31 research outputs found
First person – Kriti Chaplot
No full textFirst Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Disease Models & Mechanisms, helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Kriti Chaplot is first author on ‘SOD1 activity threshold and TOR signalling modulate VAP(P58S) aggregation via reactive oxygen species-induced proteasomal degradation in a Drosophila model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis’, published in DMM. Kriti is a PhD student in the lab of Dr Girish Ratnaparkhi at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India. Her main research interest is delineating cellular mechanisms that perturb aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases
Inducing mechanical stresses in electroactive hydrogels to influence the fate of mesenchymal stem cells
No full textMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into bone, cartilage, muscle, tendon, and other mesenchyme-derived tissue with the right treatment of growth factors or the right mechanical stimuli. Therefore, these cells are widely used in tissue engineering. Though the MSC response to biochemical signals is well understood, their response to biophysical signals is still being described. Exploring the behavior of MSCs in response to a variety of biochemical, biophysical, or bioelectrical signals can lead to better scaffolds for tissue engineering. Scaffolds do not entirely mimic the native environment that cells experience, particularly for excitable tissues. For instance, in their native environment smooth muscle cells experience contraction and relaxation. While electroactive materials can deform, at present, few such materials are suitable as cell scaffolds. Herein, this thesis describes the development of poly(ethyelene glycol) diacrylate – poly(acrylic acid) (PEGDA-PAA) as an electroactive scaffold for MSCs. PEGDA-PAA hydrogels experience a change in volume with the application of an electric field, producing bending, wave-like movements similar to that of smooth muscle. Electroactive hydrogels were capable of deformation and seeded cells proliferated on the surface. Ongoing work is investigating a stimulation profile for the hydrogels that will be nonlethal for cells.M.S.Includes bibliographical referencesby Kriti Gupt
Redefining Masculinity: Role of Positive Masculinity
Full text linkThis study explores how young men perceive and internalize masculine identity,
focusing on the shift from traditional to positive masculinity. While previous research
often highlights negative traits like aggression or emotional suppression, this study
emphasizes strengths-based approaches using the Positive Psychology/Positive
Masculinity (PPPM) model (Kiselica & Carlson, 2010). Through focus group
discussions and psychometric scale development, the research examines evolving
definitions of masculinity and their implications for male well-being. Previous
research has primarily emphasized the negative traits associated with masculinity,
such as strength, aggression, toughness, and emotional suppression. In contrast, this
study highlighted the principles of The Positive Psychology/Positive Masculinity
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(PPPM) model (Kiselica & Carlson, 2010). This model concentrates on addressing the
challenges and harmful effects of restrictive masculinity, focusing on strengths and
providing a balanced and positive perspective on masculinity. This study explored the
concept of positive masculinity by conducting Focus group discussions (FGDs) with
young males. The Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) identified four themes
and respective sub-themes: The definition of masculinity, factors contributing to
positive masculinity, the bridge between traditional and positive masculinity, and the
impact of positive masculinity. Findings highlight the evolving concept of masculinity
and its positive effect on males' well-being. Study 1 aims to gather information about
the perception of male participating in the conducted focus group discussion, to see
and measure impact of positive psychology/positive masculinity model. And from the
derived factors and defined understanding from study 1, in study 2 author constructed
a psychometric scale to access the understanding of an individual towards positive
masculinity. The construction of a psychometric scale involves a systematic, multistage process to ensure reliable and valid measurement of psychological constructs.
First, the construct of interest is clearly defined, grounded in theoretical frameworks,
and relevant literature is reviewed to determine the scale's necessity and potential
domains towards accessment of positive masculinity. After establishing the construct,
a comprehensive pool of 55 items is developed, using 5 scale Likert-type response
formats. These initial items are generated based on literature, expert opinion, and
from the understanding and factors derived through focus group discussion (from
previous study)
Subsequently, the item pool undergoes expert review for content validity, where
subject-matter specialists rate each item's relevance and clarity. Poorly performing
items are either revised or discarded. After which a pilot test follows, typically on a
sample representative of the intended population, to evaluate item performance and
initial reliability statistics. Next, statistical analyses—such as exploratory and
confirmatory factor analyses—are conducted to assess the dimensionality and internal
structure of the scale. Items that do not load well on the intended factors are further
refined or removed. The resulting scale is subjected to additional psychometric
testing, evaluating internal consistency (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha), test-retest reliability,
and various forms of validity (construct, convergent, discriminant).
Finally, the scale is standardized, and scoring norms are developed, ensuring its
applicability for research or clinical purposes. Throughout, the process is iterative,
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with ongoing refinement based on empirical findings and expert feedback, ensuring
that the final instrument demonstrates measurement properties and finally called a
Accelerating (Compressed) SENSE Scans in MRI
No full textMagnetic Resonance Imaging is a painless procedure to produce high-resolution diagnostic images. Today, it is one of the essential clinical imaging modalities. One of the major challenges involved with this imaging modality is its long scanning time. Parallel imaging in combination with compressed sensing has overcome this challenge to a great extent. As a quid pro quo for this reduced scan time is the increase in image reconstruction time. An extensive research is focused to develop algorithms to make the image reconstruction faster. Fast Iterative Shrinkage Threshold algorithm is one of these algorithms (which is clinically viable) that speeds up the image reconstruction process. The present project focuses to speed up the particular algorithm, fast iterative shrinkage threshold algorithm, by preconditioning the convex optimization problem. This work proposes two new preconditioners, specifically in the context of the given algorithm, but otherwise can be used with different frameworks solving similar problems. The first preconditioner is a degree one polynomial of the system matrix and the second preconditioner is a block diagonal matrix where each block is a circulant matrix. The preconditioners are evaluated using two stopping criteria: residual error and relative error. The computation complexity of both the preconditioners are evaluated by measuring the floating point operations and total time consumption. Additionally, the simulations are performed by undersampling the data at two factors r=2 and r=4. The results indicate that the polynomial preconditioner reduces the overall time by a factor of 0.25 however is computationally expensive to construct. On the other side, block diagonal circulant preconditioner is extremely cheap to construct and evaluate on a vector but does not provide the desired results within the current framework. The study concludes that a suitable preconditioner for FISTA is the one that without affecting the largest eigenvalue of the system matrix improves the condition number and simultaneously is cheap to construct and evaluate.Electrical Engineerin
"Multiple historicities" on the island of Crete: the significance of Minoan archaeological heritage in everyday life.
No full textThis thesis seeks to investigate the manifold ways people, as members of different groups, understand, narrate and relate to the prehistoric past of the island of Crete, i.e., what is usually referred to as "Minoan heritage". It explores the various contexts in which Knossos, the best-known and most popular Minoan site in Crete, is "historicised" through experience and perception both inside and outside the boundaries of the site. The research focuses on the ways academic knowledge concerning the archaeological heritage is embedded in social practices. Its aim is to understand ancient Cretan monuments and museum exhibits as active producers of meanings affecting and being affected by current social relations. For this purpose, social anthropology and material culture studies in particular lent me the theoretical and methodological tools to bring archaeology, museums and people into the same field of inquiry. The making of a contested monumental landscape around the archaeological site of Knossos, the appropriation and conceptualisation of Minoan Crete through its official representations, the quest for authenticity during the tourist experience, the performance of local identity in relation to the archaeological heritage, the socially made distinctions between the local, the national and the global, and the diverse associations of Knossos with concepts of tradition and modernity are important themes in this research, all related to a heavily idealised conception of Minoan Crete, produced by the major excavator of Knossos, Sir Arthur Evans, at the beginning of the twentieth century. The thesis is completed with a discussion on Archanes, a Cretan village ten kilometres south of Knossos, where significant Minoan finds and buildings have been unearthed in the last decades. By connecting them to a recently completed conservation programme of local architecture and the "rediscovery of tradition" now occurring in the village, I have attempted to trace the diverse inscriptions of this "emergent" ancient past onto social memory and related identity discourses
OUTLAST: INTERACTIVE ART INSTALLATION ON DIGITAL PRESENCE EXPLORING INTERACTIVE ART AS REFLECTIVE PRACTICE
No full textThis thesis explores the creation of an interactive art installation designed to engage viewers with the accumulation of digital artifacts, digital decay, and the act of revisiting one’s digital possessions. The primary research question that this thesis aims to answer is: “How can user responses to the art installation object improve the object itself, which was designed to represent processes of digital accumulation, digital decay, and prompts for revisitation?” The methodology involved an iterative design process through experience prototyping and was guided by reflection-in-action. The author conducted a qualitative user study involving 19 interviews with individuals who had experience with archives, and observed their interactions with the installation. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the collected data
Finding Subaltern Voices: A Case for Preservation of Colonial Legal Proceedings
No full textColonial courts are seen as places of action for the “two-facedness of colonial law” wherein the British sought to introduce universalist principles of adjudication, such as the ‘Rule of Law’, yet also appeased the native legal conservatives and traditionalists who formed the dominant class. It is realized that in this process the narratives of colonized subalterns- of adivasis, dalits, gender and religious minorities are often found to be lost. In a quest to find their voices and to register their claims, revisiting our legal history is necessary; but has been made impossible due to an inexcusable neglect of legal proceedings documentation. The author provides a detailed firsthand account of the disheartening condition of archival sections in the Bombay, Calcutta and Madras High Courts, which have been witnesses to the legal process in the sub-continent for over a century and a half. A case is then made out for digitization of colonial court records to ensure their longer sustainability for the future and ensuring possibilities for further research
Finding Subaltern Voices: A Case for Preservation of Colonial Legal Proceedings
No full textColonial courts are seen as places of action for the “two-facedness of colonial law” wherein the British sought to introduce universalist principles of adjudication, such as the ‘Rule of Law’, yet also appeased the native legal conservatives and traditionalists who formed the dominant class. It is realized that in this process the narratives of colonized subalterns- of adivasis, dalits, gender and religious minorities are often found to be lost. In a quest to find their voices and to register their claims, revisiting our legal history is necessary; but has been made impossible due to an inexcusable neglect of legal proceedings documentation. The author provides a detailed firsthand account of the disheartening condition of archival sections in the Bombay, Calcutta and Madras High Courts, which have been witnesses to the legal process in the sub-continent for over a century and a half. A case is then made out for digitization of colonial court records to ensure their longer sustainability for the future and ensuring possibilities for further research
Neuroendocrine tumor masquerading as vague breast lump: a rare case report with treatment updates
Full text linkIntroduction. Neuroendocrine tumor (NET) of the breast is a rare and poorly understood subtype of breast cancer, predominantly seen in postmenopausal females. According to the available literature, the overall incidence is as low as 2%.
Case presentation. Our aim is to represent and highlight the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges associated with a rare case of primary neuroendocrine tumor of the breast, and to contribute to the growing body of clinical experience and literature on this uncommon disease entity.
Diagnosis relies on histopathological evaluation supported by immunohistochemistry (IHC) specific to neuroendocrine markers. Due to the rarity of this tumor, there is no consensus on the optimal adjuvant chemotherapeutic regimen, and prognosis remains controversial. Existing literature, based largely on small retrospective studies, suggests worse outcomes compared to more common breast cancers. This case underscores the diagnostic complexity and therapeutic uncertainty associated with primary neuroendocrine tumors of the breast.
Conclusion. Given the lack of standardized treatment protocols, multidisciplinary discussion is essential for individualizing management. Reporting such rare cases is crucial to enhance understanding and guide future treatment strategies
