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SARS-CoV-2, a member of the family Coronaviridae, is a positive-stranded RNA virus with the spike glycoproteins present on its envelope. ACE2 serves as the entry mediator of SARS-CoV-2 as it attacks mainly the organs of the respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, and urinary system showing high expression of ACE2 or TMPRSS2. ACE2 is found to have significant differential expression in all the reproductive tissues, thus posing the reproductive system vulnerable to the adverse effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Previous coronavirus attacks (SARSCoV and MERS) have also been known to impose adverse effects on the reproductive system. Therefore, there is a dire need to safeguard the reproductive system against COVID-19 as it not only bothers the present generation but may also affect the well-being of future progeny. Since the inception of pandemic, several scientific studies have been carried out to assess its impact;yet there are research lacunas to claim reproductive system as a potential target of this deadly virus. To avoid the detrimental effects of the current pandemic on reproductive sustainability, well-planned large-scale and multicentric cohort follow-up studies are mandatory for accurate evaluation of the enduring effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on human fertility and pregnancy outcomes. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.
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Introduction: India is one of the countries most affected by COVID-19. COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM) has added to the woes of the already devastating effects of the virus. About 97.6% of cases in India presented with rhino-orbito-cerebral disease. Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is characterized by abnormal mixtures of fibrous and osseous elements leading to bony deformities and pathological fractures. Monostotic and polyostotic varieties have been described, with the latter being more common in children. The monostotic type of FD accounts for about 70% to 80% of FD, affecting the second and third decade. Method(s): We present a case of 44-year-old man with fibrous dysplasia of left maxilla with CAM, an angioinvasive fungal disease associated with high morbidity and mortality. As India and the entire world is struck by the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of corticosteroids has proven somewhat helpful in managing severe COVID infection. Evidence shows it has also led to CAM. Our patient was treated with radical surgical treatment of lesion with gross removal of all necrotic tissues from the sinuses along with antifungal treatment with amphotericin B. FD is a benign disorder characterized by replacement of normal bone with cellular fibrous connective tissue. Result(s): Our case presented with CAM of maxilla with palatal involvement requiring urgent surgical intervention and antifungal therapy. It incidentally happened to be a case of FD. Maxillectomy took care of the patient's FD as well. Conclusion(s): FD is a disorder characterized by dystrophy and bony metaplasia, and treatment depends on the zone of involvement. Early diagnosis and surgical intervention, with good antifungal therapy with strict glycemic control, are critical features to prevent its onslaught. Sometimes treatment of one condition can cure the others as well.
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Introduction: The COVID-19 era has caused shifting of medical teaching into online podium. This has provided us an opportunity to recognize MBBS- students preferences of these online classes which otherwise was not a part of the traditional medical teaching. So, current study was conducted to assess and analyze the preference of first year MBBS students between online classes and traditional classroom teaching. Aims and Objectives: To evaluate the predilection of first year MBBS students between online classes and traditional classroom teaching. Materials & Methods: An institution based descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 180 MBBS students of GMC Jammu after receiving Institutional ethics committee (IEC) clearance, who have attended online classes for minimum of 1 hour per day or 6 hour per week for 1 month duration using zoom or other video-based learning platform. A pre-designed feedback questionnaire-based study was conducted after obtaining written consent from the first year MBBS students. We designed 24 question items related to their preferences for theory & practical classes with multiple choice options. Results: In our study, we spotted that 61.11% of MBBS students prefer traditional classroom teaching over online classes, 52.22% prefer traditional classroom teaching in comparison to online learning for theory classes and 60% of students prefer traditional classroom teaching than online learning for practical classes. Conclusion: In present study, our findings suggest that first phase MBBS students prefer traditional teaching than online classes.
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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the urology residency application cycle on social media engagement and account creation by urology residency programs and applicants. Materials and Methods: A list of accredited urology residency programs was taken from the Electronic Residency Application Service, excluding military-sponsored programs. Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts of programs and applicants were then identified through Google and individual platform searches. Results: One hundred and nineteen out of 140 urology programs had Twitter accounts, with 29 created in 2020. Urology program Instagram accounts had the largest growth rate in 2020 of 227.8%. Almost all urology programs that had Instagram or Facebook accounts also had a Twitter account. Urology programs promoted a total of 277 virtual events on Twitter, 83 on Instagram, and 48 on Facebook. Sixteen subinternships were promoted on Twitter, two on Instagram, and two on Facebook. In the 2021 match, 136 of the 237 matched applicants on Twitter made their accounts in the year leading up to the match and 42 of the 162 matched applicants on Twitter created their Twitter accounts during the 2019 cycle. Conclusion: The number of urology programs on Twitter and Instagram increased in 2020 at a faster rate than previous years. Many programs used their accounts to promote virtual events and subinternships. Applicants who matched in 2021 made Twitter accounts during their application year at a higher rate than the previous application cycle. During the COVID-19 pandemic, urology programs and applicants utilized social media, especially Twitter, to engage and learn about each other.
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Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, commonly known as Ashwagandha, is a high-value medicinal plant of the family Solanaceae. Besides the drier parts of India, it also grows up to a height of 1700 m in Himalayan region (mainly Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir). It possesses a wide array of health benefits due to the presence of several bioactive metabolites in it, mainly belonging to a class called as Withanolides (a group of steroidal lactones with a basic C-28 framework) and have been repeatedly found effective against some of the important human ailments. With the growing market of herbal drugs and increase in the market demand of Ashwagandha, the major challenges in this crop (low seed viability, losses due to pest/diseases, quality maintenance of herbal products, etc.) need to be addressed in a systematic manner. Several efforts have been made to explore the variability (morphological, genetic, and chemotypic) in its germplasm and also to identify the key genes of the withanolide biosynthetic pathway. Many attempts have also been made to increase the production of bioactives in W. somnifera both under in vivo and in vitro conditions. Keeping this in mind, this chapter has been structured to discuss the major challenges and major crop improvement/breeding objectives in this crop. Further, we have tried to highlight the OMICS (proteomic, transcriptomic, genomic, and metabolomic) studies made in this plant which will help in designing suitable strategies for the improvement of this medicinal plant crop. Various biotechnological intervention (tissue culture, genetic transformation, etc.) tried in this crop for its improvement has also been discussed, which will provide a holistic view of the crop improvement efforts made in this important medicinal plant species. © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral pandemic which has taken away more than over 4 million lives all over the world as of July 9, 2021, with the USA, India, and Brazil being the most affected countries. Apart from the respiratory tract, the cardiovascular (CV) system is one of the important organ systems affected by this complex multisystem disease. Various studies have confirmed that COVID-19 predisposes an individual to increased risk of CV complications. In fact, hospitalized patients have been consistently reported to have modulated levels of biomarkers demonstrating coagulation and acute cardiac injury. Understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying CV involvement is strongly believed to be the foundation for developing strategies for early diagnosis and management of COVID-19-affected individuals. We review here various molecular mechanisms underlying CV involvement in COVID-19 and discuss several biochemical prognostic markers, as they have evidently revealed their importance in predicting severe prognosis such as mortality, mechanical ventilation, and ICU admission among severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-infected patients with or without previous history of myocardial injury. The therapeutic strategies that could be employed to treat and manage CV manifestations in COVID-19-positive individuals are also discussed.
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Background: We have previously shown that in the ischemia reperfusion model of AKI kidney ACE2 activity decreases and that the administration of a shorter soluble ACE2 variant markedly attenuates AKI in terms of GFR and kidney histology (Shirazi et al, ASN 2019). Here, we report the effect of a novel ACE2 variant designed to prevent/ treat SARS-CoV-2 in transgenic k18-hACE2 mice infected with a lethal viral dose. Methods: In a BSL-3 facility, transgenic k18-hACE2 mice were infected intranasally with 2×104 PFU SARS-CoV-2. ACE2 1-618-DDC-ABD was administered intranasally and intra-peritoneally 1 hour prior to viral challenge as well as 24 and 48 hours afterwards for a total of 3 doses. Infected control animals received PBS at the same time-points. Kidneys were removed from all animals and examined by light microscopy (LM) histologically and for apoptosis, using PAS and TUNEL staining, respectively. Results: In mice infected with SARS-CoV-2, variable degrees of AKI were found by LM with the following features seen in the few most severe cases: proximal tubule brush border loss (black arrows, figure 1A and B), cytolysis (red arrow, figure 1A), tubular basement membrane disruption (blue arrows, figure 1A and B) and apoptosis (white arrows, figure 1A, B, D and E). In animals treated with ACE2 1-618-DDC-ABD, survival was near 100% and proximal tubular kidney injury was absent or markedly attenuated with less proximal tubule injury (figure 1C) and minimal apoptosis (figure 1F). Glomeruli appeared ischemic (figure 1B, green arrow) but otherwise normal without evidence of thrombosis. Conclusions: Kidneys from a transgenic mouse susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, like patients with COVID-19, displays variable degrees of proximal tubular injury suggesting that this model can be useful to study AKI in COVID-19. Mice that received soluble ACE2 1-618-DDC-ABD protein were essentially protected from AKI suggesting a potential preventative/therapeutic role for soluble ACE2 in this otherwise pharmacologically untreatable devastating disease.
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The COVID-19 pandemic made a drastic impact on the human health and overall economy of the world. Other than health-related issues, the global healthcare structure was deeply affected due to an alarming imbalance in the demand-supply chain of critical medical equipment such as ventilators, quarantine closets, oxygen valves, protective equipment, etc., that support patients’ life during their battle against COVD-19. The field of 3D printing, or now commonly known as additive manufacturing (AM) has benefitted extremely by capitalizing on the increasing demand for manufacturing medical equipment. As a result, a vast number of start-ups have mushroomed up that are experimenting with various novel materials, techniques, and applications to build 3D printed products in quick turnaround time. Through this paper, we would highlight the propitious application of 3D printing in the biomedical engineering area. The chapter begins by addressing the fundamentals of 3D printing technologies and materials that shall be used to illustrate their whole system environmental impacts in later sections. This is followed by discussion over prominent countless initiatives that are being taken by multiple R&D centers, academic institutes, and various other corporations for the implementation of new technologies and materials to combat this pandemic. Further, the need for novel materials and the use of agricultural waste as compostable biomaterials for a circular economy has been discussed in detail. Aside to this, among the multiple 3D printing processes, a major focus has been on material extrusion, powder bed fusion, and material jetting techniques that are used for the medical sector based on current medical requirement, i.e., automatic door handle openers, face shields/masks, quarantine closets, ventilators, valves, etc. In the end, the conclusion will prove to be a stepping-stone for future research in this direction. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
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Nations across the globe are struggling with the sudden occurrence of the novel coronavirus. In the more challenging times of havoc caused by the pandemic COVID-19, the Indian government has taken several steps to ensure the country's growth and has raised India's willpower to survive economically and socially. There are many alarming situations like mobility, migration of workers, unemployment, and health-hazardous that have arisen primarily due to the pandemic in the country, which led to the birth of the conceptualization of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. The narrative of Atmanirbhar Bharat has pitched the rhythm of five key pillars, namely: Economy, infrastructure, system, demography, and demand. In this pursuit, this study analyzed the relationship between India's skillsets for entrepreneurship encompassing the self-dependent concept of Atmanirbhar Bharat. The article has tried emphasizing each pillar of Atmanirbhar Bharat, fostering skill development and entrepreneurship in the nation. The study assessed that the economy as the prime pillar of a nation required significant and well-versed investment in R & D. The nation required investment in the development of individual skills, dependence on regional resources, capital, and laborers. In terms of Infrastructure as the second pillar, it was assessed that strengthening of skill and entrepreneurial hubs serves as a valuable investment in infrastructure to support skill development and entrepreneurship. However, the cooperative efforts of key national actors jointly will set convenient conditions for mainstreaming and diffusion of the technology-driven system as the third pillar. The study assessed that India having vibrant demography with a young population serves as the crucial factor that can anticipate demand with supply forecasting. It will ultimately stimulate and lead the nation toward India's initiative self-reliant. ©2021 The Society of Economics and Development.
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The use of bioactive compounds and probiotic bacteria against the viral diseases in human is known for a long time. Anti -viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties of bioactive compounds and bacteria with probiotic properties in respiratory viral diseases may have significance to enhance immunity. This review highlights some of the important bioactive compounds and probiotic bacteria, suggesting them as a ray of hope in the milieu of the COVID-19 management. (C) 2021 Beijing Academy of Food Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
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Identifying the emotional tone behind text or simply opinion mining is in vogue these days and Twitter has been proved as the primary choice when it comes to analyzing the real live data or sentiments of its users regarding anything such as tracking of seismic activities, flu epidemic, automotive industry, academic researches, etc. In today's world, where most of the data is online on social media in an unstructured and scattered form, opinion mining turns out to be a suitable method to understand the public's views and moods. Our paper aims to study the impact of the alleged hacking of the 'Aarogya Setu' application (app) on opinions/sentiments of people towards it using sentimental analysis on twitter data. The key finding of our study is the rise in negative emotions against the Aarogya Setu app after its alleged hacking. © 2020 IEEE.
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Background: Pneumonia of unknown etiology originated in China during the last few days of the year 2019 has created huge pressure on the current health system of the world. The situation of COVID-19 is worsening day by day and we cannot wait for a vaccine or herd immunity to develop. Aim and Objectives: Many Ayurvedic treatments have been proven to fight against many viruses and also play a role in boosting the immunity of the human body. So, there is a need for a pilot study of the indigenous drug system to assess various other aspects of further larger studies. Methodology: A pilot study on novel ayurvedic drug, Raj Nirvan Bati (RNB), was conducted on a sample of 20 patients which was given in a fix dosage (125 milligrams per dosage) twice daily with 5 ml of natural honey.