Implications of cancer stem cells in diabetes and pancreatic cancer.

This review provides a detailed study of pancreatic cancer (PC) and the implication of different types of cancers concerning diabetes. The combination of anti-diabetic drugs with other anti-cancer drugs and phytochemicals can help prevent and treat this disease. PC cancer stem cells (CSCs) and how they migrate and develop into malignant tumors are discussed. A detailed explanation of the different mechanisms of diabetes development, which can enhance the pancreatic CSCs' proliferation by increasing the IGF factor levels, epigenetic modifications, DNA damage, and the influence of lifestyle factors like obesity, and inflammation, has been discussed. It also explains how cancer due to diabetes is associated with high mortality rates. One of the well-known diabetic drugs, metformin, can be combined with other anti-cancer drugs and prevent the development of PC and has been taken as one of the prime focus in this review. Overall, this paper provides insight into the relationship between diabetes and PC and the methods that can be employed to diagnose this disease at an earlier stage successfully.

Elimination of microplastics from the aquatic milieu: A dream to achieve.

Microplastics (MPs) have become a significant source of concern as they have emerged as a widespread pollutant that harms the aquatic environment. It has become an enormous challenge, having the capacity to biomagnify and eventually affect human health, biodiversity, aquatic animals, and the environment. This review provides in-depth knowledge of how MPs interact with different toxic organic chemicals, antibiotics, and heavy metals in the aquatic environment and its consequences. Membrane technologies like ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), microfiltration (MF), and dynamic membranes can be highly effective techniques for the removal of MPs. Also, hybrid membrane techniques like advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), membrane fouling, electrochemical processes, and adsorption processes can be incorporated for superior efficiency. The review also focuses on the reactor design and performance of several membrane-based filters and bioreactors to develop practical, feasible, and sustainable membrane technologies. The main aim of this work is to throw light on the alarming scenario of microplastic pollution in the aquatic milieu and strategies that can be adopted to tackle it.

Recent advances in green technology and Industrial Revolution 4.0 for a sustainable future.

This review gives concise information on green technology (GT) and Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0). Climate change has begun showing its impacts on the environment, and the change is real. The devastating COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected lives and the world from the deadly consequences at a social, economic, and environmental level. In order to balance this crisis, there is a need to transition toward green, sustainable forms of living and practices. We need green innovative technologies (GTI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to develop green, durable, biodegradable, and eco-friendly products for a sustainable future. GTI encompasses all innovations that contribute to developing significant products, services, or processes that lower environmental harm, impact, and worsening while augmenting natural resource utilization. Sensors are typically used in IoT environmental monitoring applications to aid ecological safety by nursing air or water quality, atmospheric or soil conditions, and even monitoring species' movements and habitats. The industries and the governments are working together, have come up with solutions-the Green New Deal, carbon pricing, use of bio-based products as biopesticides, in biopharmaceuticals, green building materials, bio-based membrane filters for removing pollutants, bioenergy, biofuels and are essential for the green recovery of world economies. Environmental biotechnology, Green Chemical Engineering, more bio-based materials to separate pollutants, and product engineering of advanced materials and environmental economies are discussed here to pave the way toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the UN and achieve the much-needed IR 4.0 for a greener-balanced environment and a sustainable future.