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Cervical cancer being one of the primary causes of high mortality rates among women is an area of concern, especially with ineffective treatment strategies. Extensive studies are carried out to understand various aspects of cervical cancer initiation, development and progression; however, invasive cervical squamous cell carcinoma has poor outcomes. Moreover, the advanced stages of cervical cancer may involve lymphatic circulation with a high risk of tumor recurrence at distant metastatic sites. Dysregulation of the cervical microbiome by human papillomavirus (HPV) together with immune response modulation and the occurrence of novel mutations that trigger genomic instability causes malignant transformation at the cervix. In this review, we focus on the major risk factors as well as the functionally altered signaling pathways promoting the transformation of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia into invasive squamous cell carcinoma. We further elucidate genetic and epigenetic variations to highlight the complexity of causal factors of cervical cancer as well as the metastatic potential due to the changes in immune response, epigenetic regulation, DNA repair capacity, and cell cycle progression. Our bioinformatics analysis on metastatic and non-metastatic cervical cancer datasets identified various significantly and differentially expressed genes as well as the downregulation of potential tumor suppressor microRNA miR-28-5p. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the genomic landscape in invasive and metastatic cervical cancer will help in stratifying the patient groups and designing potential therapeutic strategies.

In this study pedagogical beliefs of student-teachers at three colleges in Goa state are examined. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire constructed by the researcher had been pilot tested. The underlined hypotheses were derived through the use of SPSS and ADANCO software. The theory of cognitivism is applied to analyse the beliefs of student-teacher. There is no gender dispersion, however certain teaching and pedagogical beliefs vary depending on the geographical background of the student-teachers. The beliefs of these student-teachers are influenced by their economic conditions. Study results demonstrated that students could learn more effectively by asking questions rather than just listening to their teachers. It is more likely that instructors believe in asking questions in teaching than in silent classroom. The study concluded that many teaching beliefs reflect characteristics of teachers before entering the profession, and at least some of these beliefs have socioeconomic antecedents.

Cellulose nanofibre isolated from renewable resources is a potential reinforcing filler for elastomeric products. However, the key issue lies in terms of incompatibility between the polar fibre and the non-polar matrix which can lead to fibre agglomeration in the composite. In the present study, the effect of maleic anhydride-g-natural rubber (MA-g-NR) compatibiliser on the mechanical, rheological and thermal properties of Natural rubber/cellulose nanofibre (CNF) composites were evaluated. MA-g-NR was prepared by grafting maleic anhydride on to NR via melt-mixing process. The nanocomposites with 4 phr of MA-g-NR (NCM4) exhibited significant enhancement by 57% in tensile strength, 23% in tensile modulus and 19% in tear strength compared to NR gum vulcanizate. The SEM images of tensile fractured surfaces and RPA studies revealed improved rubber-fibre interaction for compatibilized composites. The thermal stability of the composite was not affected by the addition of a natural fibre (CNF) and MA-g-NR.

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes decorated with nanosilica particles (CS hybrids) were prepared for the first time by ultrasonication assisted mixing of the aqueous dispersions of carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTRs) and colloidal nanosilica. The natural rubber (NR) nanocomposite (NRCSF) was prepared with CS hybrid filler by latex stage mixing method. The SEM and TEM images and strain sweep studies confirmed the formation of segregated network structure inside the nanocomposite due to the alignment of hybrid fillers along the periphery of NR latex spheres. The NRCSF composite exhibited excellent mechanical properties and solvent barrier properties. The NRCSF composites displayed high dielectric constant and low electrical percolation threshold (0.80 vol%). The composite exhibited low dielectric loss because of the presence of insulating nanosilica particles around conducting carbon nanotubes. These elastomeric nanocomposites with high k and low loss are promising in the field of dielectric elastomers for actuator applications.

Natural Rubber (NR) composites containing segregated network structure of Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were prepared by ultrasonication assisted latex stage mixing technique. The preparation involved acidic treatment of the nanotubes prior to ultrasonication in order to get carboxylated MWCNTs (MWCNTR). The final composites contained segregated network of carbon nanotubes. The presence of segregated structure was confirmed by Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The NR-MWCNTR composites prepared exhibited excellent mechanical and gas barrier properties with improved solvent resistance and cross-link density at very low concentration of nanotubes which can be attributed to the segregated network present in the composites. The cellular structure and occluded rubber due to the confinement of rubber within the networks in the NR-MWCNTR composite provided tremendous reinforcement. The Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the added nanotubes did not alter the thermal stability of the composites

The urge for materials with diverse applications has paved the way to fabricate composites based on, one-dimensional filler like nanoclays. The main aim of the work was to study the effect of mill mixing and latex stage mixing on the reinforcing effect of organoclay in Nitrile Rubber. The non-ionic surfactant assisted latex stage mixing route proved to be more efficient and feasible when compared to mill mixing. Mechanical properties were measured and, about 150% increase in tensile strength and 79% increase in tensile modulus were obtained for the latex based composites at 3 phr clay loading when compared to neat rubber composites. Dynamic strain sweep tests revealed that, the low strain modulus for latex mixed composites was higher. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) results indicated that the addition of organoclay hardly affected the thermal properties of the rubber matrix. Transmission Electron Micrographs revealed homogeneous dispersion of partially exfoliated and intercalated nanoclay platelets in the latex state substantiating the viability of latex mixing over mill mixing. The extent of reinforcement in the nanocomposites was also analyzed with the help of different micromechanical models.

In the present study Vulcastab VL (polyethylene oxide condensate) has been used as a non-ionic surfactant to get stable aqueous dispersions of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Sonication time and surfactant concentration were optimised by UV-vis spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering technique. Homogeneously dispersed surfactant coated individual MWCNTs in water were clearly evident from Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Natural rubber –Multiwalled carbon nanotube (NR-MWCNT) nanocomposites were prepared by latex stage mixing. Instead of being randomly dispersed, MWCNTs were found to retain at the boundary of rubber particles resulting in a segregated network as evidenced from TEM. Addition of very small amount of MWCNT showed remarkable improvement in mechanical, thermal, electrical and barrier properties of NR. Segregated network of CNTs resulted in very low electrical percolation threshold (0.043 vol%) for the composite with enhanced dielectric properties.

The catalytic activity of a low priced and non-toxic catalyst (sodium carbonate) was explored in an aminolytic degradation reaction of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle waste with hydrazine monohydrate (HMH). Reactions were carried out with different catalyst concentrations, PET-hydrazine monohydrate ratio, reaction time and reaction temperature so as to optimize the yield of the product. The product (terephthalic dihydrazide (TDH)) having potential commercial applications was characterized by CHN analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD). The surface morphology of the synthesized product and the PET waste flakes before and during the degradation was investigated with the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The process reported in this paper results in significantly higher yield (84%) of TDH in a shorter reaction time of 3 hours at a relatively lower temperature (65°C) as compared to the uncatalyzed PET-HMH aminolysis reaction.

The isolation of cellulose nanofibres from arecanut husk was achieved by a chemo-mechanical method thereby opening up a means for utilizing a waste product more effectively. The chemical processes involved alkali treatment, acid hydrolysis, and bleaching. The mechanical fibrillation was performed via grinding and homogenization. The chemical constituents at different stages of treatment of fibres were analyzed according to the ASTM standards. Morphological characterization was done using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The isolated nanofibers had an average diameter of below 10 nanometres and a very high aspect ratio in the range 120-150. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) showed the effective removal of the non cellulosic components. The crystallinity was increased with successive treatments as shown by the X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The TGA studies revealed a good thermal stability for the isolated nanofibres.

Bovine theileriosis is a serious threat to livestock worldwide. Uncertainty around species prevalence, antigenic diversity and genotypes of strains make it difficult to assess the impact of this parasite and to provide necessary treatment. We aimed to characterize genotypic diversity, phylogeny and prevalence of Theileria orientalis parasites from the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, India by collecting bovine blood samples from the major districts of the two states. Bioinformatic analysis identified antigenic diversity among the prevalent parasite strains using major piroplasm surface protein (MPSP) gene. Our study revealed a prevalence rate of 4.8% (n=41/862) of T. orientalis parasites in bovine animals and a new genotype of T. orientalis parasite which was not previously reported in India. The emergence of these new genotypes could be an explanation for the frequent outbreaks of bovine theileriosis. Further, whole genome sequencing of T. orientalis strains will help to elucidate the genetic factors relevant for transmissibility and virulence as well as vaccine and new drug development.

Porous tantalum has become an attractive biomaterial in several orthopedic applications due to excellent biocompatibility and biomaterial properties. This transition metal has high volumetric porosity (75%–80%), high coefficient of friction, and low modulus of elasticity (3 MPa) comparable to cancellous bone or subchondral bone. The tantalum has similar appearance to cancellous bone and is safe to use in vivo as evidenced by the use in orthopedic surgery. Currently tantalum has been used in several clinical orthopedic applications including hip and knee arthoplasty, spine fusion, osteonecrosis, cranioplasty, foot and ankle surgery, and tumor reconstructive surgery. Porous tantalum has the ability to form a self-passivating surface oxide layer which leads to the formation of a bone-like apatite coating in vivo and affords excellent bone and fibrous in-growth properties allowing for rapid and substantial bone and soft tissue attachment. The chapter discusses the biomaterial properties and orthopedic applications of porous tantalum.

Multiwalled Carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were covalently functionalized by H 2 SO 4 /HNO 3 treatment to produce Carboxylated Multiwalled Carbon nanotubes (MWCNTR). Presence of carboxyl moieties on MWCNT were confirmed by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). These hydrophilic polar groups helped in getting stable aqueous dispersions of nanotubes. High performance composite with good mechanical and electrical properties was prepared by ultrasonication assisted mixing of aqueous dispersions of MWCNTR with natural rubber (NR) latex followed by film casting and curing. A segregated network of nanotubes was formed along the boundary of latex spheres even at low concentration which is evident from very low percolation threshold (0.086 vol%), high conductivity and dielectric constant. The network formation was confirmed by TEM and supported by strain sweep studies. The tensile strength increased by 61%, tensile modulus by 75% and tear strength by 59% by the addition of 0.5 parts per hundred rubber (phr) MWCNTR. The inclusion of 1.0 phr MWCNTR in the NR matrix increased the dielectric constant from 4.7 for pure NR to 918 at 100 Hz. The AC conductivity reached a value of 10 −4 S/m for the nanocomposite. This nanoscale, flexible, reinforced natural rubber based composites with high dielectric constant and conductivity could find application as electromagnetic wave absorbers in the low frequency region.

Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, Babesia and Theileria are the major apicomplexan parasites affecting humans or animals worldwide. These pathogens represent an excellent example of host manipulators who can overturn host signalling pathways for their survival. They infect different types of host cells and take charge of the host machinery to gain nutrients and prevent itself from host attack. The mechanisms by which these pathogens modulate the host signalling pathways are well studied for Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, and Theileria, except for limited studies on Babesia. Theileria is a unique pathogen taking into account the way it modulates host cell transformation, resulting in its clonal expansion. These parasites majorly modulate similar host signalling pathways, however, the disease outcome and effect is different among them. In this review, we discuss the approaches of these apicomplexan to manipulate the host parasite clearance pathways during infection, invasion, survival, and egress.

Global production and consumption of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) products has increased dramatically over the past few decades. World consumption of PET has exceeded 13 million tonnes, of which about 1.5 million tonnes is exclusively consumed by the packaging sector itself. However, this tremendous increase in PET consumption has resulted in the accumulation of an enormous quantity of waste, the disposal of which is complex day by day. Among different PET recycling methods, chemical recycling (chemolysis) is the most successful method to convert PET into its monomers/oligomers. This review presents in detail recent developments in the chemical recycling (glycolysis and aminolysis) of PET. The wide spectrum of depolymerizing agents used, the reaction conditions, catalysts, products of depolymerization, and their potential applications are described.

Anaplasma marginale is a tick borne rickesttsial parasite known to cause bovine anaplasmosis. There are prevalence reports from different parts of India, however, information regarding genetic diversity and phylogenetic association of the Indian strains are unknown. In the current study, 965 cattle blood samples from two states of India, Seemandhra and Telangana, were investigated for the presence of A. marginale by PCR using major surface protein 4 gene (msp4). We found an overall infection of 16.4%, with 3.4% prevalence in Seemandhra and 22.2% in Telangana. Sequence analysis of the 24 cloned msp4 gene indicated genetic diversity among Indian clinical strains of A. marginale which may be due to evolutionary pressure or migration of strains. Phylogenetic association analysis revealed that most of the strains showed close proximity with strains from Mexico and other strains showed closeness to strains reported from countries like Brazil, Zimbabwe, Prico and Hungary. This is the first report from India, identifying heterogeneous population of A. marginale strains causing anaplasmosis, and such data can play an important role in designing new control policies.

We report here the draft genome of Staphylococcus aureus causing clinical mastitis in a cow from India. It is a major causative agent of mastitis and, further, livestock-associated strains are emerging as a potential threat to public health, thereby warranting studies to understand the genome of this deadly pathogen.

Background Tick borne diseases impinge cattle worldwide causing mortality and resulting in huge economic losses. Theileriosis is one of the important tick borne diseases mainly caused by Theileria annulata and one of the commonly occurring infections among the livestock. T. annulata causes immense loss to the livestock industry and therefore, efficacious eradication and control strategies are needed for the control of the disease. Genetic diversity among T. annulata parasites is another important aspect which is overlooked in India. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the prevalence along with genetic diversity and phylogeny of the prevailing T. annulata population of India. Methods Genomic DNA was extracted from cattle blood samples (n = 862) from different regions of Andhra Pradesh. Molecular diagnosis using T. annulata 18S rRNA based PCR was performed to detect parasites in cattle. Further, 18S rRNA gene was cloned and sequenced to determine similarity and diversity from the known T. annulata sequences. Results We observed an overall prevalence rate of 32.40 % T. annulata infection in Andhra Pradesh based on PCR assay. The sequence analysis revealed novel genotypes among the T. annulata strains from India. Thirteen strains showed closed proximity with a strain from China whereas one Indian strain showed similarity with a South African strain [Theileria sp (buffalo)] based on phylogenetic analysis. Nucleotide heterogeneity of the 18S rRNA sequence among the strains examined varied from 0.1 to 8.6 % when compared with the published strains. Conclusion The present study provides us with the molecular prevalence of theileriosis, and will support the accomplishment of actions or in design of strategy to control theileriosis transmission to cattle. Additionally, it highlights the emergence of strains with novel genotypes from India.

Previous studies have shown that a greater number of ovulatory cycles, cumulatively summed as lifetime number of ovulatory cycles (LOC), increases ovarian cancer risk, but there is no uniform algorithm with which to compute LOC. The association between LOC and endometrial cancer is less certain. Accordingly, we identified 14 different LOC algorithms in a literature review and calculated LOCs in the Polish Cancer Study (2001-2003). We evaluated the associations of LOC with ovarian and endometrial cancer risks using unconditional logistic regression, with and without adjustment for individual risk factors used in the LOC computations. Our analysis included 302 ovarian cancer cases with 1,356 controls and 532 endometrial cancer cases with 1,286 controls. We found a high correlation between LOC values among the combined controls (r ≥ 0.88) and identified 5 groups of similar LOC algorithms. A LOC value in the highest quartile was associated with ovarian cancer risk as computed by 2 algorithms (odds ratio (OR) = 2.22 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07, 4.62) and OR = 2.44 (95% CI: 1.22, 4.87)) and with endometrial cancer risk as computed by 1 algorithm (OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.11, 3.44). LOC algorithms using a core set of variables widely available in epidemiologic studies may be independently associated with risk of gynecological cancers beyond the contribution of the individual risk factors, such as ages at menopause and menarche.

This chapter deals with the non-linear viscoelastic behaviour of rubber-rubber blend composites and nanocomposites with fillers of different particle size. The dynamic viscoelastic behaviour of the composites has been discussed with reference to the filler geometry, distribution, size and loading. The filler characteristics such as particle size, geometry, specific surface area and the surface structural features are found to be the key parameters influencing the Payne effect. Non-linear decrease of storage modulus with increasing strain has been observed for the unfilled vulcanizates. The addition of spherical or near-spherical filler particles always increase the level of both the linear and the non-linear viscoelastic properties. However, the addition of high-aspect-ratio, fiber-like fillers increase the elasticity as well as the viscosity.

Background: Incessant ovulation is a widely accepted hypothesis for ovarian carcinogenesis. “Lifetime ovulatory cycles” (LOC) is considered a composite variable that combines events that suppress ovulation in a woman's menstrual span. Due to the lack of direct measurements for incessant ovulation periods, epidemiological studies have used models to calculate LOC. Although several epidemiologic studies have tested the hypothesis that high LOC increases the risk of ovarian cancer, there has been little attention focused on relationships with other gynecological cancers, such as endometrial cancer. Objectives: (1) Identify existing LOC algorithms through a systematic literature review. (2) Apply each algorithm to assess the association between LOC and ovarian and endometrial cancer risks in a population-based case-control study with detailed reproductive variables. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of PubMed to June 2012 using the following search terms: “lifetime ovulatory cycles, ovulatory cycles and cancer," and “incessant ovulation”. Algorithms identified were then used to calculate the LOC for participants in the Polish Ovarian and Endometrial Cancer Studies. For each algorithm (quartiles of LOC among controls), odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for ovarian and endometrial using unconditional logistic regression, adjusted for cancer-specific potential confounders. Results: We identified 17 studies including 18 unique LOC algorithms based on different combinations of the following variables: age at menopause, age at menarche, oral contraceptive use duration, breastfeeding duration, time pregnant, number and outcome of each pregnancy, average menstrual cycle length, and postpartum or other periods of amenorrhea. We limited the analysis of the LOC definitions (n=12) based on the availability of the variables in the Polish Study. Our analysis was based on 315 ovarian cancer cases/1,951 associated controls and 540 endometrial cancer cases and 1,895 associated controls, after exclusions. A core set of variables used to calculate LOC, including age at menopause/menarche, oral contraceptive use, and duration of breast feeding yielded similar associations with cancer risk compared to more complex models. In comparing the highest to the lowest LOC quartile using the various algorithms, women were at increased risk of ovarian (OR range 1.90 ∼3.48) and endometrial cancer risk (OR range 2.02 ∼ 2.95) with the confidence limits overlapping. Conclusions: LOC models differed in the use of relevant variables and in their complexity, however increased numbers of LOC were associated with increased risk of ovarian and endometrial cancers across all algorithms in our study. These data suggests that LOC algorithms might be formulated based on a core set of variables that are widely available variables in epidemiological studies. Citation Format: Hannah P. Yang, Kelsey Murphy, Neena George, Montserrat Garcia-Closas, Jolanta Lissowska, Louise A. Brinton, Nicolas Wentzensen. Lifetime ovulatory cycles and risk of ovarian and endometrial cancers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 154. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-154