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The birds present in an area help in the up-grading the normal biodiversity. They portray the regular environmental factors of that particular area. They have always been considered as natural indicators of environmental change. They help in seed scattering, which aids in the germination of new trees that assist us with looking into the botanical variety of a specific region. Assuming we change the infertile grounds into forested regions by establishing trees, the birds are the initial ones to arrive at and occupy the area. The animals, especially the birds, are threatened by the changing environmental conditions. Moreover, they are the initial ones to get impacted. The birds select their habitats depending on their size, how they build their homes, and food propensities. Due to land use by humans, the habitat occupied by birds is subjected to fragmentation. The bird populations start getting isolated. In these isolated populations, many genetic changes take place that changes the wild gene pool into something different. This review paper deals with how effective birds are as indicators of restoration and the need to conserve the biodiversity of the Western Ghats.

Recent technological advances in the medical field have increased the plausibility of exposing humans to high-intensity wavelength radiations like x-rays and gamma rays while diagnosing or treating specific medical maladies. These radiations induce nucleotide changes and chromosomal alterations in the exposed population, intentionally or accidentally. A radiological investigation is regularly used in identifying the disease, especially by the technicians working in intensive care units. The current study observes the genetic damages like chromosomal abnormalities (CA) in clinicians who are occupationally exposed to high-intensity radiations (x-rays) at their workplaces using universal cytogenetic tools like micronucleus assay (MN), sister chromatid exchange and comet assay. The study was conducted between 100 exposed practitioners from the abdominal scanning, chest scanning, cranial and orthopedic or bone scanning department and age-matched healthy controls. We observed a slightly higher rate of MN and CA (p .05) in orthopedic and chest department practitioners than in other departments concerning increasing age and duration of exposure at work. Our results emphasize taking extra precautionary measures in clinical and hospital radiation laboratories to protect the practitioners.

The creation of drug formulations based on nanoparticles offers the possibility to tackle and treat challenging diseases. The size of nanoparticles varies between 100 and 500 nm. By changing their size, surface characteristics, and structure, nanoparticles can be transformed into intelligent systems. The idea was put forth as a workable substitute with the ability to target and administer drugs. The use of nanobiotechnology in viral, autoimmune, and inflammatory diseases is numerous. Nanoparticles have biomimetic properties like medication formulation and encapsulation. Nanomaterials are substances based on graphene for stem cell and tissue engineering constitute a few of the most contemporary graphene developments.

Sarcopenic obesity (SO) represents the confluence of two epidemics-an aging population and an increasing rate of obesity. The two diseases may act synergistically, and SO may significantly affect morbidity and mortality. However, the burden is not defined to drive the policy changes. Hence the present study was done to estimate the prevalence and predictors of SO in India.We did a secondary data analysis of the 72,250 older adults who participated in the first wave of the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (2017-18). Possible sarcopenia was defined as per the guidelines by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) criteria. The modified criterion of overweight and obesity for Asian adults was used to categorize obesity. Presence of both sarcopenia and obesity depicted SO. Weighted analysis was done to estimate the prevalence of SO, and multinomial bivariate logistics regression was used to identify the predictors of SO.The overall prevalence of obesity, sarcopenia, and SO was 27.1%, 41.9%, and 8.7%, respectively. The mean age, weight, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure of adults with SO were significantly higher compared to others. Higher age, urban residence, west and south regions of India, consumption of tobacco or alcohol, no physical activity, and presence of diabetes contribute to SO.The burden of SO seems to be less but amounts to a massive number in an aging country. We stress increased screening of the geriatric age group and advocate increased physical activity and dietary modifications to realize the concept of healthy aging.

Niosomes are unilamellar or multilamellar vesicles capable of entrapping hydrophilic and hydrophobic solutes. Niosomes are promising drug carriers as they possess greater stability. Niosomes is currently reported to increase drug stability, and increase the penetration of the adsorbed compound across the skin. Thus noisome could be incorporated in semisolid formulation. Quercetin niosomes were prepared by using Cholesterol, Span 80/ Span 85 as surfactants, chloroform, and diethyl ether using ether injection method. Formulation was then evaluated for particle size, drug content, entrapment efficiency, and in-vitro drug release studies. Niosomal Gel Prepared by Carbopol 934P and characterized as Drug Content, in-vitro Cumulative Drug Release and viscocity. Quercetin released from the Plain Gel to 68.64 in 8 hrs. The skin permeation increase of quercetin drug was recorded from vesicle Gel in comparison to plain gel and antioxidant activity performed by DPPH Method. The results showed that quercetin has considerable whitening and antioxidant capacities and Span80+85(1:2) Niosomes remarkably improved the solubility and photostability of quercetin. Furthermore, compared to quercetin solution, quercetin-niosomes had the advantages of sustained release and improved transdermal penetration. Niosomal Gel storage under refrigeration showed greater stability. The results suggested that Niosomes could better promote the transdermal delivery of quercetin, by their ability to control drug release.

Background: There is increasing evidence of challenges that girls and women face in managing menstruation and vaginal bleeding. In many societies, these are handled behind the scenes as cultural taboos. Objectives: The study aims to address the effects of menstrual hygiene on excessive vaginal bleeding during and after delivery. Methods: The study used data from the fourth round of the National Family Health Survey. The study included 146,121 women aged 15-24 years from high focused states of India. Chi-Square analysis was used to examine the significance of menstrual hygiene on excessive vaginal bleeding during and after delivery. In addition, binary logistic regression was used for the assessment of the adjusted effects. Results: The prevalence of excessive vaginal bleeding during and after delivery ranged from 4.3 percent to 12.8 percent and 2.6 percent to 8.2 percent, respectively. Women who use hygienic method of protection to prevent blood stains during menstrual period were at lower risk of suffering from excessive vaginal bleeding during (OR = 0.80; 95% CI = [0.77, 0.84]) and after delivery (OR = 0.91; 95% CI = [0.86, 0.97]). Women who had terminated pregnancy, having higher BMI and lower level of education were also at higher risk. Conclusion: The study portrays evidence of a strong association between menstrual hygiene and excessive vaginal bleeding during and after delivery. Therefore, attention in research, practice and policy, including improved education, training and communication, is necessary to break the silence around girls and women’s regarding menstrual hygiene

Background: Cooking oil fumes (COFs) with smoking habits is a substantial risk that aggravates genetic modifications. The current study was to estimate the biological markers of genetic toxicity counting Micronucleus changes (MN), Chromosome Aberrations (CA) and DNA modifications among COFs exposures and control subjects inherent from South India. Materials and Methods: Present analysis comprised 212 COFs with tobacco users and equivalent number of control subjects. Results: High frequency of CA (Chromatid type: and chromosome type) were identified in group II experimental subjects also high amount of MN and DNA damage frequency were significantly (p < 0.05) in both subjects (experimental smokers and non-smokers). Present analysis was observed absence of consciousness among the COFs exposures about the destructive level of health effects of tobacco habits in working environment. Conclusion: COFs exposed workers with tobacco induce the significant alteration in chromosomal level. Furthermore, a high level of rate of genetic diseases (spontaneous abortion) were identified in the experimental subjects. This finding will be helpful for preventive measures of COFs exposed workers and supportive for further molecular analysis

Background: The elderly population of India has been escalating exponentially over the past few decades, caused by a decline in fertility and an increase in life expectancy. The increase eventually transcended the disease burden on the public healthcare system. Therefore, it becomes crucial to evaluate the healthcare utilisation pattern of the elderly based on their socioeconomic and working condition.Methods: To measure healthcare utilisation, we have used access to public and private healthcare services. Descriptive analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used to understand utilisation patterns by working status and some selected sociodemographic parameters. All the results were reported at a 95% confidence interval.Results: We have used the data from the first wave of longitudinal ageing study of India (LASI) with a sample of 22,680 older persons 60 years and above. The study identified that 50 per cent of the working elderly access private service; however, 26 per cent access public healthcare services. It was found that working status of the elderly alone did not influence access to healthcare services, but education is also an essential indicator for utilising healthcare services. Further, factors such as gender, marital status, religion, wealth, tobacco usage, self-rated health, ADL and IADL were significant contributors to utilising healthcare services in the elderly.Conclusion: This study suggests that working status and other sociodemographic indicators are associated with the utilisation of healthcare services, highlighting that increasing health needs among the elderly requires strengthening the quality and appropriate public investment in health.

Background: The nationwide lockdown imposed in four phases incited by the spread of the COVID in India led simultaneous ramifications, the most rampant of them being the mass exodus of labor migrants to their native places enhancing their multidimensional vulnerability. This paper analyses five dimensions of the vulnerability of the migrant workers returning from high contagion zones in million-plus cities to low-risk rural areas, its contribution to the surge of COVID infections in their native places, and challenges to the public health system. Data and methods: The SARS-CoV-2 attributable cases and deaths have been taken from the COVID19 India Org website (https://www.covid19india.org/. The total number of COVID cases per lakh population is computed using a district-level projected population as on March 31, 2020. The data on reverse migration has been collated from the Ministry of Railways. It deals with six states having the maximum share of reverse migration in the country. Indicators measuring vulnerability towards preventive practices of COVID at the household level are obtained from the fourth round of Indian DHS.1 Results: There was a sixteen fold increase in clusters of COVID cases once workers employed in the unorganized sectors distressed across the country started reverse migration in May 2020. The increasing number of COVID cases in the rural dominated districts of the migrant-receiving states overburdened their hitherto stressed public health system. States receiving the maximum share of return migrants during the lockdown was Uttar Pradesh, followed by Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Jharkhand. The two most unsettling vulnerabilities were their inability to follow social distancing norms and lack of water, soap, or detergent for ensuring hand hygiene. Massive unemployment and disadvantage for the urban economy in terms of shortage of workers were other components of the multidimensional vulnerability of labor migrants engaged in unorganized sectors. Conclusions: The spread of awareness among the returnees about precautions, ensuring norms of micro-level social distancing in their households and villages is the need of the hour. Public health’s response to COVID-19 should establish a COVID care center in each of around 700 district hospitals with all necessary infrastructures, including trained human resources, medicines, oxygen ventilators, etc. The governments at the origins and the destinations should ensure mechanisms to protect the migrants against multidimensional vulnerabilities that pose a threat to their entities during socio-economic and health emergencies.