Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

About: Indian Institute of Technology Bombay is a education organization based out in Mumbai, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Catalysis & Computer science. The organization has 16756 authors who have published 33588 publications receiving 570559 citations.

Microtubule assembly dynamics: an attractive target for anticancer drugs.

Abstract: Microtubules, composed of αβ tubulin dimers, are dynamic polymers of eukaryotic cells. They play important roles in various cellular functions including mitosis. Microtubules exhibit differential dynamic behaviors during different phases of the cell cycle. Inhibition of the microtubule assembly dynamics causes cell cycle arrest leading to apoptosis; thus, qualifying them as important drug targets for treating several diseases including cancer, neuronal, fungal, and parasitic diseases. Although several microtubule-targeted drugs are successfully being used in cancer chemotherapy, the development of resistance against these drugs and their inherent toxicities warrant the development of new agents with improved efficacy. Several antimicrotubule agents are currently being evaluated for their possible uses in cancer chemotherapy. Benomyl, griseofulvin, and sulfonamides have been used as antifungal and antibacterial drugs. Recent reports have shown that these drugs have potent antitumor potential. These agents are shown to inhibit proliferation of different types of tumor cells and induce apoptosis by targeting microtubule assembly dynamics. However, unlike vincas and taxanes, which inhibit cancer cell proliferation in nanomolar concentration range, these agents act in micromolar range and are considered to have limited toxicities. Here, we suggest that these drugs may have a significant use in cancer chemotherapy when used in combination with other anticancer drugs. © 2008 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 60(6): 368–375, 2008

Estimation of origin-destination matrix from traffic counts: the state of the art

Abstract: The estimation of up-to-date origin-destination matrix (ODM) from an obsolete trip data, using current available information is essential in transportation planning, traffic management and operations. Researchers from last 2 decades have explored various methods of estimating ODM using traffic count data. There are two categories of ODM; static and dynamic ODM. This paper presents studies on both the issues of static and dynamic ODM estimation, the reliability measures of the estimated matrix and also the issue of determining the set of traffic link count stations required to acquire maximum information to estimate a reliable matrix.

Design and Analysis of a High-Efficiency DC–DC Converter With Soft Switching Capability for Renewable Energy Applications Requiring High Voltage Gain

Abstract: Renewable sources like solar photovoltaic (PV) and fuel cell stack are preferred to be operated at low voltages. For applications such as grid-tied systems, this necessitates high voltage boosting resulting in efficiency reduction. To handle this issue, this paper proposes a novel high voltage gain, high-efficiency dc–dc converter based on coupled inductor, intermediate capacitor, and leakage energy recovery scheme. The input energy acquired from the source is first stored in the magnetic field of coupled inductor and intermediate capacitor in a lossless manner. In subsequent stages, it is passed on to the output section for load consumption. A passive clamp network around the primary inductor ensures the recovery of energy trapped in the leakage inductance, leading to drastic improvement in the voltage gain and efficiency of the system. Exorbitant duty cycle values are not required for high voltage gain, which prevents problems such as diode reverse recovery. Presence of a passive clamp network causes reduced voltage stress on the switch. This enables the use of low voltage rating switch (with low “ on -state” resistance), improving the overall efficiency of the system. Analytical details of the proposed converter and its hardware results are included.