Antibacterial, Antifungal, and Insecticidal Potentials of Oxalis corniculata

Oxalis corniculata is a common medicinal plant widely used against numerous infectious diseases. The agrochemical potential of methanolic extract, n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol fractions were assessed to measure the antibacterial, antifungal, and insecticidal activities of the plant. The crude, chloroform, and n-butanol soluble fractions showed excellent activities against Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella typhi, and Bacillus subtilis but have no activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Similarly the crude, n-hexane, and chloroform fractions were also found to have significant activity against fungal strains including Fusarium solani, Aspergillus flexneri, and Aspergillus flavus and have no activity against Aspergillus niger. Chemical pesticides have shown very good results at the beginning, but with the passage of time the need was realized to use the natural plant sources for the safe control of insects. The current study will provide minor contribution towards it. High mortality rate was recorded for the crude extract and chloroform fraction against Tribolium castaneum. The two isolated compounds 5-hydroxy-6,7,8,4′-tetramethoxyflavone (1) and 5,7,4′-trihydroxy-6,8-dimethoxyflavone (2) were evaluated for antibacterial, antifungal, and insecticidal activities. The results showed that compound 2 was more active than compound 1 against the tested bacterial strains and insects

The Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background from Primordial Black Holes in R-Symmetric SU(5)SU(5) Inflation

This study explores the realization of nonminimally coupled Higgs inflation in the context of no-scale supergravity, investigates the formation of primordial black holes, and examines the potential for observable proton decay within the framework of the R-symmetric $SU(5)$ model. For inflation, both single and multifield scenarios are investigated. The prediction of the single-field model for the tensor-to-scalar ratio, $r$, is approximately $10^{-3}$, and the scalar spectral index falls within Plank's 1$\sigma$ range. The running of the scalar spectral index, $-{dn_{s}}/{d\ln{k}}$, is approximately $10^{-4}$. A realistic scenario of reheating and non-thermal leptogenesis is employed with reheat temperature $T_r\sim10^9$ GeV. In the multifield case, we mainly focus on Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) and Gravitational Waves (GWs). In this inflationary framework, we demonstrate how a suitable choice of parameters can result in an enhanced scalar power spectrum, leading to the production of primordial black holes (PBHs) capable of fully accounting for dark matter. We also show that this scenario leads to Scalar Induced Gravitational Waves (SIGW) which can be detected in current and future GW detectors. We explore different proton decay channels to look for observable predictions for the next-generation proton decay experiments Hyper-K and DUNE consistent with gauge coupling unification and cosmological bounds.Comment: 21 pages, 19 figure

Impact of external environment on the performance of the fast food industry

The Purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of Political, Economic, Social and Technological macro environmental forces on Pizza fast food industry in Rawalpindi / Islamabad and suggestions for improvement in their performance. This research work is based on co-relational (survey) research design and instrument used for research is interview. PEST analysis was selected to analyze PEST forces in fast food industry. The paper provides empirical data to identify those factors that play key role in improvement of performance. In this study we found that the four factors P, E, S, and T are the key factors that can determine the performance of the fast food industry. Our result showed that the P is somewhat insignificant but other all three factors are the key factors which show the significant results. Hence we can say that managers have to keep these factors in mind to perform better

Marketers’ Perception about Marketing Ethics: Evidence from Malaysia

This paper presents the results of a study that investigates the role of religiosity and perceived ethical values of marketers on marketing ethics, using the measure developed by Forsyth (1980). One dimension of the study is relativism and idealism affecting the importance of ethics moderated by religion. The study showed that people having high idealism have high ethics but having high relativism does not show that there is a decrease in ethics even both idealism and relativism were moderated by one’s strength of a religion. Overall, the study was found significant to as it and provides an understanding of marketing ethics in different cultures and company’s practice

New Inflation in Waterfall Region

We introduce a class of new inflation models within the waterfall region of a generalized hybrid inflation framework. The initial conditions are generated in the valley of hybrid preinflation. Both single-field and multi-field inflationary scenarios have been identified within this context. A supersymmetric realization of this scenario can successfully be achieved within the tribrid inflation framework. To assess the model's viability, we calculate the predictions of inflationary observables using the $\delta N$ formalism, demonstrating excellent agreement with the most recent Planck data. Furthermore, this model facilitates successful reheating and nonthermal leptogenesis, with the matter-field component of the inflaton identified as a sneutrino.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figure

Shrinking Employees Turnover Intention by applying Tools of Job Embeddedness (Used as a Mediator)

The current research study examined the association among the HRM practices through job embeddedness (as a mediator) and employee turnover intentions. In this study, the researchers used new construct i.e. job embeddedness to explore its mediating impact on the relationship between employee turnover intentions and HRM practices such as training, compensation, career planning, performance appraisal and supervisor support. Job embeddedness was studied in terms of fit, links, and sacrifice organization. Job embeddedness plays a crucial role to reduce turnover. If organization applies these HRM practices in true letter and spirit, then their employees will be more satisfied, committed, and loyal to that organization. If employees are more embedded to the organization in a positive manner, so that employees are more committed, satisfied and impacts their performance

Microbial profiling and risk factors assessment for Otitis Media and Otitis Externa

Background: Otitis media and otitis externa are common otological manifestations in all generations especially in children. There is lack of accurate identification of the causative agent and thus poor diagnosis for such infections. Therefore, it leads to permanent anatomical disabilities including poor speech and defects in balancing and hearing. The study was conducted to isolate, characterize and identify the microbes causing otitis media and otitis externa. Methods: A total of 250 patients having otitis media and otitis externa were enrolled in the study from March 2011 to October 2011. All patients were examined through clinical examination and detailed history was collected. Pus samples from the discharging ears were plated on MacConkey’s, Chocolate and Blood agar for 24 to 48 hours. Isolates were identified on the basis of morphology, staining reactions and various biochemical tests. Results: In this study, only 6% cases yielded no growth, 14% yielded mixed cultures while 80% cases yielded pure cultures. The presumptive diagnosis for ear swabbing was otitis media (76%) and otitis externa (24%). The most common bacterial isolates obtained were Staphylococcus aureus (43.3%) followed byPseudomonas aeruginosa (25%) in the diagnosed cases of otitis media. While for the cases of otitis externa,Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the predominant organism with 52.2%. Infection of otitis media was most common among children and the persons having low socioeconomic conditions. Conclusion: Pseudomonas aeruginosa was identified as the principal pathogen followed by Staphylococcus aureus. To circumvent the painful effects of acute and chronic ear infections, an accurate microbial profiling may play pivotal role

The use of unit root and Box-Jenkins in Amman Stock Exchange (ASE)

This paper aims at examining the level of the efficiency of Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) on weak form, semi-strong form and strong form levels from January 2008 to December 2014. The paper concludes that there is a significant prediction performance of all ASE indices of the Jordanian market by using Box-Jenkins estimation. This result was confirmed by unit-root test since the return series for the five Jordanian indices failed to prove unit root

Multivariate–Based Granger Causality between Financial Deepening and Poverty: The Case of Pakistan

This paper deals with the empirical investigation of causal relationship between financial deepening, economic growth and poverty reduction using quarter frequency data in case of Pakistan over the period of 1972-2011. We applied the ARDL bounds testing approach by incorporating structural breaks stemming in the series. The order of integration of the variables is examined by applying structural break unit root test. Our empirical exercise indicated that long run relationship between financial deepening, economic growth and poverty reduction exists in case of Pakistan. The causality analysis implied that causality results are sensitive with the use of proxy for poverty reduction as well as methodology to be applied

Last Decade of Dengue – and the Next One

AbstractBackground: Before 1970, only 9 countries had dengue. Until 1998, there were 1.2 billion dengue infected cases in 56 different countries around the globe. To date it is prevalent in all of 6 WHO regions. Mortality rate is thought to be 2.5% as it varies from country to country. These figures are not surely depicting exact situation as many cases from most parts of the underdeveloped and developing countries go unreported due to number of reasons but one thing is sure that it is on accelerating note.Methodology: In this study, total number of dengue victims around the globe from year 2000-2009 was estimated. Data were collected from World Health Organization (WHO), different health and country specific emergency dealing agenciesand hospitals. We have shown dengue statistics in annotated maps of international regions where dengue has affected in certain.  In a country specific (Pakistan) study we have determined most vulnerable population group among society, their age, gender and immunological profile against dengue virus. Moreover, most prevalent serotype of dengue virus is determined by surveying the current data.Results: It is estimated that there were 24,956 lives lost world wide during 2000-2009 as a consequence of dengue infection (DF/DHF/DSS) with an average CFR of 0.24%. These figures are approximate as we have not included the unauthentic source figures from non-reporting (to WHO) countries or not having an official database. A total of 10,178,624 clinical cases had been reported during that period with highest share of Americas of 6,586,785 cases.Conclusion: Our estimate suggests that number of dengue cases got elevated in first decade of 21st century but death rate is not that higher as 2-2.5% which is estimated. Dengue is spreading and finding novel places as temperature and travelling is getting increased