There are numerous studies reported on the usage of the sapindus emarginatus (SE) fruit in cancer and other treatments in the past few years. In this study, crude SE fruit extract was prepared and it was further used to synthesis gold nanoparticles (Au Nps). The synthesized Au Nps were left embedded in the SE fruit extract. The Au Nps embedded in the SE fruit extract (SE-Au Nps) were characterized using UV-Visiable Spectroscopy, Centrifugal Particle Size analyzer (CPS), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). MTT assay was carried out for both SE fruit extract and SE-Au Nps on MCF7 breast cancer cell line and thus compared. The UV-Visible Absorbance for the SE-Au Nps was obtained at 543 nm. The centrifugal particle size analysis of the Au Nps embedded in SE fruit extract showed the size of the nanoparticles to be widely varying with higher fraction of particles between the size ranges of 15 to 20 nm. The morphology of the Au Nps embedded in SE fruit extract was observed using SEM. The presence of Au Nps in SE fruit extract was confirmed using FTIR. The results of the MTT assay on MCF7 breast cancer cell line proved that the % cell viability was less for SE-Au Nps than that of the SE fruit extract alone. Thus, the antiproliferative activity of the SE fruit extract was significantly enhanced by embedding it with Au Nps and it can be effectively used in therapeutic applications after further studies.

A topic of current interest in forestry science concerns the regeneration of degraded forests and areas. Within this topic, an important aspect refers to the time that different forests take to recover their original levels of diversity and other characteristics that are key to resume their functioning as ecosystems. The present work focuses on the premontane rainforests of the central Peruvian rainforest, in the Chanchamayo valley, Junín, between 1,000 and 1,500 masl. A total of 19 Gentry Transects of 2 × 500 m, including all woody plants ≥2.5 cm diameter at breast height were established in areas of mature forests, and forests of different ages after clear-cutting without burning. Five forest ages were considered, 5-10, 20, 30, 40 and ≥50 years. The alpha-diversity and composition of the tree flora under each of these conditions was compared and analyzed. It was observed that, from 40 years of age, Fisher’s alpha-diversity index becomes quite similar to that characterizing mature forests; from 30 years of age, the taxonomic composition by species reached a similarity of 69–73%, like those occurring in mature forests. The characteristic botanical families, genera and species at each of the ages were compared, specifying that as the age of the forest increases, there are fewer shared species with a high number of individuals. Early forests, up to 20 years of age, are characterized by the presence of Piperaceae; after 30 years of age, they are characterized by the Moraceae family.

Ride-hailing or private hire has taken the Singapore transport network by storm in the past few years. Singapore has had more than three revisions of its ride-hailing regulation in the six years since the arrival of the disruptive technology. Often quoted in the list of cities with commendable public transport policy, Singapore still manages to find a viable and significant position for ride-hailing. Cities from around the world are all searching for a model of regulation for ride-hailing that can be elevated as a benchmark. Singapore, to a large extent, has formulated a successful model based on current market parameters and, more importantly, an adaptive one that evolves constantly with the constantly disruptive technology. The experts and regulators of the Singapore transport sector were interviewed in depth, tapping into their opinions and technocratic commentaries on the city-state’s Point-to-Point, or P2P, sector regulation. The data were analyzed using the three-element model of social practice theory as an alternative to conventional behavioral studies, thereby eliminating bias on the commuters and rather shifting focus to the practice. Content analysis utilizing QDA is executed for categorization through fine-level inductive matrix coding to elaborate upon the policy derivatives of the Singapore model. The unique addition of the research to ride-hailing policy is the comprehension of the commonalities and patterns across industrial and technological disruption, practice and policy irrespective of sectoral variations, thanks to the utilization of social practice theory. The first-of-its-kind policy exercise in the sector can be repeated for any city, which is a direct testament to the simplicity and exhaustivity of the methodology, benefiting both operators and investors through equitable policy formulation.