The Comparative Study of Antimicrobial Activity of Four Different Spices Formulations Using their Essential Oil and Ethanolic Extract

The study was conducted to determine the antibacterial and antifungal activity of four different spices formulations each having twelve spices cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), black pepper (Piper nigrum), ginger (Zingiber officinale), clove (Syzygium aromaticum), cumin (Cuminum cyminum), mustard, coriander (Coriandrum sativum), nutmeg (Myristica fragrans), mace (Myristica fragrans), turmeric (Curcuma longa), bay leaf (Laurus nobilis) and cardamom (Amomum krervanh). The essential oil and ethanolic extract of all the spices mixtures were used against the food borne pathogens including three bacteria Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtillus and three fungi namely Aspergillus niger, Penicillum digitatum, Fusarium oxysporium  using  agar disc diffusion method. The observed result showed that the spices mixtures ethanolic extract has more potential against all the tested microorganism where as spices mixtures essential oil showed only activity against tested bacterial strains but no activity against the fungal strains expect spices mixture D which exhibit antifungal activity

Administration of 5-HT-1B agonist ameliorates pseudodementia induced by depression in rats

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the leading cause of memory impairment in general population. The serotonin hypothesis provides a target model for the treatment of depression and depression-associated memory loss. 5-HT-1B receptor is suggested as a potential candidate in the pathophysiology of depressive illness. Dysfunction of 5-HT-1B receptors has been observed previously in depressive patients. Zolmitriptan, 5-HT-1B agonist is clinically recommended for the treatment of migraine. However, in present study this drug was tested as a potential treatment for depression and associated memory loss by altering the serotonergic function at receptor level. Rats (n=24) were equally divided into unstressed and stressed groups. Depression was induced by 19 days of restraint stress for 4 h which was followed by forced swim test and pattern separation test to assess depressive symptoms and memory impairment, respectively. The initial sign of depression-associated memory loss involves impaired pattern separation which is regarded as pseudodementia. In this study stressed ratsshowed depression- and pseudodementia-like symptoms. After the induction of depression, rats were treated with zolmitriptan at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg which resulted in a significant attenuation of depression and depression-associated memory impairment. Results are discussed with reference to the modulation of function of 5-HT-1B receptor following the administration of exogenous agonist

Controlling Android Based Smart Phone in Sindhi

Due to its various domestic and industrial applications, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has given birth to many of the attractive speech recognition applications since previous decades. Various speech recognition systems are available, but the availability is rare other than the case except English language Although, speech recognition systems in many languages other than English are a rare occurrence for non-native English speakers who rely on speech to control a variety of devices or applications. The aim of this research is to create an android application, where “Sindhi Language” could be recognized and processed, and necessary actions are performed according to given commands through Android phones. The Android application has been designed to understand selected Sindhi words and sentences, spoken by the user. This system recognizes voices of people in an environment with moderate level of noise as well as without noise. The Android-based Sindhi speech recognition framework is implemented by using React Native technology. The technology aids in the development of applications by allowing them to be reloaded instantly and without the need to recompile them. Native Sindhi speakers performed better than non-native Sindhi speakers in terms of accuracy. Users who speak Sindhi will benefit from this Android application, which makes it easier to use smartphones using local language rather than having to speak English

Balochi Speech Recognition using Android Based Smart Phone

The latest era of computers is called the Artificial Intelligence where multiple intelligent machines are working to ease the life of a common people. Interacting with machines via human language is one of the hot areas called Natural Language Processing (NLP). The various language speech recognition systems are already built and there is a need to build the speech recognition system for languages which are lacking in various computing resources. Balochi language is one of the Pakistani languages which lacks computing resources such as automatic speech recognition system. This paper presents the Balochi Speech Recognition system in which the Android mobile phone is controlled by speaking Balochi words. The Balochi speech recognition system calls or opens the various installed applications when the user speaks in Balochi language. For the sampling purpose a total of 230 subjects were selected to record the samples of 2300 words. These words have been recorded in various environments including silent and noisy environment. The android platform-based Balochi speech recognition system has been designed which takes input from Balochi speakers in Balochi language and performs some activities based on the proposed model. The Android application is designed to understand Balochi words. The system has been build using React Native technology. The Balochi speech recognition system has been tested for various Balochi words and produced an average accuracy of 89% and 81% for native and non-native speakers of Balochi language. The system is capable to be extended in various directions and to be applied in multiple area-based applications. Users who speak Balochi language will benefit from this Android application, which makes it easier to use smartphones using local language rather than having to speak English

System biology approach to identify the novel biomarkers in glioblastoma multiforme tumors by using computational analysis

Introduction: The most common primary brain tumor in adults is glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), accounting for 45.2% of all cases. The characteristics of GBM, a highly aggressive brain tumor, include rapid cell division and a propensity for necrosis. Regretfully, the prognosis is extremely poor, with only 5.5% of patients surviving after diagnosis.Methodology: To eradicate these kinds of complicated diseases, significant focus is placed on developing more effective drugs and pinpointing precise pharmacological targets. Finding appropriate biomarkers for drug discovery entails considering a variety of factors, including illness states, gene expression levels, and interactions between proteins. Using statistical techniques like p-values and false discovery rates, we identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) as the first step in our research for identifying promising biomarkers in GBM. Of the 132 genes, 13 showed upregulation, and only 29 showed unique downregulation. No statistically significant changes in the expression of the remaining genes were observed.Results: Matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) had the greatest degree in the hub biomarker gene identification, followed by (periostin (POSTN) at 11 and Hes family BHLH transcription factor 5 (HES5) at 9. The significance of the identification of each hub biomarker gene in the initiation and advancement of glioblastoma multiforme was brought to light by the survival analysis. Many of these genes participate in signaling networks and function in extracellular areas, as demonstrated by the enrichment analysis.We also identified the transcription factors and kinases that control proteins in the proteinprotein interactions (PPIs) of the DEGs.Discussion: We discovered drugs connected to every hub biomarker. It is an appealing therapeutic target for inhibiting MMP9 involved in GBM. Molecular docking investigations indicated that the chosen complexes (carmustine, lomustine, marimastat, and temozolomide) had high binding affinities of −6.3, −7.4, −7.7, and −8.7 kcal/mol, respectively, the mean root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) value for the carmustine complex and marimastat complex was 4.2 Å and 4.9 Å, respectively, and the lomustine and temozolomide complex system showed an average RMSD of 1.2 Å and 1.6 Å, respectively. Additionally, high stability in root-mean-square fluctuation (RMSF) analysis was observed with no structural conformational changes among the atomic molecules. Thus, these in silico investigations develop a new way for experimentalists to target lethal diseases in future

Brachyolmia, dental anomalies and short stature (DASS): Phenotype and genotype analyses of Egyptian and Pakistani patients

Brachyolmia is a heterogeneous group of developmental disorders characterized by a short trunk, short stature, scoliosis, and generalized platyspondyly without significant deformities in the long bones. DASS (Dental Abnormalities and Short Stature), caused by alterations in the LTBP3 gene, was previously considered as a subtype of brachyolmia.The present study investigated three unrelated consanguineous families (A, B, C) with Brachyolmia and DASS from Egypt and Pakistan. In our Egyptian patients, we also observed hearing impairment. Exome sequencing was performed to determine the genetic causes of the diverse clinical conditions in the patients. Exome sequencing identified a novel homozygous splice acceptor site variant (LTBP3:c.3629-1G > T; p. ?) responsible for DASS phenotypes and a known homozygous missense variant (CABP2: c.590T > C; p.Ile197Thr) causing hearing impairment in the Egyptian patients. In addition, two previously reported homozygous frameshift variants (LTBP3:c.132delG; p.Pro45Argfs*25) and (LTBP3:c.2216delG; p.Gly739Alafs*7) were identified in Pakistani patients.This study emphasizes the vital role of LTBP3 in the axial skeleton and tooth morphogenesis and expands the mutational spectrum of LTBP3. We are reporting LTBP3 variants in seven patients of three families, majorly causing brachyolmia with dental and cardiac anomalies. Skeletal assessment documented short webbed neck, broad chest, evidences of mild long bones involvement, short distal phalanges, pes planus and osteopenic bone texture as additional associated findings expanding the clinical phenotype of DASS. The current study reveals that the hearing impairment phenotype in Egyptian patients of family A has a separate transmission mechanism independent of LTBP3

Beyond control? The mechanics and dynamics of ‘informal’ remittances between Europe and Africa

Abstract Policy making usually assumes that the best way to harness migrant remittances for development is by shifting them into the regulated money transfer sector. However, much research evidence concludes that alternative methods are often cheaper and more reliable, accessible and convenient. In this article, we explore this tension between policy objectives and evidence. Based on a review of remittance mechanisms in seven sub-Saharan African countries, we question the validity of the distinction between ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ remittances. We conclude that the formalization of remittance systems should not be approached as a regulatory task carried out from the top down, but as a bottom-up evolutionary and organic process that should be encouraged. We suggest that the current regulatory thrust in this area is likely to be counterproductive, since it risks undermining the many vibrant institutions emerging through the movement of migrants and their money, together with their potential to enhance much needed economic and social development