Summary Background Since December, 2019, Wuhan, China, has experienced an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 have been reported but risk factors for mortality and a detailed clinical course of illness, including viral shedding, have not been well described. Methods In this retrospective, multicentre cohort study, we included all adult inpatients (≥18 years old) with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from Jinyintan Hospital and Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital (Wuhan, China) who had been discharged or had died by Jan 31, 2020. Demographic, clinical, treatment, and laboratory data, including serial samples for viral RNA detection, were extracted from electronic medical records and compared between survivors and non-survivors. We used univariable and multivariable logistic regression methods to explore the risk factors associated with in-hospital death. Findings 191 patients (135 from Jinyintan Hospital and 56 from Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital) were included in this study, of whom 137 were discharged and 54 died in hospital. 91 (48%) patients had a comorbidity, with hypertension being the most common (58 [30%] patients), followed by diabetes (36 [19%] patients) and coronary heart disease (15 [8%] patients). Multivariable regression showed increasing odds of in-hospital death associated with older age (odds ratio 1·10, 95% CI 1·03–1·17, per year increase; p=0·0043), higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (5·65, 2·61–12·23; p Interpretation The potential risk factors of older age, high SOFA score, and d-dimer greater than 1 μg/mL could help clinicians to identify patients with poor prognosis at an early stage. Prolonged viral shedding provides the rationale for a strategy of isolation of infected patients and optimal antiviral interventions in the future. Funding Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences; National Science Grant for Distinguished Young Scholars; National Key Research and Development Program of China; The Beijing Science and Technology Project; and Major Projects of National Science and Technology on New Drug Creation and Development.

Clinical course and risk factors for mortality of adult inpatients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective cohort study

IT may occasion some surprise to those men of science who are ill-acquainted with India, and who so frequently express the view that Governments are unappreciative of the importance of science to learn that as far back as 1886 the Government of India arranged for Dr. George (later Sir George) Watt, professor of botany in the Presidency College, Calcutta, to prepare a "Dictionary of the Economic Products of India". The six volumes of this standard work were published during the years 1889-99. In 1908 Sir George Watt published a condensed version, "The Commercial Products of India". Whatever the defects of these 'dictionaries', they have been of inestimable value to all interested in Indian natural products. The Wealth of India A Dictionary of Indian Raw Materials and Industrial Products. Raw Materials, Vol. 1. Pp. xxvii+254+39 plates. 15 rupees ; 24s. Industrial Products, Part 1. Pp. xii+182+8 plates. 8 rupees ; 12s. (New Delhi : Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1948.)

The Wealth of India

In addition to their role in glucose and lipid metabolism, adipocytes respond differentially to physiological cues or metabolic stress by releasing endocrine factors that regulate diverse processes, such as energy expenditure, appetite control, glucose homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, inflammation and tissue repair. Both energy-storing white adipocytes and thermogenic brown and beige adipocytes secrete hormones, which can be peptides (adipokines), lipids (lipokines) and exosomal microRNAs. Some of these factors have defined targets; for example, adiponectin and leptin signal through their respective receptors that are expressed in multiple organs. For other adipocyte hormones, receptors are more promiscuous or remain to be identified. Furthermore, many of these hormones are also produced by other organs and tissues, which makes defining the endocrine contribution of adipose tissues a challenge. In this Review, we discuss the functional role of adipose tissue-derived endocrine hormones for metabolic adaptations to the environment and we highlight how these factors contribute to the development of cardiometabolic diseases. We also cover how this knowledge can be translated into human therapies. In addition, we discuss recent findings that emphasize the endocrine role of white versus thermogenic adipocytes in conditions of health and disease. Adipocytes respond to environmental cues, such as metabolic stress, by releasing endocrine factors that modulate diverse physiological processes. This Review discusses the metabolic functions of adipose tissue-derived endocrine hormones and highlights how these factors might contribute to cardiometabolic diseases.

The endocrine function of adipose tissues in health and cardiometabolic disease

Selenium nanoparticles: A potent chemotherapeutic agent and an elucidation of its mechanism B Biointerfaces

Laboratory control of antimicrobial therapy

Chronic liver diseases are clinically silent and responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. β-Sitosterol (BSS), major phytosterol in plants, has a wide spectrum of protective effect against various chronic ailments. We investigated the hepatoprotective effect of BSS against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)–induced chronic liver injury in rats. Thirty rats were divided into five groups, with six animals in each group. Group I rats served as control while groups II, III, IV, and V rats were injected intraperitoneally with CCl4 (0.2 mL/100 g b.w. in olive oil (1:1)) for 7 consecutive weeks. After 7 weeks, group II rats were left without any treatments and served as CCl4 alone group, while groups III, IV, and V rats were treated with BSS 25 and 50 mg/kg b.w. and silymarin 100 mg/kg b.w. as oral post-treatments respectively, for the next 4 weeks. At the end of the experiment, hepatotoxicity marker enzymes in serum, oxidative stress, and fibrosis marker were analyzed. CCl4 administration caused significant elevation of marker enzymes of hepatotoxicity in serum and increased lipid peroxidation and fibrosis markers such as hydroxyproline, collagen, α-smooth muscle actin, vimentin, desmin, and matrix metalloproteinases 9 in liver tissue of rats. This treatment also caused a significant diminution of intracellular enyzmic antioxidants such as SOD and CAT in the liver tissue of rats. All the above adversities were significantly mitigated by the BSS post-treatments. The results suggest that BSS could have a hepatoprotective effect against oxidative stress–mediated CLD induced by CCl4.

β-Sitosterol attenuates carbon tetrachloride-induced oxidative stress and chronic liver injury in rats.

Use of various plant parts like leaves, bark, flowers, fruits, seeds, roots or the whole plant as such for medicinal purpose has a long tradition in different culture. Averrhoa bilimbi (Bilimbi) is medicinally used as a folk remedy for many symptoms .It is an attractive, long-lived tropical tree, reaching 5-10 m in height. It has a short trunk and a number of upright branches. The fruit conserve is administered as a treatment for coughs, beri-beri and biliousness. Syrup prepared from the fruit is taken as a cure for fever and inflammation and to stop rectal bleeding and alleviate internal hemorrhoids. The leaves are applied as a paste or poulticed on itches, swellings of mumps and rheumatism, and on skin eruption. The leaves have hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities. A flower infusion is said to be effective against coughs and thrush. The leaves and fruit extract is an effective antibacterial against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enteritidis. This review aims at compiling the potential benefits of Averrhoa bilimbi Linn based on its pharmacological activity.

Averrhoa bilimbi Linn'Nature's Drug Store- A PharmacologicalReview

A significant number of the anti-inflammatory drugs currently in use are becoming obsolete. These are exceptionally hazardous for long-term use because of their possible unfavourable impacts. Subsequently, in the ebb-and-flow decade, analysts and researchers are engaged in developing new anti-inflammatory drugs, and many such agents are in the later phases of clinical trials. Molecules with heterocyclic nuclei are similar to various natural antecedents, thus acquiring immense consideration from scientific experts and researchers. The arguably most adaptable heterocyclic cores are benzimidazoles containing nitrogen in a bicyclic scaffold. Numerous benzimidazole drugs are broadly used in the treatment of numerous diseases, showing promising therapeutic potential. Benzimidazole derivatives exert anti-inflammatory effects mainly by interacting with transient receptor potential vanilloid-1, cannabinoid receptors, bradykinin receptors, specific cytokines, 5-lipoxygenase activating protein and cyclooxygenase. Literature on structure-activity relationship (SAR) and investigations of benzimidazoles highlight that the substituent's tendency and position on the benzimidazole ring significantly contribute to the anti-inflammatory activity. Reported SAR analyses indicate that substitution at the N1, C2, C5 and C6 positions of the benzimidazole scaffold greatly influence the anti-inflammatory activity. For example, benzimidazole substituted with anacardic acid on C2 inhibits COX-2, and 5-carboxamide or sulfamoyl or sulfonyl benzimidazole antagonises the cannabinoid receptor, whereas the C2 diarylamine and C3 carboxamide substitution of the benzimidazole scaffold result in antagonism of the bradykinin receptor. In this review, we examine the insights regarding the SARs of anti-inflammatory benzimidazole compounds, which will be helpful for researchers in designing and developing potential anti-inflammatory drugs to target inflammation-promoting enzymes.

Structure-Activity Relationship Analysis of Benzimidazoles as Emerging Anti-Inflammatory Agents: An Overview.

Nymphaea alba also known as the European White Waterlily, White Lotus or Nenuphar, is an aquatic flowering plant of the family Nymphaeaceae. The flowers are white and they have many small stamens inside. It contains the active alkaloids nupharine and nymphaeine, and is a sedative and an aphrodisiac/an aphrodisiac.In this study, the antioxidant activity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts from flower of Nymphaea alba was evaluated by various antioxidant assays including total antioxidant, hydrogen peroxide scavenging and nitric oxide scavenging activities. Both extracts have exhibited significant antioxidant activity in DPPH, Nitric oxide and Hydroxyl radical induced invitro assay methods. The results indicate that both the extracts firmly possess strong antioxidant effects .Comparatively the ethanolic flower extract showed more antioxidant activity than the aqueous extracts. The results obtained from the present study indicate that the Nymphaea alba flower extract can be a potential source of natural antioxidant

Invitro Antioxidant and Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Aqueous and Ethanolic Flower Extract of Nymphaea Alba

Mosquitoes are the most important of insects in terms of public health importance which transmit a number of diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, Japanese B encephalitis, filariasis and malaria, causing millions of deaths every year. Mosquito control and personal protection from mosquito bites are currently the most important measures to prevent these diseases. Essential oils from plants have been recognized as important natural resources of insecticides because some are selective, biodegrade to non-toxic products and have few effects on non-target organisms and environment. Essential oils are volatile mixtures of hydrocarbons with a diversity of functional groups, and their repellent activity has been linked to the presence of mono - terpenes and sesquiterpenes. In some cases, these chemicals can work synergistically, improving their effectiveness. The aim of this review is to highlight the significance of essential oil from Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt, Azadirchata indica, Lavandula angustifolia, Mentha piperita for control of vector- borne disease

Anitha Roy

Papers

β-Sitosterol attenuates carbon tetrachloride-induced oxidative stress and chronic liver injury in rats.

Averrhoa bilimbi Linn'Nature's Drug Store- A PharmacologicalReview

Structure-Activity Relationship Analysis of Benzimidazoles as Emerging Anti-Inflammatory Agents: An Overview.

Invitro Antioxidant and Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Aqueous and Ethanolic Flower Extract of Nymphaea Alba

Essential Oil Repellents- A short Review