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A crude hexane extract of seed kernel was processed into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) using methanolic-sulfuric acid. Herbal mixtures (seed extracts of A. squamosa and essential oils of Cymbopogon nardus (citronella) and Pelargonium graveolens (geranium)) were evaluated against root knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp). The mortality of J2s of M. incognita in hexane and methanol extracts (AHE+AME) of A. squamosa with geranium oil (GO) ranged from 50.75-89.75% to 71.50-99.00% at 31.25 to 1000 μgmL-1 in 24 to 96 hours. The number of galls after CO+AHE+AME treatment was 4.0 ± 0.0 and 5.67 ± 0.58 galls/seedling and were recorded at 1000 and 500 μgmL-1 treatments on 30 days after inoculation, compared to carbofuran (3.0 ± 0.0 and 4.3 ± 0.6 galls/seedling) at 1000 and 500 μgmL-1 and velum prime (3.6 ± 0.6 and 4.6 ± 0.6 galls/seedling) at 1000 and 500 μgmL-1. The maximum shoot length of brinjal seedlings was recorded in CO+AHE+AME treatment compared to carbofuran (47.3 ± 0.6cm) and velum prime (48.7 ± 0.6 cm) at 1000 μg mL-1 in soil drenching application. Methanol and hexane extracts (AHE+AME) obtained from Annona squamosa seeds were investigated for their nematicidal properties. M. graminicola in direct-seeded rice at the nursery level and M. incognita in brinjal (eggplant) were controlled for up to sixty days when treated with these mixtures.

Abstract Different species of aphids, responsible for severe yield losses of cereal crops including wheat, (Triticum aestivum L.) are managed by insecticides, which are harmful to organisms and the environment under field conditions. Therefore, an environment friendly aphidicidal product of plant origin is required. Mentha spicata oil was found to be rich in carvone (81.88%), but the use of its oil and carvone in crop protection is lacking due to their volatility, poor solubility, and stability. A nanoformulaton not only solves these problems but also improve the efficacy and dose of the bioactive compounds. Thus, nano-emulsions of the oil and carvone prepared were characterized, and evaluated against Rhopalosiphum maidis (corn aphid) and Sitobion avenae (wheat aphid) The average droplet size of nano-emulsions of the oil and carvone was found to be 22.1 and 41.21 nm. Nano-emulsion of carvone exhibited higher aphid mortality (LC50 = 0.87–1.94 mg/mL) at 24 h and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity (IC50 = 0.07–3.83 mg/mL) compared to the nano-emulsion of the oil (LC50 = 2.87–2.81 mg/mL; IC50 = 1.66–5.34 mg/mL). The repellence index (RI) in nano-emulsion of essential oil was found to be higher (84.73 and 81.72%) at the highest concentration (0.05 µL/cm2) than that of carvone (77.59 and 80.98%) for R. maidis and S. avenae. Further, in silico studies also revealed the favourable binding energy (− 6.6 to − 8.5 kcal/mol) of the main compounds in the oil with acetylcholinesterase, facilitated by hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding. This study suggests that the nano-emulsions of the essential oil and carvone can be explored under field conditions to establish efficacy for their utilization as aphidicidal and repellent products against aphids. In the present study, aphidicial and repellent activities of its essential oil and carvone were reported for the first time against R.maidis and S.avenae.

In zebrafish and various mammalian species, HB-EGF has been shown to promote Müller glia proliferation and activation of repair mechanisms that have not been fully investigated in human retina. In the current study, 70- to 90-day-old human retinal organoids were treated with 20 μM 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT), and CRX, REC, NRL, PAX6, VIM, GFAP, and VSX2 gene and protein expression were assessed at various times points after treatment. Organoids with or without 4-OHT-induced damage were then cultured with HB-EGF for 7 days. We showed that 20 μM 4-OHT caused a reduction in the number of recoverin-positive cells; an increase in the number of TUNEL-positive cells; and downregulation of the photoreceptor gene markers CRX, NRL, and REC. Culture of organoids with HB-EGF for 7 days after 4-OHT-induced damage caused a marked reduction in the number of TUNEL-positive cells and small increases in the number of Ki67-positive cells and PAX6 and NOTCH1 gene expression. The current results suggest that treatment of human ESC-derived retinal organoids with 4-OHT may be used as a model of retinal degeneration in vitro. Furthermore, HB-EGF treatment of human retinal organoids increases proliferating Müller cells, but only after 4-OHT induced damage, and may be an indication of Muller reactivity in response to photoreceptor damage. Further studies will aim to identify factors that may induce Müller cell-mediated regeneration of the human retina, aiding in the development of therapies for retinal degeneration.

Fungal diseases cause substantial loss to agricultural crops, affecting both quantities and quality. Although several methods are used for preventing disease incidence, fungicides remain crucial for higher yields and better quality. But in the past, the efficacy of several fungicides has decreased due to increased cases of fungicide resistant. In our pursuit of new effective fungicides, we synthesised a series of twenty 2-Indazol-1-yl-chromen-4-one derivatives (6a- 6t). The characterization of synthesized compounds was performed by several spectroscopic methods including Infrared, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H and 13C) and HRMS. Out of 20 synthesised compounds, 19 (6b- 6t) were found to be novel. All synthesised indazolylchromones showed very good antifungal activity against Sclerotium rolfsii and Fusarium oxysporum. Among the tested compounds, 6t and 6f exhibited very good fungicidal activity against S. rolfsii with an ED50 of 10.10 mg L-1 and 16.18 mg L-1, respectively. In case of Fusarium oxysporum compound 6f displayed good’ activity with an ED50 value of 27.82 mg L-1. Molecular docking study was done to predict the binding sites of most active compounds, 6t and 6f with Cytochrome P450 14alpha -sterol demethylase (CYP51) enzyme using molsoft software. The acute toxicity predictions the of synthesized compounds for fish (LC50,96 Hr), daphnid (LC50, 48 Hr) and green algae (EC50, 96Hr) and the chronic toxicity predictions (ChV) were assessed using Ecological Structure Activity Relationship (ECOSAR) model. As per ECOSAR prediction, all the chemicals are inside AD and not missing predictions.

Anthocyanins, considered as prebiotic ingredients for functional foods, were extracted from black soybean (BS), black grape (BG), black carrot (BCPm), and black rice (BR) using conventional solvent extraction (CSE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). The study employed a split-plot design with CSE and MAE as main plot factors and anthocyanin extracts (AEs) as subplot factors. Anthocyanins were evaluated for stability (polymeric color, degradation index) and functionality (antioxidant capacity). Prebiotic potential on Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Weissella confusa was assessed in fermented soymilk. MAE showed higher extraction yield than CSE in BG (3-fold), BS (2-fold), BCPm (1.2-fold), and BR (1.6-fold). Black grape (1255.76 mg/L) and black soybean (976.5 mg/L) had highest anthocyanin with better stability, functionality, and prebiotic potential. The SCFA concentration (propionic acid and butyric acid) increased significantly in BG fortified-fermented soymilk. Overall, anthocyanin-enriched soymilk exhibited higher prebiotic potential, with MAE as the superior extraction method for anthocyanin functionality and stability.

A series of 16 novel prenylated chalcones (5A-5P) was synthesized by microwave-assisted green synthesis using 5-prenyloxy-2-hydroxyacetophenone and different benzaldehydes. Comparisons were also performed between the microwave and conventional methods in terms of the reaction times and yields of all compounds, where the reaction times in the microwave and conventional methods were 1–4 min and 12–48 h, respectively. The synthesized compounds were characterized using different spectroscopic techniques, including IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and LC-HRMS. The antifungal activities of all compounds were evaluated against Sclerotium rolfsii and Fusarium oxysporum under in vitro conditions and were additionally supported by structure–activity relationship (SAR) and molecular docking studies. Out of the 16 compounds screened, 2’-hydroxy-4-benzyloxy-5’-O-prenylchalcone (5P) showed the highest activity against both S. rolfsii and F. oxysporum, with ED50 of 25.02 and 31.87 mg/L, respectively. The molecular docking studies of the prenylated chalcones within the active sites of the EF1α and RPB2 gene sequences and FoCut5a sequence as the respective receptors for S. rolfsii and F. oxysporum revealed the importance of the compounds, where the binding energies of the docked molecules ranged from −38.3538 to −26.6837 kcal/mol for S. rolfsii and −43.400 to −23.839 kcal/mol for F. oxysporum. Additional docking parameters showed that these compounds formed stable complexes with the protein molecules.

The effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on retinal ganglion cell (RGC) survival and visual function were assessed in rat and mouse models of optic nerve (ON) crush. ONs were crushed on Day 1, followed by intravitreal injections of a vehicle or BDNF on Days 1 and 8. The spatial frequency threshold was measured using optokinetic tracking on Days 7 and 14. On Day 15, ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness was quantified using optical coherence tomography. Furthermore, all eyes were enucleated for immunohistochemical analysis of the surviving RGC somas and axons. BDNF significantly reduced the RGC soma in mice and increased GCC thickness in intact eyes, with apparent axonal swelling in both species. It displayed significantly greater RGC soma survival in eyes with ON injury, with moderately thicker axonal bundles in both species and a thicker GCC in rats. Visual function was significantly reduced in all ON-crushed animals, regardless of BDNF treatment. Thus, we obtained a comprehensive analysis of the structural and functional impact of BDNF in intact and ON-crushed eyes in two rodent models. Our results provide a foundation for further BDNF evaluation and the design of preclinical studies on neuroprotectants using BDNF as a reference positive control.

Brain tumors pose significant global health concerns due to their high mortality rates and limited treatment options. These tumors, arising from abnormal cell growth within the brain, exhibits various sizes and shapes, making their manual detection from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans a subjective and challenging task for healthcare professionals, hence necessitating automated solutions. This study investigates the potential of deep learning, specifically the DenseNet architecture, to automate brain tumor classification, aiming to enhance accuracy and generalizability for clinical applications. We utilized the Figshare brain tumor dataset, comprising 3,064 T1-weighted contrast-enhanced MRI images from 233 patients with three prevalent tumor types: meningioma, glioma, and pituitary tumor. Four pre-trained deep learning models-ResNet, EfficientNet, MobileNet, and DenseNet-were evaluated using transfer learning from ImageNet. DenseNet achieved the highest test set accuracy of 96%, outperforming ResNet (91%), EfficientNet (91%), and MobileNet (93%). Therefore, we focused on improving the performance of the DenseNet, while considering it as base model. To enhance the generalizability of the base DenseNet model, we implemented a fine-tuning approach with regularization techniques, including data augmentation, dropout, batch normalization, and global average pooling, coupled with hyperparameter optimization. This enhanced DenseNet model achieved an accuracy of 97.1%. Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of DenseNet with transfer learning and fine-tuning for brain tumor classification, highlighting its potential to improve diagnostic accuracy and reliability in clinical settings.

IntroductionAs with any other radial glia in the central nervous system, Müller glia derive from the same neuroepithelial precursors, perform similar functions, and exhibit neurogenic properties as radial glia in the brain. Müller glial cells retain progenitor-like characteristics in the adult human eye and can partially restore visual function upon intravitreal transplantation into animal models of glaucoma. Recently, it has been demonstrated that intracellular communication is possible via the secretion of nano-sized membrane-bound extracellular vesicles (EV), which contain bioactive molecules like microRNA (miRNA) and proteins that induce phenotypic changes when internalised by recipient cells.MethodsWe conducted high-throughput sequencing to profile the microRNA signature of EV populations secreted by Müller glia in culture and used bioinformatics tools to evaluate their potential role in the neuroprotective signalling attributed to these cells.ResultsSequencing of miRNA within Müller EV suggested enrichment with species associated with stem cells such as miR-21 and miR-16, as well as with miRNA previously found to play a role in diverse Müller cell functions in the retina: miR-9, miR-125b, and the let-7 family. A total of 51 miRNAs were found to be differentially enriched in EV compared to the whole cells from which EV originated. Bioinformatics analyses also indicated that preferential enrichment of species was demonstrated to regulate genes involved in cell proliferation and survival, including PTEN, the master inhibitor of the PI3K/AKT pathway.DiscussionThe results suggest that the release by Müller cells of miRNA-enriched EV abundant in species that regulate anti-apoptotic signalling networks is likely to represent a significant proportion of the neuroprotective effect observed after the transplantation of these cells into animal models of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) depletion. Future studies will seek to evaluate the modulation of putative genes as well as the activation of these pathways in in vitro and in vivo models following the internalisation of Müller-EV by target retinal neurons.

Great attention has been paid to the projects’ success, which is the core of project management. It is not surprising that much research is being done in this area, as several factors contribute to the project’s success. However, the moderating effect of top management support (TMS) on the relationship between transformational leadership (TL) and project success (PS) has not been investigated before. This study aims to examine whether the relationship between a project manager’s transformational leadership and project success is moderated by top management support. This study uses a post-positivism philosophical objective to investigate the theoretical model. A cross-sectional time-lagged survey design was used to collect quantitative data. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire from 273 team members, project managers, and stakeholders working in Pakistan’s public sector. The factor and hierarchical regression analysis were used for analysis. Our results showed that TL and TMS significantly impacted project success. Moreover, we found that TMS moderates the relationship between TL and PS.

Piper longum L. (Piperaceae family), commonly known as long pepper, is used in traditional medicine and in recognized system of medicine in India for the treatment of inflammation, pain, epilepsy, arthritis, cancer, ulcer, and asthma in addition to pest control activity. Its fruits are rich in essential oil and possess different biological activities, but oil is not much explored against the root-knot nematodes. Thus, the essential oil from the fruits of P. longum was isolated by hydrodistillation method and analyzed by Gas chromatography-Flame ionisation detector and Mass spectrometry. Analysis showed that the oil is a complex mixture of volatile compounds. (Z)-β-Farnesene (25.08%), β-Caryophyllene (13.57%), α-Humulene (13.37%), 8-Heptadecene (9.28%), Heptadecane (7.07%), α-Patchoulene (5.44%), 3-Heptadecene (5.09%), γ-Elemene (4.37%), β-Humulene (3.69%) and Terpinen-4-ol (1.74%) were identified as main compounds in its oil. The essential oil was evaluated for its nematicidal activity against root-knot nematode at 62.5–1000 ppm concentrations in vitro conditions during 2020–21 at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. Results showed promising nematicidal activity of the oil and have caused mortality of juvenile (J2), ranging from 2.33–88.0% after 24–96 hours of treatment compared to untreated control. The oil was further evaluated under the pot conditions in tomato (Solanum lycopercicum L.) (var. Pusa Ruby) at 3000 and 2000 ppm. Results showed a significant reduction in the number of galls/root of tomato with better plant growth in the essential oil based treatment as compared to the untreated control. These results suggest that the oil can be used for the development of nematicidal product for the protection of crops from the infestation of M. incognita.

Deep learning based data driven methods with multi-sensors spectro-temporal data are widely used for pattern identification and land-cover classification in remote sensing domain. However, adjusting the right tuning for the deep learning models is extremely important as different parameter setting can alter the performance of the model. In our research work, we have evaluated the performance of Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory (ConvLSTM) and deep learning techniques, over various hyper-parameters setting for an imbalanced dataset and the one with highest performance is utilized for land-cover classification. The parameters that are considered for experimentation are; Batch size, Number of Layers in ConvLSTM model, and No of filters in each layer of the ConvLSTM are the parameters that will be considered for our experimentation. Experiments also have been conducted on LSTM model for comparison using the same hyper-parameters. It has been found that the two layered ConvLSTM model having 16-filters and a batch size of 128 outperforms other setting scenarios, with an overall validation accuracy of 97.71%. The accuracy achieved for the LSTM is 93.9% for training and 92.7% for testing.

The ameliorative effect of ethanolic extract of M. oleifera (MOEE) leaves in combination with curcumin against seizures, cognitive impairment, and oxidative stress in the molecular docking of PTZ-induced kindled rats was performed to predict the potential phytochemical effects of MOEE and curcumin against epilepsy. The effect of pretreatment with leaves of M. oleifera ethanolic extracts (MOEE) (250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg, orally), curcumin (200 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg, orally), valproic acid used as a standard (100 mg/kg), and the combined effect of MOEE (250 mg/kg) and curcumin (200 mg/kg) at a low dose on Pentylenetetrazole was used for (PTZ)-induced kindling For the development of kindling, individual Wistar rats (male) were injected with pentyletetrazole (40 mg/kg, i.p.) on every alternate day. Molecular docking was performed by the Auto Dock 4.2 tool to merge the ligand orientations in the binding cavity. From the RCSB website, the crystal structure of human glutathione reductase (PDB ID: 3DK9) was obtained. Curcumin and M. oleifera ethanolic extracts (MOEE) showed dose-dependent effects. The combined effects of MOEE and curcumin leaves significantly improved the seizure score and decreased the number of myoclonic jerks compared with a standard dose of valproic acid. PTZ kindling induced significant oxidative stress and cognitive impairment, which was reversed by pretreatment with MOEE and curcumin. Glutathione reductase (GR) is an enzyme that plays a key role in the cellular control of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Therefore, activating GR can uplift antioxidant properties, which leads to the inhibition of ROS-induced cell death in the brain. The combination of the ethanolic extract of M. oleifera (MOEE) leaves and curcumin has shown better results than any other combination for antiepileptic effects by virtue of antioxidant effects. As per the docking study, chlorogenic acid and quercetin treated with acombination of curcumin have much more potential.

This review article focuses on the pathogenesis of and genetic defects linked with chronic ocular hypertension (cOHT) and glaucoma. The latter ocular disease constitutes a group of ocular degenerative diseases whose hallmark features are damage to the optic nerve, apoptotic demise of retinal ganglion cells, disturbances within the brain regions involved in visual perception and considerable visual impairment that can lead to blindness. Even though a number of pharmaceuticals, surgical and device-based treatments already exist addressing cOHT associated with the most prevalent of the glaucoma types, primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), they can be improved upon in terms of superior efficacy with reduced side-effects and with longer duration of activity. The linkage of disease pathology to certain genes via genome-wide associated studies are illuminating new approaches to finding novel treatment options for the aforementioned ocular disorders. Gene replacement, gene editing via CRISPR-Cas9, and the use of optogenetic technologies may replace traditional drug-based therapies and/or they may augment existing therapeutics for the treatment of cOHT and POAG in the future.

Hemophilia B is an X-linked inherited bleeding disorder caused by either the absence or reduced biosynthesis of clotting factor IX (FIX). This disorder affects approximately 1 in 30,000 male individuals worldwide. Patients with severe form (FIX

BackgroundNeurological and ophthalmological neurodegenerative diseases in large part share underlying biology and pathophysiology. Despite extensive preclinical research on neuroprotection that in many cases bridges and unifies both fields, only a handful of neuroprotective therapies have succeeded clinically in either.Main bodyUnderstanding the commonalities among brain and neuroretinal neurodegenerations can help develop innovative ways to improve translational success in neuroprotection research and emerging therapies. To do this, analysis of why translational research in neuroprotection fails necessitates addressing roadblocks at basic research and clinical trial levels. These include optimizing translational approaches with respect to biomarkers, therapeutic targets, treatments, animal models, and regulatory pathways.ConclusionThe common features of neurological and ophthalmological neurodegenerations are useful for outlining a path forward that should increase the likelihood of translational success in neuroprotective therapies.

Serious vision loss occurs in patients affected by chronically raised intraocular pressure (IOP), a characteristic of many forms of glaucoma where damage to the optic nerve components causes progressive degeneration of retinal and brain neurons involved in visual perception. While many risk factors abound and have been validated for this glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON), the major one is ocular hypertension (OHT), which results from the accumulation of excess aqueous humor (AQH) fluid in the anterior chamber of the eye. Millions around the world suffer from this asymptomatic and progressive degenerative eye disease. Since clinical evidence has revealed a strong correlation between the reduction in elevated IOP/OHT and GON progression, many drugs, devices, and surgical techniques have been developed to lower and control IOP. The constant quest for new pharmaceuticals and other modalities with superior therapeutic indices has recently yielded health authority-approved novel drugs with unique pharmacological signatures and mechanism(s) of action and AQH drainage microdevices for effectively and durably treating OHT. A unique nitric oxide-donating conjugate of latanoprost, an FP-receptor prostaglandin (PG; latanoprostene bunod), new rho kinase inhibitors (ripasudil; netarsudil), a novel non-PG EP2-receptor-selective agonist (omidenepag isopropyl), and a form of FP-receptor PG in a slow-release intracameral implant (Durysta) represent the additions to the pharmaceutical toolchest to mitigate the ravages of OHT. Despite these advances, early diagnosis of OHT and glaucoma still lags behind and would benefit from further concerted effort and attention.

Identifying atmospheric and ionospheric anomalies based on remote sensing satellites has contributed highly to develop the hypothesis of lithosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere coupling over the earthquake (EQ) epicenter during the seismic preparation period. This article has investigated the variations of potential EQ precursor in daytime and nighttime land surface temperature (LST) before and after the 2019 Pakistan EQ from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite. The nighttime LST values of MODIS exhibit temporal anomalies during nighttime period within a time window of five days before and after the main shock day. Furthermore, the LST values predicted by artificial neural network (ANN) validate the significant enhancement in nighttime time series of MODIS. The nighttime LST anomalies obtained from the observation and ANN prediction are more than 20% and 7% of normal distribution beyond the confidence bounds, respectively, within five days after the main shock. Likewise, the ionospheric anomaly from daily total electron content (TEC) values at Sukkur Global Positioning System (GPS) station confirms the EQ associated ionospheric perturbations on the day after the main shock. The Global Ionospheric Maps (GIMs) also show the TEC anomalies during 1000–1400 LT on September 25, 2019.

Modified starch based composites were prepared with bentonite/organobentonite for their potential use as carriers for pesticide delivery. Soluble starch was esterified with dicarboxylic acid chlorides. Mean degree of substitution of modified starches varied from 0.101 to 0.353. Composites were prepared by solution intercalation method using these esterified starches and bentonite or cetyltrimethylammonium bentonite as filler materials. TEM analysis of composites showed well exfoliated/intercalated structures. Atrazine as a model pesticide was encapsulated in them and encapsulation was found to be 83.52–92.83%. These composites were also found to be acted as controlled release matrices for atrazine and release pattern was diffusion controlled. As compared to the commercially available wettable powder formulation, the composites were able to release encapsulated atrazine in water for a longer period. The research showed that the prepared composites could be further investigated as carriers for controlled release formulations of pesticides to minimize dose and number of applications.

The current research was intended to establish the impact of Silibinin nanoparticles (SB-APSP) produced by the antisolvent precipitation with a syringe pump (APSP). The in-vivo bioavailability and hepatoprotective activity of SB-APSP were evaluated in experimental animals. To determine the pharmacokinetic parameters, silibinin and its nanoparticles were given orally to rabbits at a dose of 50 mg/Kg body weight. Blood samples were drawn at different time intervals and were analyzed using HPLC. The bioavailability of un processed silibinin was lower as compared to silibinin nanoparticles (3.45 ± 0.07 and 23.76 ± 0.07 µg/mL respectively). The AUC and Cmax of SB-APSP were found to be 15.56 and 6.88 folds greater for nanoparticles when compared to silibinin. Hepatoprotective study in Male Sprague Dawley rats revealed that SB-APSP provide better recovery of the damaged liver cell induced by CCl4. Histopathology of the liver revealed that SB-APSP provide better protection to the liver cells from the damage induced by CCl4 and maintained the hepatic lobule histopathology more efficiently. It was concluded that the SB-APSP can more effectively protect the liver in experimental animals in a far better way compared to the un-processed Silibinin and could be used as an efficient hepatoprotective agent. Keywords: Silibinin, Pharmacokinetic parameters, Carbon tetrachloride, Hepatoprotective activity

Eyesight is the most important of our sensory systems for optimal daily activities and overall survival. Patients who experience visual impairment due to elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) are often those afflicted with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) which slowly robs them of their vision unless treatment is administered soon after diagnosis. The hallmark features of POAG and other forms of glaucoma are damaged optic nerve, retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss and atrophied RGC axons connecting to various brain regions associated with receipt of visual input from the eyes and eventual decoding and perception of images in the visual cortex. Even though increased IOP is the major risk factor for POAG, the disease is caused by many injurious chemicals and events that progress slowly within all components of the eye-brain visual axis. Lowering of IOP mitigates the damage to some extent with existing drugs, surgical and device implantation therapeutic interventions. However, since multifactorial degenerative processes occur during aging and with glaucomatous optic neuropathy, different forms of neuroprotective, nutraceutical and electroceutical regenerative and revitalizing agents and processes are being considered to combat these eye-brain disorders. These aspects form the basis of this short review article.

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an invasive pest native to the American continent. The present study focused on bio-intensive tactics like intercropping, using natural enemies, botanical insecticides and biopesticides for managing S. frugiperda for the organic production of maize in Indian conditions. A total of eight different parasitoids attacking the different stages of S. frugiperda viz., eggs and larvae were found in the study area. The total parasitism rate due to all the parasitoids ranged from 28.37 to 42.44%. The egg-larval parasitoid, Chelonus formosanus Sonan (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was the dominant parasitoid (12.55%), followed by Chelonus nr. blackburni (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) (10.98%) and Coccygydium sp. (4.85%). About 36.58 percent of the egg masses collected was parasitized by egg parasitoids, among which Telenomus remus (Nixon) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) was the dominant parasitoid. The botanicals insecticides such as citronella and annona extract were most effective, resulting in 100% mortality of FAW larvae (168 h after treatment). The essential oil of garlic (100%) was found highly effective in inhibiting egg hatching, followed by geraniol (90.76%). The maize intercropped with lady’s finger (okra) recorded significantly the lowest pest infestation and recorded higher grain yield (6.17 q/ha) than other intercropping systems and control (5.10 q/ha). The overall bioefficacy of commercial biopesticides against the larvae of S. frugiperda was in the following order azadirachtin > Metarhizium anisopliae (Metch.) Sorokin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) > Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) at 168 h after treatment.

Damage to the optic nerve and the death of associated retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), also known as glaucoma, is responsible for visual impairment and blindness in millions of people worldwide. The ocular hypertension (OHT) and the deleterious mechanical forces it exerts at the back of the eye, at the level of the optic nerve head/optic disc and lamina cribosa, is the only modifiable risk factor associated with glaucoma that can be treated. The elevated IOP occurs due to the inability of accumulated aqueous humor (AQH) to egress from the anterior chamber of the eye due to occlusion of the major outflow pathway, the trabecular meshwork (TM) and Schlemm’s canal (SC). Several different classes of pharmaceutical agents, surgical techniques and implantable devices have been developed to lower and control IOP. First-line drugs to promote AQH outflow via the uveoscleral outflow pathway include FP-receptor prostaglandin (PG) agonists (e.g., latanoprost, travoprost and tafluprost) and a novel non-PG EP2-receptor agonist (omidenepag isopropyl, Eybelis®). TM/SC outflow enhancing drugs are also effective ocular hypotensive agents (e.g., rho kinase inhibitors like ripasudil and netarsudil; and latanoprostene bunod, a conjugate of a nitric oxide donor and latanoprost). One of the most effective anterior chamber AQH microshunt devices is the Preserflo® microshunt which can lower IOP down to 10–13 mmHg. Other IOP-lowering drugs and devices on the horizon will be also discussed. Additionally, since elevated IOP is only one of many risk factors for development of glaucomatous optic neuropathy, a treatise of the role of inflammatory neurodegeneration of the optic nerve and retinal ganglion cells and appropriate neuroprotective strategies to mitigate this disease will also be reviewed and discussed.

A series of ferrocenyl chalcones using acetylferrocene with different aldehydes were synthesized and their in vitro evaluation against Meloidogyne incognita was reported. The present study was carried out in net house conditions, Division of Nematology, ICAR-IARI, during rabi 2018-19, the bioefficacy evaluation of most effective compounds, identified by in vitro results, along with Carbofuran 3G in pot cultured tomato is reported. The identified, five most effective compounds, (2E)-1-Ferrocenyl-3-(4-bromophenyl)-prop-2-en-1-one (3b), (2E)-1-Ferrocenyl-3-(4- methoxyphenyl)-prop-2-en-1-one (3f), (2E)-1-Ferrocenyl-3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-prop-2-en-1-one (3h), (2E)-1- Ferrocenyl-3-(4-nitrophenyl) prop-2-en-1-one (3m) and (2E)-1-Ferrocenyl-3-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-prop-2-en-1-one (3o) were undertaken for pot experiment at different concentrations, viz. 20, 40 and 80 ppm and by soil drenching and root dipping methods. The study revealed that all plant growth parameters were positively influenced by these compounds. It was also observed that the presence of electron releasing group positively influences the efficacy and the activity was highest in compound 3f and 3h @ 80 ppm at 30 DAI and 60 DAI. The activity was higher in soil drenching compared to root dipping method.

Despite the emergence of novel biotechnological and biological solutions, agrochemicals continue to play an important role in crop protection. Fungicide resistance is becoming a major problem; numerous cases of fungicide resistance have occurred worldwide in the last decade, resulting in the loss of several fungicides. The discovery of new molecules has therefore assumed critical importance in crop protection. In our quest for biologically active molecules, we herein report the synthesis of a series of twenty-one 3-Iodochromone derivatives (4a–4u), in a two-step process by condensation of 2-hydroxyacetophenone derivatives (2a–2u) with N,N-dimethylformamidedimethylacetal yielding enaminones (3a–3u), followed by cyclization with iodine to corresponding 3-iodochromones. Characterization of these compounds was done by IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and LC-HRMS techniques. All synthesized compounds were screened for their fungicidal activity against Sclerotium rolfsii. Among these 6,8-Dichloro-3-iodochromone 4r was found to be most active (ED50 = 8.43 mg L−1). 2D-Quantitative Structural Activity Relationship (2D-QSAR) analysis was also performed by generating three different models viz., Multiple Linear Regression (MLR, Model 1), Principal Component Regression (PCR, Model 2), and Partial Least Squares (PLS, Model 3). Predictive power and statistical significance of these models were assessed with external and internal validation and leave one-out cross-validation was used for verification. In QSAR study, MLR (Model 1) was found to be best having correlation coefficient (r2) 0.943, cross-validated correlation coefficient (q2) 0.911 and r2pred 0.837. It was observed that DeltaEpsilonC, T_2_Cl_6, T_2_F_6, T_T_F_3, and ZCompDipole are the major descriptors which influence the fungicidal activity of 3-Iodochromone derivatives. The physicochemical parameters were estimated by the VLifeMDS 4.6 software. The QSAR study results will be helpful for structure optimization to improve the activity.

Isopropyl Isothiocyanate (IPI) is a poorly water-soluble drug used in different biological activities. So, the present work was designed to prepare and evaluate IPI loaded vesicles and evaluated for vesicle size, polydispersity index (PDI) and zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, drug release, and drug permeation. The selected formulation was coated with chitosan and further assessed for the anti-platelet and anti-thrombotic activity. The prepared IPI vesicles (F3) exhibited a vesicle size of 298 nm ± 5.1, the zeta potential of −18.7 mV, encapsulation efficiency of 86.2 ± 5.3% and PDI of 0.33. The chitosan-coated IPI vesicles (F3C) exhibited an increased size of 379 ± 4.5 nm, a positive zeta potential of 23.5 ± 2.8 mV and encapsulation efficiency of 77.3 ± 4.1%. IPI chitosan vesicle (F3C) showed enhanced mucoadhesive property (2.7 folds) and intestinal permeation (~1.8-fold) higher than IPI vesicles (F3). There was a significant (p < 0.05) enhancement in size, muco-adhesion, and permeation flux achieved after coating with chitosan. The IPI chitosan vesicle (F3C) demonstrated an enhanced bleeding time of 525.33 ± 12.43 s, anti-thrombin activity of 59.72 ± 4.21, and inhibition of platelet aggregation 68.64 ± 3.99%, and anti-platelet activity of 99.47%. The results of the study suggest that IPI chitosan vesicles showed promising in vitro results, as well as improved anti-platelet and anti-thrombotic activity compared to pure IPI and IPI vesicles.

This study was aimed at isolating and characterizing, the isothiocyanate present in seeds of Drypetes roxburghii and evaluating its anti-platelet and anti-thrombotic property. Powdered seeds of Drypetes roxburghii was extracted and an isolate was obtained. The isolate was then characterized using various analytical techniques such as FTIR, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, and LC-MS. Afterwards, an acute oral toxicity study of the isolate was done and three doses of the isolate were selected followed by evaluation for its anti-platelet and anti-thrombotic activity. The isolate was characterized to be isopropyl isothiocyanate (IPI). Based on acute oral toxicity study three doses of IPI were selected and designated as IPIHD (40 mg/kg), IPIMD (30 mg/kg) and IPILD (20 mg/kg). All doses of IPI inhibited platelet aggregation and prolonged clotting time, prothrombin time and activated thromboplastin time. Similarly, all doses of IPI reduced thrombus length of the rat tail in the carrageenan-induced tail vein thrombosis model. In, in-vitro thrombolytic activity, IPI at all doses showed a significant percentage of clot lysis. In collagen + epinephrine induced pulmonary thromboembolism model, IPIHD (40 mg/kg) and IPIMD (30 mg/kg) displayed percent protection rates of 83.34 and 66.67 respectively. Histopathology studies revealed that IPILD (20 mg/kg) showed only mild protection IPIMD (30 mg/kg) showed moderate protection IPIHD (40 mg/kg) showed significant protection and against thrombosis, haemorrhage, and congestion. It can be concluded that isopropyl isothiocyanate (IPI) is present in the seeds of Drypetes roxburghii. IPI exhibited potent anti-platelet and anti-thrombotic activity.

This research work aims to develop a deep learning-based crop classification framework for remotely sensed time series data. Tobacco is a major revenue generating crop of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province of Pakistan, with over 90% of the country's Tobacco production. In order to analyze the performance of the developed classification framework, a pilot sub-region named Yar Hussain is selected for experimentation work. Yar Hussain is a tehsil of district Swabi, within KP province of Pakistan, having highest contribution to the gross production of the KP Tobacco crop. KP generally consists of a diverse crop land with different varieties of vegetation, having similar phenology which makes crop classification a challenging task. In this study, a temporal convolutional neural network (TempCNNs) model is implemented for crop classification, while considering remotely sensed imagery of the selected pilot region with specific focus on the Tobacco crop. In order to improve the performance of the proposed classification framework, instead of using the prevailing concept of utilizing a single satellite imagery, both Sentinel-2 and Planet-Scope imageries are stacked together to assist in providing more diverse features to the proposed classification framework. Furthermore, instead of using a single date satellite imagery, multiple satellite imageries with respect to the phenological cycle of Tobacco crop are temporally stacked together which resulted in a higher temporal resolution of the employed satellite imagery. The developed framework is trained using the ground truth data. The final output is obtained as an outcome of the SoftMax function of the developed model in the form of probabilistic values, for the classification of the selected classes. The proposed deep learning-based crop classification framework, while utilizing multi-satellite temporally stacked imagery resulted in an overall classification accuracy of 98.15%. Furthermore, as the developed classification framework evolved with specific focus on Tobacco crop, it resulted in best Tobacco crop classification accuracy of 99%.

Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are naturally occurring molecules belonging to highly reactive organosulphur synthons, with the general structure R–N=C=S. The precursor molecule glucosinolate anions are hydrolyzed enzymatically (under the effect of myrosinase enzymes) or unenzymatically to produce nitriles or isothiocyanates depending upon conditions such as pH and temperature. Brassicaceae Family is known to contain abundant ITCs. A significant number of isothiocyanates has been isolated from different plant sources and some of them have been synthesized. Several isothiocyanates have demonstrated significant pharmacological activities including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial activities, etc. Pharmacokinetic profiles of these sulphur containing compounds are well established. However, safety profiles of ITCs need consideration and a well-designed study with appropriate control, for their production as lead compounds. This review summarises the chemistry, sources, pharmacokinetics, pharmacological activity and toxicity profiles of the isothiocyanates.

Peripheral vision loss followed by “tunnel vision” and eventual irreversible blindness is the fate of patients afflicted by various forms of glaucoma including primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and normotensive glaucoma (NTG). These complex and heterogeneous diseases are characterized by extensive death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) accompanied by retraction and severance of their axonal connections to the brain and thus damage to and thinning of the optic nerve. Since patients suffering from this glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) first notice visual impairment when they have lost > 40% of their RGCs, early diagnosis is the key to retard the progression of glaucoma. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), low cerebrospinal and/or low intracranial fluid pressure, advancing age, and ethnicity are major risk factors associated with POAG. However, retinal vascular abnormalities and a high sensitivity of RGCs and optic nerve head components to neurotoxic, inflammatory, oxidative and mechanical insults also contribute to vision loss in POAG/GON. Current treatment modalities for POAG and NTG involve lowering IOP using topical ocular drugs, combination drug products, and surgical interventions. Two recently approved multi-pharmacophoric drugs (e.g., rho kinase inhibitor, Netarsudil; a drug conjugate, Latanoprostene Bunod) and novel aqueous humor drainage devices (iStent and CyPass) are also gaining acceptance for treating POAG/ NTG. Neuroprotective and regenerative agents, coupled with electroceutical, mechanical support systems, stem cell transplantation and gene therapy are emerging therapeutics on the horizon to help combat GON. The latter techniques and approaches hope to rejuvenate RGCs and repair the optic nerve structures, thereby providing a gain of function of the visual system for the glaucoma patients.

We tested five chemically and metabolically stable prostaglandin (PG) receptor agonists in a mouse model of dexamethasone-induced ocular hypertension (OHT). Whilst all compounds significantly (p < 0.05, ANOVA) lowered intraocular pressure (IOP) after twice-daily bilateral topical ocular dosing (5 µg/dose) over three weeks, the time course and magnitude of the responses varied. The onset of action of NS-304 (IP-PG receptor agonist) and rivenprost (EP4-PG receptor agonist) was slower than that of misoprostol (mixed EP2/EP3/EP4-PG receptor agonist), PF-04217329 (EP2-PG receptor agonist), and butaprost (EP2-PG receptor agonist). The rank order of IOP-lowering efficacies aligned with the onset of actions of these compounds. Peak IOP reductions relative to vehicle controls were as follows: misoprostol (74.52%) = PF-04217329 (74.32%) > butaprost (65.2%) > rivenprost (58.4%) > NS-304 (55.3%). A literature survey indicated that few previously evaluated compounds (e.g., latanoprost, timolol, pilocarpine, brimonidine, dorzolamide, cromakalim analog (CKLP1), losartan, tissue plasminogen activator, trans-resveratrol, sodium 4-phenyl acetic acid, etc.) in various animal models of steroid-induced OHT were able to match the effectiveness of misoprostol, PF-04217329 or butaprost. Since a common feature of the latter compounds is their relatively high affinity and potency at the EP2-PG receptor sub-type, which activates the production of intracellular cAMP in target cells, our studies suggest that drugs selective for the EP2-PG receptor may be suited to treat corticosteroid-induced OHT.

Parthenin, a sesquiterpene lactone of pseudoguaianolide type, is the representative secondary metabolite of the tropical weed Parthenium hysterophorus (Asteraceae). It accounts for a multitude of biological activities, including toxicity, allergenicity, allelopathy, and pharmacological aspects of the plant. Thus far, parthenin and its derivatives have been tested for chemotherapeutic abilities, medicinal properties, and herbicidal/pesticidal activities. However, due to the lack of toxicity–bioactivity relationship studies, the versatile properties of parthenin are relatively less utilised. The possibility of exploiting parthenin in different scientific fields (e.g., chemistry, medicine, and agriculture) makes it a subject of analytical discussion. The present review highlights the multifaceted uses of parthenin, on-going research, constraints in the practical applicability, and the possible workarounds for its successful utilisation. The main aim of this comprehensive discussion is to bring parthenin to the attention of researchers, pharmacologists, natural product chemists, and chemical biologists and to open the door for its multidimensional applications.

Introduction: In our modern era, life style of human being changes and updates every day that may affect their health status. There is an incredible expectation that natural origin drugs lack undesirable effects not like synthetic drugs, though have the same potency and efficacy. No scientific data is available about the antianxiety properties of Delphinium denudatum root and Amaranthus spinosus leaves. In this regard, the present study was designed to carry out comparative and combined study on antianxiety properties of Delphinium denudatum root and Amaranthus spinosus leaves. Methods: Delphinium denudatum root and Amaranthus spinosus leaves were defatted with petroleum ether, and then extracted with hydroalcoholic solvent by soxhlation process. The hydroalcoholic extract of both drugs singly and in combination were evaluated for their anxiolytic effects on Wistar albino rats in doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg using different anti-anxiety tests like Elevated Plus Maze, Staircase, Actophotometer, and Light and Dark tests. Results: Both hydroalcoholic extracts possessed flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, carbohydrates, steroids, sterols, etc. In the dose dependent manner, both the hydroalcoholic extracts produced good anxiolytic activity. The best result was obtained by a combination of them in higher dose. Conclusion: Hydroalcoholic extracts of Delphinium denudatum root and Amaranthus spinosus leaves and their combination may act as a potent anxiolytic agents in rats. Amaranthus spinosus was found to be more effective than Delphinium denudatum.

A new microwave method (MM) has been developed for the synthesis of a series of 16 substituted ferrocenyl chalcones using acetylferrocene (1) with different aldehydes (2a-2p) and comparing it with conventional method (CM). The synthesized compounds were characterized by various spectroscopic techniques viz IR, HR-MS, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR. The time required for completion of reaction in MM varied from 1 to 5 min as compared to CM which required 10–40 h. All the synthesized compounds were screened for antifungal activity against Sclerotium rolfsii and Alternaria solani. In vitro fungicidal activity revealed that compound 3o (ED50 = 23.24 mg L−1) was found to be most active against S. rolfsii. But in case of A. solani, compound 3c (ED50 = 29.9 mg L−1) showed highest activity. The nematicidal activity revealed that the compound 3b was more potent with LC50 values of 10.67, 7.30, and 4.55 ppm at 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. 2D-Quantitative Structural Activity Relationship (2D-QSAR) analysis of these ferrocenyl chalcones was carried out by developing three different models namely Partial Least Squares (PLS, Model 1), Multiple Linear Regression (MLR, Model 2) and Principal Component Regression (PCR, Model 3). Statistical significance and predictive ability of these models were assessed by internal and external validation and also verified by leave one-out cross-validation. QSAR study revealed that MLR for S. rolfsii (r2 = 0.999, q2 = 0.996), PLS for A. solani (r2 = 0.934, q2 = 0.749) and PCR for M. incognita (r2 = 0.878, q2 = 0.772) were the best model. The physico-chemical parameters were calculated using VLife MDS 4.6 software. QSAR study could be employed for structure optimization to achieve better activity.

In an era where the success of our schools is determined by standardized examinations, it is critical to allow students to utilize their creativity and the power of technology to enhance vital skills and learn in innovative ways. In today's fast-paced technological environment, we are on the verge of a technology revolution that will modify and unfold several professions in realm of education. It is critical that the educational system make an instructional transition in order for pupils to prosper as future innovators. In order to understand how students' talents may have been impacted by various intelligences by engaging in the real-world experiences that may boost confidence and self-esteem, this article examines the 4Cs of 21st century skills in relation with Bloom and Digital Bloom's Taxonomy. It also emphasizes how a 21st-century education will enable students to be creative and critically examine situations, allowing them to improve academic and social skills as they communicate and collaborate with others to organize their ideas, preparing these young minds for the workforce once they graduate. The intention of suggesting the 21st century plan to the school management and detailing the potential benefits of the educational system is to prepare the upcoming young generation for the future workforce in today's fast growing competitive and challenging environment.