, boost GSH formation, increases antioxidant status, shows hepatoprotective and nephroprotective effects.

In this study, the individual as well as combined effect of commercially available probiotics containing Lactobacillus acidophillus and Sacchromyces cerevisiae was studied on the growth performance. The study was also extended to protection against infectious bacteria Aeromonas hydrophila which is the cause of abdominal dropsy in fish. Three different concentrations of probiotics (2, 3 and 4%) were fed to fish fingerlings (Labeo rohita) in 30% commercial artificial feed for 60 days. In combination group, dietary probiotics at 4% dose showed significant average increase in growth i.e. 80% and survival rate was 99% when challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila, followed by 3% and then 2% doses. Sacchromyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus acidophillus individually showed their significant effect on the growth of fish which was very close to each other, as the % age increase in weight for Sacchromyces cerevisiae was 67.7% and for Lactobacillus acidophillus it was 67% at 4% dose. Feeding of supplemented diets showed reduced mortality in combination group (1%) followed by Sacchromyces cerevisiae (3%) and then Lactobacillus acidophillus (6%) in comparison to control group where 93.33% mortality was observed.

There are two families, six genera and eight species of freshwater turtles found in Pakistan, and the same species have also been recorded in Sindh province, six of which are threatened, and all species are listed in CITES Appendices I / II. Family Geoemydidae consists of Hard shelled turtles viz Spotted Pond turtle (Geoclemys hamiltonii), Crowned river turtle (Hardella thurjii), Brown roofed turtle (Pangshura smithii), and Indian roofed turtle (Pangshura tectum) and the second Family Trionychidae comprises of Soft shell turtles viz. Indian narrow-headed soft-shell turtle (Chitra indica), Indian soft-shell turtle (Nilssonia gangeticus), Indian peacock soft –shell turtle (Nilssonia hurum) and Indian flapshell turtle (Lissemys punctata). In Sindh province, Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Dadu, Khairpur, Sanghar and Sukkur Districts have been identified as hotspots for freshwater turtle populations. Legally, all freshwater turtles in Sindh have been protected under the Sindh Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1972. Many efforts have been made by the Government, Nongovernmental organizations and Academia for the protection and conservation of turtle population in Pakistan. The World Conservation Union for Nature - IUCN, WWF Pakistan, Sindh Wildlife Department, Zoological Survey of Pakistan and Department of Zoology (Wildlife Section), University of Karachi are contributing in efforts for the conservation of freshwater turtles in Sindh. But still, freshwater turtles are facing serious threats due to habitat destruction, urbanization, developmental projects and illegal trading.

This paper relates to the first centenary of the prediction of the existence of gravitational waves by Albert Einstein in 1916 and their prediction was experimentally confirmed in 2016 in one hundred years after the prediction. This work develops the theory of the wave propagation in the solids possessing the piezoelectric, piezomagnetic, and magnetoelectric effects as well as the piezogravitic, piezocogravitic, and gravitocogravitic effects, and the other exchange coeffects. Exploiting the quasi-static approximation in the theory of electromagnetism and gravitoelectromagnetism, the thermodynamics and the coupled equations of motion are developed in the common form. To simplify the problem of the wave propagation in these solids, the shear-horizontal (SH) wave propagation in the transversely isotropic materials was then treated. Considering all the aforementioned effects and coeffects, the explicit forms of the propagation velocities of the bulk and new surface acoustic waves (SH-BAW and new SH-SAW coupled with four potentials) were theoretically obtained. This theoretical work has the additional purpose to stimulate experimental measurements of all the necessary material parameters when a solid possesses all the effects and coeffects including the ones from the theory of gravitoelectromagnetism.

A pot experiment was conducted to assess the threshold values of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in soil for rice (Oryza sativa L.) and kalmi (Ipomoea aquatica). Rice and kalmi were grown on a silt loam soil treated separately with different levels of As (0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 5 mg As/L of irrigation water), Cd (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg Cd/kg soil) and Pb (0, 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg Pb/kg soil). The contents of As, Cd and Pb in soil for 10% reduction in dry matter yield of rice and kalmi were taken as the threshold values which were 14.10 mg, 4.34 mg and 46.17 mg per kg soil for As, Cd and Pb, respectively, while the same for kalmi were 4 mg, 6.57 mg and 34.84 mg per kg soil, respectively, for the three elements.

Determination of phytotoxicity is useful as a sequential test by which the microbiological removal of hydrocarbons present in soils is investigated. However, oil can stimulate the growth of some plants and the selection of appropriate seeds may require time. This study investigated the germination index of 11 edible plants seeds exposed to different concentrations of recalcitrant oils. All plants showed symptoms of toxicity and the indices in 9 of them were reduced proportionally to the contaminants concentration. Eudicots were more sensitive than monocots. Subsequently, a sandy soil was contaminated with lubricating oil and different bioremediation strategies were evaluated. Among the 9 selected seeds, 3 were randomly tested before and after 30 days of treatment. There was an increase in germination indices, especially when more than 30% of the contaminant was removed. The evaluated plants were considered good choices for ecotoxicity tests on soils contaminated by hydrocarbons, particularly C. anguria.

The present study covers a part of the history of the nuclear binding energy. It is based on the formula of Albert Einstein mass-energy equivalence (E = mc2). We present in this paper a brief history of Aston\'s whole number, mass-defect and nuclear binding energy, its exact definition, and especially its sign that raises fierce controversy between physicists and students.