Impact of green intellectual capital, green organizational culture, and frugal innovation on sustainable business model innovation: Dataset of manufacturing firms in Pakistan.

This dataset integrates and helps examine the impact of green intellectual capital (GIC) which comprises of green human capital (GHC), green structural capital (GSC), and green relational capital (GRC) on green organizational culture (GOC). Secondly, it enables the investigation of GOC as a mediation phenomenon between GIC and sustainable business model innovation (SBMI). Moreover, it highlights the moderation of frugal innovation (FGL) on GOC and SBMI relationship. An online survey was designed using Google forms to collect data from 345 middle/ senior management employees working in medium and large manufacturing firms in Pakistan. Unit of analysis is the organization; thus, each response represents one firm. SPSS and Smart PLS 4 were used for data analysis. Dataset demonstrates that GHC, GSC, and GRC positively impact GOC, which subsequently enhances SBMI. Moreover, effective implementation of FGL can bolster the effect of GOC on SBMI. The dataset is valuable as it can be reproduced and reanalyzed. It offers insights for professionals to revolutionize their innovation for environmental initiatives particularly in the manufacturing sector and train their staff to use modern eco-friendly ingenuities leading to enhanced business performance as well as sustainable development goals. Furthermore, the dataset holds significance for policymakers involved in implementing green economic revitalization programs, enabling them to offer incentives or penalties to encourage compliance.

The relationship between mass customization and sustainable performance: The role of firm size and global E-commerce.

The formation of mass customization competencies is crucial for the increasing number of manufacturing companies in modern times. This study assessed the relationship between mass customization capability and its determinants on sustainable performance. Additionally, it explores the mediating role of mass customization capability and sustainable performance, while also examining the moderating effects of firm size and cross-border eCommerce in these associations. The study used online survey data from 339 manufacturing small-to-medium-sized enterprises in China to test the hypothesized relationships. The collected data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling and necessary condition analysis. The results indicated that flexible manufacturing competencies, modular product architecture, and customer relationship management are significantly and positively connected to mass customization capability. Moreover, the study observed that mass customization capability and competitive pressure have a significant positive influence on the sustainable performance of Chinese manufacturing SMEs. The findings also revealed that firm size and cross-border e-commerce engagement have a negative and positive moderating effect, respectively, between mass customization capability on sustainable performance, which confirms a relatively higher effect of customization capability on sustainable performance among smaller firms and firms engaged in cross-border eCommerce. Fundamentally, these findings can lead to the development of a comprehensive framework to promote mass customization capability, cross-border e-commerce, and sustainable development of manufacturing small-to-medium-sized enterprises China.

Correction: Jamal et al. Preparation of 6-Mercaptopurine Loaded Liposomal Formulation for Enhanced Cytotoxic Response in Cancer Cells. Nanomaterials 2022, 12, 4029.

In the original publication [...].

Transcriptomic and metabolomic changes in postharvest sugarbeet roots reveal widespread metabolic changes in storage and identify genes potentially responsible for respiratory sucrose loss.

Endogenous metabolism is primarily responsible for losses in sucrose content and processing quality in postharvest sugarbeet roots. The genes responsible for this metabolism and the transcriptional changes that regulate it, however, are largely unknown. To identify genes and metabolic pathways that participate in postharvest sugarbeet root metabolism and the transcriptional changes that contribute to their regulation, transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles were generated for sugarbeet roots at harvest and after 12, 40 and 120 d storage at 5 and 12°C and gene expression and metabolite concentration changes related to storage duration or temperature were identified. During storage, 8656 genes, or 34% of all expressed genes, and 225 metabolites, equivalent to 59% of detected metabolites, were altered in expression or concentration, indicating extensive transcriptional and metabolic changes in stored roots. These genes and metabolites contributed to a wide range of cellular and molecular functions, with carbohydrate metabolism being the function to which the greatest number of genes and metabolites classified. Because respiration has a central role in postharvest metabolism and is largely responsible for sucrose loss in sugarbeet roots, genes and metabolites involved in and correlated to respiration were identified. Seventy-five genes participating in respiration were differentially expressed during storage, including two bidirectional sugar transporter SWEET17 genes that highly correlated with respiration rate. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified 1896 additional genes that positively correlated with respiration rate and predicted a pyruvate kinase gene to be a central regulator or biomarker for respiration rate. Overall, these results reveal the extensive and diverse physiological and metabolic changes that occur in stored sugarbeet roots and identify genes with potential roles as regulators or biomarkers for respiratory sucrose loss.

Modeling the intention and usage of medicine vending machine: Using partial least squares-structural equation modelling and necessary condition analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the intention to use and actual usage of medicine vending machines (MVMs) in China and to close the existing literature gap by examining the relationship between perceived convenience (PC), perceived trust, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence, on the intention to use MVM in a comprehensive manner. The impact of facilitating conditions on MVM adoption was also examined. Finally, customer age was tested as a moderator. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that used data collected through a self-administered questionnaire. A combination of partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and necessary condition analysis (NCA) technique was used to analyze and discuss the 308 valid questionnaires, test the hypotheses, and conduct an in-depth analysis. Results: The results showed that PC, perceived trust, and performance expectancy were significantly related to the intention to use MVM. Effort expectancy was a non-significant predictor of intention to use MVM. Social influence was a significant negative predictor of the intention to use MVM. More importantly, performance expectancy was found to be a necessary factor for MVM intention, providing new marketing ideas for MVM owners. Age had a significant moderating effect on the facilitating conditions and intention to use vending machines. The relatively young population is more conscious of the facilitating conditions. Conclusions: The findings of this study are of considerable importance as a guide for the main user group of vending machines. The combined analysis and discussion of PLS-SEM and NCA provide a sound theoretical basis for the practical implications of this study. In the future, we will attempt to use this technique in other areas of study. In terms of theoretical implications, this study provides technical references for future research.

Modeling the significance of green orientation and culture on green innovation performance: moderating effect of firm size and green implementation.

The current global trend in sustainable business practices is to optimize green innovation performance. To protect the environment and maintain their own survival, organizations must strengthen their green innovation capabilities. Drawing on the recourse-based view and ecology modernization theory (EMT), this study examines the direct effect of green strategic orientations, green entrepreneurial orientation, green market orientation, green innovation orientation, and green organizational culture on the firm's green innovation capability, as well as the mediating effect of green innovation capability on the relationship of these four factors and green innovation performance. Besides, this study also explored the moderating effects of green management system implementation and firm size on the association between green innovation capability and green innovation performance. To test the hypothesized model, a questionnaire survey was administered to gather responses from 293 medium-sized and large manufacturing firms operating in Pakistan. The partial least squares method was used for data analysis. The results revealed that green entrepreneurial orientation, green market orientation, green innovation orientation, and green organizational culture positively impacted green innovation capability, which subsequently positively influenced green innovation performance. Moreover, effective implementation of green management systems can bolster the effect of green innovation capability on green innovation performance, and the mediating effect of green innovation capability has also been confirmed. These indicated that the management of medium and large manufacturing firms operating in Pakistan should focus on encouraging green innovation and training employees regarding the latest eco-friendly technologies to attain performance and sustainable development goals. Policymakers should implement green business development programs and offer rewards or penalties for promoting compliance. The present study contributes greatly to the literature by applying EMT as an alternative to address the mediating role of green innovation capability and the moderating effect of green management system implementation in enhancing firms' green innovation performance.

Green human resource management, competitive advantages, and green ambidexterity: using partial least squares structural equation modeling and necessary condition analysis.

This study investigates the effect of green human resource management practices on green competitive advantage and the mediating role of competitive advantage between the green human resource management practices and green ambidexterity. This study also examined the effect of green competitive advantage on green ambidexterity and the moderating effect of firm size on green competitive advantage and ambidexterity. The results reveal that green recruitment and green training and involvement are not sufficient, but they are necessary for any outcome level of green competitive advantage. The other three constructs (green performance management and compensation, green intellectual capital, and green transformational leadership) are sufficient and necessary; however, green performance management and compensation is necessary only at an outcome level of more than or equal to 60%. The findings revealed that the mediating effect of green competitive advantage is significant only between three constructs (green performance management and compensation, green intellectual capital, and green transformational leadership) and green ambidexterity. The results also indicate that a green competitive advantage has a significant positive effect on green ambidexterity. Exploring the necessary and sufficient factors using a combination of partial least squares structural equation modeling and necessary condition analysis provides valuable guidance for practitioners to optimize firm outcomes.

Histopathological Investigation of Varietal Responses to Cercospora beticola Infection Process on Sugar Beet Leaves.

Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) is the most destructive foliar disease in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris). It is caused by Cercospora beticola Sacc., a fungal pathogen that produces toxins and enzymes which affect membrane permeability and cause cell death during infection. In spite of its importance, little is known about the initial stages of leaf infection by C. beticola. Therefore, we investigated the progression of C. beticola on leaf tissues of susceptible and resistant sugar beet varieties at 12-h intervals during the first 5 days after inoculation using confocal microscopy. Inoculated leaf samples were collected and stored in DAB (3,3'-diaminobenzidine) solution until processed. Samples were stained with Alexa Fluor-488-WGA dye to visualize fungal structures. Fungal biomass accumulation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and the area under the disease progress curve were evaluated and compared. ROS production was not detected on any variety before 36 h postinoculation (hpi). C. beticola biomass accumulation, percentage leaf cell death, and disease severity were all significantly greater in the susceptible variety compared with the resistant variety (P < 0.05). Conidia penetrated directly through stomata between 48 to 60 hpi and produced appressoria on stomatal guard cells at 60 to 72 hpi in susceptible and resistant varieties, respectively. Penetration of hyphae inside the parenchymatous tissues varied in accordance with time postinoculation and varietal genotypes. Overall, this study provides a detailed account to date of events leading to CLS disease development in two contrasting varieties.

First Report of Leaf Spot of Sugar Beet Caused by Stemphylium vesicarium in Minnesota, USA.

In July 2021, sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) leaves with numerous tan to brown spots with white-bleached center and oval to irregularly shaped were collected from a field in Minnesota (MN) (46.2774° N, 96.3100° W), with 15% disease incidence and 30% disease severity. Leaves were washed with tap water then surface disinfected in 1% NaOCl aqueous solution for 1 min. Samples were rinsed thrice with sterile distilled water and dried in a laminar flow hood. A 2-cm leaf disc was plated on potato dextrose agar amended with streptomycin sulfate (200 mg/L) and incubated for four days at 25°C under 12-h light/dark cycle. Single spore cultures were obtained by suspending in sterile water spores harvested from a single colony. The suspension was streaked on a dish with V8 agar media and incubated as described. Five pure cultures were transferred to clarified V8 agar media for morphological feature observations. Colonies were uniform in appearance and developed light to olivaceous green mycelium. Conidia were dark brown to olivaceous green in color and measured 30 × 18 µm (n=20). They were oblong to broadly oval shaped muriform, and multiseptated (1 to 5 septa). Hyphae were septate and pale brown. Conidiophores were short, septate, and light to dark brown in color. Based on the morphological characteristics, isolates were identified as Stemphylium vesicarium (Simmons 1969). Genomic DNA of all five isolates were extracted using the DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). PCR amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (ITS1/ITS4 primers), the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (5F2/7cR primers) (O'Donnell et al. 2009), the plasma membrane ATPase (ATPD-F1/ATPD-R1) gene (Lawrence et al. 2013), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase gene (GAPDH) (gpd1/gpd2) (Berbee et al. 1999), and ß-tubulin gene (Bt2a/Bt2b primers) (Glass and Donaldson 1995) were done using standard procedures. Sequences were submitted to GenBank under accession numbers OP584331 (ITS), OP589289 (RPB2), OP589290 (ATPase), OP994239 (GAPDH) and OP382477 (ß-tubulin). The BLASTN search of the sequences showed 100% similarity with MT629829 (ITS) (525/525 bp), KC584471 (RPB2) (859/859 bp), JQ671770 (ATPase) (794/794 bp), MK105974 (GAPDH) (519/519 bp) and MN410922 (ß-tubulin) (320/320 bp) reference sequences of S. vesicarium. Pathogenicity tests were done using four cv. Maribo MA 504 plants. S. vesicarium spore suspensions (1 × 106/ml) were sprayed on three leaves from each plant. This trial was repeated with three replicates. A similar group of plants were sprayed with autoclaved distilled water to serve as non-inoculated control. All plants were incubated in the mist chamber for 5 days at 25°C, under daily 14/10 light-dark cycles, and >80% relative humidity, then transferred to the greenhouse kept at 23 ± 2°C and a 12-h photoperiod. Fifteen days post-inoculation, all inoculated plants had multiple lesions with dark brown margins with a grayish center, and non-inoculated control plants were asymptomatic. The re-isolated fungus was morphologically similar to isolates retrieved from the field. S. vesicarium was reported on sugar beet in Michigan (Metheny et al. 2022). This is the first report of S. vesicarium causing disease on sugar beet in MN. Stemphylium sp. is a major problem of sugar beet in the Netherlands (Hanse et al. 2015). Efforts should be made to prevent introduction of susceptible beet cultivars so that the disease does not become widespread in the USA.

Resistance to QoI and DMI Fungicides Does Not Reduce Virulence of C. beticola Isolates in North Central United States.

Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) is a destructive disease limiting sugar beet production and is managed using resistant cultivars, crop rotation, and timely applications of effective fungicides. Since 2016, its causal agent, Cercospora beticola, has been reported to be resistant to quinone outside inhibitors (QoIs) and to have reduced sensitive to demethylation inhibitors (DMIs) in sugar beet growing areas in North Dakota and Minnesota. Isolates of C. beticola resistant to QoIs, DMIs, and both QoIs and DMIs were collected from fields in Foxhome, Minnesota, in 2017. Fitness of these resistant isolates was compared with that of QoI- and DMI-sensitive isolates in laboratory and greenhouse studies. In the lab, mycelial growth, spore production, and spore germination were measured. The results showed that resistant isolates had significantly less mycelial growth and spore production than sensitive isolates, while no significant difference in spore germination was detected. In the greenhouse, six leaf-stage sugar beets were inoculated with a spore suspension made from each resistant group and incubated in separate humidity chambers. CLS disease severity was evaluated visually at 7, 14, and 21 days after inoculation (DAI), and the areas under disease progress curve (AUDPC) were calculated. Resistant isolates had significantly smaller AUDPC but still caused as high disease severity as the sensitive ones at 21 DAI. Although QoI- and/or DMI-resistant isolates had a relatively slower disease development, they still caused high disease severity and need to be factored in disease management practices.

Desire to stay shorter time at the shopping mall: insight from protection motivation (PMT), behavioral inhibition system (BIS), reactance, and expectancy theories.

After withdrawing the movement control order (MCO), new variant (Omicron) of COVID-19 returns as an outbreak again. Therefore, consumers are very much informed by various media to be more cautious in visiting shopping malls and spend less time in there. The purpose of this study was to identify the predictors influencing the desire to stay shorter at the shopping mall. This study was conducted in Malaysia, with the application of three psychological theories and one behavioural theory. This is quantitative research based on an online cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 296 respondents, by applying the online snowball sampling method through numerous media platforms i.e., Viber, WhatsApp, Messenger, and other apps in three severely affected cities in Malaysia i.e., Selangor state, Putrajaya, and Kuala Lumpur. SmartPLS was used to analyse the data. Using structural equation modelling, this study result shows risk, protection motivation, and fear have a significant effect on the desire to stay a shorter time at the shopping mall. Social norm moderates the association between fear and the desire to spend a shorter time at the shopping mall. These findings, highlight the need for a more empirical study to design more robust strategies, and a safer and risk-free shopping mall environment.

Preparation of 6-Mercaptopurine Loaded Liposomal Formulation for Enhanced Cytotoxic Response in Cancer Cells.

6-Mercaptopurine (6-MP) is a well-known immunosuppressive medication with proven anti-proliferative activities. 6-MP possesses incomplete and highly variable oral absorption due to its poor water solubility, which might reduce its anti-cancer properties. To overcome these negative effects, we developed neutral and positively charged drug-loaded liposomal formulations utilizing the thin-film hydration technique. The prepared liposomal formulations were characterized for their size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency. The average size of the prepared liposomes was between 574.67 ± 37.29 and 660.47 ± 44.32 nm. Positively charged liposomes (F1 and F3) exhibited a lower PDI than the corresponding neutrally charged ones (F2 and F4). Entrapment efficiency was higher in the neutral liposomes when compared to the charged formulation. F1 showed the lowest IC50 against HepG2, HCT116, and MCF-7 cancer cells. HepG2 cells treated with F1 showed the highest level of inhibition of cell proliferation with no evidence of apoptosis. Cell cycle analysis showed an increase in the G1/G0 and S phases, along with a decrease in the G2/M phases in the cell lines treated with drug loaded positively charged liposomes when compared to free positive liposomes, indicating arrest of cells in the S phase due to the stoppage of priming and DNA synthesis outside the mitotic phase. As a result, liposomes could be considered as an effective drug delivery system for treatment of a variety of cancers; they provide a chance that a nanoformulation of 6-MP will boost the cytotoxicity of the drug in a small pharmacological dose which provides a dosage advantage.

Modeling the Significance of Motivation on Job Satisfaction and Performance Among the Academicians: The Use of Hybrid Structural Equation Modeling-Artificial Neural Network Analysis.

The competition in higher education has increased, while lecturers are involved in multiple assignments that include teaching, research and publication, consultancy, and community services. The demanding nature of academia leads to excessive work load and stress among academicians in higher education. Notably, offering the right motivational mix could lead to job satisfaction and performance. The current study aims to demonstrate the effects of extrinsic and intrinsic motivational factors influencing job satisfaction and job performance among academicians working in Malaysian private higher educational institutions (PHEIs). Cross-sectional data were collected from the Malaysian PHEIs and the randomly selected 343 samples. The data analysis was performed with the dual analysis of partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and artificial neural network (ANN) analysis. As a result, it was found that financial rewards, promotion, performance appraisal, classroom environment, and code of conduct significantly predicted job satisfaction. The code of conduct, autonomy, and self-efficacy strongly influenced job performance. The relationship between job satisfaction and job performance was highly moderated by self-efficacy. It was suggested from the ANN analysis that the three prominent factors influencing job satisfaction are financial rewards, performance appraisal, and code of conduct. The analysis supported three significant factors influencing job performance: self-efficacy, performance appraisal, and code of conduct. The management of PHEIs should build the correct policies to transform job satisfaction into job performance. Self-efficacy plays an essential role in activating job performance. Other significant motivating factors that promote job satisfaction and performance, such as emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and other personal traits, should be included in future studies. In addition, future research could use a mixed-method or multi-respondent approach to investigate the important variables and their impact on lecturers' job satisfaction and performance.

A Fuzzy-Set Analysis of Conservative Agriculture Practice Adoption: Role of Farmer Orientations and Attitude.

Conservative agriculture practice (CAP) adoption literature advocates that adoption is caused by many factors comprising cognitive, social, economic, personal, and CAP-related factors. Evaluating the adoption of CAPs as the outcome is complex and challenging with regression-based models as the systemic interdependencies of the factors offer diverse or varying results. Farmer production and environmental orientations as cognitive stances are notable interpreters of CAP adoption. The appetite level for risk-taking, innovativeness, and trust facilitates the adoption of CAPs. However, a causal-predictive technique should be used to investigate the adoption of CAP. Hence, this study engages in a configuration approach using a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA) to analyze the patterns of different types of farmers' orientations, personal level of trust on extension services, and innovativeness risk-taking attitude on the intention to adopt CAPs. The analysis is based on the 155-farmer data collected employing a structured interview from Pakistan. The results suggest that a higher level of environment orientation and innovativeness is sufficient to increase the intention to adopt CAPs. Moreover, a higher intention to adopt CAPs is achieved with a lower production orientation, a higher personal level of innovativeness, and a risk-taking attitude of the farmer. The innovativeness can help to develop the intention to adopt the CAPs among the environment and production-oriented farmers. Causal solutions offer a unique understanding that the farmers' environment and production orientation can combine to suggest inclined to adopt CAPs by having an attitude of innovativeness and risk-taking. The causal solutions achieved significant predictive validity in the holdout samples. Policy and farmer-level suggestions were made to raise the intention to adopt CAPs among the farmers.

The Mediating Effect of Innovation in Between Strategic Orientation and Enterprise Performance: Evidence From Malaysian Manufacturing Small-to-Medium-Sized Enterprises.

Strategic orientation and innovation are vital determinants for accelerating the performance of small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, there is a lack of empirical evidence confirming the innovation at the product and process levels that instigated the SMEs' performance. Moreover, the mediating effect of process and product innovation can play a significant role in strategic orientation and manufacturing SMEs' performance. In this respect, this study aims to examine the mediating effect of product and process innovation between strategic orientation (i.e., market, entrepreneurial, and customer orientation) and the performance of Malaysian manufacturing SMEs. The questionnaire survey gathered data from 360 manufacturing SMEs and was analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to achieve these research objectives. The study analysis established that customer and entrepreneurial orientation significantly influence product and service innovation. However, the market orientation is significant for process innovation but insignificant for product-level innovation among SMEs. The study's consequences exposed that process innovation has significantly mediated between the strategic (market, customer, and entrepreneurial) orientation and SMEs performance. It implies that market, entrepreneurial, and customer-related strategies would substantially improve SMEs' performance by harnessing innovation at product and process levels. The core insights provided by the current work are to strengthen the strategic orientation that can promote product and process innovation, thereby harnessing the SMEs' performance. Additionally, the study's significance and limitations were reported at the end.

Predicting the Mass Adoption of eDoctor Apps During COVID-19 in China Using Hybrid SEM-Neural Network Analysis.

Technology plays an increasingly important role in our daily lives. The use of technology-based healthcare apps facilitates and empowers users to use such apps and saves the burden on the public healthcare system during COVID-19. Through technology-based healthcare apps, patients can be virtually connected to doctors for medical services. This study explored users' intention and adoption of eDoctor apps in relation to their health behaviors and healthcare technology attributes among Chinese adults. Cross-sectional data were collected through social media, resulting in a total of 961 valid responses for analysis. The hybrid analysis technique of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and artificial neural network (ANN) analysis was applied. The obtained results revealed the significant influence of eDoctor apps in terms of usefulness, compatibility, accuracy, and privacy on users' intention to use eDoctor apps. Intention and product value were also found to suggestively promote the adoption of eDoctor apps. This study offered practical recommendations for the suppliers and developers of eHealth apps to make every attempt of informing and building awareness to nurture users' intention and usage of healthcare technology. Users' weak health consciousness and motivation are notable barriers that restrict their intention and adoption of the apps. Mass adoption of eDoctor apps can also be achieved through the integration of the right technology features that build the product value and adoption of eDoctor apps. The limitations of the current study and recommendations for future research are presented at the end of this paper.

First Report of Damping off and Seedling Rot of Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) caused by Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc. in North Dakota, USA.

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is grown for medicinal and industrial uses. Symptomatic hemp (Mountain Mango) seedlings were received from a grower's greenhouse in Towner County (48.7486° N, 99.2761° W), North Dakota (ND), USA in July 2020. Seedlings had brown to blackish root tips, thread-like hypocotyl rot and seedling collapse, with about 8 to 10% disease incidence. Roots were surface disinfested in 1% sodium hypochlorite for 1 min, rinsed thrice with sterile distilled water, and blotted dry. About 1-cm sectioned root tips were plated on water agar (WA) and acidified potato dextrose agar (PDA, pH: 4.8) media and incubated under fluorescent light with a 12-h photoperiod at 25° C. After 7 days, single spores were isolated and sub-cultured on PDA and carnation leaf agar for morphological observations (Dhingra and Sinclair, 1995). Colonies had uniform appearances and produced white, thick and floccose mycelium. Conidiophores produced from lateral hyphae were simple to branched. Phialides were slender, smooth, hyaline and septate. Macro-conidia were 12.5 to 30.2 x 2.2 to 3.6 µm, septate (3-5), thick walled, hyaline and moderately curved shaped. Micro-conidia were oval to ellipsoid, smooth walled, no septa and measured 3.4 to 8.8 µm and 1.3 to 4.3 µm. Chlamydospores were round shaped, thick-walled, and produced singly or in pairs. Based on morphological characteristics, isolates were identified as Fusarium solani (Mart.) (Carbone and Kohn 1999; Leslie and Summerell 2006). For molecular identification, genomic DNA of three representative fungal isolates were extracted using DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). PCR was done using both the primers (EF1/EF2) of the translation elongation factor (TEF-1α) and primers 5F2/7cR and 7cF/11aR of the RNA polymerase II (RPB 2) for Fusarium species (O'Donnell et al. 2009 and 2010). All isolates had identical PCR product sequences for the respective primer sets. The DNA sequences were deposited to NCBI GenBank with accession No. OK880264 (TEF-1α), OK880266 (RBP 5F2/7cR), and OK880265 (RBP 7cF/11aR). The NCBI Megablast search of the OK880264, OK880266, and OK880265 showed 100% similarity with respective homologue sequences from F. solani species complex (GU170628, KC808344, and EU329608). Similar results were obtained by BLASTN search in the FUSARIUM ID database (Geiser et al. 2004). For pathogenicity testing, 200 µl conidial suspension (1 x 106 conidia/ml) was pipetted, without wounding roots, onto the soil around the base of four plants individually potted in peat mix (Sunshine mix 1, Sun Gro Horticulture Ltd.; Alberta, Canada) and maintained in the greenhouse with 12 h photoperiod and temperature of 23 ± 2°C (Argus Control Systems Ltd.; British Columbia, Canada). Four plants inoculated with distilled water served as control. The test was conducted twice. At 10 days post inoculation (dpi), yellowing of leaves and damping off were observed in all inoculated plants. Re-isolated fungi from infected plant samples were morphologically identical to the isolate used for root inoculation. F. solani has been reported to cause damping off and root rot in several states in the U.S., Canada and Italy (Gauthier et al. 2019; Iriarte et al. 2021; Sorrentino et al. 2019). This is the first report of F. solani causing seedling damping off and root rot on hemp in ND. Hemp acreage has decreased in ND because of diseases (Buetow et al. 2020). Information on identification and management of diseases affecting hemp will be useful to producers.

Biosurfactant producing multifarious Streptomyces puniceus RHPR9 of Coscinium fenestratum rhizosphere promotes plant growth in chilli.

The present study involves isolation of Streptomyces spp. from rhizosphere of Coscinium fenestratum Gaertn, an endangered medicinal plant from Western Ghats of Karnataka, India. Four potential isolates were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing as Streptomyces sp. RHPR3, Streptomyces puniceus RHPR9, Streptomyces sp. RHPR14 and Streptomyces mediolani RHPR25. An enrichment culture method was used for the isolation of Streptomyces spp. for biosurfactant activity. Among four potential Streptomyces spp., S. puniceus RHPR9 showed highest Emulsification index (EI) (78±0.2%) and Emulsification assay (EA) (223±0.2 EU mL-1). Thin layer chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and mass spectrometric analysis revealed that as glycolipid. Further confirmed by presence of fatty acids like hexanoic acid methyl ester, decanoic acid by Gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis. S. puniceus RHPR9 showed a significant IAA production (41µg mL-1), solubilized P (749.1 µg mL-1), growth promotion of chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) was evaluated using paper towel method and greenhouse conditions. S. puniceus RHPR9 showed a significant increase in seed vigor index (2047) and increase in plant biomass (65%) when compared to uninoculated control. To our knowledge, this is the first report on epiphytic S. puniceus RHPR9 isolated from an endangered medicinal plant C. fenestratum Gaertn, for biosurfactant production and plant growth promotion activities.

Sustainable customer retention through social media marketing activities using hybrid SEM-neural network approach.

Social media has changed the marketing phenomenon, as firms use social media to inform, impress, and retain the existing consumers. Social media marketing empowers business firms to generate perceived brand equity activities and build the notion among consumers to continue using the firms' products and services. The current exploratory study aimed to examine the effects of social media marketing activities on brand equity (brand awareness and brand image) and repurchase intention of high-tech products among Chinese consumers. The study used a cross-sectional design, and the final analysis was performed on 477 valid responses that were collected through an online survey. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and artificial neural network (ANN) analysis were performed. The obtained results revealed positive and significant effects of trendiness, interaction, and word of mouth on brand awareness. Customisation, trendiness, interaction, and word of mouth were found to positively affect brand image. Brand awareness and brand image were found to affect repurchase intention. The results of multilayer ANN analysis suggested trendiness as the most notable factor in developing brand awareness and brand image. Brand awareness was found to be an influential factor that nurtures repurchase intention. The study's results confirmed the relevance of social media marketing activities in predicting brand equity and brand loyalty by repurchase intention. Marketing professionals need to concentrate on entertainment and customisation aspects of social media marketing that can help to achieve brand awareness and image. The limitations of study and future research opportunities are presented at the end of this article.