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Abstract: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in late 2019 with severe respiratory failure and organ damage that later appeared as a pandemic disease. Worldwide, people’s mental and physical health and socioeconomic have been affected. Currently, with no promising treatment for COVID-19, the existing anti-viral drugs and vaccines are the only hope to boost the host immune system to reduce morbidity and mortality rate. Unfortunately, several reports show that people who are partially or fully vaccinated are still susceptible to COVID-19 infection. Evidence suggests that COVID-19 immunopathology may include dysregulation of macrophages and monocytes, reduced type 1 interferons (IFN-1), and enhanced cytokine storm that results in hypersecretion of proinflammatory cytokines, capillary leak syndrome, intravascular coagulation, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) ultimately leading to the worsening of patient’s condition and death in most cases. The recent use of cell-based therapies such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for critically ill COVID-19 patients has been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to alleviate cytokine release syndrome. It protects the alveolar epithelial cells by promoting immunomodulatory action and secreting therapeutic exosomes to improve lung function and attenuate respiratory failure. As a result, multiple clinical trials have been registered using MSCs that aim to use various cell sources, and dosages to promote safety and efficacy against COVID-19 infection. In this review, the possibility of using MSCs in COVID-19 treatment and its associated challenges in their use have been briefly discussed.

The management of breast cancer by chemotherapeutic agents has significantly increased the survival rates and, at the same time, raised concerns about the side effects caused by these agents on healthy tissues. Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment resulting from non-CNS malignancies like breast cancer has emerged as a significant challenge among cancer survivors due to its negative impact on the quality of day-to-day life activities. Using doxorubicin-based chemotherapy as a preclinical model for chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment, we assessed the effect of quercetin on behavioral memory alterations in tumor-bearing female rats in vivo and changes in neurite length and apoptosis in PC12 cell lines in vitro. Quercetin is purported to have neuroprotective effects in different preclinical models of human neurological conditions because of its possible anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Mammary carcinoma was induced by intraperitoneal administration of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea followed by doxorubicin administration once in 5 days (50 days). Pre-treatment with quercetin began 1 week before the chemotherapy and continued till the end of the chemotherapy cycle. Mechanistically, quercetin produced protection against doxorubicin-induced neurotoxicity by decreasing apoptosis and had a neurogenic effect evidenced by the prevention of toxicant-induced inhibition of neurite establishment. Quercetin reversed episodic and spatial memory deficits caused by doxorubicin treatment assessed by novel object recognition memory and Morris water maze, respectively. Taken together, our findings suggest that cytotoxic effects of doxorubicin may be a contributor to neurogenic impairment in tumor-bearing animals, leading to memory deficits. Therefore, quercetin could be a promising therapeutic strategy for doxorubicin-related cognitive impairment, thus imparting hope for improved quality of life among cancer survivors. Graphical Abstract

The community project undertook was “A descriptive study to assess the knowledge regarding balanced diet among mothers of pre-schooler in selected areas of kollam”. The objectives of the study were to assess the knowledge of mothers regarding balanced diet, to find the association between knowledge on balanced diet among mothers of pre-schoolers and selected demographic variables, the descriptive research design was adopted for the study. The study was conducted among 100 mothers of preschoolers. In order to assess the knowledge regarding balanced diet among mothers of preschoolers, the study sample was selected by non probability convenient sampling technique. The tool used for data collection consisted of demographic Performa and structured questionnaire. The analysis of the data was based on the objectives of the study using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the present study revealed that there was significant association between knowledge and demographic variable like education of mother and type of family. There is no significant aasociation between age of mother, age of child, gender of children, occupation of mothers, economic status and source of information. Based on the findings the investigator has drawn implications which were of vital concerns in the field of nursing practice, nursing administration, nursing pattern, nursing education for future development.

A study to assess the effectiveness of Structured Teaching Programme on knowledge regarding NIPAH virus infection among adolescents in selected school at Kollam. The objectives of the study were: a) to assess the knowledge regarding NIPAH virus infection among adolescents in a selected school at Kollam. b) to assess the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on knowledge regarding NIPAH virus infection among adolescents in a selected school at Kollam. c) to find out the association between the pretest knowledge regarding NIPAH virus infection among adolescents and selected demographic variables. A quantitative approach was used with one group pretest posttest research design. Non probability purposive sampling technique was used. Sample size was 60. The investigator assessed the knowledge of adolescents using structured questionnaire regarding NIPAH virus infection after taking informed consent from sample. After conducting the pretest, the researcher provided Structured Teaching Programme for a period of 30 minutes on the same day. After one week Posttest was conducted using the same research tool. The findings of the present study showed that Structured Teaching Programme was effective to increase the knowledge regarding NIPAH virus infection among adolescents.

Background : Virgin coconut oil (VCO) has been identified as a potential cognitive strengthener associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It contains medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) which are absorbed and easily metabolized by the liver to form ketone bodies. Ketone bodies are converted to acetyl Co-A in the brain which then enters the citric acid cycle to provide ATP and also serves as precursors of acetylcholine in neurons. Sunflower oil (SO) contains poly unsaturated fatty acids which has both anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective actions. To compare the neuroprotective effects of VCO and SO on biochemical parameters involved in the cognitive dysfunction induced by colchicine through intracerebroventricular (i.c.v) route.To assess the role of polyphenols and MCFA present in VCO in preventing oxidative stress and its influence on in neuroprotection and memory enhancement. Methods: In the present study, we induced dementia through i.c.v injection of colchicine after giving the diet enriched VCO and SO in rats for 60 days. Rats were sacrificed on the 22nd day after the administration of colchicine. Behavioral parameters were assessed during the study period and biochemical estimations were performed using frontal cortex and hippocampus isolated from rat brain. Results: From the memory and learning tests by Morris water maze, VCO treated group performed better than SO treated rats. VCO reversed the antagonistic effects induced by colchicine by decreasing the acetylcholinesterase and malondialdehyde levels and increasing the levels of catalase and superoxide dismutase. SO only reduced malondialdehyde levels in cortex and hippocampus. Conclusion: The results demonstrated potential beneficiary effects of VCO in the cognitive dysfunction induced by colchicine by enhancing acetylcholine levels in the frontal cortex and hippocampus and also by reducing oxidative stress induced by physiological oxidants.

Rubrocurcumin, well-known for its application in photometric determination of boron in various matrices, has attracted substantial attention due to its applications in biological and pharma...

Spiroborate esters of curcumin (SBC) are garnering great attention due to their various applications in analytical and medical fields, and hence, their thermal stability studies have great importance. One of the main factors that affect the thermal stability is the nature of a substituent. So in this work, an attempt has been made to identify the effect of substituents on the thermal stability of SBC. Toward this purpose, four different SBC compounds were synthesized from oxalic acid, lactic acid, citric acid and malic acid. The thermal stability of these materials was studied over the range from room temperature to 750 °C under nitrogen atmosphere using thermogravimetry. The study revealed that the four complexes displayed more stability than curcumin by degrading only at 200 °C, compared to curcumin which displays an onset of degradation at 94 °C. Another observation was that the curcumin component degrades after the removal of the acid ligand that was attached to it through boron. A detailed kinetic analysis of the ligand decomposition stage for all these complexes was carried out. Consequently, a comprehensive analysis of the degradation of these complexes was performed and a solid-state reaction model which corresponds to the thermal degradation was proposed. The apparent activation energy (Ea) and other kinetic parameters were estimated using the model-free Friedman, Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose and Flyn–Wall–Ozawa methods. The influence of substituent on the thermal stability of spiroborate esters of curcumin is discussed. The validity of experimental data is also checked by comparing it with theoretical data.

Rationale Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI), chemobrain, and chemofog are the common terms for mental dysfunction in a cancer patient/survivor under the influence of chemotherapeutics. CICI is manifested as short/long term memory problems and delayed mental processing, which interferes with a person’s day-to-day activities. Understanding CICI mechanisms help in developing therapeutic interventions that may alleviate the disease condition. Animal models facilitate critical evaluation to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and form an integral part of verifying different treatment hypotheses and strategies. Objectives A methodical evaluation of scientific literature is required to understand cognitive changes associated with the use of chemotherapeutic agents in different preclinical studies. This review mainly emphasizes animal models developed with various chemotherapeutic agents individually and in combination, with their proposed mechanisms contributing to the cognitive dysfunction. This review also points toward the analysis of chemobrain in healthy animals to understand the mechanism of interventions in absence of tumor and in tumor-bearing animals to mimic human cancer conditions to screen potential drug candidates against chemobrain. Results Substantial memory deficit as a result of commonly used chemotherapeutic agents was evidenced in healthy and tumor-bearing animals. Spatial and episodic cognitive impairments, alterations in neurotrophins, oxidative and inflammatory markers, and changes in long-term potentiation were commonly observed changes in different animal models irrespective of the chemotherapeutic agent. Conclusion Dyscognition exists as one of the serious side effects of cancer chemotherapy. Due to differing mechanisms of chemotherapeutic agents with differing tendencies to alter behavioral and biochemical parameters, chemotherapy may present a significant risk in resulting memory impairments in healthy as well as tumor-bearing animals.

The current treatment system in cancer therapy, which includes chemotherapy/radiotherapy is expensive and often deleterious to surrounding healthy tissue. Presently, several medicinal plants and their constituents are in use to manage the development and progression of these diseases.They have been found effective, safe, and less expensive. In the present study, we are proposing the utility of a new class of curcumin derivative, Rubrocurcumin, the spiroborate ester of curcumin with boric acid and oxalic acid (1:1:1), which have enhanced biostability for therapeutic applications. In vitro cytocompatibility of this drug complex was analysed using MTT assay, neutral red assay, lactate dehydrogenase assay in 3T3L1 adipocytes. Anti tumour activity of this drug complex on MCF7 and A431 human cancer cell line was studied by morphological analysis using phase contrast microscopy, Hoechst staining and cell cycle analysis by FACS. To explore the chemotherapeutic effect, the cytotoxic effect of this compound was also carried out. Rubrocurcumin is more biostable than natural curcumin in physiological medium. Our results prove that this curcumin derivative drug complex possess more efficacy and anti-cancer activity compared with curcumin. The findings out of this study suggests this novel compound as potential candidate for site targeted drug delivery.

Rubrocurcumin and its analogues were synthesized and characterized by UV, IR, NMR and FT-MS spectral data. Thermal analysis of compounds has been carried out using TG-DTG techniques using non-isothermal heating conditions. Flynn–Wall–Ozawa and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose isoconversional methods were used to determine the apparent activation energies (E a) for the thermal decomposition rubrocurcumin and its analogues. The E a values obtained using these methods were used as reference to determine the most suitable kinetic model using Coats–Redfern method. A possible mechanism is suggested to explain the thermal decomposition process. From the TG-DTG data, kinetic parameters have been calculated and were used to evaluate the thermal stability of compounds and the substituent effect on its thermal stability.

An improvement of the Conventional Direct Torque Control (CDTC) of an induction machine is presented using the artificial intelligence. The DTC of induction machine gives an acceptable tracking scheme for both electromagnetic torque and stator flux. However, conventional DTC scheme which uses hysteresis controllers and switching table, suffers from large torque and flux ripples. In this design, the hysteresis comparator and the space voltage vector selector of traditional direct torque control system are replaced by fuzzy logic controller (FLC). The FLC introduced uses a reduced number of fuzzy inference rules that helps in the reduction of the FLC computation time. The improvement is thus made by reducing the torque and stator flux ripples in induction machine drive. The performance of the proposed system has been analyzed and compared with CDTC through simulation using MATLAB/Simulink package.

Rubrocurcumin, well-known for its application in photometric determination of boron in various matrices, has attracted substantial attention due to its applications in biological and pharmacological fields. Here, geometrical optimization, diverse bonding features and potential energy surface scans were studied by use of density functional theory. Vibrational analysis of rubrocurcumin was done by Fourier transform infrared and Fourier transform Raman spectroscopies. The electronic density distribution of atoms in the molecule was analyzed by use of natural bond orbital analysis. Conceptual density functional theory-based local reactivity descriptors were used to understand the relationship between structure, stability, and chemical reactivity.

Summary Objective The primary purpose of this study was to establish normative for 18 parameters of Motor Speech Profile ( MSP ; Computerized Speech Lab ; KayPENTAX, Lincoln Park, NJ) in Indian population, specifically for Kannada-speaking adults across age and gender. Study Design Cross-sectional study. Method Native Kannada speakers (n = 300) were divided into three age groups (20–40, 41–50, and 51–60 years) with 50 males and 50 females in each group. The obtained data are reported across age and gender for the parameters of diadochokinetic rate, second formant transition, and voice and tremor characteristics of MSP software. Results Across gender , a statistically significant difference ( P age , a statistically significant variation was seen for nine parameters in the age group of 51–60 years than other groups (20–40 and 41–50 years). Conclusion Establishment of the normative is essential for the effective use of acoustic analysis as an objective tool. The findings of the present study serve as a norm-based reference for MSP software in Indian population, aged between 20 and 60 years.

The yellow colored pigment, curcumin present in turmeric is responsible for its various biological activities like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic activity. Different functional group present in curcumin includes a β-diketone group, carbon-carbon double bond and two phenyl rings with hydroxy and methoxy substituents. A controversy exists in literature on the site and mechanism for the antioxidant activity (AOA), the keto-enol/phenolic moiety present in curcumin. In the present work AOA of curcuminoids and its boron complex with oxalic acid-rubrocurcumin analogues were conducted which differ in the substituent in the benzene ring. Since in rubrocurcumin analogue β-diketone group is blocked through bonding with boron its influence will be absent in its antioxidant activity.

Chronic low-grade inflammation and dysregulation of the stress defense system are cardinal features of obesity, a major risk factor for the development of insulin resistance and diabetes. Dual-specificity protein phosphatase 1 (DUSP1), known also as MAP kinase phosphatase 1 (MKP1), is implicated in metabolism and energy expenditure. Mice lacking DUSP1 are resistant to high-fat diet-induced obesity. However, the expression of DUSP1 has not been investigated in human obesity. In the current study, we compared the expression pattern of DUSP1 between lean and obese nondiabetic human subjects using subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The levels of DUSP1 mRNA and protein were significantly increased in obese subjects with concomitant decrease in the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK (p-p38 MAPK) and PGC-1α and an increase in the levels of phospho-JNK (p-JNK) and phospho-ERK (p-ERK). Moreover, obese subjects had higher levels of circulating DUSP1 protein that correlated positively with various obesity indicators, triglycerides, glucagon, insulin, leptin, and PAI-1 ( P < 0.05) but negatively with V̇o2max and high-density lipoprotein ( P < 0.05). The observation that DUSP1 was overexpressed in obese subjects prompted us to investigate whether physical exercise could reduce its expression. In this study, we report for the first time that physical exercise significantly attenuated the expression of DUSP1 in both the SAT and PBMCs, with a parallel increase in the expression of PGC-1α and a reduction in the levels of p-JNK and p-ERK along with attenuated inflammatory response. Collectively, our data suggest that DUSP1 upregulation is strongly linked to adiposity and that physical exercise modulates its expression. This gives further evidence that exercise might be useful as a strategy for managing obesity and preventing its associated complications.

The mobile ad hoc networks is an attractive field to the researchers for its ease in deployment and maintenance. In this work, we focus on the optimization of energy consumption and stability of the node which has become a critical issue in ad hoc networks. Clustering of nodes is one of the significant means to extend lifetime of the network. This paper proposes Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) approach for the optimal selection of cluster heads. This algorithm optimizes communication workload, node lifetime, and mobility. The cluster structure is optimized by the defined probability function for clusters. The probability function is calculated by using the parameters such as residual energy, energy drain rate and mobility factor. Node that has the maximum value for the probability function will select as a cluster head. The overall communication workload is calculated periodically. If its value is high, then cluster head is reassigned. The advantage of this algorithm is that it can better balance the energy consumption of the nodes and increase the stability of the node. Experiment results show that our proposed work results in more energy efficient and stabilized clusters.

Sedentary lifestyle and excessive energy intake are prominent contributors to obesity; a major risk factors for the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying these chronic conditions is of relevant importance as it might lead to the identification of novel anti-obesity targets. The purpose of the current study is to investigate differentially expressed proteins between lean and obese subjects through a shot-gun quantitative proteomics approach using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) extracts as well as potential modulation of those proteins by physical exercise. Using this approach, a total of 47 proteins showed at least 1.5 fold change between lean and obese subjects. In obese, the proteomic profiling before and after 3 months of physical exercise showed differential expression of 38 proteins. Thrombospondin 1 (TSP1) was among the proteins that were upregulated in obese subjects and then decreased by physical exercise. Conversely, the histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) was downregulated in obese subjects and then induced by physical exercise. The proteomic data was further validated by qRT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry in both PBMCs and adipose tissue. We also showed that HDAC4 levels correlated positively with maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 Max) but negatively with body mass index, percent body fat, and the inflammatory chemokine RANTES. In functional assays, our data indicated that ectopic expression of HDAC4 significantly impaired TNF-α-dependent activation of NF-κB, establishing thus a link between HDAC4 and regulation of the immune system. Together, the expression pattern of HDAC4 in obese subjects before and after physical exercise, its correlation with various physical, clinical and metabolic parameters along with its inhibitory effect on NF-κB are suggestive of a protective role of HDAC4 against obesity. HDAC4 could therefore represent a potential therapeutic target for the control and management of obesity and presumably insulin resistance.

Background Obesity is characterized by a chronic low-grade inflammation and altered stress responses in key metabolic tissues. Impairment of heat shock response (HSR) has been already linked to diabetes and insulin resistance as reflected by decrease in heat shock proteins (HSPs) expression. However, the status of HSR in non-diabetic human obese has not yet been elucidated. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether obesity triggers a change in the HSR pattern and the impact of physical exercise on this pattern at protein and mRNA levels. Methods Two groups of adult non-diabetic human subjects consisting of lean and obese (n = 47 for each group) were enrolled in this study. The expression pattern of HSP-27, DNAJB3/HSP-40, HSP-60, HSC-70, HSP72, HSP-90 and GRP-94 in the adipose tissue was primarily investigated by immunohistochemistry and then complemented by western blot and qRT-PCR in Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). HSPs expression levels were correlated with various physical, clinical and biochemical parameters. We have also explored the effect of a 3-month moderate physical exercise on the HSPs expression pattern in obese subjects. Results Obese subjects displayed increased expression of HSP-60, HSC-70, HSP-72, HSP-90 and GRP-94 and lower expression of DNAJB3/HSP-40 (P

Introduction Obesity is characterized by a chronic-low grade inflammation and aberrant regulation of various forms of stress response in key metabolic sites. The white adipose tissue has been identified as the predominant site of obesity-associated inflammatory reactions, which are triggered as a consequence of immune cells infiltration. Physical exercise has been widely recognized for treating obesity and metabolic syndromes. The objectives of this study are: (1) To investigate the release pattern of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators in obese participants, (2) To evaluate the effect of a defined exercise protocol on their release into the circulation, (3) To correlate their expression with the metabolic and stress markers. Methods A total of 600 healthy individuals divided into 3 groups using the body mass index as a reference (lean, overweight and obese) are being enrolled in a 6-month defined exercise protocol. Blood samples and abdominal subcutaneous adipose biopsies are collected at baseline (t0) and after 3 (t3) and 6 (t6) months of exercise. Plasma cytokine and metabolic markers levels were assessed simultaneously using the xMAP multiplex immunobead assay technology (Bioplex). Markers of the oxidative stress, namely ROS and TBARS were measured on plasma or serum using commercially available kits. Gene expression profile was done by RT-PCR using RT-profiler- array kits consisting of the heat shock protein panel, obesity panel and the oxidative stress panel. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry techniques were used to validate the gene expression data. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS software. Results The analysis carried out on a first set of samples indicated significant release of RANTES in obese individuals compared to lean participants ( P Conclusion Our result demonstrated a differential expression of RANTES chemokine in obese participants in comparison to lean control and highlighted its roles in obesity. Exercise was able to restore the normal expression of RANTES. The existence of a negative correlation between RANTES expression and the metabolic and stress responses is suggestive of a pathological role of RANTES and may be considered a potential therapeutic target.

Association of obesity with down-regulation of heat shock protein 40 expression and evidence that exercise retrieves its normal expression Jehad Abubakr, Mohamed Abu-Farha, Monira Al-Arouj, Fahad Al-Ghimlas, Irina Al-Khairi, Dalal Al-Mudhaf, Engin Baturcam, Abdullah Bennakhi, Preethi Cherian, Maha Hammad, Jeena John, Sina Kavalakatt, Abdelkrim Khadir, Ali Tiss, Samia Warsame, Said Dermime, Mohammed Dehbi