Economic Contribution of Copyright-based Industries in Pakistan

The copyright-based industries contribute substantially to the national economy in the form of value addition, tax revenues, trade and employment. This study highlights both the core and non-core copyright-based industries in Pakistan. With the technical guidance of World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and National Institute of Cultural Studies (NICS), we conducted the first ever survey of the copyright-based industries in Pakistan. The estimates of contribution to GDP, tax revenues, trade and employment were also validated through focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Our findings reveal that copyright-based industries contributed Rs 136 billion to GDP (on 1999-2000 base year prices of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics). These industries also contributed Rs 18 billion to the government in indirect taxes. On the trade side, the exports of these industries totalled $943 million and imports amounted to$2130 million in 2007-08. In terms of job creation one of the core sub-sectors i.e. electronic media employed around 47,000 persons by the end of 2011. JEL Classification: 034, F10, E24 Keywords: Copyright, Economic Growth, Trade and Employmen

Anatomical location of inferior alveolar canal in different age groups in local population

Objective: To assess the radiographic location of the inferior alveolar canal and its association with age and gender. Methodology: This observational study was conducted at the dental department of Isra University Hospital Hyderabad, in the time duration of six months (Sep-2015 to Feb-2016). All the adult patients aged ≥18 years with permanent teeth underwent diagnostic quality imaging with suitable contrast and density, presence of first molar, 1st & 2nd premolar and canine in images, superimposition of structures and either of gender were included. Patients underwent panoramic digital imaging. The manufacturer’s guide-based images were produced using panoramic machine (digital) to assess multi-pattern of inferior dental canal using software “OWANDY OPG I-MAX TOUCH OSP and Quick vision to get histogram equalization and gray values. The entire data was entered in self-made proforma and was analyzed by using SPSS 20th version. Results: Overall 70 patients were studied; their mean age was 28.23+12.43 years, females were found in the majority (57.14%). Most of the patients (54.28%) were seen with inferior alveolar variations of Type I, followed by 21.42% Type II, 14.28% type III and 10% with Type IV. According to the site of mandibular canal locations; 21 of 70 had right side, 15 had left side and 34 had bilateral. There was statistically no significant variance in the appearance of inferior alveolar nerve according to age and gender. Conclusion: Localized superior and inferior borders were 54.28% in our population to avoid injury during the maxillofacial surgery or during dental implant procedures. There was an insignificant difference in location according to age and gende

Isatin-derived antibacterial and antifungal compounds and their transition metal complexes.

A series of isatins incorporating thiazole, thiadiazole, benzothiazole and p-toluene sulfonyl hydrazide moieties, along with their cobalt(II), copper(II), nickel(II) and zinc(II) metal complexes have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, molar conductances, magnetic moments, IR, NMR and electronic spectral data. These compounds have been screened for antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtillis, Shigella flexneri, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi, and for antifungal activity against Trichophyton longifusus, Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus, Microsporum canis, Fusarium solani and Candida glaberata using the agar-well diffusion method. All the synthesized compounds have shown good affinity as antibacterial and/or antifungal agents which increased in most of the cases on complexation with the metal ions

Design, synthesis, characterization and computational docking studies of novel sulfonamide derivatives

This study reports three novel sulfonamide derivatives 4-Chloro-N-[(4-methylphenyl) sulphonyl]-N-propyl ben- zamide (1A), N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-4-methyl benzene sulfonamide (1B) and 4-methyl-N-(2-nitrophenyl) ben- zene sulfonamide (1C). The compounds were synthesised from starting material 4-methylbenzenesulfonyl chlo- ride and their structure was studied through 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectra. Computational docking was per- formed to estimate their binding energy against bacterial p-amino benzoic acid (PABA) receptor, the dihydrop- teroate synthase (DHPS). The derivatives were tested in vitro for their antimicrobial activity against Gram+ and Gram- bacteria including E. coli, B. subtilis, B. licheniformis and B. linen. 1A was found active only against B. linen; 1B was effective against E. coli, B. subtilis and B. linen whereas 1C showed activity against E. coli, B. li- cheniformis and B. linen. 1C showed maximum activity with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 50, 100 and 150 µg/mL against E. coli, B. licheniformis and B. linen respectively. 1C exhibited maximum affinity to DHPS with binding free energy of -8.1 kcal/mol. It enriched in the top 0.5 % of a library of 7663 compounds, ranked in order of their binding affinity against DHPS. 1C was followed by 1B which showed a moderate to low level MIC of 100, 250 and 150 µg/mL against E. coli, B. subtilis and B. linen respectively, whereas 1A showed a moderate level MIC of 100 µg/mL but only agai st B. linen. These derivatives may thus serve as potential anti-bacterial alternatives against resistant pathogens

6,7,8,9-Tetra­hydro-4b,9b-dihy­droxy­indano[1,2-b]indoline-9,10-dione monohydrate

In the title compound, C15H13NO4·H2O, the organic mol­ecule adopts a V-shaped conformation in which the dihedral angle between the five-membered rings is 68.33 (5)°. The cyclo­hexenone ring adopts an envelope conformation, with one of the methyl­ene C atoms displaced by 0.607 (4) Å from the plane through the other atoms. In the crystal, inter­molecular N—H⋯(O,O) and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the components into (001) sheeets and C–H⋯O inter­actions and aromatic π–π stacking [centroid–centroid separation = 3.6176 (19) Å] help to consolidate the packing

Diuretic, antidiuretic and laxative activities of Anthocleista vogelii extracts in rats

Background: Anthocleista vogelii Planch is a medicinal plant used by traditional healers in the treatment of Malaria, hypertension, ulcer, obesity, diabetes, and as a diuretic and purgative in Africa. Therefore, the present study sought to evaluate the diuretic, antidiuretic and laxative activities of the root bark of A. vogelii extracts and fractions in male Sprague-Dawley rats.Materials and methods: Sixty rats were placed in 10 groups which included: control (normal saline), furosemide/sodium picosulfate (25 mg/kg) as standard drugs, methanol extracts (250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg), and 125 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg of saponin, flavonoid and neutral alkaloid fractions of A. vogelii. The drugs/extracts/fractions were administered orally using normal saline as the vehicle.Results: The 500 mg/kg methanol extracts (ME) significantly increased (p<0.05) the urine volume and electrolytes (Na+, K+ and Cl-) excreted, while 125 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg flavonoid fraction (FF) decreased significantly (p<0.05) urine volume and electrolytes (Na+, K+ and Cl-) excreted, but doses of saponin fraction (SF) and neutral alkaloid fraction (NAF) had no significant difference (p<0.05) compared to the control after 5 hrs. ME, SF, NAF significantly increased (p<0.05) the fecal output of the animals when compared to the control, while FF showed no significant difference (p<0.05) after 8 hrs of administration.Conclusions: This study determined that ME revealed diuretic activity, although not remarkable to furosemide, while FF showed antidiuretic activity, and potent laxative activities were discovered in ME and SF of A. vogelii.Keywords: Anthocleista vogelii, Diuretic, Anti-Diuretic, Laxative, Traditional healer

Synthesis, Spectroscopic Characterization, DFT and Molecular Dynamics of Quinoline-based Peptoids

Peptoids mimic the functions of peptides which have a side chain appended to amidic nitrogen instead of α carbon. This structural change in their backbone gives them increased resistance from proteolysis, improved biostability, greater immunogenicity, and better bioavailability. Therefore, they are specifically designed for various biological activities, including antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antifouling, and anticancer properties. The aim of the research is the one-pot synthesis of quinoline-based peptoids 5(a-b) via Ugi-4CR by the reaction of 1R-(-)-myrtenal 1, benzylamine 2, quinoline-based carboxylic acids 3(a-b), and cyclohexyl isocyanide 4. These peptoids were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HR ESI-MS. In computational studies, the spectral results of 5(a-b) were compared with the calculated spectral values computed at B3LYP/6-311G (d,p) level. TD-DFT method was used to predict electron excitation of 5(a-b) and the contribution of orbitals. The electronic transition of peptoids from charge distribution was computed using natural bond order (NBO) analysis. NPA and MEP analysis was calculated to predict charge distribution in 5(a-b). The FMOs analysis was executed to calculate the global reactivity descriptor to predict the reactivity and stability of peptoids. DFT analysis showed that 5b was slightly more reactive than 5a due to extended conjugation. The biological activities were also predicted using an in silico approach that involved molecular docking and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations. The antiulcer, antibacterial, and antifungal activities were predicted based on ligand–protein binding interactions, binding energy calculations, and dissociation constants. 5(a-b) were evaluated in-vitro for anticholinesterase activity, and they showed 71% inhibition. The umbrella sampling was performed to probe ligand–protein binding

Ethylacetate fraction of Anthocleista vogelii Planch demonstrates antiobesity activities in preclinical models

Purpose: To assess the anti-obesity effect of liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) profiled ethylacetate fraction (EF) of Anthocleista vogelii Planch on pancreatic lipase activity in vitro, and on obesity-related hormones in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats. Methods: Chromatographic analysis of EF to identify bioactive compounds was performed using LCMS electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) positive mode. Thirty Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups (n = 6). Group 1 was fed normal pellet diet, while groups 2 - 5 were fed high-fat diet (HFD) for 14 weeks. The rats were treated for 4 weeks from week 10 with 125 mg/kg of EF (group 3), 250 mg/kg of EF (group 4) or 100 mg/kg of orlistat (group 5). Results: Seven alkaloids were identified in EF, namely, 10-hydroxycamtothecin, moschamindole, camptothecin, moschamine, N6-cis-p-coumaroylserotonin, sinomenine and desacetylcolchicine. The EF of A. vogelii exhibited inhibitory activity against pancreatic lipase with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 8.76 ± 0.110 µg/mL. Rats treated with EF (125 and 250 mg/kg) of A. vogelii showed significantly (p < 0.05) decreased feed intake, body weight, leptin and insulin, when compared to HFD controls. Cortisol, serotonin and noradrenaline were significantly (p < 0.05) increased, but changes in thyroid hormones levels in EF-treated rats were not significant (p > 0.05) when compared to HFD controls. Conclusion: The EF of A. vogelii demonstrate anti-obesity activities by inhibiting pancreatic lipase, elevating serotonin and noradrenaline, and increasing leptin sensitivity, leading consequently to decreased body weight of rats. However, the clinical use of EF of A. vogelii as an antiobesity herbal remedy requires further studies on its mechanisms of action

Anti-proliferative Effects of Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead on Rat Pups Brain Cells

Abstract.-Industrialization and anthropogenic activities are constantly introducing heavy metals in biosphere, which is becoming a serious global issue. Arsenic and cadmium are known human carcinogens, while exposure of lead is also very toxic for human body. In the present study, anti-proliferative effects of arsenic, cadmium and lead were investigated on rat pups brain cells (RPBCs). RPBCs were isolated from one day old rat pup after dissection of brain. Anti-proliferative effects of arsenic, cadmium and lead were tested by neutral red uptake assay. Both arsenic and cadmium proved to be very toxic for RPBCs and there was great reduction in growth of cells as well as change in morphology. There was marked decrease in cells proliferation when cells were exposed to higher metal concentrations (10 µg/ml) and longer duration (48 h). Exposure to lead also resulted in reduced proliferation of cells and change in morphology but effect of lead was not as severe as of arsenic and cadmium. Moreover, lead at lower concentration increased the proliferation of cells. In conclusion, arsenic, cadmium and lead are very toxic for RPBCs and impair the proliferation and morphology of cells

Thymoquinone inhibition of acquisition and expression of alcohol-induced behavioral sensitization

Repeated low doses of alcohol have been shown to progressively enhance locomotor activity in mice, and this phenomenon is designated as behavioral sensitization. Thymoquinone, a major active component of Nigella sativa oil has been investigated in a number of studies for its neuroprotective effects against a variety of ailments. This study was conducted to explore the therapeutic potential of thymoquinone on the acquisition and expression of alcohol-induced behavioral sensitization. Mice treated with alcohol (2.2 g/kg/day) or saline for 13 days and subsequently challenged with an acute alcohol dose (2.2 g/kg) 5 days later were orally administered acute doses of thymoquinone (10, 20 and 30 mg/kg). Thymoquinone subacute treatment with all doses throughout alcohol exposure significantly inhibited both the development and expression phases of alcohol behavioral sensitization in a dose-dependent manner. However, acute treatment with thymoquinone (30 mg/kg) only reversed the expression phase of sensitization. These findings are explained in terms of the known GABA promoting action of thymoquinone in relation to the motive circuit within the limbic component of the basal ganglia. It is concluded that thymoquinone may be a potential therapeutic option for the treatment and prevention of alcohol induced behavioral sensitization