Changes in climate extremes and their impacts on the natural physical environment: An overview of the IPCC SREX report

The Greater Himalayas hold the largest mass of ice outside polar regions and are the source of the 10 largest rivers in Asia. Rapid reduction in the volume of Himalayan glaciers due to climate change is occurring. The cascading effects of rising temperatures and loss of ice and snow in the region are affecting, for example, water availability (amounts, seasonality), biodiversity (endemic species, predator-prey relations), ecosystem boundary shifts (tree-line movements, high-elevation ecosystem changes), and global feedbacks (monsoonal shifts, loss of soil carbon). Climate change will also have environmental and social impacts that will likely increase uncertainty in water supplies and agricultural production for human populations across Asia. A common understanding of climate change needs to be developed through regional and local-scale research so that mitigation and adaptation strategies can be identified and implemented. The challenges brought about by climate change in the Greater Himalayas can only be addressed through increased regional collaboration in scientific research and policy making.

The melting Himalayas: cascading effects of climate change on water, biodiversity, and livelihoods.

Gut microbial induction of host immune maturation exemplifies host-microbe mutualism. We colonized germ-free (GF) mice with mouse microbiota (MMb) or human microbiota (HMb) to determine whether small intestinal immune maturation depends on a coevolved host-specific microbiota. Gut bacterial numbers and phylum abundance were similar in MMb and HMb mice, but bacterial species differed, especially the Firmicutes. HMb mouse intestines had low levels of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, few proliferating T cells, few dendritic cells, and low antimicrobial peptide expression--all characteristics of GF mice. Rat microbiota also failed to fully expand intestinal T cell numbers in mice. Colonizing GF or HMb mice with mouse-segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) partially restored T cell numbers, suggesting that SFB and other MMb organisms are required for full immune maturation in mice. Importantly, MMb conferred better protection against Salmonella infection than HMb. A host-specific microbiota appears to be critical for a healthy immune system.

Gut Immune Maturation Depends Upon Colonization with Host-Specific Microbiota

Regional climate projections are required to further downscale the results provided by Atmosphere-Ocean Global Circulation Models (AOGCM) from the global scale grid size to the mesoscale grid size used in ILWRM application for mesoscale and macroscale river basins. The results provided from this climate modelling study were inputs into the hydrological modelling exercises done by the means of DANUBIA hydrological river basin model.

Regional Climate Projections

The dynamic interactions of cancer cells with their microenvironment consisting of stromal cells (cellular part) and extracellular matrix (ECM) components (non-cellular) is essential to stimulate the heterogeneity of cancer cell, clonal evolution and to increase the multidrug resistance ending in cancer cell progression and metastasis. The reciprocal cell-cell/ECM interaction and tumor cell hijacking of non-malignant cells force stromal cells to lose their function and acquire new phenotypes that promote development and invasion of tumor cells. Understanding the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms governing these interactions can be used as a novel strategy to indirectly disrupt cancer cell interplay and contribute to the development of efficient and safe therapeutic strategies to fight cancer. Furthermore, the tumor-derived circulating materials can also be used as cancer diagnostic tools to precisely predict and monitor the outcome of therapy. This review evaluates such potentials in various advanced cancer models, with a focus on 3D systems as well as lab-on-chip devices.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12964-020-0530-4.pdf

Tumor microenvironment complexity and therapeutic implications at a glance.

A state-of-art regional climate modelling system, known as PRECIS (Providing Regional Climates for Impacts Studies) developed by the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research, is applied for India to develop high-resolution climate change scenarios. The present-day simulation (1961-1990) with PRECIS is evaluated, including an examination of the impact of enhanced resolution and an identification of biases. The RCM is able to resolve features on finer scales than those resolved by the GCM, particularly those related to improved resolution of the topography. The most notable advantage of using the RCM is a more realistic representation of the spatial patterns of summer monsoon rainfall such as the maximum along the windward side of the Western Ghats. There are notable quantitative biases in precipitation over some regions, mainly due to similar biases in the driving GCM. PRECIS simulations under scenarios of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations and sulphate aerosols indicate marked increase in both rainfall and temperature towards the end of the 21st century. Surface air temperature and rainfall show similar patterns of projected changes under A2 and B2 scenarios, but the B2 scenario shows slightly lower magnitudes of the projected change. The warming is monotonously widespread over the country, but there are substantial spatial differences in the projected rainfall changes. West central India shows maximum expected increase in rainfall. Extremes in maximum and minimum temperatures are also expected to increase into the future, but the night temperatures are increasing faster than the day temperatures. Extreme precipitation shows substantial increases over a large area, and particularly over the west coast of India and west central India.

High-resolution climate change scenarios for India for the 21st century

The role of immune system in various bone pathologies, such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis is now well established. This had led to the emergence of a modern field of systems biology called as osteoimmunology, an integrated research between fields of immunology and bone biology under one umbrella. Osteoporosis is one of the most common inflammatory bone loss condition with more than 200 million individuals affected worldwide. T helper (Th) cells along with various other immune cells are major players involved in bone homeostasis. In the present review, we specifically discuss the role of various defined T lymphocyte subsets (Th cells comprising Th1, Th2, Th9, Th17, Th22, regulatory T cells, follicular helper T cells, natural killer T cells, γδ T cells, and CD8+ T cells) in the pathophysiology of osteoporosis. The study of the specific role of immune system in osteoporosis has now been proposed by our group as "immunoporosis: the immunology of osteoporosis" with special emphasis on the role of various subsets of T lymphocytes. The establishment of this new field had been need of the hour due to the emergence of novel roles of various T cell lymphocytes in accelerated bone loss observed during osteoporosis. Activated T cells either directly or indirectly through the secretion of various cytokines and factors modulate bone health and thereby regulate bone remodeling. Several studies have summarized the role of inflammation in pathogenesis of osteoporosis but very few reports had delineated the precise role of various T cell subsets in the pathobiology of osteoporosis. The present review thus for the first time clearly highlights and summarizes the role of various T lymphocytes in the development and pathophysiology of osteoporosis, giving birth to a new field of biology termed as "immunoporosis". This novel field will thus provide an overview of the nexus between the cellular components of both bone and immune systems, responsible for the observed bone loss in osteoporosis. A molecular insight into the upcoming and novel field of immunoporosis would thus leads to development of innovative approaches for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

Immunoporosis: Immunology of Osteoporosis-Role of T Cells.

Aim To evaluate the antifertility activity of the chloroform extract of Carica papaya seeds by oral administration in langur monkey, Presbytis entellus entellus. Methods The chloroform extract of Carica papaya seeds, 50 mg/kg/day, was administered orally for 360 days to adult male langur monkeys. The sperm characteristics by light and electron microscopy, the sperm functional tests, the semen biochemistry, the serum testosterone level, the Leydig cell function, and the histology and ultrastructure of testis were determined to evaluate the antifertility activity and the blood biochemistry and hematology, to evaluate the toxicology. Results The extract gradually decreased the sperm concentration since days 30-60 of treatment with a total inhibition of sperm motility, a decrease in sperm viability and increase in sperm abnormality. Azoospermia was observed after day 90 of treatment and continued during the whole treatment period. Treatment withdrawal resulted in a gradual recovery in these parameters and 150 days later they reverted to nearly the pretreatment values. Morphological observation of the ejaculated sperm by light and scanning electron microscopy showed deleterious changes, particularly on the mid-piece. Sperm functional tests, viz., sperm mitochondrial activity index, acrosome intactness test and hypo-osmotic swelling test scored in the infertile range during treatment and returned to the fertile values 150 days after drug withdrawal. Histology of the testis revealed shrunken tubules, germ cell atrophy and normal Leydig cells. Ultrastructure of the testis showed vacuolization in the cytoplasm of Sertoli cells and germ cells. Loss of cytoplasmic organelles were evident in the spermatocytes and spermatids. Round spermatids showed loss of Golgi bodies, peripheral mitochondria and vacuolated cytoplasm, indicating maturational arrest. Leydig cell functional test indicated a mild inhibition of steroidogenic function. Haematology and serum biochemistry study disclosed no significant toxicological effect and the serum testosterone level was not affected. Conclusion Carica papaya seed extract may selectively act on the developing germ cells, possibly mediated via Sertoli cells, leading to azoospermia.

Chloroform extract of Carica papaya seeds induces long-term reversible azoospermia in langur monkey

Lipid based nanocarriers: a translational perspective

The delivery of drugs into systemic circulation via skin has generated much attention during the last decade. Transdermal therapeutic systems propound controlled release of active ingredients through the skin and into the systemic circulation in a predictive manner. Drugs administered through these systems escape first-pass metabolism and maintain a steady state scenario similar to a continuous intravenous infusion for up to several days. However, the excellent impervious nature of the skin offers the greatest challenge for successful delivery of drug molecules by utilizing the concepts of iontophoresis. The present review deals with the principles and the recent innovations in the field of iontophoretic drug delivery system together with factors affecting the system. This delivery system utilizes electric current as a driving force for permeation of ionic and non-ionic medications. The rationale behind using this technique is to reversibly alter the barrier properties of skin, which could possibly improve the penetration of drugs such as proteins, peptides and other macromolecules to increase the systemic delivery of high molecular weight compounds with controlled input kinetics and minimum inter-subject variability. Although iontophoresis seems to be an ideal candidate to overcome the limitations associated with the delivery of ionic drugs, further extrapolation of this technique is imperative for translational utility and mass human application.

/pdf/iontophoresis-a-potential-emergence-of-a-transdermal-drug-xwu2319a5l.pdf

Pradyumna Kumar Mishra

Papers

High-resolution climate change scenarios for India for the 21st century

Immunoporosis: Immunology of Osteoporosis-Role of T Cells.

Chloroform extract of Carica papaya seeds induces long-term reversible azoospermia in langur monkey

Lipid based nanocarriers: a translational perspective

Iontophoresis: a potential emergence of a transdermal drug delivery system.