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Multicellular tumor spheroids are the most well-characterized organotypic models for cancer research. Generally, scaffold-based and scaffold-free techniques are widely used for culturing spheroids. In scaffold-free techniques, the hanging drop (HD) method is a more versatile technique, but the retrieval of three-dimensional (3D) cell spheroids in the hanging drop method is usually labor-intensive. We developed oil-coated polystyrene nanofiber-based reusable slippery surfaces for the generation and easy retrieval of 3D spheroids. The developed slippery surfaces facilitated the rolling and gliding of the cell medium drops as well as holding the hydrophilic drops for more than 72 h by the virtue of surface tension as in the hanging drop method. In this study, polystyrene nanofibers were developed by the facile technique of electrospinning and the morphological evaluation was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cryo-FESEM. We modeled the retrieval process of 3D spheroids with the ingredients of 3D spheroid generation, such as water, cell culture media, collagen, and hyaluronic acid solution, demonstrating the faster and easy retrieval of 3D spheroids within a few seconds. We created MCF-7 spheroids as a proof of concept with a developed slippery surface. 3D spheroids were characterized for their size, homogeneity, reactive oxygen species, proliferative marker (Ki-67), and hypoxic inducing factor 1ά (HIF-1ά). These 3D tumor spheroids were further tested for evaluating the cellular toxicity of the doxorubicin drug. Hence, the proposed slippery surfaces demonstrated the potential alternative of culturing 3D tumor spheroids with an easy retrieval process with intact 3D spheroids.

Photobiomodulation , also known as low-level laser therapy, is the application of red and near-infrared light to promote healing, pain relief, and inflammation reduction. This brief review focuses on the detailed physiology of how this device works and its use in temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Photobiomodulation acts at the cellular level, stimulating the mitochondrial respiratory chain in cytochrome c oxidase and increasing ATP and mitochondrial membrane potential, allowing cells to regenerate and repair themselves. By acting on inflammatory mediators, it promotes tissue healing and reduces inflammation. This anti-inflammatory and healing property can be used to treat a variety of skin, joint, and soft tissue conditions. Photobiomodulation has also been shown to provide significant pain relief when compared to other treatment options. This therapy employs the use of light emitting diodes. In studies focusing on its use in the temporomandibular joint, it has been shown to be effective in reducing pain in joint-related conditions such as degenerative arthritis or myopathic pain by promoting metabolic action.

Decades have been witnessing clusters of zoonotic diseases. Human beings at the peak of evolution should not be empowered to alter the environmental homeostasis. Primitive organisms are more rooted to mutate and adapt as per the need or turmoil. Once humans come in the vicinity of these organisms normally residing in their native niche, nature has to pay the cost. Disease outbreaks mostly caused due to unnecessary anthropogenic activities. The threat is that the repercussions are taken for granted or hided wreaking havoc in developing and developed economies leading to an outbreak, an epidemic or a pandemic. The worst influenza outbreak in the world was the 1918 flu that killed nearly 50 million people around the world and modern strains still have an annual death toll in thousands, so the flu is no trifling matter even in a world still facing SARS-CoV-2. Recently, researchers estimated the expected yearly cost of pandemic influenza at roughly $500 billion (0.6 percent of global income), including both lost income and the intrinsic cost of elevated mortality.1.

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is one of the critical bio-maker for circulating tumor cells (CTC) detection. For capturing CTC, antibody-antigen-based techniques have mainly been explored. However, the expensiveness and tedious manufacturing process have posed certain limitations for antibody-based techniques for its wide applications in cell capturing. On the other hand, peptides are inexpensive bimolecular probes with high specificity and tunability. Although there are few reports on EpCAM binding peptides are available in literature, those peptides were selected through random library screening. Interestingly, de-novo design of the peptides against EpCAM has not been reported till date. For the first time, we have developed a small peptide (Pep14) from the complementary derived region (CDRs) of antibody MOC31 through systematic virtual screening. Selected peptide has demonstrated good binding affinity towards EpCAM with dissociation constant (Kd) of 870 nM and found to be co-localized with the anti-EpCAM antibody in EpCAM expressing cancer cells (MCF-7). Therefore, the short peptide Pep14 hold promise for capturing circulatory tumor cells through EpCAM binding.

Diabetic wounds are one of the debilitating complications that affect up to 20% of diabetic patients. Despite the advent of extensive therapies, the recovery rate is unsatisfactory, and approximately, 25% of patients undergo amputation, thereby demanding alternative therapeutic strategies. On the basis of the individual therapeutic roles of the miR-155 inhibitor and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC)-derived exosomes, we conjectured that the combination of the miR-155 inhibitor and MSC-derived exosomes would have synergy in diabetic wound healing. Herein, miR-155-inhibitor-loaded MSC-derived exosomes showed synergistic effects in keratinocyte migration, restoration of FGF-7 levels, and anti-inflammatory action, leading to accelerated wound healing mediated by negative regulation of miR-155, using an

The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been one of the revolutionary developments and has led to the advent of new diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities for the management of cancer. In this regard, miRNA dysregulation has been shown to play a critical role in various stages of tumorigenesis, including tumor invasion, metastasis as well as angiogenesis. Therefore, miRNA profiling can provide accurate fingerprints for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic platforms. This review discusses the recent discoveries of miRNA- based tools for early detection of cancer as well as disease monitoring in cancers that are common, like breast, lung, hepatic, colorectal, oral and brain cancer. Based on the involvement of miRNA in different cancers as oncogenic miRNA or tumor suppressor miRNA, the treatment with miRNA inhibitors or mimics is recommended. However, the stability and targeted delivery of miRNA remain the major limitations of miRNA delivery. In relation to this, several nanoparticle-based delivery systems have been reported which have effectively delivered the miRNA mimics or inhibitors and showed the potential for transforming these advanced delivery systems from bench to bedside in the treatment of cancer metastasis and chemoresistance. Based on this, we attempted to uncover recently reported advanced nanotherapeutic approaches to deliver the miRNAs in the management of different cancers.

Cisplatin resistance is one of the major concerns in the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Accumulating evidence suggests microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation as one of the mediators of chemoresistance. Toward this, our previous study revealed the role of exosomal microRNA-155 (miR-155) in cisplatin resistance via downregulation of FOXO3a, a direct target of miR-155, and induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in OSCC. In the present study, we demonstrate the therapeutic potential of miR-155 inhibitor-laden exosomes in the sensitization of a cisplatin-resistant (cisRes) OSCC 3D tumor spheroid and xenograft mouse model. The cisRes OSSC 3D tumor spheroid model recapitulated the hallmarks of solid tumors such as enhanced hypoxia, reactive oxygen species, and secretory vascular endothelial growth factor. Further treatment with miR-155 inhibitor-loaded exosomes showed the upregulation of FOXO3a and induction of the mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition with improved sensitization to cisplatin in cisRes tumor spheroids and xenograft mouse model. Moreover, the exosomal miR-155 inhibitor suppressed the stem-cell-like property as well as drug efflux transporter protein expression in cisplatin-resistant tumors. Taken together, our findings, for the first time, established that the miR-155 inhibitor-loaded exosomes reverse chemoresistance in oral cancer, thereby providing an alternative therapeutic strategy for the management of refractory oral cancer patients.

A breast mass in women often presents a diagnostic challenge due to the diversity in the diagnosis. We herein report a rare variant of breast carcinoma, an invasive apocrine carcinoma (AC), in an elderly woman where the breast mass clinically mimicked phyllodes tumour. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) showed the tumour as triple-negative and also negative for androgen receptor (AR). Gross cystic disease fluid protein (GCDFP-15) was strongly and diffusely positive. It is an exceptional finding. It implies its significance as a diagnostic marker of AC of the breast. The accurate diagnostic criteria of AC are still lacking. Patients with breast lumps offer unique challenges and enormous responsibility to primary and family care physicians.

Cancer is the second most common cause of death worldwide. Early cancer detection can lead to a better prognosis of the patients. Conventional diagnostic methods are invasive, labor-intensive, and expensive, thereby making the detection process quite cumbersome. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop noninvasive, rapid, and highly accurate tests for the screening, early detection, and prognosis of cancer. Further, saliva serves as a “mirror of the present health of an individual.” Biochemically, saliva is the mixture of electrolytes, peptides, proteins, DNA, coding and noncoding RNAs, exosomes, and microbiota. Numerous candidate molecules have been identified in the saliva as potential cancer biomarkers. Here, we review emerging technologies being used for the detection of various analytes such as mRNAs, microRNAs, metabolites, and microbiota in the saliva of cancer patients. Next, we describe various types of detection systems and progress towards the development of point-of-care biosensor devices for salivary biomarkers. Finally, we discuss challenges in the field of cancer salivary biomarkers.

Nowadays our way of living life is drastically changing and our desires are growing day by day. This results in excessive growing needs of people due to which they are facing numerous diseases. Lifestyle diseases are defined as diseases resulting from the way people live their life. They are commonly caused by lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating habits. This may increase the risk of developing certain critical illness in the later stage of life. In Ayurvedic text Acharya’s have mentioned six basicmodalities of treatment, known as Shadvidha-Upakrama1,which can be very beneficial in prevention and management of lifestyle diseases.In Ayurveda the origin of a disease is broadly classified in two ways (1) Santarpanjanya and (2) Aptarpanjanya. Both types of diseases are caused by unhealthy food habits and decreased physical activities. Santarpan is considered as taking foodexcess in quantity and which is over nutritious along with lack of physical activities while Aptarpan is considered as intake of food which is less in quantity and is under nutritious along withmore physical activities, both the conditionscomesunder improper life style.Acharya Charaka emphasized on the concept that the method of treatment depends on the intelligence and yukti of a physician3 and the treatment should be formulated according to accumulation period of dosha.

The limited potential of cartilage to regenerate itself has led to development of new strategies and biomaterials for cartilage tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Although de novo strategies for cartilage repair have been realized, extrudable hydrogels that can be administered in minimally invasive manner while simultaneously supporting chondrogenic differentiation could lead to development of new systems to deliver cells to cartilage lesions. In this work, we explored the suitability of thermo-reversible, extrudable gels derived from carboxylated agarose for maintaining human articular chondrocyte (HAC) phenotype. Towards this objective, we have investigated the impact of hydrogel stiffness and presence of integrin-binding peptide sequence GGGGRGDSP on HAC differentiation potential. We discovered that stiffer hydrogels (5.8 kPa) are more efficient than softer counterparts (0.6 kPa) in promoting chondrogenesis. Interestingly, in GGGGRGDSP modified gels, a synergy between stiffness and RGD signaling led to enhanced expression of chondrogenic related genes (aggrecan, collagen type II and sox9). These findings were also supported by quantitative analysis of sulfated glycosaminoglycans. Since carboxylated agarose are highly suitable as bioink for 3D bioprinting, we propose that extrudable GGGGRGDSP-linked stiff carboxylated agarose as a medium for direct printing of chondrocyte into cartilage lesion.

Carbon-based nanostructures with nanometer dimensions have been identified as potential photoluminescence probes for bioimaging due to their biocompatibility, tunable bandgap, and resistance to photobleaching. However, the influence of structural features of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and graphene quantum dots (GQDs) in bioimaging has not been explored previously. In the present investigation, we elucidated the mechanism of higher PL in GQDs as compared to CQDs as a function of their structural features. TEM and AFM studies revealed that CQDs were spherical (size ~5 nm), while GQDs showed zigzag edges (size ~3 nm). Further, XRD and NMR studies confirmed that CQDs and GQDs show amorphous and crystalline structures with greater sp2 clusters, respectively. While both the QDs demonstrated multicolor fluorescence against variable excitations with similar lifetime, GQDs showed 7-fold higher QY than CQDs. Bioimaging studies in 2D cell culture, 3D tumoroids, and in vivo suggested a greater intensity of fluorescence in GQDs than CQDs. Additionally, rapid cell internalization was observed in GQDs owing to their positive surface potential by heterogeneous atomic (N and S) doping. Moreover, both CQDs and GQDs have demonstrated better time dependent stability for fluorescence properties. Taken together, the proposed mechanism elucidates the greater PL intensity in GQDs due to quantum confinement effect, crystallinity, and surface edge effects and is a better candidate for bioimaging amongst the carbon family.

Peptides are signaling epitopes that control many vital biological events. Increased specificity, synthetic feasibility with concomitant lack of toxicity, and immunogenicity make this emerging class of biomolecules suitable for different applications including therapeutics, diagnostics, and biomedical engineering. Further, chitosan, a naturally occurring linear polymer composed of d-glucosamine and N-acetyl-d-glucosamine units, possesses anti-microbial, muco-adhesive, and hemostatic properties along with excellent biocompatibility. As a result, chitosan finds application in drug/gene delivery, tissue engineering, and bioimaging. Despite these applications, chitosan demonstrates limited cell adhesion and lacks biosignaling. Therefore, peptide-chitosan hybrids have emerged as a new class of biomaterial with improved biosignaling properties and cell adhesion properties. As a result, recent studies encompass increased application of peptide-chitosan hybrids as composites or conjugates in drug delivery, cell therapy, and tissue engineering and as anti-microbial material. This review discusses the recent investigations involving chitosan-peptide materials and uncovers various aspects of these interesting hybrid materials for biomedical applications.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of cancer cells that interact with stromal components such as the extracellular matrix, blood, and lymphatic networks, fibroblasts, adipocytes, and the cells of the immune system. Further, the tumor immune microenvironment, majorly represented by the tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIIC), plays an important role in cancer therapeutics and patient prognosis. In fact, a high density of TIICs within the tumor microenvironment is known to be associated with better outcomes in several types of cancers. Towards this, two bioactive lipid molecules, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), regulate the homing of immune cells to the TME. In the present review, we will uncover the role of LPA and S1P signaling in the tumor immune environment, highlighting the latest progress in this field.

Cell immobilization is the process of localizing intact cells onto specific regions in a device or material without the loss of requisite biological function. Immobilization of cells can generally be performed through physical adsorption, encapsulation, entrapment and self-aggregation. Various types of cells, including microbial, plant, mammalian and insect cells, have been immobilized on materials for improving the bio-synthesis, bioanalytics, as well as cell therapy applications. Recently, cell immobilization on biomaterials-based 3-D scaffolds has gained attention in the area of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering wherein the transplantation of immobilized cells has been utilized in repair, restoration or improvement of tissue function. This chapter will majorly focus on different mammalian cell immobilization techniques, physio-chemical properties of matrix materials employed for cell immobilization and their applications in tissue engineering.

A case of bowel obstruction resulting from bael fruit (Aegle marmelos) in the rectum is described in an Indian Hindu elderly man. To our knowledge, this is probably the first reported case with such a presentation in available literature. Dilemma at unsuspecting clinical history and finding of clinical examination and imaging evaluation made the case more interesting and challenging to manage. The case also highlights the need for awareness, education about prevailing unregulated practice of traditional herbal medical therapy leading to disastrous consequences.

Two bacterial strains were screened for in vitro antagonism against tomato wilt pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici. They were assessed for siderophore production qualitatively and quantitatively. Strains SPs9 and SPs20 produced 59.30 and 52.74 µg ml−1 siderophore and exhibited 3.4 and 3.8 cm fungal inhibition zone respectively in deferrated SSM. Zone size decreased as iron in SSM increased. Fungal inhibition zone for SPs9 in SSM without and with 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 µM iron was 3.4, 2.1, 1.5, 0.9 and 0.6 cm whereas for SPs20, 3.8, 2.2, 1.7, 1.0 and 0.7 cm. The biocontrol potential of strains was evaluated through greenhouse assay. Inoculation of tomato seedlings with SPs9 caused 100% and SPs20, 75% disease control and increased fresh and dry weight of plants. Both strains were genetically identified as P. fluorescens.

New sensors, sensing schemes, and sensor materials have revolutionized the field of personalized diagnostics. Functional, biocompatible, and flexible materials have spearheaded the development of various wearable and implantable sensors over the last decade. The present-day sensors may be integrated into the patient's body and monitor the desired physiological parameters in real time. This has been achieved by hybrid biomaterials that exhibit enhanced electrical, mechanical, magnetic, and chemical properties when compared with the conventional biomaterials. These materials are developed through surface modification and doping with nanomaterials, rendering them amenable for any biosensor development. These sensors are also capable of seamlessly transmitting the acquired data to specific recipients using advanced electronics. In this article, we have presented a review of some of the recent advancements in the domains of neural, cardiovascular, metabolic, and musculoskeletal sensor systems, which have seen significant developments in the recent times.

Hydrogel forming polysaccharides, such as the seaweed derived agarose, are well suited for wound dressing applications as they have excellent cell and soft tissue compatibility. For wound dressings, fibrous structure is desirable as the high surface area can favor adsorption of wound exudate and promote drug delivery. Although electrospinning offers a straightforward means to produce nonwoven fibrous polymeric structures, processing agarose and its derivatives into fibers through electrospinning is challenging as it has limited solubility in solvents other than water. In this study we describe the processing of carboxylated agarose (CA) fibers with antibacterial properties by electrospinning from a solution of the ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim]+Cl-) possessing antimicrobial properties. The extent of carboxylation was found to impact fiber diameter, mesh elastic modulus, fiber swelling, and the loading and release of IL. IL-bearing CA fibers inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, bacteria commonly found in wound exudate. In sum, nonwoven CA fibers processed from IL are promising as biomaterials for wound dressing applications. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Cholera is often caused when drinking water is contaminated through environmental sources. In recent years, the drastic cholera epidemics in Odisha (2007) and Haiti (2010) were associated with natural disasters (flood and Earthquake). Almost every year the state of Assam India witnesses flood in Brahamputra River valley during reversal of wind system (monsoon). This is often followed by outbreak of diarrheal diseases including cholera. Beside the incidence of cholera outbreaks, there is lack of experimental evidence for prevalence of the bacterium in aquatic environment and its association with cholera during/after flood in the state. A molecular surveillance during 2012-14 was carried out to study prevalence, strain differentiation, and clonality of Vibrio cholerae in inland aquatic reservoirs flooded by Brahamputra River in Assam. Water samples were collected, filtered, enriched in alkaline peptone water followed by selective culturing on thiosulfate bile salt sucrose agar. Environmental isolates were identified as V. cholerae, based on biochemical assays followed by sero-grouping and detailed molecular characterization. The incidence of the presence of the bacterium in potable water sources was higher after flood. Except one O1 isolate, all of the strains were broadly grouped under non-O1/non-O139 whereas some of them did have cholera toxin (CT). Surprisingly, we have noticed Haitian ctxB in two non-O1/non-O139 strains. MLST analyses based on pyrH, recA and rpoA genes revealed clonality in the environmental strains. The isolates showed varying degree of antimicrobial resistance including tetracycline and ciprofloxacin. The strains harbored the genetic elements SXT constins and integrons responsible for multidrug resistance. Genetic characterization is useful as phenotypic characters alone have proven to be unsatisfactory for strain discrimination. An assurance to safe drinking water, sanitation and monitoring of the aquatic reservoirs is of utmost importance for combating the impending epidemic threat in the flood affected areas. Further, the management of flood through multi-prong approaches and sustainable utilization of environmental resources would be effective in disease management.

This work presents a novel approach in synthesizing copper (Cu)/carbon composite materials by electrodeposition of the biopolymer chitosan, a renewable carbon precursor, on a copper anode, followed by pyrolysis of the electrodeposited chitosan gel. The amount of copper in the Cu/carbon composite material can be controlled by modifying the pH of the chitosan solution from which the electrodeposition is performed. This further influences the physical properties of the composite material. Here we show a 14 fold increase in electrical conductivity of the Cu/carbon composite, when compared to the material without copper inclusions. Metal/carbon composite materials have a wide range of applications already reported in the literature. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate the electrochemical sensing capability of this Cu/carbon material for non-enzymatic detection of hydrogen peroxide, achieving a sensitivity of 58.9 μA/mM cm2, which is comparable to state of the art non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide sensors. The anodic electrodeposition of chitosan proves to be a simple and straightforward medium for synthesis of Cu/carbon composites. We speculate that this method can be extended to obtain other metal/carbon composites as a low-cost alternative for the fabrication of functional composite electrodes.

A highly specialized connective tissue, bone, possesses inherent regenerative capacity. However, substantial degeneration and loss of bone due to bone tumour resections or traumatic injuries delay its healing, thereby suggesting alternate treatment options. Currently available treatments may offer repair to some extent; however, they are associated with certain disadvantages. Autografts fail under circumstances such as large bone loss and are associated with limited availability and donor site morbidity. Alternatives such as allografts are further associated with risk of immune rejection. Even if all of this pass, the limited availability of donors is unable to cover the associated clinical demands. In the search for bone repair and regeneration protocols, emergence of tissue engineering has greatly contributed to repair and regeneration of bone and bone-like complex tissues. Therefore, this chapter will uncover recent trends in bone tissue engineering with a focus on scaffolds, cells, growth factors and dynamic environments.

Cloud storage systems are designed to provide reliable storage services and reduce the cost by utilizing the storage space efficiently. However, cloud storage systems suffer from loss of data whenever an unexpected failure occurs. This work focuses on providing network coding benefits in robust cloud storage system. We design a system model for multiple-cloud storage and multiple node failures. Further, the storage system provides authentication for users and minimizes the update operation. We have carried out our work considering trade-off between repair bandwidth and cloud storage capacity and comparing with RAID-6. The proposed approach provides protection (fault tolerance) against unexpected failure using erasure and regenerating codes.

The limited capacity of cartilage to heal large lesions through endogenous mechanisms has led to extensive effort to develop materials to facilitate chondrogenesis. Although physical-chemical properties of biomaterials have been shown to impact in vitro chondrogenesis, whether these findings are translatable in vivo is subject of debate. Herein, architectured 3D hydrogel scaffolds (ArcGel) (produced by crosslinking gelatin with ethyl lysine diisocyanate (LDI)) were used as a model system to investigate the interplay between scaffold mechanical properties and degradation on matrix deposition by human articular chondrocytes (HAC) from healthy donors in vitro and in vivo. Using ArcGel scaffolds of different tensile and shear modulus, and degradation behavior; in this study, we compared the fate of ex vivo engineered ArcGels-chondrocytes constructs, i.e. the traditional tissue engineering approach, with the de novo formation of cartilaginous tissue in HAC laden ArcGels in an ectopic nude mouse model. While the softer and fast degrading ArcGel (LNCO3) was more efficient at promoting chondrogenic differentiation in vitro, upon ectopic implantation, the stiffer and slow degrading ArcGel (LNCO8) was superior in maintaining chondrogenic phenotype in HAC and retention of cartilaginous matrix. Furthermore, surprisingly the de novo formation of cartilage tissue was promoted only in LNCO8. Since HAC cultured for only three days in the LNCO8 environment showed upregulation of hypoxia-associated genes, this suggests a potential role for hypoxia in the observed in vivo outcomes. In summary, this study sheds light on how immediate environment (in vivo versus in vitro) can significantly impact the outcomes of cell-laden biomaterials. Statement of Significance In this study, 3D architectured hydrogels (ArcGels) with different mechanical and biodegradation properties were investigated for their potential to promote formation of cartilaginous matrix by human articular chondrocytes in vitro and in vivo. Two paradigms were explored (i) ex vivo engineering followed by in vivo implantation in ectopic site of nude mice and (ii) short in vitro culture (3 days) followed by implantation to induce de novo cartilage formation. Softer and fast degrading ArcGel were better at promoting chondrogenesis in vitro, while stiffer and slow degrading ArcGel were strikingly superior in both maintaining chondrogenesis in vivo and inducing de novo formation of cartilage. Our findings highlight the importance of the interplay between scaffold mechanics and degradation in chondrogenesis.

The present study was conducted to assess knowledge regarding Hiv/Aids among B.Sc nursing 1 year students.

Demand and acceptance of rasa aushadhis would not increase until unless these mineral and metallic preparations, particularly those which contain heavy metals like Surya Shekhara Ra s are standardized . Surya Shekhara Ras is a t ypical herbo - mineral Kupipakwa rasayana indicated for fever especially in viral fevers. The present work highlights the procedures and te chniques adopted for the physico - chemical analy sis and characteriza tion of three different samples of Surya Shekhara Ras obtained by well defined process in Rasa Shastra text . Pharmaceutically prepared Surya Shekhara Rasa was subjected for physico - chemical analysis, X - ray diffraction (X - RD), Inductive Couple d Plasma with Optical Emission Spectrometry (I.C.P.O.E.S.) , Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy D ispersive X - ray Analysis (EDAX) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FT IR) with a view to standardize the drug through modern techniques. Values of Physico - che mical studies of all three samples we re almost in the same range. HgS compound form wa s detected in X - RD study of 3 samples with Hexagonal crystal structure . I. C . P . O . E . S showed presence of 94 % Hg. FT - IR analysis reveals the presence of simila r organic function al groups in three samples of Surya S hekhara Ras. As final results and quantity of elements in all three samples of Surya S hekhara Ras we re in same range , it reveals the uniformity in quality of prepared medicine and purity of drug. Thus suggests that the adopted method of preparation can be taken as standard .

Tissue engineering aims to gain mechanistic insights into human diseases and to develop new treatment protocols. Although 2-dimensional (2-D) flat petri dish culture and in vivo disease-based models are the industrial gold standards for understanding the underlying disease pathophysiology and for drug screening/testing, they are associated with certain limitations. While the 2-D cell culture systems fail to mimic in vivo signaling, animal-based disease models are associated with long incubation period, high cost, ethical constraints as well as depiction of human pathology in different species. Therefore, there has been a paradigm shift towards the development of 3-dimensional (3-D) based in vitro disease models. These models act as bridging gaps between the aforementioned conventional strategies thereby fastening clinical translation. In this regard, biomedical engineering plays a key role towards the development of tissue engineering based 3-D disease models. These models have demonstrated success in recapitulating human diseases in terms of in vivo morphology and signaling. This chapter will present examples of biomaterials-based 3-D engineered disease models with a focus on cancer. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Study examining how consumers preferences for design typicality differs between the apparel categories of a) tops and jackets (upper body apparel), b) skirts and pants (lower body apparel), and c) dresses (whole body apparel) by utilizing a 2 (typicality: typical vs. atypical) x 3 (apparel category: lower body apparel, upper body apparel, and dresses) mixed-factorial experimental design with typicality as the between-subjects factor and apparel category as the within-subjects factor.