Adsorptive removal of norfloxacin from aqueous solutions by Fe/Cu CNS-embedded alginate-carboxymethyl cellulose-chitosan beads.

The pervasive application of pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments has acquired much focus owing to their nonbiodegradability and eco-toxicity, which might readily destroy the ecological balance. Developed chitosan-coated Fe-Cu CNS alginate-CMC beads (NBs) were utilized in this study to adsorb the quinolone antibiotic norfloxacin (NOR) from water for the first time. Under ideal conditions (: 20 mg L; sorbent conc.

Adverse outcomes in patients hospitalized with pneumonia at age 60 or more: A prospective multi-centric hospital-based study in India.

Background: Limited data exists regarding risk factors for adverse outcomes in older adults hospitalized with Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) in low- and middle-income countries such as India. This multisite study aimed to assess outcomes and associated risk factors among adults aged ≥60 years hospitalized with pneumonia.

Methods: Between December 2018 and March 2020, we enrolled ≥60-year-old adults admitted within 48 hours for CAP treatment across 16 public and private facilities in four sites.

Nasal shedding of vaccine viruses after immunization with a Russian-backbone live attenuated influenza vaccine in India.

Background: We present post-vaccination nasal shedding findings from the phase IV, community-based, triple-blinded RCT conducted to assess efficacy of trivalent LAIV and inactivated influenza vaccines in rural north India.

Methods: Children aged 2-10 years received LAIV or intranasal placebo across 2015 and 2016, as per initial allocation. On days 2 and 4 post-vaccination, trained study nurses collected nasal swabs from randomly selected subset of trial participants based on operational feasibility, accounting for 10.

Application of green synthesized bimetallic nZVI-Cu nanoparticle as a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers to enhance growth and photosynthetic efficiency of rice seedlings.

Application of nanomaterials in agriculture has been extensively explored over the past decade leading to a wide ambit of nanoparticle-based agrochemicals. Metallic nanoparticles consisting of plant macro- and micro-nutrients have been used as nutritional supplements for plants through soil amendments, foliar sprays, or seed treatment. However, most of these studies emphasize monometallic nanoparticles which limit the range of usage and effectivity of such nanoparticles (NPs).

Recent Developments in the Applications of GO/rGO-Based Biosensing Platforms for Pesticide Detection.

Pesticides are often used in different applications, including agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, food industry, etc., for the purpose of controlling insect pests and weeds. The indiscriminate usage of pesticides poses a massive threat to food, environmental, and human health safety.

The concept of Big Four: Road map from snakebite epidemiology to antivenom efficacy.

Snake envenomation is a life-threatening disease caused by the injection of venom toxins from the venomous snake bite. Snakebite is often defined as the occupational or domestic hazard mostly affecting the rural population. India experiences a high number of envenoming cases and fatality due to the nation's diversity in inhabiting venomous snakes.

Is handgrip strength a useful tool to detect slow walking speed in older Indian adults: A cross-sectional study among geriatric outpatients in a tertiary care hospital in South India.

Objectives: To determine whether handgrip strength can be used as a proxy for detecting slow walking speed in older adults. Measuring walking speed in older adults can be challenging as cognitive and functional decline may have a significant impact on test performance.

Methods: Hundred subjects aged >/= 60 were recruited.

A randomized double blinded placebo controlled clinical trial for the evaluation of green coffee extract on immune health in healthy adults.

Background: The immune system functions to protect the host from a broad array of infectious diseases. Here, we evaluated the immunomodulatory effects of green coffee extract (GCE), and conducted a double-blinded, randomized and placebo-controlled trial among apparently healthy individuals.

Methods: We determined the levels and functions of inflammatory and immune markers viz.

UBBC-07 in the symptom management of upper respiratory tract infections in children: a double blind, placebo-controlled randomised study.

In children, upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are one of the most common causes of infections which often require outpatient consultations with the doctor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of probiotic UBBC-07 on symptom management of URTIs in children. In this double blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study, 90 children (age 4-7 years) with URTIs were equally divided into two groups, the probiotic and placebo.

Mitochondrial ribosomal small subunit (MRPS) MRPS23 protein-protein interaction reveals phosphorylation by CDK11-p58 affecting cell proliferation and knockdown of MRPS23 sensitizes breast cancer cells to CDK1 inhibitors.

Background: Post-translational modification of some mitoribosomal proteins has been found to regulate their functions. MRPS23 has been reported to be overexpressed in various cancers and has been predicted to be involved in increased cell proliferation. Furthermore, MRPS23 is a driver of luminal subtype breast cancer.

Nimbolide, a Neem Limonoid, Inhibits Angiogenesis in Breast Cancer by Abrogating Aldose Reductase Mediated IGF-1/PI3K/Akt Signalling.

Background & Objective: The insulin/IGF-1R/PI3K/Akt signalling cascade is increasingly being linked to breast cancer development, with aldose reductase (AR) playing a key role in mediating the crosstalk between this pathway and angiogenesis. The current study was designed to investigate whether nimbolide, a neem limonoid, targets the oncogenic signaling network to prevent angiogenesis in breast cancer.

Methods: Breast cancer cells (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231), EAhy926 endothelial cells, MDA-MB-231 xenografted nude mice, and tumour tissues from breast cancer patients were used for the study.

Identification and validation of plasma biomarkers for diagnosis of breast cancer in South Asian women.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women globally. Development of a reliable plasma biomarker panel might serve as a non-invasive and cost-effective means for population-based screening of the disease. Transcriptomic profiling of breast tumour, paired normal and apparently normal tissues, followed by validation of the shortlisted genes using TaqMan Low density arrays and Quantitative real-time PCR was performed in South Asian women.

Passive immunotherapy using chicken egg yolk antibody (IgY) against diarrheagenic E. coli: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Animal diarrhea due to diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) has been a major concern in the field of livestock farming leading to a severe loss of domesticated animals. This systematic review aims to analyze medical shreds of evidence available in the literature and to discover the effect of IgY in treatment and protection against E.

Detection of SARS-CoV2 virus using the real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in semen and seminal plasma from men with active COVID-19 infection - A pilot study.

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in various body fluids. Its presence in semen has been tested with contradictory results. This study aimed to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus using the real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) in semen and seminal plasma from men with active COVID-19 infection.

Frailty, Disability, and Mortality in a Rural Community-Dwelling Elderly Cohort from Northern India.

Introduction: With increasing proportion of the elderly in the world, detecting and preventing frailty assumes importance to improve the quality of life and health. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of frailty, disability and its determinants and their relation with mortality among community dwelling elderly cohort.

Materials And Methods: The study was conducted in a cohort in rural Haryana, India, and was followed till October 2018.

FeO-urea nanocomposites as a novel nitrogen fertilizer for improving nutrient utilization efficiency and reducing environmental pollution.

Almost 81% of nitrogen fertilizers are applied in form of urea but most of it is lost due to volatilization and leaching leading to environmental pollution. In this regard, slow-release nano fertilizers can be an effective solution. Here, we have synthesized different FeO-urea nanocomposites with FeO NPs: urea ratio (1:1, 1:2, 1:3) ie.

Antibody therapy against antibiotic-resistant diarrheagenic : a systematic review.

Over four billion episodes of diarrhea occur annually in developing countries with diarrheagenic (DEC) outbreaks also being reported, until now bacterial diarrhea is conventionally addressed by the antibiotic treatment regimes. In recent decades, the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant strains has become a major obstacle in diarrheal treatment; hence, novel and ideal therapeutics are needed. Notably, 80% of DEC is resistant to first-class antibiotics.

Mitochondrial ribosomal small subunit proteins (MRPS) MRPS6 and MRPS23 show dysregulation in breast cancer affecting tumorigenic cellular processes.

Human Mitoribosomal Small Subunit unit (MRPS) family of genes appears to have role in cancer. Gene expression analysis of select MRPS genes (n = 9) in 15 cancer cell lines showed altered expression in cancer cells. Protein levels of MRPS6, MRPS23 showed significant overexpression in breast cancer cells and tissues.

Efficacy of live attenuated and inactivated influenza vaccines among children in rural India: A 2-year, randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Influenza is a cause of febrile acute respiratory infection (FARI) in India; however, few influenza vaccine trials have been conducted in India. We assessed absolute and relative efficacy of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) and inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) among children aged 2 to 10 years in rural India through a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted over 2 years.

Methods And Findings: In June 2015, children were randomly allocated to LAIV, IIV, intranasal placebo, or inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) in a 2:2:1:1 ratio.

Incidence, risk factors, and viral etiology of community-acquired acute lower respiratory tract infection among older adults in rural north India.

Background: There are limited data on incidence, risk factors and etiology of acute lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) among older adults in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods: We established a cohort of community dwelling older adults ≥60 years and conducted weekly follow-up for acute respiratory infections (ARI) during 2015-2017. Nurses assessed ARI cases for LRTI, collecting combined nasal/throat swabs from all LRTI cases and an equal number of age- and sex-matched asymptomatic neighbourhood controls.

Nanopriming with zero-valent iron synthesized using pomegranate peel waste: A "green" approach for yield enhancement in Oryza sativa L. cv. Gonindobhog.

Nanopriming is a combination of nanoparticle treatment and a seed dressing technique that can increase seed quality, seedling vigour, yield and also imparts tolerance against biotic and abiotic stress. Here, nano-scale zero-valent iron (G-nZVI) was synthesized using fruit peel waste of Punica granatum L and their formation was validated from XRD and optical spectroscopic techniques. Later, the seeds were primed with G-nZVI at six different concentrations (0, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 mg L ) to determine the dose which is optimum for increasing germination percentage and seedling vigour of rice (Oryza sativa L.

Targeting the viral-entry facilitators of SARS-CoV-2 as a therapeutic strategy in COVID-19.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, which has emerged as a global pandemic causing serious concerns. Lack of specific and effective therapeutics for the treatment of COVID-19 is a major concern and the development of vaccines is another important aspect in managing the infection effectively. The first step in the SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis is the viral entry and it is mediated by its densely glycosylated spike protein (S-protein).

Multi-criteria decision analysis approach for strategy scale-up with application to Chagas disease management in Bolivia.

Objective: Design and build a strategy construction and evaluation software system to help stakeholders to develop viable strategies to expand (and adapt) the Chagas Platform healthcare model through the primary healthcare system in Bolivia.

Methods: The software was built based on a ranking of medical Interventions and Actions (needed to support Interventions' implementation) needed for comprehensive management of Chagas Disease in Bolivia. The ranking was performed using a Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodology adapted to the WHO's building blocks framework.