Germylenes Exhibiting Solid-State Emissions that Extend to NIR.

Low-valent main group compounds that fluoresce in the solid-state were previously unknown. To address this, we investigated room-temperature photoluminescence from a series of crystals of germylenes 3-8 in this article; they exhibited emissions nearly reaching the NIR. Germylene carboxylates (3-8) were synthesized by reacting dipyrromethene stabilized germylene pyrrolide (2) with carboxylic acids such as acetic acid, trifluoroacetic acid, benzoic acid, p-cyanobenzoic acid, p-nitrobenzoic acid, and acetylsalicylic acid.

Molecular and morphometric divergence of four species of butterflies (Nymphalidae and Pieridae) from the Western Himalaya, India.

Morphometric and molecular divergence among four butterfly species of the families Nymphalidae and Pieridae from the western Himalaya region were investigated using molecular tools, traditional morphometric measures and a truss network system. The considered species were Danaus chrysippus, Vanessa cardui, Pieris brassicae and Pieris canidia. Traditional taxonomy is sometimes unable to discriminate cryptic species or species that have close morphological features. Although taxonomists carefully examine external body features to differentiate the species; however, there is a risk for misidentification during a visual assessment of cryptic species. Therefore, we aimed to use the truss network system of 14 morphological landmarks interconnected to yield 90 variables about molecular taxonomy. Principal component analysis (PCA), discriminant function analysis (DFA) and cluster analysis (CA) were employed to determine morphometric variations. In the traditional analysis, 79, 68, 16 and 5 characters out of 90 were found significant (p < 0.05) for D. chrysippus, V. cardui, P. brassicae and P. canidia, respectively. One to seven principal components were extracted through PCA; they explained 87.5-100% of the total variance in samples. Notably, DFA correctly classified 100% of the original grouped cases and 100% of the cross-validated grouped cases. However, the variations were not the same for the two different methods (truss and traditional) employed for the analysis. We correctly identified all the species; the interspecies sequence divergence was between 0.1034 and 0.1398, and the intra-species sequence divergence range was 0.0001 to 0.0128 using the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit-I (COI) gene. The present study provides useful information about the application and complementary role of traditional with truss morphometric analysis for the precise identification and classification of the selected species.

The Comparison of Hydrochloric Acid and Phosphoric Acid Treatments in the Preparation of Montmorillonite Catalysts for RNA Synthesis.

The treatment of clay minerals with a preliminary acid wash and titration to pH 7 has proven to generate catalysts for the most interesting of oligomerization reactions in which activated RNA-nucleotides generate oligomers up to 40-mers. Significantly, not all clay minerals become catalytic following this treatment and none are catalytic in the absence of such treatment. The washing procedure has been modified and explored further using phosphoric acid and the outcomes are compared to those obtained when clay samples are prepared following a hydrochloric acid wash.

Clay catalyzed RNA synthesis under Martian conditions: Application for Mars return samples.

Catalysis by montmorillonites clay minerals is regarded as a feasible mechanism for the abiotic production and polymerization of key biomolecules on early Earth. We have investigated a montmorillonite-catalyzed reaction of the 5'-phosphorimidazolide of nucleosides as a model to probe prebiotic synthesis of RNA-type oligomers. Here we show that this model is specific for the generation of RNA oligomers despite deoxy-mononucleotides adsorbing equally well onto the montmorillonite catalytic surfaces. Optimum catalytic activity was observed over a range of pH (6-9) and salinity (1 ± 0.2 M NaCl). When the weathering steps of early Earth that generated catalytic montmorillonite were modified to meet Martian soil conditions, the catalytic activity remained intact without altering the surface layer charge. Additionally, the formation of oligomers up to tetramer was detected using as little as 0.1 mg of Na⁺-montmorillonite, suggesting that the catalytic activity of a Martian clay return sample can be investigated with sub-milligram scale samples.

The role of fluoride in montmorillonite-catalyzed RNA synthesis.

The montmorillonite-catalyzed reactions of the 5'-phosphorimidazolide of adenosine in the presence of fluoride were investigated to complete our study on the effect of salts on this type of reaction. Both anions and cations have been found to influence the oligomerization reactions of the activated nucleotides, being used here as a model system for pre-biotic RNA synthesis. However, in total contrast to the behavior of the activated nucleotides in the presence of montmorillonite and other salts, alkali metal fluorides did not yield any detectable oligomerization products except in very dilute (<0.005 M) solutions of fluoride. Instead, 5'-phosphorofluoridates were formed. Their identity was confirmed by a combination of HPLC, mass spectrometry, synthesis, and NMR.

Total inhibition of (1)O2-induced oxidative damage to guanine bases of DNA/RNA by turmeric extracts.

The guanine base of nucleic acids is known to be very reactive towards degradation by (1)O2-induced oxidative stress. Oxidative reactions of DNA are linked to many human diseases including cancer. Among the various forms of reactive O2 species (OH, (1)O2 or O2(-)), the oxidative stress caused by (1)O2 is of particular physiologic importance because of its selectively long life in aqueous medium and its ability to diffuse through a cell membrane. In this study we investigated the degradation of a model compound guanosine (Guo) by (1)O2, which was generated by riboflavin-induced photosensitization and by molybdate ion catalyzed disproportionation of H2O2. We observed the remarkable ability of an aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) as an extraordinary scavenger of (1)O2 to completely inhibit the degradation of Guo. The alcoholic extracts were more effective in their antioxidant activity than the corresponding water extract. This naturally occurring antioxidant offers a most economical supplement to protect biologically significant molecules from the oxidative stress induced by (1)O2.

Severe acute malnutrition in Asia.

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is a common condition that kills children and intellectually maims those who survive. Close to 20 million children under the age of 5 years suffer from SAM globally, and about 1 million of them die each year. Much of this burden takes place in Asia. Six countries in Asia together have more than 12 million children suffering from SAM: 0.6 million in Afghanistan, 0.6 million in Bangladesh, 8.0 million in India, 1.2 million in Indonesia, 1.4 million in Pakistan, and 0.6 million in Yemen. This article is based on a review of SAM burden and intervention programs in Asian countries where, despite the huge numbers of children suffering from the condition, the coverage of interventions is either absent on a national scale or poor. Countries in Asia have to recognize SAM as a major problem and mobilize internal resources for its management. Screening of children in the community for SAM and appropriate referral and back referral require good health systems. Improving grassroots services will not only contribute to improving management of SAM, it will also improve infant and young child feeding and nutrition in general. Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), the key to home management of SAM without complications, is still not endorsed by many countries because of its unavailability in the countries and its cost. It should preferably be produced locally from locally available food ingredients. Countries in Asia that do not have the capacity to produce RUTF from locally available food ingredients can benefit from other countries in the region that can produce it. Health facilities in all high-burden countries should be staffed and equipped to treat children with SAM. A continuous cascade of training of health staff on management of SAM can offset the damage that results from staff attrition or transfers. The basic nutrition interventions, which include breastfeeding, appropriate complementary feeding, micronutrient supplementation, and management of acute malnutrition, should be scaled up in Asian countries that are plagued with the burden of malnutrition.

Systemic Sclerosis Sine Scleroderma.

Systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma is a rare form of limited systemic sclerosis. These patients are without skin involvement, but do not differ in its clinical or laboratory features and prognosis from classical systemic sclerosis. In the absence of cutaneous signs/symptoms, its diagnosis is delayed leading to significant morbidity and mortality. We report a case of sixty year old female who presented to us with dyspnoea on exertion and Raynaud's phenomenon. She was investigated and was found to have this disorder with pulmonary artery hypertension.

Study on disease activity of immunological disorders to correlate with thyroid function and other associated correlations.

Background: Organ-specific immunological disorders involving organ/gland like the thyroid, liver, muscles, pancreas, etc., is a result of autoimmunity which can be with or without association with systemic immunological disorders. The thyroid gland is most commonly involved. We evaluated thyroid dysfunction and ESR among various immunological disorders and their correlation with disease activity and hemoglobin respectively. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional/observational study was conducted by including 110 patients with different immunological disorders who came in as in-patients and outpatients in our institute for 18 months and various data were collected and evaluated to analyze the targeted parameters among the study group. Results: We found a positive correlation between disease activity and thyroid dysfunction in different immunological disorders (only in Rheumatoid arthritis [P = 0.004) and Systemic lupus erythematosus (0.009) and not in other immunological disorders] among the study group. A positive correlation was found between ESR (Mean value - 19.63 and Standard Deviation (SD) - 09.473) and disease activity (only in Rheumatoid arthritis P = 0.0001) where a negative correlation was found between ESR and Hemoglobin (Mean value - 11.07 and SD - 01.91 (P = 0.001) in patients under study. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated a positive correlation between thyroid dysfunction and ESR with disease activity, whereas demonstrated a negative correlation between ESR and Hemoglobin in patients with various immunological disorders under study.

Blinking Carbon Dots as a Super-resolution Imaging Probe.

Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) emerges as a powerful approach for super-resolution imaging that provides unprecedented resolution at the nanometer length scale. However, the development of appropriate probes with specific photophysical traits and characteristics is crucial for this approach. This study demonstrates two different fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) derived from the same molecular precursor─one emitting in red and the other in green─as a SMLM-based super-resolution imaging probe for different applications with an average localization precision of 20 nm and a resolution of 60 nm. Both the CDs exhibit spontaneous blinking with high photon count and low duty cycle but with different blinking cycles. The red emissive CDs with a lower blinking cycle are ideal for quantitative analysis, whereas green emissive CDs with a higher blinking cycle are ideal for high-resolution imaging. We show that the difference in blinking features is linked to their chemical compositions, and the presence of much denser trap states in red emitting CDs is responsible for the reduction of its blinking cycle. This study shows that CDs can be designed as a potential probe for SMLM-based super-resolution imaging for diverse bioimaging applications.

Application of Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM) III Score in Predicting Mortality Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Children admitted in a pediatric intensive care unit have a high risk of mortality. Pediatric risk of mortality III score in first 24 hours of admission has increasingly been used to predict mortality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the validity of Pediatric risk of mortality score in prediction of mortality among the patient admitted in pediatric intensive care unit. METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted at pediatric intensive care unit of a government pediatric hospital from January to June 2021. Patients between 1 month to 14 years of age and meeting the inclusion criteria were enrolled. Pediatric risk of mortality III score was calculated within 24 hours of admission. Patients were followed up for outcome measure as survivors and non survivors. Chi square test and logistic regression analysis were used to find the association of predictors and the score. RESULTS: The mean Pediatric risk of mortality III score was lower in survivors than in non-survivors (4.67 ± 3.8 versus 14.10 ± 6.07; p<0.001). Those requiring inotropic and ventilator support have significantly higher mortality [49.4 versus 0.6 (p<0.001) and 81.8 versus 1.5 (p<0.001) respectively]. Minimum systolic blood pressure, abnormal pupillary reflex, increased blood urea nitrogen and decreased platelet were the significant (p<0.001) risk factors. The area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve was 0.916±0.024 (p<0.001) and goodness-of-fit test showed no significant difference between observed and expected mortalities (p=0.186). CONCLUSIONS: The Pediatric risk of mortality score constitutes a useful prognostic tool in predicting the mortality. KEY WORDS: Mortality; pediatrics; pediatric intensive care unit; risk score.

ATI stabilized germylene cation as a cyanosilylation catalyst for aldehydes and ketones.

The aminotroponiminate (ATI) ligand stabilized germylene cation [(i-Bu)2ATIGe][B(C6F5)4] (2) is found to be an efficient low-valent main-group catalyst for the cyanosilylation of aldehydes and ketones (ATI = aminotroponiminate). It was synthesized by reacting [(i-Bu)2ATIGeCl] (1) with Na[B(C6F5)4]. The catalytic cyanosilylation of diverse aliphatic and aromatic carbonyl compounds (aldehydes and ketones) using 0.075-0.75 mol% of compound 2 was completed within 5-45 min. The catalytic efficiency seen with aliphatic aldehydes was around 15,800 h-1, making compound 2 a capable low-valent main-group catalyst for the aldehyde and ketone cyanosilylation reactions.

Significance of mineral salts in prebiotic RNA synthesis catalyzed by montmorillonite.

The montmorillonite-catalyzed reactions of the 5'-phosphorimidazolide of adenosine used as a model generated RNA type oligomers. These reactions were found to be dependent on the presence of mineral salts. Whereas montmorillonite (pH 7) produced only dimers and traces of trimer in water, addition of sodium chloride (0.1-2.0 M) enhanced the chain length of oligomers to 10-mers as detected by HPLC. Maximum catalytic activity was observed with sodium chloride at a concentration between 0.8 and 1.2 M. This concentration of sodium chloride resembled its abundance in the ancient oceans (0.9-1.2 M). Magnesium chloride produced a similar effect but its joint action with sodium chloride did not produce any difference in the oligomer chain length. Therefore, Mg(2+) was not deemed necessary for generating longer oligomers. The effect of monovalent cations upon RNA chain length was: Li(+) > Na(+) > K(+). A similar effect was observed with the anions with enhanced oligomer length in the following order: Cl(-) > Br(-) > I(-). Thus, the smaller ions facilitated the formation of the longest oligomers. Inorganic salts that tend to salt out organic compounds from water and salts which show salt-in effects had no influence on the oligomerization process indicating that the montmorillonite-catalyzed RNA synthesis is not affected by either of these hydrophobic or hydrophilic interactions. A 2.3-fold decrease in the yield of cyclic dimer was observed upon increasing the sodium chloride concentration from 0.2 to 2.0 M. Inhibition of cyclic dimer formation is vital for increasing the yield of linear dimers and longer oligomers. In summary, sodium chloride is likely to have played an essential role in any clay mineral-catalyzed prebiotic RNA synthesis.

Potential pitfalls in MALDI-TOF MS analysis of abiotically synthesized RNA oligonucleotides.

Demonstration of the abiotic polymerization of ribonucleotides under conditions consistent with conditions that may have existed on the prebiotic Earth is an important goal in "RNA world" research. Recent reports of abiotic RNA polymerization with and without catalysis rely on techniques such as HPLC, gel electrophoresis, and MALDI-TOF MS to analyze the reaction products. It is essential to understand the limitations of these techniques in order to accurately interpret the results of these analyses. In particular, techniques that rely on mass for peak identification may not be able to distinguish between a single, linear RNA oligomer and stable aggregates of smaller linear and/or cyclic RNA molecules. In the case of MALDI-TOF MS, additional complications may arise from formation of salt adducts and MALDI matrix complexes. This is especially true for abiotic RNA polymerization reactions because the concentration of longer RNA chains can be quite low and RNA, as a polyelectrolyte, is highly susceptible to adduct formation and aggregation. Here we focus on MALDI-TOF MS analysis of abiotic polymerization products of imidazole-activated AMP in the presence and absence of montmorillonite clay as a catalyst. A low molecular weight oligonucleotide standard designed for use in MALDI-TOF MS and a 3'-5' polyadenosine monophosphate reference standard were also run for comparison and calibration. Clay-catalyzed reaction products of activated GMP and UMP were also examined. The results illustrate the ambiguities associated with assignment of m/z values in MALDI mass spectra and the need for accurate calibration of mass spectra and careful sample preparation to minimize the formation of adducts and other complications arising from the MALDI process.

An Assessment of Thyroid Dysfunction and Related Parameters in Patients With Systemic Autoimmune Disorders.

Background and objective Systemic autoimmune disorders involve abnormal immune responses leading to tissue damage. Dysfunction of the thyroid gland due to autoimmune mechanisms is common in such disorders, which can cause either hypofunctioning or hyperfunctioning of the gland. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction among patients with various systemic autoimmune disorders. Material and methods This cross-sectional observational study included 110 adult patients either diagnosed with or having clinical/biological features of systemic autoimmune diseases. The patients underwent a detailed clinical history assessment, physical examination, and necessary investigations. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0. (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results Among the 110 autoimmune disorder patients, 22.7% had thyroid dysfunction, specifically hypothyroidism, while 77.3% were euthyroid. Hypothyroidism was prevalent among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA, 20.3%), systemic sclerosis (SSc, 20%), ankylosing spondylitis (AS, 15.8%), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, 54.5%). Moreover, 60% of patients were anemic, and the prevalence of anemia was higher among female patients and younger individuals. Conclusions This study showed a higher prevalence of thyroid dysfunction, particularly hypothyroidism, in patients with systemic autoimmune disorders. Female patients and younger individuals were more susceptible to autoimmune disorders, thyroid dysfunction, and anemia. These findings highlight the need for simultaneous screening and evaluation for thyroid dysfunction and anemia in systemic autoimmune disease patients, particularly in female patients and those of younger age groups.

Scanning single molecule localization microscopy (scanSMLM) for super-resolution volume imaging.

Over the last decade, single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) has developed into a set of powerful techniques that have improved spatial resolution over diffraction-limited microscopy and demonstrated the ability to resolve biological features down to a few tens of nanometers. We introduce a single molecule-based scanning SMLM (scanSMLM) system that enables rapid volume imaging. Along with epi-illumination, the system employs a scanning-based 4f detection for volume imaging. The 4f system comprises a combination of an electrically-tunable lens and high NA detection objective lens. By rapidly changing the aperture (or equivalently the focus) of an electrically-tunable lens (ETL) in a 4f detection system, the selectivity of the axial object plane is achieved, for which the image forms in the image/detector plane. So, in principle, one can scan the object volume by just altering the aperture of ETL. Two schemes were adopted to carry out volume imaging: cyclic scan and conventional scan. The cyclic scheme scans the volume in each scan cycle, whereas plane-wise scanning is performed in the conventional scheme. Hence, the cyclic scan ensures uniform dwell time on each frame during data collection, thereby evenly distributing photobleaching throughout the cell volume. With a minimal change in the system hardware (requiring the addition of an ETL lens and related electronics for step-voltage generation) in the existing SMLM system, volume scanning (along the z-axis) can be achieved. To calibrate and derive critical system parameters, we imaged fluorescent beads embedded in a gel-matrix 3D block as a test sample. Subsequently, scanSMLM is employed to visualize the architecture of actin-filaments and the distribution of Meos-Tom20 molecules on the mitochondrial membrane. The technique is further exploited to understand the clustering of Hemagglutinin (HA) protein single molecules in a transfected cell for studying Influenza-A disease progression. The system, for the first time, enabled 3D visualization of HA distribution that revealed HA cluster formation spanning the entire cell volume, post 24 hrs of transfection. Critical biophysical parameters related to HA clusters (density, the number of HA molecules per cluster, axial span, fraction of clustered molecules, and others) are also determined, giving an unprecedented insight into Influenza-A disease progression at the single-molecule level.

Nutrition and food security in Nepal: a narrative review of policies.

In the past few decades, the Nepali government has endorsed several nutritional policies, strategies, and guidelines. Given the lack of a comprehensive review of such policy documents, this review aims to describe the nutrition and food security policies and understand the existing policy gaps in Nepal. Findings from this study can be used to develop policies and programs to address Nepal's current and future nutritional needs. Policies relevant to nutrition and food security were identified by searching government websites and directly approaching relevant government ministries. Thematic analysis was conducted using framework methods under 8 predetermined themes: nutrition intervention, food security, food system, capacity building of human resources, nutrition education, nutrition governance, research, and monitoring and evaluation. The contents of each document reviewed were manually extracted in a spreadsheet stratified by the themes, and the findings were summarized for the respective themes. A total of 30 policy documents were reviewed. Most policies have focused on undernutrition; only a few have addressed overnutrition and diet-related noncommunicable diseases. Food security through a sustainable food system has been considered a key policy area in Nepal. Other areas in the food and nutrition policy landscape are capacity building for human resources, behavior change practices, nutrition governance, monitoring, and evaluation. Policy gaps have been identified in the quality and sustainability of nutrition programs; access to health care services; competent human resources for nutrition; intersectoral coordination and commitment; and support for monitoring, evaluation, and research activities. Most policies have tried to address a wide range of components of food and nutrition security; however, strategies focused on overnutrition and diet-related noncommunicable diseases are lacking. Several gaps are identified in this policy review; the findings can guide the policymakers to address these gaps via further policy development.

Aza-Dipyrrinate Stabilized Compounds with a Low-Valent Main Group Element.

The possibility of using aza-dipyrromethene (a-DPM) ligands to stabilize compounds containing low-valent main group elements is demonstrated through the isolation of germylenes, a-DPM(p-tol)GeCl (2), a-DPM(Naph)GeCl (6), and a-DPM(Naph)GeN(TMS)2 (7) (tol=tolyl, Naph=naphthyl). Because of the presence of the a-DPM ligand, these germylenes exhibit an absorption maximum at around 640 nm, a highly red-shifted value previously unknown for germylenes.

Protection of riboflavin and UVB sensitized degradation of DNA and RNA bases by natural antioxidants.

Riboflavin (RF) is a potent photosensitizer producing extensive degradation of purine and pyrimidine derivatives of nucleic acids under UVA, UVB and sunlight. In this study we have demonstrated that reactive O(2) species generated by photosensitized RF under UVB were responsible for the degradation of DNA and RNA bases. While (1)O(2) accounted for the degradation of adenine, guanine, thymine and uracil, O(2)(-·)also contributed to partial degradation of adenine. Cytosine remained unaffected by the synergistic action of RF and UVB. Ascorbic acid, glutathione, glycolic acid and quercetin showed remarkable protection (88-100%) against photodegradation of bases. Sorbitol was effective in preventing photodegradation of guanine. These naturally occurring antioxidants are potential candidates for prevention against oxidative stress caused by photosensitization.

Light sheet based volume flow cytometry (VFC) for rapid volume reconstruction and parameter estimation on the go.

Optical imaging is paramount for disease diagnosis and to access its progression over time. The proposed optical flow imaging (VFC/iLIFE) is a powerful technique that adds new capabilities (3D volume visualization, organelle-level resolution, and multi-organelle screening) to the existing system. Unlike state-of-the-art point-illumination-based biomedical imaging techniques, the sheet-based VFC technique is capable of single-shot sectional visualization, high throughput interrogation, real-time parameter estimation, and instant volume reconstruction with organelle-level resolution of live specimens. The specimen flow system was realized on a multichannel (Y-type) microfluidic chip that enables visualization of organelle distribution in several cells in-parallel at a relatively high flow-rate (2000 nl/min). The calibration of VFC system requires the study of point emitters (fluorescent beads) at physiologically relevant flow-rates (500-2000 nl/min) for determining flow-induced optical aberration in the system point spread function (PSF). Subsequently, the recorded raw images and volumes were computationally deconvolved with flow-variant PSF to reconstruct the cell volume. High throughput investigation of the mitochondrial network in HeLa cancer cell was carried out at sub-cellular resolution in real-time and critical parameters (mitochondria count and size distribution, morphology, entropy, and cell strain statistics) were determined on-the-go. These parameters determine the physiological state of cells, and the changes over-time, revealing the metastatic progression of diseases. Overall, the developed VFC system enables real-time monitoring of sub-cellular organelle organization at a high-throughput with high-content capacity.