Government Medical College, Amritsar

Soil organisms, including earthworms, are a key component of terrestrial ecosystems. However, little is known about their diversity, their distribution, and the threats affecting them. We compiled a global dataset of sampled earthworm communities from 6928 sites in 57 countries as a basis for predicting patterns in earthworm diversity, abundance, and biomass. We found that local species richness and abundance typically peaked at higher latitudes, displaying patterns opposite to those observed in aboveground organisms. However, high species dissimilarity across tropical locations may cause diversity across the entirety of the tropics to be higher than elsewhere. Climate variables were found to be more important in shaping earthworm communities than soil properties or habitat cover. These findings suggest that climate change may have serious implications for earthworm communities and for the functions they provide.

The biomedical properties of nanoparticles have been the area of focus for contemporary science; however, there are issues concerning their long-term toxicities. Recent trends in nanoparticle fabrication and surface manipulation, the use of distinctive biogenic capping agents, have allowed the preparation of nontoxic, surface-functionalized, and monodispersed nanoparticles for medical applications. These capping agents act as stabilizers or binding molecules that prevent agglomeration and steric hindrance, alter the biological activity and surface chemistry, and stabilize the interaction of nanoparticles within the preparation medium. Explicit features of nanoparticles are majorly ascribed to the capping present on their surface. The present review article is an attempt to compile distinctive biological capping agents deployed in the synthesis of metal nanoparticles along with the medical applications of these capped nanoparticles. First, this innovative review highlights the various biogenic capping agents, including biomolecules and biological extracts of plants and microorganisms. Next, the therapeutic applications of capped nanoparticles and the effect of biomolecules on the efficiency of the nanoparticles have been expounded. Finally, challenges and future directions on the use of biological capping agents have been concluded. The goal of the present review article is to provide a comprehensive report to researchers who are looking for alternative biological capping agents for the green synthesis of important metallic nanoparticles.

Green approach has received major attention for the synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles. One such metal oxide nanoparticles are iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs). IONPs have fetched a great deal of interest in recent era because of their magnetic nature, as they can be easily recovered from the reaction mixture by applying an external magnetic field. Although, a variety of chemical and physical methods of synthesis are known, green synthesis is safer, sustainable and biologically acceptable. Plants and microbes are the main biological materials used for the green synthesis. In present review, the synthesis of IONPs by using plants, bacteria, fungi and algae have been highlighted. IONPs produced by plants, fungi, bacteria and algae usually falls in 1–100 nm range and are of distinct shapes like cubic, tetragonal crystalline, spherical, cylindrical, elliptical, octahedral, orthorhombic, hexagonal rods, nanosphere and quasi spherical. Furthermore, these biomaterials play role of reducing, capping, stabilizing and fabricating agents in green synthesis of nanoparticles. The review put forward a comprehensive report of various routes used for synthesizing IONP, biologically. Intuition into the procedures for synthesis of nanoparticles will help to nourish our learning in the area of nanotechnology.

Hepatitis C currently infects more than 170 million people around the world, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. The current standard of care for HCV infection, including one of the two protease inhibitors, telaprevir or boceprevir, for 12-32 weeks, along with pegylated interferon alfa-2a (PEG-IFN-α) and ribavirin for up to 48 weeks, is unsatisfactory in many cases, either because of lack of efficacy or because of treatment-related adverse effects. There is an urgent need of new drugs with improved efficacy as well as a safety profile. Sofosbuvir, a recently approved nucleotide analog, is a highly potent inhibitor of the NS5B polymerase in the Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and has shown high efficacy in combination with several other drugs, with and without PEG-INF, against HCV. It offers many advantages due to its high potency, low side effects, oral administration, and high barrier to resistance. The efficacy and safety were demonstrated in many large and well-designed phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials like NEUTRINO, PROTON, ELECTRON, ATOMIC, COSMOS, FUSION, FISSION, NUCLEAR, POSITRON, and the like. It is generally well-tolerated. Adverse events that occurred include: Headache, insomnia, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, pruritis, upper respiratory tract infections, rash, back pain, grade 1 anemia, and grade 4 lymphopenia; however, the exact safety profile can only be judged when this drug is actually used on a large scale.

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum Linn.) is an important perennial grass of Poaceae family, indigenous to tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is cultivated worldwide due to the economical and medicinal value of its high yielding products. Sugarcane juice is well known as a raw material for the production of refined sugar and its wax is considered as a potential substitute for the expensive carnauba wax, which is of cosmetic and pharmaceutical interest. Refined sugar is the primary product of sugarcane juice, but during its processing, various other valuable products are also obtained in an unrefined form, such as, brown sugar, molasses, and jaggery. Sugarcane juice is widely used in India in the treatment of jaundice, hemorrhage, dysuria, anuria, and other urinary diseases. Herein, we have summarized the different phytoconstituents and health benefits of sugarcane and its valuable products. The phytochemistry of sugarcane wax (obtained from the leaves and stalks of sugarcane), leaves, juice, and its products has revealed the presence of various fatty acid, alcohol, phytosterols, higher terpenoids, flavonoids, -O- and -C-glycosides, and phenolic acids. The future prospective of some of the sugarcane products has been discussed, which needs a phytopharmacological study and has a great potential to be a valuable medicinal product.

Nowadays exploration of novel lipid-based formulations is akin to a magnet for researchers worldwide for improving the in vivo performance of highly lipophilic drugs. Over the last few years, new compositions of lipids have been developed, and the probable bioavailability enhancement has been investigated. We reviewed the most recent data dealing with backlogs of conventional lipid-based formulations such as physical instability, limited drug loading capacities, drug expulsion during storage along with all the possible hindrances resulting in poor absorption of highly lipophilic drugs such as P-glycoprotein efflux, extensive metabolism by cytochrome P450 etc. In tandem with these aspects, an exclusive formulation approach has been discussed in detail in this paper. Therefore, this review focuses on resolving the concerned ambiguity with successful oral administration of highly lipophilic drugs through designing novel lipidic formulations (nanostructured lipid carriers [NLC]) that constitute a blend of solid and liquid lipids. The article highlights the potential role of such formulation in normalizing the in vivo fate of poorly soluble drugs. Finally, the present manuscript discusses the dominance of NLC over other lipid-based formulations and provides a perspective of how they defeat and overcome the barriers that lead to the poor bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs.

In general, the various medical systems currently available provide insights into changes in the tumor genome of patients with tumor sequencing. Most of the tumor DNA sequencing can also be referred to as genetic specification or genetic testing. The sequence results help clinical decision-making to develop a personalized cancer treatment plan based on the molecular characteristics of the tumor rather than a one-size-fits-all treatment approach. The tumor sequencing also plays a major role in cancer research. In this paper, an improved method based on machine learning was proposed to analyze the sequencing and tumor sequencing patterns of the human gene. This proposed method analyzes the circulatory problems of patients with different tumor types for analysis in the public domain. It also constantly monitors large data sets of cancer or tumor genetic sequences to calculate tumor size and location. This allows the doctor to get an accurate report on the type of tumor and the problems it can cause to the patient. The Analysis of these datasets of cancer tumor gene sequences reveals that the genetic makeup of each patient is different and that no two cancers are the same.

Quality of clinical trials has improved steadily over last two decades, but certain areas in trial methodology still require special attention like in sample size calculation. The sample size is one of the basic steps in planning any clinical trial and any negligence in its calculation may lead to rejection of true findings and false results may get approval. Although statisticians play a major role in sample size estimation basic knowledge regarding sample size calculation is very sparse among most of the anesthesiologists related to research including under trainee doctors. In this review, we will discuss how important sample size calculation is for research studies and the effects of underestimation or overestimation of sample size on project's results. We have highlighted the basic concepts regarding various parameters needed to calculate the sample size along with examples.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is an unexpected sudden death due to a heart condition, that occurs within one hour of symptoms onset. SCD is a leading cause of death in western countries, and is responsible for the majority of deaths from cardiovascular disease. Moreover, SCD accounts for mortality in approximately half of all coronary heart disease patients. Nevertheless, the recent advancements made in screening, prevention, treatment, and management of the underlying causes has decreased this number. In this article, we sought to review established and new modes of screening patients at risk for SCD, treatment and prevention of SCD, and the role of new technologies in the field. Further, we delineate the current epidemiologic trends and pathogenesis. In particular, we describe the advancement in molecular autopsy and genetic testing, the role of target temperature management, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and transvenous and subcutaneous implantable cardioverter devices (ICDs).

CONTEXT: Nanostructured lipid carrier (NLCs) is the second generation solid lipid nanoparticles (NPs) made up of physiological, biocompatible, biodegradable, non-sensitizing and non-irritating lipids. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this review is to explore the role of NLCs system for delivering drugs by oral route and thus increasing the oral bioavailability. METHODS: The present review article highlights the definition and types of NLCs and their importance as colloidal carriers including the production techniques and their formulation. This review article also deals with the fate of lipids used in the NLCs formulation and the NLCs toxicity. CONCLUSION: On the basis of the literature survey done, it was concluded that the NLCs enhances the oral bioavailability of the drug and may decrease the side effects and toxicity of the lipids used in other polymeric NPs as NLCs uses physiological and biodegradable lipids.

INTRODUCTION: Acne scars are largely preventable complications of acne. 95% of the scars occur over the face thus impacting the quality of life. Correction of scars is the priority for acne patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients with post acne atrophic facial scars attending the OPD during the period from April to October 2013 were offered four sittings of microneedling with PRP on one side and microneedling with vitamin C on other side of the face at an interval of 1 month. RESULTS: Twenty-seven out of the total 30 patients completed the treatment schedule. Two patients were lost to follow up and one dropped out of the study due to severe PIH. Mean age of the patients was 27.5 years. Out of 30 patients, 23 achieved reduction in scarring by one or two grades. Excellent response was seen in five (18.5%) patients with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as compared to two (7%) patients who received treatment with vitamin C according to physician's assessment. As far as up gradation by 1 score is considered, i.e., good response, it was similar in both cases. Vitamin C did not prove to be as efficacious as PRP since 10 (37%) patients had poor response in vitamin C-treated area compared to only 6 (22.2%) patients who underwent PRP therapy, but vitamin C proved to be efficacious in dealing with post inflammatory hyper-pigmentation secondary to acne. Patients were more satisfied with PRP as compared to vitamin C. The results were evaluated and statistical analysis was done using SPSS 16.0.2. CONCLUSIONS: Overall results were better with microneedling and PRP. Vitamin C combined with microneedling also showed improvement with respect to firmness and smoothness of skin; as well as post inflammatory hyper-pigmentation. Microneedling combined with PRP proved to be good in treating boxcar and rolling scars but had limited efficacy in dealing with ice pick scars.

Wheat cultivars grown at three different locations of North- India were assessed for their variability in kernel and flour characteristics. Protein, wet and dry gluten contents of the flour varied significantly (p≤0.05) from 9.32-12.60 %, 23.46-43.04 %, and 8.28-15.00 % respectively. Wheat varieties exhibited moderate SDS-sedimentation and solvent retention values. Flour showed a significant (p≤0.05) difference in amino acid composition. Lysine having the lowest chemical score was the first most limiting amino acid in all wheat varieties. Variability of total flour proteins by SDS-PAGE showed polymorphism both in the number and intensity of bands particularly in the molecular weight range of 35.1-42.8 kDa corresponding to the α, β, and γ gliadin/LMW-GS region. Pearson correlation established between various grain and flour parameters showed a significant correlation which can result in better end product use.

Moisturizers are an important part of a dermatologist's armamentarium although little is written and well, a less is truly known about them. There is a cornucopia of projected skin products in the market whose real scientific role is not proven. These products although at times are regarded as mere cosmetics but have a well-known role in many skin disorders. Adequate knowledge about their mechanism of action, dosage, usage, and adverse effects is must for a dermatologist in this era. This article aims to bring forth the ever hidden facts of the much-hyped moisturizers. It is probably the first of its kind covering all aspects of moisturizers ranging from basic science to clinical usage, a subject that receives a short shrift in the current dermatological text.

Summary Pomegranate peel (PoP) is a byproduct of the fruit juice processing industry, comprising nearly 30–40% of fruit portion. PoP is rich in polyphenols (phenolic acids, tannins and flavonoids particularly anthocyanins) which are known to have diverse biological functions including effectiveness against pathogenic microorganisms. PoP has shown a broad spectrum antimicrobial activity ( AMA ) of PoP against both Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria. It also presented promising AMA against antibiotic resistant microbial strains such as methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus . The high levels of polyphenols, particularly punicalagin and ellagic acid, present in PoP have been responsible for its antifungal properties. PoP is effective against many fungi including both pathogenic ( Aspergillus flavus ) and opportunistic pathogens. These activities of PoP may be exploited as a phytomedicine for humans, in order to eliminate the use of antibiotics and reducing their cost. This review provides collective up‐to‐date information on the efficacy of plant‐derived AMA of PoP.

Graphene has attracted much attention of scientific community due to its enormous potential in different fields, including medical sciences, agriculture, food safety, cancer research, and tissue engineering. The potential for widespread human exposure raises safety concerns about graphene and its derivatives, referred to as graphene family nanomaterials (GFNs). Due to their unique chemical and physical properties, graphene and its derivatives have found important places in their respective application fields, yet they are being found to have cytotoxic and genotoxic effects too. Since the discovery of graphene, a number of researches are being conducted to find out the toxic potential of GFNs to different cell and animal models, finding their suitability for being used in new and varied innovative fields. This paper presents a systematic review of the research done on GFNs and gives an insight into the mode and action of these nanosized moieties. The paper also emphasizes on the recent and up-to-date developments in research on GFNs and their nanocomposites for their toxic effects.

Context: Parkinson disease (PD) is a common, progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by marked depletion of striatal dopamine and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra.Objective: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the possibility of targeting an anti-Parkinson’s drug ropinirole (RH) to the brain using polymeric nanoparticles.Materials and methods: Ropinirole hydrochloride (RH)-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) were prepared by an ionic gelation method. The RH-CSNPs were characterized for particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, loading capacity, entrapment efficiency in vitro release study, and in vivo distribution after intranasal administration.Results and discussion: The RH-CSNPs showed sustained release profiles for up to 18 h. The RH concentrations (% Radioactivity/g) in the brain following intranasal administration (i.n.) of RH-CSNPs were found to be significantly higher at all the time points compared with RH solution. The concentration of RH was highest in the liver (7.210 ± 0.52), followed by kidneys (6.862 ± 0.62), intestine (4.862 ± 0.45), and lungs (4.640 ± 0.92) in rats following i.n. administration of RH-CSNPs. Gamma scintigraphy imaging in rats was performed to ascertain the localization of drug in the brain following intranasal administration of formulations. The brain/blood ratios obtained (0.251 ± 0.09 and 0.386 ± 0.57 of RH (i.n.) and RH-CSNPs (i.n.), respectively) at 0.5 h are indicative of direct nose to brain transport, bypassing the blood–brain barrier (BBB).Conclusion: The novel formulation showed the superiority of nose to brain delivery of RH using mucoadhesive nanoparticles compared with other delivery routes reported earlier.

This study is aimed at compiling the toxicological aspects of organochlorine compounds (OCCs) including pesticides among different animal models. Tests on animal species like Mean Probable Effect Concentration Quotient (PEC-Q) test, DNA repair assays and histopathological examinations have shown positive results for the toxicity of organochlorine pesticides. The results were observed on different animals including fishes, furseals, frogs, rats, bats and humans. In fishes, endosulfan is found to have acute toxicities. Similarly, organophosphorus, synthetic pyrethroids and microbial insecticides were also found to show their toxic effects. Some compounds such as lambda-cyhalothrin showed a very high toxicity on fish followed by fenvalerate, deltamethrin and cypermethrin. Exposure to OCCs can impart foe cell death by inducing Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase Pathway (MAPK) which is associated with cell growth differentiation and apoptosis. On studying the genotoxic effects of OCCs on germ cells of mouse, it was observed that a lethal mutation can occur just after one mating interval. Increase in the number of micronucleated cells has also been seen after OCC exposure. Neuro-behavioural studies on rats showed the presence of tremors caused by chlordecone and p,p’DDT. Tumorigenicity by organochlorine pesticides is seen to be an epigenetic mechanism in a DNA repair assay. Acute poisoning was seen in liver, kidney and testis of albino rat due to the toxic effect of dursban and DDT. Great declines in populations have been seen due to OCC toxicity in different animal species. Direct and indirect exposure to these compounds should be reduced so as to minimize the possible health hazards.

The structure of the eye is very complex in nature which makes it a challenging task for pharmaceutical researchers to deliver the drug at the desired sites via different routes of administration. The development of the nano-based system helped in delivering the drug in the desired concentration. Improvement in penetration property, bioavailability, and residence time has all been achieved by encapsulating drugs into liposomes, dendrimers, solid lipid nanoparticle, nanostructured lipid carrier, nanoemulsion, and nanosuspension. This review puts emphasis on the need for nanomedicine for ocular drug delivery and recent developments in the field of nanomedicine along with recent patents published in the past few years.

Nanotechnology is an avant-garde field of scientific research that revolutionizes technological advancements in the present world. It is a cutting-edge scientific approach that has undoubtedly a plethora of functions in controlling environmental pollutants for the welfare of the ecosystem. However, their unprecedented utilization and hysterical release led to a huge threat to the soil microbiome. Nanoparticles(NPs) hamper physicochemical properties of soil along with microbial metabolic activities within rhizospheric soils.Here in this review shed light on concentric aspects of NP-biosynthesis, types, toxicity mechanisms, accumulation within the ecosystem. However, the accrual of tiny NPs into the soil system has dramatically influenced rhizospheric activities in terms of soil properties and biogeochemical cycles. We have focussed on mechanistic pathways engrossed by microbes to deal with NPs.Also, we have elaborated the fate and behavior of NPs within soils. Besides, a piece of very scarce information on NPs-toxicity towards environment and rhizosphere communities is available. Therefore, the present review highlights ecological perspectives of nanotechnology and solutions to such implications. We have comprehend certain strategies such as avant-garde engineering methods, sustainable procedures for NP synthesis along with vatious regulatory actions to manage NP within environment. Moreover, we have devised risk management sustainable and novel strategies to utilize it in a rationalized and integrated manner. With this background, we can develop a comprehensive plan about NPs with novel insights to understand the resistance and toxicity mechanisms of NPs towards microbes. Henceforth, the orientation towards these issues would enhance the understanding of researchers for proper recommendation and promotion of nanotechnology in an optimized and sustainable manner.

Instrumental analysis of vermicompost with the help of modern technologies provides essential information on its maturity, before it can be used for agricultural application. Nowadays, vermicompost is considered as a promising organic alternative to chemical fertilizers in agriculture and horticulture. The objectives of this review are to summarize the sophisticated instrumental techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetry (TG), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy techniques, physico-chemical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon content, C:N ratio, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, calcium) and biological indicator (germination index) to determine the maturity of vermicompost produced from organic wastes. These techniques are reliable, fast and are capable of tracking organic waste degradation during the bioconversion process and fertilizing ability of the final product. SEM analysis provides essential information on surface morphology of vermicompost samples. The SEM micrograph of final vermicompost reveals disaggregation. In contrast, the initial SEM micrograph reflects robust and relatively contiguous structures. FT-IR spectroscopy technique is used to confirm the decomposition of polypeptides, polysaccharides, aliphatic, aromatic, carboxylic, phenolic groups and lignin during vermicomposting of organic wastes. TG method is used to characterize organic waste mineralization where progressive reduction in the mass loss of vermicompost indicates net mineralization and degradation. UV-vis spectroscopy is used to assess the degree of humification. The sharp fall in humification index during vermicomposting process indicates high level of organic material humification. Changes in physico-chemical and biological parameters are also an indicative parameter for organic waste mineralization as well as vermicompost stability and maturity.