PIF7 controls leaf cell proliferation through an AN3 substitution repression mechanism.

Plants are agile, plastic organisms able to adapt to everchanging circumstances. Responding to far-red (FR) wavelengths from nearby vegetation, shade-intolerant species elicit the adaptive shade-avoidance syndrome (SAS), characterized by elongated petioles, leaf hyponasty, and smaller leaves. We utilized end-of-day FR (EODFR) treatments to interrogate molecular processes that underlie the SAS leaf response. Genetic analysis established that PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR 7 (PIF7) is required for EODFR-mediated constraint of leaf blade cell division, while EODFR messenger RNA sequencing data identified ANGUSTIFOLIA3 (AN3) as a potential PIF7 target. We show that PIF7 can suppress AN3 transcription by directly interacting with and sequestering AN3. We also establish that PIF7 and AN3 impose antagonistic control of gene expression via common cis-acting promoter motifs in several cell-cycle regulator genes. EODFR triggers the molecular substitution of AN3 to PIF7 at G-box/PBE-box promoter regions and a switch from promotion to repression of gene expression.

Sensitive and discriminative detection of cysteine by a Nile red-based NIR fluorescence probe.

Cysteine (Cys) is a significant biological mercaptan that achieves key roles in several important physiological processes, such as reversible redox homeostasis in living organisms. Abnormal levels of Cys in the human body are directly related to many diseases. In this work, we constructed a sensitive sensor (Cys-NR) by connecting a Cys recognition group to a Nile red derivative. Due to photo-induced electron transfer (PET), the Cys-NR probe showed little fluorescence at 650 nm. With the addition of Cys to the assay solution, the chlorine unit of the probe was substituted by the thiol group of Cys. Further, the amino and sulfhydryl groups in cysteine underwent an intramolecular rearrangement, which led to the Cys-NR probe water solution turning from colorless to pink with an enhancement in fluorescence. The red fluorescence at 650 nm increased about 20 times. Based on the turn-on signal, a selective Cys detection method is developed. The probe signal is not affected by various potential interferences or other competing biothiols and the limit of detection (LOD) is determined to be 0.44 µM. In addition, the probe is further employed for imaging of Cys in live cells, revealing good biological imaging ability that could provide a new way of intracellular Cys detection.

Phytochrome regulates cellular response plasticity and the basic molecular machinery of leaf development.

Plants are plastic organisms that optimize growth in response to a changing environment. This adaptive capability is regulated by external cues, including light, which provides vital information about the habitat. Phytochrome photoreceptors detect far-red light, indicative of nearby vegetation, and elicit the adaptive shade-avoidance syndrome (SAS), which is critical for plant survival. Plants exhibiting SAS are typically more elongated, with distinctive, small, narrow leaf blades. By applying SAS-inducing end-of-day far-red (EoD FR) treatments at different times during Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaf 3 development, we have shown that SAS restricts leaf blade size through two distinct cellular strategies. Early SAS induction limits cell division, while later exposure limits cell expansion. This flexible strategy enables phytochromes to maintain control of leaf size through the proliferative and expansion phases of leaf growth. mRNAseq time course data, accessible through a community resource, coupled to a bioinformatics pipeline, identified pathways that underlie these dramatic changes in leaf growth. Phytochrome regulates a suite of major development pathways that control cell division, expansion, and cell fate. Further, phytochromes control cell proliferation through synchronous regulation of the cell cycle, DNA replication, DNA repair, and cytokinesis, and play an important role in sustaining ribosome biogenesis and translation throughout leaf development.

Examining the relationships between early childhood experiences and adolescent and young adult health status in a resource-limited population: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a critical point in the realization of human capital, as health and educational decisions with long-term impacts are made. We examined the role of early childhood experiences on health, cognitive abilities, and educational outcomes of adolescents followed up from a longitudinal cohort study in Pakistan, hypothesizing that early childhood experiences reflecting poverty would manifest in reduced health and development in adolescence. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Adolescents/young adults previously followed as children aged under 5 years were interviewed. Childhood data were available on diarrhea, pneumonia, and parental/household characteristics. New data were collected on health, anthropometry, education, employment, and languages spoken; nonverbal reasoning was assessed. A multivariable Bayesian network was constructed to explore structural relationships between variables. Of 1,868 children originally enrolled, 1,463 (78.3%) were interviewed as adolescents (range 16.0-29.3 years, mean age 22.6 years); 945 (65%) lived in Oshikhandass. While 1,031 (70.5%) of their mothers and 440 (30.1%) of their fathers had received no formal education, adolescents reported a mean of 11.1 years of education. Childhood diarrhea (calculated as episodes/child-year) had no association with nonverbal reasoning score (an arc was supported in just 4.6% of bootstrap samples), health measures (with BMI, 1% of bootstrap samples; systolic and diastolic blood pressure, 0.1% and 1.6% of bootstrap samples, respectively), education (0.7% of bootstrap samples), or employment (0% of bootstrap samples). Relationships were found between nonverbal reasoning and adolescent height (arc supported in 63% of bootstrap samples), age (84%), educational attainment (100%), and speaking English (100%); speaking English was linked to the childhood home environment, mediated through maternal education and primary language. Speaking English (n = 390, 26.7% of adolescents) was associated with education (100% of bootstrap samples), self-reported child health (82%), current location (85%) and variables describing childhood socioeconomic status. The main limitations of this study were the lack of parental data to characterize the home setting (including parental mental and physical health, and female empowerment) and reliance on self-reporting of health status. CONCLUSIONS: In this population, investments in education, especially for females, are associated with an increase in human capital. Against the backdrop of substantial societal change, with the exception of a small and indirect association between childhood malnutrition and cognitive scores, educational opportunities and cultural language groups have stronger associations with aspects of human capital than childhood morbidity.

Surface urban heat islands in the mega city of Karachi, their spatial distribution and health emergency response infrastructure.

The 2015 heat wave resulted in an estimated over 1200 deaths during the month of June. However, there were no records on the spatial distribution of the effects of this heat wave. An analysis of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land surface temperature (LST) daily data was conducted to identify regions that experienced above normal temperatures in 2015. An analysis of the monthly averages showed that in general April and May were the warmer months in Karachi, unlike the case in 2015. In addition, the general warm trends were common in the highly industrialised Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) and Liaquatabad towns, while Gadap, with its mostly barren land, and New Karachi also experience higher temperatures. Coastal towns were naturally cooler and more habitable in the given scenario. A count of the spatial presence of health facilities for the city was also extracted where Gadap and Korangi were poorly served while the more affluent towns of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and Gulshan-e-Iqbal appeared to be better served.

Aggregation enhanced excimer emission (AEEE) of benzo[ghi]perylene and coronene: multimode probes for facile monitoring and direct visualization of micelle transition.

We report benzo[ghi]perylene (BzP) and coronene (Cron) as multimode fluorescent probes for accurate monitoring and direct visualization of monomer-micelle transitions in surfactants for the first time. The probe molecules formed self-assembled nanoparticles in an aqueous solution and displayed strong aggregation-enhanced excimer emission (AEEE). During the process of surfactant monomer-micelle transition, the probe nanoparticles dissolved, and the observation of excimer-monomer emission transition clearly indicated the formation of micelles. The ratiometric changes in excimer-monomer emission (IE/IM) were used for the precise determination of critical micelle concentration (CMC) of various surfactants. The monomer-micelle transition process was directly observed under a UV lamp, and the visual determination of CMC became possible. The CMC value determination using the excimer/monomer ratio (IE/IM), UV-vis, lifetime and visual assessment clearly suggests that BzP and Cron are excellent multimode probes for monitoring the micelle structural transitions of amphiphiles.

Structural and catalytic properties of the Au25-xAgx(SCH3)18 (x = 6, 7, 8) nanocluster.

In this study, we explore the structural, electronic and catalytic properties of bimetallic nanoparticles of the form Au25-xAgx(SR)18 (for x = 6, 7, 8). Due to the combinatorial enormity of the number of different alloyed structures, we choose 500 random configurations corresponding to each alloying level and energetically optimize their structures. Here we report the properties of the lowest energy structures and determine the most favorable Ag alloying sites for these systems. We also show that nanoalloys with one Ag at the center and the rest in the outer shell of the Au13 kernel are less energetically favorable than the ones with all the Ag atoms occupying the surface of the Au13 kernel. We further present experimental results showing that catalytic oxidation of CO is adversely affected due to Ag alloying. We provide qualitative and quantitative evidence to explain this reduction of the catalytic activity using Fukui functions and average adsorption energies respectively.

Polyphosphoric acid-induced perylene probe self-assembly and label-free fluorescence turn-on detection of alkaline phosphatase.

A label-free fluorescence turn-on strategy for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) detection was established based on its enzymatic catalyzed hydrolysis of polyphosphoric acid (PPA, an anionic polymer) that had been utilized for aggregation with our homemade positively charged perylene derivative (Probe-1) via noncovalent interactions. The disaggregation caused turn-on fluorescence signal which was recovered by the released Proble-1 molecules whose original strong fluorescence in an aqueous buffer solution had been quenched due to their previous aggregation induced by PPA. Such method presents its great advantages of free labeling, convenience and simplicity, cost effectiveness, high selectivity, and high sensitivity, with a detection limit of 0.5 mU/mL of ALP. Graphical Abstract A label-free fluorescence turn-on strategy for alkaline phosphatase based on its enzymatic catalyzed hydrolysis of polyphosphoric acid that had been utilized for aggregation with our homemade positively charged perylene derivative via noncovalent interactions.

Species Distribution Modelling of Aedes aegypti in two dengue-endemic regions of Pakistan.

OBJECTIVES: Statistical tools are effectively used to determine the distribution of mosquitoes and to make ecological inferences about the vector-borne disease dynamics. In this study, we utilised species distribution models to understand spatial patterns of Aedes aegypti in two dengue-prevalent regions of Pakistan, Lahore and Swat. Species distribution models can potentially indicate the probability of suitability of Ae. aegypti once introduced to new regions like Swat, where invasion of this species is a recent phenomenon. METHODS: The distribution of Ae. aegypti was determined by applying the MaxEnt algorithm on a set of potential environmental factors and species sample records. The ecological dependency of species on each environmental variable was analysed using response curves. We quantified the statistical performance of the models based on accuracy assessment and spatial predictions. RESULTS: Our results suggest that Ae. aegypti is widely distributed in Lahore. Human population density and urban infrastructure are primarily responsible for greater probability of mosquito occurrence in this region. In Swat, Ae. aegypti has clumped distribution, where urban patches provide refuge to the species in an otherwise hostile heterogeneous environment and road networks are assumed to have facilitated in passive-mediated dispersal of species. CONCLUSIONS: In Pakistan, Ae. aegypti is expanding its range northwards; this could be associated with rapid urbanisation, trade and travel. The main implication of this expansion is that more people are at risk of dengue fever in the northern highlands of Pakistan.

1-(2-Methyl-5-nitro-1H-imidazol-1-yl)propan-2-yl acetate.

In the title compound, C9H13N3O4, an ester of the anti-infection drug secnidazole, the dihedral angle between the nitro-imidazole mean plane (r.m.s. deviation = 0.028 Å) and the pendant acetate group is 43.17 (11)°. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairs of C-H⋯O inter-actions generate R 2 (2)(10) loops and further C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the dimers into [100] chains. Weak aromatic π-π stacking inter-actions with a centroid-centroid distance of 3.7623 (11) Šare also observed.

Proceeding of catalytic water splitting on Cu/Ce@g-C3N4 photocatalysts: an exceptional approach for sunlight-driven hydrogen generation.

Increasing energy demands and environmental problems require carbon-free and renewable energy generation systems. For this purpose, we have synthesized efficient photocatalysts (i.e., g-C3N4, Cu@g-C3N4, Ce@g-C3N4 and Cu/Ce@g-C3N4) for H2 evolution from water splitting. Their optical, structural and electrochemical properties were investigated by UV-Vis-DRS, PL, XRD, FTIR, Raman and EIS methods. Their surface morphologies were evaluated by AFM and SEM analyses. Their chemical characteristics, compositions and stability were assessed using XPS, EDX and TGA techniques. Photoreactions were performed in a quartz reactor (150 mL/Velp-UK), whereas hydrogen generation activities were monitored using a GC-TCD (Shimadzu-2014/Japan). The results depicted that Cu/Ce@g-C3N4 catalysts are the most active catalysts that deliver 23.94 mmol g-1 h-1 of H2. The higher rate of H2 evolution was attributed to the active synergism between Ce and Cu metals and the impact of surface plasmon electrons (SPEs) of Cu that were produced during the photoreaction. The rate of H2 production was optimized by controlling various factors, including the catalyst amount, light intensity, pH, and temperature of the reaction mixture. It has been concluded that the current study holds promise to replace the conventional and costly catalysts used for hydrogen generation technologies.

Solitonic solutions and stability analysis of Benjamin Bona Mahony Burger equation using two versatile techniques.

This study aims to explore the precise resolution of the nonlinear Benjamin Bona Mahony Burgers (BBMB) equation, which finds application in a variety of nonlinear scientific disciplines including fluid dynamics, shock generation, wave transmission, and soliton theory. Within this paper, we employ two versatile methodologies, specifically the extended exp ( - Ψ ( χ ) ) expansion technique and the novel Kudryashov method, to identify the exact soliton solutions of the nonlinear BBMB equation. The solutions we discovered involve trigonometric functions, hyperbolic functions, and rational functions. The uniqueness of this research lies in uncovering the bright soliton, kink wave solution, and periodic wave solution, and conducting stability analysis. Furthermore, the solutions' graphical characteristics were explored through the utilization of the mathematical software Maple 2022 ( https://maplesoft.com/downloads/selectplatform.aspx?hash=61ab59890f2313b2241fde3423fd975e ). The system's physical interpretation is defined through various types of graphs, including contour graphs, 3D-surface graphs, and line graphs, which use appropriate parameter values. These recommended techniques hold significant importance and are applicable in diverse nonlinear evolutionary equations found in the field of nonlinear sciences for illustrating nonlinear physical models.

Deciphering the Enigma of Neuron-Glial Interactions in Neurological Disorders.

Innate lymphocytes, including microglial cells, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, play a crucial role in initiating neuroinflammatory reactions inside the central nervous system (CNS). The prime focus of this paper is on the involvement and interplay of neurons and glial cells in neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis (MS). In this review, we explore the specific contributions of microglia and astrocytes and analyzes multiple pathways implicated in neuroinflammation and disturbances in excitatory and inhibitory processes. Firstly, we elucidate the mechanisms through which toxic protein accumulation in AD results in synaptic dysfunction and deregulation of the immune system and examines the roles of microglia, astrocytes, and hereditary factors in the pathogenesis of the disease. Secondly, we focus on ASD and the involvement of glial cells in the development of the nervous system and the formation of connections between neurons and investigates the genetic connections associated with these processes. Lastly, we also address the participation of glial cells in epilepsy and MS, providing insights into their pivotal functions in both conditions. We also tried to give an overview of seven different pathways like toll-like receptor signalling pathway, MyD88-dependent and independent pathway, etc and its relevance in the context with these neurological disorders. In this review, we also explore the role of activated glial cells in AD, ASD, epilepsy, and MS which lead to neuroinflammation. Even we focus on excitatory and inhibitory imbalance in all four neurological disorders as imbalance affect the proper functioning of neuronal circuits. Finally, this review concludes that there is necessity for additional investigation on glial cells and their involvement in neurological illnesses.

Formative research and development of an evidence-based communication strategy: the introduction of Vi typhoid fever vaccine among school-aged children in Karachi, Pakistan.

The authors conducted formative research (a) to identify stakeholders' concerns related to typhoid fever and the need for disease information and (b) to develop a communication strategy to inform stakeholders and address their concerns and motivate for support of a school-based vaccination program in Pakistan. Data were collected during interactive and semi-structured focus group discussions and interviews, followed by a qualitative analysis and multidisciplinary consultative process to identify an effective social mobilization strategy comprised of relevant media channels and messages. The authors conducted 14 focus group discussions with the parents of school-aged children and their teachers, and 13 individual interviews with school, religious, and political leaders. Parents thought that typhoid fever was a dangerous disease, but were unsure of their children's risk. They were interested in vaccination and were comfortable with a school-based vaccination if conducted under the supervision of trained and qualified staff. Teachers and leaders needed information on typhoid fever, the vaccine, procedures, and sponsors of the vaccination program. Meetings were considered the best form of information dissemination, followed by printed materials and mass media. This study shows how qualitative research findings can be translated into an effective social mobilization and communication approach. The findings of the research indicated the importance of increasing awareness of typhoid fever and the benefits of vaccination against the disease. Identification and dissemination of relevant, community-based disease and vaccination information will increase demand and use of vaccination.

Synthesis, evaluation of antioxidant activity and crystal structure of 2,4-dimethylbenzoylhydrazones.

2,4-Dimethylbenzoylhydrazones 1-30 were synthesized by condensation reactions of 2,4-dimethylbenzoylhydrazide with various aromatic aldehydes and characterized. The assigned structures of compounds 10, 15 and 22 were further supported by single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their in vitro DPPH radical scavenging activity. They exerted varying degree of scavenging activity toward DPPH radical with IC50 values between 25.6-190 µM. Compounds 1, 4, 2, 3, 7, and 6 have IC50 values of 25.6, 28.1, 29.3, 29.8, 30.0 and 30.1 µM respectively, showing better activity than an n-propyl gallate standard (IC50 value = 30.30 µM). For super oxide anion scavenging activity compounds 1, 2 and 3 with IC50 values of 98.3, 102.6, and 105.6, respectively, also showed better activity than the n-propyl gallate standard (IC50 value = 106.34 µM).

2,6-Di-fluoro-N-(prop-2-yn-yl)benzamide.

In the mol-ecule of the title di-fluoro-benzamide derivative, C10H7F2NO, the angle formed by the least-squares mean line through the prop-2-ynyl group [maximum deviation = 0.011 (3) Å] and the normal to the benzene ring is 59.03 (7)°. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked via N-H⋯O and C-H⋯F hydrogen bonds into layers parallel to the ac plane.

Growth of villi-microstructured bismuth vanadate (Vm-BiVO4) for photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet dye.

In this work, villi-microstructured Au-loaded BiVO4 photocatalysts were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method. The as-synthesized photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, Raman, UV-Vis-DRS, PL, SEM and EDX techniques. The presence of metallic Au on the surface of Vm-BiVO4 support boosts the photocatalytic performance to degrade toxic crystal violet dye. The enhanced activities were attributed to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Au which efficiently broadens the visible light response. SPR increases the electron population in Vm-BiVO4 and forms a Schottky barrier at the interface between Au and Vm-BiVO4 which enhances the separation efficiency of photoinduced charges. Various factors affecting photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet (CV) were studied to find optimum conditions. In addition, a radical trapping study indicates that ˙O2 - is the main active species in the degradation process of cationic CV dye. All photocatalytic degradation reactions were monitored by UV-Vis spectrophotometry (PerkinElmer/λ-365).

Tunable sulphur doping on CuFe2O4 nanostructures for the selective elimination of organic dyes from water.

In this work, sulphur doped copper ferrites (S-CuFe2O4) photocatalysts were successfully synthesized for the first time using the facile hydrothermal method. The as-synthesized photocatalysts were characterized through XRD, Raman, TGA, FT-IR, UV-Vis-DRS, SEM, EDX and PL techniques. The results revealed that doping with sulphur has been found to be a suitable alternative that causes strain in the lattices as anions replace the oxygen from the CuFe2O4 nanostructures. Due to sulphur dopants, photocatalysts are able to efficiently trap and transfer the photoinduced charges, which readily suppress charge recombination. A UV-Vis spectrophotometer was used to monitor the degradation of selective toxic organic dyes (RhB, CR, MO, and CV) in aqueous media. The dye degradation results provide evidence for the surprisingly superior performance of S-CuFe2O4 over pristine CuFe2O4. On the basis of its efficiencies, this work can be assigned as an excellent candidate for photocatalysis science.

Facile transfer of surface plasmon electrons of Au-NPs to Zn3V2O8 surfaces: a case study of sunlight driven H2 generation from water splitting.

For future energy perspectives, an effective way to produce H2 from water splitting is suggested using Zn3V2O8 photocatalyst as a semiconductor support. Further, to enhance the catalytic efficiency and stability of the catalyst, gold metal was deposited over the Zn3V2O8 surface by a chemical reduction method. For comparison, the Zn3V2O8 and gold-fabricated catalysts (i.e., Au@Zn3V2O8) were used for water splitting reactions. For structural and optical properties, various techniques, including XRD, UV-Vis DRS, FTIR, PL, Raman, SEM, EDX, XPS and EIS were used for the characterizations. The scanning electron microscope revealed the pebble-shaped morphology of the Zn3V2O8 catalyst. The FTIR and EDX results confirmed the purity and structural and elemental composition of the catalysts. Overall, 7.05 mmol g-1 h-1 H2 generation was observed over Au1.0@Zn3V2O8, which was ten times higher than bare Zn3V2O8. The results revealed that the higher H2 activities could be attributed to the Schottky barriers and surface plasmon electrons (SPRs). Thus the Au@Zn3V2O8 catalysts have potential to deliver higher hydrogen generation than Zn3V2O8 by water splitting.

Synergism of Co/Na in BiVO4 microstructures for visible-light driven degradation of toxic dyes in water.

In this work, we report a synergism of Co/Na in Co@Na-BiVO4 microstructures to boost the photocatalytic performance of bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) catalysts. A co-precipitation method has been employed to synthesize blossom-like BiVO4 microstructures with incorporation of Co and Na metals, followed by calcination at 350 °C. The structure and morphology of the as-prepared photocatalysts are characterized by XRD, Raman, FTIR, SEM, EDX, AFM, UV-vis/DRS and PL techniques. Dye degradation activities are evaluated by UV-vis spectroscopy, in which methylene blue, Congo red and rhodamine B dyes are chosen for comparative study. The activities of bare BiVO4, Co-BiVO4, Na-BiVO4, and Co@Na-BiVO4 are compared. To evaluate the ideal conditions, various factors that affect degradation efficiencies have been investigated. The results of this study show that the Co@Na-BiVO4 photocatalysts exhibit higher activity than bare BiVO4, Co-BiVO4 or Na-BiVO4. The higher efficiencies were attributed to the synergistic role of Co and Na contents. This synergism assists in better charge separation and more electron transportation to the active sites during the photoreaction.