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The Pandharpur wari is an iconic annual pilgrimage in Maharashtra that starts from the towns of Alandi and Dehu. It has a rich tradition dating back to the thirteenth century. The wari (Marathi term for pilgrimage, also associated with the specific pilgrimage to the temple town of Pandharpur) involves hundreds of thousands of devotees known as varkaris walking for 21 days through villages and cities, traveling around 250 kilometers by foot to meet their beloved deity Vitthal at his temple in Pandharpur. The pilgrimage, passing through the city of Pune, is a significant event, because it transforms the city’s atmosphere into one of devout reverence and collective celebration for three days. Varkaris carry with them padukas, impressions of the feet of saintly poets of Maharashtra, to meet Vitthal. The poet–god relationship, central to the wari, underscores a devotional ethos that is inclusive and accessible to the common person, reinforcing the ideals of mutual respect and coexistence. In an era marked by political fragmentation, the Pandharpur wari stands as an example of hope, enacting how cultural and spiritual practices can bridge divides and cultivate a sense of collective identity and solidarity. Thus, the wari is more than a pilgrimage; it is a living tradition that fosters unity and love and is a testament to enduring faith and communal harmony. This audiovisual essay offers an immersive experience of the wari in Pune.

Abstract In the present scenario, obesity is a challenging health problem and its prevalence along with comorbidities are on the rise around the world. Ingestion of fish becomes trendy in daily meals. Recent research has shown that marine fish oil (FO) (found in tuna, sardines, and mackerel) may offer an alternative method for reducing obesity and problems associated with it. Marine FO rich in long‐chain omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n‐3 PUFA) and long‐chain omega‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n‐6 PUFA) plays an important role in reducing abnormalities associated with the metabolic syndrome and has a variety of disease‐fighting properties, including cardioprotective activity, anti‐atherosclerotic, anti‐obesity, anti‐cancer, anti‐inflammatory activity. Studies in rodents and humans have indicated that LC n‐3 PUFA potentially elicit a number of effects which might be useful for reducing obesity, including suppression of appetite, improvements in circulation, enhanced fat oxidation, energy expenditure, and reduced fat deposition. This review discusses the interplay between inflammation and obesity, and their subsequent regulation via the beneficial role of marine FO, suggesting an alternative dietary strategy to ameliorate obesity and obesity‐associated chronic diseases.

This auto-ethnographic essay draws upon Foucault's Archaeology of Knowledge to discuss the condition of Indian women in the Humanities in academia today. While acknowledging the encouragingly gender-inclusive projections in India's National Education Policy vision statement from 2020, I argue for more probing engagement with the concrete reality of being a woman teacher and researcher in the increasingly competitive and corporatized milieu of higher education. My methodology has been a close reading of the NEP's vision statement to analyze recurrences of terms and concepts as pointers to its discursive field. I argue that this policy statement implicitly envisions an empowered new-age Indian woman teacher, notionally mother to all her pupils, aiding their awakening intuitively from the very heart of her experiences, skills, and memories. Against this somewhat idealized feminine ecology of the NEP in principle and spirit, I juxtapose the actual everyday choices and struggles of women in academic positions. Does the decolonization of education in spirit also impart actual transformative agency to women academics? Will women be listened to? Not one essential woman, but heterogeneous women--women across different strata, identities, professional spaces, and ideologies? Above all, my essay probes the challenges and dividends of transitioning to a more home-grown teaching and research methodology derived from current Western academic models. For instance, what forms and lines of interdisciplinarity could best serve the interest of quality control in research and teaching? In the third and last section, I argue that women are equal contributors in the discourse of academics in the future. We are committed stakeholders that can help enhance collective performance and efficiency in ways that are commensurate and compatible with our particular needs, contexts, restraints, aptitudes, and encumbrances. I conclude my essay by urging colleagues in academia, women and men, to recognize that we can truly deliver on this challenge only in a spirit of intellectual, ethical, and interpersonal collaboration and collegiality. Keywords: Higher education, Women workers, India, Collegiality, Gender, Michel Foucault, Auto-ethnography, National Education Policy, Introduction In this informally longitudinal study, I shall be mining my own personal two-decades-long journey as teacher of literature and culture for share-worthy insights about the condition of women in [...]

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly fatal metastatic disease associated with robust activation of the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems. However, the potential contribution of the primary fibrinolytic protease plasminogen to PDAC disease progression has remained largely undefined. Mice bearing C57Bl/6‐derived KPC (KRasG12D, TRP53R172H) tumors displayed evidence of plasmin activity in the form of high plasmin–antiplasmin complexes and high plasmin generation potential relative to mice without tumors. Notably, plasminogen‐deficient mice (Plg‐) had significantly diminished KPC tumor growth in subcutaneous and orthotopic implantation models. Moreover, the metastatic potential of KPC cells was significantly diminished in Plg‐ mice, which was linked to reduced early adhesion and/or survival of KPC tumor cells. The reduction in primary orthotopic KPC tumor growth in Plg‐ mice was associated with increased apoptosis, reduced accumulation of pro‐tumor immune cells, and increased local proinflammatory cytokine production. Elimination of fibrin(ogen), the primary proteolytic target of plasmin, did not alter KPC primary tumor growth and resulted in only a modest reduction in metastatic potential. In contrast, deficiencies in the plasminogen receptors Plg‐RKT or S100A10 in tumor cells significantly reduced tumor growth. Plg‐RKT reduction in tumor cells, but not reduced S100A10, suppressed metastatic potential in a manner that mimicked plasminogen deficiency. Finally, tumor growth was also reduced in NSG mice subcutaneously or orthotopically implanted with patient‐derived PDAC tumor cells in which circulating plasminogen was pharmacologically reduced. Collectively, these studies suggest that plasminogen promotes PDAC tumor growth and metastatic potential, in part through engaging plasminogen receptors on tumor cells.

Abstract The implication of inflammation in the pathophysiology of several types of cancers has been under intense investigation. Conjugated fatty acids can modulate inflammation and present anticancer effects, promoting cancer cell death. In this paper, we evaluated the efficacy of new conjugated fatty acids isolated from marine Opisthopterus tardoore (Tapra fish) in human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7. Linoelaidic acid, a marine fish (O. tardoore) derived unsaturated fatty acids, showed effective anticancer activity against MCF-7. Cell viability (MTT) assay revealed a dose-dependent decline in cancer cell viability. It was noteworthy that 5 µM linoelaidic acid decreased the MCF-7 cell viability by 81.82%. Besides that, linoelaidic acid significantly (P

Introduction: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is mainly managed with alpha-blocker and 5 alpha reductase inhibitors. Non responders are offered surgery. To wait for the drug response is sometimes cumbersome for the patients with bothersome symptoms and may also lead to complications. On the other hand, some have minimal symptoms on drugs but silently develop obstructive complications. Aim: To understand the role of sonographic parameters of prostate and bladder of BPH patients in predicting and assessing response to medical treatment. Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted in the Department of Urology at Army Hospital Research and Referral, New Delhi, India. The duration of the study was 15 months, from October 2017 to January 2019. A total of 100 consecutive patients of BPH with Prostate-specific Antigen (PSA) 35 cc were given three months of alpha-blocker and dutasteride. Based on there subjective response, they were grouped into Symptomatic Improved (SI) and Not Improved (NI) group. Values of sonographic parameters including Prostate Volume (PV), prostatic capsular artery Resistance Index (RI), Intravesical Protrusion of Prostate (IPP), Detrusor Wall Thickness (DWT) and Post-void Residual volume (PVR), as well as, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and Uroflowmetry (UFM) at baseline and after three months of treatment were analysed and compared in both the groups. The significance of change in parameters was analysed using paired t-test and two sample Student’s t-test. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 64.8±5.86 years. There was an association between IPSS and flow with initial reading of PV, PVR, DWT, RI and IPP. Post-treatment both, SI (n=74) and NI (n=26) group showed valuable difference in DWT, PV and PVR but it was significantly more in improved group. Significant change in RI was observed only in SI group and IPP did not change in either group. Area Under Curve (AUC) under Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) was suggestive of higher sensitivity for IPP in predicting drug outcome. Conclusion: Combined use of Ultrasonography (USG) and Kidney, Ureter, and Bladder (KUB) parameters as described above like RI, DWT, PV and IPP can be used to predict and assess the objective response to drug in BPH. This helps in determining therapeutic plan and the need for further medical therapy or surgical intervention.

Abstract Xanthine oxidase (XO) is an enzyme associated with purine metabolism. The relationship between XO levels and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is not clear yet or little is known so far. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the association of XO levels with T2D in a Bangladeshi adult cohort. A total of 325 participants (234 males and 91 females) were enrolled in the study. The participants were divided into three groups; diabetic (n = 173), prediabetic (n = 35), and non-diabetic control (n = 117). Serum levels of XO were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and other biochemical parameters including fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum uric acid (SUA), and lipid profile markers measured by colorimetric methods. Participants with T2D were confirmed according to the definition of the American Diabetic Association. The association between serum XO levels and T2D was determined by logistic regression models. The mean level of serum XO was significantly higher in females (6.0 ± 3.7 U/L) compared to male (4.0 ± 2.8 U/L) participants (p

Abstract Xanthine oxidase (XO) is a metalloflavoenzyme associated with the uric acid formation in purine metabolism. Serum XO has been suggested to be associated with liver and kidney dysfunction, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. However, there is limited information on the relationship between serum XO levels and hypertension. This study aimed to assess the relationship between serum XO levels and hypertension in Bangladeshi adults. In this study, fasting blood samples were collected from 312 participants (225 males and 87 females), aged ≥ 20 years. Serum levels of XO were determined by ELISA and other biochemical parameters including serum uric acid (SUA) were measured by colorimetric methods. Hypertension was defined as SBP ≥ 140 mmHg and/or DBP ≥ 90 mmHg or self-reported recent use of anti-hypertensive medications. Association between serum XO levels and hypertension was evaluated by multinomial logistic regression analysis. The mean level of XO was significantly higher (p

Chronic kidney diseases (CKD) caused by acute kidney injury (AKI) results rapid and reversible loss in renal function. A real-time, highly accurate, and sensitive acute kidney injury biomarker is urgently required in order to keep these patients alive and prevent end stage renal disease and related complications that include hypertension, fluid and electrolyte retention, metabolic acidosis, anemia, stroke etc. This study was designed to develop a specific and sensitive model for the early identification of renal damage in male albino rats. Using a single intraperitoneal dose of cisplatin (10 mg/kg body weight) to the rats, the various duration-dependent nephrotoxic activities were compared using multiple physiological, biochemical, genomic, and histopathological markers. We looked into when renal dysfunction would start occurring after receiving a single high dose of cisplatin while blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (sCr) remained normal. Following a single cisplatin injection, various measurements were taken in plasma, urine, and/or kidney tissues of rats euthanized on days 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7. When the urine kidney injury molecule (KIM-1), interleukine 18 (IL-18), nephrin, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and serum cystatin C (Cys C) levels are greatly raised on day 3 after cisplatin treatment, BUN and sCr levels remain normal. Nephrotoxicity of cisplatin is also indicated by the upregulated mRNA expression of KIM-1, IL-18, Cys C, and NGAL and downregulated expression of nephrin in kidney tissue at very initial stage. Protein expression of KIM-1, IL-18 and NGAL level of kidney tissues was upregulated indicated confirmatory results done by western blot. Utilising an array of kidney impairment indicators has emerged as an earlier, more effective, and more reliable technique to diagnose AKI when compared to the most sophisticated signs now available.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic, triggered by SARS-CoV-2, has significantly impacted global health, with varying effects across different regions. In India, Tezpur Medical College & Hospital (TMCH) in Assam has been a crucial site for managing COVID-19 patients. Understanding the clinical-epidemiological characteristics in this setting can enhance regional and national healthcare strategies. Objective: This study aims to analyze the demographic profile, clinical features, co-morbidities, treatment modalities, and outcomes of COVID-19 patients admitted to TMCH from January 2020 to December 2020. Method: A retrospective analysis was conducted on data from 1710 COVID-19 patients admitted to TMCH during the study period. Clinical records were reviewed to assess demographic details, clinical manifestations, co-morbidities, treatment approaches, and outcomes. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the findings. Result: Among the 1710 patients, 117 (6.8%) died. The most frequently reported symptoms were fever (85.4%), cough (77.8%), and shortness of breath (71.5%). Comorbidities were present in 60.2% of patients, with hypertension in 35.2%, diabetes in 30.4%, and cardiovascular diseases in 15.8%. Of the patients with co-morbidities, 18.4% died compared to 2.7% of those without co-morbidities. The average age of deceased patients was 68 years, significantly higher than the average age of survivors (52 years). Treatment included supportive care for 90.1% of patients, oxygen therapy for 58.7%, and antiviral medications for 22.3%. Conclusion: The study highlights significant clinical and demographic characteristics of COVID-19 patients at TMCH. High mortality was associated with co-morbidities and older age. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions and resource allocation in similar settings to improve patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]