Open source tools: Empowered the e-learning pedagogy in distance education 1

E-learning is defined as pedagogy empowered by digital technology which involves learning done at a computer, usually connected to a network, giving us the opportunity to learn almost anytime, anywhere. Today, E-learning allows to share and manage knowledge and skills of the professionals and to get the right information to the right people whenever they need it.. There are many software systems available that provide distance learning environment. This software is in both forms, commercial and open source software (OSS). Moodle is one of the Open source tool that have been increasingly gaining worldwide popularity in e-learning system. This paper is highlights, how the open source tools empowered e-learning. In turn, the popularity of open source tools day by day increases. A huge number of Students are linked and gaining degree in feasible mode. 1

Morphology, biochemistry, and management of Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.) accessions in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan

Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia L., Elagnaceae) is a native multi-purpose medicinal shrub or tree of Asian regions and an integral component of high altitude terraced agroforestry systems of Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan. The strong increase in deforestation, urbanisation, and the loss of ethnically-based medication practices in local communities are gradually leading to depletion of its stands and knowledge of its use. In view of these circumstances, this study was undertaken to characterise Russian olive accessions as a first step towards the conservation of this important wild plant genetic resource. Ninety-three fruits (including seeds) and leaves were sampled to determine morphological variability among accessions. In addition, the phenolic composition of fruit pulp of 40 fruits was used for determination of phenolic compounds. To assess the local importance of the fruit, 42 Russian olive collectors and traders were interviewed. Data were analysed using PCA and clustering approaches. Fruit traits across groups were equally shared. Elevation had a positive effect on fruit and seed dimensions especially on length (r = 0.606 and 0.515, respectively) and weight (r = 0.618 and 0.695, respectively). Bioactive substances such as DPPH and flavonoids in the sampled fruits exceeded most values found in the literature by a factor of 100 and 30, respectively. The socio-economic household analysis highlighted that Russian olive harvest and trade is a purely additional income strategy. On average, about 90 € (ca. 16000 PKR) were earned by one household ranging from about 35 € to about 205 € per year. Data yielded a mixed picture on morphological and biochemical diversity as well as the socio-economic background, but indicated that northern regions of Pakistan might be an important centre for biodiversity of this species in Central Asia, which merits improved marketing

Bioconjugates: A New Class of Therapeutics for Cancer Treatment

مثل المرافقات الحيوية فئة جديدة من العلاجات التي تبشر بالخير في علاج السرطان. تتشكل هذه المركبات من خلال الجمع بين جزيء استهداف ، مثل الجسم المضاد أو الببتيد ، مع عامل علاجي ، مثل عقار العلاج الكيميائي أو السم. يسمح هذا النهج بالتسليم المستهدف للعامل العلاجي للخلايا السرطانية ، وتقليل الأضرار التي تلحق بالأنسجة السليمة وتقليل الآثار الجانبية. أظهرت المقارنات الحيوية إمكانات كبيرة في الدراسات قبل السريرية والسريرية ، مع العديد من الأدوية المعتمدة من إدارة الغذاء والدواء والمتاحة حاليًا لعلاج السرطان. هناك عدة أنواع من المركبات الحيوية التي يتم تطويرها حاليًا لعلاج السرطان ، بما في ذلك اتحادات الأدوية والأجسام المضادة ADCs، وتقارنات العقاقير الببتيدية PDCs، واتحادات الجسيمات النانوية (NDCs). ADCs هي أكثر أنواع المركبات الحيوية ترسخًا وقد تمت الموافقة عليها لعلاج عدة أنواع من السرطان ، بما في ذلك سرطان الثدي وسرطان الغدد الليمفاوية وسرطان الدم. PDCs و NDCs هي فئات جديدة من المركبات الحيوية التي لا تزال في مراحل التطور السريرية قبل السريرية والمبكرة. تهدف الأبحاث الجارية في هذا المجال إلى تحسين فعالية وسلامة المركبات الحيوية وتوسيع استخدامها لتشمل مجموعة واسعة من أنواع السرطان. مع استمرار تقدم البحث في هذا المجال ، يمكننا أن نتوقع رؤية المزيد من العقاقير الموصلة بيولوجيًا المبتكرة والفعالة التي يتم تطويرها في المستقبل. تم تصميم هذه الأدوية لاستهداف خلايا سرطانية معينة ، مع ترك الخلايا السليمة دون أن تصاب بأذى ، ولديها القدرة على إحداث ثورة في علاج السرطان. علاوة على ذلك ، يمكن تصميم المقارنات الحيوية لتناسب المرضى الفرديين ، مما يسمح بعلاج السرطان المخصص والموجه. مثل المرافقات الحيوية فئة جديدة من العلاجات التي تبشر بالخير في علاج السرطان. تتشكل هذه المركبات من خلال الجمع بين جزيء استهداف ، مثل الجسم المضاد أو الببتيد ، مع عامل علاجي ، مثل عقار العلاج الكيميائي أو السم. يسمح هذا النهج بالتسليم المستهدف للعامل العلاجي للخلايا السرطانية ، وتقليل الأضرار التي تلحق بالأنسجة السليمة وتقليل الآثار الجانبية. أظهرت المقارنات الحيوية إمكانات كبيرة في الدراسات قبل السريرية والسريرية ، مع العديد من الأدوية المعتمدة من إدارة الغذاء والدواء والمتاحة حاليًا لعلاج السرطان. هناك عدة أنواع من المركبات الحيوية التي يتم تطويرها حاليًا لعلاج السرطان ، بما في ذلك اتحادات الأدوية والأجسام المضادة ADCs، وتقارنات العقاقير الببتيدية PDCs، واتحادات الجسيمات النانوية (NDCs). ADCs هي أكثر أنواع المركبات الحيوية ترسخًا وقد تمت الموافقة عليها لعلاج عدة أنواع من السرطان ، بما في ذلك سرطان الثدي وسرطان الغدد الليمفاوية وسرطان الدم. PDCs و NDCs هي فئات جديدة من المركبات الحيوية التي لا تزال في مراحل التطور السريرية قبل السريرية والمبكرة. تهدف الأبحاث الجارية في هذا المجال إلى تحسين فعالية وسلامة المركبات الحيوية وتوسيع استخدامها لتشمل مجموعة واسعة من أنواع السرطان. مع استمرار تقدم البحث في هذا المجال ، يمكننا أن نتوقع رؤية المزيد من العقاقير الموصلة بيولوجيًا المبتكرة والفعالة التي يتم تطويرها في المستقبل. تم تصميم هذه الأدوية لاستهداف خلايا سرطانية معينة ، مع ترك الخلايا السليمة دون أن تصاب بأذى ، ولديها القدرة على إحداث ثورة في علاج السرطان. علاوة على ذلك ، يمكن تصميم المقارنات الحيوية لتناسب المرضى الفرديين ، مما يسمح بعلاج السرطان المخصص والموجه.Bioconjugates represent a novel class of therapeutics that offer promise in the treatment of cancer. These compounds are formed by combining a targeting molecule, such as an antibody or peptide, with a therapeutic agent, such as a chemotherapy drug or toxin. This approach allows for targeted delivery of the therapeutic agent to cancer cells, minimizing damage to healthy tissues and reducing side effects. Bioconjugates have shown significant potential in preclinical and clinical studies, with several FDA-approved drugs currently available for the treatment of cancer. There are several types of bioconjugates currently being developed for cancer treatment, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs), and nanoparticle-drug conjugates (NDCs). ADCs are the most well-established type of bioconjugate and have been approved for the treatment of several types of cancer, including breast cancer, lymphoma, and leukemia. PDCs and NDCs are newer classes of bioconjugates that are still in the preclinical and early clinical stages of development. Ongoing research in this field aims to improve the efficacy and safety of bioconjugates and expand their use to a wider range of cancer types. As research in this field continues to advance, we can expect to see even more innovative and effective bioconjugate drugs being developed in the future. These drugs are designed to target specific cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells unharmed, and have the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment. Furthermore, bioconjugates can be tailored to individual patients, allowing for personalized and targeted cancer therapy. &nbsp

Genome-Wide Diversity of MADS-Box Genes in Bread Wheat is Associated with its Rapid Global Adaptability

MADS-box gene family members play multifarious roles in regulating the growth and development of crop plants and hold enormous promise for bolstering grain yield potential under changing global environments. Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a key stable food crop around the globe. Until now, the available information concerning MADS-box genes in the wheat genome has been insufficient. Here, a comprehensive genome-wide analysis identified 300 high confidence MADS-box genes from the publicly available reference genome of wheat. Comparative phylogenetic analyses with Arabidopsis and rice MADS-box genes classified the wheat genes into 16 distinct subfamilies. Gene duplications were mainly identified in subfamilies containing unbalanced homeologs, pointing towards a potential mechanism for gene family expansion. Moreover, a more rapid evolution was inferred for M-type genes, as compared with MIKC-type genes, indicating their significance in understanding the evolutionary history of the wheat genome. We speculate that subfamily-specific distal telomeric duplications in unbalanced homeologs facilitate the rapid adaptation of wheat to changing environments. Furthermore, our in-silico expression data strongly proposed MADS-box genes as active guardians of plants against pathogen insurgency and harsh environmental conditions. In conclusion, we provide an entire complement of MADS-box genes identified in the wheat genome that could accelerate functional genomics efforts and possibly facilitate bridging gaps between genotype-to-phenotype relationships through fine-tuning of agronomically important traits

Wheat in the Era of Genomics and Transgenics

Wheat, as one of the most important cereal crops in the world and second major caloric source in the world after rice, is the major staple food in South Asia and many other countries of the world. Prior to onset of “Green Revolution,” South Asian countries were facing the threat of severe famine. Green Revolution wheat genotypes brought out these countries from the crisis they were facing and has helped them to sustain their productions for more than half a century. With the emergence of molecular biology and biotechnology, another window of opportunity is opened to sustain wheat yields by using modern techniques of genes identification and utilization. Through this chapter, we have tried to gather information that was generated for wheat improvement in last 3 decades. These afforest included the development of molecular markers, mapping of genes, sequencing of markers genes, and their utilization through marker-assisted selection. The other part recorded various efforts to genetically transform wheat for traits improvements and/or to study their molecular control

Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Activities of Ducrosia flabellifolia: A Combined Experimental and Computational Approaches

Ducrosia flabellifolia Boiss. is a rare desert plant known to be a promising source of bioactive compounds. In this paper, we report for the first time the phytochemical composition and biological activities of D. flabellifolia hydroalcoholic extract by using liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) technique. The results obtained showed the richness of the tested extract in phenols, tannins, and flavonoids. Twenty-three phytoconstituents were identified, represented mainly by chlorogenic acid, followed by ferulic acid, caffeic acid, and sinapic acid. The tested hydroalcoholic extract was able to inhibit the growth of all tested bacteria and yeast on agar Petri dishes at 3 mg/disc with mean growth inhibition zone ranging from 8.00 ± 0.00 mm for Enterococcus cloacae (E. cloacae) to 36.33 ± 0.58 mm for Staphylococcus epidermidis. Minimal inhibitory concentration ranged from 12.5 mg/mL to 200 mg/mL and the hydroalcoholic extract from D. flabellifolia exhibited a bacteriostatic and fungistatic character. In addition, D. flabellifolia hydroalcoholic extract possessed a good ability to scavenge different free radicals as compared to standard molecules. Molecular docking studies on the identified phyto-compounds in bacterial, fungal, and human peroxiredoxin 5 receptors were performed to corroborate the in vitro results, which revealed good binding profiles on the examined protein targets. A standard atomistic 100 ns dynamic simulation investigation was used to further evaluate the interaction stability of the promising phytocompounds, and the results showed conformational stability in the binding cavity. The obtained results highlighted the medicinal use of D. flabellifolia as source of bioactive compounds, as antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal agent

Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Syn and Anti-like Double Warhead Quinolinones Bearing Dihydroxy Naphthalene Moiety as Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors with Potential Apoptotic Antiproliferative Action

Our investigation includes the synthesis of new naphthalene-bis-triazole-bis-quinolin-2(1H)-ones 4a–e and 7a–e via Cu-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloadditions of 4-azidoquinolin-2(1H)-ones 3a–e with 1,5-/or 1,8-bis(prop-2-yn-1-yloxy)naphthalene (2) or (6). All structures of the obtained products have been confirmed with different spectroscopic analyses. Additionally, a mild and versatile method based on copper-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition (Meldal–Sharpless reaction) was developed to tether quinolinones to O-atoms of 1,5- or 1,8-dinaphthols. The triazolo linkers could be considered as anti and syn products, which are interesting precursors for functionalized epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors with potential apoptotic antiproliferative action. The antiproliferative activities of the 4a–e and 7a–e were evaluated. Compounds 4a–e and 7a–e demonstrated strong antiproliferative activity against the four tested cancer cell lines, with mean GI50 ranging from 34 nM to 134 nM compared to the reference erlotinib, which had a GI50 of 33 nM. The most potent derivatives as antiproliferative agents, compounds 4a, 4b, and 7d, were investigated for their efficacy as EGFR inhibitors, with IC50 values ranging from 64 nM to 97 nM. Compounds 4a, 4b, and 7d demonstrated potent apoptotic effects via their effects on caspases 3, 8, 9, Cytochrome C, Bax, and Bcl2. Finally, docking studies show the relevance of the free amino group of the quinoline moiety for antiproliferative action via hydrogen bond formation with essential amino acids

Antibacterial Potential of Trihydroxycyclohexa-2,4-Diene-1- Carboxylic Acid: Insight from DFT, Molecular Docking, and Molecular Dynamic Simulation

In this study, (z)-5-((3-(2,3-dihydroxyphenyl) acryloyl) oxy)- 1,3,4-trihydroxycyclohexa- 2,4-diene-1-carboxylic acid (chlorogenic acid) was isolated and characterized using UVVisible, 1H NMR and 13C NMR, FT-IR, along with detailed investigation using density functional theory (DFT), in-silico molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Results from DFT calculation indicates that the titled compound is very stable with energy gap of 3.7–7.8 for variable functionals, and similarly, the structural parameters show very close agreement with X-ray data for bond lengths and angles. The FT-IR spectrum results revealed stretching vibration O–H (3366 cm−1), C=O (1689 cm−1), C–H (1636, 1606, 1522, and 1442 cm−1), C–O (1192 and 1122 cm−1). The drug-likeness analyses and ADME studies showed drug-likeness ability and good oral behavior of the investigated compound as it obeys Lipinski, Ghose, Veber and Egan rules. Hepatotoxic and immunotoxic activities were indicated for the toxicity/toxicological endpoints of the studied compound. The molecular docking indicates a binding affinity of −8.30 and 9.5 kcal/mol for the titled compound, which is higher than the standard drug. From the molecular dynamic simulation results, chlorogenic-2H14 (complex B) revealed variations in RMSD values of less than 3Å, indicating that the protein structure underwent minor conformational changes throughout the simulation. Chlorogenicprotein complexes had average RGyr values of 3.704 − 4.907Å, which indicates compaction during the simulation. Therefore, it can be said that the titled compound has potential to be effective as an agent for cholera management, and the results obtained can be platform further in-vitro, vivo and clinical trials

Molecular insights into Coumarin analogues as antimicrobial agents: Recent developments in drug discovery

A major global health risk has been witnessed with the development of drug-resistant bacteria and multidrug-resistant pathogens linked to significant mortality. Coumarins are heterocyclic compounds belonging to the benzophenone class enriched in different plants. Coumarins and their derivatives have a wide range of biological activity, including antibacterial, anticoagulant, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour, and enzyme inhibitory effects. In the past few years, attempts have been reported towards the optimization, synthesis, and evaluation of novel coumarin analogues as antimicrobial agents. Several coumarin-based antibiotic hybrids have been developed, and the majority of them were reported to exhibit potential antibacterial effects. In the present work, studies reported from 2016 to 2020 about antimicrobial coumarin analogues are the focus. The diverse biological spectrum of coumarins can be attributed to their free radical scavenging abilities. In addition to various synthetic strategies developed, some of the structural features include a heterocyclic ring with electron-withdrawing/donating groups conjugated with the coumarin nucleus. The suggested structure−activity relationship (SAR) can provide insight into how coumarin hybrids can be rationally improved against multidrug-resistant bacteria. The present work demonstrates molecular insights for coumarin derivatives having antimicrobial properties from the recent past. The detailed SAR outcomes will benefit towards leading optimization during the discovery and development of novel antimicrobial therapeutics