Epidemiological studies have associated chronic exposure to arsenic (As) from drinking water with increased risk of hypertension. However, evidence of an association between As exposure from food and ...hypertension risks is sparse. To quantify the association between daily As intake from both food (rice, wheat and potatoes) and drinking water (Aswater) along with total exposure (Astotal) and hypertension risks in a study population in Bihar, India, we conducted an individual level cross-sectional analysis between 2017 and 2019 involving 150 participants. Arsenic intake variables and three indicators of hypertension risks (general hypertension, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)) were derived, and any relationship was quantified using a series of crude and multivariable log-linear or logistic regression models. The prevalence of general hypertension was 40% for the studied population. The median level of HDL was 45 mg/dL while median value of LDL was 114 mg/dL. Apart from a marginally significant positive relationship between As intake from rice and the changes of LDL (p-value = 0.032), no significant positive association between As intake and hypertension risks could be ascertained. In fact, Astotal was found to be associated with lower risks of general hypertension and higher levels of HDL (p-value = 0.020 and 0.010 respectively) whilst general hypertension was marginally associated with lower Aswater (p-value = 0.043). Due to limitations regarding study design and residual confounding, all observed marginal associations should be treated with caution.
•Cross-sectional study of hypertension risks associated with arsenic exposure from food and drinking water.•Total median arsenic intake of 36 µg/day for the study population in Bihar, India.•Total arsenic intake marginally associated with lower risks of general hypertension and higher levels of HDL.•Marginal positive relationship between arsenic intake from rice and level of LDL.•Limitations regarding study design and residual confounding problems should not be neglected.
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•Arsenic exposure from wheat is substantial and increasing.•The home-made bread (chapati) contributed most of the wheat intake in Bihar, India.•Arsenic concentration in the wheat ...flour was not lower than in the grains.•Arsenic exposure from wheat-based food intake is of concern.
In arsenic (As) endemic areas of south-east Asia, where a subsistence rice-based diet is prevalent, As exposure from food is mainly focused on rice intake. However, consumption of wheat is substantial and increasing. We present a probabilistic assessment of increased cancer risk from wheat-based food intake in a study population of rural Bihar, India where As exposure is endemic. Total As in wheat grains (43.64 ± 48.19 µg/kg, n = 72) collected from 77 households across 19 villages was found to be lower than reported As in wheat grains from other south-east Asian countries but higher than a previous study from Bihar. This is the first study where As concentration in wheat flour was used for risk estimation, bearing in mind that it was the flour obtained after indigenous household processing of the grains that was used for making the home-made bread (chapati) which contributed 95% of wheat intake for the studied population. Interestingly, while 78% of the surveyed participants (n = 154) consumed rice every day, chapati was consumed every day by 99.5% of the participants. In contrast to previous studies, where As concentration in wheat grains was found to be lower than the flour due to the removal of the bran on grinding, we did not find any appreciable lowering of arsenic in the wheat flour (49.80 ± 74.08 µg/kg, n = 58), most likely due to external contamination during processing and grinding. Estimated gender adjusted excess lifetime cancer risk of 1.23 × 10−4 for the studied rural population of Bihar indicated risk higher than the 10−4–10−6 range, typically used by the USEPA as a threshold to guide regulatory values. Hence, our findings suggest As exposure from wheat-based food intake to be of concern not only in As endemic areas of rural Bihar but also in non-endemic areas with similar wheat-based diet due to public distribution of the wheat across India.
Extensive evidence of elevated arsenic (As) in the food-chain, mainly rice, wheat and vegetables exists. Nevertheless, the importance of exposure from food towards total As exposure and associated ...health risks in areas with natural occurring As in drinking water is still often neglected, and accordingly mitigations are largely focused on drinking water only. In this study, the contribution of food over drinking water to overall As exposure was estimated for As exposed populations in Bihar, India. Increased lifetime cancer risk was predicted using probabilistic methods with input parameters based on detailed dietary assessment and estimation of As in drinking water, cooked rice, wheat flour and potato collected from 91 households covering 19 villages. Median total exposure was 0.83 μg/kgBW/day (5th and 95th percentiles were 0.21 and 11.1 μg/kgBW/day) and contribution of food (median = 49%) to overall exposure was almost equal to that from drinking water (median = 51%). More importantly and contrary to previous studies, food was found to contribute more than drinking water to As exposure, even when drinking water As was above the WHO provisional guide value of 10 μg/L. Median and 95th percentile excess lifetime cancer risks from food intake were 1.89 × 10−4 and 7.32 × 10−4 respectively when drinking water As was below 10 μg/L and 4.00 × 10−4 and 1.83 × 10−3 respectively when drinking water As was above 10 μg/L. Our results emphasise the importance of food related exposure in As-endemic areas, and, perhaps surprisingly, particularly in areas with high As concentrations in drinking water – this being partly ascribed to increases in food As due to cooking in high As water. These findings are timely to stress the importance of removing As from the food chain and not just drinking water in endemic areas.
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•Food contributes equally as drinking water towards total As exposure in Bihar, India.•Cooked rice was the most significant As contributor to food exposure.•With increase in As concentrations in drinking water As exposure from food increased.•Median excess lifetime cancer risk of 2 per 10,000, from food As exposure in Bihar.
Nanotechnology has proven its competence in almost all possible fields we are aware of. However, today nanotechnology has evolved in true sense by contributing to a very large extent to the food ...industry. With the growing number of mouths to feed, production of food is not adequate. It has to be preserved in order to reach to the masses on a global scale. Nanotechnology made the idea a reality by increasing the shelf life of different kinds of food materials. It is not an entirely full-proof measure; however it has brought down the extent of wastage of food due to microbial infestation. Not only fresh food but also healthier food is being designed with the help of nano-delivery systems which act as a carrier for the food supplements. There are regulations to follow however as several of them pose serious threats to the wellbeing of the population. In coming days, newer modes of safeguarding food are going to be developed with the help of nanotechnology. In this paper, an overview has been given of the different methods of food processing, packaging, and preservation techniques and the role nanotechnology plays in the food processing, packaging, and preservation industry.
Plastic in any form is a nuisance to the well-being of the environment. The 'pestilence' caused by it is mainly due to its non-degradable nature. With the industrial boom and the population ...explosion, the usage of plastic products has increased. A steady increase has been observed in the use of plastic products, and this has accelerated the pollution. Several attempts have been made to curb the problem at large by resorting to both chemical and biological methods. Chemical methods have only resulted in furthering the pollution by releasing toxic gases into the atmosphere; whereas; biological methods have been found to be eco-friendly however they are not cost effective. This paves the way for the current study where fungal isolates have been used to degrade polyethylene sheets (HDPE, LDPE). Two potential fungal strains, namely, Penicillium oxalicum NS4 (KU559906) and Penicillium chrysogenum NS10 (KU559907) had been isolated and identified to have plastic degrading abilities. Further, the growth medium for the strains was optimized with the help of RSM. The plastic sheets were subjected to treatment with microbial culture for 90 days. The extent of degradation was analyzed by, FE-SEM, AFM and FTIR. Morphological changes in the plastic sheet were determined.
Analysis of Pan-omics Data in Human Interactome Network (APODHIN) is a platform for integrative analysis of transcriptomics, proteomics, genomics, and metabolomics data for identification of key ...molecular players and their interconnections exemplified in cancer scenario. APODHIN works on a meta-interactome network consisting of human protein-protein interactions (PPIs), miRNA-target gene regulatory interactions, and transcription factor-target gene regulatory relationships. In its first module, APODHIN maps proteins/genes/miRNAs from different omics data in its meta-interactome network and extracts the network of biomolecules that are differentially altered in the given scenario. Using this context specific, filtered interaction network, APODHIN identifies topologically important nodes (TINs) implementing graph theory based network topology analysis and further justifies their role via pathway and disease marker mapping. These TINs could be used as prospective diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers and/or potential therapeutic targets. In its second module, APODHIN attempts to identify cross pathway regulatory and PPI links connecting signaling proteins, transcription factors (TFs), and miRNAs to metabolic enzymes via utilization of single-omics and/or pan-omics data and implementation of mathematical modeling. Interconnections between regulatory components such as signaling proteins/TFs/miRNAs and metabolic pathways need to be elucidated more elaborately in order to understand the role of oncogene and tumor suppressors in regulation of metabolic reprogramming during cancer. APODHIN platform contains a web server component where users can upload single/multi omics data to identify TINs and cross-pathway links. Tabular, graphical and 3D network representations of the identified TINs and cross-pathway links are provided for better appreciation. Additionally, this platform also provides few example data analysis of cancer specific, single and/or multi omics dataset for cervical, ovarian, and breast cancers where meta-interactome networks, TINs, and cross-pathway links are provided. APODHIN platform is freely available at http://www.hpppi.iicb.res.in/APODHIN/home.html.
The novel coronavirus 2 (nCoV2) outbreaks took place in December 2019 in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. It continued to spread worldwide in an unprecedented manner, bringing the whole world to a ...lockdown and causing severe loss of life and economic stability. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has also affected India, infecting more than 10 million till 31st December 2020 and resulting in more than a hundred thousand deaths. In the absence of an effective vaccine, it is imperative to understand the phenotypic outcome of the genetic variants and subsequently the mode of action of its proteins with respect to human proteins and other bio-molecules. Availability of a large number of genomic and mutational data extracted from the nCoV2 virus infecting Indian patients in a public repository provided an opportunity to understand and analyze the specific variations of the virus in India and their impact in broader perspectives. Non-structural proteins (NSPs) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) virus play a major role in its survival as well as virulence power. Here, we provide a detailed overview of the SARS-CoV2 NSPs including primary and secondary structural information, mutational frequency of the Indian and Wuhan variants, phylogenetic profiles, three-dimensional (3D) structural perspectives using homology modeling and molecular dynamics analyses for wild-type and selected variants, host-interactome analysis and viral-host protein complexes, and
drug screening with known antivirals and other drugs against the SARS-CoV2 NSPs isolated from the variants found within Indian patients across various regions of the country. All this information is categorized in the form of a database named, Database of NSPs of India specific Novel Coronavirus (DbNSP InC), which is freely available at http://www.hpppi.iicb.res.in/covid19/index.php.
Microbial media has undergone several changes since its inception but some key challenges remain. In recent years, there has been exploration of several alternative nutrient sources, both to cater to ...the specificity in requirement of growth of "fussy microorganisms" and also to reduce costs for large-scale fermentation that is required for biotechnology. Our mini-review explores these developments and also points at lacunas in the present areas of exploration, such as a lack of concerted effort in pH and osmolarity regulation. We hope that our commentary provides direction for future research in microbial media.
With the ever-increasing demand for coal, the drawbacks associated with it also increase. Accelerating accumulation of fly ash, a byproduct in coal combustion processes, is of major environmental ...concern at present. Fly ash finds its maximum utilization in concrete and cement factory due to its pozzolanic property. However, fly ash is also used in the agricultural division as a “fertilizer” especially in West Bengal. However, there is no upper limit to how much fly ash should be added to agricultural soil. Current study deals with fly ash, that has been mixed with soil in four proportions namely, 0% (FA0), 25% (FA25), 50% (FA50) and 75% (FA75). A wetland emerged plant – Typha latifolia - has also been incorporated in the system. Mobility and metal(loids) relation has been established determining soil-ash physico-chemical properties along with nutritional enrichment to the plant system. Sequential Extraction methods are therefore employed to examine the element speciation. Application of 25 percent Fly ash was found to enhance the N(0.11%), P(0.09%), K(0.051%) and Si(7.7%) availability in soil and also resulted in better plant growth and xylem integrity as justified by electron microscopic observation. At end of final sampling, total arsenic concentration was 50.07±0.25mgKg–1 in Typha associated sample comparing to 59.51±0.19mgKg-1 in without Typha system using 25% ash. This study reflects the utility strategies of fly ash and Typha latifolia in combination for the better expunge of phyto-available metals form agricultural soil during a stop gap, before further crop production particularly another wetland plant, rice.
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•Fly ash has been implemented as fertilizer in four definite concentrations.•Application of Typha latifolia L. for phytoremediation of toxic metals•Metal availability has been justified through sequential extraction process.•Internal xylem integrity has been focused through electron microscope.•Difference in metal concentration in soil depending on (W) and (W/O) plant system
Tumors activate protein kinase R (PKR)-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK, also called EIF2AK3) in response to hypoxia and nutrient deprivation as a stress-mitigation strategy. Here, we tested ...the hypothesis that inhibiting PERK with HC-5404 enhances the antitumor efficacy of standard-of-care VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGFR-TKI).
HC-5404 was characterized as a potent and selective PERK inhibitor, with favorable in vivo properties. Multiple renal cell carcinoma (RCC) tumor models were then cotreated with both HC-5404 and VEGFR-TKI in vivo, measuring tumor volume across time and evaluating tumor response by protein analysis and IHC.
VEGFR-TKI including axitinib, cabozantinib, lenvatinib, and sunitinib induce PERK activation in 786-O RCC xenografts. Cotreatment with HC-5404 inhibited PERK in tumors and significantly increased antitumor effects of VEGFR-TKI across multiple RCC models, resulting in tumor stasis or regression. Analysis of tumor sections revealed that HC-5404 enhanced the antiangiogenic effects of axitinib and lenvatinib by inhibiting both new vasculature and mature tumor blood vessels. Xenografts that progress on axitinib monotherapy remain sensitive to the combination treatment, resulting in ∼20% tumor regression in the combination group. When tested across a panel of 18 RCC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, the combination induced greater antitumor effects relative to monotherapies. In this single animal study, nine out of 18 models responded with ≥50% tumor regression from baseline in the combination group.
By disrupting an adaptive stress response evoked by VEGFR-TKI, HC-5404 presents a clinical opportunity to improve the antitumor effects of well-established standard-of-care therapies in RCC.
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