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Petal senescence represents an extraordinary phase of flower development, involving precisely regulated biochemical and physiological reprogramming. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) stand as the chief regulatory switches to elicit such reprogramming causing programmed cell death (PCD) of petals. Ethylene is recognized as the key hormone that regulates senescence in ethylene-sensitive flowers. In contrast, there has been a constant pursuit to dispense the same role to a hormone other than ethylene in the ethylene-independent class of flowers. Pertinently, abscisic acid (ABA) is presumed to play a decisive role in the petal senescence of ethylene-insensitive flowers. Additionally, oxidative stress characterized by the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is assumed to be the hallmark of PCD and senescence in petals. Consistent with this idea, the current investigation ascertains the role of PGRs viz., ethylene, ABA, and gibberellic acid (GA), besides ROS in regulating the senescence in ray florets of Calendula officinalis; a least documented ornamental of Asteraceae. The ray florets were analyzed for the transient biochemical changes from juvenility through maturity to senescence. Based on the current findings, it was ascertained that ABA plays a significant role in instigating senescence in ray florets of C. officinalis. Furthermore, postharvest treatment with ABA antagonists such as GA and sodium tungstate (ST) combatively delayed the senescence of this flower. GA and ST significantly reduced the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accretion and protein degradation, besides accentuating the cell membrane integrity and antioxidant system in the detached flowers of C. officinalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the association of GDM and pre-eclampsia in women with obstetric cholestasis. Materials and methods: Pregnant women with > 28 weeks gestation attending ANC, OPD and labor room of J.N.M.C.H, AMU, Aligarh UP (India) from 2020 to 2022 were included in the study after taking informed consent and ethical approval from the Institute. Women were divided into 2 groups, i.e. group 1 having 200 women with IHCP and group 2 having 200 healthy pregnant women; both the groups were followed up for the development of GDM and pre-eclampsia. Results: A statistically significant association was observed between IHCP and development of GDM [26.5% and odds ratio (OR) 1.64] and pre-eclampsia (17% and OR: 1.95) (p < 0.05), an also GDM and pre-eclampsia were found to be significantly associated with the severity of cholestasis (p < 0.05). Thus, on calculating OR, we found higher odds of developing GDM and pre-eclampsia in IHCP group with raised serum bile acid levels, maximum at 60 μmol/L level as compared to 10–40 μmol/L (GDM: OR: 8.647 and pre-eclampsia: OR: 6.303). Induction and cesarean rates were significantly higher in IHCP group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our study concludes significant association of IHCP with GDM and pre-eclampsia as all three shares common pathogenetic pathways and greater risk of development at higher serum bile acid levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although green Sukuk (GS) as a sustainability enabler has started to emerge globally, a limited amount of research has focused on understanding its perspectives and potential. Accordingly, this research aims to explore the economic, social, and financial perspectives of GS by conceptualizing the effects of the issuance of green Sukuk (IGS) on economic growth (EG), social development (SD), and financial performance (FP). The fundamentals of the resource-based view (RBV) theory and institutional theory are employed to develop the theoretical underpinnings of this research. The panel data for IGS, EG, SD, and FP indicators between 2018 and 2021 were collected from Indonesia and were analyzed using the generalized method of movements regression technique. The results indicate that IGS positively interacts with all three indicators (EG, SD, and FP). Further analysis reveals that IGS has a moderate positive effect on EG, a weak positive effect on SD, and a significant positive effect on FP. Our research findings contribute to developing an integrated business landscape covering major domains of environmental sustainability, socioeconomic development, and financial performance under the GS theme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Senescence is a multifaceted and dynamic developmental phase pivotal in the plant's lifecycle, exerting significant influence and involving intricate regulatory mechanisms marked by a variety of structural, biochemical and molecular alterations. Biochemical changes, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, membrane deterioration, nucleic acid degradation and protein degradation, characterize flower senescence. The progression of senescence entails a meticulously orchestrated network of interconnected molecular mechanisms and signalling pathways, ensuring its synchronized and efficient execution. Within flowering plants, petal senescence emerges as a crucial aspect significantly impacting flower longevity and postharvest quality, emphasizing the pressing necessity of unravelling the underlying signalling cascades orchestrating this process. Understanding the complex signalling pathways regulating petal senescence holds paramount importance, not only shedding light on the broader phenomenon of plant senescence but also paving the way for the development of targeted strategies to enhance the postharvest longevity of cut flowers. Various signalling pathways participate in petal senescence, encompassing hormone signalling, calcium signalling, protein kinase signalling and ROS signalling. Among these, the ethylene signalling pathway is extensively studied, and the manipulation of genes associated with ethylene biosynthesis or signal transduction has demonstrated the potential to enhance flower longevity. A thorough understanding of these complex pathways is critical for effectively delaying flower senescence, thereby enhancing postharvest quality and ornamental value. Therefore, this review adopts a viewpoint that combines fundamental research into the molecular intricacies of senescence with a practical orientation towards developing strategies for improving the postharvest quality of cut flowers. The innovation of this review is to shed light on the pivotal signalling cascades underpinning flower senescence and offer insights into potential approaches for modulating these pathways to postpone petal senescence in ornamental plants.Key message: Senescence in flowering plants, particularly petal senescence, plays a central role in their life cycle. Unravelling the intricate signalling networks involved in this process is crucial for enhancing flower postharvest quality. This review highlights the significance of understanding these signalling cascades to develop strategies for delaying petal senescence and improving postharvest longevity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postharvest senescence of cut flowers is a stumbling impediment in harnessing their commercial potential. Consequently, the postharvest quality preservation of cut flowers is a crucial factor to allure buyers and maximize economic gains. Flower senescence being final phase of organ development is a key factor triggering postharvest quality deterioration. The process of flower senescence is closely regulated by developmental and environmental cues. The perception of these signals subsequently involves loss of membrane integrity, decreased activity of antioxidant enzymes, and upregulation of proteases and nucleases, which are key signatures of senescence and culminate in the death of petal tissues. Moreover, the developmental and environmental cues are synchronized by considerable turnover in different growth regulators, particularly cytokinins, abscisic acid, ethylene, and gibberellic acid, which act both antagonistically and synergistically to coordinate the senescence process in flowers. Among these growth regulators, ethylene has a crucial role in orchestrating petal senescence in ethylene-responsive systems, while, abscisic acid regulates petal senescence in ethylene-independent systems. Recent research on ethylene-sensitive flowers revealed that the crosstalk of ethylene with sugars and other growth regulators plays a crucial role in modulating senescence by affecting the expression of ethylene-responsive genes. Despite the plethora of postharvest studies conducted so far, considerable miss links still persist in understanding the intricacies of senescence regulating mechanisms, mainly in ethylene-responsive flowers. To this end, it is imperative to critically re-evaluate our current understanding of ethylene-dependent flower senescence to gain intricate inputs regarding the underlying senescence mechanisms, particularly in ornamental families like Ranunculaceae. This constitutes the pivotal gateway toward deciphering the enigmatic complexities governing senescence regulatory mechanisms, thereby forging a path for postharvest researchers to craft pioneering methodologies aimed at accentuating the longevity of commercially significant flowers, thereby yielding substantial economic ramifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fine-tuning of the intricate network of plant growth hormones empowers the balanced responses of plants to environmental and developmental signals. Salicylic acid and jasmonates are emerging as advanced hormones that provide plants with resistance to environmental stresses. Senescence is characterized by coordinated and systematic crosstalk between phytohormones that remodels the biochemical and physiological mechanisms in plants, resulting in cell death. The present investigation examines the role of jasmonates (methyl jasmonate and jasmonic acid) and salicylic acid (SA) in regulating the petal senescence of detached stalks of Cosmos sulphureus. Based on our results, it was revealed that SA and jasmonic acid (JA) at 40 μM and methyl jasmonate (MJ) at 0.75 μM concentration delayed the senescence of detached flowers of C. sulphureus considerably. These growth regulators improved the membrane stability, reinforced the antioxidant enzyme activities and averted the upsurge of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content in the petals. Additionally, SA and jasmonates preserved higher content of total phenols, reducing sugars and soluble proteins in the petals, besides impeding the bacterial growth in testing solutions which corroborated with the maximum solution uptake. The elevated soluble protein content was found to be associated with low specific protease activity (SPA) and α-amino acid content in the petal tissues. Our study concluded that SA and jasmonates delayed flower senescence by averting oxidative stress and maintaining the nutritional status of the petals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) has emerged as an innovative paradigm for industrial firms contemplating environmental and economic issues. This study explicates the role of I4.0 technologies (I4.0TEC) in reinforcing the management of environmental assets (ENVASS) as well as optimizing financial performance (FP). The data in this research was collected from 738 industrial firms in Malaysia between 2009 and 2018. The analyses of ordinary least square statistics (OLS) and structural equation modeling (SEM) delineated three major findings. The individual effect of ENVASS, robotization, and flexibility in production technologies has a marginal impact on sales, exports, and labor productivity indicators. The complementarities of these variables represent a similar effect on the performance indicators. The findings related to gross operating margin elucidate that ENVASS and I4.0TEC have neither individual nor complementarity effects. This was explained by developing a robust model by integrating ENVASS, I4.0TEC, spending and investing in R&D, flexibility in production, and human capital management. Our findings have confirmed that the proposed model offers a functional toolkit for the firms considering optimizing their profitability by leveraging ENVASS and I4.0TEC. This research also contributes to developing an ethical business model for the circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regardless of known as environment-friendly entities, Islamic banks indirectly impact the environment through their clients' engagement and slow response to sustainability concepts. The usage of big data and predictive analytics (BDPA) is substantially grounded in the financial industry; however, there is little information on how BDPA influences social and environmental performance. This study investigates the impact of BDPA on social performance (SP) and environmental performance (EP) of these Islamic banks using dynamic capability view (DCV) and organisational culture as a moderator. The data were collected from 407 executives and managers from 20 Islamic banks in Malaysia. The data were analysed using the structural equation modelling (PLS) technique. The results show that BDPA has a significant impact on SP and EP, whereas organisational culture (flexibility-oriented and control-oriented culture) does not affect the nexus between BDPA and SP/EP. This study contributes to understanding the performance implications of BDPA as well as empirically analyses how and when to use BDPA to improve the social and environmental performance of Islamic banks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a profound evidence of the human unsustainable behaviours' impact on the environment, stark disparities prevail on this narrative especially in the context of the current epidemiological situation ushered by the COVID-19. The ongoing pandemic is a global public health concern due to its sagacious impacts on environmental sustainability, social responsibility and people's quality of life. This study primarily focuses on analysing the impact of COVID-19 (COV) on the environmental awareness (EA), sustainable consumption (SC) and social responsibility (SR). Additionally, we aspire to investigate the impact of demographics of generations and religion on the proposed nexus in this study. The data was collected from 700 participants of different age groups and religious backgrounds in Malaysia, and structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse this data and test the hypotheses. The findings indicate that COVID-19 has a significantly positive impact on EA, SC and SR, and the generations and religiosity moderate the relationship between COVID-19 and its impact on sustainable behaviours. This study contributes to analyse the difference in the perception of EA, SC and SR among the people that eventually will stimulate the scientific reasoning among the governments, policymakers and scientists to develop a holistic framework to combat unprecedented event such as COVID-19 and ensure the authentication of sustainable environment and exceptional quality of life. The policymakers in Malaysia may use the findings of this study to inspect the social and environmental aspects of the people during the transformation events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although open innovation systems have drastically improved manufacturing performance, still many organizations are not able to leverage on the open innovation systems due to cultural barriers. This research aimed to investigate the interventions of the open innovation systems between the relationships of organizational culture and organizational performance with the moderating effect of management support. A quantitative research design was employed to achieve research objectives. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire from 384 managers of the large manufacturing industry in Malaysia using a multistage random sampling technique. Structural equation modelling by using SMART PLS was used to test hypotheses. Results indicated that the relationship between organizational culture (e.g. clan, adhocracy, and market culture) and organizational performance was mediated by open innovation. Open innovation has no mediation effect between hierarchy culture and organizational performance relationship. While management support moderates the relationship between open innovation and organizational culture. The organizations exhibited more organic culture and focused on differentiation can harness open innovation and enhanced organizational performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation primarily focussed on evaluating the efficacy of exogenous proline on the flower longevity of Dianthus chinensis L. Floral buds were harvested at the paint brush stage (i.e., a day prior to anthesis) and divided into 6 sets, with one set of buds (i.e., control) held in distilled water and rest of the 5 sets were supplemented with various concentrations of proline, viz., 10 mM, 20 mM, 30 mM, 40 mM and 50 mM. The application of proline at 40 mM concentration proved out to be most effective in improving the longevity of the flowers by about 4 days as compared to the control. The ameliorated longevity coincided with enhanced floral diameter, fresh mass, dry mass and water content. The flowers with delayed senescence also maintained higher soluble proteins, sugars and phenols. The results suggest that exogenous proline effectively alleviates oxidative stress in the petal tissue, as evident by a relatively lower maloendialdehyde content, which is manifested in the form of reduced lipid peroxidation (LPO). Reduced LPO was commensurate with increased membrane stability, quantified by membrane stability index. Moreover, the flowers with improved longevity exhibited a decline in lipoxygenase activity and significant augmentation of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The studies on molecular interactions of drug candidates with HSA have considerably contributed to the understanding of primary biological evaluation of potential drug. In this context, Schiff base, (E)-2-((2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)amino)-6H-benzo[c]chromen-6-one (1) derived from o-vanillin and 6-amino-3,4-benzocoumarin was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, UV–Vis, IR, NMR, and ESI–MS. The HSA interaction studies of compound 1 was carried out employing various biophysical techniques, viz., UV–Vis titration, fluorescence quenching experiments, and CD measurements. The compound 1 displayed non-covalent hydrophobic mode of binding (Kb = 3.4 × 103 M−1). The fluorescence spectroscopic results revealed that compound 1 exhibited strong capability to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of HSA at Trp214 site (Ksv = 4.1 × 103 M−1). Also ADME and Lipinski's drug-likeness predicted favorable physicochemical properties for oral bioavailability. To ascertain the specific binding to HSA, molecular docking was performed deciphering that electrostatic steady-state interactions have key role in binding of compound 1 to HSA with ΔG of −9.21 kcal mol−1. Moreover, DFT calculations were conducted to obtain electronic and structural properties of compound 1. The theoretical calculations and the experimental data are in well agreement, and hence, the findings suggest that compound 1 might exhibit a potent role in the biomedical and pharmaceutical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]