Environmental pollutant SO₂ exposure affects trophoblast function involving an ER stress pathway.

Sulphur dioxide (SO₂) is a toxic air pollutant with deleterious effects on the respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine and reproductive systems. SO₂, being freely diffusible, can cross the placenta and reach the fetal system. Previous studies have reported the association between SO₂ exposure and adverse pregnancy and fetal outcomes without much emphasis on its molecular aspects.

Rituals of Harm: Castration and Genealogies of Sacred Wound Cultures in the Hijra Communities of India.

Existing within hierarchical kinship networks, requiring patronage of gurus, hijras, a 'third' gender community, undergo mandatory apprenticeship to a commune life through a discipleship-lineage system where castration is seen as a necessary truth and final rite of passage to achieve a virtuous hijra identity. This article examines the subjectivities of hijras from working-class backgrounds and narrows its focus to analyse how individual hijras develop an understanding of themselves from their occupied subject positions in the larger hijra community shaped by internal hijra cultural traditions (parampara) manifested through rituals of harm. Based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork of 10 years in New Delhi and its neighbouring states, this article discusses the genealogies of wound cultures through castration in the hijra community acquired through their experiential and vernacular knowledge systems of self-flagellation as a practice of ethical self-making for their sacred rebirth in a nirvana (a state of freedom from all suffering) body.

Prognostic role of Androgen Receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7) in the pathogenesis of breast cancer.

Background: The Androgen Receptor (AR) has emerged as an endocrine therapy target in Breast Cancer, exhibiting up to 80% expression in clinical cases. AR-V7, a constitutively activated splice variant of AR with a truncated ligand-binding domain (LBD), demonstrates ligand-independent transcriptional activity and resistance to nonsteroidal antiandrogens like Bicalutamide or Enzalutamide, targeting the LBD. In metastatic prostate cancer, elevated AR-V7 levels lead to therapeutic resistance and increased metastasis.

Effect of environmental air pollutants on placental function and pregnancy outcomes: a molecular insight.

Air pollution has become a major health concern, particularly for vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and pregnant women. Studies have reported a strong association between prenatal exposure to air pollutants and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including lower birth weight, reduced fetal growth, and an increased frequency of preterm births. This review summarizes the harmful effects of air pollutants, such as particulate matter, on pregnancy and outlines the mechanistic details associated with these adverse outcomes.