Detection of Human Papillomavirus among Cervical Cancer Patients by Qualitative Polymerase Chain Reaction on Formalin- fixed, Paraffin-embedded Tissue: A Retrospective Observational Analysis

Introduction: Cervical cancer is second most commonly diagnosed and third most common cause for cancer death among women in the developing countries. It is now-established that Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is responsible for pathogenesis of cervical cancer. HPV Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) detection is generally done on cytology specimens to triage women undergoing cervical cancer screening, but testing of Formalin-fixed, Paraffin- embedded tissue (FFPE) is not yet widely used. Aim: To study the detection of HPV by Qualitative PCR by extraction of DNA from FFPE. Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational analysis was carried out at Department of Pathology, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, Maharashtra, India, managed at the centre from 2008 to 2015. The data analysis was done Aug 2013-Oct 2015 on 35 patients of cervical cancer which were reconfirmed by histopatholgical study of sections. Tissue blocks were obtained from the selected subjects and 3-5 micron sections were taken and prepared for Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining. Qualitative PCR was run on DNA extracted from FFPE tissue for evaluation of HPV. The amplified DNA varied between 230-270 base pairs (bp) and was analysed for oncogenic HPV type 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 45, 52b and 58 by gel electrophoresis. Data was tabulated in Microsoft excel and mean, frequency and percentages were calculated. Pearson’s Chi-square test was used to calculate the significance. Results: Out of the total 35 samples analysed (mean age: 51.08±10.6 years),15 cases were large cell non keratinising carcinoma, 12 cases of keratinising squamous cell carcinoma, 5 cases of carcinoma in-situ and 3 cases were adenocarcinoma. A total of 13 cases out of 35 showed the bands of HPV genomes, indicating either of the HPV strain. Conclusion: Although molecular diagnostics on FFPE tissue is need of hour, stringent protocols for timing of fixation, technical expertise for extraction of DNA or Ribonucleic Acid (RNA), careful handling of the sample and quality control is of paramount importance. Fragmentation is a problem in DNA extracted from FFPE tissue, so primers having small base pairs should be used to maximise the yield

ESG Disclosure and Firm Performance: An Asset-Pricing Approach

Disclosing information on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) parameters is voluntary for most firms across the world. Companies disclose their performance on ESG datapoints due to two main reasons—(i) to gain the trust of stakeholders through increased transparency and (ii) to comply with regulations imposed by governments and investment houses. Using a dataset of companies disclosing ESG parameters during 2014–2021 from the S&P BSE 500 index, this study investigates the role of ESG disclosure on firm performance. We divide the constituent securities into three factors—size, value, and disclosure to study the premiums generated by firms on each factor using single-, double-, and triple-sorting approaches. We utilize time series regressions along with GRS tests to empirically test the presence of factor premiums. We find the significant role of factors size, value, disclosure, and a dummy variable for the COVID-19 pandemic period to explain the portfolio returns. The study found a negative ESG disclosure premium stating that firms with high levels of disclosure earn less returns compared with the firms with less disclosures. The findings of this study contrast with multiple studies in the past that have found a positive disclosure premium. Our findings help reconcile the mixed evidence on the disclosure–returns relationship

Electrically conductive green composites based on epoxidized linseed oil and polyaniline: An insight into electrical, thermal and mechanical properties

Renewable resource based electrically conductive composites were prepared using polyaniline (PANI) as a conductive filler and epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) as the matrix. Linseed oil (LO) was epoxidized to form ELO and characterized through H-1 NMR and IR spectra. Bio-based ELO/PANI conducting composites were prepared by varying the PANI concentration with an aim of attaining the electrical conductivity in the antistatic range (10(-8) to 10(-3) S/cm) to replace its petro-based counterpart. Conductivity increased with PANI upto the order of 10(-6) S/cm with percolation threshold at around 7% of PANI. The shear stress and viscosity of the uncured ELO resin and ELO/PANI resin mixture were studied as a function of shear rate. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies showed that addition of PANI had a minimal effect on ELO curing at all concentrations. Dynamic mechanical analysis indicated that PANI as a filler provided mechanical fortification in the rubbery region and increased glass transition temperature (T-g) significantly. Thermal stability of ELO remained almost unaffected with the PANI incorporation. Microscopic observation revealed good distribution of PANI in ELO matrix even at higher loading. Interestingly, tensile strength and Young's modulus increased by similar to 8 and similar to 27 folds, respectively, at 15% PANI content

Study on the effect of carbon nanotube on the properties of electrically conductive epoxy/polyaniline adhesives

Electrically conductive hybrid epoxy (EP) adhesives filled with p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) doped polyaniline (PANI) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) were prepared and their electrical, thermal and morphological properties were investigated. The CNT was incorporated in EP/PANI (1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15 wt%) to obtain hybrid composites aiming to achieve better conductivity. Percolation threshold in EP/PANI and EP/CNT binary composites achieved was at around 5% of PANI and 0.2% CNT, respectively. It was observed that the addition of 0.1% CNT in EP/PANI (5%) composites improved the electrical conductivity of composites with a minimal effect on lap shear strength. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies revealed that while 0.1% CNT addition had an insignificant retardation effect on the curing of EP/PANI (5%), it increased the glass transition temperature (T (g) ) of cured sample significantly. Although, incorporation of PANI increased the thermal stability of epoxy significantly, addition of CNT further enhanced it marginally in the temperature range of 200-400 A degrees C. FT-IR and XRD spectra of PANI/CNT hybrid fillers system showed molecular level interaction and good dispersing ability of CNT with PANI, respectively. Interestingly, morphological studies showed good dispersion of PANI and CNT in epoxy matrix in binary composites as well as in hybrid composites with no phase separation between PANI and CNT. Optical micrographs showed better dispersion of hybrid PANI/CNT filler system within epoxy matrix compared to PANI only

Economic Value Added Research: Mapping Thematic Structure and Research Trends

The purpose of this article is to examine the academic literature about the function, structure, calculation, and weaknesses of economic value added (EVA). EVA has been used as a measure of economic profit and captures the inadequacies of using traditional rates of return. In addition, this article tackles the main residual earnings (RI) modifications used to calculate EVA. A keyword search for publications was conducted in early 2022. This study couples an inferential analysis with descriptive analyses of the existing research. The articles were sorted into different clusters based on bibliographic coupling analysis. This study identifies the main areas and current dynamics of EVA research while evaluating the quality and impact of the scientific output. Three broad themes emerged from the analysis of the cluster related to the use and application of EVA: residual income and valuation, financial performance, and performance management. In doing so, we hope to enhance the understanding and contributions of EVA research to advance its theory and practice