Evidence of Coronavirus (CoV) Pathogenesis and Emerging Pathogen SARS-CoV-2 in the Nervous System: A Review on Neurological Impairments and Manifestations.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an issue of global significance that has taken the lives of many across the world. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the virus responsible for its pathogenesis. The pulmonary manifestations of COVID-19 have been well described in the literature. Initially, it was thought to be limited to the respiratory system; however, we now recognize that COVID-19 also affects several other organs, including the nervous system. Two similar human coronaviruses (CoV) that cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-1) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) are also known to cause disease in the nervous system. The neurological manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection are growing rapidly, as evidenced by several reports. There are several mechanisms responsible for such manifestations in the nervous system. For instance, post-infectious immune-mediated processes, direct virus infection of the central nervous system (CNS), and virus-induced hyperinflammatory and hypercoagulable states are commonly involved. Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and its variants, dysfunction of taste and smell, and muscle injury are numerous examples of COVID-19 PNS (peripheral nervous system) disease. Likewise, hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke, encephalitis, meningitis, encephalopathy acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, endothelialitis, and venous sinus thrombosis are some instances of COVID-19 CNS disease. Due to multifactorial and complicated pathogenic mechanisms, COVID-19 poses a large-scale threat to the whole nervous system. A complete understanding of SARS-CoV-2 neurological impairments is still lacking, but our knowledge base is rapidly expanding. Therefore, we anticipate that this comprehensive review will provide valuable insights and facilitate the work of neuroscientists in unfolding different neurological dimensions of COVID-19 and other CoV associated abnormalities

Protocol for the cost-consequence and equity impact analyses of a cluster randomised controlled trial comparing three variants of a nutrition-sensitive agricultural extension intervention to improve maternal and child dietary diversity and nutritional status in rural Odisha, India (UPAVAN trial)

BACKGROUND: Undernutrition causes around 3.1 million child deaths annually, around 45% of all child deaths. India has one of the highest proportions of maternal and child undernutrition globally. To accelerate reductions in undernutrition, nutrition-specific interventions need to be coupled with nutrition-sensitive programmes that tackle the underlying causes of undernutrition. This paper describes the planned economic evaluation of the UPAVAN trial, a four-arm, cluster randomised controlled trial that tests the nutritional and agricultural impacts of an innovative agriculture extension platform of women's groups viewing videos on nutrition-sensitive agriculture practices, coupled with a nutrition-specific behaviour-change intervention of videos on nutrition, and a participatory learning and action approach. METHODS: The economic evaluation of the UPAVAN interventions will be conducted from a societal perspective, taking into account all costs incurred by the implementing agency (programme costs), community and health care providers, and participants and their households, and all measurable outcomes associated with the interventions. All direct and indirect costs, including time costs and donated goods, will be estimated. The economic evaluation will take the form of a cost-consequence analysis, comparing incremental costs and incremental changes in the outcomes of the interventions, compared with the status quo. Robustness of the results will be assessed through a series of sensitivity analyses. In addition, an analysis of the equity impact of the interventions will be conducted. DISCUSSION: Evidence on the cost and cost-effectiveness of nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions is scarce. This limits understanding of the costs of rolling out or scaling up programs. The findings of this economic evaluation will provide useful information for different multisectoral stakeholders involved in the planning and implementation of nutrition-sensitive agriculture programmes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN65922679 . Registered on 21 December 2016

Recent Advances in Cardiac Tissue Engineering for the Management of Myocardium Infarction

Myocardium Infarction (MI) is one of the foremost cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) causing death worldwide, and its case numbers are expected to continuously increase in the coming years. Pharmacological interventions have not been at the forefront in ameliorating MI-related morbidity and mortality. Stem cell-based tissue engineering approaches have been extensively explored for their regenerative potential in the infarcted myocardium. Recent studies on microfluidic devices employing stem cells under laboratory set-up have revealed meticulous events pertaining to the pathophysiology of MI occurring at the infarcted site. This discovery also underpins the appropriate conditions in the niche for differentiating stem cells into mature cardiomyocyte-like cells and leads to engineering of the scaffold via mimicking of native cardiac physiological conditions. However, the mode of stem cell-loaded engineered scaffolds delivered to the site of infarction is still a challenging mission, and yet to be translated to the clinical setting. In this review, we have elucidated the various strategies developed using a hydrogel-based system both as encapsulated stem cells and as biocompatible patches loaded with cells and applied at the site of infarction.</jats:p

Heme Oxygenase-1 Accelerates Cutaneous Wound Healing in Mice

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a cytoprotective, pro-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory enzyme, is strongly induced in injured tissues. Our aim was to clarify its role in cutaneous wound healing. In wild type mice, maximal expression of HO-1 in the skin was observed on the 2nd and 3rd days after wounding. Inhibition of HO-1 by tin protoporphyrin-IX resulted in retardation of wound closure. Healing was also delayed in HO-1 deficient mice, where lack of HO-1 could lead to complete suppression of reepithelialization and to formation of extensive skin lesions, accompanied by impaired neovascularization. Experiments performed in transgenic mice bearing HO-1 under control of keratin 14 promoter showed that increased level of HO-1 in keratinocytes is enough to improve the neovascularization and hasten the closure of wounds. Importantly, induction of HO-1 in wounded skin was relatively weak and delayed in diabetic (db/db) mice, in which also angiogenesis and wound closure were impaired. In such animals local delivery of HO-1 transgene using adenoviral vectors accelerated the wound healing and increased the vascularization. In summary, induction of HO-1 is necessary for efficient wound closure and neovascularization. Impaired wound healing in diabetic mice may be associated with delayed HO-1 upregulation and can be improved by HO-1 gene transfer

Interaction of Copper-Based Nanoparticles to Soil, Terrestrial, and Aquatic Systems: Critical Review of the State of the Science and Future Perspectives

In the past two decades, increased production and usage of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) has inevitably increased their discharge into the different compartments of the environment, which ultimately paved the way for their uptake and accumulation in various trophic levels of the food chain. Due to these issues, several questions have been raised on the usage of NPs in everyday life and has become a matter of public health concern. Among the metallic NPs, Cu-based NPs have gained popularity due to their cost-effectiveness and multifarious promising uses. Several studies in the past represented the phytotoxicity of Cu-based NPs on plants. However, comprehensive knowledge is still lacking. Additionally, the impact of Cu-based NPs on soil organisms such as agriculturally important microbes, fungi, mycorrhiza, nematode, and earthworms are poorly studied. This review article critically analyses the literature data to achieve a more comprehensive knowledge on the toxicological profile of Cu-based NPs and increase our understanding of the effects of Cu-based NPs on aquatic and terrestrial plants as well as on soil microbial communities. The underlying mechanism of biotransformation of Cu-based NPs and the process of their penetration into plants has also been discussed herein. Overall, this review could provide valuable information to design rules and regulations for the safe disposal of Cu-based NPs into a sustainable environment

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Not AvailableAim: Methodology: Results: Interpretation: Two-hundred-seventy fingerlings of equal size (8.19±0.03g) were stocked in 18 fibre reinforced plastic tanks following complete randomized design. Six iso-nitrogenous (30% crude protein) and iso-caloric (390 kcal digestible energy per 100 g) diets were prepared with graded level-1 Significantly (P<0.05) higher growth performance (weight gain %, specific growth rate, net yield and mean d a i l y w e i g h t g a i n percentage) and better feed conversion and n u t r i e n t u t i l i z a t i o n (protein efficiency ratio and lipid efficiency ratio) were observed in T1 group than in other experimental groups. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that ethanolic extract of shatavari root can be used as a growth promoter and can be-1 P D lagiarism etector Grammarly Fingerlings stocking Fed with shatavari root extract diet Water quality-1 T1(0.15 g kg)-1 T3(0.45 g kg)-1 C(0.0 g kg)-1 T2(0.30 g kg)-1 T4(0.60 g kg)-1 T5(0.75 g kg) Sampling Data analysis Growth performance Fin al ha rve st-1 Best result was achieved with 0.15 g kg fed group Dietary shatavari, Asparagus racemosus root extract promotes growth, feed conversion and nutrient utilization in Labeo rajasthanicus The objective of the study was to assess the effect of supplementation with dietary shatavari, Asparagus racemosus root extract on growth, feed conversion and nutrient utilization in Labeo rajasthanicus. included at the supplementation level of 0.15 g kg diet for Labeo rajasthanicus. How to cite : Keer, N.R., N.K. Chadha, V.P. Saini, M.L. Ojha and P.B. Sawant: Dietary shatavari, Asparagus racemosus root extract promotes growth, feed conversion and nutrient utilization in Labeo rajasthanicus. J. Environ. Biol., 41, 1464-1469 (2020). of ethanolic shatavari root extract, i.e., 0.00, 0.15, 0.30, 0.45, 0.60, 0.75 g kg and designated as control, T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 were fed to L. rajasthanicus twice a day for 45 days. The growth performance, feed conversion and nutrient utilisation were considered as response parameters. ¨Journal of Environmental Biology, November 2020R ajasthan, India. The natural habitat of L. rajasthanicus includes water bodies with rocky substrates for shelter with a depth up to 20 m along with low water current, Sarsi is a candidate species for carp polyculture (Lal et al., 2015). L. rajasthanicus has good market value as an important food and the captive brood stock already has been raised and produced seeds that can be used for aquaculture and enhancement (Anon, 2014). With this background, the aim of the present study was to assess the effect of dietary shatavari root extract on the growth performance, feed conversion and nutrients utilization in the fingerlings of L. rajasthanicus. The collected roots were washed with tap water and further in distilled water for complete removal of dust particles and dried under shade, followed by grinding to fine powder. The fine root powder was transferred to a 250 ml glass beaker containing 100 ml 80% ethanol (v/v) and shaken in an orbital shaker (Orbitek®-Scigenics Biotech, Chennai, India) at 160 rpm for 24 hr, followed by filtering the solution using a muslin cloth. Filtrates were centrifuged at 10,000 rpm at 4ºC for 5 min and the supernatant was collected. A rotatory evaporator (IKA® RV10 Basic-Shanghai, China; temperature of 40-60ºC, rotor speed of 40 rpm) was used to concentrate the supernatant. The concentrate was transferred to screw-cap bottle o o and stored at 4 C for 24 hr and freeze-dried (-95 C±4 C), followed o by storage in a deep freezer (-20 C) until further use. The yield percentage of crude extract was around 15.45% by weight of shatavari root powder. Preparation of diet: According to the feed formulation (Table 1), all the ingredients were weighed and thoroughly mixed in a container to form a homogenous blend, and dough was formed. The dough was autoclaved for 20min to ensure proper gelatinization of starch and allowed to cool. Fish oil and sunflower oil, vitamin-mineral mixture, butylated hydroxytoluene and Vitamin C were added along with the shatavari root extract, and mixed properly. The dough was pressed through a pelletizer (S.B. Panchal and Company, Mumbai, India) with 2 mm diameter die to form uniform-size pellets. The pellets were dried in oven at 45°C for 12 hr and packed into an air airtight container, followed by storage in dry and cool place for further use.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableThe State of Rajasthan has vast water resources in reservoirs, lakes (freshwater and salt lakes), ponds, rivers, canals, and waterlogged bodies. The total inland water resources include reservoirs, ponds, tanks (4.23 lakh ha), rivers and canals (30,000 ha), wetland area (80,000 ha), and a salt-affected area (1, 80,000 ha), producing 58,000 metric tons of fish against the estimated production potential of 90,000 metric tons. The cumulative annual growth rate of fish production of 9.35 % has been recorded during the last 19 years. About 50,000 fishers, farmers, and entrepreneurs are engaged directly and indirectly in fisheries-related activities. The linear regression forecasting model shows the beta/coefficient value was 271.72 of fish seed production; that is, if fish seed production increases by 1%, the fish production will increase by about 271 tons, and the fish production will increase to 85.91 MT by 2030. A literature review shows that the resources are underutilized and have a huge potential for fish production and livelihood development if the issue like unavailability of quality seed, lack of technical inputs, inadequate awareness programs, insufficient research efforts, and a deficiency of professionals from the fisheries sector, is addressed. However, opportunities in the fisheries sector may be fashioned by adopting innovative approaches such as cage culture, ornamental fisheries, freshwater pearl, inland saline aquaculture.Not Availabl

Targeting Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress using Natural Products in Neurological Disorders.

The primary aim of this review is to summarize the literature on natural products that are effective in the treatment of various neurological disorders by targeting endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). Various electronic databases such as SCOPUS, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for relevant publications. ERS has been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous neurological disorders such as cerebral ischemia, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Huntington's disease. Several natural products targeting ERS signalling pathways provide therapeutic options for neurological diseases, and in this review, the potential neuroprotective properties of these products are discussed

Nanotechnology-based drug delivery for the treatment of CNS disorders

Abstract Approximately 6.8 million people die annually because of problems related to the central nervous system (CNS), and out of them, approximately 1 million people are affected by neurodegenerative diseases that include Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease. CNS problems are a primary concern because of the complexity of the brain. There are various drugs available to treat CNS disorders and overcome problems with toxicity, specificity, and delivery. Barriers like the blood–brain barrier (BBB) are a challenge, as they do not allow therapeutic drugs to cross and reach their target. Researchers have been searching for ways to allow drugs to pass through the BBB and reach the target sites. These problems highlight the need of nanotechnology to alter or manipulate various processes at the cellular level to achieve the desired attributes. Due to their nanosize, nanoparticles are able to pass through the BBB and are an effective alternative to drug administration and other approaches. Nanotechnology has the potential to improve treatment and diagnostic techniques for CNS disorders and facilitate effective drug transfer. With the aid of nanoengineering, drugs could be modified to perform functions like transference across the BBB, altering signaling pathways, targeting specific cells, effective gene transfer, and promoting regeneration and preservation of nerve cells. The involvement of a nanocarrier framework inside the delivery of several neurotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of neurological diseases is reviewed in this study.</jats:p

Current situations and future directions for mental health system governance in Nepal:Findings from a qualitative study

Background: Assessing and understanding health systems governance is crucial to ensure accountability and transparency, and to improve the performance of mental health systems. There is a lack of systematic procedures to assess governance in mental health systems at a country level. The aim of this study was to appraise mental health systems governance in Nepal, with the view to making recommendations for improvements. Methods: In-depth individual interviews were conducted with national-level policymakers (n = 17) and district-level planners (n = 11). The interview checklist was developed using an existing health systems governance framework developed by Siddiqi and colleagues as a guide. Data analysis was done with NVivo 10, using the procedure of framework analysis. Results: The mental health systems governance assessment reveals a few enabling factors and many barriers. Factors enabling good governance include availability of mental health policy, inclusion of mental health in other general health policies and plans, increasing presence of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and service user organizations in policy forums, and implementation of a few mental health projects through government-NGO collaborations. Legal and policy barriers include the failure to officially revise or fully implement the mental health policy of 1996, the existence of legislation and several laws that have discriminatory provisions for people with mental illness, and lack of a mental health act and associated regulations to protect against this. Other barriers include lack of a mental health unit within the Ministry of Health, absence of district-level mental health planning, inadequate mental health record-keeping systems, inequitable allocation of funding for mental health, very few health workers trained in mental health, and the lack of availability of psychotropic drugs at the primary health care level. Conclusions: In the last few years, some positive developments have emerged in terms of policy recognition for mental health, as well as the increased presence of NGOs, increased presence of service users or caregivers in mental health governance, albeit restricted to only some of its domains. However, the improvements at the policy level have not been translated into implementation due to lack of strong leadership and governance mechanisms