Kuntal Biswas - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Kuntal Biswas

International journal of scientific research, 2015

The nutritional status of the pregnant women of the lower strata of socioeconomic status of Kolka... more The nutritional status of the pregnant women of the lower strata of socioeconomic status of Kolkata has not been assessed in recent times but is it is related with the birth weight of babies. The aims of the study were to evaluate the dietary intake of pregnant women of Kolkata and to assess the association of dietary intake with different anthropometric parameters and the socioeconomic status. Dietary intake (24-h recall method), anthropometric measurement (height, weight) and SES (updated Kuppuswamy’s scale) of pregnant women assessed. Deficiencies of energy (26%), protein (35%), calcium (59%) and iron (55%) during pregnancy with respect to corresponding RDA of ICMR were noted and the deficiencies were increased with lower grade of SES. SES is associated with consumption of energy. Under nutrition exists in the surveyed pregnant women and it is linked with SES.

Managing our finances has always been an important part of our life. While it is easy to let situ... more Managing our finances has always been an important part of our life. While it is easy to let situation define our expenses, it becomes exceedingly difficult to keep track of all the spending, and is not very appealing to dedicate any certain amount of time to remember, calculate, or define a limit to it. It would be much easier if someone could do the same for us, efficiently. Our project proposes an idea of a wallet, that stores and analyzes a user’s usage pattern, provides a system for loan and savings. It also provides a general prediction for the user’s desired month’s expenditure based on previous usage data. A provision for grouping and categorization of spending has also been suggested, based on real world usage. Monthly usage stats can be stored, and reviewed later by the user in graphical form, since it is easy to comprehend at a glance. The following introduction section discusses the importance, as well as the applicable scenarios for our project. It describes the difficu...

Cancers, 2021

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the deadliest of the gynecologic malignancies, with an overall... more Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the deadliest of the gynecologic malignancies, with an overall survival rate of <30%. Recent research has suggested that targeting RNA polymerase I (POL I) with small-molecule inhibitors may be a viable therapeutic approach to combating EOC, even when chemoresistance is present. CX-5461 is one of the most promising POL I inhibitors currently being investigated, and previous reports have shown that CX-5461 treatment induces DNA damage response (DDR) through ATM/ATR kinase. Investigation into downstream effects of CX-5461 led us to uncovering a previously unreported phenotype. Treatment with CX-5461 induces a rapid accumulation of cytosolic DNA. This accumulation leads to transcriptional upregulation of ‘STimulator of Interferon Genes’ (STING) in the same time frame, phosphorylation of IRF3, and activation of type I interferon response both in vitro and in vivo. This activation is mediated and dependent on cyclic GMP–AMP synthase (cGAS). Here, we ...

Journal of Geovisualization and Spatial Analysis, 2020

The rapid pace of economic growth and urbanization in Kolkata affects both the people and places.... more The rapid pace of economic growth and urbanization in Kolkata affects both the people and places. As the city grows physically, it counters several environmental degradations including air pollution. Siliguri, the gateway to northeastern India, is also under deplorable environmental conditions with a growing industrial sector and rapid urbanization. This study aims to portray the current air pollution situation with seasonal variation in three zones (two from Kolkata and one from Siliguri) as it evaluates the present level of different air pollutants like particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. The result of the seasonal analysis shows the critical level of air pollutants, especially PM 2.5 and PM 10 , has reached its highest concentration during the post-monsoon season in the Rabindra Bharati University zone (363.5 and 295.4 μg/m 3 respectively during the daytime) of Kolkata, and thereafter, monthly characteristics of the most variant seasonal pollutants were examined in the studied areas. These seasonal fluctuations of pollutants reflect the impact of meteorological conditions, as such pollutants coming out from different sources are also raising temperatures. Therefore, this work also tries to justify the environmental pollution scenario using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient method between the average temperature of a day (°C) and the level of air pollutants (μg/m 3) like PM 2.5 and CO, separately. Positive values of correlations may indicate the contemporary status of the air quality, as well as the environmental state, that will be an important basis for further regional studies on air quality and distribution of sources.

$Research paper thumbnail of Surface based microseismic monitoring of a hydraulic fracture well stimulation in the Barnett shale$

SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts 2006, 2006

Microseismic monitoring of well stimulation by hydraulic fracturing is now an accepted technology... more Microseismic monitoring of well stimulation by hydraulic fracturing is now an accepted technology. Most such monitoring is achieved with a downhole array of geophones located at or near the reservoir level in a nearby observation well. The need for an available observation well and the limited view such a well provides are impediments to the potential usefulness of the technology. The ability to monitor hydraulic fracture growth from the surface allows for larger array apertures and increases subsurface coverage with while maintaining reasonable resolution and detection limits. Stacking over a large number of stations effectively cancels the surface noise and enables seismic signal detection at levels that are comparable to downhole techniques. More importantly, the surface array is able to detect these comparable signals over a larger subsurface area and shed more light on the extent of the reservoir volume being stimulated.

Tropical gastroenterology : official journal of the Digestive Diseases Foundation

Portal Hypertension (PH) is the commonest cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in children. M... more Portal Hypertension (PH) is the commonest cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in children. Most Indian studies have highlighted extrahepatic portal venous obstruction (EHPVO) as the major cause of PH in children. As there is paucity of data from the eastern part of the country we decided to study the major causes of PH in children in this region and to ascertain the efficacy of sclerotherapy for its management. Fifty children aged 14 months to 10 years with PH were studied from April 1990 to April 1995. Thorough examination and relevant investigations showed non-cirrhotic portal fibrosis (NCPF) in 24 (48%), EHPVO in 18 (36%) and cirrhosis of liver in 8 (16%) children. Forty six children had hematemesis and melaena of whom endoscopic sclerotherapy (EST) was done in 45 cases. One child having type 2 gastric varices was referred for surgery. Following eradication of varices the patients were followed-up at 3 monthly intervals. Number of sittings of sclerotherapy required for oblit...

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare neurologic condition which usually occ... more Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare neurologic condition which usually occurs in patients with leukemia, malignant lymphoma, carcinomatosis, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or a variety of other chronic disease process or in those on immunosuppressive therapy(l). The diffuse parenchyma! infection is caused by a group B human polyoma virus serotype (JC virus)(2). In children, it is even more fatal than adults(3). Case Report A 7-year-old male child was diagnosed in this hospital 5 years back as a case of acute lymphatic leukemia and was treated accordingly. The child was readmitted two years and eleven months after the first admission with CNS and bone marrow relapse and treated with complete remission. On

Nature Medicine, 2012

Class II α-isoform of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3K-C2α) is localized in endosomes, the tr... more Class II α-isoform of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3K-C2α) is localized in endosomes, the trans-Golgi network and clathrin-coated vesicles, however, its functional role is little understood. Global or endothelial cell (EC)-specific targeted disruption of PI3K-C2α resulted in embryonic lethality due to defects in sprouting angiogenesis and vascular maturation. PI3K-C2α knockdown in ECs induced decreased phospatidylinositol 3-phosphate-enriched endosomes, impaired endosomal trafficking, and defective delivery of VE-cadherin to EC junctions and its assembly. PI3K-C2α knockdown also impeded cell signaling including vascular endothelial growth factor receptor internalization and endosomal RhoA activation. These together led to defective EC migration, proliferation, tube formation and barrier integrity. Endothelial PI3K-C2α deletion suppressed post-ischemic and tumor angiogenesis, and diminished vascular barrier function, with greatly augmented susceptibility to anaphylaxis and a higher incidence of dissecting aortic aneurysm formation in response to angiotensin II infusion. Thus, PI3K-C2α plays a crucial role in vascular formation and barrier integrity, and represents a new therapeutic target for vascular diseases.

Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2012

Background: The role of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase member PI3K-C2␣ in actions of S1P is unknow... more Background: The role of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase member PI3K-C2␣ in actions of S1P is unknown, although it is implicated in membrane trafficking. Results: PI3K-C2␣ is essential for S1P-induced S1P 1 internalization, endosomal Rac1 activation, and cell migration in endothelial cells. Conclusion: Internalized S1P 1 generates Rac signal and participates in cell migration. Significance: PI3K-C2␣ controls receptor-mediated cell signaling and migration by regulating vesicular trafficking. The phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) 3-kinase (PI3K) family regulates diverse cellular processes, including cell proliferation, migration, and vesicular trafficking, through catalyzing 3phosphorylation of phosphoinositides. In contrast to class I PI3Ks, including p110␣ and p110␤, functional roles of class II PI3Ks, comprising PI3K-C2␣, PI3K-C2␤, and PI3K-C2␥, are little understood. The lysophospholipid mediator sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) plays the important roles in regulating vascular functions, including vascular formation and barrier integrity, via the G-protein-coupled receptors S1P 1-3. We studied the roles of PI3K-C2␣ in S1P-induced endothelial cell (EC) migration and tube formation. S1P stimulated cell migration and activation of Akt, ERK, and Rac1, the latter of which acts as a signaling molecule essential for cell migration and tube formation, via S1P 1 in ECs. Knockdown of either PI3K-C2␣ or class I p110␤ markedly inhibited S1P-induced migration, lamellipodium formation, and tube formation, whereas that of p110␣ or Vps34 did not. Only p110␤ was necessary for S1P-iduced Akt activation, but both PI3K-C2␣ and p110␤ were required for Rac1 activation. FRET imaging showed that S1P induced Rac1 activation in both the plasma membrane and PtdIns 3-phosphate (PtdIns(3)P)-enriched endosomes. Knockdown of PI3K-C2␣ but not p110␤ markedly reduced PtdIns(3)P-enriched endosomes and suppressed endosomal Rac1 activation. Also, knockdown of PI3K-C2␣ but not p110␤ suppressed S1P-induced S1P 1 internalization into PtdIns(3)P-enriched endosomes. Finally, pharmacological inhibition of endocytosis suppressed S1P-induced S1P 1 internalization, Rac1 activation, migration, and tube formation. These observations indicate that PI3K-C2␣ plays the crucial role in S1P 1 internalization into the intracellular vesicular compartment, Rac1 activation on endosomes, and thereby migration through regulating vesicular trafficking in ECs.

American Journal of Medical Genetics, 1995

syndrome associated with multiple cerebral arteriovenous malformations. Usefulness of Gamma-Knife... more syndrome associated with multiple cerebral arteriovenous malformations. Usefulness of Gamma-Knife Stereotactic Radiosurgery in this syndrome.,