Deregulation of LIMD1-VHL-HIF-1α-VEGF pathway is associated with different stages of cervical cancer.

To understand the mechanism of cellular stress in basal-parabasal layers of normal cervical epithelium and during different stages of cervical carcinoma, we analyzed the alterations (expression/methylation/copy number variation/mutation) of HIF-1α and its associated genes LIMD1, VHL and VEGF in disease-free normal cervix (n = 9), adjacent normal cervix of tumors (n = 70), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN; n = 32), cancer of uterine cervix (CACX; n = 174) samples and two CACX cell lines. In basal-parabasal layers of normal cervical epithelium, LIMD1 showed high protein expression, while low protein expression of VHL was concordant with high expression of HIF-1α and VEGF irrespective of HPV-16 (human papillomavirus 16) infection. This was in concordance with the low promoter methylation of LIMD1 and high in VHL in the basal-parabasal layers of normal cervix. LIMD1 expression was significantly reduced while VHL expression was unchanged during different stages of cervical carcinoma. This was in concordance with their frequent methylation during different stages of this tumor. In different stages of cervical carcinoma, the expression pattern of HIF-1α and VEGF was high as seen in basal-parabasal layers and inversely correlated with the expression of LIMD1 and VHL. This was validated by demethylation experiments using 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine in CACX cell lines. Additional deletion of LIMD1 and VHL in CIN/CACX provided an additional growth advantage during cervical carcinogenesis through reduced expression of genes and associated with poor prognosis of patients. Our data showed that overexpression of HIF-1α and its target gene VEGF in the basal-parabasal layers of normal cervix was due to frequent inactivation of VHL by its promoter methylation. This profile was maintained during different stages of cervical carcinoma with additional methylation/deletion of VHL and LIMD1.This work was supported by CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India)-JRF/NET grant [File No.09/030(0059)/2010-EMR-I] to Mr. C.Chakraborty, grant [Sr. No. 2121130723] from UGC (University Grants Commission, Government of India) to Mr. Sudip Samadder, grant [SR/SO/HS-116/2007] from DST (Department of Science and Technology, Government of India) to Dr. C. K. Panda and grant [ No. 60(0111)/14/EMR-II of dt.03/11/2014] from CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India) to Dr. C. K. Pand

Hybrid soft computing approaches: research and applications

The book provides a platform for dealing with the flaws and failings of the soft computing paradigm through different manifestations. The different chapters highlight the necessity of the hybrid soft computing methodology in general with emphasis on several application perspectives in particular. Typical examples include (a) Study of Economic Load Dispatch by Various Hybrid Optimization Techniques, (b) An Application of Color Magnetic Resonance Brain Image Segmentation by ParaOptiMUSIG activation Function, (c) Hybrid Rough-PSO Approach in Remote Sensing Imagery Analysis,  (d) A Study and Analysis of Hybrid Intelligent Techniques for Breast Cancer Detection using Breast Thermograms, and (e) Hybridization of 2D-3D Images for Human Face Recognition. The elaborate findings of the chapters enhance the exhibition of the hybrid soft computing paradigm in the field of intelligent computing

Optimal location of STATCOM using chemical reaction optimization for reactive power dispatch problem

Optimal reactive power dispatch (ORPD) problem has a significant influence on optimal operation of power systems. However, getting optimal solution of ORPD problem is a strenuous task for the researchers. The inclusion of flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices in the power system network for solving ORPD problem adds to its complexity. This paper presents the application of chemical reaction optimization (CRO) for optimal allocation of a static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) to minimize the transmission loss, improve the voltage profile and voltage stability in a power system. The proposed approach is carried out on IEEE 30-bus and IEEE 57-bus test systems and the simulation results are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results show that the proposed approach can converge to the optimum solution and obtains better solutions as compared to other methods reported in the literature

Optimal allocation of SVC and TCSC using quasi-oppositional chemical reaction optimization for solving multi-objective ORPD problem

This paper presents an efficient quasi-oppositional chemical reaction optimization (QOCRO) technique to find the feasible optimal solution of the multi objective optimal reactive power dispatch (RPD) problem with flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) device. The quasi-oppositional based learning (QOBL) is incorporated in conventional chemical reaction optimization (CRO), to improve the solution quality and the convergence speed. To check the superiority of the proposed method, it is applied on IEEE 14-bus and 30-bus systems and the simulation results of the proposed approach are compared to those reported in the literature. The computational results reveal that the proposed algorithm has excellent convergence characteristics and is superior to other multi objective optimization algorithms. Keywords: Quasi-oppositional chemical reaction optimization (QOCRO), Reactive power dispatch (RPD), TCSC, SVC, Multi-objective optimizatio

Electron Detachment and Subsequent Structural Changes of Water Clusters

A cost-effective equation of motion coupled cluster method, EOMIP-CCSD(2), is used to investigate vertical and adiabatic ionization potential as well as ionization-induced structural changes of water clusters and compared with CCSD­(T), CASPT2, and MP2 methods. The moderate N⁵ scaling and low storage requirement yields EOMIP-CCSD(2) calculation feasible even for reasonably large molecules and clusters with accuracy comparable to CCSD­(T) method at much cheaper computational cost. Our calculations shed light on the authenticity of EOMIP-CCSD(2) results and establish a reliable method to study of ionization energy of molecular clusters. We have further investigated the performance of several classes of DFT functionals for ionization energies of water clusters to benchmark the results and to get a reliable functionals for the same

Fodder productivity and profitability of different maize and legume intercropping systems

Not AvailableThe present study was conducted in summer (kharif) 2017 to evaluate the fodder productivity and economics of maize with legumes under varying intercropping combinations. This experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with 7 treatments consisting of 3 different forage crops, viz. maize, cowpea and guar sown in sole as well as in 1:1 and 2:1 intercropping combinations of forage cereal with legume crop components in three replications. All the growth parameters like plant height, leaf length, leaf width, number of leaves, number of tillers/branches, stem girth and leaf:stem ratio were significantly higher in (1:1) row ratio of forage cereal/ millet intercropped with legume component at the time of harvest. Among the different forage crops, maximum green fodder yield (449.72 q/ha) and dry matter yield (94.89 q/ha) were obtained in maize+cowpea (2:1) and maize+guar (2:1), respectively. Total uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus was recorded highest with maize + cowpea/guar (2:1) intercropping combinations. Introduction of different forage crops in varying intercropping combinations, the soil nutrient status after harvesting was improved over sole treatment of forage cereal/millet crop. In terms of economics of different treatments, the highest net income (` 38747.27) and B:C ratio (1.78) were recorded with maize+cowpea (2:1) followed by (` 37724.21 and B:C 1.74) in maize+ cowpea (1:1) intercropping combinations. So, to realize higher productivity and farm profitability the planting of 2:1 row ratio is a viable option which may quite helpful to sustain the performance of livestock in terms of health and milk production.Not Availabl

In-silico analysis of TCGA data showing multiple POLE-like favourable subgroups overlapping with TP53 mutated endometrial cancer: Implications for clinical practice in low and middle-income countries

Introduction: The Cancer Genome Atlas cohort of endometrial carcinoma (TCGA-UCEC) includes almost 40% TP53-mutants encompassing missense and truncated variants. TCGA revealed ‘POLE’, characterized by POLE gene bearing exonuclease domain mutation (EDM), as the prognostically best molecular profile. The worst profile was characterized by TP53-mutated Type 2 cancer requiring adjuvant therapy having cost implications in low-resource settings. We aimed to find more ‘POLE-like’ favourable subgroups by searching TCGA cohort, especially within TP53 mutated risk group, that could eventually avoid adjuvant treatment in resource-poor settings. Method: Our study was an in-silico survival analysis performed on the TCGA-UCEC dataset using SPSS statistical package. TP53 and POLE mutations, microsatellite instability (MSI), time-to-event and clinicopathological parameters were compared among 512 endometrial cancer cases. Deleterious POLE-mutations were identified by Polyphen2. Progression free survival was studied using Kaplan-Meier plots keeping original ‘POLE’ as comparator. Result: In presence of wild type (WT)-TP53, other deleterious POLE-mutations behaved like POLE-EDM. Only truncated and not missense TP53 benefitted from POLE/MSI overlap. However, TP53 missense mutation, Y220C, was found to be as favourable as ‘POLE’. Overlapping POLE, MSI and WT-TP53 also performed favourably. Truncated TP53 overlapped with POLE and/or MSI, TP53 Y220C alone and, WT-TP53 overlapped with POLE and MSI both, were named ‘POLE-like’ for prognostically behaving like the comparator ‘POLE’. Conclusion: Obesity being a lesser frequent event in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), relative proportion of women with lower BMI and Type 2 endometrial cancers may be high. Identification of ‘POLE-like’ groups may facilitate therapeutic de-escalation in some TP53-mutated cases - a novel option. Instead of 5% (POLE-EDM), potential beneficiary would then comprise 10% (POLE-like) of TCGA-UCEC

Synthesis, characterization and cytotoxicity of europium incorporated ZnO-graphene nanocomposites on human MCF7 breast cancer cells

Europium incorporated ZnO-chemically converted graphene (CCG) nanocomposites (ZEG) were synthesized by adopting a solvothermal process at 95 degrees C from the precursors of varying europium nitrate to zinc acetate molar ratios (R = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15) in a fixed content of graphene oxide. Eu level (R value) in the precursors was found to play a role on tailoring the crystallite/particle size of hexagonal ZnO, as evidenced from X-ray diffraction/transmission electron microscopy analysis. The presence of chemical interaction/complexation between the oxygen functionalities of CCG and inorganic moieties (ZnO/Zn2+ and Eu ions) of nanocomposites were studied by FTIR, Raman, UV-Vis spectral and XPS measurements. The nanocomposites possessed meso pores as confirmed from BET nitrogen adsorption isotherm, and the sample ZEG(10) (R = 0.10) was found to possess the highest specific surface area. In spite of an UV emission at similar to 385 nm, an orange emission (appeared at 595 nm) along with other visible emissions was observed from the photoluminescence spectra of nanocomposites. However, the intensity of the orange emission (lambda(ex) 400 nm) was found to be maximum in the ZEG(10) sample, which produced relatively bright orange fluorescent images of human breast cancer cells (MCF7) under confocal laser scanning microscope. This indicated the internalization of the nanomaterials within the cells. As obtained from the MTT assay, the samples (R $ 0.10) exhibited comparatively low in vitro cytotoxicity (higher cell viability) on the cancer cells. The low cytotoxicity could be explained on the basis of the I-D/I-G (intensities of D and G bands of graphene) value of CCG, as realized from the Raman spectral measurement. The nanocomposite ZEG(10), having relatively large surface area, bright cell imaging capability and better cell viability, could be employed for cancer cell targeted optical imaging and drug delivery