Moving towards empowerment : Migrant domestic workers in India

Shriya THAKKAR 이화여자대학교 한국여성연구원 2021 Asian Journal of Women's Studies(AJWS) Vol.27 No.3

The massive spurt in rural labor migration has led to urbanization in contemporary India. While research on gendered migration of informal labor focuses on male-outmigration and views women as “passive followers,” this study draws on the narratives of women domestic workers in Delhi to explore how they emerge as breadwinners within their households and how this sudden transformation of employment status impacts their position in their households. Further, it reimagines empowerment as an intimate engagement process for the women involving constant renegotiations of unequal power relations, gendered roles, responsibilities, beliefs, and values. Thereby, I examine how female domestic workers construct their identities in a socio-cultural environment where choices are limited for them.

Evaluating Bone Loss with Bone Turnover Markers Following Acute Spinal Cord Injury

Prince Thakkar,Naveen B. Prakash,George Tharion,Sahana Shetty,Thomas V. Paul,Joseph Bondu,Bijesh Yadav 대한척추외과학회 2020 Asian Spine Journal Vol.14 No.1

Study Design: Prospective observational study. Purpose: To evaluate bone turnover markers (BTMs) in individuals with acute spinal cord injury (SCI) and to compare the results with those of healthy controls and postmenopausal females. Overview of Literature: SCI significantly impacts bone health. Change in bone mineral density appears 6 months after SCI and rapid bone loss during the acute phase is often underestimated, resulting in osteoporosis and a high risk of sublesional fractures. However, few studies have evaluated BTMs in the Indian SCI population. Despite a high risk of fracture, there are no guidelines for the diagnosis, monitoring, and management of SCI-induced osteoporosis. Methods: Twenty patients within 1 month of traumatic SCI who had been admitted to a tertiary care rehabilitation center were included in this study. Serum BTMs, C telopeptide (CTX) as a bone resorption marker, and osteocalcin as a bone formation marker, were serially measured at baseline, and 3 and 6 months after SCI. BTMs of SCI patients were compared with those of a control group of age-matched healthy males, premenopausal females, and a vulnerable group of postmenopausal females. Results: BTMs were significantly elevated in patients with SCI, with maximum levels observed at the 3rd month of injury. At baseline, the bone resorption marker CTX was approximately 3 times higher in SCI patients than in the control male population and premenopausal females, and about double that of postmenopausal females. The rise in the bone formation marker was marginal in comparison to that of the bone resorption marker. BTMs were persistently elevated and did not reach the normative range until the 6th month of SCI. Conclusions: Raised bone resorption markers in comparison to bone formation markers indicate hyper-resorption-related bone loss following acute SCI. Markedly elevated bone resorption markers in the SCI population, compared with those in control and vulnerable groups, emphasize the need for early bone health monitoring and management.

CAR links hypoxia signaling to improved survival after myocardial infarction

Freiberg Fabian,Thakkar Meghna,Hamann Wiebke,Jacobo Lopez Carballo,Jüttner Rene,Voss Felizia K.,Becher Peter M.,Westermann Dirk,Tschöpe Carsten,Heuser Arnd,Rocks Oliver,Robert Fischer,Gotthardt Michae 생화학분자생물학회 2023 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.55 No.-

The coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) mediates homo- and heterotopic interactions between neighboring cardiomyocytes at the intercalated disc. CAR is upregulated in the hypoxic areas surrounding myocardial infarction (MI). To elucidate whether CAR contributes to hypoxia signaling and MI pathology, we used a gain- and loss-of-function approach in transfected HEK293 cells, H9c2 cardiomyocytes and CAR knockout mice. CAR overexpression increased RhoA activity, HIF-1α expression and cell death in response to chemical and physical hypoxia. In vivo, we subjected cardiomyocyte-specific CAR knockout (KO) and wild-type mice (WT) to coronary artery ligation. Survival was drastically improved in KO mice with largely preserved cardiac function as determined by echocardiography. Histological analysis revealed a less fibrotic, more compact lesion. Thirty days after MI, there was no compensatory hypertrophy or reduced cardiac output in hearts from CAR KO mice, in contrast to control mice with increased heart weight and reduced ejection fraction as signs of the underlying pathology. Based on these findings, we suggest CAR as a therapeutic target for the improved future treatment or prevention of myocardial infarction.

Extracolonic manifestations of Gardner syndrome: A case report

Blackwell McKenzie C,Thakkar Bhushan,Flores Andres,Zhang Wenjian 대한영상치의학회 2023 Imaging Science in Dentistry Vol.53 No.2

Gardner syndrome has head and neck manifestations that may be recognized during dental visits. Features such as multiple gnathic osteomas, impacted supernumerary teeth, and multiple foci of idiopathic osteosclerosis can be easily identified on dental radiographs, prompting the clinician to refer the patient for further investigation. A dental examination and routine radiographs play a vital role in revealing the extracolonic presentation of Gardner syndrome, which facilitates timely screening and detection of colorectal cancer and other malignancies associated with this condition. This report discusses the case of a 50-year-old Caucasian man who presented with a hard swelling of the left angle of the mandible and was diagnosed with Gardner syndrome based on abnormal findings from an oral examination, dental imaging, and medical and family history.

Prevalence of dental anxiety in 10-14 years old children and its implications

Kakkar, Mayank,Wahi, Astha,Thakkar, Radhika,Vohra, Iqra,Shukla, Arvind Kumar The Korean Dental Society of Anesthsiology 2016 Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Vol.16 No.3

Background: The aim of this study was to provide insight on dental fear amongst schoolchildren and evaluate the association between caries experience and fear of dental procedures. Methods: A sample size of 250 students (both sexes) of ages 10-14 years were enrolled in the study. Before dental examination, each participant was informed about the study and given the Children's Fear Survey Schedule - Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) questionnaire. Children who scored greater than 38 were included in the 'with dental fear' group and those who scored less than 38 were assigned to the 'without dental fear' group. All oral check-ups were carried out on the school premises according to WHO criteria. Results: There were 105 children (42%) who experienced dental fear. As CFSS-DS scores increased, scores on the Decayed, Missing and Filled Surfaces Index (DMFS) also increased. Scores were highest on "injections" followed by "dentist drill" and "feeling of choking". Children were significantly less anxious about items of dental treatment if they had experienced that particular form of treatment. Female participants were found to be more dentally anxious than the male participants. Conclusions: The data revealed dental fear in 10-14 years old children and showed that dental fear scores decreased with increase in age and experience.

Demonstrating an <i>In Situ</i> Topological Band Transition in Cylindrical Granular Chains

Chaunsali, R.,Kim, E.,Thakkar, A.,Kevrekidis, P. G.,Yang, J. American Physical Society 2017 Physical Review Letters Vol.119 No.2

Evolution and diversity studies of innate immune genes in Indian buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) breeds using next generation sequencing

Shreya Patel,Jalpa Thakkar,Subhash Jakhesara,Anand Patel,Sachinandan De,Chaitanya Joshi,Prakash Koringa 한국유전학회 2017 Genes & Genomics Vol.39 No.11

Indian buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) breeds are acknowledged for their disease resistance power, hardiness and considerable milk production. River buffaloes are more disease resistance despite of tropical environment of India than cattle breeds of the world. The genetic polymorphisms of innate immune genes play a prominent role in disease susceptibility of livestock. Here in our study, we mainly focused on SNPs in ten selected candidate innate immune genes viz CHGA, CHGB, CHGC, Slc11a1, Slc11a2, DEFB1, BNBD4, BNBD5, LAP and TAP among three most economically important Indian buffalo breeds viz., Jaffrabadi, Mehsani and Murrah using amplicon sequencing on Ion torrent PGM sequencing platform. Polymorphism identification using by GATK tool of Unified Genotyper revealed 274, 245 and 224 high quality SNPs in Jaffrabadi, Mehsani and Murrah buffalo breeds, respectively as well as 168 common SNPs among these three breeds and uniquely detected SNPs were 31, 15 and 37 SNPs in Jaffrabadi, Mehsani and Murrah breeds respectively. Consequences of non-synonymous SNPs were analysed using several computational tools viz., I-Mutant, SIFT, PolyPhen and PROVEAN which identified three deleterious nsSNPs. This wealth of sequence information will be productive for conservation studies, selective breeding and designing future strategies for identifying disease associations.

Rational association of genes with traits using a genome-scale gene network for Arabidopsis thaliana

Lee, Insuk,Ambaru, Bindu,Thakkar, Pranjali,Marcotte, Edward M,Rhee, Seung Y Nature Publishing Group 2010 Nature biotechnology Vol.28 No.2

We introduce a rational approach for associating genes with plant traits by combined use of a genome-scale functional network and targeted reverse genetic screening. We present a probabilistic network (AraNet) of functional associations among 19,647 (73%) genes of the reference flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana. AraNet associations are predictive for diverse biological pathways, and outperform predictions derived only from literature-based protein interactions, achieving 21% precision for 55% of genes. AraNet prioritizes genes for limited-scale functional screening, resulting in a hit-rate tenfold greater than screens of random insertional mutants, when applied to early seedling development as a test case. By interrogating network neighborhoods, we identify AT1G80710 (now DROUGHT SENSITIVE 1; DRS1) and AT3G05090 (now LATERAL ROOT STIMULATOR 1; LRS1) as regulators of drought sensitivity and lateral root development, respectively. AraNet (http://www.functionalnet.org/aranet/) provides a resource for plant gene function identification and genetic dissection of plant traits.

Cellular Effect of Curcumin and Citral Combination on Breast Cancer Cells: Induction of Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest

Pinaki B. Patel,Vasudev R. Thakkar,Jagdish S. Patel 한국유방암학회 2015 Journal of breast cancer Vol.18 No.3

Purpose: The unmanageable side effects caused by current chemotherapy regimens to treat cancer are an unresolved problem. Although many phytonutrients are useful as chemoprevention without side effects, their effects are slower and smaller than conventional chemotherapy. In the present work, we examined the cumulative effect of two phytonutrients, curcumin and citral, on breast cancer cell lines and compared their effect with the known chemotherapy regimen of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil. Methods: Using cultured breast cancer and normal epithelial cells, the cytotoxic and apoptotic effect of curcumin and citral was evaluated in vitro. The synergistic effect of curcumin and citral was calculated by a combination index study using the method by Chou and Talalay. Cell death pathways and mechanisms were analyzed by measuring intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptotic protein levels. Results: Curcumin and citral caused dose and time dependent cell death and showed a synergistic effect at effective concentration EC50 and above concentrations in breast cancer cells without disturbing normal breast epithelial cells. With combination curcumin and citral treatment, apoptosis induction and cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase in breast cancer cells were observed. Curcumin and citral generated ROS and activated p53 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP) mediated apoptotic pathways. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that curcumin and citral in combination may be a useful therapeutic intervention for breast cancer

Power cordial graphs

C.M. Barasara,Y.B. Thakkar 한국전산응용수학회 2024 Journal of applied mathematics & informatics Vol.42 No.2

A power cordial labeling of a graph $G = (V(G), E(G))$ is a bijection $f: V(G) \rightarrow \lbrace 1, 2, ..., |V(G)| \rbrace$ such that an edge $e=uv$ is assigned the label $1$ if $f(u)=(f(v))^{n}$ or $f(v)=(f(u))^{n}$, for some $n\in \mathbb{N} \cup \lbrace 0 \rbrace$ and the label $0$ otherwise, then the number of edges labeled with $0$ and the number of edges labeled with $1$ differ by at most $1$. In this paper, we study power cordial labeling and investigate power cordial labeling for some standard graph families.