Estimating the Gini index for heavy-tailed income distributions

In the present paper, we define and study one of the most popular indices which measures the inequality of capital incomes, known as the Gini index. We construct a semiparametric estimator for the Gini index in case of heavy-tailed income distributions and we establish its asymptotic distribution and derive bounds of confidence. We explore the performance of the confidence bounds in a simulation study and draw conclusions about capital incomes in some income distributions

PHYTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF THE NORTHERN MOROCCAN SPECIES: WITHANIA FRUTESCENS L.

Objective: In this study, we were interested in qualitative, quantitative phytochemical characterization and evaluation of the antioxidant capacity of the total extracts of a plant from northern Morocco, the species selected for this study is Withania frutescens. Materials and Methods: Analysis of mineral elements by inductive coupling plasma-atomic absorption spectroscopy (ICP-AES), phytochemical screening, polyphenol and tannin assays, evaluation of antioxidant activity by the 1,2-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging method and reducing power. Results: The plant contains alkaloids, saponins, tannins, mucilages, and coumarins. It has a relatively high content of total polyphenols and tannins of 19.53±0.018 μg genetic generalized epilepsy/mg MS and 6.258±0.062 μg Eqcat/mg MS, respectively. The analysis of mineral elements by ICP-AES shows that our species is rich in mineral elements which are calcium, magnesium, and sodium, and it is devoid of metallic elements such as nickel, lead, cadmium, and cobalt. The evaluation of antioxidant activity by the DPPH free radical scavenging method shows that the half maximal inhibitory concentration of the tested extracts has an antiradical activity of about 0.056±0.008 μg/ml for the ethanol extract and 0.213±0.004 μg/ml for the methanol extract compared to the butylated hydroxytoluene value of 0.009±0.0004 μg/ml which was used as a reference. The reducing capacity test shows that methanolic extract has a high antioxidant capacity (0.213±0.006) compared to ethanolic extract (0.043±0.004) but remains low compared to ascorbic acid (0.003±0.0004) which was used as reference. Conclusion: Phytochemical analysis of W. frutescens shows that this plant is rich in high quantities of alkaloids, saponins, mucilage, tannins, and coumarins. It contains an average amount of total polyphenols and tannins that confer significant antioxidant activity to the plant studied

Ethnobotanical survey about the management of diabetes with medicinal plants used by diabetic patients in Region of Fez-Meknes, Morocco

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem in Morocco with more than 1.6 million cases of diabetes in 2017 with an expectation to rise to over 2.7 million cases in 2045. The aim of this work is to provide ethnobotanical information on some of the medicinal plants used by diabetic patients to treat their illness in the region of Fez-Meknes (Morocco). Methods: A semi-structured and simple questionnaire was carried out. A total of 422 interviews were conducted with diabetic patients presented to diagnosis in the Hassan II Hospital center in Fez in Morocco. The data were analyzed through use value (UV) and relative frequency of citations (RFC). Results: In total, 50 plant species belonging to 27 families were reported. Lamiaceae (14%), Apiaceae (12%) and Fabaceae (12%) were reported as the most represented families. Among the collected species, 6 plants were reported for the first time as antidiabetic plants in Morocco. The most frequently cited plant species are Trigonella foenum graecum (8.41%), Olea europaea (7.71%) and runus amygdalus var. amara (7.71%). Almost 67% and 33% of diabetic patient use medicinal plants as a complement and alternatives to their medication respectively. Conclusion: This study showed the importance of medicinal plants in the healthcare system for treating diabetes. Knowledge of the use of medicinal plants that are used to manage diabetes may contribute to their preservation and to undertake further pharmacological studies.Peer reviewe

Translation of "Matti ki Mona Liza" Into "Mona Liza Made of Clay"

Translation is a process of conveying a source text into a target text which should reflect the contents of the original text. Translation is a practice in which the translator tries to find out the closest equivalent meaning of a source text into the target text language. Translation aims at telling the same idea or information as in the original. In this article the translators have chosen the text, that is a short story "Matti ki Mona Liza" (in Urdu) called "Mona Liza Made of Mud" (in English). The source text was written by A.Hameed, a renowned and legendry Urdu writer. By translating an Urdu short story into English language the translators wanted to present an incredible and splendid piece of Urdu literature to the readers at world level. Another aim was to contribute to the field of Applied Linguistics. The translators have selected the discipline of Applied Linguistics with particular focus on the theory of equivalence in translation. The methods of literal, semantic and faithful translation have been used in order to establish the closest equivalence between the source text and the target text. English is selected as the language of the target text

Study of the effect of pretreatments on the germination and growth of Pistacia Atlantica subsp. atlantica: Investigations for the conservation of an endangered species in Morocco

The study delves into the critical issue of declining Moroccan endemic plant species of agro-sylva-pastoral and medicinal significance, impacted by various environmental degradation factors. With the aim of conserving and rehabilitating these species, the research focused on improving the germination and growth parameters of Pistacia atlantica subsp. atantica whose seeds were carried from different area of the Middle Moulouya; Oled Ali Youssef; El Orjane and Fritissa. In this study, nine different treatments were employed to overcome seed dormancy. These treatments included chemical scarification using gibberellic acid and sulfuric acid (98%), thermal scarification at 40°C for 24, 48, and 72 hours, mechanical scarification using manual sandpaper, and stratification at +4°C for 45, 60, and 75 days. The results showed that mechanical scarification yielded notably higher germination rates compared to the control group. Specifically, for seeds from Oled Ali Youssef, the germination rate was 81.11%, while for El Orjane and Fritissa, it was 38.88% and 71.11%, respectively, in contrast to 67.78%, 25.56%, and 44.44% in the control group. Moreover, the study revealed that treatments such as mechanical scarification, gibberellin application, and 30-day cold stratification significantly influenced the growth of seedlings, enhancing propagation practices for the species from its seeds. These findings underscore the importance of seed source, viability, and pre-germination treatments in achieving successful germination and growth

An Insight into the Anxiolytic and Antidepressant-Like Proprieties of Carum carvi L. and Their Association with Its Antioxidant Activity

Depression and anxiety are widespread illnesses whose consequences on patients’ social and professional lives are becoming ever more dangerous and severe. The study’s objective is to explore the antidepressant-like and anxiolytic activity of the polyphenolic extract of Carum carvi L. as well as its antioxidant power as they were recently associated. The predictive antidepressant activity was evaluated using the forced swimming and tail suspension test in mice, a preclinical behavioral model widely used to determine the efficacy of antidepressant drugs. As for anxiolytic-like activity, two models were used, namely the light/dark chamber test to measure the animal’s degree of anxiety and the open field test to evaluate both anxiolytic and locomotor activity. The tests results indicate a remarkable antidepressant and anxiolytic-like effect after oral administration of the polyphenolic fraction of C. carvi and interesting antioxidant property. In the extract it has been confirmed the presence of 6 molecules belonging to polyphenols, identified with HPLC analysis. This study confirms and encourages the traditional use of the extract and appeals to further studies to understand its action mechanism

An Insight into the Anxiolytic and Antidepressant-Like Proprieties of Carum carvi L. and Their Association with Its Antioxidant Activity

Depression and anxiety are widespread illnesses whose consequences on patients’ social and professional lives are becoming ever more dangerous and severe. The study’s objective is to explore the antidepressant-like and anxiolytic activity of the polyphenolic extract of Carum carvi L. as well as its antioxidant power as they were recently associated. The predictive antidepressant activity was evaluated using the forced swimming and tail suspension test in mice, a preclinical behavioral model widely used to determine the efficacy of antidepressant drugs. As for anxiolytic-like activity, two models were used, namely the light/dark chamber test to measure the animal’s degree of anxiety and the open field test to evaluate both anxiolytic and locomotor activity. The tests results indicate a remarkable antidepressant and anxiolytic-like effect after oral administration of the polyphenolic fraction of C. carvi and interesting antioxidant property. In the extract it has been confirmed the presence of 6 molecules belonging to polyphenols, identified with HPLC analysis. This study confirms and encourages the traditional use of the extract and appeals to further studies to understand its action mechanism

Brocchia cinerea (Delile) Vis. Essential Oil Antimicrobial Activity and Crop Protection against Cowpea Weevil Callosobruchus maculatus (Fab.)

Antibiotics and synthetic pesticides are now playing a role in the spread of resistant pathogens. They continue to have negative consequences for animal and plant health. The goal of this work is to identify the chemical composition of Brocchia cinerea (Delile) Vis. essential oil (EO) using GC-MS(Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer), evaluate its antimicrobial properties, and investigate its insecticidal and repellent effectiveness against Callosobruchus maculatus (C. maculatus). The GC-MS indicated the presence of 21 chemicals, with thujone (24.9%), lyratyl acetate (24.32%), camphor (13.55%), and 1,8-cineole (10.81%) being the most prominent. For the antimicrobial assay, the yeast Candida albicans was very sensitive to the EO with a growth inhibition diameter of (42.33 mm), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (31.33 mm). Fusarium oxysporum is the mycelia strain that appeared to be extremely sensitive to the utilized EO (88.44%) compared to the two species of Aspergillus (A. flavus (48.44%); A. niger (36.55%)). The results obtained in the microdilution method show that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was very sensitive to the EO, inhibited by a very low dose (0.0018 mg/mL). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) results were between 0.0149 and 0.06 mg/mL. B. cinerea EO also demonstrated a potent insecticidal effect and a medium repulsive effect against C. maculatus. Thus, the LC50 value in the contact test was 0.61 μL/L of air, lower than that observed in the inhalation test (0.72 μL/L of air). The present study reveals that B. cinerea EO has the potential to be an antimicrobial and insecticidal agent with a better performance against several pathogenic microorganisms

Brocchia cinerea (Delile) Vis. Essential Oil Antimicrobial Activity and Crop Protection against Cowpea Weevil Callosobruchus maculatus (Fab.)

Antibiotics and synthetic pesticides are now playing a role in the spread of resistant pathogens. They continue to have negative consequences for animal and plant health. The goal of this work is to identify the chemical composition of Brocchia cinerea (Delile) Vis. essential oil (EO) using GC-MS(Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer), evaluate its antimicrobial properties, and investigate its insecticidal and repellent effectiveness against Callosobruchus maculatus (C. maculatus). The GC-MS indicated the presence of 21 chemicals, with thujone (24.9%), lyratyl acetate (24.32%), camphor (13.55%), and 1,8-cineole (10.81%) being the most prominent. For the antimicrobial assay, the yeast Candida albicans was very sensitive to the EO with a growth inhibition diameter of (42.33 mm), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (31.33 mm). Fusarium oxysporum is the mycelia strain that appeared to be extremely sensitive to the utilized EO (88.44%) compared to the two species of Aspergillus (A. flavus (48.44%); A. niger (36.55%)). The results obtained in the microdilution method show that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was very sensitive to the EO, inhibited by a very low dose (0.0018 mg/mL). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) results were between 0.0149 and 0.06 mg/mL. B. cinerea EO also demonstrated a potent insecticidal effect and a medium repulsive effect against C. maculatus. Thus, the LC50 value in the contact test was 0.61 μL/L of air, lower than that observed in the inhalation test (0.72 μL/L of air). The present study reveals that B. cinerea EO has the potential to be an antimicrobial and insecticidal agent with a better performance against several pathogenic microorganisms