Bankura Sammilani College

Biofilm-associated infections represent a major clinical and biological challenge due to their ability to persist within host tissues while evading immune clearance and antimicrobial therapy. These structured microbial communities profoundly alter host immune signaling, particularly cytokine and chemokine networks, leading to sustained inflammation and tissue damage. Despite advances in antimicrobial development, biofilms continue to undermine treatment efficacy by promoting antibiotic resistance, dysregulated gene expression, and chronic inflammatory states, especially in wounds, implanted medical devices, and respiratory infections. Key challenge lies in complex bidirectional interactions between biofilm components and host immune pathways, which result in maladaptive immune responses rather than effective pathogen elimination. The novelty of this study lies in its integrated analysis of biofilm-mediated cytokine and chemokine dysregulation across bacterial and fungal biofilms, emphasizing molecular mechanisms, immune cell reprogramming, and host-specific determinants of disease progression. The purpose of this work is synthesizing current evidence on how biofilms modulate inflammatory signaling; identify critical regulatory pathways involved in chronic infection, highlighting emerging therapeutic strategies targeting both microbial persistence and immune imbalance. Major outcomes include bacterial biofilms like Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and polymicrobial wound biofilms, illustrating altered cytokine profiles, immune gene regulation, delayed wound healing, and tissue remodeling. The review also addresses biofilm-driven immune dysfunction in chronic wounds and respiratory diseases, linking molecular signaling events to clinical outcomes. Hence, understanding cytokine and chemokine dysregulation in biofilm-associated infections is essential for the development of immune-informed, personalized therapeutic strategies, and future interventions must integrate antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and immunomodulatory approaches to achieve durable clinical success.

This study characterizes two bacterial isolates Enterobacter mori ASP8 and Bacillus stercoris ASP10, derived from the stinging catfish (Heteropneustes fossilis) and evaluates in vitro probiotic efficacy for enhancing sustainability in freshwater aquaculture. Rigorous biosafety assessments confirmed that both strains were non-hemolytic, were non-blood coagulant, lack DNase/RNase activity, and were non-biogenic amine producers. Both isolates exhibited high gastrointestinal resilience and survival under stimulated stomach duodenum passage (SSDP) with a value of 81.98% for E. mori ASP8 and 84.89% for B. stercoris ASP10. The isolates also showed strong tolerance to bile, phenol, and lysozyme. Functional assays revealed robust hydrocarbon adherence up to 84.83% and significant co-aggregation with fish pathogens varied between 50.5 and 72.69%. Notably, it was found that B. stercoris ASP10 exhibited biofilm-forming capabilities on Congo red agar. E. mori ASP8 and B. stercoris ASP10 showed strong antibacterial activity against seven pathogens by producing bacteriocin, siderophore production. In addition, the isolates exhibited cholesterol lowering, antioxidant potentially and multi-enzymatic (amylase, protease, cellulase, and lipase) activities. Overall findings concluded both strains are effective, but B. stercoris ASP10 emerged as superior probiotic candidate for future aquaculture application.

Students at universities now rely heavily on the Internet for information. Research consistently demonstrates that many students lack the digital information literacy abilities necessary to locate and assess content on the internet. This paper investigates the digital information literacy skills and competencies of the Indigenous postgraduate students of four universities in the southern part of West Bengal, India. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. A structured questionnaire was administered to a purposive sample of 260 indigenous PG students across selected public universities in South Bengal. The study finds that most Indigenous students recognize their information needs. Still, only 24.35 % of the students don't have adequate knowledge of how to find the exact information from the internet, and above 50 % students don't have knowledge of different search techniques. Only 19.13 % students can distinguish between the various online information sources that are available, such as scholarly or popular, current or historical, etc. The Digital Information Literacy (DIL) skills of these Indigenous students in all four universities were unsatisfactory. The current study emphasizes that DIL skills are essential for university-level students for their studies and also for everyday living. This research contributes original insights into a relatively underexplored population-indigenous postgraduate students in South Bengal, highlighting the digital divide within higher education. It provides a foundational understanding for educators, policymakers, and institutions aiming to foster digital equity in academic settings.

Lassa virus is a tropical zoonotic pathogen which has become a major cause of concern in the last five decades. The objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive scientometric analysis of global research on Lassa virus to elucidate influential publications, authorship pattern, top contributing countries, prolific authors, key themes and most productive journals, with particular emphasis on the post-COVID-19 research landscape. Based on the observation of symptoms Lassa virus infection just like COVID-19 involves respiratory tract infection. If a previously affected COVID patient became infected with Lassa virus, the outcome may be considerably more severe due to reduced immunity. The ten most cited LASV-related papers were identified using the lens.org core database, led by Watanabe (2020) with 1,532 citations, followed by Brouwer (2020) and Yao (2020), highlighting the strong impact of studies published around the COVID-19 pandemic. Keyword co-occurrence and frequency analyses revealed dominant research themes centered on “Lassa virus,” “Lassa fever,” “Arenavirus,” “Humans,” “Animals,” and “SARS-CoV-2,” reflecting increasing attention to zoonotic transmission, host–virus interactions, and comparative viral pathogenesis. Current research trends emphasize transmission dynamics, prevalence hotspots in West Africa, vector ecology, and therapeutic interventions. The United States dominates Lassa virus research output (31

The widespread accumulation of macro- and microplastics in terrestrial and marine environments has emerged as a pressing global challenge due to their persistence, ecotoxicological effects, and disruption of biogeochemical processes. Conventional plastic waste management strategies remain inadequate, thereby driving interest in biodegradation as a sustainable alternative. This review critically evaluates microbial, enzymatic, and physicochemical mechanisms involved in the degradation of commonly used polymers, including polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polystyrene (PS). Microorganisms such as Pseudomonas, Ideonella, and Aspergillus spp. have demonstrated promising degradation potential, mediated by enzymes such as PETase, cutinase, and laccase. The ecological implications of plastic fragmentation and its degradation byproducts on marine ecosystems, biodiversity, food webs, and human health are also highlighted, with particular attention to major plastic-emitting regions such as the Philippines, India, and China. Finally, the review discusses current limitations and future directions, including genetic engineering of plastic degraders, integration of biodegradation with circular bioeconomy frameworks, and the design of inherently biodegradable polymers. Addressing plastic pollution effectively will require an interdisciplinary strategy that integrates microbiology, materials science, and environmental policy.