Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
NSIS Extensions: An End-to-End QoS Aware Signaling Protocol for NGN

NGN. We will look into IETF's efforts on developing signaling protocols in satisfying the ever demanding end-to- end guaranteed QoS needs by end users or interconnected network nodes. A comparative study is done for Integrated Services (IntServ), Differentiated Services (DiffServ), Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP), and the newly developed Next Steps in Signaling (NSIS) as QoS signaling protocol and NSIS possible extensions. Index Terms—QoS, NGN, RSVP, NSIS, QoS NSLP. such signaling was to provide and control information about data flow along its path during network transmission. A study on requirement of such architecture was presented in (3). The key goals of NSIS could be summarised as: information availability - when and where needed; creating a modular design to allow future extensions; decoupling of protocol and information layer - which means work with routers that support NSIS and ignore the rest. This paper will mainly look into the achievements of IETF in developing end-2-end QoS aware signaling architecture and its further extensions like QoS NSLP, QSPEC Template etc. A review on signaling and QoS signaling need will be presented, looking at the work done for standardisation of such protocols by IETF and ITU-T. We will also compare the key differences of IntServ, DiffServ, RSVP, NSIS and its extensions' architecture. The rest of the paper is organised as follows: Section-II will discuss the background studies on signaling protocols for communications. Section-III will present literature survey on IETF' and ITU-T standardization efforts on NGN architecture and signaling protocols. In Section-IV we will compare the architectural differences and services offered by the protocols developed so far for IP based internet telephony (e.g. VoIP) and multimedia. In Section-V we will present a critical analysis of possible NSIS extensions. Finally, we will give conclusion of our paper in Section-VI.
Duration of posttraumatic stress disorder predicts hippocampal grey matter loss

To examine the impact of environmental stress on grey matter volume in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), we investigated the relationship between duration of PTSD and grey matter volume of hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex. Twenty-one participants with PTSD and 17 trauma-exposed controls, matched for age and sex and with no history of substance dependence, underwent a T1-weighted structural MRI scan and voxel-based morphometry was employed. After controlling for age, depression and whole-brain volume, analysis of covariance revealed significant reductions in hippocampus and rostral anterior cingulate cortex in PTSD, and there was a significant negative correlation between right hippocampal volume and PTSD duration. This pattern suggests that prolonged PTSD may have cumulative adverse effects on hippocampal volume, highlighting the potential role of genetic–environmental interactions.
The Multifaceted Role of Curcumin in Cancer Prevention and Treatment

Despite significant advances in treatment modalities over the last decade, neither the incidence of the disease nor the mortality due to cancer has altered in the last thirty years. Available anti-cancer drugs exhibit limited efficacy, associated with severe side effects, and are also expensive. Thus identification of pharmacological agents that do not have these disadvantages is required. Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound derived from turmeric (Curcumin longa), is one such agent that has been extensively studied over the last three to four decades for its potential anti-inflammatory and/or anti-cancer effects. Curcumin has been found to suppress initiation, progression, and metastasis of a variety of tumors. These anti-cancer effects are predominantly mediated through its negative regulation of various transcription factors, growth factors, inflammatory cytokines, protein kinases, and other oncogenic molecules. It also abrogates proliferation of cancer cells by arresting them at different phases of the cell cycle and/or by inducing their apoptosis. The current review focuses on the diverse molecular targets modulated by curcumin that contribute to its efficacy against various human cancers.
A Cross-Cultural Survey of Schizophrenic Symptomatology

OR many years the present writers, individually and collectively, have been F engaged in studies of the relationship between mental disorder and cultural environment. In the course of these studies contact was established with many psychiatrists and social scientists throughout the world, and through the establishment of a twice-yearly Transcultitml Psycliiatric Review atid New-letter a regular network of correspondents developed. In 1958 it was decided to explore whether this network could be used for research. From the start it was clear that there would be problems, not only with reference to the time and effort which our correspondents could spare, but more particularly with respect to the comparability of the data thus obtained. This problem of comparability arises a t all times in cross-cultural psychiatry, since the meaning of behavioural acts varies from one culture to another and the meaning of symptoms may vary likewise; but when the observers have themselves come from different cultures, have been trained in different schools, have been working in extremely varied settings, and when they have never met, the problem becomes especially great. Nevertheless, it was decided that a trial of such research would be worth while, and the symptomatology of schizophrenia was chosen as the first subject.
A prospective study of cognitive function in the elderly

Background. We report on the change in cognitive function in a population sample of elderly people who have been examined on two occasions more than 3 years apart. Methods. A sample of 1135 persons aged 70–102 years was interviewed at base-line then reinterviewed 3·6 years later with the Canberra Interview for the Elderly, which included tests of episodic memory and cognitive speed as well as the Mini-Mental State Examination and the National Adult Reading Test (NART). Results. Mortality and loss to follow-up reduced the sample to 736, of whom 614 completed at least one test of cognitive performance on both occasions. Cognitive performance decreased with age, except on the NART. Decline over the follow-up period increased as a function of age in all cognitive measures, except the NART. Change in cognitive scores was close to normal distribution. Incident dementia was associated strongly with age and current level of cognitive performance, but not with rate of decline. Cognitive decline and the risk of incident dementia did not differ by gender. Conclusions. A score indicating possible impairment in the very elderly carries a worse prognosis than for the younger elderly. Decline is almost universal in at least one cognitive area among those over the age of 85.
Genetic and phenotypic characterization of intestinal spirochetes colonizing chickens and allocation of known pathogenic isolates to three distinct genetic groups

Infection with intestinal spirochetes has recently been recognized as a cause of lost production in the poultry industry. Little is known about these organisms, so a collection of 56 isolates originating from chickens in commercial flocks in Australia, the United States, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom was examined. Strength of beta-hemolysis on blood agar, indole production, API ZYM enzyme profiles, and cellular morphology were determined, and multilocus enzyme electrophoresis was used to analyze the extent of genetic diversity among the isolates. The results were compared with those previously obtained for well-characterized porcine intestinal spirochetes. The chicken isolates were genetically heterogeneous. They were divided into 40 electrophoretic types distributed among six diverse genetic groups (groups b to g), with a mean genetic diversity of 0.587. Strains in two groups (groups d and e) may represent new species of Serpulina, and the groups contained only strains isolated from chickens. Three genetic groups contained isolates previously shown to be pathogenic for chickens. These corresponded to the proposed species "Serpulina intermedius," to an unnamed group (group e), and to Serpulina pilosicoli. Two of the chicken isolates (one "S. intermedius" and one S. pilosicoli isolate) were strongly beta-hemolytic, two (both "S. intermedius") had an intermediate level of beta-hemolysis, and the rest were weakly beta-hemolytic. Fourteen isolates of "S. intermedius" produced indole, as did one isolate from group d. Isolates identified as S. pilosicoli resembled porcine isolates of this species, having four to six periplasmic flagella inserted subterminally in a single row at each end of the cell, and had tapered cell ends. All other spirochetes were morphologically similar, having seven or more periplasmic flagella and blunt cell ends. The identification of three genetic groups containing pathogenic isolates provides an opportunity for more detailed epidemiologic studies with these pathogens and for the development of improved diagnostic tests.
Morphometric analysis of acetabulum and its clinical correlation in south Indian population

Introduction: In modern world Orthopedic Surgeons and Biomedical Engineers are trying to make the best possible prostheses for planning the total hip management. Body proportions and absolute dimensions vary widely in respect to age, sex and racial groups. While partially due to variability in muscularity and adiposity, such variations are chiefly in skeletal. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy. Sixty hip bones of both sexes were used. The osteometric parameters such as Side, Sex, and Diameter of acetabulum, Depth of acetabulum, Notch Width and Lunate surface endings were measured using Vernier caliper, scale and thread. The data were analyzed statistically using SPSS software. In this study we included only healthy bones, deformed and eroded bones were excluded from the study. Observation: The depth of acetabulum was found to be more in males (30±0.223 mm) than in females (21.45±0.22 mm). Diameter was found to be more in the males than in females (P<0.005). Notch width was found to be more in females than in the males. There is no significant difference between the right and left sides of acetabulum. Conclusion: Morphometric measurements of acetabulum is essential for clinical correlation and it also helps the orthopedic surgeons to identify the accurate diameter of the acetabulum.
Novel splicing mutation in the NEMO (IKK‐gamma) gene with severe immunodeficiency and heterogeneity of X‐chromosome inactivation

We report on a family with three stillborn males, three affected males who were small for gestational age and died within 8 months, and one male who died at age 5 years. This boy had cone‐shaped teeth and oligoodontia. He had serious bacterial infections and inflammatory bowel disease. Mutations in the NF‐κB essential modulator (NEMO) gene have recently been shown to be the cause of a group of ectodermal dysplasia and immunodeficiency disorders (EDA‐ID). Analysis of the NEMO gene revealed a nucleotide change in the consensus sequence of the splicing donor site of exon 6 IVS6 + 5G → A(1027 + 5G → A), which has not previously been described in EDA‐ID. RT‐PCR analysis of fibroblast RNA from an aborted affected male fetus demonstrated a skipping of exons 4, 5, and 6 which resulted in a truncated protein of about 35 kDa revealed by NEMO antibody. The skipping of exons 4, 5, and 6 did not affect the ORF of the C‐terminal of NEMO encoded by exons 7, 8, 9, and 10, which contains a coiled‐coil motif (CC2), a leucin‐zipper (LZ), and a zinc finger motif (ZF) sub‐domains of NEMO. IκBα degradation was strongly impaired in the fetal fibroblasts, suggesting an impaired NF‐κB signaling. One healthy carrier had a completely skewed X‐inactivation pattern with the normal X active, whereas the two other carriers had a random X‐inactivation pattern. This family may represent a new phenotype within the EDA‐ID disorders. From the heterogeneity in X‐inactivation phenotype, we conclude that this mutation is not deleterious enough to be lethal for peripheral blood cells. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Conservation implications of complex population structure: lessons from the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)

Complex population structure can result from either sex‐biased gene flow or population overlap during migrations. Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) have both traits, providing an instructive case history for wildlife management. Based on surveys of maternally inherited mtDNA, pelagic post‐hatchlings show no population structure across the northern Atlantic (φST < 0.001, P = 0.919), subadults in coastal habitat show low structure among locations (φST = 0.01, P < 0.005), and nesting colonies along the southeastern coast of the United States have strong structure (φST = 0.42, P < 0.001). Thus the level of population structure increases through progressive life history stages. In contrast, a survey of biparentally inherited microsatellite DNA shows no significant population structure: RST < 0.001; FST = 0.002 (P > 0.05) across the same nesting colonies. These results indicate that loggerhead females home faithfully to their natal nesting colony, but males provide an avenue of gene flow between regional nesting colonies, probably via opportunistic mating in migratory corridors. As a result, all breeding populations in the southeastern United States have similar levels of microsatellite diversity (HE = 0.70–0.89), whereas mtDNA haplotype diversity varies dramatically (h = 0.00–0.66). Under a conventional interpretation of the nuclear DNA data, the entire southeastern United States would be regarded as a single management unit, yet the mtDNA data indicate multiple isolated populations. This complex population structure mandates a different management strategy at each life stage. Perturbations to pelagic juveniles will have a diffuse impact on Atlantic nesting colonies, mortality of subadults will have a more focused impact on nearby breeding populations, and disturbances to adults will have pinpoint impact on corresponding breeding populations. These findings demonstrate that surveys of multiple life stages are desirable to resolve management units in migratory marine species.
Zinc-&agr;2-glycoprotein as a marker of fat catabolism in humans

Purpose of review Cachexia development is a feature of cancer as well as other chronic diseases. Fat mass loss appears of greatest importance in cachexia, as it is related to poorer survival. Zinc-&agr;2-glycoprotein (ZAG), firstly isolated in human plasma 50 years ago, has emerged as a novel adipokine, which plays an important role in mobilization and utilization of lipids. This review will focus on recent evidences of ZAG as a fat catabolic marker in cancer and other diseases complicated by cachexia. Recent findings ZAG is a lipolytic factor produced by certain cachexia-inducing tumuors and by adipose tissue. It increases lipolysis in white adipose tissue through cyclic-AMP pathway and stimulates uncoupling protein-1 in brown adipose tissue leading to heat generation. In cancer cachexia, ZAG release from white adipocytes is elevated and closely related to body weight loss. In cardiac cachexia, ZAG and circulating free fatty acids are closely related, suggesting a causative role in fat catabolism. Summary ZAG may play an important role, probably as an autocrine/paracrine modulator of adipose mass in cachexia. A better comprehension of ZAG involvement in fat wasting mechanisms will be useful in the development of new therapeutic agents.
The Case for Comparative Regeneration: Learning from Simpler Organisms How to Make New Parts from Old

Regeneration is a primordial attribute of all living organisms, and as a biological problem it has attracted the attention of generations of experimental biologists for almost 300 years. Yet regeneration still awaits a satisfactory mechanistic explanation. In this brief review, I will argue for the reinstatement of planarians, a classical and currently understudied experimental organism, as a viable, molecular model system in which to functionally dissect the molecular basis of animal regeneration. The developmental plasticity and phylogenetic position of planarians, coupled with the technical ability to specifically silence gene expression via RNA interference should help usher these organisms to the forefront of regeneration research. Planarians are currently in a unique position to provide us with the fundamental tools required to begin the identification and functional characterization of the genetic interactions operating behind the regenerative abilities found in the metazoans.
Application of a simulation method for the study of beginning growth in ovarian follicles

A study of mathematical models capable of describing the structure of the ovarian follicle population led us to define three important factors (Mariana and Millier,1977) : 1) initiation of growth in small follicles with one layer of cells surrounding the oocyte ; 2) follicular growth by granulosa cell multiplication, increase in oocyte size and formation of the antrum ; 3) follicle disappearance due to atresia or ovulation.
Metastatic lesions of the brain: imaging with magnetization transfer.

PURPOSE To study solitary metastatic lesions of the brain with routine spin-echo (SE) and magnetization transfer (MT) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS In 15 patients with such lesions, the MT ratio (MTR) was calculated in the center and at the periphery of the metastatic lesion, and distally in adjacent white matter, from the periphery of the lesion radially to the most distant cortex. It also was calculated for mirror-image locations in the opposite hemisphere to provide control values. RESULTS MTRs were decreased in and immediately around the site of the metastatic focus. MTRs also were lower than control values far distal to the metastatic focus, even when no abnormality was seen on SE MR images obtained before and those obtained after administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine. CONCLUSION MT enables demonstration of white matter abnormalities in patients with metastatic lesions not seen on SE MR images. These changes can be found in white matter far distal to the lesion and surrounding areas of edema.
Underinvestment: the energy technology and R&D policy challenge

This Viewpoint examines data on international trends in energy research and development (R&D) funding, patterns of U.S. energy technology patents and R&D funding, and U.S. R&D intensities across selected sectors. The data present a disturbing picture: (i) Energy technology funding levels have declined significantly during the past two decades throughout the industrial world; (ii) U.S. R&D spending and patents, both overall and in the energy sector, have been highly correlated during the past two decades; and (iii) the R&D intensity of the U.S. energy sector is extremely low. It is argued that recent cutbacks in energy R&D are likely to reduce the capacity of the energy sector to innovate. The trends are particularly troubling given the need for increased international capacity to respond to emerging risks such as global climate change.
Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind

Don't leave me alone with my thoughts Nowadays, we enjoy any number of inexpensive and readily accessible stimuli, be they books, videos, or social media. We need never be alone, with no one to talk to and nothing to do. Wilson et al. explored the state of being alone with one's thoughts and found that it appears to be an unpleasant experience. In fact, many of the people studied, particularly the men, chose to give themselves a mild electric shock rather than be deprived of external sensory stimuli. Science, this issue p. 75 Can we ever be alone, and would we like it if we were? In 11 studies, we found that participants typically did not enjoy spending 6 to 15 minutes in a room by themselves with nothing to do but think, that they enjoyed doing mundane external activities much more, and that many preferred to administer electric shocks to themselves instead of being left alone with their thoughts. Most people seem to prefer to be doing something rather than nothing, even if that something is negative.
Quality of life for people with schizophrenia: a literature review

Objective: In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the study and evaluation of the quality of life for people with schizophrenia. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive literature review on the quality of life for people with schizophrenia who are living in the community. Method: An integrative literature review was undertaken to review literature in the field of medical/mental health in relevant databases. Results: A total of 21 studies were reviewed and categorised according to three themes identified from the literature: the quality of life and socio-demographic characteristics of people with schizophrenia; the quality of life of people with schizophrenia internationally; and the quality of life of people with schizophrenia in cross-cultural studies. Conclusion: Quality of life for people with schizophrenia depends on many factors, including cultural and econontic factors, homogeneity of the society, traditional role of the family, social support, and availability of the mental health services. Recommendations for further studies, particularly in the Arab world, are made.
Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor Regulates Surface Expression of α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazoleproprionic Acid Receptors by Enhancing the N-Ethylmaleimide-sensitive Factor/GluR2 Interaction in Developing Neocortical Neurons*

In hippocampal neurons, the exocytotic process of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazoleproprionic acid (AMPA)-type glutamate receptors is known to depend on activation ofN-methyl-d-aspartate channels and its resultant Ca2+ influx from extracellular spaces. Here we found that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) induced a rapid surface translocation of AMPA receptors in an activity-independent manner in developing neocortical neurons. The receptor translocation became evident within hours as monitored by [3H]AMPA binding and was resistant against ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists as evidenced with surface biotinylation assay. This process required intracellular Ca2+ and was inhibited by the blockers of conventional exocytosis, brefeldin A, botulinum toxin B, andN-ethylmaleimide. To explore the translocation mechanism of individual AMPA receptor subunits, we utilized the human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells carrying the BDNF receptor TrkB. After the single transfection of GluR2 cDNA or GluR1 cDNA into HEK/TrkB cells, BDNF triggered the translocation of GluR2 but not that of GluR1. Subsequent mutation analysis of GluR2 carboxyl-terminal region indicated that the translocation of GluR2 subunit in HEK293 cells involved its N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor-binding domain but not its PDZ-interacting site. Following co-transfection of GluR1 and GluR2 cDNAs, solid phase cell sorting revealed that GluR1 subunits were also able to translocate to the cell surface in response to BDNF. An immunoprecipitation assay confirmed that BDNF stimulation can enhance the interaction of GluR2 withN-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor. These results reveal a novel role of BDNF in regulating the surface expression of AMPA receptors through a GluR2-NSF interaction.