THE COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact on Academic Practices and Learning Quality in Higher Education

The inclusion of several new models and methods had been taken into consideration by the educational institutes and organisations to battle the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across the educational paradigm. The study looked into the research questions and the research objectives which were based on the core topic of the study. With the help of the section of the literature review, the examination of the past research was looked into. The provision of the themes and concepts was done through the integration of data from secondary sources and the qualitative research method was implemented. The future scope of the study and the limitations of the respective assignment was also jotted down

Customers' Attitude Towards Digital Advertising Communication

This article aims to investigate how consumers feel about digital marketing messages before making a purchase. 198 respondents to the research solely utilised conventional lines of communication and refrained from using digital channels while making purchases. The essay outlines the benefits of not communicating digitally. Additionally, the research uses cluster analysis to identify the client categories that use conventional communication methods

GAME9 regulates the biosynthesis of steroidal alkaloids and upstream isoprenoids in the plant mevalonate pathway

Steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are cholesterol-derived molecules produced by solanaceous species. They contribute to pathogen defence but are toxic to humans and considered as anti-nutritional compounds. Here we show that GLYCOALKALOID METABOLISM 9 (GAME9), an APETALA2/Ethylene Response Factor, related to regulators of alkaloid production in tobacco and Catharanthus roseus, controls SGA biosynthesis. GAME9 knockdown and overexpression in tomato and potato alters expression of SGAs and upstream mevalonate pathway genes including the cholesterol biosynthesis gene STEROL SIDE CHAIN REDUCTASE 2 (SSR2). Levels of SGAs, C24-alkylsterols and the upstream mevalonate and cholesterol pathways intermediates are modified in these plants. Delta(7)-STEROL-C5(6)-DESATURASE (C5-SD) in the hitherto unresolved cholesterol pathway is a direct target of GAME9. Transactivation and promoter-binding assays show that GAME9 exerts its activity either directly or cooperatively with the SlMYC2 transcription factor as in the case of the C5-SD gene promoter. Our findings provide insight into the regulation of SGA biosynthesis and means for manipulating these metabolites in crops

Customers' Attitude Towards Digital Advertising Communication

This article aims to investigate how consumers feel about digital marketing messages before making a purchase. 198 respondents to the research solely utilised conventional lines of communication and refrained from using digital channels while making purchases. The essay outlines the benefits of not communicating digitally. Additionally, the research uses cluster analysis to identify the client categories that use conventional communication methods

Comparative evaluation of push-out bond strength of single and multiple fiber-reinforced posts cemented with dual-cure resin cement using different adhesive strategies: An in vitro study

Aims: The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the push-out bond strength of single and multiple fiber-reinforced posts cemented with dual-cure resin cement using total-etch and self-etch adhesive systems. Methods: Sixty single-rooted maxillary permanent incisors were decoronated and endodontically treated. Following post space preparations, the roots were divided into four groups (n = 15); Group 1: single fiber-reinforced composite post with the total-etching agent, Group 2: single fiber-reinforced composite post with the self-etching agent, Group 3: multiple pin posts with the total-etching agent, and Group 4: multiple pin posts with the self-etching agent and then cemented using dual-cure resin cement. The samples were then sectioned to obtain approximately 2-mm disks, and a push-out test was performed. Data obtained were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance, post hoc Tukey, and unpaired t-test. Results: The mean push-out bond strength values showed that Group 3 had significantly higher bond strength as compared to the other groups (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Dentapreg multiple pin posts with total-etching agents resulted in higher push-out bond strength as compared to single fiber-reinforced posts and self-etching agents

A BAHD-type acyltransferase concludes the biosynthetic pathway of non-bitter glycoalkaloids in ripe tomato fruit

Abstract Tomato is the highest value fruit and vegetable crop worldwide, yet produces α-tomatine, a renowned toxic and bitter-tasting anti-nutritional steroidal glycoalkaloid (SGA) involved in plant defense. A suite of modifications during tomato fruit maturation and ripening converts α-tomatine to the non-bitter and less toxic Esculeoside A. This important metabolic shift prevents bitterness and toxicity in ripe tomato fruit. While the enzymes catalyzing glycosylation and hydroxylation reactions in the Esculeoside A pathway have been resolved, the proposed acetylating step remains, to date, elusive. Here, we discovered that GAME36 (GLYCOALKALOID METABOLISM36), a BAHD-type acyltransferase catalyzes SGA-acetylation in cultivated and wild tomatoes. This finding completes the elucidation of the core Esculeoside A biosynthetic pathway in ripe tomato, allowing reconstitution of Esculeoside A production in heterologous microbial and plant hosts. The involvement of GAME36 in bitter SGA detoxification pathway points to a key role in the evolution of sweet-tasting tomato as well as in the domestication and breeding of modern cultivated tomato fruit

Plant cholesterol biosynthetic pathway overlaps with phytosterol metabolism

The amount of cholesterol made by many plants is not negligible. Whereas cholesterogenesis in animals was elucidated decades ago, the plant pathway has remained enigmatic. Among other roles, cholesterol is a key precursor for thousands of bioactive plant metabolites, including the well-known Solanum steroidal glycoalkaloids. Integrating tomato transcript and protein co-expression data revealed candidate genes putatively associated with cholesterol biosynthesis. A combination of functional assays including gene silencing, examination of recombinant enzyme activity and yeast mutant complementation suggests the cholesterol pathway comprises 12 enzymes acting in 10 steps. It appears that half of the cholesterogenesis-specific enzymes evolved through gene duplication and divergence from phytosterol biosynthetic enzymes, whereas others act reciprocally in both cholesterol and phytosterol metabolism. Our findings provide a unique example of nature's capacity to exploit existing protein folds and catalytic machineries from primary metabolism to assemble a new, multi-step metabolic pathway. Finally, the engineering of a 'high-cholesterol' model plant underscores the future value of our gene toolbox to produce high-value steroidal compounds via synthetic biology