Leaf rust (Puccinia triticina f. sp. tritici) is universal threat for wheat production. In present study, effect of sowing dates (30 th Oct; 10 th , 20 th and 30 th Nov) and NPK levels (N1-80Kg, N2-100Kg, N3-60Kg, P 1-58Kg, P 2-70Kg, P 3-50Kg, K 1-63Kg, K 2-75, K 3-55Kg) against leaf rust and their impact on 1000 grain were evaluated under Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) at Plant Pathology research area in University of Agriculture Faisalabad during 2009. Results showed that among 3 fertilizers, K exhibited significant result as compared to N, P and control for management of leaf rust and produced maximum 1000 grain weight. Among sowing dates, rust severity was minimum in early sown (30 th Oct) and maximum in late sown (30 th Nov). Thus early sowing with different levels of NPK has paramount importance to combat leaf rust severity effectively.

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Cancer is a worldwide conundrum and the leading cause of death. Drug delivery to cancer cells has been changed thanks to nanotechnology. In this study, calcium carbonate nanoparticles were used to provide Vitamin D to the breast cancer cell line MCF-7. The nanoparticles that are used, were prepared by using binary solvents as precipitates and swirling them continuously with a magnetic stirrer. FTIR and XRD measurements confirmed the production of nanoparticles. SEM analysis revealed that nanoparticles have a spherical morphology. According to a UV-Visible spectrophotometer, calcium carbonated nanoparticles had an encapsulation effectiveness of 80% for vitamin D. At a dosage of 2000g/ml, vitamin D conjugated nanoparticles showed a good cytotoxic activity, reducing the viability percentage of cancer cells by up to 11%. As a result, it was found to be helpful in slowing cancer cell development. The findings showed that CaCO3 nanoparticles can effectively supply vitamin D to cancer cells while also inhibiting cancer cell proliferation.

Surface metallization of textiles through electroless deposition to develop multifunctional textiles has become an active area of research lately. However, little attention has been paid on the development of durable bioactive textiles as well as the scalability of electroless deposition process. In the current study, the pilot-scale production of highly durable bioactive textiles through electroless deposition of copper on cotton fabric has been achieved. For this, the surface of cotton fabric was first sensitized with stannous chloride (SnCl2) followed by activation with silver nitrate (AgNO3) solution. Then, the electroless deposition of copper was achieved on sensitized and activated cotton fabric. FTIR, SEM, EDS, and ICP-OES spectroscopic techniques were employed to validate the successful development of electroless plated copper fabric. The antimicrobial potential of developed fabric (before and after 30 industrial washes) towards bacteria (S. aureus and E. coli), virus (dengue virus) and fungi (A. Niger) was also evaluated. The prepared samples exhibited remarkable antimicrobial potential with excellent washing durability. The antimicrobial activity was retained with the same effectiveness even after 30 industrial washings (more than 100 home launderings). Moreover, the developed samples showed excellent protection against harmful UV-radiations i.e., + 50 UPF. The current research has established a facile, cost-effective, non-toxic, and scalable process for the production of exceptionally durable bioactive textiles and it can be easily implemented at industrial scale.