76 research outputs found
The Dynamics of Repatriation in Shilpi Somaya Gowda’s Secret Daughter
Get PDFThis paper seeks to explore the impact of adoption, repatriation and relief on the lives of three women in Shilpi Somaya Gowda’s novel Secret Daughter (2010). The author has set for herself the difficult task of writing about these issues for two audiences, namely, the Western and the Indian. She does not theorise but seeks out common humanitarian aspects and protective concerns. Her approach is gendered and the three women play out major decision-making roles despite the vast differences in their ages and backgrounds. The repatriation of all three is voluntary and they maintain creative connections which are mutually fulfilling. The challenges inherent in their context refine their sensibilities rather than demotivate them. The restructuring is commensurate with the sacrifices made by all three and does not cause disappointments or loss of self-esteem
Abstract 3898: Emerging role of Fra-1 as a novel target for radiosensitization in HPV-associated cancers
No full textAbstract
Background: Activator protein-1 (AP-1) plays a central role in HPV-mediated cervical and tongue cancer (subset of HNSCC). AP-1, a homo/heterodimeric protein composed of Jun and Fos family proteins, has been implicated in chemoradioresistance but the mechanism(s) remained unexplored. In the present study, AP-1 family protein Fra-1 has been shown to play a critical role in promoting radiosensitization in enriched cervical cancer stem-like cells (CaCxSLCs) and can serve as a target for drug intervention in cervical and other HPV associated cancers.
Experimental Procedure: Cervical cancer stem-like cells (CaCxSLCs) were isolated and enriched by sequential gating HPV+ve and HPV-ve human cervical cancer cell lines, SiHa, and C33a using a set of functional and phenotypic markers (ABCG2, CD49f, CD71, CD133) in defined conditioned media (DCM) with intermittent culturing. CaCxSLCs were also assessed for their cervicosphere forming ability, exclusion of DCV dye for generating SP cells, self renewability and quiescenceness.
Both CaCxSLCs and Non CaCxSLCs were exposed to different dose of UV irradiation and a herbal compound curcumin, a potent inhibitor of AP-1 was used to examine the role of AP-1 and its family proteins in the radiosensitization of cancer stem cells.
Results: Upon UV irradiation, CaCxSLCs showed a dose-dependent higher proliferation and highly increased AP-1 activity whereas it was completely abolished in non-stem cancer cells. CaCxSLCs also showed differential overexpression of c-Fos and c-Jun at transcript as well as in protein level. The loss of AP-1 activity and expression was accompanied by decrease in cell viability and proliferation in UV irradiated non-stem cancer cells. Interestingly, CaCxSLCs treated with curcumin prior to UV irradiation abolished AP-1 activity and a concomitant reduction in SP cells leading to abrogation of sphere forming ability, loss of proliferation, induction of apoptosis and the cells were poorly tumorigenic. The curcumin pre-treatment abolished the expression of c-Fos and c-Jun but upregulated Fra-1 expression in irradiated CaCxSLCs.
Conclusion: The study suggests a critical role of AP-1 protein in the manifestation of radioresistance but curcumin pretreatment helps in radiosensitizing CaCxSLCs through upregulation of Fra-1 which may serve as a potential target for elimination of radioresistant cancer stem cells in HPV-associated malignancies.
Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting.
Citation Format: Abhishek Tyagi, Shilpi Gupta, Prabhat Kuamr, Alok C. Bharti, Bhudev C. Das. Emerging role of Fra-1 as a novel target for radiosensitization in HPV-associated cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3898. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3898</jats:p
FIRM-LEVEL DETERMINANTS OF INDUSTRIAL R&D: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM THE INDIAN R&D INTENSIVE INDUSTRIES
Get PDFThis study examines the firm-level R&D determinants of Indian high R&D intensive industries recognized for their historically weak R&D initiatives and global competitiveness. This study intends to use inflation-adjusted financial balanced panel data for 2001–2021 and apply the random effects Tobit model with bootstrapped standard errors. The study has found that stronger intellectual property regime dummy, export intensity, firm size square, and industry dummies for pharmaceutical, automobile, and electronics industries firm's market power and operational efficiency have positively impacted firm-level R&D intensity. In contrast, the negative and statistically significant impact of raw material import intensity and firm size indicates the requirement for planning and implementing appropriate managerial strategies. A bigger firm size does not stimulate R&D investment and offers a competitive edge to the R&D active firms, so managers may think about launching small R&D subsidiaries for innovation building. Policymakers may also focus on improving the outward orientation of the firm by facilitating exports and discouraging raw material imports
Nail clippers: In the time of revolution: In the time of revolution
No full textBen, an eleven year old boy, living in a post-revolution America, suspects his uncle of being a sympathiser of the regime in-charge, referred to as "The Party.
IDENTITY CRISIS IN ADOLESCENCE PERIOD EXPERIENCED BY ASHA IN SHILPI SOMAYA GOWDA’S SECRET DAUGHTER
No full textThis research aims to identify the identity statuses which mark the identity crisis of the main character in Gowda’s Secret Daughter, Asha, an Asian-Indian adolescent who lives in America with her adoptive mixed-race parents, to find out the impact of Asha’s identity crisis towards her sixth stage of psychosocial development, and to identify how the psychosocial issue is reflected in the novel. To answer the objectives, this research employed Erikson’s fifth and sixth psychosocial development stages theory, Marcia’s identity achievement status to strengthen the research, and theory of literary elements.
The research is a qualitative research. To analyze the data, content analysis method was used. The main source of this research is a novel entitled Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. The data are words, phrases, sentences, and expressions related to the identity statuses which mark identity crisis, the impact of identity crisis towards the sixth stage of psychosocial development, and how the psychosocial issue is reflected. The data were collected by reading and re-reading, noting, identifying, classifying and categorizing, analyzing and interpreting. The triangulation method was also used to obtain the validity and credibility of the findings.
The findings of this research are as follows: (1) Asha experiences all four identity statuses which mark her identity crisis: identity diffusion status, identity foreclosure status, identity moratorium status, and identity achievement status; (2) Asha has a positive outcome of identity crisis as seen through her ability to establish intimacy and obtain the virtue of love at the sixth stage of her psychosocial development by forming relationship, establishing the sense of trust, understanding others, and acknowledging others; and (3) the author reflects psychosocial issues through characters and settings.
Keywords: adolescent, Gowda’s Secret Daughter, identity crisis, identity statuses, psychosocia
Firm level profitability determinants in Indian drugs and pharmaceutical industry
No full text
Purpose
This paper aims to analyze the firm level determinants of profitability of Indian drug and pharmaceutical industry which is known for historically weak R&D initiatives.
Design/methodology/approach
The change in the economic environment brought out by the Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) compliance, this industry was found to have fast adjusted to a new working environment by substantially modifying its strategies. This study aims at using inflation-adjusted panel data for a period 2000-2013 and applies the fixed effects regression model with cluster standard errors.
Findings
The study has found that export intensity, A&M intensity, firm’s market power and stronger patent regime dummy have exercised positive influence on profitability. The negative and statistically significant influence of R&D intensity and raw material import intensity points to the need for firms to adopt suitable investment strategies.
Research limitations/implications
The study suggests that firms are required to pay far more attention to optimize their operating expenditures, advertisement and marketing expenditures and improve their export orientation, as part of the long-term strategy.
Originality/value
This study uses a recent data-set to analyze the firm level profitability determinants in the Indian pharmaceutical industry and captures the effect of change in profitability pre and post-TRIPS.
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Do innovative activities matter to Indian drug and pharmaceutical firms? An application to export performance
No full text This paper analyzes the R&D and exports profile of Indian drug and pharmaceutical industry during the period 2000–2014. The present paper examines how R&D expenditure and patent impact export performance of the Indian drug and pharmaceutical firms. The study period from 2000 to 2014 has been characterized by a rapid growth in industry’s innovative activity, as part of the strategic shift, induced by the Patents (Amendment) Act, 2005. Using the real financial data for the top 91 publicly listed Indian domestic pharmaceutical companies, the study provides new evidence on firm-level export performance of the Indian drugs and pharmaceutical industry. Generalized Method of Movements estimator developed by Blundell and Bond is applied. The empirical findings of the study reveal that increased R&D intensity, higher patent count and firm’s size are important determinants of firm-level export performance. </jats:p
FIRM-LEVEL DETERMINANTS OF INDUSTRIAL R&D: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM THE INDIAN R&D INTENSIVE INDUSTRIES
No full textThis study examines the firm-level R&D determinants of Indian high R&D intensive industries recognized for their historically weak R&D initiatives and global competitiveness. This study intends to use inflation-adjusted financial balanced panel data for 2001–2021 and apply the random effects Tobit model with bootstrapped standard errors. The study has found that stronger intellectual property regime dummy, export intensity, firm size square, and industry dummies for pharmaceutical, automobile, and electronics industries firm's market power and operational efficiency have positively impacted firm-level R&D intensity. In contrast, the negative and statistically significant impact of raw material import intensity and firm size indicates the requirement for planning and implementing appropriate managerial strategies. A bigger firm size does not stimulate R&D investment and offers a competitive edge to the R&D active firms, so managers may think about launching small R&D subsidiaries for innovation building. Policymakers may also focus on improving the outward orientation of the firm by facilitating exports and discouraging raw material imports
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