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A cross-sectional, school based study was carried out in a rural area to assess the nutritional status among the adolescents in the age group of 10-15 years. Out of 321 study subjects, 178 (55.5%) were boys and 143(44.5%) were girls. The height correlated positively with age and increased with the increase in age in boys and girls. In present study the prevalence of stunting in 10-15years age group was 16.9% among boys and 6.3% in girls with an overall prevalence of 11.6%. In the present study the prevalence of thinness was 41.6% in boys and 28.1% in girls, with overall prevalence of 34.8%. There was statistically highly significant association between socioeconomic status and prevalence of stunting and thinness. Regular health check-up with concerted effort towards nutrition along with focused health education can improve the health and nutritional status of these school going rural adolescents.

Bacteria of the genus Salmonella are highly adapted for the growth in both humans and animals and cause a wide spectrum of disease. The growth of Serotypes S. typhi and S. paratyphi is restricted to human hosts, in whom these organisms cause enteric (typhoid) fever. The remaining Serotypes (non typhoidal Salmonella or NTS) can colonize the gastrointestinal tracts of the broad range of animals, including mammals, reptiles, birds and insects. The usual clinical presentation of non-typhoidal salmonellae (NTS) infection is self limited gastroenteritis; however bacteremia and focal extra intestinal infection may occur. However salmonella localization to the skin presenting as cutaneous ulceration is regarded as a rare event. Rates of morbidity and mortality associated with NTS are highest among the elderly, infants, and immunocompromised individuals, including those with hemoglobinopathies, HIV infection, or infections that cause blockade of the reticuloendothelial system. We isolated S.infantis in 50 years old man with left leg cellulitis. The serotype was confirmed at Central Research Institute, Kasauli.

Introduction: Soil salinity poses a severe threat to rice production, resulting in stunted growth, leaf damage, and substantial yield losses. This study focuses on developing an early maturing seedling stage salinity tolerant rice variety by integrating conventional breeding methods with marker assisted breeding (MAB) approaches.Methods: Seedling-stage salinity tolerance Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) “Saltol” from the salt-tolerant parent FL478 was introduced into the high-yielding but salt-sensitive rice variety ADT 45. This was achieved through a combination of conventional breeding and MAB. The breeding process involved rigorous selection, screening, and physiological parameter assessments.Results: KKL(R) 3 (KR 15066) identified as the top performing Recombinant Inbred Line (RIL), consistently demonstrating maximum mean grain yields under both salinity (3435.6 kg/ha) and normal (6421.8 kg/ha) conditions. In comparison to the early maturing, salt-tolerant national check variety CSR 10, KKL(R) 3 exhibited a substantial yield increase over 50%.Discussion: The notable improvement observed in KKL(R) 3 positions it as a promising variety for release, offering a reliable solution to maximize yields, ensure food security, and promote agricultural sustainability in both saline and non-saline environments. The study highlights the effectiveness of MAB in developing salt-tolerant rice varieties and emphasizes the significance of the Saltol QTL in enhancing seedling stage salinity tolerance. The potential release of KKL(R) 3 has the capacity to revolutionize rice production in salt affected regions, providing farmers with a reliable solution to maximize yields and contribute to food security while ensuring agricultural sustainability.

Hemangioma is a proliferating mass of blood vessels. Its occurrence in gingiva is rare. The diagnosis and treatment of hemangioma is complex, and any attempt to carry out biopsy/surgical excision may lead to fatal consequences due to severe hemorrhage. A rare case of gingival hemangioma with port wine nevi of face is reported. The case is of periodontal interest because the lesion occurred on the gingiva, a reliable diagnostic approach (Ultrasound Spectra Doppler Flow) was used and a conservative treatment using a sclerosing agent was employed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To determine the effectiveness of a sanitation campaign that combines 'shaming' (i.e. emotional motivators) with subsidies for poor households in rural Orissa, an Indian state with a disproportionately high share of India's child mortality. Methods Using a cluster-randomized design, we selected 20 treatment and 20 control villages in the coastal district of Bhadrak, rural Orissa, for a total sample of 1050 households. We collected sanitation and health data before and after a community-led sanitation project, and we used a difference-in-difference estimator to determine the extent to which the campaign influenced the number of households building and using a latrine. Findings Latrine ownership did not increase in control villages, but in treatment villages it rose from 6% to 32% in the overall sample, from 5% to 36% in households below the poverty line (eligible for a government subsidy) and from 7% to 26% in households above the poverty line (not eligible for a government subsidy). Conclusion Subsidies can overcome serious budget constraints but are not necessary to spur action, for shaming can be very effective by harnessing the power of social pressure and peer monitoring. Through a combination of shaming and subsidies, social marketing can improve sanitation worldwide. Copyright © 2009 World Health Organization [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen responsible for various healthcare-related infections, which are difficult to treat due to intrinsic and acquired resistance. This study aimed to investigate AmpC β-lactamase production using phenotypic and genotypic methods in Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from a tertiary care hospital in Karad, Maharashtra, India. Material and methods Over one year, a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Microbiology, Krishna Institute Medical Sciences, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Karad. Phenotypic detection of AmpC beta-lactamase was performed using the Cefoxitin-Cloxacillin Double-Disc Synergy Test method, and genotypic detection was conducted using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the bla Pseudomonas -derived cephalosporinases (PDC) and bla cephamycinase (CMY) genes. Results Out of 205 clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa , 110 (53.66%) showed AmpC production phenotypically, while 86 (41.95%) were positive genotypically. The blaPDC gene was detected in 36.10% of isolates, and the blaCMY gene in 10.73% of isolates. Conclusions The study findings indicate that AmpC-β-lactamase stands out as the primary resistance mechanism in strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa  isolated from the hospital. PCR study concluded that blaPDC (36.10 %) was the leading gene responsible for AmpC synthesis among study isolates. Early detection of AmpC beta-lactamase production by employing phenotypic and genotypic methods is crucial for detecting antibiotic resistance. This dual approach enables healthcare professionals to decide on the most effective antibiotics and mitigate the development of resistance., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. INSTITUTIONAL ETHICS COMMITTEE OF KRISHNA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES KRISHNA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES "DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY", KARAD. issued approval 393/2020-2021. The authors declare that this study was conducted following ethical standards and received approval from the institutional ethics committee of the Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences “Deemed to be University”, Karad, through protocol number 393/2020-2021. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Yadav et al.)

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as promising materials for triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), but the effects of ligand choice on triboelectric charge remain underexplored. Hence, this paper demonstrates the effect of single, binary, and ternary ligands on TENG performance of cobalt/cerium-based (Co─Ce) bimetallic MOFs utilizing 2-methylimidazole (2Melm), terephthalic acid (BDC), and benzene tricarboxylic acid (BTC) as ligands. The detailed structural characterization revealed that varying ligand chemistries led to distinct MOF features affecting TENG performance. Single ligand bimetallic MOFs (designated as CoCe-2MeIm, CoCe-BDC, CoCe-BTC) has lower performance than binary ligand (designated as CoCe-2MeIm-BDC, CoCe-2MeIm-BTC, CoCe-BDC-BTC) and ternary ligand MOFs (designated as CoCe-2MeIm-BDC-BTC). Among all, the binary ligand MOF, CoCe-2MeIm-BTC, shows the best results (598 V, 26.7 µA) due to the combined effect of imidazole ring and (─COO─) groups. This is attributed to lone pairs on nitrogen atoms and a delocalized π-electron system in imidazole system in this material. CoCe-BTC has the lowest results (31 V, 3.2 µA) due to the bulkier nature of the electron-withdrawing (─COO─) groups and their impact on the π-electron system of the benzene ring. This study showcases the potential of ligand chemistry manipulation to control triboelectric charge and thereby enhance MOF-based TENG performance., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Iron nanoparticles comprise a significant class of inorganic nanoparticles, which discover applications in various zones by prudence of their few exciting properties. This study achieved the green synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) by black cumin seed (Nigella sativa) extract, which acts as a reducing and capping agent. The iron nanoparticles and black cumin extract were synthesized in three different concentrations: (01:01, 02:04,01:04). UV-visible spectroscopy, XRD, FTIR, and AFM characterized the synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles. UV-visible spectra show the maximum absorbance peak of 01:01 concentration at 380 nm. The other concentrations, such as 02:04, peaked at 400 nm and 01:04 at 680 nm, confirming the formation of iron oxide nanoparticles. AFM analysis reveals the spherical shape of iron oxide nanoparticles. The XRD spectra reveal the (fcc) cubic crystal structure of the iron oxide nanoparticles. The FTIR analysis's peaks at 457.13, 455.20, and 457.13 cm-1 depict the characteristic iron nanoparticle synthesis. The black cumin extract-mediated iron oxide nanoparticles show substantial antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in a dose-dependent manner., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The demand for orthodontic treatment among adults has witnessed a substantial rise in recent years. This study aims to explore the complexities of adult orthodontics, focusing on challenges faced, treatment outcomes, and the influence of factors such as age, gender, and education on patient compliance and satisfaction., Methods: A multi-dimensional approach was employed, combining a review of clinical records with structured patient surveys. Descriptive statistics summarized demographic characteristics, treatment duration, and orthodontic problems addressed. Inferential statistics included Pearson correlation, Chi-squared tests, and analysis of variance to examine age compliance, gendersatisfaction, and education-orthodontic problem relationships. Qualitative analysis enriched findings, and statistical software facilitated data processing., Results: The analysis revealed a statistically significant negative correlation between age and compliance ( r = -0.28, P < 0.05), indicating that younger participants demonstrated higher compliance rates. Gender emerged as a significant factor influencing patient satisfaction ( P = 0.024), with females reporting notably higher levels of satisfaction than males. Furthermore, participants with advanced education levels (Master's/Ph.D.) were significantly more likely to have orthodontic issues related to malocclusion ( P = 0.041)., Conclusion: The study provides an insight into the multi-dimensional aspects of adult orthodontics, recognizing the challenges, compliance, and satisfaction levels. Tailored approaches considering age, gender, and education are essential. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of orthodontic treatment in adults and its potential implications for enhanced patient care., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Orthodontic Science.)

Practical application of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) has been challenging, particularly, under harsh environmental conditions. This work proposes a novel 3D-fused aromatic ladder (FAL) structure as a tribo-positive material for TENGs, to address these challenges. The 3D-FAL offers a unique materials engineering platform for tailored properties, such as high specific surface area and porosity, good thermal and mechanical stability, and tunable electronic properties. The fabricated 3D-FAL-based TENG reaches a maximum peak power density of 451.2 µW cm -2 at 5 Hz frequency. More importantly, the 3D-FAL-based TENG maintains stable output performance under harsh operating environments, over wide temperature (-45-100 °C) and humidity ranges (8.3-96.7% RH), representing the development of novel FAL for sustainable energy generation under challenging environmental conditions. Furthermore, the 3D-FAL-based TENG proves to be a promising device for a speed monitoring system engaging reconstruction in virtual reality in a snowy environment., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Introduction: In South Asia, younger women have high rates of unmet need for family planning and low empowerment. Life skills interventions can equip young women with agency, but the effectiveness of these interventions in reproductive and sexual autonomy and contraception has not been examined., Methods and Analysis: A two-arm, parallel, cluster randomised controlled trial will evaluate the impact of TARANG (Transforming Actions for Reaching and Nurturing Gender Equity and Empowerment), a life skills and reproductive health empowerment group-based intervention for newly married women, compared with usual services in the community in rural and tribal Rajasthan, India. TARANG will also provide light-touch sessions to husbands and mothers-in-law of newly married women. We will test the impact of TARANG in 80 village clusters among 800 eligible households comprising newly married women aged 18-25 years who are at risk of pregnancy but do not want a pregnancy within 1 year at the time of enrolment, their husbands and mothers-in-law who consent to participate. Women in the intervention villages will receive 14 sessions over a 6-month period, while husbands and mothers-in-law will receive 1 and 4 sessions (respectively) each. Three rounds of surveys will be collected over 18 months. Control villages will receive the intervention after the endline surveys. Primary outcomes include rate of unintended pregnancy and modern contraceptive use. We plan to start recruitment of participants and data collection in April 2024. We will estimate unadjusted and adjusted intention-to-treat effects using survival analysis and mixed models., Ethics and Dissemination: Study protocols have been reviewed and approved by the human subjects review boards at the University of California, San Francisco, and the Centre for Media Studies, India (IRB00006230) and ACE Independent Ethics Committee, Bangalore (NET0062022). Results will be disseminated in international peer-reviewed journals and conferences, to stakeholders including local government and non-governmental organisations, and directly to the communities and individuals that participated in the intervention., Trial Registration Number: NCT06024616., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

In recent years, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have garnered considerable attention as a promising material for biomedical applications because of their unique optical and biological properties. In this study, CQDs were derived from the leaves of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Linn. via microwave-assisted technique and characterized using different techniques such as ultraviolet-visible, Fourier transform infrared, fluorescence spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Subsequently, their potential for biomedical applications was investigated through in vitro assays assessing scratch healing, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and cytotoxicity properties. It was found that the CQDs were fluorescent, polycrystalline, quasi-spherical, ~ 12 nm in size with presence of -OH and -COOH groups on their negatively charged surfaces, and demonstrated good anti-inflammatory by inhibiting protein denaturation, cyclooxygenase-2 and regulating inflammatory cytokines. The CQDs also exhibited antimicrobial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Bacillus cereus, good biocompatibility, along with excellent promotion of cell proliferation in vitro, indicating their potential as a anti-inflammatory and wound healing material. The properties were more enhanced than their precursor, H. rosa-sinensis leaf extract. Hence, the CQDs synthesized from the leaves of H. rosa-sinensis can serve as a potential biomedical agent., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) holds significant promise for transforming healthcare delivery, including dentistry. However, the successful integration of AI into dental practice necessitates an understanding of dental professionals' perspectives, attitudes, and readiness to adopt AI technology. This study aimed to explore dental professionals' perceptions, attitudes, and practices regarding AI adoption in dentistry., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 256 dental professionals using an online questionnaire. Participants were assessed for familiarity with AI technology, perceived barriers to adoption, attitudes towards AI, current usage patterns, and factors influencing adoption decisions. Data are analysed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Inferential statistics, such as chi-square tests and regression analysis, were employed to examine associations between variables and identify predictors of AI adoption in dentistry., Results: The study surveyed 256 dental professionals from various regions across India, primarily aged 30 to 50 years (mean age: 42.6), with a nearly equal gender split (male: 48.4%, female: 51.6%) and high educational attainment (67.8% with master's or doctoral degrees). Private practices were predominant (56.3%). The diagnostic algorithms and treatment planning software were well known (77.3% and 70.3% familiarity, respectively). Technical concerns (average score: 3.82 ± 0.68) were the main barriers to AI adoption, followed by financial considerations (average score: 3.45 ± 0.72), ethical and legal issues (average score: 3.21 ± 0.65), and organizational factors (average score: 3.67 ± 0.71). Despite these concerns, most participants had positive attitudes towards AI (70.3% agreed). Current usage varied, with diagnostic support and administrative tasks being the most common (44.5% and 82.8% usage, respectively). Perceived utility (average score: 4.12 ± 0.75) and ease of use (average score: 3.98 ± 0.69) significantly influenced adoption, as identified by regression analysis (perceived utility: β = 0.342, p < 0.001; ease of use: β = 0.267, p = 0.005)., Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights into AI adoption in dentistry, highlighting the multifaceted nature of barriers and facilitators that influence dental professionals' adoption decisions. Strategies to promote AI adoption should address practical considerations, ethical concerns, and educational needs to facilitate the integration of AI technology into dental practices., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Royapuram Parthasarathy et al.)

Background: Improving family planning and maternal health outcomes are critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. While evidence on the effectiveness of government-driven public health programs is extensive, more research is needed on effectiveness of private-sector interventions, especially in low- and middle-income countries. We evaluated the impacts of a commercial social-franchising and social-marketing program - Tiko Platform - which created a local ecosystem of health promoters, healthcare providers, pharmacies, stockists/wholesalers, and lifestyle shops. It provided economic incentives through discounts and reward points to nudge health-seeking behaviors from enrolled women consumers/beneficiaries., Methods: An ex-post facto evaluation was commissioned, and we employed a quasi-experimental design to compare outcomes related to the use of family planning, and antenatal and postnatal services between users and non-users who had registered for Tiko in three North Indian cities. Between March and April 2021, 1514 married women were surveyed, and outcome indicators were constructed based on recall. Despite statistical approaches to control for confounding, the effect of COVID-19 lockdown on Tiko operations and methodological limitations preclude inferring causality or arguing generalizability., Results: We found a strong association between the use of the Tiko platform and the current use of temporary modern contraceptives [non-users: 9.5%, effect: +9.4 percentage points (pp), p-value < 0.001], consumption of 100 or more iron-folic-acid tablets during pregnancy [non-users: 25.5%, effect: +14 pp, p-value < 0.001], receiving four or more antenatal check-ups [non-users: 18.3%, effect: +11.3 pp, p-value 0.007], and receiving postnatal check-up within six weeks of birth [non-users: 50.9%, effect: +7.5 pp, p-value 0.091]. No associations were found between the use of the Tiko platform and the current use of any type of contraceptive (temporary, permanent, or rudimentary). Effects were pronounced when a community health worker of the National Health Mission also worked as a health promoter for the Tiko Platform., Conclusion: Commercial interventions that harness market-driven approaches of incentives, social marketing, and social franchising improved family planning and maternal health practices through higher utilization of private market providers while maintaining access to government health services. Findings support a unifying approach to public health without separating government versus private services, but more rigorous and generalizable research is needed., Trial Registration: NCT05725278 at clinicaltrials.gov (retrospective); 13/02/2023., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Mandibular first premolars are familiar with their varied root canal morphology, causing difficulties and challenges for successful endodontic procedures. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to study the characterization of root and canal morphology of the first mandibular premolar using micro-computed tomography., Methodology: The literature search was conducted using electronic web databases like PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect and Cochrane with the chosen MeSH key words and data was retrieved until May 2023. Further to perform the statistical analysis, R v 4.3.1 software with "meta", 'metafor" "metaviz" " ggplot2" package was used, and results were represented by odds ratios (OR) and the percentage of forest plots along a 95 per cent confidence interval (CI)., Results: The total number of studies meeting the inclusion criteria was 13; these studies were conducted on mandibular first premolar using Micro-CT; the total sample size was 1817. To scan the sample, an X-ray micro-focus CT system (Siemens Inveon CT, Erlangen, Germany) was used in four studies and seven different machines were used in the respective studies. Mimics 10.01 software (Materialize, Leuven, Belgium) and NRecon v.1.6.9 software (Bruker, Kontich, Belgium) were commonly operated. The minimum and maximum voxel size ranges between 11.94 and 50 μm. Vertucci's classification was frequently used (9), while one study applied Ahmed et al. and Vertucci's classification., Conclusion: This systematic review provides essential information about the root and canal configurations, radicular grooves, accessory canals, and apical foramina through Micro-CT, aiming to improve the accuracy of endodontic treatment and help practitioners., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Nanomedicine has emerged as a revolutionary regimen for moderating communicable as well as non-communicable diseases., Purpose: This study demonstrated the phytosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using M. citrifolia leaf extract (MC-AgNPs) and their in vitro antioxidant, antibacterial and anticancer potential., Materials and Methods: The Biosynthesis of MC-AgNPs was studied by spectroscopy and characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD and FTIR analysis. The antibacterial activity was checked by minimum inhibition concentration assay. The HeLa and MCF-7 cancer cell lines were used to explore the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity activity of biogenic MC-AgNPs., Results: The free radical scavenging potential of MC-AgNPs was studied by in vitro DPPH and ABTS assays, which confirmed significant radical scavenging activity in a dose-dependent manner with IC50 of 17.70 ± 0.36 μg/mL for DPPH and 13.37 ± 3.15 μg/mL for ABTS radicals. The bactericidal effects of MC-AgNPs confirmed by MIC showed 0.1 mg/mL concentration of MC-AgNPs with greater sensitivity for E.coli (93.33 ± 0.89), followed by K. pneumoniae (90.99 ± 0.57), S. aureus (87.26 ± 2.80) and P. aeruginosa strains (44.68 ± 0.73). The cytotoxicity results depicted strong dose and timedependent toxicity of biogenic MC-AgNPs against cancer cell lines fifty percent inhibitory concentration MC-AgNPs against HeLa cells were 13.56 ± 1.22 μg/mL after 24h and 5.57 ± 0.12 μg/mL after 48 h exposure, likewise 16.86 ± 0.88 μg/mL and 11.60 ± 0.97 μg/mL respectively for MCF-7 cells., Conclusions: The present study revealed the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using M. citrifolia and their significant antioxidant, antibacterial and anticancer activities., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: Cytochrome P450 (CYP) comprises a group of phase-I metabolizing enzymes that are important in xenobiotics metabolism. Genetic polymorphism of CYPs has been comprehensively studied for their association with a range of diseases. In this study, we assessed single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of CYP1A, CYP1B, CYP2B, and CYP2C and their role in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer susceptibility in the rural population of Maharashtra., Materials and Methods: In this hospital-based case-control study, the association of polymorphism of CYP genes was studied by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The study subjects included 200 clinically confirmed GI cancer patients and equal number of healthy controls. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and P value were evaluated to find out the level of association, where P ≤ 0.005 was considered statistically significant., Results: After the analysis of CYP1A1*2A (rs4646903), CYP1B1*3 (rs1059836), CYP2B6*5 (rs3211371), CYP2C8*2 (rs11572103), CYP2C9*2 (rs1799853), and CYP2C9*3 (rs1057910), we noticed that variant (T) allele of CYP2B6*5 possessed significantly elevated risk (OR = 4.43; 95% CI: 2.20-8.90; P < 0.0001) of GI cancer in studied population. The genotypic distribution of G/C heterozygote allele of CYP1B1*3 (OR = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.12-0.32; P < 0.0001) and homozygous variant C/C allele (OR = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.13-0.45; P < 0.0001) showed a negative association with the development of GI cancer., Conclusion: The findings from this study supported that polymorphism of CYP2B6*5gene may be involved in the development of GI cancer. However, other SNPs of CYP1A, CYP1B, and CYP2C genes did not signify the risk for GI cancer in the studied population of rural Maharashtra., (Copyright © 2023 Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics.)

Background: The antioxidant enzymes are important cellular components involved in detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protect cells from ROS induced oxidative damage. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of antioxidant enzyme coding genes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) may alter the enzyme activity which can influence susceptibility towards carcinogenesis.  Therefore, the present study was planned to investigate possible SNPs of SOD (SOD1 (Cu,Zn-SOD), SOD2(Mn-SOD), SOD3(EC-SOD) and CAT genes and their possible association with breast cancer risk in rural Indian women., Methods: In this case-control study, the association of SOD and CAT gene polymorphism was studied by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The study was conducted among 400 clinically breast cancer patients and 400 healthy women in a population of South-Western Maharashtra. The logistic regression analysis was carried out to calculate Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval and p-value, where p ≤0.05 was considered as statistically significant., Results: The results of analysis of genotype frequency distribution showed significant association of rs4880 SNP of Mn-SOD with BC risk at homozygous variant (CC/CC) genotype (OR 2.46; 95%CI, 1.61-3.75; p<0.0001) and corresponding frequency of variant (C) allele (OR 1.53; 95%CI, 1.25-1.86; p<0.0001). In CAT gene polymorphisms the variant (T/T) was increased significantly in BC cases as compared to controls (OR 3.45; 95%CI, 2.17-5.50; p<0.0001) along with its variant (T) allele (OR 2.01; 95%CI, 1.63-2.48; p<0.0001)., Conclusions: The results implied that, C/C genotype of SOD2-1183T/C polymorphism and T/T genotype of CAT-262 C/T polymorphism may be associated with an increased breast cancer risk. However, SOD1-251 A/G and SOD3-172 G/A polymorphisms did not show any significant difference in variant homozygous genotypes of patients compared to controls.

Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-capped 1-pyrenecarboxaldehyde nanoparticles (PyalNPs) were prepared using a reprecipitation method in an aqueous medium and exhibited red-shifted aggregation-induced enhanced emission (AIEE). The dynamic light scattering (DLS) examination showed narrower particle size distribution with an average particle size of 41 nm, whereas -34.5 mV zeta potential value indicate the negative surface charge and good stability of nanoparticles (NPs) in an aqueous medium. The AIEE was seen at λ max  = 473 nm in a fluorescence spectrum of a PyalNP suspension. In the presence of Cu 2+ ions, the fluorescence of PyalNPs quenches very significantly, even in the presence of other metal ions like Ba 2+ , Ca 2+ , Cd 2+ , Co 2+ , Al 3+ , Fe 2+ , Hg 2+ , Ni 2+ and Mg 2+ . The changes in the fluorescence lifetime of PyalNPs in the presence of Cu 2+ ions suggested that the type of quenching was dynamic. The fluorescence quenching data for the NPs suspension fitted well into a typical Stern-Volmer relationship in the concentration range 1.0-25 μg/ml of Cu 2+ ions. The estimated value of the correlation coefficient R 2  = 0.9877 was close to 1 and showed the linear relationship between quenching data and Cu 2+ ion concentration. The limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 0.94 ng/ml and is far below the tolerable intake limit value of 1.3 μg/ml accepted by the World Health Organization for Cu 2+ ions in drinking water. The fluorescence quenching approach for a SDS-capped Pyal nanosuspension for copper ion quantification is of high specificity and coexisting ions were found to interfere very negligibly. The developed method was successfully applied for the estimation of copper ions in river water samples., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Background: Last few decades, multiple studies all over the world revealed the association of genetic polymorphism in cytochrome P450 (CYP) genes with risk of developing different type of cancers, but contradictory outcomes were evidenced in case of cervical cancer (CC) risk. Therefore, the discrepancies in earlier reports influenced us to evaluate the association of CYP1A1*2A rs4646903, CYP1B1*3 rs1056836, CYP2C8*2 rs11572103, CYP2C9*2 rs1799853, CYP2C9*3 rs1057910, and CYP2C19*2 rs4244285 polymorphisms and CC susceptibility in the women of rural population of Maharashtra., Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, genetic association of the polymorphisms in CYP genes was studied by using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The study was conducted among 350 clinically confirmed CC patients and 350 healthy volunteers in a population of south-western Maharashtra. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and P value were evaluated to get the level of association where P ≤ 0.005 was considered as statistically significant., Results: After the analysis of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) of CYP1A1, CYP1B1, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, and CYP2C19, we noticed that CYP1B1*3 rs1056836 (Leu4326Val) polymorphism possessed a significantly elevated risk (OR = 3.28; 95% CI: 2.18-4.94; P < 0.0001), whereas CYP2C19*2 rs4244285 showed significantly lower risk (OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.33-0.85 P < 0.009) of CC in the studied rural population., Conclusion: The findings from this study supported that rs1056836 SNP of CYP1B1*3 increase CC development, whereas rs4244285 of CYP2C19*2 lowers the CC risk in the studied population., (Copyright © 2023 Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics.)

Background: At present very little information is available on combined effects of DNA repair genes with tumor suppressor gene polymorphisms and their association with cancer susceptibility. No such association studies have been carried out with breast cancer or any other cancer from India. Present study was conducted to study the combined effects of SNPs of XRCC1, XRCC2, XRCC3 with Arg72Pro and Arg249Ser SNPs of TP53 gene in risk of BC in rural parts of India., Methods: The polymorphisms of Arg194Trp, Arg280His, Arg399Gln of XRCC1, Arg188His of XRCC2 and Thr241Met of  XRCC3 with Arg72Pro and Arg249Ser of TP53 gene polymorphisms was studied by polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The association among the polymorphisms with breast cancer risk was studied by Odds ratio within 95% confidence interval and SNP-SNP interaction were confirmed by logistic regression analysis., Results: The results of genotype frequency distribution of XRCC1, XRCC2, XRCC3 genotypes showed positive association between XRCC1 Arg280His polymorphism and BC risk (OR=4.54; 95% CI: 3.36- 6.15; p<0.0001).  Also the heterozygous genotypes Arg188His of XRCC2 (OR=1.58; 95% CI: 1.13- 2.21; p=0.007) and Thr241Met genotype of XRCC3 (OR=2.13; 95% CI: 1.44- 3.13; p=0.0001) were associated with BC risk. The combination of heterozygous Arg280His genotype of XRCC1 along with Arg72Pro genotype of TP53 increased the risk of BC (OR=4.53; 95% CI: 2.85-7.20); p<0.0001). Similarly,  the combined effect of heterozygous Arg/His genotype of XRCC1 with heterozygous Arg/Ser genotype of TP53 at codon 249 showed significant association with increased BC risk (OR=5.08; 95% CI: 2.86-9.04); p<0.0001)., Conclusion: The findings derived from our study concluded that the heterozygous variant Arg280His genotype of XRCC1 and Thr241Met polymorphism of XRCC3 in combination with heterozygous arginine72proline genotype and heterozygous Arg249Ser polymorphism of TP53 showed significant association with breast cancer risk in Maharashtrian women.

Introduction: Recent advancements in biomedicine have revolutionized nanomedicine as a therapeutic moderator in the management of both infectious and noninfectious diseases., Purpose: In the current study we demonstrated biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles using aqueous leaf extract of Lasiosiphon eriocephalus as a capping and reducing agent and evaluation of their antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer properties., Methods: The biosynthesized LE-AuNPs were characterized by UV-Vis spectrophotometry, SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR, DLS, and Zeta potential analysis. The antibacterial activity was checked by a minimum inhibitory concentration assay. The anticancer potential of biogenic LE-AuNPs was checked by cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assay against HeLa and HCT-15 cells., Results: The characteristic surface plasmon resonance peak of the colloidal solution at 538 nm by UV-Vis spectrum confirmed the formation of LE-AuNPs in the solution. The SEM, TEM, and XRD revealed 20-60 sized hexagonal and crystalline LE-AuNPs. The LE-AuNPs displayed significant inhibition potential against DPPH and ABTS radicals in vitro. The LE-AuNPs demonstrated significant antibacterial potential. The results of cytotoxicity interpreted that biogenic gold nanoparticles exhibited strong dose and time-dependent cytotoxicity effect against selected cancer cell lines where IC50 of LE-AuNPs required to inhibit the growth of HeLa cells after 24 h and 48 h exposure were 5.65± 0.69 μg/mL and 4.37±0.23 μg/mL respectively and that of HCT- 15 cells was 6.46 ± 0.69 μg/mL and 5.27 ± 0.34 μg/mL, 24h and 48h post-exposure respectively., Conclusions: Findings from this study revealed that gold nanoparticles synthesized using L. eriocephalus, showed remarkable antioxidant, antimicrobial, and extensive cytotoxicity and genotoxicity activities., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Background: Various studies all around the world depicted the relationship of polymorphisms in tumor suppressor genes with risk of various cancers, but there are unambiguous conclusions on this association. A hospital based case-control study was designed to review the association of polymorphism of tumor suppressor genes p21 and p53 with breast cancer risk in women residing in rural Maharashtra., Methods: Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) a C>A transversion (Ser>Arg) at codon 31 of exon 2 (rs1801270), C>T transition occurring 20bp upstream from stop codon of exon 3 (rs1059234) in p21 gene and G>C (Arg>Pro) transition at codon 72 of exon 4 (rs1042522), G>T (Arg>Ser) transition at codon 249 in exon 7 (rs28934571) in p53 gene were studied. To precise the quantitative assessment, we enrolled 800 subjects sorted into 400 clinically confirmed breast cancer patients and 400 healthy women from a tertiary care hospital (Krishna Hospital and Medical Research Centre) of south-western Maharashtra. The genetic polymorphisms in p21 and p53 genes was studied by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method using blood genomic DNA isolated from breast cancer patients and controls.  The level of association of polymorphisms was assessed using Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval and p-value identified using logistic regression model., Results: After the analysis of SNPs (rs1801270, rs1059234) of p21 and (rs1042522, rs28934571) in p53 gene our analysis suggested that heterozygote Ser/Arg genotype with OR=0.66; 95% CI: 0.47- 0.91; p=0.0003 and homozygote variant Arg/Arg genotype with OR=0.23; 95% CI: 0.13- 0.40; p<0.0001of rs1801270 of p21 was negatively associated with risk of breast cancer in studied population., Conclusion: The findings from this study supported that rs1801270 SNP of p21 was inversely associated with breast cancer risk in the studied rural women population.

Introduction Obstructive Airway Diseases (OADs) are the leading cause of death among chronic respiratory diseases worldwide, and novel therapies are direly needed. Fluticasone furoate/vilanterol (FF/Vi) (100/25 µg) is the first once-daily ICS/uLABA marketed in India for COPD since 2021. Considering its limited real-world experience in OAD patients in Indian clinical settings, a large drug utilization study (DUS) was planned. Methodology We conducted a cross-sectional, observational DUS at 1900 outpatient clinics in India from October 2021 to March 2022. Prescription data and medical history of patients who were prescribed the FF/Vi combination were collected. Results It was observed that FF/Vi was prescribed in an almost equal number of patients with COPD (44.2%) and asthma (42.9%). The majority of the patients (74%) were switched from previous ICS/LABA to this ICS/uLABA, while 26% of patients were treatment naïve. The average CAT score was 19.5±7.8 (43.2% GOLD Group C and 32.2% GOLD Group B) in COPD patients, while the average ACQ-5 score was 2.6±1.3 (33.1% GINA Step 3, 29.5% GINA Step 2) in asthmatic patients. Most of the patients (63.9%) had raised biomarkers (Blood eosinophil count >300 cells/μl). Prior history of exacerbation was present in 65% of patients with annual exacerbation rates of 1.2 in COPD, 1.1 in asthma, and 1.2 in asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). Leukotriene inhibitors (42%) and LAMAs (30.8%) were common add-on medications. Conclusion We observed a trend towards a shift to once-daily ICS/uLABA (FF/Vi) by physicians, especially in symptomatic and exacerbating OAD patients with underlying comorbidities., Competing Interests: The authors have declared financial relationships, which are detailed in the next section., (Copyright © 2023, Prabhudesai et al.)

Context: Number of trials in India shows an increasing trend. As these trials will shape clinical practice, their quality is of utmost importance. Among many tools to assess the quality of randomized control trials (RCTs), risk of bias (RoB) is most robust., Aims: To understand the quality of trials being carried out in India in terms of RoB., Settings and Design: We aimed to assess the RoB in a set of RCTs published in Indian pharmacology of randomized trials from journals pertaining to pharmacology., Subjects and Methods: We used published journal articles as source of information for randomized clinical trials and evaluated them using Cochrane RoB tool 2.0., Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics were used., Results: 158 trials published in seven journals were evaluated in six different domains. Overall evaluation for 97% (153) trials was "high risk," while 3% (5) were in "some concerns" category, with no trials categorized as "low risk. 74% articles showed a high risk of bias in the domain of 'selection of reported results. Nearly half articles scored "low risk" in domains of "missing data" and "deviations in assignment to intervention." The study results showed a slowly increasing trend of average RoB over the last 10 years., Conclusions: The study shows concerning rise in RoB in various domains RCTs published in Pharmacology journals in India., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Perspectives in Clinical Research.)

Introduction: The emergence of novel nanobiomedicine has transformed the management of various infectious as well as non-infectious diseases. Lasiosiphon eriocephalus , a medicinal plant, revealed the presence of active secondary metabolites and biological potentials., Objective: The present study was aimed to demonstrate the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using L. eriocephalus leaf extract (LE-AgNPs) and their biological properties, such as antioxidant, antibacterial and anticancer potential., Methods: The biosynthesized LE-AgNPs were characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The antibacterial activity was checked by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and zone of inhibition assays against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The anticancer potential of biogenic LE-AgNPs was checked by cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assay against human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) and human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cells., Results: UV-visible spectroscopy confirmed the formation of silver nanoparticles by measuring the surface plasmon resonance peak of the colloidal solution at 410-440 nm. The results of SEM and TEM revealed the distribution and spherical shape of 20-50 nm sized AgNPs. XRD spectrum confirmed the characteristic peaks at the lattice planes 110, 111, 200, 220 and 311 of silver which confirmed the crystalline nature of biosynthesized LE-AgNPs. FTIR spectrum of plant extract and biogenic LE-AgNPs was recorded in between 1635-3320 cm -1 which confirmed stretching vibrations of possible functional groups C=C and O-H, responsible for the reduction of silver ions to silver nanoparticles. The in vitro antioxidant potential of LE-AgNPs was evaluated using DPPH (IC 50 = 26.51 ± 1.15 μg/mL) and ABTS radical assays (IC 50 =74.33 ± 2.47 μg/mL). The potential antibacterial effects of LE-AgNPs confirmed that 92.38 ± 2.70% growth inhibition occurred in E. coli in response to 0.1mg/mL concentration of LE-AgNPs followed by P. aeruginosa (75.51 ± 0.76), S. aureus (74.53 ± 1.26) and K. pneumoniae (67.4 ± 3.49). The cytotoxicity results interpreted that the biogenic silver nanoparticles exhibited strong dose and time dependent cytotoxicity effect against selected cancer cell lines where IC 50 concentration of LE-AgNPs required to inhibit the growth of HeLa cells after 24 h exposure was 4.14 μg/mL and MCF7 cells 3.00 μg/mL, respectively. Significant DNA fragmentation was seen in the DNA extracted from HeLa and MCF-7 cells exposed to more than 2.5 to 10 μg/mL concentrations of LE-AgNPs., Conclusion: The overall findings from the present investigation indicated that the AgNPs synthesized using L. eriocephalus exerted strong biological potentials such as antioxidant, antimicrobial and extensive cytotoxicity and genotoxicity activities., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)