Matrix Metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) Promoter Polymorphisms are Well Linked with Lower Stomach Tumor Formation in Eastern Indian Population

Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), an interstitial collagenase, plays a major role in cellular invasion during development of gastric cancer, a leading cause of death worldwide. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) 21607 1G/2G site of the MMP-1 gene promoter has been reported to alter transcription level. While the importance’s of other SNPs in the MMP-1 promoter have not yet been studied in gastric cancer, our aim was to investigate MMP-1 gene promoter polymorphisms and gastric cancer susceptibility in eastern Indian population. A total of 145 gastric cancer patients and 145 healthy controls were genotyped for MMP-1 21607 1G/2G (rs1799750) by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), while MMP-1 2519 A/G (rs1144393), MMP-1 2422 T/A (rs475007), MMP-1 2340 T/C (rs514921) and MMP-1 2320 T/C (rs494379) were genotyped by DNA sequencing. A positive association was found with MMP-1 2422 T/A SNP that showed significant risk for regional lymph node metastasis (P = 0.021, Odd’s ratio (OR) = 3.044, Confidence intervals (CI) = 1.187– 7.807). In addition, we found a significant association with lower stomach tumor formation among gastric cancer patients for three adjacent polymorphisms near the transcriptional start sites of [MMP-1 2422 T/A (P = 0.043, OR = 2.182, CI = 1.03– 4.643), MMP-1 2340 T/C (P = 0.075, OR = 1.97, CI = 0.94–4.158) and MMP-1 2320 T/C (P = 0.034, OR = 2.224, CI = 1.064– 40731)]. MMP-1 level in patients’ serum was correlated with MMP-1 promoter haplotypes conferring these three SNPs to evaluate the functional importance of these polymorphisms in lower stomach tumor formation and significant correlation was observed. Furthermore, MMP-1 2519 A/G polymorphism displayed poor cellular differentiation (P = 0.024, OR = 3.8, CI = 1.69–8.56) attributing a higher risk of cancer progression.In conclusion, MMP-1 proximal promoter SNPs are associated with the risk of lower stomach tumor formation and node metastasis in eastern Indian population

Optimal morphological filters

The design of optimal morphological filters, in the binary or gray scale domain, involves a computationally intense search procedure that, in practice, can be intractable. The present work provides a practical method for optimal morphological filter design that is based on the statistical estimation theory and lattice theory. A link is made between optimal morphological filter and the conditional probability distribution. For a given conditional probability distribution a morphological filter may or may not exist. If a morphological filter exists, then the method designs the one that is optimal among morphological and all other filters. If an optimal morphological filter does not exist for the given conditional distribution then, an algorithm called the switching algorithm is used. The switching algorithm is employed to transform the probability distribution in a way such that a optimal morphological filter can be designed for the transformed probability distribution and the final increase in the mean squared error is minimum. The method has been applied on binary and gray-scale image restoration and has proven to be very efficient, in restoring the various different types of degradations considered. The results obtained using the optimal morphological filters are compared against ones obtained by using median filters. Overall the performance of the optimal morphological filters is superior to that of median filters. Computationally the performance of the method is extremely fast and efficient, even in cases where switching was required

ULTRASTRUCTURAL STUDY ON SPERMATOGENESIS IN RUMEN AMPHISTOME ORTHOCOELIUM SCOLIOCOELIUM (TREMATODA: DIGENEA), A PARASITE OF BUBALUS BUBALIS IN UDAIPUR

Spermatogenesis in rumen amphistome species Orthocoelium scoliocoelium (Trematoda: Digenea, Paramphistomidae) a parasite of Bubalis bubalis has been examined by transmission electron microscopy. Observations demonstrated that the each testis is covered by tunica with fibrous connective tissues. Below the tunica different stages of spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatid cells and spermatozoa were observed. The spermatozoon of O. scoliocoelium are elongate, similar to the pattern described in other digenea, showing nuclei, mitochondria and two axonemes with the 9+1 configuration. On the basis of present investigations, it may be concluded that the ultrastructure of spermatogenesis in amphistome O. scoliocoelium basically follows the common digenean plan

The fallen woman in twentieth-century English and Brazilian novels : a comparative analysis of D.H. Lawrence and Jorge Amado

This thesis offers a thematic comparison of the ways in which fallen women are depicted by two writers: D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930) and Jorge Amado (1912- ). The comparison highlights the contrasts and similarities between two cultures and how they are reflected in literature. The focus of the thesis is on an examination of unconventional female characters and it illuminates more generally the ways in which literary creativity is shaped by the interaction between writers and their social milieus. The theme of the fallen woman provokes discussion of changing patterns of sexuality in two different societies, in two different periods of their historical development. It also involves the question of the social, political and cultural background of both England and Brazil, where these images of the fallen women were fabricated. The thesis argues that both Lawrence and Amado share tremendous sympathy for these women. The thesis is divided into eight chapters. Chapters Two through Six are divided into two parts. The analysis in Part One involves a number of Lawrence's novels: The White Peacock, Sons and Lovers, The Lost Girl, Aaron's Rod, Mr. Noon, `Sun', and three versions of Lady Chatterley's Lover. Part Two looks at the fallen woman in Amado's writing from 1934 to 1977, and the discussion focuses on Jubiabä, Terras do sem fim, Gabriela, cravo e canela, Dona Flor e seus dois maridos, Tereza Batista cansada de guerra and Tieta do Agreste. Female desire and its fulfilment in an unconventional way has been a central question in all these novels. Without a moral judgement, both Lawrence and Amado depict the female characters who are triumphant lovers, redeemed from the sense of sin or guilt by their passion. The depiction of these women highlights the class and gender differences. Both writers show how patriarchy plays a dominant role in keeping female sexuality under control in both English and Brazilian societies

Quantitative Morphometric Assessment of Bhima Lower sub-basin using Remote Sensing and GIS

The Bhima lower sub-basin, a tributary of the Krishna River, was opted for the morphometric assessment so as to understand the relation between the drainage system and the lithology as well as the topography of the area. The Cartosat-1 DEM with a spatial resolution of 2.5m was used for the watershed delineation and stream network extraction. ArcGIS 10.3 software was used as the computational as well as analytical tool and for the preparation of thematic maps. The sub-basin was fractionated into 26 watersheds and 12 micro-watersheds with each of them having a least 3rd order stream as the main channel. More than 25 morphometric parameters were studied which included the linear, aerial, shape as well as relief aspects of the morphometry. The Bhima River forms the trunk stream with an order of 7, while WS11 was found to be the largest watershed within the sub-basin and the WS11f was found to be the longest. The drainage is very much controlled by the lithology of the area. The terrain was found to be rough, elongated with some watersheds having a high risk of flooding. The study forms a base for further watershed management and sustainable development works

Crowding-In : How Indian Civil Society Organizations Began Mobilizing around Climate Change

This paper argues that periodic waves of crowding in to ‘hot’ issue fields in are a recurring feature of how globally networked civil society organizations (CSOs) operate, especially in countries of the Global South. We elaborate on this argument through a study of Indian CSO mobilization around climate change. Five key mechanisms contribute to crowding in processes: (1) the expansion of discursive opportunities, (2) the event effects of global institutional conferences, (3) the network effects created by expanding global CSO networks, (4) the adoption and innovation of action repertoires and (5) global pressure effects creating new opportunities for CSOs. Our findings contribute to the world society literature, with an account of the mechanisms through which global institutions and political events affect national CSOs, and to the social movements literature by showing that developments in world society are essential contributors to national mobilization processes.Peer reviewe

Residual stress and texture control in Ti-6Al-4V wire + arc additively manufactured intersections by stress relief and rolling

Additively manufactured intersections have the theoretical risk to contain hydrostatic tensile residual stresses, which eventually cannot be thermally stress relieved. The stresses in Ti-6Al-4V wire + arc additively manufactured (WAAM) intersections are lower compared to single pass walls and stresses in continuous walls are larger compared to discontinuous walls with otherwise identical geometry. Thermal stress relief was found to virtually eliminate them. Inter-pass rolling can yield the desired grain refinement, without having any noteworthy influence on the development of residual stresses. The strain measurement itself by neutron diffraction is facilitated by the refined microstructure, because the otherwise textured microstructure produces anisotropic peak intensity, not allowing Pawley refinement. Without rolling, the {101¯1} and {101¯3} family of hcp planes are the only ones that diffract consistently in the three principal directions

Attenuation of Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric inflammation by prior cag− strain (AM1) infection in C57BL/6 mice

Helicobacter pylori, colonize in stomach of ~50% of the world population. cag pathogenicity Island of H. pylori is one of the important virulent factors that attributed to gastric inflammation. Coinfection with H. pylori strain with different genetic makeup alters the degree of pathogenicity and susceptibility towards antibiotics. The present study investigates host immunomodulatory effects of H. pylori infection by both cag+ strain (SS1) and cag− strain (AM1). C57BL/6 mice were infected with AM1 or SS1 strain as well as AM1 followed by SS1 (AM1/SS1) and vice versa. Results: Mice infected with AM1/SS1 strain exhibited less gastric inflammation and reduced proMMP9 and proMMP3 activities in gastric tissues as compared to SS1/SS1 and SS1/AM1 infected groups. The expression of both MMP9 and MMP3 followed similar trend like activity in infected tissues. Both Th1 and Th17 responses were induced by SS1 strain more profoundly than AM1 strain infection which induced solely Th1 response in spleen and gastric tissues. Moreover, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-12 were significantly downregulated in mice spleen and gastric tissues infected by AM1/SS1 compared to SS1/SS1 but not with SS1/AM1 coinfection. Surprisingly, IL-17 level was dampened significantly in AM1/ SS1 compared to SS1/AM1 coinfected groups. Furthermore, number of Foxp3+ T-regulatory (Treg) cells and immunosuppressive cytokines like IL-10 and TGF-β were reduced in AM1/SS1 compared to SS1/SS1 and SS1/AM1 coinfected mice gastric tissues. Conclusions: These data suggested that prior H. pylori cag− strain infection attenuated the severity of gastric pathology induced by subsequent cag+ strain in C57BL/6 mice. Prior AM1 infection induced Th1 cytokine IFN-γ, which reduced the Th17 response induced by subsequent SS1 infection. The reduced gastritis in AM1/SS1-infected mice might also be due to enrichment of AM1- primed Treg cells in the gastric compartment which inhibit Th1 and Th17 responses to subsequent SS1 infection. In summary, prior infection by non-virulent H. pylori strain (AM1) causes reduction of subsequent virulent strain (SS1) infection by regulation of inflammatory cytokines and MMPs expressio

Role of Lean Six Sigma in manufacturing setting: a systematic literature review and agenda for future research

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to present the systematic literature review (SLR) on Lean Six Sigma (LSS) by exploring the state of the art on growth of literature on LSS within the manufacturing sector, critical factors to implement LSS, the role of LSS in the manufacturing sector from an implementation and sustainability viewpoint and Industry 4.0 viewpoints while highlighting the research gaps. Design/methodology/approach: An SLR of 2,876 published articles extracted from Scopus, WoS, Emerald Insight, IEEE Xplore, Taylor & Francis, Springer and Inderscience databases was carried out following the protocol of systematic review. In total, 154 articles published in different journals over the past 10 years were selected for quantitative and qualitative analysis which revealed a number of research gaps. Findings: The findings of the SLR revealed the growth of literature on LSS within the manufacturing sector. The review also highlighted the most cited critical success factors, critical failure factors, performance indicators and associated tools and techniques applied during LSS implementation. The review also focused on studies related to LSS and sustainability viewpoint and LSS and Industry 4.0 viewpoints. Practical implications: The findings of this SLR can help senior managers, practitioners and researchers to understand the current developments and future requirements to adopt LSS in manufacturing sectors from sustainability and Industry 4.0 viewpoints. Originality/value: Academic publications in the context of the role of LSS in various research streams are sparse, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is one of the first SLRs which explore current developments and future requirements to implement LSS from sustainability and Industry 4.0 perspective. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited