Neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, are the leading causes of dementia in the elderly. In the coming days, an alarming upsurge of dementia patients is expected with increasing life expectancy. This is the scenario not only in the developed world but also in the developing world, where older people live in vulnerable situations. Even in the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease-19) pandemic, the situation has worsened. Due to the limitations of conventional therapeutic strategies, it is necessary to explore integrated approaches consisting of both pharmacological and non-pharmaceutical interventions. As existing anti-dementia drugs pose many adverse effects on patients, pharmacological intervention through naturally occurring agents should be employed to explore targeted therapy. Alongside, non-pharmacological interventions such as cognitive and motor rehabilitation, occupational therapy, and psychological therapy need to be explored. From this perspective, multidisciplinary approaches need to be employed in order to develop a sustainable patient-friendly treatment strategy for the management of these emerging health issues with tremendous social burdens.

Many countries have been seen two wave patterns of reported cases of coronavirus diseases. Still, a limited number of studies compared the epidemiological attributes of the first wave and second wave of coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. This study was carried out to compare the epidemics of two waves in Bangladesh. This observational study data of suspected cases was collected from June 2020 to April 2021 from a local authorized diagnostic center. From June 27, 2020, to July 27, 2020, was considered as the first wave and from March 20, 2021, to April 20, 2021, was considered a second wave. This period was determined because of observing the highest number of positive cases during that period. Out of 21,359 cases, including 2429 (11.37%) individuals in the first wave and 4989 (23.36%) individuals in the second wave had RT-PCR test for disease confirmation. Among them, 315 people in the first wave and 630 in the second wave were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Male were more vernalized to the positive case, including 204 (64.8%) and 421 (66.8%) during the first and second waves, respectively. People under 41 found 56.2% positive cases during the first wave while it was 65.6% in the second wave. We also found 128 positive cases among international travelers. In conclusion, a large extent of different epidemiological attributes was found in the second wave compared to the first wave of the outbreaks.

Neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, are the leading causes of dementia in the elderly. In the coming days, an alarming upsurge of dementia patients is expected with increasing life expectancy. This is the scenario not only in the developed world but also in the developing world, where older people live in vulnerable situations. Even in the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease-19) pandemic, the situation has worsened. Due to the limitations of conventional therapeutic strategies, it is necessary to explore integrated approaches consisting of both pharmacological and non-pharmaceutical interventions. As existing anti-dementia drugs pose many adverse effects on patients, pharmacological intervention through naturally occurring agents should be employed to explore targeted therapy. Alongside, non-pharmacological interventions such as cognitive and motor rehabilitation, occupational therapy, and psychological therapy need to be explored. From this perspective, multidisciplinary approaches need to be employed in order to develop a sustainable patient-friendly treatment strategy for the management of these emerging health issues with tremendous social burdens.

Several plant extracts and Ayurvedic formulations were used to treat ailments and such studies were well documented within the recent decades. Even a number of the plants were screened for immunomodulators to revive and rejuvenate the system. The present study is a screening trail for any possible healing activity of Terminalia chebula on IL-2 and IFN-? levels. The raw and dried fruits of the sample were pulverized finely and extracted with methanol. Following which their aqueous solutions are re extracted with hexane, ester and chloroform to review the possible cytotoxic effects. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophage cells were used throughout the study to assess the effect of extracts on nitric oxide (NO) production using Griess method. Expression of Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a were studied by real time PCR quantification alongside estimation of IL-1ß and IL-6 cytokine levels using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The present study confirmed the positive effect of the chloroform extract in reducing the NO secretion and also by showing an inhibition within the expression of COX2, IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-a. Thus, to conclude T. chebula might be used as anti-inflammatory candidate drug and also be used additionally to the various chemical compounds available within the medical markets.

Neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, are the leading causes of dementia in the elderly. In the coming days, an alarming upsurge of dementia patients is expected with increasing life expectancy. This is the scenario not only in the developed world but also in the developing world, where older people live in vulnerable situations. Even in the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease-19) pandemic, the situation has worsened. Due to the limitations of conventional therapeutic strategies, it is necessary to explore integrated approaches consisting of both pharmacological and non-pharmaceutical interventions. As existing anti-dementia drugs pose many adverse effects on patients, pharmacological intervention through naturally occurring agents should be employed to explore targeted therapy. Alongside, non-pharmacological interventions such as cognitive and motor rehabilitation, occupational therapy, and psychological therapy need to be explored. From this perspective, multidisciplinary approaches need to be employed in order to develop a sustainable patient-friendly treatment strategy for the management of these emerging health issues with tremendous social burdens.

The inappropriate use of antibiotics in the poultry industry for prophylaxis and growth promotion has contributed to the development and spread of antibiotic resistance in zoonotic pathogens. This study aimed to understand the prevalence of pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) in chicken faeces and their antibiotic susceptibility profiles. Forty-five E. coli isolated from the chicken faeces were further tested for virulence genes associated with diarrheagenic E. coli and extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) genes blaCTX, blaTEM, blaSHV and Metallo-beta-lactamase gene blaNDM. Results showed that eaeA and astA genes were detected in 60% of the isolates, followed by bfpA in 57.8%, lt in 26.7% and st gene in 2.2% of the isolates. Further, 15.5% of the isolates produced ESBL phenotypically whereas genotypically, one isolate was positive for blaCTX, one for blaTEM, and one for the blaSHV gene. Twelve isolates (26.7%) harbored gene blaNDM. High levels of resistance were observed against cefepime (93.3%), ertapenem (78.9%), meropenem (73.6%), tetracycline (88.9%), and cotrimoxazole (75.6%). This study highlights the importance of poultry as a source of human pathogenic multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli and their environmental dissemination.

Many countries have been seen two wave patterns of reported cases of coronavirus diseases. Still, a limited number of studies compared the epidemiological attributes of the first wave and second wave of coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. This study was carried out to compare the epidemics of two waves in Bangladesh. This observational study data of suspected cases was collected from June 2020 to April 2021 from a local authorized diagnostic center. From June 27, 2020, to July 27, 2020, was considered as the first wave and from March 20, 2021, to April 20, 2021, was considered a second wave. This period was determined because of observing the highest number of positive cases during that period. Out of 21,359 cases, including 2429 (11.37%) individuals in the first wave and 4989 (23.36%) individuals in the second wave had RT-PCR test for disease confirmation. Among them, 315 people in the first wave and 630 in the second wave were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Male were more vernalized to the positive case, including 204 (64.8%) and 421 (66.8%) during the first and second waves, respectively. People under 41 found 56.2% positive cases during the first wave while it was 65.6% in the second wave. We also found 128 positive cases among international travelers. In conclusion, a large extent of different epidemiological attributes was found in the second wave compared to the first wave of the outbreaks.

From a management and conservation perspective, measuring the biodiversity of an ecosystem is an indispensable tool for assessing its health. Currently, scientists and authorities are giving great importance to the Zat valley because of its ecological, socio-economic and cultural importance. This study was carried out to assess the floristic biodiversity and to determine the different dominant plant groups in the Zat Valley. Based on 33 phyto-ecological surveys, the floristic diversity of the Zat valley revealed the existence of 114 species and subspecies distributed among 44 families and 96 genera, belonging to various biological types. As a first result, 9 taxa were reported as rare taxa according to the flora of Morocco, whereas 7 species were reported as rare and threatened species. A Correspondence Factor Analysis was performed in this study and allowed the individualization of five groups of plants: Pine formation, Thuja formation, Tamarix formation, Holm Oaks formation and Thuriferous formation, each of these formations was described by its geographical distribution, the biodiversity of its flora and its ecological conditions. This study provides an essential tool for the sustainable management of this valley through the implementation of a management and conservation plan.

The inappropriate use of antibiotics in the poultry industry for prophylaxis and growth promotion has contributed to the development and spread of antibiotic resistance in zoonotic pathogens. This study aimed to understand the prevalence of pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) in chicken faeces and their antibiotic susceptibility profiles. Forty-five E. coli isolated from the chicken faeces were further tested for virulence genes associated with diarrheagenic E. coli and extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) genes blaCTX, blaTEM, blaSHV and Metallo-beta-lactamase gene blaNDM. Results showed that eaeA and astA genes were detected in 60% of the isolates, followed by bfpA in 57.8%, lt in 26.7% and st gene in 2.2% of the isolates. Further, 15.5% of the isolates produced ESBL phenotypically whereas genotypically, one isolate was positive for blaCTX, one for blaTEM, and one for the blaSHV gene. Twelve isolates (26.7%) harbored gene blaNDM. High levels of resistance were observed against cefepime (93.3%), ertapenem (78.9%), meropenem (73.6%), tetracycline (88.9%), and cotrimoxazole (75.6%). This study highlights the importance of poultry as a source of human pathogenic multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli and their environmental dissemination.

In recent years, the general public’s perception of modern diets and human health has shifted dramatically. Changes in lifestyle make people prefer fast food that is poor in nutrients, especially dietary fiber. Lack of dietary fiber is one of the contributions to the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases, such as hypercholesterolemia and cancer, among the public. For this reason, efforts to introduce fiber-rich functional foods need to be encouraged. Nata, which is a high-fiber food made from organic plant sources, can be used as an alternative source of fiber for the community. It is hoped that this article will provide some insight into alternative sources of dietary fiber that can be produced by members of the community on their own.

Production of therapeutic proteins like Biosimilars uses a complex cell based fermentation and purification process. There are chances of errors in these complex production processes due to complexities in the molecular pathway that every protein follows. Therefore to produce a desired therapeutic protein that elicit the correct immunological response in the patient, one need to ensure that it must have correct sequence, size, structure so that they are recognized by the specific receptors. The quality of these therapeutic proteins is characterized through standard assays and methods such as SDS PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis), IEF (Isoelectric focusing), Western Blot and other methods those are based on HPLC, Mass spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis to conform the desired molecular size, purity and identity of proteins. Thus in the process of validation of a method, equipment plays a critical role in ensuring the quality and safety of a biopharmaceutical product. It is always necessary to generate scientific data and information such as IQ (Installation qualification), OQ (Operational qualification) and PQ (Performance qualification) protocol and reports for each instrument employed in the process at the beginning and before the actual testing of the desired product. It is only after the completion of these activities, the product under different manufacturing steps can be characterized. Involvement of a software in conjunction to an equipment is also common and it is important that the software is in use with the equipment also meets the requirements of the CFR 21 FDA (Code of Federal Regulations, 21 Part 11 of US Food and Drug Administration), which is a legal requirement in a modern manufacturing process and hence it is important to comply with these rules as set of guidelines that will help to ensure the integrity and safety of data.

Production of therapeutic proteins like Biosimilars uses a complex cell based fermentation and purification process. There are chances of errors in these complex production processes due to complexities in the molecular pathway that every protein follows. Therefore to produce a desired therapeutic protein that elicit the correct immunological response in the patient, one need to ensure that it must have correct sequence, size, structure so that they are recognized by the specific receptors. The quality of these therapeutic proteins is characterized through standard assays and methods such as SDS PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis), IEF (Isoelectric focusing), Western Blot and other methods those are based on HPLC, Mass spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis to conform the desired molecular size, purity and identity of proteins. Thus in the process of validation of a method, equipment plays a critical role in ensuring the quality and safety of a biopharmaceutical product. It is always necessary to generate scientific data and information such as IQ (Installation qualification), OQ (Operational qualification) and PQ (Performance qualification) protocol and reports for each instrument employed in the process at the beginning and before the actual testing of the desired product. It is only after the completion of these activities, the product under different manufacturing steps can be characterized. Involvement of a software in conjunction to an equipment is also common and it is important that the software is in use with the equipment also meets the requirements of the CFR 21 FDA (Code of Federal Regulations, 21 Part 11 of US Food and Drug Administration), which is a legal requirement in a modern manufacturing process and hence it is important to comply with these rules as set of guidelines that will help to ensure the integrity and safety of data.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a global pandemic of the century. The disease is wreaking havoc on human health, the world economy, society, and the environment. It has already caused the loss of millions of lives. Because of the mutation, the virus is constantly evolving itself, changing its nature including the disease transmission rate, virulence, pathogenesis, and clinical manifestations. It was recently reported that certain COVID-19 patients are also suffering from a fungal infection as co-infection commonly known as mucormycosis (black fungus). In India, the outbreak of black fungus in COVID-19 patients has already been declared an epidemic. Only a few reports are noticed in other countries. The focus must now be put toward better management and control of the COVID-19-associated fungal infection. In this review, we have discussed various aspects of black fungus particularly the etiology, taxonomy, risk factors, transmission, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and line of treatment to keep up to date on how to manage this fungal infection better.

SARS-CoV-2, a new and fast circulating coronavirus strain, infected over 214 countries and territories worldwide and caused global health emergencies. The absence of appropriate medicines and vaccinations has further complicated the condition. SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is crucial for its propagation, and it is considered a striking target. This study used several computational approaches to determine the probable antagonist of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro from bioactive phytochemicals of Syzygium aromaticum. A total of 20 compounds were screened through in silico approach. The molecular dynamics simulation studies were then carried out for further insights. We found crategolic acid, oleanolic acid, and kaempferol have considerable binding affinity and important molecular contacts with catalytic pocket residues, His41-Cys145. The pharmacological properties through ADMET analysis also showed that these compounds could be used as safe drug candidates. The molecular dynamics simulation study further confirmed these compound’s stability with Mpro. However, further detailed in-vitro and in-vivo analyses are compulsory to evaluate the real potentiality of identified compounds.

Fungi is a kingdom that includes multicellular eukaryotic organisms such as yeast and mold; these organisms are heterotrophs (cannot make their own food) but have significant roles in nutrient cycling. To obtain nutrients from organic material, they use their hyphae, which elongate and branch off swiftly; using the mycelium quickly, they increase their size. Currently, a few media are suitable for fungal growth, such as sabouraud dextrose, malt extract and brain heart infusion medium. Bacterial eosin methylene blue (EMB) media is well-suited to fungi, which acts as selective media to differentiate Gram-negative bacteria. EMB, known as “Levine’s formulation”, is a selective and differential medium for Gram-negative bacteria. In EMB media, fungi even grow faster than Gram-negative bacteria. In addition to this faster growth of fungi, it deters the growth of Gram-negative bacteria by reducing the pH. The majority of the time, fungi require specific conditions to flourish. In this study, we observed fungal growth, especially mold (Aspergillus niger), in EMB media and its retardation activity of Gram-negative bacterial growth. For this new finding assurance, we performed the bacterial and fungal identification test further along with repeating the three times of the whole experiment, and we found the same result. The fungal species was A. niger, and the bacterial species was Escherichia coli.

Patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are known to suffer from hyperlipidemia. How hyperlipidemia is associated with controlled and uncontrolled T2DM patients in Bangladesh remained to be addressed. In this cross-sectional study, 211 participants were enrolled who have been suffering from T2DM for more than 4 years from the northeastern part of Bangladesh. Controlled and uncontrolled patients were defined with their plasma glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels. Among them, 39% and 61% were in the diabetic-controlled and uncontrolled groups. Indeed, the diabetic uncontrolled group showed a higher frequency of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hyper LDL-cholesterolemia, and hypo HDL-cholesterolemia compare to the diabetic controlled group. Lipid profiling analysis revealed significantly elevated (p<0.0001) levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in uncontrolled than the controlled group, while high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was significantly (p<0.0001) lower in uncontrolled diabetics patients. Interestingly, significantly (p<0.05) higher dyslipidemia was also observed in individuals with controlled diabetic population, who have been suffering from T2DM for more than 7 years. Therefore, these results highlight that not only the diabetic uncontrolled but also the controlled group patients have a high risk of developing hyperlipidemia after a certain period of diabetes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread rapidly and caused significant damage to global public health as well as the economy. While the race of vaccine development witnessed a spectacular breakthrough with the introduction of highly effective vaccines such as BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, or AZD1222, no specific drug for COVID-19 treatment has been discovered yet. Recently, repurposing drugs classified into three main groups of mechanisms, including antivirus, anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and immunomodulators, are investigated. As a result, Remdesivir and six other drugs are authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat patients infected by the SARS-CoV-2. This work aims to highlight that, besides vaccines, COVID-19 drugs should get more attention and be considered as one of the most promising strategies to safely coexist with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the new normal status and for the mutations of the virus, such as the omicron variant.