Mucormycosis in COVID-19 pandemic: Risk factors and linkages.

Mucormycosis is a serious and potentially fatal fungal infection caused by a type of rare but opportunistic fungal pathogen called mucormycetes. Recently, mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, made severe chaos in India during the second wave (between April and June 2021) of the tragical COVID-19 epidemic by its sudden and devastating surge with up to 50% mortality rate. While the exact cause of its sharp rise suddenly and specifically during the second wave still remains debatable, it has been noted that the people who are diabetic and have recovered from COVID-19 infection are more predisposed to mucormycosis.

Vaginal & gut microbiota diversity in pregnant women with bacterial vaginosis & effect of oral probiotics: An exploratory study.

Background & Objectives: The vaginal microbiota undergoes subtle changes during pregnancy and may affect several aspects of pregnancy outcomes. There has been no comprehensive study characterizing the gestational vaginal and gut microbiota and the dynamics of the microbiota with oral probiotics among Indian women. Hence, the study was aimed to explore the microbiota of pregnant women with normal microbiota and bacterial vaginosis (BV) environments and the effect of oral probiotics on the microbiota and the BV status in these women.

Lateral flow assay-based detection of long non-coding RNAs: A point-of-care platform for cancer diagnosis.

Lateral flow assay (LFA) is a flexible, simple, low-costpoint-of-care platform for rapid detection of disease-specific biomarkers. Importantly, the ability of the assay to capture the circulating bio-molecules has gained significant attention, as it offers a potential minimal invasive system for early disease diagnosis and prognosis. In the present article, we review an innovative concept of LFA-based detection of circulating long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), one of the key regulators of fundamental biological processes.

Spirometric Measurement among Polyurethane Foam Mattress-making Workers of India.

Background: The polyurethane foam (PUF) mattress-making workers are exposed to isocyanates which are known respiratory toxicants and cause effect on pulmonary volumes and flows. Thus, the study was with a rationale to measure the changes in pulmonary flow and volumes due to isocyanates among PUF mattress-making workers.

Materials And Methods: The study included 183 male workers from seven PUF making units of western and northern India.

Biochemical composition, transmission and diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a life-threatening respiratory infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome virus (SARS-CoV-2), a novel human coronavirus. COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by World Health Organization in March 2020 for its continuous and rapid spread worldwide. Rapidly emerging COVID-19 epicenters and mutants of concerns have created mammoth chaos in healthcare sectors across the globe.

Regulatory B Cells (Bregs) Inhibit Osteoclastogenesis and Play a Potential Role in Ameliorating Ovariectomy-Induced Bone Loss.

Increasing evidence in recent years has suggested that regulatory B cells (Bregs) are one of the crucial modulators in various inflammatory disease conditions. However, no study to date has investigated the significance of Bregs in modulating osteoclastogenesis. To the best of our knowledge, in the present study, we for the first time examined the anti-osteoclastogenic potential of Bregs under conditions and observed that Bregs suppress RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis in a dose-dependent manner.

A review on network pharmacology based phytotherapy in treating diabetes- An environmental perspective.

Diabetes has become common lifestyle disorder associated with obesity and cardiovascular diseases. Environmental factors like physical inactivity, polluted surroundings and unhealthy dieting also plays a vital role in diabetes pathogenesis. As the current anti-diabetic drugs possess unprecedented side effects, traditional herbal medicine can be used an alternative therapy.

The impact of environmental and occupational exposures of manganese on pulmonary, hepatic, and renal functions.

Manganese (Mn) is an essential trace element for humans, but long-term environmental or occupational exposures can lead to numerous health problems. Although many studies have identified an association between Mn exposures and neurological abnormalities, emerging data suggest that occupationally and environmentally relevant levels of Mn may also be linked to multiple organ dysfunction in the general population. In this regard, many experimental and clinical studies provide support for a causal link between Mn exposure and structural and functional changes that are responsible for organ dysfunction in major organs like lung, liver, and kidney.

Gold based nano-photonic approach for point-of-care detection of circulating long non-coding RNAs.

Development of a rapid, sensitive and easy to use point of care assay for detection of circulating long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is of great importance. These biomolecules possess the ability to regulate vital cellular processes and act as biomarkers for various human non-communicable diseases. The present work aimed to develop a simplified and reliable cytometric fluorescence-based approach for precise recognition of circulating lncRNAs in a given sample using biotinylated uracil-modified oligonucleotide tethered AlexaFluor488-labeled streptavidin gold colloidal (BiO-StrAG) nano-conjugates.

Oxidative biomarkers of exhaled breath condensate in adults exposed to traffic-related air pollution: a case-control study.

Traffic-related air pollution exposure (TRAP) is a major public health problem. The effects of TRAP exposure on the oxidative biomarkers of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) of adults are seldom studied. We compared the oxidative EBC biomarkers in a group of individuals exposed to TRAP with those of individuals unexposed to TRAP.

An overview on the role of plant-derived tannins for the treatment of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death globally. Despite many advanced approaches to treat cancer, they are often ineffective due to resistance to classical anti-cancer drugs and distant metastases. Currently, alternative medicinal agents derived from plants are the major interest due to high bioavailability and fewer adverse effects.

Respiratory health of workers exposed to polyacrylate dust.

Background: Polyacrylate (PA) powder dust formed in PA manufacturing units is fine sized, i.e., in nanosize.

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prevalence of Epilepsy, Dementia, Headache, and Parkinson Disease in India.

Background: There are wide variations reported in the prevalence rates of common neurological disorders in India leading to huge treatment gap. There is no comprehensive systematic review reporting prevalence of common neurological conditions affecting Indians which is essential for developing and aligning health services to meet patient care.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence of epilepsy, dementia, headache, and Parkinson's disease (PD) in India from 1980 to 2019.

Aptamer-based sensing of breast cancer biomarkers: a comprehensive review of analytical figures of merit.

Introduction: Accurate determination of the aberrantly expressed biomarkers such as human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), mucin 1 (MUC1), and vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF have played an essential role in the clinical management of the breast cancer. Assessment of these cancer-specific biomarkers has conventionally relied on time-taking methods like the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemistry. However, recent development in the aptamer-based diagnostics has allowed developing tools that may substitute the conventional means of biomarker assessment in breast cancer.

Nutraceuticals with Anti-inflammatory and Anti-oxidant Properties as an Intervention for Reducing the Health Effects of Fine Particulate Matter: Potential and Prospects.

Air pollution, especially particulate matter pollution, adversely affects human health. A growing pool of evidence has emerged which underscores the potential of individual-level nutritional interventions in attenuating the adverse health impact of exposure to PM2.5.

Effects of improved information and volunteer support on segregation of solid waste at the household level in urban settings in Madhya Pradesh, India (I-MISS): protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: Segregation of household waste at the source is an effective and sustainable strategy for management of municipal waste. However, household segregation levels remain insufficient as waste management approaches are mostly top down and lack local support. The realisation and recognition of effective, improved and adequate waste management may be one of the vital drivers for attaining environmental protection and improved health and well-being.

Therapeutic potential of plant-derived tannins in non-malignant respiratory diseases.

Respiratory diseases are the major cause of human illness and death around the world. Despite advances in detection and treatment, very few classes of safe and effective therapy have been introduced to date. At present, phytochemicals are getting more attention because of their diverse beneficial activities and minimal toxicity.

Point-of-care diagnostics approaches for detection of lung cancer-associated circulating miRNAs.

Circulating cell-free miRNAs (ccf-miRs) have gained significant interest as biomarkers for lung cancer (LC) diagnosis. However, the clinical application of ccf-miRs is mainly limited by time, cost, and expertise-related problems of existing detection strategies. Recently, the development of different point-of-care (POC) approaches offers useful on-site platforms, because these technologies have important features such as portability, rapid turnaround time, minimal sample requirement, and cost-effectiveness.

Road Use Pattern and Street Crossing Habits of Schoolchildren in India.

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) contribute significant DALYs in the global burden of diseases. Vulnerable groups particularly pedestrians and children are at an increased risk. Road use pattern, street crossing habits, and road safety awareness are important determinants of RTAs.

Futuristic Non-antibiotic Therapies to Combat Antibiotic Resistance: A Review.

The looming problem of resistance to antibiotics in microorganisms is a global health concern. The drug-resistant microorganisms originating from anthropogenic sources and commercial livestock farming have posed serious environmental and health challenges. Antibiotic-resistant genes constituting the environmental "resistome" get transferred to human and veterinary pathogens.

The herbicide paraquat-induced molecular mechanisms in the development of acute lung injury and lung fibrosis.

The herbicide paraquat (PQ; 1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridylium dichloride) is a highly toxic organic heterocyclic herbicide that has been widely used in agricultural settings. Since its commercial introduction in the early 1960s, numerous cases of fatal PQ poisonings attributed to accidental and/or intentional ingestion of PQ concentrated formulations have been reported. The clinical manifestations of the respiratory system during the acute phase of PQ poisoning mainly include acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), followed by pulmonary fibrosis in a later phase.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus attenuates bone loss and maintains bone health by skewing Treg-Th17 cell balance in Ovx mice.

Osteoporosis is a systemic-skeletal disorder characterized by enhanced fragility of bones leading to increased rates of fractures and morbidity in large number of populations. Probiotics are known to be involved in management of various-inflammatory diseases including osteoporosis. But no study till date had delineated the immunomodulatory potential of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LR) in bone-health.

Experience of Elderly People Regarding the Effect of Yoga/Light Exercise on Sedentary Behavior: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study in Madhya Pradesh, India.

This study is set on the background of a randomized control trial (RCT) in which intervention was carried to observe the effects of yoga/light exercise on the improvement in health and well-being among the elderly population. A longitudinal qualitative study was conducted as part of RCT interventions to explore the experience of the elderly practicing yoga/light exercise in relation to sedentary behavior in the Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh, India. Participants of the RCT were selected for this study.