Architectural Design and Prototyping of Co-PPGIS: A Groupware-Based Online Synchronous Collaborative PPGIS to Support Municipality Development and Planning Management Workflows

Co-PPGIS has a wide variety of applications like municipal planning, emergency response, public health and security, etc. The main focus of this chapter is on the development and design of a Web Collaborative PPGIS (Co-PPGIS) infrastructure. As part of municipality’s planning and management services, Co-PPGIS is developed for real-time map sharing application system. Co-PPGIS is an effective and essential online meeting system for supporting group collaborations on geographic information such as maps and imageries, and capturing and sharing of local/domain knowledge in real time. Co-PPGIS permits amalgamation of geospatial data and collaborator’s input in the form of geo-referenced notations. It incorporates coherent components as map sharing, real-time chat, video conferencing, geo-referenced textual and graphical notations. The study aims to focus on public participation and geo-collaboration facilitated with information sharing, interactive geo-conferencing, real-time map, and data sharing with tools to draw features or add annotation to the map while discussions, uploading documents, and live communication. Co-PPGIS provides an efficient and reliable platform that will significantly reduce the time to acquire, process, and analyze data. The significance of this study is to contribute to existing public participation practices, to municipal planning, to decision-making, or to geographic information science

Laterally constrained inversion of surface wave data at Najaf city (Iraq)

A case history is reported to outline a possible strategy for the construction of a pseudo-2D model of shear-wave velocity for seismic site response studies. Experimental data have been collected using the Multichannel Analysis of Surface Wave technique (MASW) at six sites in the city of Najaf (Southern Iraq). The sites are aligned along the route of a proposed subway. The dataset has been processed to extract the dispersion curves of each site and then it has been inverted by using a Laterally Constrained Inversion (LCI) algorithm. The initial model for the local search algorithm has been obtained with a preliminary Monte Carlo Inversion (MCI). A priori information from borehole logs and lateral constraints between neighbors 1D models are used to mitigate the non-uniqueness of the solution. The result is a pseudo-2D shear-wave velocity model of the area which is in good agreement with sediment lithology and thicknesses obtained from borehole logs

Nonlinear Analysis on Torsional Strengthening Of Rc Beams Using Cfrp Laminates

This research is devoted to investigate the behavior and performance of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with externally bonded Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) laminates under the effect of torsion. In this study a theoretical analysis has been conducted using finite element code ANSYS. Six previously tested beams are used to investigate reinforced concrete beams behavior under torsion, two of them are solid and the rest are box-section beams. Also, two beams are without CFRP reinforcement, which are used as control beams for the strengthened one, and the other four beams are strengthened with CFRP laminates with different number of layers and spacing. Numerical investigation is conducted on these beams, and comparisons between the available experimental results for these beams and numerical results from the current study are made. Conclusions from these comparisons are presented and discussed. An increase of about 15.6% in the ultimate torque for the solid beam and of about 9.8% in the ultimate torque for the box-section beam is observed after using the CFRP strips. A parametric study is carried out to study the torsional behavior of RC beams having different number of CFRP layers and concrete compressive strength; also U-wrap for the CFRP configuration is investigated

Novel quinazoline-based sulfonamide derivative (3D) induces apoptosis in colorectal cancer by inhibiting JAK2–STAT3 pathway

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major worldwide health problem owing to its high prevalence and mortality rate. Developments in screening, prevention, biomarker, personalized therapies and chemotherapy have improved detection and treatment. However, despite these advances, many patients with advanced metastatic tumors still succumb to the disease. New anticancer agents are needed for treating advanced stage CRC as most of the deaths occur due to cancer metastasis. A recently developed novel sulfonamide derivative 4-((2-(4-(dimethylamino) phenyl)quinazolin-4-yl)amino)benzenesulfonamide (3D) has shown potent antitumor effect; however, the mechanism underlying the antitumor effect remains unknown. Materials and methods: 3D-mediated inhibition on cell viability was evaluated by MTT and real-time cell proliferation was measured by xCelligence RTDP instrument. Western blotting was used to measure pro-apoptotic, anti-apoptotic proteins and JAK2-STAT3 phosphorylation. Flow cytometry was used to measure ROS production and apoptosis. Results: Our study revealed that 3D treatment significantly reduced the viability of human CRC cells HT-29 and SW620. Furthermore, 3D treatment induced the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human CRC cells. Confirming our observation, N-acetylcysteine significantly inhibited apoptosis. This is further evidenced by the induction of p53 and Bax; release of cytochrome c; activation of caspase-9, caspase-7 and caspase-3; and cleavage of PARP in 3D-treated cells. This compound was found to have a significant effect on the inhibition of antiapoptotic proteins Bcl2 and BclxL. The results further demonstrate that 3D inhibits JAK2–STAT3 pathway by decreasing the constitutive and IL-6-induced phosphorylation of STAT3. 3D also decreases STAT3 target genes such as cyclin D1 and survivin. Furthermore, a combination study of 3D with doxorubicin (Dox) also showed more potent effects than single treatment of Dox in the inhibition of cell viability. Conclusion: Taken together, these findings indicate that 3D induces ROS-mediated apoptosis and inhibits JAK2–STAT3 signaling in CRC

Association Of BCR-ABL Alternative Splice Variants with Disease Progression, Treatment Response and Survival in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients Treated with Firstline imatinib Monotherapy

Background: Alternative RNA splicing has diverse biological effects in heath as well as disease. It also contributes to cancer onset and progression. Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) results due to BCR-ABL fusion oncogene that is created due to chromosomal translocation t [9; 22] [q34; q11]). BCR-ABL is target of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). BCR-ABL through alternative splicing can generate b2a2, b3a2 and some other rare splicing variants. BCR-ABL variants may vary in their response to TKI treatment and disease progression potential, which is a major factor contributing to dismal treatment outcome in CML. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate correlation of BCR-ABL splice variants with TKI treatment outcome and survival in three phases of CML that has rarely been studied previously.Methods: BCR-ABL splice variants were studied using reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR). in 70 CML patients from three phases of CML who were receiving imatinib (TKI) treatment.Results: Frequencies of different BCR/ABL splice variants like b3a2, b2a2 and b3a2+b2a2 were 49 (70%), 15 (21.4%) and 6 (8.6%), respectively. Splice variant b2a2 were more common (53.3%) in chronic phase CML (CP-CML) while b3a2 had higher frequency in advanced phases of CML (44.9%). CML patients with b2a2 transcript had better complete cytogenetic response and major molecular response to TKI treatment overall (100% vs. 24.5%) as well as in CP-CML (100% vs. 85.7%) and superior survival when compared to patients with b3a2 splice variant. All patients who died had male gender, less than 33 years age, b3a2 transcript, advanced phases of CML and imatinib resistance.Conclusions: Splice variant b3a2 was associated with CML progression, poorer survival and inferior treatment outcome as compared to b2a2. Further investigations on BCR-ABL splice variants and their roles in CML pathogenesis can provide deeper insights into CML biology and new targets for BCR-ABL positive leukemia treatment.          Keywords: CML; BCR-ABL splice variants; Progression; Survival; Treatment outcome 

Novel derivative of aminobenzenesulfonamide (3c) induces apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells through ROS generation and inhibits cell migration

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 3rd most common type of cancer worldwide. New anti-cancer agents are needed for treating late stage colorectal cancer as most of the deaths occur due to cancer metastasis. A recently developed compound, 3c has shown to have potent antitumor effect; however the mechanism underlying the antitumor effect remains unknown. Methods: 3c-induced inhibition of proliferation was measured in the absence and presence NAC using MTT in HT-29 and SW620 cells and xCELLigence RTCA DP instrument. 3c-induced apoptotic studies were performed using flow cytometry. 3c-induced redox alterations were measured by ROS production using fluorescence plate reader and flow cytometry and mitochondrial membrane potential by flow cytometry; NADPH and GSH levels were determined by colorimetric assays. Bcl2 family protein expression and cytochrome c release and PARP activation was done by western blotting. Caspase activation was measured by ELISA. Cell migration assay was done using the real time xCELLigence RTCA DP system in SW620 cells and wound healing assay in HT-29. Results: Many anticancer therapeutics exert their effects by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we demonstrate that 3c-induced inhibition of cell proliferation is reversed by the antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine, suggesting that 3c acts via increased production of ROS in HT-29 cells. This was confirmed by the direct measurement of ROS in 3c-treated colorectal cancer cells. Additionally, treatment with 3c resulted in decreased NADPH and glutathione levels in HT-29 cells. Further, investigation of the apoptotic pathway showed increased release of cytochrome c resulting in the activation of caspase-9, which in turn activated caspase-3 and −6. 3c also (i) increased p53 and Bax expression, (ii) decreased Bcl2 and BclxL expression and (iii) induced PARP cleavage in human colorectal cancer cells. Confirming our observations, NAC significantly inhibited induction of apoptosis, ROS production, cytochrome c release and PARP cleavage. The results further demonstrate that 3c inhibits cell migration by modulating EMT markers and inhibiting TGFβ-induced phosphorylation of Smad2 and Samd3. Conclusions: Our findings thus demonstrate that 3c disrupts redox balance in colorectal cancer cells and support the notion that this agent may be effective for the treatment of colorectal cancer

Prognostic model to predict postoperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery based on a national prospective observational cohort study.

Background: Acute illness, existing co-morbidities and surgical stress response can all contribute to postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery. The aim of this study was prospectively to develop a pragmatic prognostic model to stratify patients according to risk of developing AKI after major gastrointestinal surgery. Methods: This prospective multicentre cohort study included consecutive adults undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection, liver resection or stoma reversal in 2-week blocks over a continuous 3-month period. The primary outcome was the rate of AKI within 7 days of surgery. Bootstrap stability was used to select clinically plausible risk factors into the model. Internal model validation was carried out by bootstrap validation. Results: A total of 4544 patients were included across 173 centres in the UK and Ireland. The overall rate of AKI was 14·2 per cent (646 of 4544) and the 30-day mortality rate was 1·8 per cent (84 of 4544). Stage 1 AKI was significantly associated with 30-day mortality (unadjusted odds ratio 7·61, 95 per cent c.i. 4·49 to 12·90; P < 0·001), with increasing odds of death with each AKI stage. Six variables were selected for inclusion in the prognostic model: age, sex, ASA grade, preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate, planned open surgery and preoperative use of either an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker. Internal validation demonstrated good model discrimination (c-statistic 0·65). Discussion: Following major gastrointestinal surgery, AKI occurred in one in seven patients. This preoperative prognostic model identified patients at high risk of postoperative AKI. Validation in an independent data set is required to ensure generalizability

Phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated sites: Eco-environmental concerns, field studies, sustainability issues and future prospects

Environmental contamination due to heavy metals (HMs) is of serious ecotoxicological concern worldwide because of their increasing use at industries. Due to non-biodegradable and persistent nature, HMs cause serious soil/water pollution and severe health hazards in living beings upon exposure. HMs can be genotoxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic in nature even at low concentration. They may also act as endocrine disruptors and induce developmental as well as neurological disorders and thus, their removal from our natural environment is crucial for the rehabilitation of contaminated sites. To cope with HM pollution, phytoremediation has emerged as a low-cost and eco-sustainable solution to conventional physico-chemical cleanup methods that require high capital investment and labor alter soil properties and disturb soil microflora. Phytoremediation is a green technology wherein plants and associated microbes are used to remediate HM-contaminated sites to safeguard the environment and protect public health. Hence, in view of the above, the present paper aims to examine the feasibility of phytoremediation as a sustainable remediation technology for the management of metals-contaminated sites. Therefore, this paper provides an in-depth review on both the conventional and novel phytoremediation approaches, evaluate their efficacy to remove toxic metals from our natural environment, explore current scientific progresses, field experiences and sustainability issues and revise world over trends in phytoremediation research for its wider recognition and public acceptance as a sustainable remediation technology for the management of contaminated sites in 21st century

HLA-DQA1*05 carriage associated with development of anti-drug antibodies to infliximab and adalimumab in patients with Crohn's Disease

Anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapies are the most widely used biologic drugs for treating immune-mediated diseases, but repeated administration can induce the formation of anti-drug antibodies. The ability to identify patients at increased risk for development of anti-drug antibodies would facilitate selection of therapy and use of preventative strategies.This article is freely available via Open Access. Click on Publisher URL to access the full-text