Torsemide in the Management of Essential Hypertension.

Torsemide, a loop diuretic, is increasingly recognized for its role in managing essential hypertension. Its mechanism of action involves inhibiting the reabsorption of sodium and chloride ions in the ascending loop of Henle in the kidneys. By doing so, torsemide promotes diuresis, which refers to increased urine production, and subsequently lowers blood pressure. Studies have shown that torsemide is comparably effective to other antihypertensive agents in lowering blood pressure, with the added benefit of potentially improving renal function. However, while torsemide shows promise in hypertensive management, further research is necessary to fully understand its long-term effects and to establish optimal dosing strategies. Future research should focus on clarifying its role in long-term blood pressure control and refining its use in clinical practice to maximize efficacy and minimize adverse effects.

Biofortification of Triticum species: a stepping stone to combat malnutrition.

BACKGROUND: Biofortification represents a promising and sustainable strategy for mitigating global nutrient deficiencies. However, its successful implementation poses significant challenges. Among staple crops, wheat emerges as a prime candidate to address these nutritional gaps. Wheat biofortification offers a robust approach to enhance wheat cultivars by elevating the micronutrient levels in grains, addressing one of the most crucial global concerns in the present era. MAIN TEXT: Biofortification is a promising, but complex avenue, with numerous limitations and challenges to face. Notably, micronutrients such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), and copper (Cu) can significantly impact human health. Improving Fe, Zn, Se, and Cu contents in wheat could be therefore relevant to combat malnutrition. In this review, particular emphasis has been placed on understanding the extent of genetic variability of micronutrients in diverse Triticum species, along with their associated mechanisms of uptake, translocation, accumulation and different classical to advanced approaches for wheat biofortification. CONCLUSIONS: By delving into micronutrient variability in Triticum species and their associated mechanisms, this review underscores the potential for targeted wheat biofortification. By integrating various approaches, from conventional breeding to modern biotechnological interventions, the path is paved towards enhancing the nutritional value of this vital crop, promising a brighter and healthier future for global food security and human well-being.

Jasmonate signaling modulates root growth by suppressing iron accumulation during ammonium stress.

Plants adapt to changing environmental conditions by adjusting their growth physiology. Nitrate (NO3-) and ammonium (NH4+) are the major inorganic nitrogen forms for plant uptake. However, high NH4+ inhibits plant growth, and roots undergo striking changes, such as inhibition of cell expansion and division, leading to reduced root elongation. In this work, we show that high NH4+ modulates nitrogen metabolism and root developmental physiology by inhibiting iron (Fe)-dependent Jasmonate (JA) signaling and response in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Transcriptomic data suggested that NH4+ availability regulates Fe and JA-responsive genes. High NH4+ levels led to enhanced root Fe accumulation, which impaired nitrogen balance and growth by suppressing JA biosynthesis and signaling response. Integrating pharmacological, physiological, and genetic experiments revealed the involvement of NH4+ and Fe-derived responses in regulating root growth and nitrogen metabolism through modulation of the JA pathway during NH4+ stress. The JA signaling transcription factor MYC2 directly bound the promoter of the NITRATE TRANSPORTER 1.1 (NRT1.1) and repressed it to optimize the NH4+/Fe-JA balance for plant adaptation during NH4+ stress. Our findings illustrate the intricate balance between nutrient and hormone-derived signaling pathways that appear essential for optimizing plant growth by adjusting physiological and metabolic responses during NH4+/Fe stress.

A Dual Therapeutic Approach to Diabetes Mellitus via Bioactive Phytochemicals Found in a Poly Herbal Extract by Restoration of Favorable Gut Flora and Related Short-Chain Fatty Acids.

Diabetes mellitus (DM), a metabolic and endocrine condition, poses a serious threat to human health and longevity. The emerging role of gut microbiome associated with bioactive compounds has recently created a new hope for DM treatment. UHPLC-HRMS methods were used to identify these compounds in a poly herbal ethanolic extract (PHE). The effects of PHE on body weight (BW), fasting blood glucose (FBG) level, gut microbiota, fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production, and the correlation between DM-related indices and gut microbes, in rats were investigated. Chebulic acid (0.368%), gallic acid (0.469%), andrographolide (1.304%), berberine (6.442%), and numerous polysaccharides were the most representative constituents in PHE. A more significant BW gain and a reduction in FBG level towards normal of PHE 600 mg/kg treated rats group were resulted at the end of 28th days of the study. Moreover, the composition of the gut microbiota corroborated the study's hypothesis, as evidenced by an increased ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes and some beneficial microbial species, including Prevotella copri and Lactobacillus hamster. The relative abundance of Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, Ruminococcus bromii, and Blautia producta was found to decline in PHE treatment groups as compared to diabetic group. The abundance of beneficial bacteria in PHE 600 mg/kg treatment group was concurrently associated with increased SCFAs concentrations of acetate and propionate (7.26 nmol/g and 4.13 nmol/g). The findings of this study suggest a promising approach to prevent DM by demonstrating that these naturally occurring compounds decreased FBG levels by increasing SCFAs content and SCFAs producing gut microbiota.

SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Stimulates Macropinocytosis in Murine and Human Macrophages via PKC-NADPH Oxidase Signaling.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). While recent studies have demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 may enter kidney and colon epithelial cells by inducing receptor-independent macropinocytosis, it remains unknown whether this process also occurs in cell types directly relevant to SARS-CoV-2-associated lung pneumonia, such as alveolar epithelial cells and macrophages. The goal of our study was to investigate the ability of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein subunits to stimulate macropinocytosis in human alveolar epithelial cells and primary human and murine macrophages. Flow cytometry analysis of fluid-phase marker internalization demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 spike protein subunits S1, the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of S1, and S2 stimulate macropinocytosis in both human and murine macrophages in an angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)-independent manner. Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of macropinocytosis substantially decreased spike-protein-induced fluid-phase marker internalization in macrophages both in vitro and in vivo. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging confirmed that spike protein subunits promote the formation of membrane ruffles on the dorsal surface of macrophages. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 spike protein stimulated macropinocytosis via NADPH oxidase 2 (Nox2)-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. In addition, inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) in macrophages blocked SARS-CoV-2 spike-protein-induced macropinocytosis. To our knowledge, these results demonstrate for the first time that SARS-CoV-2 spike protein subunits stimulate macropinocytosis in macrophages. These results may contribute to a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 pathogenesis.

Transcriptome and biochemical analysis in hexaploid wheat with contrasting tolerance to iron deficiency pinpoints multi-layered molecular process.

Iron (Fe) is an essential plant nutrient that is indispensable for many physiological activities. This study is an effort to identify the molecular and biochemical basis of wheat genotypes with contrasting tolerance towards Fe deficiency. Our physiological experiments performed at the early growth stage in cv. Kanchan (KAN) showed Fe deficiency tolerance, whereas cv. PBW343 (PBW) was susceptible. Under Fe deficient condition, KAN showed delayed chlorosis, high SPAD values, and low malondialdehyde content compared to PBW, indicative of Fe deficient condition. Comparative shoot transcriptomics revealed increased expression of photosynthetic pathway genes in PBW, further suggesting its sensitivity to Fe fluctuations. Under Fe deficiency, both the cultivars showed distinct molecular re-arrangements such as high expression of genes involved in Fe uptake (including membrane transporters) and its remobilization. Specifically, in KAN these changes lead to high root phytosiderophores (PS) biosynthesis and its release, resulting in enhanced Fe translocation index. Utilizing the non-transgenic TILLING (Targeting Induced Lesions in Genomes) technology, we identified TaZIFL4.2D as a putative PS efflux transporter. Characterization of the wheat TILLING lines indicated that TaZIFL4.2 functions in PS release and Fe acquisition, thereby imparting tolerance to Fe deficiency. Altogether, this work highlights the mechanistic insight into Fe deficiency tolerance of hexaploid wheat, thus enabling breeders to select suitable genotypes to utilize nutrients for maximum yields.

Child Marriage and Cardiovascular Risk: An Application of the Non-laboratory Framingham Risk Score.

INTRODUCTION: Child marriage, defined as marriage before the age of 18 years, is a precocious transition from adolescence to adulthood, which may take a long-term toll on health. AIM: This study aims to assess whether child marriage was associated with added risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in a nationally representative sample of Indian adults. METHODS: Applying the non-laboratory-based Framingham algorithm to data on 336,953 women aged 30-49 years and 49,617 men aged 30-54 years, we estimated individual's predicted heart age (PHA). Comparing the PHA with chronological age (CA), we categorized individuals in four groups: (i) low PHA: PHA < CA, (ii) equal PHA: PHA = CA (reference category), (iii) high PHA: PHA > CA by at most 4 years, and (iv) very high PHA: PHA > CA by 5 + years. We estimated multivariable multinomial logistic regressions to obtain relative risks of respective categories for the child marriage indicator. RESULTS: We found that women who were married in childhood had 1.06 (95% CI 1.01-1.10) and 1.22 (95% CI 1.16-1.27) times higher adjusted risks of having high and very high PHA, respectively, compared to women who were married as adults. For men, no differential risks were found between those who were married as children and as adults. These results were generally robust across various socioeconomic sub-groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings add to the relatively new and evolving strand of literature that examines the role of child marriage on later life chronic health outcomes and provide important insights for public health policies aimed at improving women's health and wellbeing.

COVID-19 and health care-related financial toxicity in the United States: Evidence from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey.

BACKGROUND: Despite the common perception of the socioeconomic burden of the COVID-19 pandemic, quantification of the relationship between COVID-19 and indicators of health care-related financial toxicity in the general population has been limited. This study aimed to provide estimates of these relationships in a nationally representative sample of the US adult population. METHODS: Using the data on 27,480 adults from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey, we fitted multivariable logistic regression models to assess the differential risks of financial toxicity as manifested by the financial hardship in paying medical bills, delayed and forgone medical care, and medication nonadherence, by COVID-19 diagnosis, severity, and duration of symptoms. RESULTS: We found that compared to individuals not having COVID-19, individuals with severe symptoms of COVID-19 were 1.86, 1.50, 1.76, and 1.77 times more likely to experience financial hardship, delay medical care, forgo medical care, and skip/delay/take less medication, respectively. Similarly, individuals with symptoms lasting for 3 or more months were 1.94, 1.65, 1.87, and 2.20 times more likely to experience these measures of financial toxicity, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The estimates of the relationship between COVID-19 and financial toxicity will facilitate effective communications for policy actions aimed at alleviating the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic.

SOD-GIF-FIT module controls plant organ size and iron uptake.

Plant organ growth is controlled by various internal and external cues. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms that coordinate plant organ growth and nutrient homeostasis remain largely unknown. Recently, Zheng et al. identified the key regulators SOD7 (suppressor of da1-1) and GRF-INTERACTING FACTOR1 (GIF1) that control organ size and iron uptake in arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana).

Enhanced ethanol production using hydrophobic resin detoxified Pine forest litter hydrolysate and integrated fermentation process development supplementing molasses.

Globally escalating ethanol demand necessitates the use of hybrid technologies integrating first- and second-generation biofuel feedstocks for achieving the futuristic targets of gasoline replacement with bioethanol. In present study, an optimized two-step sequential pre-treatment (first dilute alkali, then dilute acid) of Pine forest litter (PFL) was developed. Furthermore, the saccharification of pre-treated PFL was optimized through Response Surface Methodology using Box-Behnken Design, wherein 0.558 g/g of reducing sugar was released under the optimized conditions (12.5% w/v of biomass loading, 10 FPU/g of PFL enzyme loading, 0.15% v/v Tween-80 and 48 h incubation time). Moreover, during hydrolysate fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCIM 3288 strain, 22.51 ± 1.02 g/L ethanol was produced. Remarkably, hydrophobic resin (XAD-4) treatment of PFL hydrolysate, significantly removed inhibitors (Furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and phenolics) and increased ethanol production to 27.38 ± 1.18 g/L. Furthermore, during fermentation of molasses supplemented PFL hydrolysate (total initial sugar: 100 ± 3.27 g/L), a maximum of 46.02 ± 2.08 g/L ethanol was produced with 0.482 g/g yield and 1.92 g/l/h productivity. These findings indicated that the integration of molasses to lignocellulosic hydrolysate, would be a promising hybrid technology for industrial ethanol production within existing bio-refinery infrastructure.

Vibro-acoustic sensing of tissue-instrument-interactions allows a differentiation of biological tissue in computerised palpation.

BACKGROUND: The shift towards minimally invasive surgery is associated with a significant reduction of tactile information available to the surgeon, with compensation strategies ranging from vision-based techniques to the integration of sensing concepts into surgical instruments. Tactile information is vital for palpation tasks such as the differentiation of tissues or the characterisation of surfaces. This work investigates a new sensing approach to derive palpation-related information from vibration signals originating from instrument-tissue-interactions. METHODS: We conducted a feasibility study to differentiate three non-animal and three animal tissue specimens based on palpation of the surface. A sensor configuration was mounted at the proximal end of a standard instrument opposite the tissue-interaction point. Vibro-acoustic signals of 1680 palpation events were acquired, and the time-varying spectrum was computed using Continuous-Wavelet-Transformation. For validation, nine spectral energy-related features were calculated for a subsequent classification using linear Support Vector Machine and k-Nearest-Neighbor. RESULTS: Indicators derived from the vibration signal are highly stable in a set of palpations belonging to the same tissue specimen, regardless of the palpating subject. Differences in the surface texture of the tissue specimens reflect in those indicators and can serve as a basis for differentiation. The classification following a supervised learning approach shows an accuracy of >93.8% for the three-tissue classification tasks and decreases to 78.8% for a combination of all six tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Simple features derived from the vibro-acoustic signals facilitate the differentiation between biological tissues, showing the potential of the presented approach to provide information related to the interacting tissue. The results encourage further investigation of a yet little-exploited source of information in minimally invasive surgery.

Neflamapimod inhibits endothelial cell activation, adhesion molecule expression, leukocyte attachment and vascular inflammation by inhibiting p38 MAPKα and NF-κB signaling.

Neflamapimod, a selective inhibitor of the alpha isoform of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKα), was investigated for its potential to inhibit lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced activation of endothelial cells (ECs), adhesion molecule induction, and subsequent leukocyte attachment to EC monolayers. These events are known to contribute to vascular inflammation and cardiovascular dysfunction. Our results demonstrate that LPS treatment of cultured ECs and rats leads to significant upregulation of adhesion molecules, both in vitro and in vivo, which can be effectively inhibited by neflamapimod treatment. Western blotting data further reveals that neflamapimod inhibits LPS-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPKα and the activation of NF-κB signaling in ECs. Additionally, leukocyte adhesion assays demonstrate a substantial reduction in leukocyte attachment to cultured ECs and the aorta lumen of rats treated with neflamapimod. Consistent with vascular inflammation, LPS-treated rat arteries exhibit significantly diminished vasodilation response to acetylcholine, however, arteries from rats treated with neflamapimod maintain their vasodilation capacity, demonstrating its ability to limit LPS-induced vascular inflammation. Overall, our data demonstrate that neflamapimod effectively inhibits endothelium activation, adhesion molecule expression, and leukocyte attachment, thereby reducing vascular inflammation.

Finite element method-based simulation on bone fracture fixation configuration factors for biodegradable embossed locking compression plate.

As an evolution, biodegradable implants need to maximize mechanical performance thereby may lead to confusion in selection of the biodegradable material and implant design to the fracture site. This requires selecting a unique fixation configuration to fit within the fractured bone, factors of which can be bone-plate clearance, interfragmentary gap, alteration in screw fixation position and variation in the number of screws whose configuration optimization can re-maximize the mechanical performance of the biodegradable implant. Therefore, these factors have been optimized based on the induced minimum stress using the finite element method-based simulation for which biodegradable embossed locking plates (BELCP) via screws made of Mg-alloy have been fitted over two fragments of femur body (as hollow cylindrical cortical bone). An average human weight of 62 kg is applied to one segment of the femur for all different configurations of each factor, where another segment is assumed to be fixed. By this simulation, the most optimal fixation configuration was found at a minimum induced stress value of 41.96 MPa which is approximately 85%, 18%, 6% and 48% respectively less than all maximum stress induced configurations in each of the factor. This optimized configuration was at the minimum clearance between bone and plate with a 3 mm interfragmentary gap using 8 screws where the locking screw begins to apply from the center of the BELCP. Overall, BELCP may be a better biodegradable implant plate for bone fracture fixation with these optimized fixation configurations as the improved mechanical performance after experimental validation.

ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 regulates BRUTUS and affects iron acquisition and homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient for both plants and animals. Fe-limitation significantly reduces crop yield and adversely impacts on human nutrition. Owing to limited bioavailability of Fe in soil, plants have adapted different strategies that not only regulate Fe-uptake and homeostasis but also bring modifications in root system architecture to enhance survival. Understanding the molecular mechanism underlying the root growth responses will have critical implications for plant breeding. Fe-uptake is regulated by a cascade of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) in plants. In this study, we report that HY5 (Elongated Hypocotyl 5), a member of the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) family of TFs, plays an important role in the Fe-deficiency signaling pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana. The hy5 mutant failed to mount optimum Fe-deficiency responses, and displayed root growth defects under Fe-limitation. Our analysis revealed that the induction of the genes involved in Fe-uptake pathway (FIT-FER-LIKE IRON DEFICIENCY-INDUCED TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR, FRO2-FERRIC REDUCTION OXIDASE 2 and IRT1-IRON-REGULATED TRANSPORTER1) is reduced in the hy5 mutant as compared with the wild-type plants under Fe-deficiency. Moreover, we also found that the expression of coumarin biosynthesis genes is affected in the hy5 mutant under Fe-deficiency. Our results also showed that HY5 negatively regulates BRUTUS (BTS) and POPEYE (PYE). Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed direct binding of HY5 to the promoters of BTS, FRO2 and PYE. Altogether, our results showed that HY5 plays an important role in the regulation of Fe-deficiency responses in Arabidopsis.

One step surgical scene restoration for robot assisted minimally invasive surgery.

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) offers several advantages to patients including minimum blood loss and quick recovery time. However, lack of tactile or haptic feedback and poor visualization of the surgical site often result in some unintentional tissue damage. Visualization aspects further limits the collection of imaged frame contextual details, therefore the utility of computational methods such as tracking of tissue and tools, scene segmentation, and depth estimation are of paramount interest. Here, we discuss an online preprocessing framework that overcomes routinely encountered visualization challenges associated with the MIS. We resolve three pivotal surgical scene reconstruction tasks in a single step; namely, (i) denoise, (ii) deblur, and (iii) color correction. Our proposed method provides a latent clean and sharp image in the standard RGB color space from its noisy, blurred, and raw inputs in a single preprocessing step (end-to-end in one step). The proposed approach is compared against current state-of-the-art methods that perform each of the image restoration tasks separately. Results from knee arthroscopy show that our method outperforms existing solutions in tackling high-level vision tasks at a significantly reduced computation time.

Phytochemicals, Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory Studies, and Identification of Bioactive Compounds Using GC-MS of Ethanolic Novel Polyherbal Extract.

Hyperglycemia is the hallmark of diabetes, which is a collection of related metabolic disorders. Over time, diabetes can cause a variety of problems, including cardiovascular disease, nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy. Ethanolic novel polyherbal extract (PHE) was prepared by mixing equal amounts of the following ingredients: Terminalia chebula Retz. (TC), Terminalia bellerica Roxb. (TB), Berberis aristata DC. (BA), Nyctanthes arbostratis L. (NA), Premna integrifolia L. (PI), and Andrographis paniculata Nees. (AP). Analysis of PHE results revealed phytochemicals like glycosides, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, phytosterols, and saponins. The aim of the study was to prepare an ethanolic extract of PHE using the cold maceration technique, and identify bioactive molecules from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, and evaluate biological responses by using in vitro studies like antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. PHE was found to contain a total of 35 phytochemicals in GC-MS of which 22 bioactive compounds were obtained in good proportion. There are a few new ones, including 2-buten-1-ol, 2-ethyl-4-(2, 2, 3-trimethyl-3-cyclopenten-1-yl (17.22%), 1, 2, 5, 6-tetrahydrobenzonitrile (4.26%), 4-piperidinamine, 2, 2, 6, 6-tetramethyl-(0.07%), undecanoic acid, 5-chloro-, chloromethyl ester (0.41%), are identified. Antioxidant activity was estimated using EC50 values of 392.143 µg/ml, which were comparable to the standard value of EC50 310.513 µg/ml obtained using DPPH. Antioxidant activity was estimated with EC50 392.143 µg/ml, comparable to standard EC50 310.513 µg/ml using DPPH. In vitro anti-inflammatory potential was found with IC50 of 91.449 µg/ml, comparable to standard IC50 89.451 µg/ml for membrane stabilization and IC50 of 36.940 µg/ml, comparable to standard IC50 35.723 µg/ml for protein denaturation assays. As a result, the findings of this study show an enrichment of bioactive phytochemicals that can be used to investigate biological activity. To better understand how diabetes receptors work, in silico studies like docking could be carried out.

History of Sex Work Is Associated with Increased Risk of Adverse Mental Health and Substance Use Outcomes in Transgender Adults.

Understanding factors influencing mental health and substance use in transgender and gender diverse people is critical to reducing disparities in this population. We sought to investigate whether a history of sex work was associated with increased prevalence of poor mental health, substance use, and a negative experience within drug and alcohol treatment facilities. We conducted a secondary analysis of the data of 25,204 transgender respondents of the 2015 United States Transgender Survey. We estimated multiple logistic regressions to assess the association between a history of sex work and adverse mental health and substance use outcomes. We then estimated mean prevalence of adverse outcomes by type of sex work. Finally, we performed chi-square analysis to explore differences in mistreatment at drug and alcohol treatment facilities. Respondents with a history of sex work were significantly more likely to have poorer psychological health, suicidality, and substance use after adjusting for covariates. Among those who visited drug and alcohol treatment facilities, those with a history of sex work were significantly more likely to report adverse experiences (26.34% vs. 11.63%). Our findings highlight the increased risk of adverse outcomes in transgender sex workers and emphasize the need for interventions targeting this subgroup of transgender people.

Differentially reset transcriptomes and genome bias response orchestrate wheat response to phosphate deficiency.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for all organisms. Phosphate (Pi) deficiency reduces grain yield and quality in wheat. Understanding how wheat responds to Pi deficiency at the global transcriptional level remains limited. We revisited the available RNA-seq transcriptome from Pi-starved wheat roots and shoots subjected to Pi starvation. Genome-wide transcriptome resetting was observed under Pi starvation, with a total of 917 and 2338 genes being differentially expressed in roots and shoots, respectively. Chromosomal distribution analysis of the gene triplets and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed that the D genome displayed genome induction bias and, specifically, the chromosome 2D might be a key contributor to Pi-limiting triggered gene expression response. Alterations in multiple metabolic pathways pertaining to secondary metabolites, transcription factors and Pi uptake-related genes were evidenced. This study provides genomic insight and the dynamic landscape of the transcriptional changes contributing to the hexaploid wheat during Pi starvation. The outcomes of this study and the follow-up experiments have the potential to assist the development of Pi-efficient wheat cultivars.

Microstructure, Mechanical, In Vitro Biodegradation, and Antimicrobial Behavior of a Mg-Zn-Ca-Sr/ZrO2 Composite Prepared Using Powder Metallurgy.

Biodegradable materials, especially Mg alloys, have an exceptional advantage over nonbiodegradable materials in orthopedic applications, such as avoiding second surgery for removal/replacement, stress shielding, but not enough mechanical strength, and so forth. By further improving the Mg alloy to get all the remaining required properties, it can be used for better biodegradable implants, which depend adequately on material optimization, processing, and so forth. A Mg-Zn-Ca-Sr/ZrO2 composite has been prepared using powder metallurgy by adding 0, 1, 2, and 3 wt % of ZrO2, which also contains Zn, Ca, and Sr as nutrient elements. Microstructure characterization, as well as mechanical and in vitro biodegradation, have been investigated by hardness, compression, and immersion tests. The highest compressive strength, contraction, and hardness of about 185.6 MPa, 9.5%, and 65.2 HRB are observed in the 2% ZrO2-containing composite, respectively, whereas a minimum biodegradation rate of 2.76 mm/year is observed on the same. The antibiotic sensitivity observations against Staphylococcus aureus suggest that the alloy C3 has superior biological activity against the pathogen which ranks this alloy on top in merit. Overall, Mg-Zn-Ca-Sr/ZrO2 exhibits impressive potential for use as a biodegradable and antibiotic material for orthopedic applications.

Child Marriage and Problems Accessing Healthcare in Adulthood: Evidence from India.

The association between child marriage and the access to or utilization of maternal and antenatal healthcare has been widely studied. However, little is known about child brides' access to healthcare for illnesses later in life. Using data on 496,283 married women aged 18 to 49 years from the India National Family and Health Survey 2015-2016, we developed an 11-point composite score (ranging from 0 to 10) outlining the extent of problems accessing healthcare, as follows: (i) no/little problem (score 0 to 2), (ii) some problems (score 3 to 6), and (iii) big problems (score 7 to 10). The differences between child brides and their peers married as adults were assessed by the relative risk ratios obtained from multinomial logistic regressions. The adjusted risk of having "some problems" and "big problems" accessing healthcare relative to "no/little problem" for child brides was found to be 1.22 (95% CI: 1.20-1.25) and 1.26 (95% CI: 1.22-1.29) times that of those married as adults, respectively. These findings highlight the disproportionate barriers to healthcare access faced by women married as children compared to women married as adults and the need for further research to inform policies regarding effective public health interventions to improve healthcare access.