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The aim of this study is to explain the determinants of entrepreneurship in agriculture industry. What are the drivers of early stage entrepreneurial activity of agri-business entrepreneur and how it is influenced by various cognitive and social capital factors? To answers these questions various driving factors of entrepreneurial activity have been explored from the literature. To achieve the objective, the study uses APS (Adult Population Survey) 2013 data of 69 countries provided by GEM (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor). Total number of respondents 1470, those who are alone or with others, currently trying to start a new business, including any self-employment or selling any goods or services to others in Agriculture Industry, were selected from the data set. To measure the influence of cognitive and social capital factors on early stage entrepreneurial activity logistic regression was employed. The findings show that those who see entrepreneurial opportunities, are confident in their own skills and ability, having personal relationship or social networks with existing entrepreneurs, and have invested in others business as business angels are more likely to become an entrepreneur. Additionally, fear of failure or risk perception does not prevent people to become entrepreneur. Policy implications have been discussed. This is one the first study of its kind and contributes to the existing literature by explaining agricultural entrepreneurship through an integrated approach of entrepreneurial cognition and social networking.

Burden of pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae remains high despite the availability of conjugate vaccines. Mucosal immunization targeting the lungs is an attractive alternative for the induction of local immune responses to improve protection against pneumonia. Our group had previously described the development of poly(glycerol adipate-co-ω-pentadecalactone) (PGA-co-PDL) polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) adsorbed with Pneumococcal surface protein A from clade 4 (PspA4Pro) within L-leucine microcarriers (nanocomposite microparticles-NCMPs) for mucosal delivery targeting the lungs (NP/NCMP PspA4Pro). NP/NCMP PspA4Pro was now used for immunization of mice. Inoculation of this formulation induced anti-PspA4Pro IgG antibodies in serum and lungs. Analysis of binding of serum IgG to intact bacteria showed efficient binding to bacteria expressing PspA from clades 3, 4 and 5 (family 2), but no binding to bacteria expressing PspA from clades 1 and 2 (family 1) was observed. Both mucosal immunization with NP/NCMP PspA4Pro and subcutaneous injection of the protein elicited partial protection against intranasal lethal pneumococcal challenge with a serotype 3 strain expressing PspA from clade 5 (PspA5). Although similar survival levels were observed for mucosal immunization with NP/NCMP PspA4Pro and subcutaneous immunization with purified protein, NP/NCMP PspA4Pro induced earlier control of the infection. Conversely, neither immunization with NP/NCMP PspA4Pro nor subcutaneous immunization with purified protein reduced bacterial burden in the lungs after challenge with a serotype 19F strain expressing PspA from clade 1 (PspA1). Mucosal immunization with NP/NCMP PspA4Pro targeting the lungs is thus able to induce local and systemic antibodies, conferring protection only against a strain expressing PspA from the homologous family 2.

The development of vaccines is one of the most significant medical accomplishments which has helped to eradicate a large number of diseases. It has undergone an evolutionary process from live attenuated pathogen vaccine to killed whole organisms or inactivated toxins (toxoids), each of them having its own advantages and disadvantages. The crucial parameters in vaccination are the generation of memory response and protection against infection, while an important aspect is the effective delivery of antigen in an intelligent manner to evoke a robust immune response. In this regard, nanotechnology is greatly contributing to developing efficient vaccine adjuvants and delivery systems. These can protect the encapsulated antigen from the host’s in-vivo environment and releasing it in a sustained manner to induce a long-lasting immunostimulatory effect. In view of this, the present review article summarizes nanoscale-based adjuvants and delivery vehicles such as viral vectors, virus-like particles and virosomes; non-viral vectors namely nanoemulsions, lipid nanocarriers, biodegradable and non-degradable nanoparticles, calcium phosphate nanoparticles, colloidally stable nanoparticles, proteosomes; and pattern recognition receptors covering c-type lectin receptors and toll-like receptors.

Pulmonary vaccine delivery has gained significant attention as an alternate route for vaccination without the use of needles. Immunization through the pulmonary route induces both mucosal and systemic immunity, and the delivery of antigens in a dry powder state can overcome some challenges such as cold-chain and availability of medical personnel compared to traditional liquid-based vaccines. Antigens formulated as nanoparticles (NPs) reach the respiratory airways of the lungs providing greater chance of uptake by relevant immune cells. In addition, effective targeting of antigens to the most ‘professional’ antigen presenting cells (APCs), the dendritic cells (DCs) yields an enhanced immune response and the use of an adjuvant further augments the generated immune response thus requiring less antigen/dosage to achieve vaccination. This review discusses the pulmonary delivery of vaccines, methods of preparing NPs for antigen delivery and targeting, the importance of targeting DCs and different techniques involved in formulating dry powders suitable for inhalation.

The aim of the present study was to assess the short-term effects of Thymoquinone (TQ) on oxidative stress, glycaemic control, and renal functions in diabetic rats. DM was induced in groups II and III with a single dose of streptozotocin (STZ), while group I received no medication (control). The rats in groups I and II were then given distilled water, while the rats in group III were given TQ at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight/day for 4 weeks. Lipid peroxidase, nitric oxide (NO), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), lipid profiles, and renal function were assessed. Moreover, the renal tissues were used for histopathological examination. STZ increased the levels of HbA1c, lipid peroxidase, NO, and creatinine in STZ-induced diabetic rats in comparison to control rats. TAC was lower in STZ-induced diabetic rats than in the control group. Furthermore, rats treated with TQ exhibited significantly lower levels of HbA1c, lipid peroxidase, and NO than did untreated diabetic rats. TAC was higher in diabetic rats treated with TQ than in untreated diabetic rats. The histopathological results showed that treatment with TQ greatly attenuated the effect of STZ-induced diabetic nephropathy. TQ effectively adjusts glycaemic control and reduces oxidative stress in STZ-induced diabetic rats without significant damaging effects on the renal function.

Executive Summary In the present era, the role of women entrepreneurship has been recognized in the process of economic development worldwide; hence, it must be promoted. Before designing any policy intervention to boost women entrepreneurship, it is important to understand the factors driving women to become entrepreneurs. The previous research on women entrepreneurship was preoccupied with performance of businesses run by women. This research aimed at answering the question: ‘What motivates or discourages the women of a society or an economy from becoming an entrepreneur?’ More specifically, this research investigates factors affecting the entrepreneurial propensity of Indian women through the lenses of cognitive and social capital perspectives. The present study is steered to enhance the understanding of women entrepreneurship at a niche level. Scholars have tried to explain factors affecting women entrepreneurship using myriad of approaches. However, these approaches have been criticized on methodological, conceptual and predictive ability weaknesses. Recently, cognitive and social capital perspectives have gained currency in explaining entrepreneurship. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of cognitive factors—opportunity perception (Hypothesis 1), risk perception (Hypothesis 2) and perceived capabilities (Hypothesis 3)—and social capital factors—social networks (Hypothesis4) and informal investment (Hypothesis 5)—on women’s entrepreneurial propensity in India, a developing country. A data set of Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Adult Population Survey including a sample of 1305 Indians was used and binary logistic regression technique was employed to analyse the data. The finding shows that the entrepreneurial opportunities have no significant influence on women entrepreneurship; risk perception discourages women from becoming entrepreneurs, and perceived capabilities influence the decision of women to engage in entrepreneurship; social network motivates women to be entrepreneurial, and being an informal investor encourages them to start their venture. Surprisingly, we do not find support for opportunity perception. Therefore, policymakers should pay more attention to these factors of perception and social networks so that, the propensity of a woman to become entrepreneur would be increased.

Photon extraction is one of the major issues limiting outcoupling efficiency in perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs). Light outcoupling in PeLEDs is typically limited by the disparity in refractive indices among the consisting layers and the difficulty of producing directed emitters in the emitting layers. Here, anisotropic nanorod-based perovskite with colloidal cesium lead bromide was introduced to address the issue via the oil-water interface chemical stripping transition method. It was confirmed that the horizontal transition dipole moments of 73% and refractive index value of 1.86 of the ANRs-based perovskites enhance outcoupling efficiency in PeLEDs. Finally, we achieved green-emitting ANR-PeLEDs with a current efficiency of 45.9 cd/A, power efficiency of 40.0 lm/W, and external quantum efficiency of 18.4% (turn-on voltage 3.3 V), with Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.073, 0.71). These findings suggest further research into the anisotropic 1D shape of perovskite, which could improve the optoelectrical performance of PeLEDs.

Abstract Background: Respiratory diseases are mainly derived from acute and chronic inflammation of the alveoli and bronchi. The pathophysiological mechanisms of pulmonary inflammation mainly arise from oxidative damage that could ultimately lead to acute lung injury. Apigenin (Api) is a natural polyphenol with prominent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in the lung. Inhalable formulations that consist of nanoparticles (NPs) have several advantages over other administration routes, and therefore, this study investigated the application of apigenin-loaded bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (BSA-Api-NPs) for pulmonary delivery. Methods: Dry powder formulations of BSA-Api-NPs were prepared by spray drying and characterized by laser diffraction particle sizing, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and powder X-ray diffraction. The influence of dispersibility enhancers (lactose monohydrate and l-leucine) on the in vitro aerosol deposition using a next-generation impactor was investigated in comparison to excipient-free formulation. The dissolution of Api was determined in simulated lung fluid by using the Franz cell apparatus. The antioxidant activity was determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH ⋅ ) free radical scavenging assay. Results: The encapsulation efficiency and the drug loading were measured to be 82.61% ± 4.56% and 7.51% ± 0.415%. The optimized spray drying conditions were suitable to produce particles with low residual moisture content. The spray-dried BSA-Api-NPs possessed good aerodynamic properties due to small and wrinkled particles with low mass median aerodynamic diameter, high emitted dose, and fine particle fraction. The aerodynamic properties were enhanced by leucine and decreased by lactose, however, the dissolution was reversely affected. The DPPH ⋅ assay confirmed that the antioxidant activity of encapsulated Api was preserved. Conclusion: This study provides evidence to support that albumin nanoparticles are suitable carriers of Api and the use of traditional or novel excipients should be taken into consideration. The developed BSA-Api-NPs are a novel delivery system against lung injury with potential antioxidant activity.

There is a need to formulate oral cetuximab (CTX) for targeting colorectal cancer, which is reported to express somatostatin receptors (SSTRs). Therefore, coating CTX with a somatostatin analogue such as octreotide (OCT) is beneficial. Alginate was used to coat CTX to facilitate delivery to the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). This study aimed to deliver CTX conjugated with OCT in the form of microparticles as a GIT-targeted SSTR therapy. Both CTX and OCT were conjugated using a solvent evaporation method and the conjugated CTX-OCT was then loaded onto Ca-alginate-beads (CTX-OCT-Alg), which were characterized for drug interactions using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). Moreover, the morphology of formulated beads was examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The drug content and release profile were studied using UV spectroscopy. Finally, in vitro cytotoxicity of all compounds was evaluated. The results showed homogenous conjugated CTX-OCT with a diameter of 0.4 mm. DSC showed a delay in the OCT peak that appeared after 200 °C due to small polymer interaction that shifted the OCT peak. Moreover, FTIR showed no prominent interaction. SEM showed clear empty cavities in the plain Ca-alginate-beads, while CTX-OCT-Alg showed occupied beads without cavities. CTX-OCT-Alg had a negligible release in 0.1 N HCl, while the CTX-OCT was completely released after 300 min in phosphate buffer pH 7.4. All formulations showed good antiproliferative activity compared with free drugs. The formulated CTX-OCT-Alg are a promising platform for targeting colorectal cancer through GIT.

This study investigates factors that encourage and discourage women entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia. The research uses the Adult Population Survey (APS) and analysed data collected from 1,305 women. Findings show that perceived capability, opportunity perception, risk perception, social network and informal investment significantly influence women’s propensity to entrepreneurship. However, the entrepreneurial propensity of women who have financed others’ businesses is negative. This study highlights the need for entrepreneurship researchers to examine factors that mobilize and inhibit entrepreneurial initiatives among women and study cognitive and social capital variables in an integrated framework. Executive Summary The effectiveness of enterprises operated by women was a major focus of earlier studies on women entrepreneurs. However, this study examines variables influencing Indian women’s propensity for entrepreneurship through social capital and cognitive perspective. This research aims to steer the understanding of women entrepreneurs at a niche level. Many different theories have been proposed to explain the elements impacting women’s entrepreneurship. These approaches have, however, faced criticism for methodological, conceptual and predictive strength flaws. The explanation of entrepreneurship has recently shifted to include cognitive and social capital views. For this, the Adult Population Survey (APS), created and sponsored by the Indian team of Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), has been used to gather data from 1,305 women from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Given that the dependent variable is binary, the data were analysed using logistic regression. The findings indicate that women’s proclivity for entrepreneurship is influenced by perception regarding starting a business. We examined two factors, cognitive and social capital, where perceived capability and opportunity perception significantly influence women’s propensity to entrepreneurship whilst risk perception hinders it. Additionally, social networks and informal investment encourage, but the entrepreneurial propensity of women of KSA who have financed other businesses stands to be negative. This prompts entrepreneurship researchers to examine the factors responsible for mobilizing and inhibiting entrepreneurial initiatives among women, reasserting entrepreneurial attitude in the existing literature and studying the cognitive and social capital variables in an integrated framework. This article provides, insights for policymakers to formulate effective policies supports women’s initiatives and their decision to start a business. It is one of the pioneering initiatives that demonstrate social capital and cognitive variables affect women’s likelihood of entrepreneurship in Saidi Arabia’s evolving social environment.