Multicomponent synthesis of pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoindolylidene-malononitrile (PIYM) fluorophores and their photophysical properties.

From the array of small molecule organic fluorophores available as functional materials and in biology, synthetic procedures that allow for a simpler and rapid synthesis of organic fluorophores with desirable photophysical properties are in high demand. In addition, fluorophores with good brightness and tuneability in both solid and solution states are only available in certain numbers. Herein, we introduce a new family of pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoindolylidene-malononitrile (PIYM) fluorophores that exhibit pronounced emission in the visible region in solution and red-NIR emission in the solid state, with tuneability, efficient brightness and stability. PIYM fluorophores were efficiently synthesized via two simple MCR reaction pathways from commercially available, as well as newly synthesized, building blocks. Furthermore, the observed photophysical nature is rationalized from both electrochemical and theoretical calculations (DFT and TD-DFT). In the future, we anticipate that these PIYM fluorophores, with their excellent stability and lower molecular weight, will open ways to enhance the development of NIR-emitting fluorophores with more significant applications in both materials and biological fields.

COVID-19 and the Unequalizing Infrastructures of Financial Inclusion in Tamil Nadu.

This article discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on microfinance borrowers in Tamil Nadu, India. Through an examination of the social and financial infrastructures underpinning inclusive finance, the article demonstrates how the COVID-19 pandemic exposes the limits and exclusionary tendencies of the for-profit financial inclusion industry. The unequalizing breakdown of financial inclusion infrastructures during the pandemic prioritizes future revenue extraction over current livelihood needs, throwing hard-hit borrowers back on hierarchical informal financial and social infrastructures to cope with COVID-19-induced risk. Tracing the experiences of poor microfinance borrowers in Tamil Nadu, this article examines how COVID-19 is reshaping inclusive financial infrastructures in ways that reveal the dynamics of exclusion at the heart of financial inclusion.

Compounding crises of social reproduction: Microfinance, over-indebtedness and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit at a time when microfinance is at its historical peak, with an estimated 139 million microfinance customers globally. Cambodia's microfinance sector is one of the fastest growing, and like others in the Global South has moved from offering entrepreneurial capital to everyday liquidity, and even disaster relief. In this Viewpoint, however, we argue that the promotion of microfinance as market-based relief and recovery from the pandemic should be a source of concern, not comfort. We firstly suggest that as a result of the health and economic impacts associated with COVID-19, credit-taking is likely to escalate further in terms of the number of borrowers and loan amounts. Second, we contend that a growing reliance on MFIs will leave households undernourished, and further vulnerable to its disciplining and extractive impulses. Third, we argue that the interplay between over-indebtedness, pre-existing malnutrition challenges, and the global public health crisis of COVID-19 represents a major challenge to gender equality and sustainable development. Coordination between the Cambodian government, microfinance lenders, international investors, and development partners is vital to offer debt relief. Furthermore, to reverse the reliance of so many households on the microfinance industry for survival, inclusive socio-economic policies and public welfare services must be prioritised.

Moving past the problematisation of tobacco farming: insights from South India.

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco control actors increasingly recognise the importance of supply-side issues in seeking to address the problem of global tobacco consumption. However, research in this field often depicts tobacco production as a problem for farmers and as a malaise of the global industry. This paper the case of chewing tobacco producers in South India to explore why tobacco remains so resilient in this region. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews with 68 tobacco farmers and traders in 38 villages across five districts of Tamil Nadu, triangulated with informal discussions with over 100 agrarian actors both connected and unconnected to tobacco, extensive ethnographic field notes, and interviews with state and NGO actors. Representative sampling was not possible due to a lack of data on what constituted the 'population'. Therefore interviews were based on snowballing methods, with the aim being to capture the general scenario across five districts where tobacco is produced. RESULTS: The case highlighted the lack of a clear 'industry' which was exploiting farmers. Instead, tobacco was favoured by producers due to its drought resistance in a region of water scarcity, and it offered high levels of remuneration in certain circumstances where farmers are able to cure the leaf. It also afforded increased bargaining power to farmers in relation to traders as it is able to be stored and sold in low seasons by some. Finally, where exploitation of farmers by traders was evident, this was not necessarily unique to tobacco. DISCUSSION: The paper ultimately advocates further research on locally specific settings to better understand why tobacco cash crop remains so resilient in the Global South today, and a move beyond problematisations of the tobacco industry alone when looking at production.