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Anemia with iron, folate, and/or vitamin B12 deficiency is common among elderly. Limited studies have been carried out in India. The study was undertaken to assess the status of hemoglobin, serum folate and vitamin B12 of economically deprived elderly women (aged 60 to 70 years) residing in Delhi, India. A total of 60 elderly women were enrolled in the study. Blood samples were analysed for hemoglobin, serum folic acid, vitamin B12. Anemia was observed among 66.67% of the participants. The prevalence of mild, moderate and severe anemia was 28.3%, 35% and 3.3% respectively. Around 12% and 38% of participants had low serum folate (<10 nmol/L) and vitamin B12 levels (<150 pmol/L) respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for chemoresistance and tumor relapse in many solid malignancies, including lung and ovarian cancer. Ellagic acid (EA), a natural polyphenol, exhibits anticancer effects on various human malignancies. However, its impact and mechanism of action on cancer stem-like cells (CSLCs) are only partially understood. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic potential and underlying molecular mechanism of EA isolated from tropical mango against CSLCs. Herein, we observed that EA treatment reduces the stem-like phenotypes in cancer cells, thereby lowering the cell survival and self-renewal potential of ovarian and lung CSLCs. Additionally, EA treatment limits the populations of lung and ovarian CSLCs characterized by CD133 + and CD44 + CD117 + , respectively. A mechanistic investigation showed that EA treatment induces ROS generation by altering mitochondrial dynamics, causing changes in the levels of Drp1 and Mfn2, which lead to an increased level of accumulation of DNA damage and eventually trigger apoptosis in CSLCs. Moreover, pretreatment with EA sensitizes CSLCs to cisplatin treatment by enhancing DNA damage accumulation and impairing the DNA repair ability of the CSLCs. Furthermore, EA pretreatment significantly reduces cisplatin-induced mutation frequency and improves drug retention in CSLCs, potentially suppressing the development of acquired drug resistance. Taken together, our results demonstrate an unreported finding that EA inhibits CSLCs by targeting mitochondrial function and triggering apoptosis. Thus, EA can be used either alone or in combination with other chemotherepeutic drugs for the management of cancer., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Gandhamardan has a rich heritage of floristic diversity with undocumented medicinal plants, called Anukta Dravya having immense pharmacological values. Among them, Pittosporum napaulense (DC.) Rehder & E. H. Wilson is an important medicinal plant with widespread pharmacological importance. The antioxidant potential, antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of P. napaulense (DC.) were evaluated. The ethanolic extract showed the highest share of phenolic and flavonoid contents responsible for DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity with an IC50 of 5.58 and 5.28 µg/ml, respectively. In addition, the extracts also showed antibacterial and antibiofilm properties against multidrug-resistant bacterial strains, Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella sp. The biological activities of P. napaulense (DC.) bark could be attributed to the presence of phytoconstituents such as Malabaricone C, Borapetoside B, Kanzonol R. as evident from UPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis. Based on the bioactivities; this plant could be explored for the development of potential therapeutic drug candidates against severe bacterial diseases.

Coinfection of pathogenic bacteria and viruses is associated with multiple diseases. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the co-infection of other pathogens with SARS-CoV-2 was one of the important determinants of the severity. Although primarily a respiratory virus gastric manifestation of the SARS-CoV-2 infection was widely reported. This study highlights the possible consequences of SARS-CoV-2 - Helicobacter pylori coinfection in the gastrointestinal cells. We utilized the transfection and infection model for SARS-CoV-2 spike Delta (δ) and H. pylori respectively in colon carcinoma cell line HT-29 to develop the coinfection model to study inflammation, mitochondrial function, and cell death. The results demonstrate increased transcript levels of inflammatory markers like TLR2 (p < 0.01), IL10 (p < 0.05), TNFα (p < 0.05) and CXCL1 (p < 0.05) in pre- H. pylori infected cells as compared to the control. The protein levels of the β-Catenin (p < 0.01) and c-Myc (p < 0.01) were also significantly elevated in pre- H. pylori infected group in case of co-infection. Further investigation of apoptotic and necrotic markers (Caspase-3, Caspase-8, and RIP-1) reveals a necroptotic cell death in the coinfected cells. The infection and coinfection also damage the mitochondria in HT-29 cells, further implicating mitochondrial dysfunction in the necrotic cell death process. Our study also highlights the detrimental effect of pre- H. pylori exposure in the coinfection model compared to post-exposure and lone infection of H. pylori and SARS-CoV-2. This knowledge could aid in developing targeted interventions and therapeutic strategies to mitigate the severity of COVID-19 and improve patient outcomes., Competing Interests: Authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (© 2024 The Authors.)

A 42-year-old male patient presented with complaints of vertigo, neck pain, swallowing difficulties, and difficulty in maintaining an upright posture. The patient took allopathic consultation for the complaints and was advised to undergo MDCT scan of brain, hematological and audiological evaluations. No abnormalities were detected in the investigations and he was given some medications for symptomatic management. As no relief was noted, the patient took an Ayurveda consultation. After clinical evaluation, the patient was advised to perform an X-ray of the cervical spine and was diagnosed with congenital block vertebrae at C3 - C4 vertebral bodies and posterior appendages with hypoplastic intervening disc space. He was advised to take Ekangveerarasa 250 mg BD before food with honey, Trayodashang guggulu 1 gm BD after food, Vishatinduka vati 250 mg BD after food, Aswagandha churna 3 gm BD after food with milk.The patient was also advised to do light massage and mild hot fomentation in the neck region twice a day with Mahavishagarbha oil. Remarkable relief was observed with all signs and symptoms including a reduction of score in the Neck Disability Index (NDI) within a very short duration of treatment. Considerable improvements were noted in the quality of life of the patient as confirmed by the WHO QOL BREF score. This case report shows that Ayurveda can offer safer and more effective symptomatic treatment for conditions like congenitally fused vertebrae., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors declares no conflict of interest. Declaration of Generative AI in scientitic writing None, (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

High mortality has been reported in severe cases of COVID-19. Emerging reports suggested that the severity is not only due to SARS-CoV-2 infection, but also due to coinfections by other pathogens exhibiting symptoms like COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic, simultaneous respiratory coinfections with various viral (Retroviridae, Flaviviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, and Picoviridae) and bacterial (Mycobacteriaceae, Mycoplasmataceae, Enterobacteriaceae and Helicobacteraceae) families have been observed. These pathogens intensify disease severity by potentially augmenting SARSCoV-2 replication, inflammation, and modulation of signaling pathways. Coinfection emerges as a critical determinant of COVID-19 severity, principally instigated by heightened pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, as cytokine storm. Thereby, in co-infection scenario, the severity is also driven by the modulation of inflammatory signaling pathways by both pathogens possibly associated with interleukin, interferon, and cell death exacerbating the severity. In the current review, we attempt to understand the role of co- infections by other pathogens and their involvement in the severity of COVID-19., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Dermatophytosis is a common fungal infection of the skin and nails. Insufficient data exist regarding the clinico-epidemiological profile of dermatophytosis and the usefulness of individualized homeopathic medicines (IHMs) for patients visiting a homeopathy outpatient department (OPD)., Objectives: This article undertakes a clinico-epidemiological profiling of dermatophytosis and the usefulness of IHMs in its management., Methods: This open-label, pre-post, comparative observational study was conducted in a homeopathy OPD from November 2018 to February 2020. IHMs were prescribed based on symptom totality and repertorization. A numeric rating scale (NRS) and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) patient questionnaires were used, and results were analyzed using SPSS-IBM version 20., Results: Data from a total of 103 patients, mean age 29.65 ± 15.40 years, were analyzed. Tinea cruris was the most common infection (29.1%), followed by tinea corporis (13.6%). After 3 months of treatment, significant reductions in NRS and DLQI scores were observed (8.51 ± 1.24 to 0.59 ± 0.83, p < 0.001, and 16.28 ± 5.30 to 1.44 ± 1.56, p < 0.001, respectively), with Sepia (15.5%), Sulphur (14.6%), Calcarea carbonica (11.7%), Natrum muriaticum (9.7%) and Bacillinum (8.7%) being the most frequently prescribed medicines. There was no significant correlation between occupation, sex, home location or marital status and the clinical types of dermatophytosis. No adverse events were reported., Conclusion: T. cruris and T. corporis were prevalent dermatophytic infections. The decrease in NRS and DLQI scores associated with homeopathy indicates its usefulness as an integrative treatment option for dermatophytosis. Further research in larger and more diverse population samples is needed., Competing Interests: None declared., (Faculty of Homeopathy. This article is published by Thieme.)

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are pivotal in both cancer progression and the acquisition of drug resistance. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in modulating CSC properties and are being explored as potential targets for therapeutic interventions. MiR-3163 is primarily known for its tumor suppressive properties in various human malignancies, with lower expression reported across different cancer types. However, its role in regulating the ovarian CSC phenotype and the underlying mechanism remain largely unknown. Here, we report a remarkable downregulation of miR-3163 in ovarian cancer stem-like cells (CSLCs). Enforced expression of miR-3163 in ovarian adherent and CSLCs, significantly disrupts the stemness phenotype. Moreover, downregulation of miR-3163 expression in ovarian cancer cells (OV2008 and OVCAR-3) inhibits the stem-like cells characterized by CD44+CD117+ expression. Sphere formation assay results reveal that overexpression of miR-3163 in ovarian cancer cells significantly inhibits spheroid formation ability, confirming the regulatory properties of miR-3163 on ovarian CSLCs. Mechanistic investigation reveals that miR-3163 depletes ovarian CSLCs via targeting SOX-2. Furthermore, we establish SOX-2 as a direct target of miR-3163 through dual-luciferase assay. Taken together, our study demonstrates that overexpression of miR-3163 could be a promising strategy for efficiently eradicating the CSC population to prevent chemoresistance and tumor relapse in ovarian cancer patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

In winter, the paddy residues become wet during morning and late evening due to dew, which restricts the operation of sowing machines (Happy Seeder and Super Seeder) into paddy residues, as wet residues do not slide on furrow openers/tines. A PAU Smart Seeder (PSS) was developed and evaluated for a four-wheel tractor that can sow wheat with optimum crop establishment in combined harvested rice fields. The PSS were evaluated for its performance under varying straw load, forward speed, and rotor speed in terms of fuel consumption, field capacity, seed emergence, and grain yield. The crop establishment and wheat yield of PSS was also compared with the existing straw management machines Happy Seeder (HS) and Super Seeder (SS) under heavy paddy residue conditions. The effect of the straw load was more pronounced on dependent variables than the effect of the speed index. PSS performance was best at a forward speed of 2.6 km h -1 , rotor speed of 127.5 rpm, and a straw load of 6 t ha -1 . Average fuel consumption using PSS was lower than SS but higher than HS. Wheat emergence was higher by 15.6 and 25.7% on the PSS plots compared to HS and SS, respectively. Average wheat grain yield in PSS plots was significantly higher by 12.7 and 18.9% than SS and HS, respectively in one experiment, while the grain yield was similar for both PSS and HS in other experiments. PSS has a novel mechanism to manage paddy straw and simultaneously sow wheat into a heavy straw load (> 8 t ha -1 ) mixture of anchored and loose straw. In conclusion, PSS showed promise for in-situ management of rice straw as it eliminates most of the operational problems encountered by the existing seeders (HS and SS)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Inflammation is a multifaceted biological and pathophysiological response to injuries, infections, toxins, and inflammatory mechanisms that plays a central role in the progression of various diseases. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are tiny, 19-25 nucleotides long, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression via post-transcriptional repression. In this review, we highlight the recent findings related to the significant roles of miRNAs in regulating various inflammatory cascades and immunological processes in the context of many lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, etc. We also converse on how miRNAs can have a dual impact on inflammatory responses, suggesting that regulation of their functions for therapeutic purposes may be disease-specific., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

SARS-CoV-2 Envelope protein (E) is one of the crucial components in virus assembly and pathogenesis. The current study investigated its role in the SARS-CoV-2-mediated cell death and inflammation in lung and gastrointestinal epithelium and its effect on the gastrointestinal-lung axis. We observed that transfection of E protein increases the lysosomal pH and induces inflammation in the cell. The study utilizing Ethidium bromide/Acridine orange and Hoechst/Propidium iodide staining demonstrated necrotic cell death in E protein transfected cells. Our study revealed the role of the necroptotic marker RIPK1 in cell death. Additionally, inhibition of RIPK1 by its specific inhibitor Nec-1s exhibits recovery from cell death and inflammation manifested by reduced phosphorylation of NFκB. The E-transfected cells' conditioned media induced inflammation with differential expression of inflammatory markers compared to direct transfection in the gastrointestinal-lung axis. In conclusion, SARS-CoV-2 E mediates inflammation and necroptosis through RIPK1, and the E-expressing cells' secretion can modulate the gastrointestinal-lung axis. Based on the data of the present study, we believe that during severe COVID-19, necroptosis is an alternate mechanism of cell death besides ferroptosis, especially when the disease is not associated with drastic increase in serum ferritin., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Since the effectiveness of ayurvedic and herbal plaque control agents in reducing plaque in gingivitis is inconsistent across multiple trials, we conducted a study to evaluate their overall effect on dental plaque index (PI), gingival index, and bacterial colony counts (CC) of debris in gingivitis patients., Materials and Methods: We searched major electronic biomedical databases (PubMed/Medline, CAM-QUEST®, EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) from August 2004 to August 2021 for randomized control trials on gingivitis using ayurvedic, herbal plaque control agents, and oil pulling therapy as interventions. We grouped comparable outcome parameters of similar products and estimated the standard mean difference (SMD) for pooled effect size with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using RevMan 5.4.1 software. Risk-of-bias (ROB) assessment followed the Cochrane Collaboration's recommended approach., Results: We found 554 articles of 2,806 patients after searching of which 41 randomized clinical trials were considered for meta-analysis. Ayurvedic plaque control agents (Plaque index (PI): SMD = -0.52, 95% CI (-0.94, -0.11); CC: SMD = -1.70, 95% CI (-5.06, 1.67)), (Oil pulling therapy: PI: SMD = -0.38, 95% CI (-1.45, 0.68); CC: SMD = -1.04, 95% CI (-2.20, 0.11)), (Herbal plaque control agents: PI: SMD = -0.58, 95% CI (-1.55, 0.39)), (Triphala: PI: SMD = -0.65, 95% CI (-1.32, 0.03)) were found as good as control. Significant reduction in the gingival index and bacterial colony count was also seen., Conclusions: In addition to conventional dental care, ayurvedic and herbal plaque control agents may help in plaque reduction, gingival inflammation, and bacterial growth. They are safe and may be recommended in community dentistry practices. (PROSPERO registration number : CRD42021274656)., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Education and Health Promotion.)

Background: Silent aspiration (SA) is common post-stroke and associated with increased risk of pneumonia, length of stay and healthcare costs. Clinical swallow examinations (CSEs) are unreliable measures of SA. There is no consensus on the clinical components that best detect SA. Cough reflex testing (CRT) is an alternative/adjunct whose SA detection accuracy also lacks consensus., Aims: To investigate the feasibility of CSE versus CRT against gold standard flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) for SA identification and to estimate its prevalence in a hyperacute stroke setting., Methods & Procedures: A single-arm preliminary, prospective, feasibility study of patients less than 72 h post-stroke, over a 31-day period on a hyperacute stroke unit: the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. Ethical approval for the study was obtained. The study tested the feasibility and acceptability of introducing CRT and developing a standardized CSE. Consent/assent was obtained for all participants. Patients unfit for study were excluded., Outcomes & Results: A total of 62% of patients less than 72 h post-stroke (n = 61) were eligible. A total of 75% of those approached (n = 30) consented. A total of 23 patients completed all tests. The principal barrier was anxiety regarding FEES. Mean test time for CRT = 6 min; CSE = 8 min; FEES = 17 min. Patients rated CRT and FEES on average as moderately uncomfortable. A total of 30% (n = 7) of participants who received FEES presented with SA., Conclusions & Implications: CRT, CSE and FEES are feasible in 58% of hyperacute stroke patients in this setting. FEES anxiety is the main recruitment barrier and is not always well tolerated. Results support further work to establish optimum methods and differential sensitivity/specificity of CRT and CSE in hyperacute stroke for SA identification., What This Paper Adds: What is already known on this subject SA significantly increases the risk of pneumonia in the early days post-stroke. CSEs are unreliable for identification of SA risk in this population. CRT is gaining popularity as a potential tool to identify stroke patients at risk of SA, though there are questions regarding the efficacy of the clinical protocol currently being used in the UK. What this study adds to existing knowledge This study demonstrates that it is practical and feasible to carry out a larger scale study in this setting to compare CSE and CRT including a consideration of an approach combining both methods for clinical identification of SA versus FEES. Preliminary findings suggest that CSE may have higher levels of sensitivity than CRT for SA identification. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The results of this study suggest that further work is needed to establish the optimum methods and differential sensitivity/specificity of clinical tools for SA detection in hyperacute stroke., (© 2023 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.)

Introduction: The perennial grass-legume cropping system benefits soil because of its high biomass turnover, cover cropping nature, and different foraging behaviors. We investigated the response of soil organic carbon (SOC) pools and their stock to organic and inorganic nutrient management in the Guinea grass and legume (cowpea-Egyptian clover) cropping system., Methods: Depth-wise soil samples were collected after harvesting the Egyptian clover. Based on the ease of oxidation with chromic acid, different pools of SOC oxidizable using the Walkley-Black C method, very labile, labile, less labile, non-labile; and dissolved organic C (DOC), microbial biomass C (MBC), and total organic C (TOC) in soils were analyzed for computing several indices of SOC., Result and Discussion: After 10 years of crop cycles, FYM and NPKF nutrient management recorded greater DOC, MBC, SOC stocks, and C sequestration than the NPK. Stocks of all SOC pools and carbon management index (CMI) decreased with soil depth. A significant improvement in CMI, stratification ratio, sensitivity indices, and sustainable yield index was observed under FYM and NPKF. This grass-legume intercropping system maintained a positive carbon balance sequestered at about 0.8Mg C ha -1 after 10 years without any external input. Approximately 44-51% of the applied carbon through manure was stabilized with SOC under this cropping system. The DOC, MBC, and SOC in passive pools were identified for predicting dry fodder yield. This study concludes that the application of organics in the perennial grass-legume inter cropping system can maintain long-term sustainability, enhance the C sequestration, and offset the carbon footprint of the farm enterprises., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The reviewer SS declared a past co-authorship with the author SB to the handling editor., (Copyright © 2023 Rai, Basak, Dixit, Rai, Das, Singh, Kumar, Kumar, Chandra, Sundha and Bedwal.)

Indoor superspreading events are significant drivers of transmission of respiratory diseases. In this work, we study the dynamics of airborne transmission in consecutive meetings of individuals in enclosed spaces. In contrast to the usual pairwise-interaction models of infection where effective contacts transmit the disease, we focus on group interactions where individuals with distinct health states meet simultaneously. Specifically, the disease is transmitted by infected individuals exhaling droplets (contributing to the viral load in the closed space) and susceptible ones inhaling the contaminated air. We propose a modeling framework that couples the fast dynamics of the viral load attained over meetings in enclosed spaces and the slow dynamics of disease progression at the population level. Our modeling framework incorporates the multiple time scales involved in different setups in which indoor events may happen, from single-time events to events hosting multiple meetings per day, over many days. We present theoretical and numerical results of trade-offs between the room characteristics (ventilation system efficiency and air mass) and the group's behavioral and composition characteristics (group size, mask compliance, testing, meeting time, and break times), that inform indoor policies to achieve disease control in closed environments through different pathways. Our results emphasize the impact of break times, mask-wearing, and testing on facilitating the conditions to achieve disease control. We study scenarios of different break times, mask compliance, and testing. We also derive policy guidelines to contain the infection rate under a certain threshold.

Background: Stationary cycling is the popular, preferred, and convenient form of exercise. During exercise, autonomic modulation is seen which can be assessed by heart rate variability (HRV). The aim of the study was to evaluate the changes in HRV during mild-intensity cycling exercise., Materials and Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was done on 20 healthy male volunteers with the age (35.44 ± 4.12), height (71.12 ± 11.98), and weight (161.23 ± 11.65), BMI (27.12 ± 3.49) attending various YOGA sessions in AYUSH OPD. Volunteers underwent an exercise program at the mild intensity of 30% to 50% of maximal heart rate on a stationary cycle for 20 min. HRV was recorded by the HRV mobile unit Dynamika Machine at rest, every 5 min (4×) over 20 min and during the recovery period. Repeated measures of analysis of variance with post-hoc analysis with Bonferroni and Holm's multiple comparisons., Results: Significant change was observed in mean heart rate and time domain parameters. Frequency domain parameters that showed significant change were total power, High Frequency- HF (ms 2 ), Very Low Frequency -VLF (ms 2 ), Low Frequency -LF (ms 2 ), and Very Low Frequency %-VLF (%)., Conclusions: The HRV parameters conclusively point towards cardiac parasympathetic withdrawal and sympathetic dominance at the initiation of exercise. With the progression of exercise, the sympathetic influence is retained. In the recovery period parasympathetic reactivation gains control over heart rate as well as HRV. The HRV response to exercise challenges may be helpful in designing exercise programs based on variations in the autonomic response., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Advanced Biomedical Research.)

Background: The disruptions in skin integrity contribute to its disorientation, and tissue annihilations result in acute or chronic wound formation. Polyherbal formulations are widely used in traditional systems of mecdicine like ayurveda for wound healing. The combination of these traditional therapies with clinical therapies has helped in the development of various wound-healing products., Method: In this systematic review, the therapeutic potency of several polyherbal formulations from different medicinal floras is summed together in response to their impact on wound healing. The literature search was performed on Pubmed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases between 2010-2020. PRISMA methodology was applied to extract relevant information about polyherbal formulations., Result: A total of 54 articles were selected under all themes for the data extraction as per the PRISMA guidelines. These 54 articles have high-quality scores ≥3. Forty-three records were used for the narrative analysis, while nine records were used for the critical analysis in the narrative review. Further, theme-wise key data sets were screened from the selected literature and summarized in a tabular form. Bibliometric analysis of the Scopus database has also drawn attention to limited academic literature showcasing randomized clinical trials in the current subject. Most of these polyherbal formulations are tested in laboratory-scale studies, thus portraying further research options., Conclusion: Polyherbal formulations are effective in promoting the wound-healing process. They can stimulate a variety of physiological functions that accelerates the process of healing. These formulations merit further investigation in clinical trials, and production up scaling will aid in the creation of a new horizon of polyherbal wound healing products., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Though long-lived nanobubbles (NBs) have been reported by multiple researchers, the underlying reason behind their stability is still obscure. Some of the conjectured reasons include diffusive shielding, the presence of surface charges, and stability due to contamination. Still, the stability of NBs against coalescence and Ostwald ripening is not confirmed. Using molecular dynamics simulations, the present study aims to understand the stabilization effects due to diffusive shielding and the presence of an electrical double layer at the surface of NBs. Accumulation of charges on NBs for different concentrations of ions is discussed. Also, the collision of equal-sized NBs with different approach velocities and offset distances is simulated. A regime map is predicted on the basis of initial approach velocity and offset distance. The transition in regime obtained upon increasing the offset distance is discussed, which differs from the collision characteristics of macroscopic bubbles and drops. The merging of NBs is initiated through the bridge formation, for which the temporal evolution rate along with the scaling argument is presented. The stress terms involved and the corresponding regimes are predicted based on the fluid properties. For all the cases where merging is observed, the estimated probability is observed to be low, which suggests the stability of NBs against coalescence.

Objective: Intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) with tenecteplase has been associated with better clinical outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with confirmed large vessel occlusions compared to IVT with alteplase. However, the utility of tenecteplase for the treatment of all AIS patients eligible for IVT has not been established., Methods: We compared the safety and efficacy of tenecteplase versus alteplase in AIS patients by analyzing propensity score matched data from 20 centers participating in the Safe Implementation of Treatments in Stroke-International Stroke Thrombolysis Register. Patients receiving IVT with tenecteplase were matched with up to 3 patients receiving alteplase from the same center. The primary outcome of interest was the distribution of 3-month functional outcomes. Secondary outcomes included the rates of patients with symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH) in the first 24 hours, excellent (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score = 0-1) or good (mRS score = 0-2) functional outcome, and all-cause mortality at 3 months., Results: A total of 331 tenecteplase-treated AIS patients were matched to 797 patients treated with alteplase (median age = 70 years, 43.9% women, median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score = 11, interquartile range = 6-17). Patients treated with tenecteplase had better 3-month functional outcomes (common odds ratio [OR] = 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18-2.00) with higher odds of good functional outcome (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.45-2.77) and a lower likelihood of all-cause mortality (OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.27-0.67) at 3 months, compared to alteplase-treated patients. No difference was found in the likelihood of the 3-month excellent functional outcomes (OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 0.96-1.78) and 24-hour SICH (1.0% vs 1.3%, OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.20-2.64)., Interpretation: IVT with tenecteplase was associated with better 3-month clinical outcomes compared to IVT with alteplase in AIS patients, with no increased risk of symptomatic intracranial bleeding. ANN NEUROL 2022;92:349-357., (© 2022 American Neurological Association.)

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Objectives: The long-term consequences of COVID-19 survivors care and post-coronavirus infection are not yet well understood. The review aims to see whether homoeopathy can help COVID-19 survivors recover from its consequences and improve their quality of life., Content: A systematic search of published articles for post-COVID sequelae and the impact of Homoeopathy were conducted. For the literature search, the major electronic bio-medical database PubMed/MEDLINE was used. In addition, supplementary searches were conducted through the references of those published articles., Summary: A total of 113 records were identified of which 61 studies included for this review. Homoeopathy is effective in the treatment of mental disorders including anxiety and depressive disorder (ADD), some research studies have found, although systematic reviews disagree. Likewise, some medical societies denounce homoeopathy for pain management; other literature shows that it can be used to treat pain effectively. Homoeopathy can aid in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, as Crataegus, a homoeopathic medication, was found to be just as effective as a standard angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and diuretic treatment for minor cardiac insufficiency. The outcomes for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Influenza, and Acute Respiratory Tract Infections (ARTIs) are also promising., Outlook: Based on the results of homoeopathy in non-COVID conditions, it can be thought of in the management of post-COVID-19 outcomes. Consequently, we propose that while investigating post-COVID-19 patient rehabilitation, homoeopathic management may be included as part of the follow-up route and as much data as possible in the context of homoeopathy should be collected, so that in future, the role of homoeopathy in dealing with it can be better demonstrated., (© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

Objectives: The aim of this review is to summarise and appraise the findings of various studies on Trikatu., Content: COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 disease a pandemic principally contaminating the respiratory tract and bringing about Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome is liable for significant mortality around the world. Far-fetched, there is no exact treatment accessible till today. Consequently, it is critical to discover the alternative methodology which can decrease the weight of illness. Trikatu powder recommended by authorities for the management of mild cases of COVID-19 is a conventional  ayurvedic  formulation containing three spices;  Zingiber officinale, Piper nigrum, and Piper longum . A comprehensive search of the articles published since inception to 01/08/2020 on Trikatu was carried out. Major electronic medical databases such as Pub Med/MEDLINE and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were used for the literature search., Summary: A total of 21 records were identified by electronic searches between since inception to 01/08/2020 of which 13 records were included for review. The reviewed articles highlight Trikatu as a safe, anti-inflammatory, and immune-modulatory property by suppression of the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-a, IL-1b, IL-6, IL-17, alteration in levels of circulating immune complexes, anti-dyslipidaemia agent by reduced triglycerides and LDL cholesterol and increased HDL cholesterol, enhancing bio-availability of co-drug by reducing the elimination half-life (t1/2β) and zero time intercept of the elimination phase., Outlook: The findings of this review seem to show Trikatu as a potential anti-inflammatory, anti-dyslipidaemia, and immune-modulatory ayurvedic formulation can be used for combating flu like illnesses and also in the management of COVID-19 as an adjuvant. However, rigorous double blind randomized controlled trials with larger sample size are warranted for better validation in such clinical conditions., (© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

Central nervous system nocardiosis is a rare, life-threatening infection seen commonly in immunocompromised individuals. Nocardia neocaledoniensis is a novel species seldom causing infections in humans. We describe a patient of sarcoidosis on immunosuppression, who presented with altered sensorium due to a frontal lobe abscess secondary to N. neocaledoniensis infection. Despite appropriate and adequate antibiotic coverage, and timely surgical intervention, the patient succumbed to her illness on day 6 of hospitalisation. This case warrants the consideration of novel infections in patients on immunosuppression and the need for aggressive management., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: The 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic has generated concern from stroke specialist centres across the globe. Reductions in stroke admissions have been reported, despite many expecting an increase due to the pro-thrombotic nature of 2019 novel coronavirus., Aims: To assess the impact of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown on stroke admissions and transient ischaemic attack referrals at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, and additionally on patient behaviours affecting modifiable risk factors or perspectives related to accessing healthcare., Methods: A single-centre retrospective data analysis was carried out on a "lockdown" cohort of suspected stroke patients admitted between 11 March to 26 May 2020 and a "pre-lockdown" cohort admitted in 2019. Differences in weekly admissions, weekly referrals, onset-to-presentation time and weekly thrombolysis cases were examined. Further analysis interrogated these cohorts separated by Bamford classification and stroke mimics (such as seizure/hemiplegic migraine/functional neurology). A binary-format questionnaire was separately administered to admitted patients from 15 April to 5 June 2020., Results: Significant reductions in weekly posterior circulation infarct (-43%, p = 0.017) and stroke-mimic (-47%, p < 0.001) admissions and weekly referrals diagnosed as non-transient ischaemic attack (-55%, p = 0.002) were observed in the lockdown cohort, with no differences in onset-to-presentation time. Over 25% of questionnaire respondents reported less physical activity, increased isolation and delaying their presentation due to the pandemic., Conclusions: This study provides evidence of reduced stroke-mimic and posterior circulation infarct admissions. Questionnaire findings suggest that patients need to be informed to ensure they appropriately seek medical advice. Significant communication at the stroke-primary care interface is needed to support referral pathways and management of modifiable risk factors.

Introduction: Within a short period, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) spread all over the globe and became the first pandemic of the present century. Early diagnostic tools and effective drugs are urgently needed to effectively manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on current literature, we provide recent updates on SARS-CoV-2 biology, available diagnostic methods, and therapeutic options for the management of COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: A literature survey was done using Google and PubMed and Web of Science to summarize the current updates on this topic., Results: Current coronavirus diagnostic tests are reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), and reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) which detects the presence of specific genome sequence of virus. Existing antiviral drugs or new therapeutic options such as neutralizing antibody or plasma therapy are mostly used to restrict the virus growth with a limited success., Conclusion: As there is no specific treatment or vaccine available to limit the infection of SARS-CoV-2, we need to rely on the existing way to limit the disease. The first priority to fight COVID-19 is development of early diagnostic tools so that infected persons can be identified and further viral transmission can be blocked. Evaluation of existing drugs or identification of new therapeutic entities becomes the major challenge to deal with the present pandemic., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

The present work describes the preparation of a new covalent organic polymer (COP) and its application as a hetero support for diaryl selenides synthesis. A nitrogen rich COP (CGP) has been synthesized via SNAr reaction of cyanuric chloride with guanidinium hydrochloride. The successful confinement of COP with Ni nanoparticles through post-synthetic transformations (Ni@CGP) provides excellent catalytic activity for the transformation of aryl halides into diaryl selenides using elemental selenium powder. The synthetic transformations are well confirmed using various modern analytical and spectroscopic techniques which reveal high chemical and thermal durability. The N-rich framework of CGP fortifies the confinement of Ni NPs. Ni@CGP provides an efficient approach for diaryl selenides synthesis using a very cheap selenating reagent under water benign solvent conditions (DMSO : H2O) at room temperature with high reusability. Significantly, our work not only contributes the opportunity for developing economical and effective non-noble metal decorated COPs as heterogeneous catalysts, but also delivers an efficient approach to produce industrially important C-Se coupling products.

In the name of development, industries discharge their wastewater, which contains different Metallic species and massive organic load into the next-door river system. In this study, we assess the impact of organic and inorganic contaminations on Hasdeo River at Korba region, which is fifth critically polluted city in India. Hear, a new approach for water quality indexing like Water quality index (WQI), Heavy metal pollution index (HPI) and metal index (MI) has been proposed to represent pollution due to heavy metals in river system. The sample's pollution parameters and heavy metals contamination is exceed from BIS or WHO standards of drinking water (all p<0.05). WQI shows that the entire water samples are not suitable for drinking and aquatic life but they are safe only for irrigation. HPI and MI calculation revels that more than 95% sampling sites are critically polluted with heavy metals. Thus, a high level of industrialization deterioration of river water quality is recorded for adequate action., (© 2020 Biomedical Informatics.)

A repetitive and wide use of chemical antibiotics has brought a serious threat in the biomedical and clinical sectors by the emergence of multidrug resistant pathogens. Plants have secondary metabolites that make them suitable candidate for natural antimicrobial agent without any side effect. In this study, we assessed comparative antibacterial and antifungal effects of extracts from four Indigenous plants (Nerium sp; Mentha sp; Aloe vera and Eucalyptus sp). Total phenolic and flavonoid content were extracted by microwave-assisted extractor and used for phytochemical assay. Antimicrobial experiment was done by micro dilution technique. A post hoc analysis inbuilt with one-way ANOVA test was used for the compilation of antibiotic sensitivity data and percent inhibition. Total phenolic content was significantly high in Mentha sp. and low in Nerium sp. (All p < 0.05). In antibacterial and antifungal activity higher concentrations of extracts showed a strong activity, which was as good as antibiotics used as control. Results from Eucalyptus sample showed a significant growth reducing capability even at lower concentrations. This study concludes that the plant extracts can be used to treat microbial infections with almost same efficacy as antibiotics and with a lower chance of resistance development., (© 2020 Biomedical Informatics.)

The interaction of four benzothiazole tethered triazole analogues (MS43, MS70, MS71, and MS78) with human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated using various spectroscopic techniques (ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) light absorption, fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), molecular docking and density functional theory (DFT) studies). Fluorescence quenching constants (~10 12 ) revealed a static mode of quenching and binding constants (K b ~10 4 ) indicating the strong affinity of these analogues for HSA. Further alteration in the secondary structure of HSA in the presence of these analogues was also confirmed by far UV-CD spectroscopy. The intensity loss in CD studied at 222 nm indicated an increase in random coil/β-sheet conformations in the protein. Binding energy values (MS71 (-9.3 kcal mol -1 ), MS78 (-8.02 kcal mol -1 ), MS70 (-7.16 kcal mol -1 ) and MS43 (-6.81 kcal mol -1 )) obtained from molecular docking revealed binding of these analogues with HSA. Molecular docking and DFT studies validated the experimental results, as these four analogues bind with HSA at site II through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

This study assessed the efficacy of closantel vis-à-vis herbal extracts with known anti-parasitic properties, against fenbendazole-resistant nematodes in goats maintained under a semi-intensive system of management at the University goat farm, Jabalpur. Fifty goats were randomly assigned to five groups, each comprising 10 animals, irrespective of their breed, age and sex. Each animal in Group I, II and III was orally administered with aqueous leaf extracts of neem (Azadirachta indica) at 1 g/kg body weight, sitaphal (Annona squamosa) at 1.5 g/kg body weight and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) at 1 g/kg body weight, respectively, whereas Group IV was an untreated control group. Each animal in Group V was orally treated with closantel at 10 mg/kg body weight. During the course of the study, all animals were maintained under an identical semi-intensive system of management. Compared to the untreated control group (Group IV), there was no conspicuous reduction in post-treatment (day 10) faecal egg counts (FEC) in animals administered with the herbal extracts (Groups I, II and III), which is suggestive of poor anti-parasitic activity. However, using the faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT), the overall efficacy of closantel was recorded as 95.64%. This supports the rotational use of closantel as a preferred choice over the benzimidazole group of anthelmintics and/or herbal extracts to meet the acute challenge of in situ development of drug-resistant gastrointestinal nematodes, especially Haemonchus contortus.

The presence of prosocial preferences is thought to reduce significantly the difficulty of solving societal collective action problems such as providing public goods (or reducing public bads). However, prosociality is often limited to members of an in-group. We present a general theoretical model where society is split into subgroups and people care more about the welfare of others in their own subgroup than they do about those in out-groups. Individual contributions to the public good spill over and benefit members in each group to different degrees. We then consider special cases of our general model under which we can examine the consequences of localized prosociality for the economic outcomes of society as a whole. We ask to what extent prosociality closes the welfare gap between the Nash equilibrium without prosociality and the social optimum. The answer depends on whether private and public inputs are good or poor substitutes in producing final output. Critically, the degree to which this welfare gap closes is a concave function of the level of prosociality in the case of poor substitutes, so even low levels of prosociality can lead to social welfare near the social optimum., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Twenty two diverse coumarin-triazole derivatives were synthesized by alkylation of 7-hydroxy-4-methyl-coumarin followed by click chemistry at 7-position. These compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antiplasmodial activity against chloroquine sensitive strain of Plasmodium falciparum (3D7). Compound 9 (7-[1-(2, 4-dimethoxy-phenyl)-1H- [1-3] triazol-4-ylmethoxy]-4-methyl-chromen-2-one) was found most active with IC 50 value 0.763 ± 0.0124 μg/mL. Further, the structure of compound 20 was characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. In view of impressive results, we considered it worthwhile to validate the results of in vitro antiplasmodial activity by assessing whether these compounds are capable of hampering the catalytic activity of DNA gyrase, thus preventing its supercoiling function., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Current status of resistance to benzimidazole (BZ) group of anthelmintic drugs against caprine nematodes in Central India at Amanala goat farm, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh (M. P.), was systematically investigated using faecal egg count reduction (FECR) test and egg hatch test (EHT). Besides, allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR) was deployed to ascertain the susceptible genotype (alleles) especially of the Haemonchus contortus. Randomly selected 30 goats, irrespective of age and sex, were divided into three groups of 10 each, to serve as treated and untreated controls. It was ensured that the animals were not administered with an anthelmintic drug for the past 3 months prior to undertaking the study, and faecal egg counts were estimated. FECR test evidenced fenbendazole resistance by partial elimination (24.90%) copro-egg counts in the treated group of animals vis-à-vis controls with a lower confidence interval of -26%. Further, EHT revealed ED-50 value of 0.335 μg of thiabendazole/ml, confirming benzimidazole resistance in the animals of that farm. AS-PCR showed that 62% of H. contortus larvae were homozygous resistant (rr), 24% heterozygous (rS) and 14% homozygous susceptible (SS). The genotypic frequencies of three genotypes (rr, rS and SS) were significantly (P < 0.01) different. The prevalence of benzimidazole resistance allele (r) was also significantly (P < 0.01) higher (74%) as compared to susceptible allele (S) (26%). The resistance to benzimidazole has been discussed while emphasizing improved managemental practices designed to reduce exposure of the goat population to parasites, minimize frequency of anthelmintic use at optimum dose and rotational use of different chemical groups of medicines with different mode of action, so as to overcome and combat the upcoming problem in the field.

A total of 632 faecal samples of goats of Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh state were examined during three years of the study period (November 2012-October 2015), out of which 82.75 % samples were positive for helminthic infections. Among various helminths, maximum prevalence was of strongyles (32.59 %) followed by amphistomes (14.40 %), Moniezia spp. (12.50 %), Strongyloides spp. (0.79 %), Trichuris spp. (0.47 %) and Fasciola gigantica (0.32 %). Year wise prevalence revealed a highly significant ( p  < 0.01) decrease in prevalence of helminths. Except Trichuris and Moniezia spp., the effect of year was significant for prevalence of all other gastro-intestinal helminths observed during the study. Significantly higher ( p  < 0.05) helminth infections were observed in monsoon (87.97 %) as compared to that of winter (81.48 %) or summer (79.03 %) season. The seasonal difference in prevalence was found significant for strongyles, Strongyloides spp., amphistomes and Moniezia spp. There was no significant variation in Trichuris spp. and Fasciola gigantica infections in relation to season. Age wise prevalence of helminths was non-significantly higher in kids (83.13 %) than in adults (82.62 %). Except Moniezia spp., age wise observations did not reveal any significant difference ( p  > 0.05) in prevalence of other gastrointestinal helminths.

Aims: The aim of this prospective study is to evaluate prognostic significance of tumor volume determined by three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound scan in uterine cervix cancer patients treated by radiotherapy., Patients and Methods: A total of 67 patients of Stage IB2-IIIB were studied and analyzed. Cervical tumor volume was determined by 3D ultrasound scan. Two groups were made on the basis of volume on ultrasound scan (Group 1 <40 cc = 36 and Group 2 >40 cc = 31). Both groups received external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and intracavitary radiation therapy (ICRT). Cisplatin 40 mg/m 2 every week was given concurrently with external irradiation. Tumor volumes were taken by 3D USG every week during EBRT, after each fraction of ICRT, and after 8 weeks of completion of treatment. Primary end point was disease-free survival (DFS), and secondary endpoints were 5-year survival and toxicities., Results: After 2 months of completion of treatment, 1 out of 36 patients of Group A was having residual and 7 out of 31 of Group B were having residual diseases (P = 0.034). DFS and 5-year survival were significantly different in the groups (log rank test P = 0.0014, hazard ratio (HR) =2.3622 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3090-4.2625 and P = 0.0421, HR = 1.9274 95% CI 0.9998-3.7156, respectively)., Conclusions: Ultrasound is a cheap, simple, and useful in predicting the outcome of treatment and DFS based on the tumor volume.

In the current study, we have characterized the global miRNA expression profile in mouse pancreatic acinar cells and during acute pancreatitis using next-generation RNA sequencing. We identified 324 known and six novel miRNAs that are expressed in mouse pancreatic acinar cells. In the basal state, miR-148a-3p, miR-375-3p, miR-217-5p, and miR-200a-3p were among the most abundantly expressed, whereas miR-24-5p and miR-421-3p were the least abundant. Treatment of acinar cells with caerulein (100 nM) and taurolithocholic acid 3-sulfate [TLC-S (250 μM)] induced numerous changes in miRNA expression profile. In particular, we found significant overexpression of miR-21-3p in acini treated with caerulein and TLC-S. We further looked at the expression of miR-21-3p in caerulein, l-arginine, and caerulein + LPS-induced acute pancreatitis mouse models and found 12-, 21-, and 50-fold increased expression in the pancreas, respectively. In summary, this is the first comprehensive analysis of global miRNA expression profile of mouse pancreatic acinar cells in normal and disease conditions. Our analysis shows that miR-21-3p expression level correlates with the severity of the disease., (Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.)

Aim: The study was conducted to determine the prevalence and burden of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites in cattle and buffaloes of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh., Materials and Methods: The presence of helminths eggs and coccidial oocysts in fecal samples were detected using standard qualitative and quantitative methods. Identification of eggs or oocysts was done on the basis of morphology and size of the eggs or oocysts., Results: Out of 120 cattle and buffaloes examined, 73.33% were found positive for eggs of one or more species of GI parasite. The prevalence of parasitic infection was higher in cattle (75%) as compared to that of buffaloes (70.45%), but the difference was nonsignificant (p>0.05). Sex wise prevalence of GI parasites was higher in males as compared to that of females, but the difference was nonsignificant (p>0.05). The animals above 2 years of age were more affected by GI parasites as compared to animals of 6 months - 2 years of age, but the age wise differences were nonsignificant (p>0.05). Single parasitic infections were more common than mixed infections. The monthly prevalence of GI parasites in cattle and buffaloes were highest in the month of September (81.81%) and least in December (61.11%). The eggs/oocysts per gram in most of the animals, was in the range of 201-300., Conclusion: GI parasites are problem in cattle and buffaloes of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. The prevalence rate of GI parasites varied with month. The burden of parasitic infection was moderate in most animals warranting treatment.

Fast growing food processing industry in most countries across the world, generates huge quantity of by-products, including pomace, hull, husk, pods, peel, shells, seeds, stems, stalks, bran, washings, pulp refuse, press cakes, etc., which have less use and create considerable environmental pollution. With growing interest in health promoting functional foods, the demand of natural bioactives has increased and exploration for new sources is on the way. Many of the food processing industrial by-products are rich sources of dietary, functional, and novel fibers. These by-products can be directly (or after certain modifications for isolation or purification of fiber) used for the manufacture of various foods, i.e. bread, buns, cake, pasta, noodles, biscuit, ice creams, yogurts, cheese, beverages, milk shakes, instant breakfasts, ice tea, juices, sports drinks, wine, powdered drink, fermented milk products, meat products and meat analogues, synthetic meat, etc. A comprehensive literature survey has been carried on this topic to give an overview in the field dietary fiber from food by-products. In this article, the developments in the definition of fiber, fiber classification, potential sources of dietary fibers in food processing by-products, their uses, functional properties, caloric content, energy values and the labelling regulations have been discussed.