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Abstract Introduction India grapples with a formidable health challenge, with an estimated 315 million adults afflicted with hypertension and 100 million living with diabetes mellitus. Alarming statistics reveal rates for poor treatment and control of hypertension and diabetes. In response to these pressing needs, the Community Control of Hypertension and Diabetes (CoCo-HD) program aims to implement structured lifestyle interventions at scale in the southern Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Aims This research is designed to evaluate the implementation outcomes of peer support programs and community mobilisation strategies in overcoming barriers and maximising enablers for effective diabetes and hypertension prevention and control. Furthermore, it will identify contextual factors that influence intervention scalability and it will also evaluate the program’s value and return on investment through economic evaluation. Methods The CoCo-HD program is underpinned by a longstanding collaborative effort, engaging stakeholders to co-design comprehensive solutions that will be scalable in the two states. This entails equipping community health workers with tailored training and fostering community engagement, with a primary focus on leveraging peer supportat scale in these communities. The evaluation will undertake a hybrid type III trial in, Kerala and Tamil Nadu states, guided by the Institute for Health Improvement framework. The evaluation framework is underpinned by the application of three frameworks, RE-AIM, Normalisation Process Theory, and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Evaluation metrics include clinical outcomes: diabetes and hypertension control rates, as well as behavioural, physical, and biochemical measurements and treatment adherence. Discussion The anticipated outcomes of this study hold immense promise, offering important learnings into effective scaling up of lifestyle interventions for hypertension and diabetes control in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). By identifying effective implementation strategies and contextual determinants, this research has the potential to lead to important changes in healthcare delivery systems. Conclusions The project will provide valuable evidence for the scaling-up of structured lifestyle interventions within the healthcare systems of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, thus facilitating their future adaptation to diverse settings in India and other LMICs.

Bluetongue (BT) is a vector-borne viral disease of multiple domestic and wild ruminants across the globe. The VP7 protein of bluetongue virus (BTV) is the major immune-dominant structural protein that is conserved across the BTV serotypes and therefore, targeted for the development of immuno-diagnostics for BT. In this study, full-length recombinant VP7 protein (rVP7) of BTV-1 was expressed in Trochoplusia ni derived insect cells (Tn5) using codon-optimized synthetic gene construct through baculovirus expression system. The seed stock of recombinant baculovirus was amplified to a high titre (>1 × 10 8 pfu/ml) at P2 and P3 in sf9 cells. The rVP7 was successfully produced and purified from infected Tn5 culture lysate for evaluation of the immuno-reactivity and its diagnostic potential. The purified protein showed strong reactivity in western blot analysis with the polyclonal immune serum produced against BTV core antigen in guinea pigs. An indirect ELISA (iELISA) was optimized by using the purified rVP7 for the detection of the group-specific antibodies to BTV in sheep and goats. The iELISA was found to be highly sensitive (98.9 %), specific (98.1 %), and reproducible (CV < 10 %) for detection of the antibodies to BTV in sheep and goat serum. The iELISA could detect the specific antibodies in naturally infected goat serum containing type-specific neutralizing antibodies to different BTV serotypes indicating the potential of the rVP7 for the development of the group-specific sero-diagnostics for BT., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Peptide nanonets offer a promising avenue for constructing anti-infective biomaterials. Our group recently reported innovative designs of synthetic BTT nanonets that fibrillate selectively in response to bacterial endotoxins. Herein, we delved deeper into the molecular interactions between our peptides and these bacteria-specific biomolecules, which is an aspect critically missing from major works in the field. Using microscopic and biophysical techniques, we identified phosphate moieties in endotoxins as being the most essential to the initiation of peptide fibrillation. This was strongly supported by molecular dynamics simulations in an outer membrane environment with variable states of phosphorylation. To support the claim over bacterial specificity, we demonstrated a lack of nanonet formation in the presence of various phosphate-containing biomolecules native to human biology. The structural importance of phosphate moieties among pathogenic strains strongly indicates a wide clinical spectrum of our peptides, which was experimentally verified.

Cell and gene therapies are an innovative solution to various severe diseases and unfulfilled needs. Adoptive cell therapy (ACT), a form of cellular immunotherapies, has been favored in recent years due to the approval of chimeric antigen receptor CAR-T products. Market research indicates that the industry's value is predicted to reach USD 24.4 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.5%. More importantly, ACT is recognized as the hope and future of effective, personalized cancer treatment for healthcare practitioners and patients worldwide. The significant global momentum of this therapeutic approach underscores the urgent need to establish it as a practical and standardized method. It is essential to understand how cell culture conditions affect the expansion and differentiation of T-cells. However, there are ongoing challenges in ensuring the robustness and reproducibility of the manufacturing process. The current study evaluated various adoptive T-cell culture platforms to achieve large-scale production of several billion cells and high-quality cellular output with minimal cell death. It examined factors such as bioreactor parameters, media, supplements and stimulation. This research addresses the fundamental challenges of scalability and reproducibility in manufacturing, which are essential for making adoptive T-cell therapy an accessible and powerful new class of cancer therapeutics., Competing Interests: Author NC was employed by Quintech Life Sciences Pte. Ltd. Authors JS and GK were employed by Tessa Therapeutics Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Selvarajan, Teo, Chang, Ng, Cheong, Sivalingam, Khoo, Wong and Loo.)

Multienzyme systems are essential for utilizing di-, oligo-, and polysaccharides as fuels in enzymatic fuel cells effectively. However, the transfer of electrons generated by one enzymatic reaction in a multienzyme cascade at the electrode may be impeded by other enzymes, potentially hindering the overall efficiency. In this study, carbon paper was first modified by incorporating single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) sequentially. Subsequently, glucose oxidase (GOx) and a trehalase-gelatin mixture were immobilized separately on the nanostructured carbon paper via layer-by-layer adsorption to mitigate the electron transfer hindrance caused by trehalase. The anode was first fabricated by immobilizing GOx and trehalase on the modified carbon paper, and the cathode was then fabricated by immobilizing bilirubin oxidase on the nanostructured electrode. The SWCNTs and AuNPs were distributed adequately on the electrode surface, which improved the electrode performance, as demonstrated by electrochemical and morphological analyses. An enzymatic fuel cell was assembled and tested using trehalose as the fuel, and a maximum power density of 23 μW cm -2 was obtained at a discharge current density of 60 μA cm -2 . The anode exhibited remarkable reusability and stability., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Different stapling techniques have been used recently to address the subpar performance of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in clinical trials with ample focus on α-helical AMPs. In comparison, a systematic evaluation of such strategies on β-hairpin AMPs is lacking. Herein, we report the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a library of all-hydrocarbon-stapled β-hairpin AMPs with variation in key parameters intended as potent therapeutics against drug-resistant pathogens. We observed an interesting interplay between the activity, stability, and structural strength. Single-stapled peptides with a 6-carbon staple at peptide termini such as 5(c 6 ) displayed the most potent activity against colistin-resistant clinical isolates. Using imaging techniques, we observed translocation of 5(c 6 ) across bacterial membranes without causing extensive damage. Overall, we have engineered novel all-hydrocarbon-stapled β-hairpin AMPs with structural and functional proficiency that can effectively combat resistant pathogens, with findings from this study a point of reference for future interests in developing novel β-hairpin AMPs.