Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
APOPTOSIS: MOLECULAR MECHANISMS AND PATHOGENICITY

Apoptosis triggered by exogenous and endogenous stimuli such as ultraviolet radiation, oxidative stress, and genotoxic chemicals is a crucial phenomenon within biological systems. DNA damage activates and stabilizes p53 in nucleus and cytoplasm and regulates other proteins that stimulate intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways. Apoptosis is morphologically distinct from that of necrosis and both the phenomena depend on the types, developmental stages, physiological environment of tissues and the nature of death signal. Malfunctioning of apoptotic pathway may cause human diseases like cancer, neurodegenerative and autoimmune disorders. Recently, potent apoptosis-inducing compounds associated with human health have been recorded that prevent tumor promotion, progression, and the occurrence of cellular inflammatory responses. Certain photosensitizing drugs are being employed in photodynamic therapy to induce apoptosis for the treatment of cancer and non-cancerous cells. This review emphasizes the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis, associated diseases and certain therapeutic agents implicated in the elimination of malignant cells.
Future and Training of Craniofacial Surgery in India

Abstract Craniofacial surgery, in the strictest sense, is the surgery of structures above and behind the maxilla. Craniofacial surgery is not new to India and has been around for more than 4 decades now since the 1970s. Keeping in mind the promotion of the specialty in India, an Indian Craniofacial Foundation was launched in the year 2012 at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India. To develop a craniofacial center in India, the primary requirement is a source of funding. Several craniofacial centers, which are already running successfully in India, have amply demonstrated that this can be done in several ways. We would like to discuss here the 2 models of craniofacial service delivery and training that the authors have seen and experienced firsthand.
Developing a technological process to weave cotton fabrics on water jet loom

Water jet looms are widely used in woven fabric manufacturing especially for synthetic fabric production. Due to massive growth in synthetic fabric production, the significance of the water jet loom becomes dominant Due to its salient features such as high production speed, low energy consumption, low noise emission, and simple maintenance procedures as compared to other loom counterparts. The major drawback of the water jet loom is its inability to produce cellulosic based fabric such as cotton because cotton yarns absorb considerably higher amount of water during weft insertion and as a result it does not properly insert through the warp sheet. Air jet weaving machine is ideal to produce cellulose based fabrics. However, air jet looms lacks in the above advantages possessed by water jet looms. For a sustainable development in the weaving industry and a competitive edge in weaving, it is mandatory to have minimum energy consumption when producing cellulose based fabrics. So, it is prudent to explore the possibility of weaving cellulosic based fabrics on a water jet loom. Hence, the authors attempted to develop an appropriate technological process to achieve this. A non-absorbent cotton yarn was developed and a water jet loom was modified in order to successfully produce cotton based fabrics on a water jet loom.
Synchronizing Genetic Oscillators by Signaling Molecules

The authors examine collective rhythms in a general multicell system with both linearly diffusive and nondiffusive couplings. The effect of coupling on synchronization through intercellular signaling in a population of Escherichia coli cells is studied. In particular, a synchronization solution is given through the auxiliary individual system for 2 types of couplings. The sufficient conditions for the global synchronization of such a coupled system are derived based on the Lyapunov function method. The authors show that an appropriate design of the coupling and the inner-linking matrix can ensure global synchronization of the coupled synthetic biological system. Moreover, they demonstrate that the dynamics of an individual cell with coupling and without coupling may be qualitatively different; one is oscillatory, and the other is steady state. The change from a nonoscillatory state to an oscillatory one is induced by appropriate coupling, which also entrains all cells to synchronization. These results establish not only a theoretical foundation but also a quantitative basis for understanding the essential cooperative dynamics, such as collective rhythms or synchronization, in a population of cells.
Aortic stiffness is associated with atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries in older adults: the Rotterdam Study

Objective Aortic stiffness can lead to low diastolic blood pressure, thereby possibly limiting coronary perfusion. Therefore, the simultaneous occurrence of both aortic stiffness and coronary atherosclerosis can lead to an increased risk of subendocardial ischaemia. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between aortic stiffness and coronary atherosclerosis. Methods The study was performed in 1757 subjects of the Rotterdam Study, a population-based study of elderly individuals. Aortic stiffness was assessed by measuring carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV). Coronary atherosclerosis was assessed by measuring coronary calcification using electron beam tomography and expressed as a total calcium score. The total calcium score was log-transformed because of its skewed distribution. The association between PWV and coronary calcification was first evaluated after adjustment for age, sex, mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate. Results Linear regression analyses showed that increased PWV was associated with a higher log total coronary calcium score [β-regression coefficient 0.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.07–0.15]. Compared with the lowest quartile of PWV, multivariate odds ratios and corresponding 95% CI for advanced coronary calcification in the second, third and fourth highest quartiles were 1.17 (0.79–1.74), 1.58 (1.07–2.34) and 2.12 (1.40–3.20), respectively. Conclusions In this large population-based study performed in elderly subjects aortic stiffness was strongly and independently associated with coronary atherosclerosis.
Post-Acquisition Change Management: An Experience of Employees of Ghanaian Telecommunication Company

Success of change management after acquisition has been a major issue in the literature, because studies (Burke, 2002; Probst and Raisch, 2005) have revealed that most of these companies suffer successful transition for several reasons. Drawing on the recent works in the literature, the purpose of this paper is to examine how Vodafone PLC Ghana has managed its change process and assess the effects of the process on work outcome and processes and organizational performance. The paper present findings from quantitative research involving 120 employees who were with the organization before the acquisition and spread within several departments of the organization. The research finds reveals that overall the change management process was successful and the primary reason for the success is adherence of management to propositions made by several authors in the literature.
Downsizing and survivor reactions in Malaysia: modelling antecedents and outcomes of psychological contract violation

This study provides an empirical test of a model of antecedents and consequences of psychological contract violation (PCV) caused by the experience of downsizing. A longitudinal survey method was used to collect data at two different points in time (a month after downsizing, and eight months later) from a sample of 281 survivors from a large Malaysian organization going through downsizing. Respondents were from the headquarters (HQ), factories and subsidiaries located across the country and were employed across hierarchical positions including managers, supervisors, technical, operating and administrative staff. A causal model is proposed and tested. The model proposes that the perception of justice and negative affectivity at time 1 (T1) predict PCV, which in turn predicts three attitudinal and behavioural outcomes of commitment, organizational citizenship behaviours (OCBs) and turnover intentions at time 2 (T2). Three variations of the model (fully-mediated, partially-mediated and unmediated) were tested with structural equation modelling. The results show that both the perception of justice and negative affectivity significantly predict PCV, and that there is a direct effect between PCV and commitment, an indirect effect between PCV and OCBs, and both direct and indirect effects between PCV and turnover intentions. The findings demonstrate the utility of psychological contact framework in explaining survivor reactions to downsizing.
Fears of Negative Emotions in Relation to Fears of Happiness, Compassion,Alexithymia and Psychopathology in a Depressed Population: A Preliminary Study

Objectives: While fears of negative or aversive emotions are linked to experiential avoidance and psychopathology, recent studies have also focused on the relation between psychopathology and fear of positive emotions. This study explores 1. which negative emotions of anger, anxiety and sadness on most feared and avoided and 2. the links between fears and avoidance of negative emotions, with fears of positive and affiliative emotions, alexithymia, and self-reported depression anxiety and stress. Method: A new scale was developed to measure fears of three negative emotions anxiety anger and sadness. 52 participants suffering from moderate to severe depression completed this measure, along with fear of happiness, fears of compassion, alexithymia and psychopathology. Results: Interestingly fears of negative emotions were not correlated with each other; in other words one can be frightened of one negative emotion but not another. The correlation between the fear of an emotion and the avoidance of that emotion was different for the three negative emotions, with fear of anger being the most strongly linked to its avoidance. Fear of sadness was the only feared ‘negative’ emotion associated with depression. Fear of sadness and fear of anger, but not anxiety also linked to fears of positive emotions and alexithymia. Conclusions: Fears of (so called) negative emotions vary in terms of the degree to which people are fearful of them and avoid them. Importantly it was sadness, a neglected emotion in the studies of emotion avoidance, which accounted for the higher proportion of variance for depression and alexithymia.
“I love you more than I can stand!” – Romantic love, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and sleep complaints are related among young adults

Abstract Background. Falling in love is a universal human behavior. Studies indicate that both adolescents and adults experience romantic love (RL) and emotional states of joy and happiness. However, there is evidence that among adolescents RL is also associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety, but no data on these associations are available for adults. The aim of the present study was therefore to explore the associations between RL, symptoms of depression, anxiety, hypomania, and sleep among a sample of Iranian adults. Methods. One hundred adults (mean age: 26 years; 53% males) took part in the study. They completed a series of questionnaires related to RL, symptoms of depression, anxiety, hypomania, and sleep. Results. An increased state of RL was associated with the bright side of hypomania, stronger symptoms of depression and state anxiety, and better sleep quality. There was no relation to sleep duration. Conclusions. Unlike psychobiological studies assessing highly selected samples of adults happily in love, the present pattern of results shows that in adults, RL is not entirely a joyful and happy period of life. Rather, data suggest that for young adults, falling in love might be a critical life event also associated with uncertainty and unpleasant feelings.
Thermal effects in laser-assisted pre-embryo zona drilling.

Diode lasers [lambda=1480 nm] are used with in vitro fertilization to dissect the zona pellucida (shell) of pre-embryos. A focused laser beam is applied in vitro to form a channel or trench in the zona pellucida. The procedure is used to facilitate biopsy or as a promoter of embryo hatching. We present examples and measurements of zona pellucida ablation using animal models. In using the laser it is vital not to damage pre-embryo cells, e.g., by overheating. In order to define safe regimes we have derived some thermal side effects of zona pellucida removal. The temperature profile in the beam and vicinity is predicted as function of laser pulse duration and power. In a crossed-beam experiment a HeNe laser probe is used to detect the temperature-induced change in the refractive index of an aqueous solution, and estimate local thermal gradient. We find that the diode laser beam produces superheated water approaching 200 degrees C on the beam axis. Thermal histories during and following the laser pulse are given for regions in the neighborhood of the beam. We conclude that an optimum regime exists with pulse duration < or =5 ms and laser power approximately 100 mW.
Isolation and characterization of pigmentation mutants of Micrococcus roseus.

A number of UV-induced pigmentation mutants of Micrococcus roseus were isolated. The carotenoid pigment composition of a yellow mutant and a pink mutant were determined and compared with the composition of the wild type. The yellow mutant appeared to have the ability to insert oxygen functions on only one end of β-carotene. The pink mutant formed less total carotenoids than the wild type; it formed diketo-carotenoids but no dihydroxy compounds. The results are discussed in relation to xanthophyll synthesis in M. roseus.
Production of human papillomavirus type 16 virions in a keratinocyte cell line

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) is strongly associated with carcinoma of the cervix, but the complete life cycle of the virus cannot be studied because no experimental system is available in which HPV-16 progeny are produced, and there is currently no source of HPV-16 virus particles. Most cell lines that harbor HPV-16 DNA contain the viral genome as integrated or concatenated DNA in which open reading frames are disrupted or deleted, but a human cervical keratinocyte cell line has been described which maintains HPV-16 DNA in monomeric episomal form (M.A. Stanley, H.M. Brown, M.W. Appleby, and A.C. Minson, Int. J. Cancer 43:672-676, 1989). This cell line was induced to form a stratified differentiating epithelium by grafting onto nude mice. Long-term grafts displayed the histological features of a low-grade cervical dysplasia, and terminally differentiated cells contained amplified levels of HPV-16 DNA, virus capsid antigen, and virus particles. This experimental system appears to permit the completion of the HPV-16 life cycle in virus-containing keratinocytes.
Carcinogenicity of DDT (dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane) in pure inbred Swiss mice

Inbred Swiss mice were treated with technical DDT (1) orally with the diet or by intubation; (2) subcutaneously and (3) by skin painting. The total duration of the experiment was 80 weeks. There was no difference in body growth and mortality between the experimental and control groups. Toxic manifestations of DDT were observed in treated mice in the form of tremor, convulsions and corneal opacity usually after 40 weeks. Oral and subcutaneous DDT treatment resulted in a significant increase in the incidence of tumours mainly of lymphoid tissues, lung and liver. The highest tumour incidence was recorded in the group of mice receiving DDT by subcutaneous injections. Males and females were equally susceptible. No evidence of carcinogenicity was observed in the painted group.
Out of step: fatal flaws in the latest AAP policy report on neonatal circumcision

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently released a policy statement and technical report on circumcision, in both of which the organisation suggests that the health benefits conferred by the surgical removal of the foreskin in infancy definitively outweigh the risks and complications associated with the procedure. While these new documents do not positively recommend neonatal circumcision, they do paradoxically conclude that its purported benefits ‘justify access to this procedure for families who choose it,’ claiming that whenever and for whatever reason it is performed, it should be covered by government health insurance. The policy statement and technical report suffer from several troubling deficiencies, ultimately undermining their credibility. These deficiencies include the exclusion of important topics and discussions, an incomplete and apparently partisan excursion through the medical literature, improper analysis of the available information, poorly documented and often inaccurate presentation of relevant findings, and conclusions that are not supported by the evidence given.
A boundary gradient search technique and its applications in design centering

A boundary gradient search technique is introduced. The technique generates a sequence of points on the boundary of the feasible region converging to a fixed point. The gradient of the boundary at this fixed point has a prespecified directional ratio. The boundary search technique is exploited in a modification of the ellipsoidal technique for design centering. This modification allows the use of double-sided ellipsoidal sections instead of single-sided ellipsoidal sections. It improves the speed of convergence of the ellipsoidal technique. Also, a computationally inexpensive technique of determining the gradient of the gain constraints is introduced. Practical examples are given to demonstrate the new technique.
Lepton correlations in gauge-boson pair production and decay.

We present amplitude and cross-section formulas for fermion-antifermion annihilation to on-shell WW, WZ, ZZ, W.gamma. , and Z.gamma. pairs in which the W and Z gauge bosons subsequently decay into fermion-antifermion pairs. The expressions include full spin-density-matrix correlations. This exact treatment yields fermion correlations that differ significantly from those obtained using W/Z-polarization-averaged cross sections followed by uncorrelated decay.
Transposition in Shigella dysenteriae: isolation and analysis of IS911, a new member of the IS3 group of insertion sequences

Twenty-nine clear-plaque mutants of bacteriophage lambda were isolated from a Shigella dysenteriae lysogen. Three were associated with insertions in the cI gene: two were due to insertion of IS600, and the third resulted from insertion of a new element, IS911. IS911 is 1,250 base pairs (bp) long, carries 27-bp imperfect terminal inverted repeats, and generates 3-bp duplications of the target DNA on insertion. It was found in various copy numbers in all four species of Shigella tested and in Escherichia coli K-12 but not in E. coli W. Analysis of IS911-mediated cointegrate molecules indicated that the majority were generated without duplication of IS911. They appeared to result from direct insertion via one end of the element and the neighboring region of DNA, which resembles a terminal inverted repeat of IS911. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that IS911 carries two consecutive open reading frames which code for potential proteins showing similarities to those of the IS3 group of elements.
Rhythmic arm swing enhances long latency facilitatory effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation on soleus motoneuron pool excitability

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether rhythmic arm swing modulates the long latency effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on soleus motoneuron pool excitability. Ten healthy humans rhythmically swung the left arm back and forth in a sitting position. The soleus H-reflex was evoked when the arm was in the backward swing phase. Conditioning TMS was delivered over the motor cortex 8 ms before the soleus H-reflex was evoked. The soleus H-reflex amplitude in both legs was depressed by the rhythmic arm swing. In contrast, rhythmic arm swing enhanced the facilitatory effect of conditioning TMS over the motor cortex contralateral to the arm swing side on the soleus H-reflex ipsilateral to the arm swing side. This finding indicates that rhythmic arm swing enhances some polysynaptic facilitatory pathways from the motor cortex contralateral to the arm swing side to the soleus motoneuron pool ipsilateral to the arm swing side.
Axial length: a risk factor for cataractogenesis.

INTRODUCTION To evaluate whether eyes with longer axial lengths are associated more often with clinically significant cataracts than eyes with shorter axial lengths. MATERIAL AND METHODS Charts of consecutive patients who underwent cataract surgery by 4 resident surgeons at Los Angeles County Hospital from July 2001 through May 2002 were retrospectively reviewed. Those patients whose axial lengths were significantly different between the 2 eyes (>or=0.30 mm) and who had no pathology (other than cataracts) affecting visual acuity were included in the study. The 2 eyes in each patient were compared for preoperative best-corrected visual acuity and severity of cataracts. RESULTS Thirty-four of 353 patients had interocular axial length differences of at least 0.3 mm and were included in this study. Thirty-one patients had worse, 1 had equal, and 2 had better preoperative vision in the eye with longer versus the shorter axial length. Fourteen patients had more severe, 11 had the same, and 1 had less severe posterior subcapsular cataract (PSC) in the eye with longer axial length. In 8 patients, PSC severity could not be assessed due to obscuring nuclear sclerosis. Twenty-four patients had more severe, 7 patients had equal, and 3 patients had less severe nuclear sclerosis in the longer eye. Overall, longer axial lengths correlated with worse visual acuity, posterior subcapsular cataracts, and nuclear sclerosis. Diabetic status did not affect the correlation. The correlations were stronger with greater axial length asymmetry. CONCLUSIONS Eyes with longer axial lengths have a higher prevalence of cataracts.
Decade Bandwidth Planar MMIC Balun

A planar MMIC balun covering 2 to 20 GHz has been demonstrated with better than plusmn1.2 dB amplitude and plusmn9 degrees phase accuracy. This 1.2times1. 5 mm2 circuit is a novel connection of a 2 to 7 GHz spiral coupled line balun, a 6 to 20 GHz coupled line balun, and lumped diplexer filter components with absorbed parasitic elements from the two baluns
Middleware awareness in mobile computing

The mobile computing domain presents major new challenges for middleware to overcome. In particular the mobile environment is characterised by frequent changes and often poor network QoS. Therefore, a number of middleware platforms and paradigms have been put forward to solve these issues. This in turn though has generated a problem i.e. middleware heterogeneity exists within this domain. As a consequence, mobile client applications developed upon one type of middleware are unable to interoperate and utilise services implemented on an alternative. In this paper, we examine the issue of middleware heterogeneity and propose a configurable and dynamically reconfigurable middleware platform, named ReMMoC (Reflective Middleware for Mobile Computing), which allows mobile client applications to be developed independently of the underlying middleware technology.