http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/54759 2026-10-10T12:21:16Z http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/54777 Title: Impact of COVID-19 lockdown in Tamil Nadu: Benefits and challenges on environment perspective Authors: Chitra, J; Rajendran, SM; Mercy, Jeba J; Jeyakanthan, J Abstract: Prior to COVID-19 lockdown in our country, the air around us was highly polluted due to emission of greenhouse gases for over centuries. Melting of glaciers and rising of the sea levels were evidenced as the alarming signs of Global warming. Environmental degradation was observed rapidly due to depletion and exploitation of natural resources like soil, water and air. But there are few changes observed in the environment after the country’s lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic. The effects of lockdown are also entwined with human and political effects such as uncontrollable public mobility, poor access to health care due to lack of sufficient medical facilities, unemployment, migrants’ crisis, starvation and prevailing poverty. However, apart from sufferings of entire country especially the people by social, economic and psychologic effects in day-to-day life, this lockdown has given to the nature the most optimistic scenarios in environment especially with enhanced air quality, cleaner water and undisturbed pristine forest. The present review brings out the actual picture of the eco-processes that reduced man-made pollution in air and water as well as disposal of domestic or biological waste along with societal implications after imposing lockdown in the state of Tamil Nadu. Page(s): 370-381 2020-08-01T00:00:00Z http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/54776 Title: Effects of miR-222 on cisplatin resistance of renal cancer cell strains and related mechanisms Authors: Liu, Haouzhi; Zhang, Yun Abstract: Cisplatin is widely employed in combating renal cancers. However, a major challenge is the resistance of cisplatin by renal cancer cells. Increased miR-222 expression is known to promote this resistance and so ways of downregulating the expression of miR-222 is widely sought after as a means of combating the resistance. The study was performed to explore the effects of miR-222 on cisplatin resistance of renal cancer cell strains and related mechanisms. The expression of miR-222 and Dickkopf-3 (DKK3) was regulated to explore the effects of miR-222 and DKK3 on cisplatin chemotherapy in renal cancer cisplatin-resistant cell strains, and to figure out the regulatory relationship between miR-222 and DKK3. In renal cancer tissues and cell lines, miR-222 was highly expressed and DKK3 was lowly expressed. Renal cancer cisplatin-resistant cells had markedly higher miR-222 expression and lower DKK3 expression than normal renal cancer cells, suggesting a potential involvement of miR-222 and DKK3 in the cisplatin resistance in renal cancer cells. Down-regulated miR-222 expression led to stronger inhibition of the renal cancer cell growth by cisplatin and markedly higher DKK3 expression. Dual-luciferase reporter assay results showed that miR-222 had a targeted inhibition on DKK3. Co-transfection of miR-222 mimic and shDKK3, together with the up-regulation of miR-222 and DKK3 expressions, resulted in a higher sensitivity of renal cancer cells to cisplatin chemotherapy than the up-regulation of miR-222 expression alone. Down-regulated miR-222 expression can remove the inhibition of DKK3 expression and increase the sensitivity of renal cancer cells to cisplatin chemotherapy. Page(s): 382-388 2020-08-01T00:00:00Z http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/54775 Title: Computational screening of anticancer drugs targeting miRNA155 synthesis in breast cancer Authors: Srivastava, Saumya; Pandey, Anjana Abstract: miRNAs have been identified to play a crucial role in carcinogenesis through their binding to various regulatory proteins. One such causative molecule identified as miRNA155, which when overexpressed is responsible for carcinogenesis and also leads to telomere fragility. miRNA155 levels in the blood are used for early screening of cancer. Several anticancer drugs such as doxorubicin have been identified, which act by binding to DNA and DNA binding enzymes to check their expression levels. In this study doxorubicin and its similar compounds were used to analyze their binding with miR155 DNA for inhibition of miRNA155 synthesis and their binding energies were calculated. Based on the docking, ADME, and toxicity results Morpholinyl Doxorubicin was used for molecular dynamics studies and was identified as a potential drug candidate. Page(s): 389-394 2020-08-01T00:00:00Z http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/54774 Title: Association of Lipid biomarkers with drinking patterns and severity in alcoholic liver disease - A hospital- based cross- sectional study Authors: Anithasri, Anbalagan; Arulvijayavani, Subramaniam; Gopinath, Poonguzhali; Varuni, Annamalai Kumarasamy Abstract: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is one of the leading causes of death due to cirrhosis. Dyslipidemia is a common finding in  ALD  and  lipid  parameters  are  shown  to  be  associated  with  disease  severity.  However  the  effect  of  alcohol  drinking pattern on lipid abnormalities is still unclear. Hence this cross sectional study was planned to estimate the serum lipid profile in ALD patients and to determine the association of lipid parameters with alcohol drinking pattern and the severity of liver disease.50  male  patients  with  ALD  and  50  age  matched  controls  were  enrolled.  AUDIT  score  was  used  to  assess  their drinking pattern. Serum lipid profile and liver parameters were estimated and compared between the cases and controls. The patients  were  grouped  based  on  severity  into  Child  Pugh's  group  A,  B  and  C  and  the  study  parameters  were  compared between the groups. All statistical analyses were done using SPSS v20.0. The mean total cholesterol level (126.98±45.06 vs 163.2±24.38 mg/dL), LDL and HDL cholesterol was significantly less in ALD compared to controls. Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels were low in Child Pugh's Score C group. Mean AUDIT score was18 ± 4. Low Total cholesterol and  LDL  cholesterol  levels  correlate  with  disease  severity  and  are  markers  of  poor  prognosis.  Lipid  parameters  do  not correlate with alcohol drinking patterns in ALD. Page(s): 395-400 2020-08-01T00:00:00Z