Role of putative virulence traits of Campylobacter jejuni in regulating differential host immune responses

Ankita Singh,Amirul Islam Mallick 한국미생물학회 2019 The journal of microbiology Vol.57 No.4

Among the major enteric pathogens, Campylobacter jejuni is considered an important source of diarrheal illness in humans. In contrast to the acute gastroenteritis in humans, C. jejuni exhibits prolonged cecal colonization at a high level with little or no pathology in chickens. Although several known virulence determinants of C. jejuni have been found to be associated with a higher degree of pathogenesis in humans, to date, little is known about their functions in the persistent colonization of chickens. The present study was undertaken to assess the role of C. jejuni in imparting differential host immune responses in human and chicken cells. Based on the abundance of major genes encoding virulence factors (GEVFs), we used a particular isolate that harbors the cadF, flaA, peb1, racR, ciaB, cdtB, and hcp genes. This study showed that hypervirulent C. jejuni isolate that encodes a functional type VI secretion system (T6SS) has a greater ability to invade and create characteristic “attaching and effacing” lesions in human INT407 compared to primary chicken embryo intestinal cells (CEICs). Furthermore, we demonstrated that the higher bacterial invasion in human INT407 triggered higher levels of expression of major proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL- 1β and IL-6, and significant downregulation of IL-17A gene expression (P ≤ 0.05). The findings of the present study suggest that the enhanced ability of C. jejuni to invade human cells is tightly regulated by proinflammatory cytokines in the gut and possibly holds the keys to the observed differences in pathogenesis between human and chicken cells.

A Review on remote sensing application in river ecosystem evaluation

Ankita Singh,Vipin Vyas 대한공간정보학회 2022 Spatial Information Research Vol.30 No.6

A river is a huge natural freshwater stream that plays a significant role in hydrological dynamics, water resource management, and global activities. Understanding the dynamics of the river ecosystem, such as water quality, morphological traits, and so on, is crucial to determining its health. This article provides a broad review on Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) applications for achieving geographical advantages, particularly in the river ecology. In recent years, the accessibility, accuracy, and popularity of RS technology have all increased dramatically. Land use and cover mapping, land cover changes, deforestation vegetation dynamics, and water quality dynamics at many scales utilising efficient methods are all covered using remote sensing data. RS may now be utilised for a variety of engineering-related applications at the same time. The importance of Landsat data and multispectral sensors in mapping and monitoring many environmental parameters of river ecosystems is highlighted. According to a recent research study, these technologies will aid in the establishment of safety measures prior to disasters. Additionally, river cleaning can be done in conjunction with the creation of an appropriate drainage system to protect the river from becoming contaminated. Future research is expected to build on developing technology, enhance present methodologies, and include innovative analytical approaches.

GA Based Optimal Placement of SVC for Minimizing Installation Cost and Voltage Deviations

Ankita Singh,Shishir Dixit 보안공학연구지원센터 2015 International Journal of Hybrid Information Techno Vol.8 No.9

Power system under heavily loaded conditions is at high risks of consequent voltage instability problem. Voltage deviation minimization is the reliable indicators of voltage security of power networks. The aim is to minimize the voltage deviation and installation cost under increasing load condition in power system network. GA is used to solve the optimization problem in this paper which is one of the heuristic methods. Genetic Algorithm optimizes the location and size of the SVC. The effectiveness of the proposed work is tested in IEEE-30 Bus test system. It has also been observed that the proposed algorithm can be applied to larger systems and do not suffer with computational difficulties. The obtained results show that the allocation of SVC device with the proposed method considerably enhanced the voltage stability and reduce installation cost.

Accelerated hypofractionated breast radiotherapy with simultaneous integrated boost: a feasibility study

Budhi Singh Yadav,Shipra Gupta,Divya Dahiya,Ankita Gupta,Arun Singh Oinam 대한방사선종양학회 2022 Radiation Oncology Journal Vol.40 No.2

Purpose: To assess the feasibility of accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) in patients with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 27 patients after breast-conserving surgery were included in this study. Patients were planned on a four-dimensional computerized tomogram, and contouring was done using RTOG guidelines. The dose was 34 Gy/10#/2 week to the breast and 40 Gy/10#/2 week to the tumor bed as SIB with volumetric modulated arc technique. The primary endpoint was grade 2 acute skin toxicity. Doses to the organs-at-risk were calculated. Toxicities and cosmesis were assessed using RTOG/LENT/SOMA and HARVARD/NSABP/RTOG grading scales, respectively. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated with Kaplan-Meier curves. Results: The mean age of the patients was 42 years. Left and right breast cancers were seen in 17 (63%) and 10 (37%) patients, respectively. The mean values of ipsilateral lung V₁₆ and contralateral lung V₅ were 16.01% and 3.74%, respectively. The mean heart doses from the left and right breast were 7.25 Gy and 4.37 Gy, respectively. The mean doses to the contralateral breast, oesophagus, and Dmax to brachial plexus were 2.64 Gy, 3.69 Gy, and 26.95 Gy, respectively. The mean value of thyroid V₂₅ was 19.69%. Grade 1 and 2 acute skin toxicities were observed in 9 (33%) and 5 (18.5%) patients, respectively. Grade 2 hyperpigmentation, edema, and induration were observed in 1 (3.7%), 2 (7.4%), and 4 (14.8%) patients, respectively. Mild breast pain and arm/shoulder discomfort were reported by 1 (3.4%) patient. The median follow-up was 51 months (range, 12 to 61 months). At four years, breast induration, edema, and fibrosis were observed in 1 (3.7%) patient. Cosmesis was excellent and good in 21 (78%) and 6 (22%) patients, respectively. Local recurrence and distant metastases occurred in 1 (3.7%) and 2 (7.4%) patients, respectively. DFS and OS at four years were 88% and 92%, respectively. Conclusion: With this radiotherapy schedule, acute and late toxicity rates were acceptable with no adverse cosmesis. Local control, DFS, and OS were good.

Is the Tumor Infiltrating Natural Killer Cell (NK-TILs) Count in Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma of Breast Prognostically Significant?

Rathore, Ankita Singh,Goel, Madhu Mati,Makker, Annu,Kumar, Sandeep,Srivastava, Anand Narain Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.8

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of the CD56+NK-TIL count in infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC) of breast. Material and Methods: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed using antibodies specific for CD56 on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 175 infiltrating ductal carcinomas (IDC) of breast. Distribution of intratumoral and stromal CD56+NK-TILs was assessed semi-quantitatively. Results: A low intratumoral CD56+count showed significant and inverse associations with tumor grade, stage, and lymph node status, whereas it had significant and direct association with response to treatment indicating good prognosis. These patients had better survival (${\chi}^2$=4.80, p<0.05) and 0.52 fold lower death rate (HR=0.52, 95% CI=0.28-0.93) as compared to patients with high CD56+ intratumoral count. The association of survival was insignificant with low CD56 stromal count as compared to high CD56 stromal count (${\chi}^2$=1.60, p>0.05). Conclusion: To conclude, although NK-TIL count appeared as a significant predictor of prognosis, it alone may not be sufficient for predicting the outcome considering the fact that there exists a crosstalk between NK-TILs and the other immune infiltrating TILs.

Study of minerals and selected environmentally sensitive elements in Kapurdi lignites of Barmer Basin, Rajasthan, western India: implications to environment

Pramod K. Rajak,Vijay K. Singh,Asha L. Singh,Narendra Kumar,Om P. Kumar,Vishvajeet Singh,Aniruddha Kumar,Rai Ankita,Shweta Rai,Amiya S. Naik,Prakash K. Singh 한국지질과학협의회 2020 Geosciences Journal Vol.24 No.4

The present study is an attempt to know the temporal and spatial distribution of geochemical components in the lignite deposit of Kapurdi, Barmer Basin (Rajasthan). Lignite samples have been subjected to proximate, ultimate and elemental analyses, and determination of mineral carbon (MINC%). Besides, various minerals and functional groups have been analyzed through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Selected environmentally sensitive and potential hazardous elements like Cu, Cd, Zn, Ni, Cr, Pb, Mn, Al, Fe and Co are determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). To know the association of minerals with organic matter, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) has also been carried out. The concentration of Co, Ni, Cd, Pb, Na, and K is high when compared with world average and is main concern for the environmental and health hazards. The elements like Fe, Ca, Mg, Zn, and Pb have shown increasing trend from top to bottom of the lignite seam with some fluctuations in the values in few bands whereas others do not follow a definite trend of variation along the seam profile.

Monitoring Approaches for a Toxic Cyanobacterial Bloom

Srivastava, Ankita,Singh, Shweta,Ahn, Chi-Yong,Oh, Hee-Mock,Asthana, Ravi Kumar American Chemical Society 2013 Environmental science & technology Vol.47 No.16

<P>Cyanobacterial blooms, dominated by <I>Microcystis</I> sp. and associated microcystin variants, have been implicated in illnesses of humans and animals. Little is known regarding the formation of blooms and the presence of cyanotoxin variants in water bodies. Furthermore, the role played by ecological parameters, in regulating <I>Microcystis</I> blooms is complicate and diverse. Local authorities responsible for water management are often faced with the challenging task of dealing with cyanobacterial blooms. Therefore, the development of suitable monitoring approaches to characterize cyanobacterial blooms is an important goal. Currently, various biological, biochemical and physicochemical methods/approaches are being used to monitor cyanobacterial blooms and detect microcystins in freshwater bodies. Because these methods can vary as to the information they provide, no single approach seemed to be sufficient to accurately monitor blooms. For example, immunosensors are more suited for monitoring the presence of toxins in clear water bodies while molecular methods are more suited to detect potentially toxic strains. Thus, monitoring approaches should be tailored for specific water bodies using methods based on economic feasibility, speed, sensitivity and field applicability. This review critically evaluates monitoring approaches that are applicable to cyanobacterial blooms, especially those that focus on the presence of <I>Microcystis</I>, in freshwater bodies. Further, they were characterized and ranked according to their cost, speed, sensitivity and selectivity. Suggested improvements were offered as well as future research endeavors to accommodate anticipated environmental changes.</P><P><B>Graphic Abstract</B> <IMG SRC='http://pubs.acs.org/appl/literatum/publisher/achs/journals/content/esthag/2013/esthag.2013.47.issue-16/es401245k/production/images/medium/es-2013-01245k_0004.gif'></P>

Late-term effects of hypofractionated chest wall and regional nodal radiotherapy with two-dimensional technique in patients with breast cancer

Budhi Singh Yadav,Anshuma Bansal,Philip George KuttikatDeepak Das,Ankita Gupta,Divya Dahiya 대한방사선종양학회 2020 Radiation Oncology Journal Vol.38 No.2

Purpose: Hypofractionated radiotherapy (RT) is becoming a new standard in postoperative treatment of patients with early stage breast cancer after breast conservation surgery. However, data on hypofractionation in patients with advanced stage disease who undergo mastectomy followed by local and regional nodal irradiation (RNI) is lacking. In this retrospective study, we report late-term effects of 3 weeks post-mastectomy hypofractionated local and RNI with two-dimensional (2D) technique in patients with stage II and III breast cancer. Methods: Between January 1990 and December 2007, 1,770 women with breast cancer who were given radical treatment with mastectomy, systemic therapy and RT at least 10 years ago were included. RT dose was 35 Gy/15 fractions/3 weeks to chest wall by two tangential fields and 40 Gy in same fractions to supraclavicular fossa (SCF) and internal mammary nodes (IMNs). SCF and IMNs dose was prescribed at dmax and 3 cm depth, respectively. Chemotherapy and hormonal therapy was given in 64% and 74% patients, respectively. Late-term toxicities were assessed with the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) scores and LENT-SOMA scales (the Late Effects Normal Tissue Task Force-Subjective, Objective, Management, Analytic scales). Results: Mean age was 48 years (range, 19 to 75 years). Median follow-up was 12 years (range, 10 to 27 years). Moderate/marked arm/shoulder pain was reported by 254 (14.3%) patients. Moderate/marked shoulder stiffness was reported by 219 (12.3%) patients. Moderate/marked arm edema was seen in 131 (7.4%) patients. Brachial plexopathy was not seen in any patient. Rib fractures were noted in 6 (0.3%) patients. Late cardiac and lung toxicity was seen in 29 (1.6%) and 23 (1.3%) patients, respectively. Second malignancy developed in 105 (5.9%) patients. Conclusion: RNI with 40 Gy/15 fractions/3 weeks hypofractionation with 2D technique seems safe and comparable to historical data of conventional fractionation (ClinicalTrial.gov Registration No. NCT04175821).

Optimal Placement of TCSC For Enhancement of Power System Stability Using Heuristic Methods : An Overview

Shishir Dixit,Laxmi Srivastava,Ankita Singh,Ganga Agnihotri 보안공학연구지원센터 2015 International Journal of Hybrid Information Techno Vol.8 No.6

Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems (FACTS) represents a vast development in the area of power system operation and control. As we know that under heavily loaded conditions our power system is at high risks of consequent voltage instability problem. This paper gives an overview about application of series connected Flexible alternating current transmission system (FACTS) for improvement of power system performance like transfer stability, secure voltage profile and reduce the system losses etc. FACTS devices require huge capital investment. Therefore, heuristic techniques are used for optimal location and sizing of series FACTS controllers like Genetic Algorithm (GA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) etc. These techniques are used to solve the optimization problem. This paper gives details of optimal placement and sizing of FACTS devices based on different evolutionary techniques which is used for minimization of transmission loss, enhancement of stability of power system. In this study one of the FACTS devices is used as a scheme for enhancement of power system stability.Proper installation of FACTS devices also results in significant reduction of transmission loss. In this review,TCSC is selected as the compensation device.

Epidemiological Trends of GI Cancers in Patients Visiting a Tertiary Care Hospital in Chandigarh, North India

Sharma, Munesh K,Singh, Tarundeep,Pandey, Avdesh K,Kankaria, Ankita Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.8

Background: Cancer has become an epidemic disease. Nearly ten million new cancer cases are diagnosed annually in the world and out of these about half are from the developing world. To appropriately plan for treatment, management and prevention of the disease, it becomes necessary to study the trends about morbidity caused by cancers. Materials and Methods: Data for patients diagnosed with any form of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers was extracted from records maintained in the outpatient department registers of the Oncology Department of Government Medical College and Hospital in Chandigarh from 1999 to 2012. Trends were analysed for different categories of GI cancers for the period of 12 years. Results: In present study GI cancers accounted for 23 % of all registered cases (n-9603) of carcinomas. Males predominated for all GI cancers except in the gall bladder. Gastrointestinal cancers as a proportion of total cancers increased from 21% in 1999 to 25.9% in 2012 with a significant increasing trend in our series (${\chi}^2$ for linear trend=9.36, p<0.003). Cancers of the tonsil, oral cavity and pharynx taken together showed an increasing trend over the years (${\chi}^2$ for trend=55.2, p<0.001) whereas cancers of the lower GI (${\chi}^2=19.6$, p<0.0001) and gall bladder (${\chi}^2=19.5$, p<0.0001) showed a declining trend in our series. Conclusions: GI cancers form a significant proportion of all cancers reporting to our data. In depth studies to ascertain the reasons for the changing trends are required to design intervention programs. Further information is necessary from cancer registries and from the hospital records of oncology departments.