Salinity stress amelioration through selenium and zinc oxide nanoparticles in rice.

Salinity is one of the most dominant abiotic stresses limiting growth and productivity in rice (Oryza sativa L.), thereby posing a serious threat to global food security. To enhance plants' tolerance to salinity stress, the application of green-synthesized nanoparticles presents a novel and eco-friendly approach.

Thyroid Disorders in Patients with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in a Tertiary Care Center: An Observational study.

Introduction: Polycystic ovarian syndrome is the most common endocrine and metabolic disorder in women of childbearing age, affecting 3-15% of women worldwide, leading to reproductive, metabolic, and psychological issues. Patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome require rigorous thyroid function detection, monitoring, and correction over time. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical presentations and thyroid dysfunction in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Rheotaxis and hygropetry governs the behaviour of Pirenella cingulata populations on a tropical mesotidal mudflat.

Foraging epibenthic gastropods (Cerithiid horn snails) on the intertidal mudflats have a significant ecological function in terms of organic matter remineralisation. Vast coastal mudflats get inundated and exposed daily with varying degree of tidal cycles temporally influencing the distribution of cerithiid population. We identify the microhabitats of cerithiid's active feeding movement on the mudflats for a period of one and half year and discuss the noteworthy reasons for avoidance of mudflat regions by these populations.

Deciphering top-down impact of cerithiid gastropods on meiobenthic assemblages: insights from tropical estuaries along the central west coast of India.

Macro-epifaunal grazers influence the infaunal communities through top-down control in intertidal estuarine ecosystems. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of cerithiid gastropod Pirenella cingulata (Gastropoda: Potamididae) on the meiobenthic community composition, especially free-living nematodes functional diversity in two tropical estuaries from the central west coast of India: the Zuari and Mandovi. The average meiobenthic abundance was significantly reduced in gastropod grazing areas as compared to gastropod non-grazing sites in both the estuaries.

Vaginal Microflora in High Vaginal Swab in Prelabour Rupture of Membrane: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Introduction: Premature rupture of membrane (PROM) refers to the disruption of the fetal membrane before the beginning of labor, resulting in spontaneous leakage of amniotic fluid. Cervicovaginal infection is an important risk factor of PROM and can lead to complications to mother and the child. This study aimed to delineate the bacterial patterns found in PROM so that the ideal appropriate responsive antibiotics can be chosen.

Water-Soluble Alumina-Coated Indium Phosphide Core-Shell Quantum Dots with Efficient Deep-Red Emission Beyond 700 nm.

Solution-processed colloidal III-V semiconductor-based quantum dots (QDs) represent promising and environmentally-friendly alternatives to Cd-based QDs in the realms of optoelectronics and biological applications. While InP-based core-shell QDs have demonstrated efficient light-emitting diode (LED) performance in the visible region, achieving deep-red emission (above 700 nm) with a narrow linewidth has proven challenging. Herein, the study presents a novel strategy for synthesizing InP/ZnSe/ZnS core-shell-shell QDs tailored for emission in the first biological transparency window.

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.

‛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.

ITPK1 Regulates Jasmonate-Controlled Root Development in .

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.

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 (Ga S ) and their core/shell heterostructures Ga S /ZnS as well as Ga S /ZnS/Al O .

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.

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.

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

Inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs), derivatives of inositol hexakisphosphate (phytic acid, InsP) 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 InsP kinases and are able to synthesize PP-InsP isomers that appear to be absent in yeast or mammalian cells.

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 -inositol, these molecular messengers possess the highest charge density found in nature. Recent work deciphering inositol pyrophosphate biosynthesis in revealed important functions of these messengers in nutrient sensing, hormone signaling, and plant immunity.

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.

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.

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).

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, cell growth, and 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).

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.