• Asian review of World Histories
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.113-135
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• 2015

The word 'urbanity' literally means 'quality or state of being urban' where the criterion of urban economic and civic culture is assumed despite the general celebration of cultural uniqueness of urban centers. The narratives celebrating the uniqueness of urban centers since the ancient past till recent times could not get rid of the broad categorization of the urban models depending on their contextual networks of trade, mobility and culture. This paper attempts to explore whether the urban cultures in South Asia even preceding a global phenomenon like colonialism were actually reflecting an idea of urbanity where the urban culture, including planning and architecture reflected a trans-national model. This paper particularly concentrates on the medieval period when a pattern of urbanity took shape in this subcontinent under the influence of Islam, which could be explained by its particular idea of urban model, cultural exchange and vibrant trade networks.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.4979-4981
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• 2012

Aim: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers of women in India with high fatality rate. Over a 1 year study period 105 consecutive biopsy or fine needle aspiration cytology confirmed breast cancer patients were interviewed by direct questionnaire method regarding risk factors attending Surgery and Radiotherapy OPD of Medical College Kolkata, West Bengal while taking other 105 patients attending Surgery Department for some other disease as controls. The data were compiled in MS Excel 2007 and analyzed by Epi info 3.5.1 software. Among the cases, rural residence, illiteracy and low socio-economic status was significantly higher than controls. Late onset of menarche, late onset of menopause, ever OCP usage, breast feeding for 1-2 years and age of 1st childbirth between 20-30 years were found to be significant protective factors. People should be made aware regarding the modifiable risk factors to prevent breast cancer.

• Mycobiology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.151-157
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• 2011

The endophytic fungal populations of different tissues of Taxus baccata grown at high altitudes in West Bengal, India were explored. These isolated fungal populations represented different genera, which were screened for taxol production using immunoassay technique. The culture AAT-TS-$4_1$ that produced taxol was identified as Gliocladium sp. based on its cultural, morphological characteristics, internal transcribed spacer, and 18S rRNA sequence analysis. Kinetics of taxol production as a function of culture growth were investigated.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6419-6425
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• 2013

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is a treatment modality whereby chemotherapy is used as the initial treatment of HNSCC in patients presenting with advanced cancer that cannot be treated by other means. It leads to shrinkage of tumours to an operable size without significant compromise to essential oro-facial organs of the patients. The molecular mechanisms behind shrinkage due to NACT is not well elucidated. Materials and Methods: Eleven pairs of primary HNSCCs and adjacent normal epithelium, before and after chemotherapy were screened for cell proliferation and apoptosis. This was followed by immunohistochemical analysis of some cell cycle (LIMD1, RBSP3, CDC25A, CCND1, cMYC, RB, pRB), DNA repair (MLH1, p53) and apoptosis (BAX, BCL2) associated proteins in the same set of samples. Results: Significant decrease in proliferation index and increase in apoptotic index was observed in post-therapy tumors compared to pre-therapy. Increase in the RB/pRB ratio, along with higher expression of RBSP3 and LIMD1 and lower expression of cMYC were observed in post-therapy tumours, while CCND1 and CDC25A remained unchanged. While MLH1 remained unchanged, p53 showed higher expression in post-therapy tumors, indicating inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis. Increase in the BAX/BCL2 ratio was observed in post-therapy tumours, indicating up-regulation of apoptosis in response to therapy. Conclusions: Thus, modulation of the G1/S cell cycle regulatory proteins and apoptosis associated proteins might play an important role in tumour shrinkage due to NACT.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.15
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• pp.6287-6293
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• 2014

Background: Invasion of breast cancer cells into blood and lymphatic vessels is one of the most important steps for metastasis. In this study the prognostic relevance of lymphangiogenesis and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in breast cancer patients was evaluated in terms of survival. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study concerned 518 breast cancer patients who were treated at Department of Surgical Oncology, Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre and Research Institute, Kolkata-700063, West Bengal, India, a reputed cancer centre and research institute of eastern India between January 2006 and December 2007. Results: The median overall survival and disease free survival of the patients were 60 months and 54 months respectively. As per Log-rank test, poor overall as well as disease free survival pattern was observed for LVI positive patients as compared with LVI negative patients (p<0.01). Also poor overall as well as disease free survival pattern was observed for perineural invasion (PNI) positive patients as compared to PNI negative patients (p<0.01). Conclusions: From this study it is evident that LVI and PNI are strongly associated with outcome in terms of disease free as well as overall survival in breast cancer patients. Thus LVI and PNI constitute potential targets for treatment of breast cancer patients. We advocate incorporating their status into breast cancer staging systems.

• Asian Journal of Business Environment
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.5-15
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• 2019

Purpose - The present study endeavours to investigate the impact of intellectual capital (IC) and its components on corporate sustainable growth in India. In addition, this study aims to find out the most influential component of IC on corporate sustainable growth in India. Research design, data, and methodology - A sample size of top 139 NSE listed non-financial companies over a time period of five years has been used in this monograph. The impact of intellectual capital and its components on corporate sustainable growth has been examined using the longitudinal data analysis technique. Results - The findings of this study bring to light that intellectual capital (IC) as measured by the M-VAIC model demonstrates a significant impact on corporate sustainable growth. Considerably, the results also reveal that almost all the explanatory variables viz. Physical Capital, Relational Capital, Innovation Capital, and Process Capital exercise notable influence in explaining corporate sustainable growth. Moreover, the results demonstrate Innovation Capital (controlling the effect of Physical Capital) represents the most influential component of IC on corporate sustainable growth. Conclusions - The research findings show that in the Indian context, both physical capital, and IC (overall), as well as its components, play a crucial role to explain corporate sustainable growth.

• Atmosphere
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.505-518
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• 2010

We investigated the impacts of the diabatic heating location, vertical profile and basic state on the Rossby wave propagation. To examine the dynamical process of individual responses on the regional heat source, a dry version of the linear baroclinic model was used with climatological summertime (JJA) mean basic state and vertical structure of the diabatic heating for 1979-2008. Two sets of diabatic heating were constructed of those positioned in the mid-latitudes (Tibetan Plateau, eastern Mediterranean Sea, and the west-central Asia) and the tropics (the southern India, Bay of Bengal, and western Pacific). It was found that using the principal component analysis, atmospheric response to diabatic heating reaches to the steady state in 19th days in time. The prescribed mid-latitude forcing forms equivalent barotropic Rossby wave propagation along the westerly Asia jets, whereas the tropical forcing generates the Rossby wave train extending from the tropics to mid-latitudes. In relation to the maximum vertical profile, the mid-level forcing reveals a stronger response than the lower-level forcing, which may be caused by more effective Rossby wave response by the upper-level divergent flow. Under the different sub-seasonal mean state, both of the tropical and mid-latitude forcing induce the different sub-seasonal response intensity, due to the different basic-state wind.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.439-452
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• 2005

Zinc is ubiquitous in all living cells. Structural and catalytic properties of cellular enzymes are zinc dependent. Zinc deficiency leads to a variety of pathological abnormalities with immune impairment. It is an established fact that nutritional status contributes to overall immune response of individuals. Outcome of zinc deficiency on immune system is so drastic that it is difficult to conceive at the first instance. Zinc supplementation has been advocated to prevent diarrheal disease in children with poor nutritional status. The bioavailability of zinc depends upon its sources. Moreover it varies between monogastrics and ruminants. Controversy still prevails between inorganic and organic sources of zinc with respect to their superiority in bioavailability. Zinc exerts immunostimulatory effects in various laboratory and farm animals. Animals having congenital zinc deficiency diseases like A46 lethal trait usually die due to impairment of the immune system unless treated with zinc. The immune mechanism of zinc and its effect on animals and man are discussed. Zinc has been considered as extremely safe at higher therapeutic doses, but does not provide any beneficial effect but rather may cause immunosuppression. More recently, zinc has been prescribed for immunodeficient hosts, to modulate the immune system so that to a certain extent it can combat against opportunistic pathogens.

• CELLMED
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.26.1-26.7
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• 2013

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) belonging to the family Zingiberaceae is a perennial herb. It is widely distributed in tropical Asia. In India, it is cultivated mainly in Kerala, Andhia Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra. It is one of the most common spices, which is in use since centuries for its versatile medicinal actions like antiemetic, stomachic, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, aphrodisiac etc in traditional system of medicine (Unani, Ayurveda, and Chinese medicine). It is useful for the treatment of various gastrointestinal, pulmonary, cardiovascular and sexual disorders. The phytochemical study of ginger showed the presence of many volatile oils and oleo-resins like gingerol, zinger one, zingiberol etc. Numerous experimental and clinical trials have proven ginger for its range of therapeutic activities such as antibacterial, antidiabetic, antiemetic, hypolipidaemic, hepatoprotective etc properties. The present article aims to explore traditional Unani and pharmacological activities of this herb reported till date.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2003

Manifestation of heterotic genetic interaction was studied in different hybrids made between multivoltine recurrent backcross (RBL)/congenic lines (Con. L) during unfavourable season when temperature and relative humidity are > $30^{\circ}C$ and 86%, respectively. A few number of silkworm race or strain or breed like Nistari (N ＋ p or Np) can sustain the temperature above 3$0^{\circ}C$ and RH above 86%. The present heterosis study screened a hybrid i.e., CB$_{5}$Lm5RBL1M$_{6}$DPC-LmE$^1$RBL and its reciprocal provided heterobeltiotic effect on survival by number and pupation rate at a magnitude of 20% (p < 0.01) and yield by weight of 10% (p < 0.01). Beside all the hybrids expressed heterosis over check - Nistari (N ＋ p) with better quality silk. Therefore, aforesaid hybrid may be useful for utilization at commercial level during adverse seasons of West Bengal.gal.