Narrow Near-Infrared Emission from InP QDs Synthesized with Indium(I) Halides and Aminophosphine.

Nonpyrophoric aminophosphines reacted with indium(III) halides in the presence of zinc chloride have emerged as promising phosphorus precursors in the synthesis of colloidal indium phosphide (InP) quantum dots (QDs). Nonetheless, due to the required P/In ratio of 4:1, it remains challenging to prepare large-sized (>5 nm), near-infrared absorbing/emitting InP QDs using this synthetic scheme. Furthermore, the addition of zinc chloride leads to structural disorder and the formation of shallow trap states inducing spectral broadening. To overcome these limitations, we introduce a synthetic approach relying on the use of indium(I) halide, which acts as both the indium source and reducing agent for aminophosphine. The developed zinc-free, single-injection method gives access to tetrahedral InP QDs with an edge length > 10 nm and narrow size distribution. The first excitonic peak is tunable from 450 to 700 nm by changing the indium halide (InI, InBr, InCl). Kinetic studies using phosphorus NMR reveal the coexistence of two reaction pathways, the reduction of transaminated aminophosphine by In(I) and via redox disproportionation. Etching the surface of the obtained InP QDs at room temperature with in situ-generated hydrofluoric acid (HF) leads to strong photoluminescence (PL) emission with a quantum yield approaching 80%. Alternatively, surface passivation of the InP core QDs was achieved by low-temperature (140 °C) ZnS shelling using the monomolecular precursor zinc diethyldithiocarbamate. The obtained InP/ZnS core/shell QDs that emit in a range of 507-728 nm exhibit a small Stokes shift (110-120 meV) and a narrow PL line width (112 meV at 728 nm).

INOSITOL (1,3,4) TRIPHOSPHATE 5/6 KINASE1-dependent inositol polyphosphates regulate auxin responses in Arabidopsis.

The combinatorial phosphorylation of myo-inositol results in the generation of different inositol phosphates (InsPs), of which phytic acid (InsP6) is the most abundant species in eukaryotes. InsP6 is also an important precursor of the higher phosphorylated inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs), such as InsP7 and InsP8, which are characterized by a diphosphate moiety and are also ubiquitously found in eukaryotic cells. While PP-InsPs regulate various cellular processes in animals and yeast, their biosynthesis and functions in plants has remained largely elusive because plant genomes do not encode canonical InsP6 kinases. Recent work has shown that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) INOSITOL (1,3,4) TRIPHOSPHATE 5/6 KINASE1 (ITPK1) and ITPK2 display in vitro InsP6 kinase activity and that, in planta, ITPK1 stimulates 5-InsP7 and InsP8 synthesis and regulates phosphate starvation responses. Here we report a critical role of ITPK1 in auxin-related processes that is independent of the ITPK1-controlled regulation of phosphate starvation responses. Those processes include primary root elongation, root hair development, leaf venation, thermomorphogenic and gravitropic responses, and sensitivity to exogenously applied auxin. We found that the recombinant auxin receptor complex, consisting of the F-Box protein TRANSPORT INHIBITOR RESPONSE1 (TIR1), ARABIDOPSIS SKP1 HOMOLOG 1 (ASK1), and the transcriptional repressor INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID INDUCIBLE 7 (IAA7), binds to anionic inositol polyphosphates with high affinity. We further identified a physical interaction between ITPK1 and TIR1, suggesting a localized production of 5-InsP7, or another ITPK1-dependent InsP/PP-InsP isomer, to activate the auxin receptor complex. Finally, we demonstrate that ITPK1 and ITPK2 function redundantly to control auxin responses, as deduced from the auxin-insensitive phenotypes of itpk1 itpk2 double mutant plants. Our findings expand the mechanistic understanding of auxin perception and suggest that distinct inositol polyphosphates generated near auxin receptors help to fine-tune auxin sensitivity in plants.

Gallium Sulfide Quantum Dots with Zinc Sulfide and Alumina Shells Showing Efficient Deep Blue Emission.

Solution-processed quantum dot (QD) based blue emitters are of paramount importance in the field of optoelectronics. Despite large research efforts, examples of efficient deep blue/near UV-emitting QDs remain rare due to lack of luminescent wide band gap materials and high defect densities in the existing ones. Here, we introduce a novel type of QDs based on heavy metal free gallium sulfide (Ga2 S3 ) and their core/shell heterostructures Ga2 S3 /ZnS as well as Ga2 S3 /ZnS/Al2 O3 . The photoluminescence (PL) properties of core Ga2 S3 QDs exhibit various decay pathways due to intrinsic defects, resulting in a broad overall PL spectrum. We show that the overgrowth of the Ga2 S3 core QDs with a ZnS shell results in the suppression of the intrinsic defect-mediated states leading to efficient deep-blue emission at 400 nm. Passivation of the core/shell structure with amorphous alumina yields a further enhancement of the PL quantum yield approaching 50 % and leads to an excellent optical and colloidal stability. Finally, we develop a strategy for the aqueous phase transfer of the obtained QDs retaining 80 % of the initial fluorescence intensity.

Arabidopsis PFA-DSP-Type Phosphohydrolases Target Specific Inositol Pyrophosphate Messengers.

Inositol pyrophosphates are signaling molecules containing at least one phosphoanhydride bond that regulate a wide range of cellular processes in eukaryotes. With a cyclic array of phosphate esters and diphosphate groups around myo-inositol, these molecular messengers possess the highest charge density found in nature. Recent work deciphering inositol pyrophosphate biosynthesis in Arabidopsis revealed important functions of these messengers in nutrient sensing, hormone signaling, and plant immunity. However, despite the rapid hydrolysis of these molecules in plant extracts, very little is known about the molecular identity of the phosphohydrolases that convert these messengers back to their inositol polyphosphate precursors. Here, we investigate whether Arabidopsis Plant and Fungi Atypical Dual Specificity Phosphatases (PFA-DSP1-5) catalyze inositol pyrophosphate phosphohydrolase activity. We find that recombinant proteins of all five Arabidopsis PFA-DSP homologues display phosphohydrolase activity with a high specificity for the 5-ß-phosphate of inositol pyrophosphates and only minor activity against the ß-phosphates of 4-InsP7 and 6-InsP7. We further show that heterologous expression of Arabidopsis PFA-DSP1-5 rescues wortmannin sensitivity and deranged inositol pyrophosphate homeostasis caused by the deficiency of the PFA-DSP-type inositol pyrophosphate phosphohydrolase Siw14 in yeast. Heterologous expression in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves provided evidence that Arabidopsis PFA-DSP1 also displays 5-ß-phosphate-specific inositol pyrophosphate phosphohydrolase activity in planta. Our findings lay the biochemical basis and provide the genetic tools to uncover the roles of inositol pyrophosphates in plant physiology and plant development.

Risk factors for childhood illness and death in rural Uttar Pradesh, India: perspectives from the community, community health workers and facility staff.

BACKGROUND: Uttar Pradesh (UP), India continues to have a high burden of mortality among young children despite recent improvement. Therefore, it is vital to understand the risk factors associated with under-five (U5) deaths and episodes of severe illness in order to deliver programs targeted at decreasing mortality among U5 children in UP. However, in rural UP, almost every child has one or more commonly described risk factors, such as low socioeconomic status or undernutrition. Determining how risk factors for childhood illness and death are understood by community members, community health workers and facility staff in rural UP is important so that programs can identify the most vulnerable children. METHODS: This qualitative study was completed in three districts of UP that were part of a larger child health program. Twelve semi-structured interviews and 21 focus group discussions with 182 participants were conducted with community members (mothers and heads of households with U5 children), community health workers (CHWs; Accredited Social Health Activists and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives) and facility staff (medical officers and staff nurses). All interactions were recorded, transcribed and translated into English, coded and clustered by theme for analysis. The data presented are thematic areas that emerged around perceived risk factors for childhood illness and death. RESULTS: There were key differences among the three groups regarding the explanatory perspectives for identified risk factors. Some perspectives were completely divergent, such as why the location of the housing was a risk factor, whereas others were convergent, including the impact of seasonality and certain occupational factors. The classic explanatory risk factors for childhood illness and death identified in household surveys were often perceived as key risk factors by facility staff but not community members. However, overlapping views were frequently expressed by two of the groups with the CHWs bridging the perspectives of the community members and facility staff. CONCLUSION: The bridging views of the CHWs can be leveraged to identify and focus their activities on the most vulnerable children in the communities they serve, link them to facilities when they become ill and drive innovations in program delivery throughout the community-facility continuum.

?Trophic switch' by catfish community from predation to scavenging modulated by human food discard in an estuarine bay.

Benthic predatory catfishes are voracious and opportunistic predators and can easily shift their diet according to the availability of prey. In this study, feeding ecology of catfishes from two adjacent habitats of an estuarine bay is compared. The lower bay was relatively pristine as compared to the upper bay and was represented by two families of catfishes-Plotosidae and Ariidae, while the upper bay represented only ariid catfishes. Gut content analysis revealed that catfish predators from lower bay consumed conventional prey like teleosts and benthic invertebrates with a linear pattern of ontogenetic dietary shift. Plicofollis dussumieri and Plotosus canius occupied the position of top predators in the lower bay and were specialized feeders. Other predators like Plotosus lineatus, Arius arius, Arius jella, and Arius maculatus were generalist feeders occupying the position of mesopredators. However, in the upper bay, the catfish predators represented by Arius maculatus, Arius jella, and Arius arius predominantly fed on human discarded food. The easily available human food in the form of chicken, corn, and rice as noted from the investigated guts shows altered trophic guilds of ariid catfishes wherein only mid to large-sized catfish community was noted in this bay. A distinct "trophic switch" altered the trophic function from predation to scavenging which was observed in their feeding behavior. The anthropogenic impact in the form of unmanaged organic waste alters the role of predatory catfishes thereby restructuring the food web that may lead to unknown changes in the estuarine benthic ecosystems resulting in reduced ecosystem services.

ITPK1 Regulates Jasmonate-Controlled Root Development in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Jasmonic acid (JA) is a plant hormone that regulates a plethora of physiological processes including immunity and development and is perceived by the F-Box protein, Coronatine-insensitive protein 1 (COI1). The discovery of inositol phosphates (InsPs) in the COI1 receptor complex highlights their role in JAperception. InsPs are phosphate-rich signaling molecules that control many aspects of plant physiology. Inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs) are diphosphate containing InsP species, of which InsP7 and InsP8 are the best characterized ones. Different InsP and PP-InsP species are linked with JA-related plant immunity. However, role of PP-InsP species in regulating JA-dependent developmental processes are poorly understood. Recent identification of ITPK1 kinase, responsible for the production of 5-InsP7 from InsP6in planta, provides a platform to investigate the possible involvement of ITPK-derived InsP species in JA-related plant development. Here, in this study, we report that ITPK1-defective plants exhibit increased root growth inhibition to bioactive JA treatment. The itpk1 plants also show increased lateral root density when treated with JA. Notably, JA treatment does not increase ITPK1 protein levels. Gene expression analyses revealed that JA-biosynthetic genes are not differentially expressed in ITPK1-deficient plants. We further demonstrate that genes encoding different JAZ repressor proteins are severely down-regulated in ITPK1-defective plants. Taken together, our study highlights the role of ITPK1 in regulating JA-dependent root architecture development through controlling the expression of different JAZ repressor proteins.

Down Syndrome Screening among Pregnant Women Visiting the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of a Tertiary Care Centre.

Introduction: The screening of Down's syndrome by the measurement of serum markers using dual and quadruple tests in the second trimester is done among obstetric patients between 13 to 22 weeks of gestation. The test readings are signified in terms of low-risk or high-risk. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of Downs syndrome screening among pregnant women visiting the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of a tertiary care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from 15 April 2022 to 15 December 2022 among patients visiting the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of a tertiary care centre. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee. Women with a singleton pregnancy who underwent dual and quadruple screening tests at 11 to 22 weeks of gestation were taken and analysed as per reports. Convenience sampling method was used. The point estimate was calculated at a 95% Confidence Interval. Results: Among 268 women, Down syndrome screening was done in 200 (74.63%) (69.42-79.84, 95% Confidence Interval). Among them, 168 (84%) had a low risk for Down syndrome, and 32 (16%) had a high risk for Down syndrome. Conclusions: The prevalence of Downs syndrome screening among pregnant women visiting the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of a tertiary care centre was found to be similar to other studies done in similar settings. Keywords: down syndrome; nuchal translucency; screening.

Consequences of maternal complications in women's lives in the first postpartum year: a prospective cohort study.

Maternal complications are common during and following childbirth. However, little information is available on the psychological, social and economic consequences of maternal complications on women's lives, especially in a rural setting. A prospective cohort study was conducted in southern Rajasthan, India, among rural women who had a severe or less-severe, or no complication at the time of delivery or in the immediate postpartum period. In total, 1,542 women, representing 93% of all women who delivered in the field area over a 15-month period and were examined in the first week postpartum by nurse-midwives, were followed up to 12 months to record maternal and child survival. Of them, a subset of 430 women was followed up at 6-8 weeks and 12 months to capture data on the physical, psychological, social, or economic consequences. Women with severe maternal complications around the time of delivery and in the immediate postpartum period experienced an increased risk of mortality and morbidity in the first postpartum year: 2.8% of the women with severe complications died within one year compared to none with uncomplicated delivery. Women with severe complications also had higher rates of perinatal mortality [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=3.98, confidence interval (CI) 1.96-8.1, p=0.000] and mortality of babies aged eight days to 12 months (AOR=3.14, CI 1.4-7.06, p=0.004). Compared to women in the uncomplicated group, women with severe complications were at a higher risk of depression at eight weeks and 12 months with perceived physical symptoms, had a greater difficulty in completing daily household work, and had important financial repercussions. The results suggest that women with severe complications at the time of delivery need to be provided regular follow-up services for their physical and psychological problems till about 12 months after childbirth. They also might benefit from financial support during several months in the postpartum period to prevent severe economic consequences. Further research is needed to identify an effective package of services for women in the first year after delivery.

Regulation of plant biotic interactions and abiotic stress responses by inositol polyphosphates.

Inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs), derivatives of inositol hexakisphosphate (phytic acid, InsP6) or lower inositol polyphosphates, are energy-rich signaling molecules that have critical regulatory functions in eukaryotes. In plants, the biosynthesis and the cellular targets of these messengers are not fully understood. This is because, in part, plants do not possess canonical InsP6 kinases and are able to synthesize PP-InsP isomers that appear to be absent in yeast or mammalian cells. This review will shed light on recent discoveries in the biosynthesis of these enigmatic messengers and on how they regulate important physiological processes in response to abiotic and biotic stresses in plants.

Emerging application of robust data envelopment analysis for optimization of graft copolymerization of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) to Tamarindus indica seed polysaccharide.

A newer application of data envelopment analysis (DEA) model with robust data envelopment analysis (RDEA) was presented for optimization of reaction variables of graft copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) to Tamarindus indica seed polysaccharide (TSP). It helped to find out the most appropriate reaction conditions and variables (concentrations of HEMA and reaction initiator; temperature and time duration) for copolymerization. The data generated through the experimental work has been analyzed and indexed to predict the maximum %grafting. Sensitivity analysis was performed to check robustness of efficiency scores of CCR DEA efficient samples and a comparative analysis of the CCR DEA and RRDEA efficiency score has been done. The data obtained via real-time experiments and data predicted using computational modelling predictions were found to be in close vicinity.

Knowledge, perception and practice towards oxytocin stability and quality: A qualitative study of stakeholders in three resource-limited countries.

BACKGROUND: Oxytocin is the gold standard drug for the prevention of postpartum haemorrhage, but limitations in cold chain systems in resource-constrained settings can severely compromise the quality of oxytocin product available in these environments. This study investigated the perspectives and practices of stakeholders in low and lower-middle income countries towards oxytocin, its storage requirements and associated barriers, and the quality of product available. METHODS: Qualitative inquiries were undertaken in Ethiopia, India and Myanmar, where data was collected through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and In-Depth Interviews (IDIs). A total of 12 FGDs and 106 IDIs were conducted with 158 healthcare providers (pharmacists, midwives, nurses, doctors and obstetricians) and 40 key informants (supply chain experts, program managers and policy-makers). Direct observations of oxytocin storage practices and cold chain resources were conducted at 51 healthcare facilities. Verbatim transcripts of FGDs and IDIs were translated to English and analysed according to a thematic content analysis framework. FINDINGS: Stakeholder awareness of oxytocin heat sensitivity and the requirement for cold storage of the drug was widespread in Ethiopia but more limited in Myanmar and India. A consistent finding across all study regions was the significant barriers to maintaining a consistent cold chain, with the lack of refrigeration facilities and unreliability of electricity cited as major challenges. Perceptions of compromised oxytocin quality were expressed by some stakeholders in each country. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of the heat sensitivity of oxytocin and the potential impacts of inconsistent cold storage on product quality is not widespread amongst healthcare providers, policy makers and supply chain experts in Myanmar, Ethiopia and India. Targeted training and advocacy messages are warranted to emphasise the importance of cold storage to maintain oxytocin quality.

Effect of Ultraviolet Irradiation on the Osseointegration of a Titanium Alloy with Bone.

INTRODUCTION: Attempt has been made to analyze the potential of titanium (Ti) alloy for osteointegration by the effect of surface photo functionalization in different aspects as follows: in Ringer's solution, in vitro cell growth, and in vivo study on rabbit. The present study was aimed to investigate the influence of ultraviolet (UV) light on surface topography, corrosion behavior, and bioactivity of indigenously manufactured samples of Ti alloy mini-implant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study includes surface modification of Ti samples by UV treatment, corrosion testing of the specimens using Potentiostat (GAMRY System), qualitative examination of modified surface topography using scanning electron microscope, and cellular viability test on Ti alloy surface (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide ASSAY). To find the effect of UV light on implant bone integration, biochemical test was performed on the femur of rabbits. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Corrosion resistance of untreated Ti alloy in Ringer's solution was found to be less, whereas corrosion rate was more. Corrosion resistance of UV-treated samples was found to increase significantly, thereby lowering the corrosion rate. Cell growth in UV-treated specimen was observed to be higher than that in untreated samples. It is important to mention that cell growth was significantly enhanced on samples which were UV treated for longer duration of time. CONCLUSIONS: There was a marked improvement in cell growth on UV-treated Ti alloy samples. Hence, it is expected that it would enhance the process of osseointegration of Ti with bone. Another important finding obtained was that the removal torque values of UV-treated implants were higher than that of untreated implants. The overall result reveals that UV treatment of implants does help us in speeding up the osseointegration process.