Repellent Activity of Extracts of Black Pepper, Black Seeds, Garlic and White Cumin Against Red Flour Beetle

Many insects are pests of standing crops and stored grains that cause lot of damage and economic losses every year. Commonly these are controlled by synthetic compounds that are unsafe for humans and environment. Certain parts of plants are used for their repellent activity against insect pests of stored grains. In this context, the present study was planned to investigate the repellent activity of extracts of black pepper, black seeds, garlic and white cumin against red flour beetle that cause a huge damage to stored food crops. Repellent activity was tested using multiple concentrations of these extracts. Results of the present study concluded that 2 plant extracts have shown effective repellent activity against red flour beetle. The most effective extract was garlic followed by black pepper in various concentrations. Both were more effective at 1.5 % concentration. It is concluded in this study that these plants are natural sources of repellent compounds and hence are a potential source of biological insect repellents

Geospatial Clustering and Hot Spot Detection of COVID-19 Incidence in 2020: A Global Analysis

Emergence and spread of Covid-19 initiated diversified researches based on spatial analysis in visualization, exploration, and modelling of this infection. This short communication is an attempt to comprehend the geographic distribution and spatial clustering of Covid-19 in year 2020. Main objective is to spatially analyze Covid-19 incidence rates, identification of hotspots and clusters outliers at global level. Monthly data of reported cases were taken from World Health Organization dashboard and situation reports. Incidence rate was calculated for each country for each month. Spatial autocorrelation techniques of Global Moran are I and Anselian Local Moran’s I were used to examine the spatial clustering and outlier’s detection of Covid-19 incidence in all months of the year. Hotspots and Coldspots variations are examined by using Getis-Ord G*. Mapping was executed in ArcGIS Pro environment. Results reveal significant spatial variation of Covid-19 incidence in WHO regions in different months of pandemic year 2020. Hotspots and high clustering of the disease incidence shows a shift from Western pacific towards Europe and Americas from January to April. Eastern Mediterranean countries also became a part of disease hotspots from the month of July leaving Africa as coldspot during whole year. Highest Moran’s I value of 0.32 with highest z-score of 14 reflects the highly clustered pattern of this pandemic incidence in the month of December in contrary to least clustering of the disease with lowest Moran’s I of 0.02 and z-score of 1.8 in June. Statistically significant variations in disease clustering pattern provides an opportunity for epidemiologists to further explore the disease incidence from ecological perspective

Association of tobacco use and other determinants with pregnancy outcomes: a multicentre hospital-based case-control study in Karachi, Pakistan.

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to identify the effects of maternal tobacco consumption during pregnancy and other factors on birth outcomes and obstetric complications in Karachi, Pakistan. DESIGN: A multicentre hospital-based case-control study. SETTING: Four leading maternity hospitals of Karachi. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample of 1275 women coming to the gynaecology and obstetric department of selected hospitals for delivery was interviewed within 48 hours of delivery from wards. Cases were women with adverse birth outcomes and obstetric complications, while controls were women who had normal uncomplicated delivery. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Adverse birth outcomes (preterm delivery, low birth weight, stillbirth, low Apgar score) and obstetric complications (antepartum haemorrhage, caesarean section, etc). RESULTS: Final multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that with every 1 year increase in age the odds of being a case was 1.03 times as compared with being a control. Tobacco use (adjusted OR (aOR): 2.24; 95% CI 1.56 to 3.23), having no slits in the kitchen (proxy indicator for indoor air pollution) (aOR=1.90; 95% CI 1.05 to 3.43), gravidity (aOR=0.83; 95% CI 0.73 to 0.93), non-booked hospital cases (aOR=1.87; 95% CI 1.38 to 2.74), history of stillbirth (aOR=4.06; 95% CI 2.36 to 6.97), miscarriages (aOR=1.91; 95% CI 1.27 to 2.85) and preterm delivery (aOR=6.04; 95% CI 2.52 to 14.48) were significantly associated with being a case as compared with control. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that women who had adverse pregnancy outcomes were more likely to have exposure to tobacco, previous history of adverse birth outcomes and were non-booked cases. Engagement of stakeholders in tobacco control for providing health education, incorporating tobacco use in women in the tobacco control policy and designing interventions for tobacco use cessation is warranted. Prenatal care and health education might help in preventing such adverse events

Idiopathic adult ileoileal and ileocolic intussusception in situs inversus totalis: a rare coincidence

Situs inversus totalis is a rare autosomal recessive congenital anomaly that is characterized by mirror image anatomy of the abdominal and thoracic organs. We report a case of a 28-year-old male with situs inversus totalis, who developed an idiopathic ileoileal and ileocolic intussusception, which was diagnosed on computed tomography scan. Patient underwent successfully ileal resection and side-to-side functional anastomosis of ileum 12 cms from ileocecal junction. Postoperative course was uneventful. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of idiopathic adult intussusception with situs inversus totalis in the literature

Repellent Activity of Certain Plant Extracts (Clove, Coriander, Neem and Mint) Against Red Flour Beetle

Various insect acts as pests for crops and storage grains that cause lot of damage and economic losses. Common control agents are synthetic compounds that are unsafe for humans and environment. Certain parts of plants and herbs are historically used for their repellent activity against insects for grain storage and tree protection. In this context, this study was planned to investigate the repellent activity of extracts of clove, coriander, neem and mint against red flour beetle that cause damage to storage grains and other crops. Insect repellency was tested using multiple concentrations of the extracts. Results of this study demonstrated that these plant extracts proved to have effective repellent activity against the insect. The most effective extract was coriander followed by mint in various concentrations. 1.5 % concentration was found to be most effective. It is concluded from the results that these plants are natural sources of repellent material and hence are a potential source of natural / biological insect repellents

Effects of Microwave Radiations on the Morphological and Biochemical Aspects of some Economically Important Herbs

The purpose of present work was to observe the effects of microwave radiation on some economically important herbs  by treating them with microwaved water. Plants studied were Brassica campestris, Lycopersicon esculentum, Pedilanthus tithymaloides, Portulaca grandiflora, Solanum melongena and Zinnia elegans. The results showed that microwave treated water and warm water both inhibited the growth of treated plants as there was significant decrease in the root and shoot length, diameter, fresh and dry weight, reduction in chlorophyll content, leaf area and enzyme activity of peroxidases which was also altered in all the treated plants. It was reported that the microwave radiations were harmful to treated plants and therefore the use of microwave appliances for heating purposes can affect the biochemical nature of food and ultimately can have an affect on human health

Psychosocial, cultural, and academic challenges to Saudi Arabian students in Australia

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the perceptions of Saudi Arabian medical disciplines students undergoing training in various institutes of Australia regarding psychosocial, cultural, and academic challenges. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was from March 15 to June 15, 2019. Data were collected by an online questionnaire. It consisted of questions regarding demographic, psychosocial, cultural, and academic challenges. Two hundred nineteen students studying in Australia responded to our questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the total 219 students, 13(6.0%) were undergraduate, 167(76%) were postgraduate, and 39(18%) were Ph.D. students. For most students (171[79.2%]), Australia was the country of choice for studying. Most of them were satisfied with their academic performance and adjustment to the Australian way of living. Most of the students (180[82.2%]) showed satisfaction over the availability of fair chances of their religious practices in Australia. Few of them faced difficulties coping with the Australian climate (25[11.4%]), homesickness (59[26.9%]), and food and dietary sources (44[20.1%]). Students were overall satisfied with the student advisory system (156[71.2%]), university assessments (147[67.2%]), and available research facilities (170[77.6%]). Among participants, 77 (35.1%), 119(54.3%), and 23(10.5%) students indicated that they wished to stay in Australia only until completion of their studies, temporarily and permanently, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that Saudi students in Australia had strong psychosocial well-being, cultural integration, and academic success. Most of them were satisfied and adjusted well to Australian culture

Novel Stimuli-Responsive Pectin-PVP-Functionalized Clay Based Smart Hydrogels for Drug Delivery and Controlled Release Application

Stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems are urgently required for injectable site-specific delivery and release of drugs in a controlled manner. For this purpose, we developed novel pH-sensitive, biodegradable, and antimicrobial hydrogels from bio-macromolecule pectin, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), 3-aminopropyl (diethoxy)methyl silane (3-APDEMS), and sepiolite clay via blending and solution casting technique. The purified sepiolite (40 um) was functionalized with 3-APDEMS crosslinker (ex-situ modification) followed by hydrogels fabrication. FTIR and SEM confirmed crosslinked structural integrity and rod-like morphology of hydrogels respectively. The swelling properties of hydrogels could be controlled by varying the concentration of modified clay in pectin/PVP blends. Moreover, the decrease in pH increased the swelling of hydrogels indicating the pH-responsiveness of hydrogels. All hydrogels were degraded after 21 days in phosphate buffer saline pH 7.4 (human blood pH). In-vitro cytotoxicity against 3T3 mouse fibroblast cell line analysis confirmed cytocompatibility of all hydrogels. Ceftriaxone sodium (CTX-S) was selected as a model drug. The release profile of the hydrogel showed 91.82% release in PBS for 2 h in a consistent and controlled manner. The chemical structure of the drug remained intact during and after release confirmed through UV-Visible spectroscopy. Overall, these hydrogels could be used as potential scaffolds for future biomedical applications

Perspective of Speech Language Pathologists Regarding Stammering Therapy Techniques: SLP Perspective

Objective: To find the perspective of speech language pathologists regarding therapeutic techniques of stammering in Pakistan Methodology: It was a cross sectional survey to find the Perspective of Speech Language Pathologist regarding two most common stammering therapeutic approaches fluency shaping and stammering modification therapy. Convenient sampling technique was used for this purpose. Graduated Speech and Language pathologist were considered in the study. For this purpose, a questionnaire was developed through expert opinion and literature review, consisting of two phases and 24 questions. Data was collected through online sources, the sample size of 120 Speech Language Pathologists was considered in the study. SPSS was used for statistical analysis and EndNote was used for referencing. Results: Results showed that there is significant awareness of stammering at 73.6%, but the preference difference between two therapeutic approaches was not that substantial, Stammering Modification Therapy was given preference standing at 51.5% which roughly same as that of Fluency Shaping Therapy was given preference at 48.5%.  Conclusion: It is concluded that both therapeutic approaches fluency shaping and stammering modification therapy showed the same rate of efficacy and both are being used by the Speech Language Pathologist to reduce the rate of stammering. Keywords: Stammering, Fluency Shaping, Stammering Modification, Treatment approaches

Eye and Voice-Controlled Human Machine Interface System for Wheelchairs Using Image Gradient Approach

© 2020 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Rehabilitative mobility aids are being used extensively for physically impaired people. Efforts are being made to develop human machine interfaces (HMIs), manipulating the biosignals to better control the electromechanical mobility aids, especially the wheelchairs. Creating precise control commands such as move forward, left, right, backward and stop, via biosignals, in an appropriate HMI is the actual challenge, as the people with a high level of disability (quadriplegia and paralysis, etc.) are unable to drive conventional wheelchairs. Therefore, a novel system driven by optical signals addressing the needs of such a physically impaired population is introduced in this paper. The present system is divided into two parts: the first part comprises of detection of eyeball movements together with the processing of the optical signal, and the second part encompasses the mechanical assembly module, i.e., control of the wheelchair through motor driving circuitry. A web camera is used to capture real-time images. The processor used is Raspberry-Pi with Linux operating system. In order to make the system more congenial and reliable, the voice-controlled mode is incorporated in the wheelchair. To appraise the system’s performance, a basic wheelchair skill test (WST) is carried out. Basic skills like movement on plain and rough surfaces in forward, reverse direction and turning capability were analyzed for easier comparison with other existing wheelchair setups on the bases of controlling mechanisms, compatibility, design models, and usability in diverse conditions. System successfully operates with average response time of 3 s for eye and 3.4 s for voice control mode.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio