The use of plant viruses as bioherbicides represents a fascinating and promising frontier in modern agriculture and weed management. This review article delves into the multifaceted world of harnessing plant viruses for herbicidal purposes, shedding light on their potential as eco-friendly, sustainable alternatives to traditional chemical herbicides. We begin by exploring the diverse mechanisms through which plant viruses can target and control weeds, from altering gene expression to disrupting essential physiological processes. The article highlights the advantages of utilizing plant viruses, such as their specificity for weed species, minimal impact on non-target plants, and a reduced environmental footprint. Furthermore, we investigate the remarkable versatility of plant viruses, showcasing their adaptability to various weed species and agricultural environments. The review delves into the latest advancements in genetic modification techniques, which enable the engineering of plant viruses for enhanced herbicidal properties and safety. In addition to their efficacy, we discuss the economic and ecological advantages of using plant viruses as bioherbicides, emphasizing their potential to reduce chemical herbicide usage and decrease the development of herbicide-resistant weeds. We also address the regulatory and safety considerations associated with the application of plant viruses in agriculture. Ultimately, this review article underscores the immense potential of plant viruses as bioherbicides and calls for further research, development, and responsible deployment to harness these microscopic agents in the ongoing quest for sustainable and environmentally friendly weed management strategies.

Plum (Prunus domestica) is a seasonal nutraceutical fruit rich in many functional food nutrients such as vitamin C, antioxidants, total phenolic content, and minerals. Recently, researchers have focused on improvised technologies for the retention of bioactive compounds during the processing of perishable fruits; plum is one of these fruits. This study looked at how the percentage of moisture content and percentage of acidity were affected by conventional drying and osmotic dehydration. Total phenolic content (mg GA/100 g of plum), total anthocyanin content (mg/100 g), and vitamin C (mg/100 g) Conventional drying of fruit was carried out at 80.0 ℃ for 5 h. At various temperatures (45.0 ℃, 50.0 ℃, and 55.0 ℃) and hypertonic solution concentrations (65.0 B, 70.0 B, and 75.0 B), the whole fruit was osmotically dehydrated. It was observed that the osmotically treated fruit retains more nutrients than conventionally dried fruit. The total phenolic content of fruit significantly increased with the increase in process temperature. However, vitamin C and total anthocyanin content of the fruit decreased significantly with process temperature, and hypertonic solution concentration was observed. Hence, it was concluded that osmodehydration could be employed for nutrient retention in plum fruit over conventional drying. This process needs to be further refined, improvised, and optimised for plum processing.

Cancer is the 3rd leading cause of death globally, and the countries with low-to-middle income account for most cancer cases. The current diagnostic tools, including imaging, molecular detection, and immune histochemistry (IHC), have intrinsic limitations, such as poor accuracy. However, researchers have been working to improve anti-cancer treatment using different drug delivery systems (DDS) to target tumor cells more precisely. Current advances, however, are enough to meet the growing call for more efficient drug delivery systems, but the adverse effects of these systems are a major problem. Nanorobots are typically controlled devices made up of nanometric component assemblies that can interact with and even diffuse the cellular membrane due to their small size, offering a direct channel to the cellular level. The nanorobots improve treatment efficiency by performing advanced biomedical therapies using minimally invasive operations. Chemotherapy’s harsh side effects and untargeted drug distribution necessitate new cancer treatment trials. The nanorobots are currently designed to recognize 12 different types of cancer cells. Nanorobots are an emerging field of nanotechnology with nanoscale dimensions and are predictable to work at an atomic, molecular, and cellular level. Nanorobots to date are under the line of investigation, but some primary molecular models of these medically programmable machines have been tested. This review on nanorobots presents the various aspects allied, i.e., introduction, history, ideal characteristics, approaches in nanorobots, basis for the development, tool kit recognition and retrieval from the body, and application considering diagnosis and treatment.

Based on the analysis of the development and present situation of the standardization of forest cultivation in China and combined with the characteristics of forest cultivation, the main basis, principles and methods of establishing forest cultivation standard system were discussed and put forward. A standard system of forest cultivation was established, which included six sub-systems, namely, forest cultivation foundation, prenatal planning, artificial afforestation, tending management, harvest renewal etc. The ideas and management suggestions for standardization of forest cultivation in China in the future were put forward, such as to establish an authoritative and complete database and a supporting management system.

This paper argues for a novel approach to financing infrastructure needs in Arab countries. It first describes the context of rising public debt in the region, contrasting it with the vast infrastructure needs. It then discusses the challenges in meeting these needs with traditional financing. The paper then makes the case for maximizing finance for development by using public-private partnerships and presents a few successful examples in Arab countries. Finally, the paper explores the way forward and concludes on the need for strong state capacity and integrity to promote the “maximizing finance for development” approach.

This paper uses Public Choice analysis to examine the case for and experience with Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). A PPP is a contractual platform which connects a governmental body and a private entity. The goal is to provide a public sector program, service, or asset that would normally be provided exclusively by a public sector entity. This paper focuses on PPPs in developed countries, but it also draws on studies of PPPs in developing countries. The economics literature generally defines PPPs as long-term contractual arrangements between a public authority (local or central government) and a private supplier for the delivery of services. The private sector supplier takes responsibility for building infrastructure components, securing financing of the investment, and then managing and maintaining this facility.

However, in addition to those formed through contracts, PPPs may take other forms such as those developed in response to tax subvention or coercion, as in the case of regulatory mandates. A key element of PPP is that the private partner takes on a significant portion of the risk through a schedule of specified remuneration, contingency payments, and provision for dispute resolution. PPPs typically are long-term arrangements and involve large corporations on the private side, but may also be limited to specific phases of a project.

The types of PPPs discussed in this paper exclude arrangements which may result from government mandates such as the statutory emission mandates imposed on automobile manufacturers and industrial facilities (e.g., power plants). It also excludes PPP-like organizations resulting from US section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, which provides tax subsidies for certain public charities, scientific research organizations, and organizations whose goals are to prevent cruelty to animals or erect public monuments at no expense to the government. This paper concludes that an array of Public Choice tools are applicable to understanding the emergence, success, or failure of PPPs. Several short case studies are provided to illustrate the practicalities of PPPs.