Microbial communities drive flux of acid orange 7 and crystal violet dyes in water-sediment system.

Unchecked dye effluent discharge poses escalating environmental and economic concerns, especially in developing nations. While dyes are well-recognized water pollutants, the mechanisms of their environmental spread are least understood. Therefore, the present study examines the partitioning of Acid Orange 7 (AO7) and Crystal Violet (CV) dyes using water-sediment microcosms and reports that native microbes significantly affect AO7 decolorization and transfer. Both dyes transition from infused to pristine matrices, reaching equilibrium in a fortnight. While microbes influence CV partitioning, their role in decolorization is minimal, emphasizing their varied impact on the environmental fate of dyes. Metagenomic analyses reveal contrasting microbial composition between control and AO7-infused samples. Control water samples displayed a dominance of Proteobacteria (62%), Firmicutes (24%), and Bacteroidetes (9%). However, AO7 exposure led to Proteobacteria reducing to 57% and Bacteroidetes to 3%, with Firmicutes increasing to 34%. Sediment samples, primarily comprising Firmicutes (47%) and Proteobacteria (39%), shifted post-AO7 exposure: Proteobacteria increased to 53%, and Firmicutes dropped to 38%. At the genus level, water samples dominated by Niveispirillum (34%) declined after AO7 exposure, while Bacillus and Pseudomonas increased. Notably, Serratia and Sphingomonas, known for azo dye degradation, rose post-exposure, hinting at their role in AO7 decolorization. Conversely, sediment samples showed a decrease in the growth of Bacillus and an increase in that of Pseudomonas and Serratia. These findings emphasize the significant role of microbial communities in determining the environmental fate of dyes, providing insights on its environmental implications and management.

Putative interactions between transthyretin and endosulfan II and its relevance in breast cancer.

The unregulated use of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) has been linked to spread of breast cancer (BC), but the underlying biomolecular interactions are unknown. Using a case-control study, we compared OCP blood levels and protein signatures among BC patients. Five pesticides were found in significantly higher concentrations in breast cancer patients than in healthy controls: p',p' dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT), p'p' dichloro diphenyl dichloroethane (DDD), endosulfan II, delta-hexachlorocyclohexane (dHCH), and heptachlor epoxide A (HTEA). According to the odds ratio analysis, these OCPs, which have been banned for decades, continue to raise the risk of cancer in Indian women. Proteomic analysis of plasma from estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer patients revealed 17 dysregulated proteins, but transthyretin (TTR) was three times higher than in healthy controls, which is further validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies revealed a competitive affinity between endosulfan II and the thyroxine-binding site of TTR, pointing towards the significance of the competition between thyroxin and endosulfan, resulting in endocrine disruption leading to breast cancer. Our study sheds light on the putative role of TTR in OCP-mediated BC, but more research is needed to decipher the underlying mechanisms that can be used to prevent the carcinogenic effects of these pesticides on women's health.

Ecological life strategies of microbes in response to antibiotics as a driving factor in soils.

Antibiotics as a selection pressure driving the evolution of soil microbial communities is not well understood. Since microbial functions govern ecosystem services, an ecological framework is required to understand and predict antibiotic-induced functional and structural changes in microbial communities. Therefore, metagenomic studies explaining the impacts of antibiotics on soil microbial communities were mined, and alterations in microbial taxa were analyzed through an ecological lens using Grimes's Competitor-Stress tolerator-Ruderal (CSR) model. We propose considering antibiotics as the primary abiotic factor mentioned in the CSR model and classifying non-susceptible microbial taxa as degraders, resistant, and resilient groups analogous to competitors, stress tolerators, and ruderal strategists, respectively. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria were among the phyla harboring most members with antibiotic-resistant groups. However, some antibiotic-resistant microbes in these phyla could not only tolerate but also subsist solely on antibiotics, while others degraded antibiotics as a part of secondary metabolism. Irrespective of their taxonomic affiliation, microbes with each life strategy displayed similar phenotypic characteristics. Therefore, it is recommended to consider microbial functional traits associated with each life strategy while analyzing the ecological impacts of antibiotics. Also, potential ecological crises posed by antibiotics through changes in microbial community and ecosystem functions were visualized. Applying ecological theory to understand and predict antibiotics-induced changes in microbial communities will also provide better insight into microbial behavior in the background of emerging contaminants and help develop a robust ecological classification system of microbes.

The role of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation on female fertility: A review.

With increasing technological developments, exposure to non-ionizing radiations has become unavoidable as people cannot escape from electromagnetic field sources, such as Wi-Fi, electric wires, microwave oven, radio, telecommunication, bluetooth devices, etc. These radiations can be associated with increased health problems of the users. This review aims to determine the effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiations on female fertility. To date, several in vitro and in vivo studies unveiled that exposure to non-ionizing radiations brings about harmful effects on oocytes, ovarian follicles, endometrial tissue, estrous cycle, reproductive endocrine hormones, developing embryo, and fetal development in animal models. Non-ionizing radiation also upsurges the free radical load in the uterus and ovary, which leads to inhibition of cell growth and DNA disruptions. In conclusion, non-ionizing electromagnetic radiations can cause alterations in both germ cells as well as in their nourishing environment and also affect other female reproductive parameters that might lead to infertility.

New immune horizons in therapeutics and diagnostic approaches to Preeclampsia.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are one of the commonest maladies, affecting 5%-10% of pregnancies worldwide. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) identifies four categories of HDP, namely gestational hypertension (GH), Preeclampsia (PE), chronic hypertension (CH), and CH with superimposed PE. PE is a multisystem, heterogeneous disorder that encompasses 2%-8% of all pregnancy-related complications, contributing to about 9% to 26% of maternal deaths in low-income countries and 16% in high-income countries. These translate to 50 000 maternal deaths and over 500 000 fetal deaths worldwide, therefore demanding high priority in understanding clinical presentation, screening, diagnostic criteria, and effective management. PE is accompanied by uteroplacental insufficiency leading to vascular and metabolic changes, vasoconstriction, and end-organ ischemia. PE is diagnosed after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women who were previously normotensive or hypertensive. Besides shallow trophoblast invasion and inadequate remodeling of uterine arteries, dysregulation of the nonimmune system has been the focal point in PE. This results from aberrant immune system activation and imbalanced differentiation of T cells. Further, a failure of tolerance toward the semi-allogenic fetus results due to altered distribution of Tregs such as CD4+FoxP3+ or CD4+CD25+CD127(low) FoxP3+ cells, thereby creating a cytotoxic environment by suboptimal production of immunosuppressive cytokines like IL-10, IL-4, and IL-13. Also, intracellular production of complement protein C5a may result in decreased FoxP3+ regulatory T cells. With immune system dysfunction as a major driver in PE pathogenesis, it is logical that therapeutic targeting of components of the immune system with pharmacologic agents like anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating molecules are either being used or under clinical trial. Cholesterol synthesis inhibitors like Pravastatin may improve placental perfusion in PE, while Eculizumab (monoclonal antibody inhibiting C5) and small molecular inhibitor of C5a, Zilucoplan are under investigation. Monoclonal antibody against IL-17(Secukinumab) has been proposed to alter the Th imbalance in PE. Autologous Treg therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors like anti-CTLA-4 are emerging as new candidates in immune horizons for PE management in the future.

Iron-dependent mutualism between Chlorella sorokiniana and Ralstonia pickettii forms the basis for a sustainable bioremediation system.

Phototrophic communities of autotrophic microalgae and heterotrophic bacteria perform complex tasks of nutrient acquisition and tackling environmental stress but remain underexplored as a basis for the bioremediation of emerging pollutants. In industrial monoculture designs, poor iron uptake by microalgae limits their productivity and biotechnological efficacy. Iron supplementation is expensive and ineffective because iron remains insoluble in an aqueous medium and is biologically unavailable. However, microalgae develop complex interkingdom associations with siderophore-producing bacteria that help solubilize iron and increase its bioavailability. Using dye degradation as a model, we combined environmental isolations and synthetic ecology as a workflow to design a simplified microbial community based on iron and carbon exchange. We established a mutualism between the previously non-associated alga Chlorella sorokiniana and siderophore-producing bacterium Ralstonia pickettii. Siderophore-mediated increase in iron bioavailability alleviated Fe stress for algae and increased the reductive iron uptake mechanism and bioremediation potential. In exchange, C. sorokiniana produced galactose, glucose, and mannose as major extracellular monosaccharides, supporting bacterial growth. We propose that extracellular iron reduction by ferrireductase is crucial for azoreductase-mediated dye degradation in microalgae. These results demonstrate that iron bioavailability, often overlooked in cultivation, governs microalgal growth, enzymatic processes, and bioremediation potential. Our results suggest that phototrophic communities with an active association for iron and carbon exchange have the potential to overcome challenges associated with micronutrient availability, while scaling up bioremediation designs.

Immunotoxicity of radiofrequency radiation.

Growing evidence recommends that radiofrequency radiations might be a new type of environmental pollutant. The consequences of RFR on the human immune system have gained considerable interest in recent years, not only to examine probable negative effects on health but also to understand if RFR can modulate the immune response positively. Although several studies have been published on the immune effects of RFR but no satisfactory agreement has been reached. Hence this review aims to evaluate the RFR modulating impacts on particular immune cells contributing to various innate or adaptive immune responses. In view of existing pieces of evidence, we have suggested an intracellular signaling cascade responsible for RFR action. The bio-effects of RFR on immune cell morphology, viability, proliferation, genome integrity, and immune functions such as ROS, cytokine secretion, phagocytosis, apoptosis, etc. are discussed. The majority of existing evidence point toward the possible shifts in the activity, number, and/or function of immunocompetent cells, but the outcome of several studies is still contradictory and needs further studies to reach a conclusion. Also, the direct association of experimental studies to human risks might not be helpful as exposure parameters vary in real life. On the basis of recent available literature, we suggest that special experiments should be designed to test each particular signal utilized in communication technologies to rule out the hypothesis that longer exposure to RFR emitting devices would affect the immunity by inducing genotoxic effects in human immune cells.

Ecotoxic effects of microplastics and contaminated microplastics - Emerging evidence and perspective.

The high prevalence and persistence of microplastics (MPs) in pristine habitats along with their accumulation across environmental compartments globally, has become a matter of grave concern. The resilience conferred to MPs using the material engineering approaches for outperforming other materials has become key to the challenge that they now represent. The characteristics that make MPs hazardous are their micro to nano scale dimensions, surface varied wettability and often hydrophobicity, leading to non-biodegradability. In addition, MPs exhibit a strong tendency to bind to other contaminants along with the ability to sustain extreme chemical conditions thus increasing their residence time in the environment. Adsorption of these co-contaminants leads to modification in toxicity varying from additive, synergistic, and sometimes antagonistic, having consequences on flora, fauna, and ultimately the end of the food chain, human health. The resulting environmental fate and associated risks of MPs, therefore greatly depend upon their complex interactions with the co-contaminants and the nature of the environment in which they reside. Net outcomes of such complex interactions vary with core characteristics of MPs, the properties of co-contaminants and the abiotic factors, and are required to be better understood to minimize the inherent risks. Toxicity assays addressing these concerns should be ecologically relevant, assessing the impacts at different levels of biological organization to develop an environmental perspective. This review analyzed and evaluated 171 studies to present research status on MP toxicity. This analysis supported the identification and development of research gaps and recommended priority areas of research, accounting for disproportionate risks faced by different countries. An ecological perspective is also developed on the environmental toxicity of contaminated MPs in the light of multi-variant stressors and directions are provided to conduct an ecologically relevant risk assessment. The presented analyses will also serve as a foundation for developing environmentally appropriate remediation methods and evaluation frameworks.

Heavy metal pollution and risks in a highly polluted and populated Indian river-city pair using the systems approach.

A sectorial approach for assessing heavy metal pollution in rivers neglects the inter-relationship between its environmental compartments and thus fails to report realistic pollution status and associated ecological and human health risks. Therefore, a systems approach was adopted to assess heavy metal pollution and associated risks in the Yamuna River (Delhi, India), one of the world's most polluted and populated river-city pairs. Sampling sites selected along the river with distinct land use were uncultivated natural floodplain vegetation, marshy area, invasive community, arable land, and human settlements. The multivariate analysis identified sources of pollutions (Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni [anthropogenic]; Fe and Zn [geogenic]). Across the land use, a high log Kp value of Zn and Pb in water-soil phase than in water-sediment phase indicates their long-range transfer, whereas low log Kp (water-soil) of Cd suggests river sediments as its reservoirs. Comparison of pollution indices of Cd, Cr, and Pb in water, sediment, and soil across the land use suggested the role of vegetation in reducing pollution in the environment. Ecological risk also gets reduced progressively from water to sediment to the soil in naturally vegetated sites. Similarly, in river water, Cr, Cd, Ni, and Pb pose carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks to adults and children, which are also reduced in sediments and soil of different vegetation regimes. This study showed the eco-remediation services rendered by natural vegetation in reducing pollution and associated ecological and human health risks. To conclude, using a systems approach has significance in assessing pollution at the ecosystem level, and focusing on riverbank land use remains significant in developing methods to reduce pollution and ecological and human health risks for sustainable riverbank management.

Nano-enabled sensing of per-/poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from aqueous systems - A review.

Per-/poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are an emerging class of environmental contaminants used as an additive across various commodity and fire-retardant products, for their unique thermo-chemical stability, and to alter their surface properties towards selective liquid repellence. These properties also make PFAS highly persistent and mobile across various environmental compartments, leading to bioaccumulation, and causing acute ecotoxicity at all trophic levels particularly to human populations, thus increasing the need for monitoring at their repositories or usage sites. In this review, current nano-enabled methods towards PFAS sensing and its monitoring in wastewater are critically discussed and benchmarked against conventional detection methods. The discussion correlates the materials' properties to the sensitivity, responsiveness, and reproducibility of the sensing performance for nano-enabled sensors in currently explored electrochemical, spectrophotometric, colorimetric, optical, fluorometric, and biochemical with limits of detection of 1.02 × 10-6 µg/L, 2.8 µg/L, 1 µg/L, 0.13 µg/L, 6.0 × 10-5 µg/L, and 4.141 × 10-7 µg/L respectively. The cost-effectiveness of sensing platforms plays an important role in the on-site analysis success and upscalability of nano-enabled sensors. Environmental monitoring of PFAS is a step closer to PFAS remediation. Electrochemical and biosensing methods have proven to be the most reliable tools for future PFAS sensing endeavors with very promising detection limits in an aqueous matrix, short detection times, and ease of fabrication.

Microbial fuel cells for mineralization and decolorization of azo dyes: Recent advances in design and materials.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) exhibit tremendous potential in the sustainable management of dye wastewater via degrading azo dyes while generating electricity. The past decade has witnessed advances in MFC configurations and materials; however, comprehensive analyses of design and material and its association with dye degradation and electricity generation are required for their industrial application. MFC models with high efficiency of dye decolorization (96-100%) and a wide variation in power generation (29.4-940 mW/m2) have been reported. However, only 28 out of 104 studies analyzed dye mineralization - a prerequisite to obviate dye toxicity. Consequently, the current review aims to provide an in-depth analysis of MFCs potential in dye degradation and mineralization and evaluates materials and designs as crucial factors. Also, structural and operation parameters critical to large-scale applicability and complete mineralization of azo dye were evaluated. Choice of materials, i.e., bacteria, anode, cathode, cathode catalyst, membrane, and substrate and their effects on power density and dye decolorization efficiency presented in review will help in economic feasibility and MFCs scalability to develop a self-sustainable solution for treating azo dye wastewater.

Non-ionizing radiation as possible carcinogen.

The advent of wireless technologies has revolutionized the way we communicate. The steady upsurge in the use of mobile phone all over the world in the last two decades, while triggered economic growth, has caused substantial damage to the environment, both directly and indirectly. The electromagnetic radiation generated from mobile phones, radio-based stations, and phone towers, high-voltage power lines have been reported which leads to the variety of health scares such as the risk of cancer in human beings and adverse effects in animals, birds, etc. Though the usage of such radiation emitting from mobile phones has risen steeply, there is a lack of proper knowledge about the associated risks. The review provides the latest research evidence based both on in vitro studies, in vivo studies, and possible gaps in our knowledge. Moreover, the present review also summarizes available literature in this subject, reports and studies which will help to form guidelines for its exposure limits to the public.Abbreviations: Continuous Wave: CW; Code Division Multiple Access: CDMA; Global System for Mobile Communications: GSM; Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell: PBMC; Radiofrequency: RF; Radiofrequency radiation: RFR; Universal Mobile Telecommunications System: UMTS; Wideband Code Division Multiple Access: WCDMA; Specific Absorption Rate: SAR; National Toxicology Program: NTP; amplitude-modulated or amplitude-modulation: AM; Electromagnetic frequencies: EMF; confidence interval: CI; Gigahertz: GHz; odds ratio: OR; incidence ratio: IR; reactive oxygen species: ROS; specific absorption rate: SAR; International Agency of Research on Cancer: IARC; single-strand breaks: SSB; double-strand breaks: DSB (7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene): DMBA; Hour: h; international commission on non-ionizing radiation protection: ICNIRP; extremely low frequency: ELFl; microtesla: mT; Gigahertz: GHz; hertz: Hz; decibel: dB; kilometer: Km; Watt per square meter: W/m2; Hour: h; positron emission tomography: PET.

Evaluation of the Prevalence, Regional Phenotypic Variation, Comorbidities, Risk Factors, and Variations in Response to Different Therapeutic Modalities Among Indian Women: Proposal for the Indian Council of Medical Research-Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (ICMR-PCOS) Study.

BACKGROUND: There is scanty data in India on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) from several small, undersized, convenience-based studies employing differing diagnostic criteria and reporting varied regional prevalence. It is difficult to draw clear-cut conclusions from these studies; therefore, the present multicentric, well-designed, large-scale representative countrywide epidemiological study on PCOS across India was conceived with the aim to generate the actual prevalence rates of PCOS in India with a total sample size of approximately 9000 individuals. OBJECTIVE: The primary objectives of the study are to estimate the national prevalence of PCOS in India and the burden of comorbidities and to compare the variation in efficacy of standard therapeutic modalities for metabolic dysfunction in women with PCOS. METHODS: This multicentric umbrella study consists of three different substudies. Substudy 1 will involve recruitment of women aged 18-40 years using a multistage sampling technique from randomly selected polling booths across urban and rural areas to estimate national prevalence, phenotypic variation, and risk factors among regions. Substudy 2 involves recruitment of subjects from the community pool of substudy 1 and the institutional pool for quantitation of comorbidities among women with PCOS. Substudy 3, an interventional part of the study, aims for comparison of variation in efficacies of common treatment modalities and will be conducted only at 2 centers. The eligible consenting women will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio into 2 arms through a blinding procedure. All these women will undergo clinical, biochemical, and hormonal assessment at baseline and at 3 and 6 months. The data generated will be analyzed using the reliable statistical software SPSS (version 26). RESULTS: The study is ongoing and is likely to be completed by April 2022. The data will be compiled and analyzed, and the results of the study will be disseminated through publications. CONCLUSIONS: The Indian Council of Medical Research-PCOS study is the first of its kind attempting to provide accurate and comprehensive data on prevalence of PCOS in India. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials Registry-India CTRI/2018/11/016252; ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pmaindet2.php?trialid=26366. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/23437.

Evaluating the efficacy of a multistrain probiotic supplementation for prevention of neonatal sepsis in 0-2-month-old low birth weight infants in India-the "ProSPoNS" Study protocol for a phase III, multicentric, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Progress has been made in the reduction of under-five mortality in India; however, neonatal mortality is reducing at a slower rate. Efforts are required to bring down neonatal mortality in order to attain the Sustainable Development Goal-3. Prevention of sepsis among the high-risk, vulnerable low birth weight neonates by a newer intervention with probiotic supplementation is promising. METHODS: A phase III, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study is being conducted at six sites in India. A total of 6144 healthy low birth weight (LBW) infants fulfilling the eligibility criteria would be enrolled within the first week of life, after obtaining written informed consent from the parents of the infant. Randomization in 1:1 ratio, stratified by site, sex, and birth weight, would be done through an interactive web response system (IWRS) using a standard web browser and email service. Vivomixx®, a probiotic containing a mix of 8 strains of bacteria, in a suspension form standardized to deliver 10 billion CFU/ml, or an organoleptically similar placebo would be fed to enrolled infants in a 1-ml/day dose for 30 days. The follow-up of enrolled infants for 60 days would take place as per a pre-specified schedule for recording morbidities and outcome assessments at the six participating sites. Screening for morbidities would be conducted by trained field workers in the community, and sick infants would be referred to designated clinics/hospitals. A physician would examine the referred infants presenting with complaints and clinical signs, and blood samples would be collected from sick infants for diagnosis of neonatal sepsis by performing sepsis screen and blood culture. Appropriate treatment would be provided as per hospital protocol. The study would be implemented as per the MRC guideline for the management of Global Health Trials in accordance with ICH-GCP and Indian Regulatory guidelines. A contract research organization would be engaged for comprehensive monitoring and quality assurance. The final analysis would be conducted in a blinded manner as per the statistical analysis plan (SAP) to estimate the primary outcomes of sepsis, possible serious bacterial infection (PSBI), and secondary outcomes. The codes will be broken after DMC permission. The protocol has been reviewed by the Research Ethics Committee of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (REC-LSTM), from Research Ethics Committees of the six subject recruitment participating sites. DISCUSSION: This adequately powered and well-designed trial would conclusively answer the question whether probiotics can prevent neonatal sepsis in the high-risk group of low birth weight infants as indicated by a pilot study in 1340 LBW infants, evidence from systematic reviews of hospital-based studies, and a primary study on healthy newborns in Orissa. Results of the study would be generalizable to India and other low-middle-income countries. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI) CTRI/2019/05/019197 . Registered on 16 May 2019.

Innovative application of facile single pot green synthesized CuO and CuO@APTES nanoparticles in nanopriming of Vigna radiata seeds.

Nanopriming is an emerging field of science which uses nanoparticles in solution to improve parameters of seed vigor. This leads to an initial advantage to the crop plant at the germination phase of its life cycle, which is also the most vulnerable phase and may lead to an improved yield. In this study, we have synthesized copper oxide (CuO) and (3-Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES)-coated CuO (CuO@APTES) nanoparticles via environmentally friendly green synthesis using the extract of Coriandrum sativum (coriander) herb. The synthesized nanoparticles were used as nanoprimers on Vigna radiata (moong bean), a model legume, to promote seed vigor via increase in germination. This was followed by characterization and comparison of both types of nanoparticles using various physicochemical techniques; UV-Visible (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). All characterization techniques pointed out to the successful synthesis and coating of CuO nanoparticles. Seed imbibition and germination assays were performed, which indicated increased imbibition potential and germination promotion at low nanoparticle concentration. Such studies can be used in the development of simple prepackaged nanoprimer products, which can be used by farmers before sowing to provide a boost to their crops and productivity.

Nanotechnology in reproductive medicine: Opportunities for clinical translation.

In recent years, nanotechnology has revolutionized global healthcare and has been predicted to exert a remarkable effect on clinical medicine. In this context, the clinical use of nanomaterials for cancer diagnosis, fertility preservation, and the management of infertility and other pathologies linked to pubertal development, menopause, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) has substantial promise to fill the existing lacunae in reproductive healthcare. Of late, a number of clinical trials involving the use of nanoparticles for the early detection of reproductive tract infections and cancers, targeted drug delivery, and cellular therapeutics have been conducted. However, most of these trials of nanoengineering are still at a nascent stage, and better synergy between pharmaceutics, chemistry, and cutting-edge molecular sciences is needed for effective translation of these interventions from bench to bedside. To bridge the gap between translational outcome and product development, strategic partnerships with the insight and ability to anticipate challenges, as well as an in-depth understanding of the molecular pathways involved, are highly essential. Such amalgamations would overcome the regulatory gauntlet and technical hurdles, thereby facilitating the effective clinical translation of these nano-based tools and technologies. The present review comprehensively focuses on emerging applications of nanotechnology, which holds enormous promise for improved therapeutics and early diagnosis of various human reproductive tract diseases and conditions.

Fast-changing life-styles and ecotoxicity of hair dyes drive the emergence of hidden toxicants threatening environmental sustainability in Asia.

The practice of hair dyeing is a rapidly expanding industry on a global scale; however, it has become a major concern for Asian countries because they have been undergoing rapid transformations of their environment and lifestyles. While the socio-economic benefits and impacts of this globalization trend are widely understood, the environmental effects are largely unknown. In particular, commonly available oxidative dyes potentially pose specific environmental risks due to their use of a toxic aromatic amine p-Phenylenediamine (PPD). In investigating the environmental impacts of PPD chemicals, we first provide context to the study by setting out the socio-psychological drivers to industrial expansion in Asian countries along with an overview of research into its effects, to show that its environmental impacts are under-researched. We then investigate the environmental toxicity of PPD by focusing on the role of microbes in metabolizing waste products. Results show that Acinetobacter baumannii EB1 isolated from dye effluent prevents autoxidation of PPD under oxygen-enriched (shaking) or oxygen-deficient (static) conditions representing different environmental settings. Microbes transformed PPD into more toxic metabolites, which then significantly reduced plant growth, thereby having a direct bearing on ecosystem services. Based on the findings, we argue that stricter regulatory controls on hair dye wastewater are necessary, particularly in newly industrialising Asian countries where the expansion of commercial practice is most prevalent.

Green synthesis and physiochemical characterization of nickel oxide nanoparticles: Interaction studies with Calf thymus DNA.

One of the most promising applications of nanomaterials is that of nanobiosensors, using biomolecules such as nucleic acids as receptors. This study aimed to synthesize nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) by an environmentally friendly green synthesis, using the extract of the herb Coriandrum sativum (coriander). The synthesized NPs were characterized using UV-Visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photon spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential and transmission electron microscopy. All results confirmed the synthesis of pure, spherical, positively charged NiO NPs of around 95 nm in diameter with prominent hydroxyl groups attached to the surface. Furthermore, interaction studies of synthesized NiO NPs with calf thymus DNA (CT DNA) were performed using UV-Visible spectroscopy, UV-thermal melting, circular dichroism, and fluorescence spectroscopy. CT DNA served as a substitute for nucleic acid biosensors. All experimental studies indicated that the NiO NPs bound electrostatically with CT DNA. These studies may facilitate exploring the potential of NiO NP-nucleic acid conjugated materials to be used as nanobiosensors for various applications, especially in pharmacological, epidemiological, and environmental diagnostic applications, and in detection.

Peroxidases from an invasive Mesquite species for management and restoration of fertility of phenolic-contaminated soil.

Phenolics drive the global economy, but they also pose threats to soil health and plant growth. Enzymes like peroxidase have the potential to remove the phenolic contaminants from the wastewater; however, their role in restoring soil health and improving plant growth has not yet been ascertained. We fractionated efficient peroxidases (MPx) from leaves of an invasive species of Mesquite, Prosopis juliflora, and demonstrated its superiority over horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in remediating phenol, 3-chlorophenol (3-CP), and a mixture of chlorophenols (CP-M), from contaminated soil. MPx removes phenolics over a broader range of pH (2.0-9.0) as compared with HRP (pH: 7.0-8.0). In soil, replacing H2O2 with CaO2 further increases the phenolic removal efficiency of MPx (≥90% of phenol, ≥ 70% of 3-CP, and ≥90% of CP-M). MPx maintains ~4-fold higher phenolic removal efficiency than purified HRP even in soils with extremely high contaminant concentration (2 g phenolics/kg of soil), which is desirable for environmental applications of enzymes for remediation. MPx treatment restores soil biological processes as evident by key enzymes of soil fertility viz. Acid- and alkaline-phosphatases, urease, and soil dehydrogenase, and improves potential biochemical fertility index of soil contaminated with phenolics. MPx treatment also assists the Vigna mungo test plant to overcome toxicant stress and grow healthy in contaminated soils. Optimization of MPx for application in the field environment would help both in the restoration of phenolic-contaminated soils and the management of invasive Mesquite.