COVID-19 and cancer: reflections 2 years into the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged in the light of day toward the end of 2019, has changed almost every field of health care basically, and oncology is no exception. After reflecting on events of the past 2 years, it becomes evident that while the pandemic has put several difficulties in the way of cancer diagnosis, treatment, and research, it has also brought about a few positive changes and once again highlighted how strong the global cancer care community is.

G9a an Epigenetic Therapeutic Strategy for Neurodegenerative Conditions: From Target Discovery to Clinical Trials.

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the role of G9a/EHMT2, focusing on its structure and exploring the impact of its pharmacological and/or gene inhibition in various neurological diseases. In addition, we delve into the advancements in the design and synthesis of G9a/EHMT2 inhibitors, which hold promise not only as a treatment for neurodegeneration diseases but also for other conditions, such as cancer and malaria. Besides, we presented the discovery of dual therapeutic approaches based on G9a inhibition and different epigenetic enzymes like histone deacetylases, DNA methyltransferases, and other lysine methyltransferases.

Spiro thiochromene-oxindoles as novel anti-inflammatory agents: design, sustainable synthesis, and evaluations.

A one-pot, acid-, base-, and metal-free, multicomponent strategy has been developed to synthesize spiro thiochromene-oxindole derivatives as potential anti-inflammatory agents. The synthesized compounds were screened for their anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting heat-induced Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) denaturation assay, revealing moderate to good efficacy. Compounds 4e, 4k, and 4h exhibited the highest activity, inhibiting BSA denaturation by 90.

Experimental and computational kinetic evaluations of silver(I)-catalyzed oxidation of -chlorophenol by hexacyanoferrate(III): exploring the mechanistic pathway.

The present investigation delves into the redox reaction between -chlorophenol (-CP) and hexacyanoferrate(III) [HCF(III)], catalyzed by Ag(I) in an alkaline environment. Findings reveal a first-order dependence on both -CP and the oxidant, and the reaction rate showcased a first-order reaction towards Ag(I), which was further amplified by the medium as per the equation = + [OH]. Interestingly, the ionic strength remained unchanged throughout the reaction, exerting no discernible effect on the reaction rate.

Beyond protein folding: The pleiotropic functions of PPIases in cellular processes and microbial virulence.

Peptidyl prolyl cis/trans isomerases (PPIases), a ubiquitously distributed superfamily of enzymes, associated with signal transduction, trafficking, assembly, biofilm formation, stress tolerance, cell cycle regulation, gene expression and tissue regeneration, is a key regulator of metabolic disorders and microbial virulence. This review assumes an integrative approach, to provide a holistic overview of the structural and functional diversity of PPIases, examining their conformational dynamics, cellular distribution, and physiological significance. We explore their intricate involvement in cellular processes and virulence modulation in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems.

Assessment of the effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (-OH functionalized) on growth characteristics and biochemical profile of Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss.

This study investigated the effect of various levels of OH-MWCNTs mediated seed priming on germination, growth, and biochemical responses of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss.

An experimental and computational approach to evaluate the antidiabetic activity of Commiphora wightii gum extract.

Background: Plant formulations with antidiabetic and antioxidant properties have recently gained popularity due to their lower cost and lesser side effects. Guggul gum is one such formulation that is extensively being used to cure various ailments.

Objective: The present study was designed to explore the antioxidant and antidiabetic properties of the aqua-ethanolic Guggul gum extract (GE) from Commiphora wightii using in silico studies and in vitro assays.

Effect of combination of polyphenols, polysaccharide, and sodium selenite on bortezomib anti-cancer action.

Combinatorial drug delivery has shown promising results over single drug for cancer therapy. Here, we aimed to explore combination of proteasome inhibitor; bortezomib (BTZ) with natural antioxidants (AOs); polyphenols like caffeic acid (CFA), resveratrol (RES), fucoidan (FD), and synthetic AO; sodium selenite (NaSeO) for cellular cytotoxicity in breast cancer cell lines; MCF-7 and MDA MB-231. The combination of RES + BTZ, FD + BTZ, and NaSeO + BTZ showed synergism while CFA showed antagonism with BTZ.

Discovery of novel fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors as anti-alzheimer agents via in-silico-based drug design, virtual screening, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, DFT, and non-clinical studies.

Aim: To identify some novel fatty acid hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors that may contribute to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: In-silico pharmacophore modelling including ligand-based pharmacophore modelling, virtual screening, molecular docking, molecular dynamics modelling, density functional theory and in-silico pharmacokinetics and toxicological studies were employed for the retrieving of novel FAAH inhibitors. Further, these compounds were evaluated for FAAH inhibitory activity using an in vitro enzymatic assay, and later, an in vivo streptozotocin (STZ)-induced AD model was examined in mice.

Introduction to targeted biomedical applications of nanomaterials.

This new collection in , , and will focus on the design of multifunctional hybrid nanomaterials for different applications and on interfacing nanomaterials with biological systems for translational studies.

Microplastic pollution: A global perspective in surface waters, microbial degradation, and corresponding mechanism.

Plastics are incredibly useful materials that have many benefits for both society and individual daily lives. However, the extensive utilization of plastic and plastic-derived products has led to plastic pollution in various environmental compartments across the world at alarming levels. Due to different biogeochemical processes, this plastic waste is broken down into tiny, omnipresent, and long-lasting fragments known as microplastics (<5 mm), which are causing great concern among scientists.

A novel M-Lognormal-Burr regression model with varying threshold for modeling heavy-tailed claim severity data.

In this study, we explore the potential of composite probability distributions in effectively modeling claim severity data, which encompasses a spectrum of losses, ranging from minor to substantial. Our approach incorporates the innovative Mode-Matching technique to introduce a novel composite Lognormal-Burr distribution family. To comprehensively address the diverse risk characteristics exhibited by policyholders, we develop a regression model based on the composite Lognormal-Burr distribution.

Tipping in Stuart-Landau oscillators induced by higher-order repulsive interactions.

Tipping phenomena in complex systems represent abrupt transitions in the system behavior due to incremental changes in parameters. Here, we report the emergence of an abrupt transition from an oscillatory to a death state in coupled limit cycle oscillators with higher-order repulsive interactions. This transition contrasts with the typical continuous transitions observed with pairwise repulsive links.

Assessment of lapachol's anti-inflammatory effectiveness in mitigating sepsis-induced acute lung injury.

Sepsis-induced Acute Lung Injury (ALI) and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) pose life-threatening risks due to an excessive activation of proinflammatory cytokines via the JAK pathway. Currently, no confirmed drug treatment exists for ALI. In this study, we explored JAK1 as a potential therapeutic target to address this issue.

Humanistic and Holistic Strategies for Combating Mental Health Sequelae in the Elderly During the Post-COVID Era.

Background: The elderly population is rapidly growing worldwide. By the year 2050, the elderly population will increase up to 2.1 billion.

Evaluating vaccination timing, hesitancy and effectiveness to prevent future outbreaks: insights from COVID-19 modelling and transmission dynamics.

The COVID-19 vaccine has been available in India since January 2021, although many individuals have refused to take the vaccine for various reasons. Vaccination plays a crucial role in disease control by preventing a substantial number of cases and associated disabilities. However, vaccine hesitancy poses a barrier that hinders these efforts.

Aqueous Dispersion Polymerization for the Development of Lamivudine-Polyacrylonitrile Nanoparticles through Quality by Design Approach.

The development of polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) from preformed polymers usually requires the use of organic solvents and is more expensive. Hence, in this work, the development of polymeric nanoparticles by in situ aqueous dispersion polymerization from the monomers was set as an objective. Acrylonitrile monomer based polymeric NPs comprising Lamivudine (LMV) as a model drug were prepared using the aqueous dispersion polymerization technique.

Optimization of Smoking Classification by Applying Neural Network with Variable Importance Using Cytokine Biomarkers.

Cigarette smoking is a preventable epidemic that is a leading cause of death. It increases the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, chronic obstructive lung diseases etc., multifold.

A Detailed Proteomics and Metabolomics Landscape Sheds Light on the Mechanistic Insights Into the Resistance Response of Transgenic Pigeon Pea Against Wilt Stress.

Pigeon pea, vital for farmers in semi-arid regions, suffers yield losses from Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium udum. This study demonstrates that introducing the rice oxalate oxidase 4 (Osoxo4) gene significantly boosts wilt resistance. Enhanced resistance in transgenic lines was confirmed through gene expression analysis, enzyme activity assays, biochemical assessments, histochemical staining and in vitro and in vivo bioassays, including spore germination tests.

Breast cancer genomic analyses reveal genes, mutations, and signaling networks.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the predominant cause of death in women. BC is a complex disorder, and the exploration of several types of BC omic data, highlighting genes, perturbations, signaling and cellular mechanisms, is needed. We collected mutational data from 9,555 BC samples using cBioPortal.

Logistic Regression and Statistical Regularization Techniques for Risk Classification of Coronary Artery Disease using Cytokines transported by high density lipoproteins.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of mortality in the world. It is important to be able to proactively assess the risk of the disease, using novel biomarkers like cytokines that are indicators of inflammation in addition to traditional predictors of risk. Atherosclerosis, the primary cause of CAD, is an inflammatory disease involving cytokines.