An investigation into enlarging and reducing the size of mirror reflections of the hand on experimentally-induced cold-pressor pain in healthy human participants

Background and aims: Mirror visual feedback may be a useful clinical tool for reducing pain. Research suggests that reducing the size of a non-painful reflected hand can alleviate complex regional pain syndrome in the affected hand that is out of view. In contrast, research on healthy humans exposed to experimentally induced pain suggests that reducing the appearance of the size of a reflected body part can increase pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of enlarging and reducing the visual appearance of the size of a hand using mirror visual feedback on pain threshold, intensity and tolerance in healthy human participants exposed to cold-pressor pain. Methods: Participants were a convenience sample of 20 unpaid, healthy pain free volunteers aged 18 years or above. Each participant took part in one experiment where they completed cold-pressor pain tests whilst observing normal, enlarged and reduced size reflections of a hand congruent to a hand immersed in the ice cold water. A 4 × 2 factorial repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed on time to pain threshold and pain tolerance, and pain intensity with Condition (four levels: no reflection, reduced reflection, normal reflection, enlarged reflection) being the within-subject factors and Sex (two levels: female, male) between-subject factors. Results: There were no significant effects for Condition, Sex, or Condition × Sex interaction for pain threshold, intensity or tolerance (p > 0.05). There were no significant differences between the 3 mirror reflection conditions for agreement with the statements: “It felt like I was looking directly at my hand rather than at a mirror image”; “It felt like the hand I was looking at was my hand”; and “Did it seem like the hand you saw was a right hand or a left hand?”. Conclusion: Enlarging or reducing the size of a hand using mirror visual feedback did not alter pain perception in healthy human participants exposed to cold-pressor pain. The different sizes of hands generated by mirror visual feedback created an illusion of looking at their own hand but this was not as strong as looking directly at the hand. Implications: In future, investigators and clinicians using mirror visual feedback may consider including an adaptive phase to ensure the reflection has been perceptually embodied. Reasons for the lack of effects are explored to inspire further research in the field

Experimental Investigation on Surface Roughness in Electrical Discharge Turning of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

This study presents a novel EDM turning process specially designed and developed to generate precise cylindrical forms on hard and difficult-to-machine materials. For this purpose, a specially designed turning spindle is used. The spindle was mounted on a conventional die-sinking EDM machine to rotate the workpiece. Axially symmetric parts can be manufactured by feeding the shaped tool into the rotating workpiece. In this way an axisymmetric workpiece can be made with small tools at both macro and micro levels. Effects of machining parameters, such as the current, pulse-on time, rotational speed, flushing pressure, and duty factor, on the surface roughness of Ti-6Al-4V alloy in electrical discharge turning were investigated. Taguchi\u27s design of experiment technique was used. Analysis of variance and regression analysis were performed on experimental data. The signal-to-noise ratio analysis was employed to find the optimal condition

An ABC transporter containing a forkhead-associated domain interacts with a serine-threonine protein kinase and is required for growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in mice

Forkhead-associated (FHA) domains are modular phosphopeptide recognition motifs with a striking preference for phosphothreonine-containing epitopes. FHA domains have been best characterized in eukaryotic signaling pathways but have been identified in six proteins in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative organism of tuberculosis. One of these, coded by gene Rv1747, is an ABC transporter and the only one to contain two such modules. A deletion mutant of Rv1747 is attenuated in a mouse intravenous injection model of tuberculosis where the bacterial load of the mutant is 10-fold lower than that of the wild type in both lungs and spleen. In addition, growth of the mutant in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages and dendritic cells is significantly impaired. In contrast, growth of this mutant in vitro was indistinguishable from that of the wild type. The mutant phenotype was lost when the mutation was complemented by the wild-type allele, confirming that it was due to mutation of Rv1747. Using yeast two-hybrid analysis, we have shown that the Rv1747 protein interacts with the serine-threonine protein kinase PknF. This interaction appears to be phospho-dependent since it is abrogated in a kinase-dead mutant and by mutations in the presumed activation loop of PknF and in the first FHA domain of Rv1747. These results demonstrate that the protein coded by Rv1747 is required for normal virulent infection by M. tuberculosis in mice and, since it interacts with a serine-threonine protein kinase in a kinase-dependent manner, indicate that it forms part of an important phospho-dependent signaling pathway

DEVELOPMENT OF TLC FINGERPRINTING PROFILE OF SHADANGA PANIYA – AN AYURVEDIC FORMULATION TO TREAT SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19

BACKGROUND: Shadanga Paniya is a compound Ayurvedic formulation that contains six ingredients. Ayurvedic Physicians have been using Shadanga Paniya to treat fever for ages. Symptoms of COVID-19 are also being treated by Shadanga Paniya. However, the Shadanga Paniya has not reported standardisation. AIMS: To prepare Shadanga Paniya as per the standard classical protocol. To carry out qualitative tests, standardisation and TLC profile development for Shadanga Paniya. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All the ingredients of Shadanga Paniya wiz. Nagarmotha, Pittapapada, Khasa, Lal Chandana, Sugandhbala and Sunthi were taken in equal amounts. All these ingredients are heated over mild heat with water. The filtration of liquid Shadanga Paniya is carried out after completing proper deduction. Shadanga Paniya was subjected to organoleptic tests. Qualitative tests, physicochemical parameters and thin layer chromatography studies were also carried out. The comparative TLC studies of Shadanga Paniya was carried out with its ingredients. RESULTS: Organoleptic tests of Shadanga Paniya showed that the colour of the liquid was reddish-brown, and the liquid was clear. It has a characteristic odour with an astringent taste. Qualitative analysis showed the presence of flavonoids, carbohydrates, saponin, phenols and glycosides. Test sample parameters revealed a total solids content (0.812 % w/v) and specific gravity (1.0083). The test sample has a Refractive index (1.334) and pH (4.2). The Thin Layer Chromatography study exhibited 3 bands at 254 nm and 366 nm. After spray, it showed 7 bands under 254 nm and 366 nm. The comparative TLC studies showed the similarities between Shadanga Paniya and its ingredients. CONCLUSION: The typical type of solvent system [Toluene: Ethyl acetate: Formic acid: Methanol (6:3:0.1:1)] is shows the proper separation in Shadanga Paniya. Therefore, the findings of the present study may be found helpful to standardise Shadanga Paniya

A study of evaluation of unhealthy cervix by various diagnostic modalities

Background: This study was carried out to evaluate cases of unhealthy cervix by using Pap (Papanicolaou) smear, colposcopy and cervical biopsy and to arrive at a definitive diagnosis. It correlated the findings of Pap smear, colposcopy and histopathology. It is important to strictly implement the screening program and spread awareness of the disease symptoms and its management to reduce the overall incidence of morbidity and mortality reported due to cervical cancer.Methods: A total 120 patients satisfying the inclusion/exclusion criteria were recruited for the study and informed consent was taken from all the participants. Pap smear was taken for all the cases. Then cases were subjected to colposcopy followed by biopsy. All the findings were correlated and analyzed. The findings of Pap smear and colposcopy were correlated with the gold standard of histopathology.Results: The sensitivity and specificity of Pap smear and colposcopy with respect to cervical biopsy were 53.1% and 98.7%, 87.87% and 72.72% respectively. Colposcopy had higher sensitivity and lower specificity than Pap smear for screening of cancer cervix.Conclusions: Cervical cancer is one of the preventable and highly curable conditions when diagnosed in the precancerous stage. The incidence of deaths resulting from cervical cancer can be brought down with adequate cervical cancer screening. Colposcopy and colposcopy directed biopsy should be done along with Pap smear in screening for early detection of cervical cancer since the accuracy of detection of cervical abnormalities is higher when these two methods are used complementarily

Mitochondrial membrane biogenesis: phospholipids and proteins go hand in hand

Mitochondrial membrane biogenesis requires the import and synthesis of proteins as well as phospholipids. How the mitochondrion regulates phospholipid levels and maintains a tight protein-to-phospholipid ratio is not well understood. Two recent papers (Kutik, S., M. Rissler, X.L. Guan, B. Guiard, G. Shui, N. Gebert, P.N. Heacock, P. Rehling, W. Dowhan, M.R. Wenk, et al. 2008. J. Cell Biol. 183:1213–1221; Osman, C., M. Haag, C. Potting, J. Rodenfels, P.V. Dip, F.T. Wieland, B. Brügger, B. Westermann, and T. Langer. 2009. J. Cell Biol. 184:583–596) identify novel regulators of mitochondrial phospholipid biosynthesis. The biochemical approach of Kutik et al. (2008) uncovered an unexpected role of the mitochondrial translocator assembly and maintenance protein, Tam41, in the biosynthesis of cardiolipin (CL), the signature phospholipid of mitochondria. The genetic analyses of Osman et al. (2009) led to the discovery of a new class of mitochondrial proteins that coordinately regulate CL and phosphatidylethanolamine, another key mitochondrial phospholipid. These elegant studies highlight overlapping functions and interdependent roles of mitochondrial phospholipid biosynthesis and protein import and assembly

Configure A VoIP Network

Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) is a protocol aimed towards the optimization of voice transmission over the internet and other networks based on packet switching. The birth of VoIP came as an alternative for the much expensive public switch telephone network (PSTN) for voice transmission. A VoIP-enabled speech server can include a speech application which can be configured to communicate With a VoIP telephony gateway server over a VoIP communications path. The VoIP-enabled speech server can also include a VoIP compliant call control interface to the VoIP telephony gate server, the VoIP-compliant call control interface establishing the VoIP communications path. In operation, the speech application can receive VoIP-compliant packets from the VoIP telephony gate Way server over the VoIP communications path. Subsequently, digitized audio data can be reconstructed from the VoIP-compliant packets, and the digitized audio data can be speech-to-text converted. Additionally, text can be synthesized into digitized audio data and the digitized audio data can be encapsulated in VoIP-compliant packets which can be transmitted over the VoIP communications path to the telephony gate Way server. DOI: 10.17762/ijritcc2321-8169.16047