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Sarcopenic obesity (SO) represents the confluence of two epidemics-an aging population and an increasing rate of obesity. The two diseases may act synergistically, and SO may significantly affect morbidity and mortality. However, the burden is not defined to drive the policy changes. Hence the present study was done to estimate the prevalence and predictors of SO in India.We did a secondary data analysis of the 72,250 older adults who participated in the first wave of the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (2017-18). Possible sarcopenia was defined as per the guidelines by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) criteria. The modified criterion of overweight and obesity for Asian adults was used to categorize obesity. Presence of both sarcopenia and obesity depicted SO. Weighted analysis was done to estimate the prevalence of SO, and multinomial bivariate logistics regression was used to identify the predictors of SO.The overall prevalence of obesity, sarcopenia, and SO was 27.1%, 41.9%, and 8.7%, respectively. The mean age, weight, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure of adults with SO were significantly higher compared to others. Higher age, urban residence, west and south regions of India, consumption of tobacco or alcohol, no physical activity, and presence of diabetes contribute to SO.The burden of SO seems to be less but amounts to a massive number in an aging country. We stress increased screening of the geriatric age group and advocate increased physical activity and dietary modifications to realize the concept of healthy aging.

Abnormal blood coagulation may lead to venous thromboembolism (VTE), a complex multifactorial disease. Hypoxia (oxygen deprivation) is a major factor disturbing the blood hemostasis and predisposing the body towards coagulation and VTE. Pathophysiology of VTE can be attributed to post-transcriptional gene regulation by microRNAs (miRNAs). The present study identified regulatory miRNAs involved in causing blood coagulation under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Meta-analysis was performed, following PRISMA guidelines, for identifying miRNAs involved in blood coagulation pathway. Studies evaluating miRNAs from circulating blood as potential biomarkers of VTE were selected. A total of 16 studies met selection criteria and 8 having complete statistical information were selected for analysis. Study of blood coagulation mechanism under hypoxic conditions involved in-silico search within highly cited databases to identify miRNAs commonly regulating genes of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) family and coagulation pathway. Further bio-informatics approaches were employed to identify potential biomarker candidates. Meta-analysis revealed a panel of 12 miRNAs; two members of miR-27 family, hsa-miR-27a and hsa-miR-27b; two members of miR-320 family, hsa-miR-320a and hsa-miR-320b, hsa-miR-1233, hsa-miR-134, hsa-miR-424-5p, hsa-miR-221, hsa-miR-28-3p, hsa-miR-136-5p, hsa-miR-374-5p and hsa-miR-338-5p involved in blood coagulation under normoxic conditions. Besides these, present in-silico analysis identified a set of 5 miRNAs including hsa-miR-4667-5p, hsa-miR-6815-3, hsa-miR-4433a-3p, hsa-miR-6735-5p and hsa-miR-6777-3p which predominantly regulate genes that facilitate both coagulation and response to hypoxic stress. The present study generated a panel of regulatory miRNAs potentially involved in the process of blood coagulation under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions, which may serve as putative epigenetic biomarkers for coagulation.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an immune-mediated granulomatous interstitial lung disease (ILD) that results from repeated inhalation of certain antigens. Despite major advances in research, pathophysiology of the disease remains poorly understood. The present study combines metabolomic and transcriptomic data to determine alterations in HP subjects as compared with healthy controls. Metabolic signatures were identified in serum, exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of HP patients using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics. The expression of three metabolites

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel viral disease that spread as a global pandemic in 2020 by infecting millions of people across the world. Its clinical prognosis is dependent on various coagulatory parameters since thrombotic events are frequently associated with infection severity. Methods: A total of 383 COVID-19 patients enrolled in Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital, Delhi, India, were included in the present retrospective study. Patients were divided into three categories, severe (n = 141), moderate (n = 138), and mild (n = 104) based on infection severity. Various thrombotic parameters and anticoagulant levels were measured in 70 patients and further analyzed. Results: Coagulopathy is seen in COVID-19 patients (n = 70) with a significant increase in fibrinogen, D-dimer levels, and prothrombin time in patients with severe and moderate disease compared to patients with a mild infection. Approximately, 70% of patients with severe and moderate disease demonstrated fibrinogen levels higher than the standard reference range. 60.41% of patients with severe disease showed significantly higher D-dimer levels. Thrombotic parameters were notably elevated in the nonsurvivors group compared to COVID-19 survivors. Nearly, 91% of patients with severe infection had anticoagulant protein S levels below the reference range. Conclusion: COVID-19 infection severely impacts the blood coagulation cascade, which might lead to the manifestation of severe symptoms and increased mortality in patients.

The two common progressive lung diseases, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Asthma-COPD overlap, referred to as ACO, is another complex pulmonary disease that manifests itself with features of both asthma and COPD. The disease has no clear diagnostic or therapeutic guidelines, thereby making both diagnosis and treatment challenging. Though a number of studies on ACO have been documented, gaps in knowledge regarding the pathophysiologic mechanism of this disorder exist. Addressing this issue is an urgent need for improved diagnostic and therapeutic management of the disease. Metabolomics, an increasingly popular technique, reveals the pathogenesis of complex diseases and holds promise in biomarker discovery. This comprehensive narrative review, comprising 99 original research articles in the last five years (2017-2022), summarizes the scientific advances in terms of metabolic alterations in patients with asthma, COPD, and ACO. The analytical tools, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), commonly used to study the expression of the metabolome, are discussed. Challenges frequently encountered during metabolite identification and quality assessment are highlighted. Bridging the gap between phenotype and metabotype is envisioned in the future.

Aristolochia, belonging to the family Aristolochiaceae, has immense ecological significance due to its large size and huge geographic distribution. In the context of dealing with a genus with a huge number of species like Aristolochia, these markers come in handy to precisely identify a particular species and enumerate the genetic diversity. Also, certain species of Aristolochia are economically important due to the presence of secondary metabolites and vast use in traditional and modern medicine. But, the presence of profitable biochemical constituents in Aristolochia is very low and the breeding process of the plant is highly dependable on pollinators. Hence, identifying different biotechnological approaches to fasten the reproductive cycle of Aristolochia and increase the secondary metabolites is of great interest to the researchers. In this study, a comprehensive review has been established on different types of morphological/anatomical markers (starch grains with "Maltese cross"), phytochemical markers (aristolochic acid, triterpenoid, aristolactam etc.) and genetic markers (ISSR, SSR, DNA bar-coding) for various Aristolochia spp. We have also discussed the applications of different biotechnological tools in Aristolochia spp. which include discrete approaches to promote in vitro germination, in vitro shooting, root induction, somatic embryogenesis, synthetic seed production, acclimatization and hardening and sustainable production of secondary metabolites. In a nutshell, the present review is a first of kind approach to comprehensively demonstrate the genetic diversity studies and biotechnological aspects in Aristolochia spp. KEY POINTS: • Insights into the in vitro propagation of Aristolochia spp. • In vitro production and optimization of secondary metabolites. • Assessment of genetic diversity by molecular markers.

Integrins are a group of transmembrane glycoprotein receptors that are responsible for platelet activation through bidirectional signalling. These receptors have left their footprints in various cellular events and have intrigued many groups of scientists that have led to some significant discoveries. A lot of the recent understanding of haemostasis has been possible due to the integrins filling the gaps in between several cellular mechanism. Apart from this, other important functions carried out by integrins are growth and maturation of cardiomyocytes, mechano-transduction, and interaction with actin cytoskeleton. The signalling cascade for integrin activation involves certain intracellular interacting proteins, which initiates the step-by-step activation procedure through 'inside-out' signalling. The signalling cascade gets activated through 'outside-in' signalling with the involvement of agonists such as ADP, Fibronectin, Vitronectin, and so on. This is a crucial step for the downstream processes of platelet spreading, followed by aggregation, clot progression and finally thrombus formation. Researchers throughout the world have shown direct relation of integrins with CVD and cardiac remodelling. The present review aims to summarize the information available so far on the involvement of integrins in thrombosis and its relationship to DVT. This information could be a bedrock of hidden answers to several questions on pathogenesis of deep vein thrombosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a debilitating chronic progressive and fibrosing lung disease that culminates in the destruction of alveolar integrity and dismal prognosis. Its etiology is unknown and pathophysiology remains unclear. While great advances have been made in elucidating the pathogenesis mechanism, considerable gaps related to information on pathogenetic pathways and key protein targets involved in the clinical course of the disease exist. These issues need to be addressed for better clinical management of this highly challenging disease. Omics approach has revolutionized the entire area of disease understanding and holds promise in its translation to clinical biomarker discovery. This review outlines the contribution of proteomics towards identification of important biomarkers in IPF in terms of their clinical utility, i.e. prognosis, differential diagnosis, disease progression and treatment monitoring. The major dysregulated pathways associated with IPF are also discussed. Based on numerous proteomics studies on human and animal models, it is proposed that IPF pathogenesis involves complex interactions of several pathways such as oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, unfolded protein response, coagulation system, inflammation, abnormal wounding, fibroblast proliferation, fibrogenesis and deposition of extracellular matrix. These pathways and their key path-changing mediators need further validation in large well-planned multi-centric trials at various geographical locations for successful development of clinical biomarkers of this confounding disease.

The study was aimed to evaluate the performance of a newly developed non-invasive and non-contact bilirubin measurement device (AJO-Neo) as an alternative to the conventional invasive biochemical method of total serum bilirubin (TSB) estimation in preterm and term neonates suffering from hyperbilirubinemia associated with risk factors, and/or undergoing phototherapy. The safety and efficacy of the device were assessed in 1968 neonates with gestational ages ranging from 28 to 41 weeks and suffering from incidences of hyperbilirubinemia. Linear regression analysis showed a good correlation between AJO-Neo and the conventional method of TSB (Pearson’s coefficient, r = 0.79). The small bias (0.27 mg/dL) and limits of agreements (− 3.44 to 3.99 mg/dL) were within the range of clinical acceptance. The device was also precise in the measurement of bilirubin levels in all subgroups of the study. The receiver operator curve (ROC), that takes account of both sensitivity and specificity of a device showed high efficacy of the device (area under the curve, AUC = 0.83) in the detection of bilirubin. While monitoring the bilirubin level during phototherapy, the device indicated promising results showing good agreement with TSB. Specificities and sensitivities of the device indicated a much higher accuracy in neonates with associated risk factors for hyperbilirubinemia. Hence, the newly developed device (AJO-Neo) is reliable in measuring bilirubin level in preterm, and term neonates irrespective of gestational or postnatal age, sex, risk factors, feeding behavior or skin color.

Background: An unique never before public health challenge faces the world with threat of impending disaster. Prevention remains the mainstay as there is no available vaccine or medicine. To interruption transmission social distancing and nationwide lockdown have been imposed. Nevertheless, hooded warriors the health care worker despite odds are working round the clock to save lives risking their own and their immediate families’. Since human perceptions and not medicine determine behaviour the widely utilized health belief model was applied. Objectives: To assess risk perception, precautionary behaviour and vaccination intent among study participants and assess them according to constructs of time-tested health belief model. Methods: 70 eligible family members were studied by telephonic interview and email recorded responses from 14th March to 14th April 2020. Questionnaire was based on HBM. Requisite permission was taken. Results: 67% were females and 42% spouses. Their risk perception and precautionary behaviour was very high. Few had panic attacks. They stopped their related health care workers to attend duties and even isolated them in family settings. Perceived severity, susceptibility was high as was perceived barriers. Perceived benefit was average though unhappy with the given working conditions. Self-efficacy was high after periodic reassurance. Family members practiced effective health communication with their neighbourhood. Discussion: Various studies reiterated similar findings and found avoidance of public places was practiced earlier during outbreaks. Conclusion: Risk perception and precautionary behaviour was very high among family members. Applied model revealed perceived threats to be higher than perceived benefits leading to stress reactions in family. Fears of increased vulnerability was addressed with reassurance from their respective health care workers in family increasing self-efficacy.However a larger study is recommended with special ment

Outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019 affected millions of people globally. After substantial research, there is no specific and reliable biomarker available till date. Present study was designed to identify specific biomarkers to predict COVID-19 severity and tool for formulating treatment. A small cohort of subjects (n=43) were enrolled and categorized in four study groups; Dead (n=16), Severe (n=10) and Moderate (n=7) patients and healthy controls (n=10). Small RNA sequencing was done on Illumina platform after isolation of microRNA from peripheral blood. Differential expression (DE) of miRNA (patients groups compared to control) revealed 118 down-regulated and 103 up-regulated known miRNAs with fold change (FC) expression ≥2 folds and p≤0.05. DE miRNAs were then subjected to functional enrichment and network analysis. Bioinformatic analysis resulted in 31 miRNAs (24 Down-regulated; 7 up-regulated) significantly associated with COVID-19 having AUC>0.8 obtained from ROC curve. Seventeen out of 31 DE miRNAs have been linked to COVID-19 in previous studies. Three miRNAs, hsa-miR-147b-5p and hsa-miR-107 (down-regulated) and hsa-miR-1299 (up-regulated) showed significant unique DE in Dead patients. Another set of 4 miRNAs, hsa-miR-224-5p (down-regulated) and hsa-miR-4659b-3p, hsa-miR-495-3p and hsa-miR-335-3p were differentially up-regulated uniquely in Severe patients. Members of three miRNA families, hsa-miR-20, hsa-miR-32 and hsa-miR-548 were significantly down-regulated in all patients group in comparison to healthy controls. Thus a distinct miRNA expression profile was observed in Dead, Severe and Moderate COVID-19 patients. Present study suggests a panel of miRNAs which identified in COVID-19 patients and could be utilized as potential diagnostic biomarkers for predicting COVID-19 severity.

Background: Heart failure is associated with a restrictive spirometry pattern, but limited data is available on the relation of subclinical measures of pulmonary function to cardiac function. We sought to explore such associations in a population-based cohort study as well as metabolic factors commonly associated with such measures. Methods: Participants of the population-based Swedish cohort study SCAPIS-Malmö (age 50-64) underwent spirometry (n=6251), of which random subsets also underwent echocardiograpy (n=1885) and untargeted plasma metabolite profiling (n=3,986). The association of spirometric (FEV1, FVC, DLCO) and echocardiographic parameters (E/E', stroke volume [SV], systolic pulmonary arterial pressure [sPAP]) were examined using multivariable-adjusted regression models and cubic spline functions.Metabolites were tested for association with spirometric and echocardiographic parameters with adjustment for age, sex, bmi, smoking, eGFR, diabetes, hypertension, COPD, asthma, and heart failure. Results: After adjustment for smoking and other established risk factors, lower FEV1, FVC and DLCO remained associated with higher E/E', sPAP, and lower SV (p Discussion: In this contemporary, middle-aged cohort with low prevalence of manifest cardiac or pulmonary disease we observed associations between lower lung volumes and CO diffusion capacity with restrictive cardiac filling. Furthermore, our findings nominate metabolic factors that associate with both cardiac and pulmonary function, suggestive of shared pathophysiological processes.

Introduction: The use of medications in the general population has increased over time. Information on active metabolite concentrations for common drugs in the general population is limited. Recent advances in metabolomic technologies have made high-throughput profiling of many active metabolites in large epidemiological cohorts increasingly feasible. Aim: 1. Prospective assessment of the proportion of measurable active metabolite levels of major drugs in the general population using mass spectrometry. 2. Relation of cardiovascular (CV) drugs with inadequate risk factor control and CV disease. Methods: Assessment of CV risk factors by coronary CT angiography and carotid ultrasound imaging in a large prospective cohort of 6,251 individuals randomly selected from the general population in Malmö, Sweden (age 50-64 years). Untargeted metabolomic profiling of fasting plasma was performed by Metabolon, USA in a random subset of 3,986 subjects. Results: Intake of at least one prescribed drug was reported in 1840 subjects (46%). Combination drugs were reported in 249 subjects (6%). The most common drug classes reported were lipid-lowering (n=369, 9% of which most were statins), beta blockers (n=307, 8%), ARB (n=272, 7%), and ACE inhibitors (268, 7%), followed by levothyroxine, CCB, antidepressants, glucocorticoids, PPI, antidiabetic, bronchodilators and diuretics. For major CV drugs, detectable active metabolite levels ranged from 54% (atorvastatin and enalapril) to 96% (metoprolol and metformin). Non-detectable levels of lipid-lowering, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic drugs were associated with higher LDL, cholesterol, BP and glucose, although only antidiabetic drugs were significant (p Conclusion: Our study provides an overview of the distribution of common drugs with detectable levels in a contemporary Swedish population. Pharmacometabolomic profiling revealed that non-measurable levels of common CV drugs were associated with lower risk factor control and non-significant trends towards more atherosclerotic disease by imaging in a substantial number of subjects.

Background: Imprisonment, like other forms of incarceration, is a significant stressful event in an individual's life. Stress and depression are two major psychological problems among the prison population. The study was planned to determine pattern of depression and associated factors among the inmates of correctional homes.Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted at three correctional homes situated in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India in between 2019 to 2020. Census inmate population fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included maintaining their voluntary participation, anonymity and confidentiality. Assessment of depression was done using patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9).Results: All the inmates had depression; mild depression was noted among 31.8%, minimal and moderate (both 25.8%) and moderately severe depression among 13.9% of the inmates. Certain risk factors were associated statistically significant with depression viz. the proportion of inmates with moderate to severe depression was lower in hilly areas (13.1%); higher among the under-trial inmates (41.3%); higher among the age group ≤20 years (56.5%); higher among the unmarried/separated/divorced inmates (48.8%). However, the proportion of moderate to severe depression was slightly higher among females (46.4%) and inmates having period of imprisonment ≤12 months (38.9%) which were not statistically significant.Conclusions: The study results call for modification of orientations to diagnose depression for clinical evaluation and interventions to help them back in mainstream population.

Background: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus, is a major health concern that affects people around the world, and is increasing yearly. When blood glucose levels go below normal, a condition known as hypoglycemia, an immediate consequence of diabetes mellitus, occurs. The International Diabetes Federation reported that there were 451 million diabetics globally in 2017 and by 2045, it is anticipated that there will be 693 million. The objective of this study was to assess the level of knowledge of diabetic patient regarding hypoglycaemia and to find out the association between the levels of knowledge of diabetic patient on hypoglycaemia with their selected demographic variable.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study, was carried out in the month of June 2022. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview 100 study participants who were diabetes patients who had been admitted to the medical ward and who had visited the endocrinology outpatient department.Results: 52% of the samples had fair knowledge on hypoglycemia, while 23% of them had poor knowledge. Demographic variable such as age, income, treatment, frequency of taking medicine, experience of symptoms of hypoglycemia and dietary habit were statistically significant with the level of knowledge, p

Childhood pneumonia is one of the leading causes of mortality among under-five children. It is responsible for 15% of all deaths of children U5, killing 808,694 children in 2017 (1). Traditional visual inspection and manual count method is used to detect and classify fast-breathing, a key indicator of Pneumonia. In response to UNICEF's call for a reliable diagnostic tool, Philips was the first to respond with the Children's Automatic Respiratory Monitor for measuring fast breathing objectively.UNICEF and Philips Foundation initiated a field study to test the acceptability, usability and efficacy of the Automatic Respiratory Monitor in Determining Fast Breathing in low resource setting environments.Philips Foundation partnered up with the Directorate of Medical Education in West Bengal, India to conduct the field study amongst community healthcare workers and beneficiaries in a rural district of West Bengal. In collaboration with North Bengal Medical CollegeHospital, a community-based study was conducted in a tribal tea garden of Naxalbari block.Acceptability and usability of the device was assessed through structtured interviews and dialogues with community health workers (CHWs), caregivers and local healthcare practitioners. Efficacy of the device was represented by the inter-rater agreement between the traditional visual inspection and manual count method and the device reading.A descriptive community based mixed method study was conducted. Satisfaction among community healthcare workers (CHWs) and beneficiaries was found to be promising across all study parameters.The paper captures the study methods, statistical analysis of the data, the conclusions, areas of further research and recommends community-wide use of the device in objectively measuring fast breathing among children under the age of five years.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) associated pulmonary hypertension (COPD-PH), one of the most prevalent forms of PH, is a major burden on the healthcare system. Although PH in COPD is usually of mild-to-moderate severity, its presence is associated with shorter survival, more frequent exacerbations and worse clinical outcomes. The pathophysiologic mechanisms responsible for PH development in COPD patients remain unclear. It is envisioned that a better understanding of the underlying mechanism will help in diagnosis and future treatment strategies. The present study aims to determine metabolomic alterations in COPD-PH patients as compared to healthy controls. Additionally, to ensure that the dysregulated metabolites arise due to the presence of PH per se, an independent COPD cohort is included for comparison purposes. Paired serum and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) samples were collected from male patients with COPD-PH (n = 60) in accordance with the 2015 European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) guidelines. Age, sex and BMI matched healthy controls (n = 57) and COPD patients (n = 59) were recruited for comparison purposes. All samples were characterized using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Fifteen serum and 9 EBC metabolites were found to be significantly altered in COPD-PH patients as compared to healthy controls. Lactate and pyruvate were dysregulated in both the biofluids and were further correlated with echocardiographic systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP). Multivariate analysis showed distinct class separation between COPD-PH and COPD. The findings of this study indicate an increased energy demand in patients with COPD-PH. Furthermore, both lactate and pyruvate correlate with sPAP, indicating their importance in the clinical course of the disease.

Introduction: Martial arts has remained an age old tradition of boosting confidence and increasing self esteem. Apart from self defence it is a well known sports which requires skill, Revised curriculum in foundation course for undergraduate medical students has incorporated it as an integral part of learning. Objective: Hence a daylong workshop was planned in North Bengal Medical College to assess outcome among students primarily Methods: Experts of the field were invited and they held a hands on workshop teaching them basic skills apart from enlightening the theoretical aspect and importance. 84 female students could be studied using questionnaire. A pre-test and post-test assessment was done on few relevant issues. Dean of student affairs was interviewed in depth for his experience on the issue. Results: 63.5% students opined they benefitted. A significant difference was noted in responses of fears faced and confidence to face the world. It would empower women more and inspire them to be self-reliant was opined by the Dean. Students and trainers were satisfied with the experience and placed demand for further workshop of similar kind or provision of regular coaching class. Conclusion: The study concluded that martial arts training are empowering and help in increasing self confidence. It should be made an integral part of learning and incorporated judiciously in the curriculum.

Development of resistance poses a significant challenge to effective first-line platinum based therapy for epithelial ovarian cancer patients. Cancer Stem Cells are envisaged as a critical underlying factor for therapy resistance. Thus, there is a critical need for developing approaches to diminish the enrichment of cancer stem cells and acquirement of resistance. Administration of metformin, a commonly prescribed drug against Type II diabetes exhibited promising effect in the management of ovarian cancer. However, the effect of long term administration of low dose of metformin as an adjuvant to cisplatin and paclitaxel during acquirement of chemoresistant phenotype has not been investigated so far. Using two isogenic cellular chemoresistant models (A2780 and OAW42) developed in the presence or absence of metformin, we demonstrated the ability of metformin to impede the development of resistance through increased drug sensitivity, increased proliferation, and reduced migratory abilities of the resistant cells. Metformin introduction also decreased the cancer stem cell population, expression of specific biomarkers and pluripotent genes. Further metabolic profiling of these cells using 1H-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy revealed significant modulation in taurine and histidine levels in resistant cells developed in the presence of metformin. Intriguingly, taurine treatment considerably reduced the cancer stem cell population and chemoresistance in resistant cells, indicating a novel role of taurine in differentiation of ovarian cancer stem cells. Altogether this is the first report on the potential role of metformin for targeting the cancer stem cell population via up regulation of taurine, leading to impediment in the acquirement of chemoresistance.

Nowadays locoregional therapy for cancer treatment can be associated with nanocomposite drug delivery systems. Coated nanoparticles have versatile applications for delivering chemotherapeutic drugs to the targeted part of the body. In this study, a ceramic carrier like nanosized hydroxyapatite (HAp) was synthesized by the in situ precipitation method followed by coating with anticancer drug like doxorubicin (DOX) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer. The physicochemical characterization of the prepared polymer-coated drug ceramic nanocomposite (DOX-HAp-PVA) was carried out using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron spectroscopy, and particle size distribution. Furthermore, the biocompatibility and the anticancer activity of the nanocomposite were explored by MTT assay study. Successfully synthesized DOX-HAp-PVA nanocomposite exhibited a remarkable cytotoxicity toward osteosarcoma cells (MG 63), which may be potentially used as an anticancer agent against osteosarcoma.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are the two most common obstructive lung diseases which affects millions worldwide and impose an enormous burden on global healthcare. The overlapping features shared by these two diseases often make differential diagnosis difficult to achieve, leading to misdiagnosis of these patients. Both asthma and COPD are associated with chronic inflammation of the airways which is perpetuated by the interplay between immunological mediators. The crucial role played by these mediators make them attractive targets for disease diagnosis. The present study investigates the immunological mediator profile in these patients as compared with controls. Further, a potential biomarker for the development of a sensing platform is identified. Multiplexed analysis of 8 commonly studied immunological markers (IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-13, TGF-β, IFN-γ, MCP-1 and NGAL) in serum showed distinct dysregulation pattern, with IL-13 showing the highest potential for differential diagnosis. An impedimetric self-assembled monolayer (SAM) based sensor for detecting IL-13 is developed to distinguish between asthma and COPD. The device shows reliable output with high accuracy and sensitivity towards the detection of IL-13.