Behavioral and molecular effects of micro and nanoplastics across three plastic types in fish: weathered microfibers induce a similar response to nanosized particles.

Micro and nanoplastics (MNPs) are ubiquitous in the environment and have been detected in most ecosystems, including remote regions. The class of contaminants under the MNP umbrella is quite broad and encompasses variable polymer types, shapes, and sizes. Fibers are the most frequently detected in the environment, followed by fragments, but still represent only a small fraction of laboratory studies.

Where the rubber meets the road: Emerging environmental impacts of tire wear particles and their chemical cocktails.

About 3 billion new tires are produced each year and about 800 million tires become waste annually. Global dependence upon tires produced from natural rubber and petroleum-based compounds represents a persistent and complex environmental problem with only partial and often-times, ineffective solutions. Tire emissions may be in the form of whole tires, tire particles, and chemical compounds, each of which is transported through various atmospheric, terrestrial, and aquatic routes in the natural and built environments.

Multigenerational, Indirect Exposure to Pyrethroids Demonstrates Potential Compensatory Response and Reduced Toxicity at Higher Salinity in Estuarine Fish.

Estuarine environments are critical to fish species and serve as nurseries for developing embryos and larvae. They also undergo daily fluctuations in salinity and act as filters for pollutants. Additionally, global climate change (GCC) is altering salinity regimes within estuarine systems through changes in precipitation and sea level rise.

Mutations in S2 subunit of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron spike strongly influence its conformation, fusogenicity, and neutralization sensitivity.

The Omicron subvariants have substantially evaded host-neutralizing antibodies and adopted an endosomal route of entry. The virus has acquired several mutations in the receptor binding domain and N-terminal domain of S1 subunit, but remarkably, also incorporated mutations in S2 which are fixed in Omicron sub-lineage. Here, we found that the mutations in the S2 subunit affect the structural and biological properties such as neutralization escape, entry route, fusogenicity, and protease requirement.

Comparative behavioral ecotoxicology of Inland Silverside larvae exposed to pyrethroids across a salinity gradient.

Pyrethroids, a class of commonly used insecticides, are frequently detected in aquatic environments, including estuaries. The influence that salinity has on organism physiology and the partitioning of hydrophobic chemicals, such as pyrethroids, has driven interest in how toxicity changes in saltwater compared to freshwater. Early life exposures in fish to pyrethroids cause toxicity at environmentally relevant concentrations, which can alter behavior.

The iHealth-T2D study: a cluster randomised trial for the prevention of type 2 diabetes amongst South Asians with central obesity and prediabetes-a statistical analysis plan.

Background: South Asians are at high risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Lifestyle modification is effective at preventing T2D amongst South Asians, but the approaches to screening and intervention are limited by high costs, poor scalability and thus low impact on T2D burden. An intensive family-based lifestyle modification programme for the prevention of T2D was developed.

Reference equations for evaluation of spirometry function tests in South Asia, and among South Asians living in other countries.

Background: There are few data to support accurate interpretation of spirometry data in South Asia, a major global region with a high reported burden of chronic respiratory disease.

Method: We measured lung function in 7453 healthy men and women aged ≥18 years, from Bangladesh, North India, South India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as part of the South Asia Biobank study. First, we assessed the accuracy of existing equations for predicting normal forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV) and FEV/FVC ratio.

High failure rate of ChAdOx1-nCoV19 immunization against asymptomatic infection in healthcare workers during a Delta variant surge.

Immunization is expected to confer protection against infection and severe disease for vaccines while reducing risks to unimmunized populations by inhibiting transmission. Here, based on serial serological studies of an observational cohort of healthcare workers, we show that during a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome -Coronavirus 2 Delta-variant outbreak in Delhi, 25.3% (95% Confidence Interval 16.

COVID-19 Risk Stratification and Mortality Prediction in Hospitalized Indian Patients: Harnessing clinical data for public health benefits.

The variability of clinical course and prognosis of COVID-19 highlights the necessity of patient sub-group risk stratification based on clinical data. In this study, clinical data from a cohort of Indian COVID-19 hospitalized patients is used to develop risk stratification and mortality prediction models. We analyzed a set of 70 clinical parameters including physiological and hematological for developing machine learning models to identify biomarkers.

A Stabilized, Monomeric, Receptor Binding Domain Elicits High-Titer Neutralizing Antibodies Against All SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern.

Saturation suppressor mutagenesis was used to generate thermostable mutants of the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD). A triple mutant with an increase in thermal melting temperature of ~7°C with respect to the wild-type B.1 RBD and was expressed in high yield in both mammalian cells and the microbial host, , was downselected for immunogenicity studies.

The iHealth-T2D study, prevention of type 2 diabetes amongst South Asians with central obesity and prediabetes: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: People from South Asia are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). There is an urgent need to develop approaches for the prevention of T2D in South Asians that are cost-effective, generalisable and scalable across settings.

Hypothesis: Compared to usual care, the risk of T2D can be reduced amongst South Asians with central obesity or raised HbA1c, through a 12-month lifestyle modification programme delivered by community health workers.

Effects of a lifestyle intervention programme after 1 year of follow-up among South Asians at high risk of type 2 diabetes: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: South Asians are at high risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). We assessed whether intensive family-based lifestyle intervention leads to significant weight loss, improved glycaemia and blood pressure in adults at elevated risk for T2D.

Methods: This cluster randomised controlled trial (iHealth-T2D) was conducted at 120 locations across India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the UK.

Comparison of bioconcentration and kinetics of GenX in tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus in fresh and brackish water.

Contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) are a broad suite of chemicals commonly found in the environment, aquatic organisms and even drinking water. They include pharmaceuticals, personal care products, industrial chemicals and compounds added to consumer products. The CEC ammonium 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-heptafluoropropoxy propanoic acid, which is more commonly known as generic name GenX, is a replacement of common processing aid longer chain perfluorinated compounds (PFAS) due to a manufacturing shift in 2002 following the EPA stewardship program of 2015/16 in USA (USEPA, 2006).

Immunogenicity and Protective Efficacy of a Highly Thermotolerant, Trimeric SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain Derivative.

The receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 is the primary target of neutralizing antibodies. We designed a trimeric, highly thermotolerant glycan engineered RBD by fusion to a heterologous, poorly immunogenic disulfide linked trimerization domain derived from cartilage matrix protein. The protein expressed at a yield of ∼80-100 mg/L in transiently transfected Expi293 cells, as well as CHO and HEK293 stable cell lines and formed homogeneous disulfide-linked trimers.

Respiratory Co-Infections: Modulators of SARS-CoV-2 Patients' Clinical Sub-Phenotype.

Co-infection with ancillary pathogens is a significant modulator of morbidity and mortality in infectious diseases. There have been limited reports of co-infections accompanying SARS-CoV-2 infections, albeit lacking India specific study. The present study has made an effort toward elucidating the prevalence, diversity and characterization of co-infecting respiratory pathogens in the nasopharyngeal tract of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients.

Salinity Alters Toxicity of Commonly Used Pesticides in a Model Euryhaline Fish Species ().

Changing salinity in estuaries due to sea level rise and altered rainfall patterns, as a result of climate change, has the potential to influence the interactions of aquatic pollutants as well as to alter their toxicity. From a chemical property point of view, ionic concentration can increase the octanol-water partition coefficient and thus decrease the water solubility of a compound. Biologically, organism physiology and enzyme metabolism are also altered at different salinities with implications for drug metabolism and toxic effects.

HCQ prophylaxis in COVID-19 did not show any QTc prolongation in Healthcare workers.

Background: HCQ is a commonly recommended drug for the prophylaxis of COVID-19. One of its rare side-effect includes QTc prolongation.

Methods: This was a prospective, cross sectional and observational study conducted on Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) among Healthcare Workers (HCWs) at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, New Delhi, India.

Low uptake of COVID-19 prevention behaviours and high socioeconomic impact of lockdown measures in South Asia: Evidence from a large-scale multi-country surveillance programme.

Background: South Asia has become a major epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding South Asians' awareness, attitudes and experiences of early measures for the prevention of COVID-19 is key to improving the effectiveness and mitigating the social and economic impacts of pandemic responses at a critical time for the Region.

Methods: We assessed the knowledge, behaviours, health and socio-economic circumstances of 29,809 adult men and women, at 93 locations across four South Asian countries.

Prevalence of Flu-like Symptoms and COVID-19 in Healthcare Workers from India.

Background: The current COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented. As the numbers expand exponentially, a paucity of data regarding health care workers (HCWs), who are at the forefront of this disaster, exists. Hence we decided to conduct a study amongst the HCWs to determine the prevalence and risk factor stratification.

Contiguous U.S. surface water availability and short-term trends of wastewater effluent flows in San Antonio, TX.

Surface water is a vital and sometimes stressed resource in the U.S. The quantity of this resource is threatened by population shifts and growth concurrently with climate change intensification.

An analysis of U.S. wastewater treatment plant effluent dilution ratio: Implications for water quality and aquaculture.

Wastewater discharge and surface flow data from 2007 to 2017 was used to calculate wastewater dilution factors (WWDF) for U.S. Geological Society hydrologic unit codes (HUC) in the contiguous U.

Effectiveness of Pregabalin Compared to Duloxetine in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathic Pain: An Observational Study.

Introduction: Neuropathy is a comorbid complication of diabetes and Pregabalin and Duloxetine are the two most common drugs used for the treatment of neuropathic pain.

Aim: To determine the effectiveness and side effects of Pregabalin and Duloxetine in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain.

Materials And Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted at Max Super Speciality Hospital.