1,258 research outputs found
Universal Oneness as the Ulterior Motive of the Incarnation of Radha and Krishna
No full textMy Affair with Radha, the debut work of Kunal Desai is the dedication to his readers who firmly believe in the divine couple Radha and Krishna. The intention of the author was to spread the awareness of the significance of divine love to the world through the example of Radha and Krishna who remain to be the epitome of transcendental oneness. The human life that has been influenced in multiple ways throughout the life time, fails to overcome the temptations and eventually ends up in misery. A solution to all the misery in the world is to experience the feeling of oneness from within, which uplifts the individual from selfishness to selflessness and eventually the individual feels empathy towards all things. A world with such human beings with the feeling of oneness, will obviously be in harmony and without any miseries.
 
DNA Triplexes in chemistry biology and medicine
No full textThe formation of DNA triple helices offers the possibility of selectively targeting specific genes to control their expression in vivo. This anti-gene strategy provides powerful tools for the development of therapeutics (anti-cancer drugs, drugs for viral infections) at the transcriptional level. DNA triplexes are formed when an oligonucleotide binds to the major groove of double helical DNA; the third strand can bind in either a parallel motif, or an anti-parallel motif. The requirement of low pH for the protonation of cytosine in the parallel binding motif makes the formation of triple helices difficult under physiological conditions. Described in this thesis is a novel method for the synthesis of the deoxycytidine analogue, 2-amino-3-methyl-5-(2’-deoxy-?-D-ribofuranosyl)pyridine (MeP). The phosphoramidite monomer of MeP was synthesised and incorporated as a “protonated” cytidine analogue into triplex forming oligonucleotides (TFOs). It was compared with other cytosine analogues, 5-methyl-(2’-deoxy-?-D-ribofuranosyl)cytosine (MeC), 2’-Omethyl MeP (MePOMe), and 2’-O-aminoethyl MeC (MeCAE). Triplex stability studies indicate that over the pH range 6.2-8.0, the general trend observed in terms of melting temperature (Tm) was as follows: MeP > MeC > MePOMe > MeCAE. DNase I footprinting studies indicate that at pH 7.5, MeP, when incorporated into the TFO, enhances the stability of the triplex by three-fold relative to MeC. In addition, UV melting, DNase I footprinting, and gel electrophoresis studies were carried out on a triplex formed by the binding of a TFO containing MeP and a 5’-Psoralen to a target duplex. This revealed the benefits of the combined modifications on the stability of the resultant triplex. “Soaking” experiments (in vivo) were also performed with this TFO on the organism C. elegans (the worms were soaked in solutions of the TFO for TFO delivery), to observe whether the TFO would induce loss-of-function phenotypes. Tm measurements indicated that in the pH range 6.6-8.0, photo-crosslinking of the TFO to the duplex created a shift in the triplex Tm of ~ + 26 °C when compared to the un-crosslinked triple
Too Many Cooks? Tracking Internal Labor Market Dynamics in Food Service with Case Studies and Quantitative Data
No full textWe wish to acknowledge Radha Biswas’s participation and invaluable research assistance throughout this project. We also thank the Russell Sage and Rockefeller Foundations for financial support. I
BARON: Base-Station Authentication Through Core Network for Mobility Management in 5G Networks
No full textFifth-generation (5G) cellular communication networks are being deployed on applications beyond mobile devices, including vehicular networks and industry automation. Despite their increasing popularity, 5G networks, as defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), have been shown to be vulnerable against fake base station (FBS) attacks. An adversary carrying out an FBS attack emulates a legitimate base station by setting up a rogue base station. This enables the adversary to control the connection of any user equipment that (inadvertently) connects with the rogue base station. Such an adversary can gather sensitive information belonging to the user. While there is a large body of work focused on the development of tools to detect FBSs, the user equipment will continue to remain vulnerable to an FBS attack. In this paper, we propose BARON, a defense methodology to enable user equipment to determine whether a target base station that it is connecting to is legitimate or rogue. BARON accomplishes this by ensuring that the user receives an authentication token from the target base station which can be computed only by a legitimate and trusted entity. As a consequence, receiving such an authentication token from a base station ensures legitimacy of the base station. We evaluate BARON through extensive experiments on the handover process between base stations in 5G networks. Our experimental results show that BARON introduces an overhead of less than 1% during handover completion, which is 10000× lower than the overhead reported by a state-of-the-art method. BARON is also effective in thwarting an FBS attack and quickly recovering connection to a legitimate base station. Cyber Securit
Quasi-isolated blocks and Brauer's height zero conjecture
No full textReceived: 19 December 2011 Revised: 16 October 2012 Accepted: 16 November 2012Peer reviewe
Dirasah Muqaranah ‘an Hukm al-Zawaj Bayna Rudha’a Alban Bunuk al-Laban Fi Manzhur Fuqaha al-Aqdamin wa al-Mu’ashirin
No full textThe issue of Breast Milk Bank is a contemporary fiqh issue, and its ruling is not found in classical fiqh. However, classical Moslem scholars have studied the issue of radha in an unusual way known as al-major (breast milk put into the baby's mouth), al-south (breast milk put through the nose), and or putting breast milk into the baby's mouth using bottles and cups. Therefore, the fuqaha differed on the prohibition of marriage because of radha' unusually or indirectly such as radha' from a breast milk bank. After conducting a comparative analysis, the author concludes that the majority of classical scholars from the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hambali madhhabs, and most contemporary fiqh scholars, think that indirect radha', such as radha' from a breast milk bank, makes marriage prohibited. They reason that indirect radha' has the same effect as direct radha' regarding the growth of the baby's flesh and bones. Meanwhile, the Zhahiri school of classical jurisprudence and some contemporary jurisprudence scholars such as Yusuf al-Qardhawi think that indirect radha' such as radha' from a breast milk bank is not called radha'. According to them, radha' is only if the baby suckles directly on the mother's nipple. Hence, they think that radha' from a breast milk bank does not lead to the prohibition of marriage
Large-Area Ohmic Top Contact to Vertically Grown Nanowires Using a Free-Standing Au Microplate Electrode
No full textA method of electrically contacting vertically grown nanowires of uneven heights, a common scenario among as-grown nanowires, is reported here using a chemically synthesized single-crystalline Au microplate as top electrode. The contact is electrically activated and the contact formation is predominantly due to electromigration. With this approach, the electrode could ohmically contact several thousand nanowires at once
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) for detection of macular oedema in patients with diabetic retinopathy
No full textBackgroundDiabetic macular oedema (DMO) is a thickening of the central retina, or the macula, and is associated with long-term visual loss in people with diabetic retinopathy (DR). Clinically significant macular oedema (CSMO) is the most severe form of DMO. Almost 30 years ago, the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) found that CSMO, diagnosed by means of stereoscopic fundus photography, leads to moderate visual loss in one of four people within three years. It also showed that grid or focal laser photocoagulation to the macula halves this risk. Recently, intravitreal injection of antiangiogenic drugs has also been used to try to improve vision in people with macular oedema due to DR.Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is based on optical reflectivity and is able to image retinal thickness and structure producing cross-sectional and three-dimensional images of the central retina. It is widely used because it provides objective and quantitative assessment of macular oedema, unlike the subjectivity of fundus biomicroscopic assessment which is routinely used by ophthalmologists instead of photography. Optical coherence tomography is also used for quantitative follow-up of the effects of treatment of CSMO.ObjectivesTo determine the diagnostic accuracy of OCT for detecting DMO and CSMO, defined according to ETDRS in 1985, in patients referred to ophthalmologists after DR is detected. In the update of this review we also aimed to assess whether OCT might be considered the new reference standard for detecting DMO.Search methodsWe searched the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), the Health Technology Assessment Database (HTA) and the NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHSEED) (The Cochrane Library 2013, Issue 5), Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE Daily, Ovid OLDMEDLINE (January 1946 to June 2013), EMBASE (January 1950 to June 2013), Web of Science Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Science (CPCI-S) (January 1990 to June 2013), BIOSIS Previews (January 1969 to June 2013), MEDION and the Aggressive Research Intelligence Facility database (ARIF). We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. We last searched the electronic databases on 25 June 2013. We checked bibliographies of relevant studies for additional references.Selection CriteriaWe selected studies that assessed the diagnostic accuracy of any OCT model for detecting DMO or CSMO in patients with DR who were referred to eye clinics. Diabetic macular oedema and CSMO were diagnosed by means of fundus biomicroscopy by ophthalmologists or stereophotography by ophthalmologists or other trained personnel.Data collection and analysisThree authors independently extracted data on study characteristics and measures of accuracy. We assessed data using random-effects hierarchical sROC meta-analysis models.Main resultsWe included 10 studies (830 participants, 1387 eyes), published between 1998 and 2012. Prevalence of CSMO was 19% to 65% (median 50%) in nine studies with CSMO as the target condition. Study quality was often unclear or at high risk of bias for QUADAS 2 items, specifically regarding study population selection and the exclusion of participants with poor quality images. Applicablity was unclear in all studies since professionals referring patients and results of prior testing were not reported. There was a specific 'unit of analysis' issue because both eyes of the majority of participants were included in the analyses as if they were independent.In nine studies providing data on CSMO (759 participants, 1303 eyes), pooled sensitivity was 0.78 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72 to 0.83) and specificity was 0.86 (95% CI 0.76 to 0.93). The median central retinal thickness cut-off we selected for data extraction was 250 µm (range 230 µm to 300 µm). Central CSMO was the target condition in all but two studies and thus our results cannot be applied to non-central CSMO.Data from three studies reporting accuracy for detection of DMO (180 participants, 343 eyes) were not pooled. Sensitivities and specificities were about 0.80 in two studies and were both 1.00 in the third study.Since this review was conceived, the role of OCT has changed and has become a key ingredient of decision-making at all levels of ophthalmic care in this field. Moreover, disagreements between OCT and fundus examination are informative, especially false positives which are referred to as subclinical DMO and are at higher risk of developing clinical CSMO.Authors' conclusionsUsing retinal thickness thresholds lower than 300 µm and ophthalmologist's fundus assessment as reference standard, central retinal thickness measured with OCT was not sufficiently accurate to diagnose the central type of CSMO in patients with DR referred to retina clinics. However, at least OCT false positives are generally cases of subclinical DMO that cannot be detected clinically but still suffer from increased risk of disease progression. Therefore, the increasing availability of OCT devices, together with their precision and the ability to inform on retinal layer structure, now make OCT widely recognised as the new reference standard for assessment of DMO, even in some screening settings. Thus, this review will not be updated further.</p
Building Peace: The Impact of Aid on the Labor Market for Insurgents
No full textEmployment growth could reduce violence during civil conflicts. To determine if increased employment affects violence we analyzed varying employment in development programs run by different US military divisions in Iraqi districts. Employment levels vary with funding periods and the military division in charge. Controlling for variability between districts, we find that a 10% increase in labor-related spending generates a 15-20% decline in labor-intensive insurgent violence. Overall the 10% spending increase is associated with a nearly 10% violence reduction, due to reduction in attacks which kill civilians, but increased attacks against the military. These findings indicate that labor-intensive development programs can reduce violence during insurgencies.
Ear splinting for ear anomalies in infants. Is it worth doing and have we missed the boat? A prospective, cohort study
No full textINTRODUCTION: Ear deformities can cause distress to children as they age, especially with ear deformity surgery not routinely available through the NHS. Ear splinting is a non-surgical method that can obviate the need for surgery; however, it is believed that it can only be provided in the first few weeks of life. There is also little evidence in the literature regarding caregiver-reported outcomes of appearance and adherence. METHOD: Over a 5-year period (2018-2023), pre- and post-splinting questionnaires were provided to caregivers of infants who underwent ear splinting for treatment of congenital ear deformities. Caregiver-reported outcomes assessed the appearance of different anatomical areas of the ear, ease of use, complications and referral pathways. RESULTS: In total, 123 participants were recruited. Following ear splinting, there was a significant improvement in the ratings of appearance (p<0.001), shape (p<0.001) and projection (p<0.001) of the ear. Caregiver ratings of anatomical regions of the pinna also showed significant improvements for the helical rim (p<0.001) and scaphoid fossa (p<0.001). A small number of caregivers encountered difficulty using the splints (5%), which included application of the splints and keeping them clean and dry. Excellent results were reported regardless of age, with the oldest child being one year old, but the duration of splinting positively correlated with age (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ear splinting showed high satisfaction rates in outcomes and adherence, with a low complication rate. It is still preferable to start ear splinting early, but good results were still being found up to one year of age in this study.RDUH staff can access the full-text of this article by clicking on the 'Additional Link' above and logging in with NHS OpenAthens if prompted
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