Effectiveness of Mobile Health Applications for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction in Urban and Rural India: A Pilot, Randomized Controlled Study.

Introduction: mHealth technology has the potential to deliver personalized health care; however, data on cardiometabolic risk factors are limited. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of mobile health applications (apps) on cardiometabolic risk factor reduction in adults aged 25 to 60 years in urban and rural India.

Methods: The study design was a pilot randomized controlled trial conducted in Tamil Nadu, India.

A prospective longitudinal investigation of the trajectory of obsessive-compulsive symptoms during adolescence.

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) increase with age during childhood and adolescence, and subthreshold OCS in childhood associate with a higher probability of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) diagnosis in adulthood. Additionally, average age of onset for OCD is in adolescence, with the majority of OCD cases emerging by early adulthood. Despite these trends, the specific course of OCS development in adolescence is relatively unknown.

Multi-omic analysis of bat versus human fibroblasts reveals altered central metabolism.

Bats have unique characteristics compared to other mammals, including increased longevity and higher resistance to cancer and infectious disease. While previous studies have analyzed the metabolic requirements for flight, it is still unclear how bat metabolism supports these unique features, and no study has integrated metabolomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics to characterize bat metabolism. In this work, we performed a multi-omics data analysis using a computational model of metabolic fluxes to identify fundamental differences in central metabolism between primary lung fibroblast cell lines from the black flying fox fruit bat () and human.

A high-density microfluidic bioreactor for the automated manufacturing of CAR T cells.

The manufacturing of autologous chimaeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells largely relies either on fed-batch and manual processes that often lack environmental monitoring and control or on bioreactors that cannot be easily scaled out to meet patient demands. Here we show that human primary T cells can be activated, transduced and expanded to high densities in a 2 ml automated closed-system microfluidic bioreactor to produce viable anti-CD19 CAR T cells (specifically, more than 60 million CAR T cells from donor cells derived from patients with lymphoma and more than 200 million CAR T cells from healthy donors). The in vitro secretion of cytokines, the short-term cytotoxic activity and the long-term persistence and proliferation of the cell products, as well as their in vivo anti-leukaemic activity, were comparable to those of T cells produced in a gas-permeable well.

Computational modeling of light processing in the habenula and dorsal raphe based on laser ablation of functionally-defined cells.

Background: The habenula is a major regulator of serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe, and thus of brain state. The functional connectivity between these regions is incompletely characterized. Here, we use the ability of changes in irradiance to trigger reproducible changes in activity in the habenula and dorsal raphe of zebrafish larvae, combined with two-photon laser ablation of specific neurons, to establish causal relationships.

Predictive Performance of 1 H-NMR Metabolomics-Derived Biomarkers of Bacterial Vaginosis.

1 H-NMR metabolomics-derived biomarkers maltose, acetate, formate, and lactate have excellent potential as predictive biomarkers for bacterial vaginosis with an area under curve of 0.97 (95% confidence interval, 0.88-1.

An analysis of a new rapid difficult airway response team in a vertically built children's hospital.

Background: Intrahospital transport is associated with adverse events. This challenge is amplified during airway management. Although difficult airway response teams have been described, little attention has been paid to patient transport during difficult airway management versus the alternative of managing patient airways without moving the patient.

The impact of yoga on stress, metabolic parameters, and cognition of Indian adolescents: Cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: This project aimed to assess the impact of yoga on stress, metabolic parameters and cognition (attention & concentration) in adolescents, aged 13-15 years from public and private schools in two cities (Chennai and New Delhi) in India.

Methods: The study recruited 2000 adolescents from 24 schools in a cluster randomized controlled trial design. The yoga group participants underwent 17 yoga sessions, which included: pranayama, basic asanas, meditation and relaxation exercises.

Reliability and Validity of the Adolescence Stress Scale (ADOSS) for Indian Adolescents.

Background: Stress levels increase tremendously in adolescence. Indian adolescents derive much of their stress from school and family pressures. Developing a standardized tool to assess adolescent stress can help early diagnosis.

Small molecule bio-signature in childhood intra-thoracic tuberculosis identified by metabolomics.

The diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis (TB) remains a major challenge, hence the evaluation of new tools for improved diagnostics is urgently required. We investigated the serum metabolic profile of children with culture-confirmed intra-thoracic TB (ITTB) (n = 23) and compared it with those of non-TB controls (NTCs) (n = 13) using proton NMR spectroscopy-based targeted and untargeted metabolomics approaches. In targeted metabolic profiling, five metabolites (histidine, glycerophosphocholine, creatine/phosphocreatine, acetate, and choline) differentiated TB children from NTCs.

Gobind: an inspiring enigma.

Gobind Khorana's distinguished career spanned nearly six decades (1952-2011). His work resulted in remarkable achievements starting with the complicated synthesis of coenzyme A. He then pioneered the synthesis of DNA oligonucleotides, which enabled him to crack the genetic code.

Neurochemical correlates of cognitive functions in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder: H-MRS study.

Objectives: We assessed and correlated neurochemical levels and cognitive functions in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and left hippocampus in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder and compared these with healthy controls METHODOLOGY: Twenty-five right-handed euthymic patients (HAM-D score < 7, and YMRS score < 7) with bipolar disorder and 20 age and gender matched controls were compared for neurometabolites (n-acetylaspartate - tNAA, choline - Cho, creatinine - Cr, myoinositol - Ins, and glutamine/glutamate - Glu/Gln) measured in left DLPFC and left hippocampus using single voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and cognitive functions assessed using trail making test (TMT - A and B), wisconsin card sorting test (WCST), and wechsler memory scale (WMS-III Indian adaptation).

Results: The two groups were comparable on socio-demographic variables. tNAA levels in DLPFC and hippocampus, and glutamate levels in hippocampus were found to be significantly lower and Inositol and glutamine levels in hippocampus were found to be significantly higher in patients as compared to controls.

Emerging MR methods for improved diagnosis of prostate cancer by multiparametric MRI.

Current challenges of using serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level-based screening, such as the increased false positive rate, inability to detect clinically significant prostate cancer (PCa) with random biopsy, multifocality in PCa, and the molecular heterogeneity of PCa, can be addressed by integrating advanced multiparametric MR imaging (mpMRI) approaches into the diagnostic workup of PCa. The standard method for diagnosing PCa is a transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided systematic prostate biopsy, but it suffers from sampling errors and frequently fails to detect clinically significant PCa. mpMRI not only increases the detection of clinically significant PCa, but it also helps to reduce unnecessary biopsies because of its high negative predictive value.

Auditory perception of ambiguous and non-ambiguous sound in early and late blind children: A functional connectivity study.

Introduction: Auditory perception and associated cognition involve visual and auditory cortical areas for inference of meaningful soundscape.

Objective: To investigate auditory perception of ambiguous and non-ambiguous stimulation in auditory and visual cortical networks for categorical discrimination.

Methodology: Functional mapping was carried out in twenty early (EB), twenty late blind (LB) and fifteen healthy children, during auditory ambiguous and non-ambiguous stimulation task in a 3 T MR scanner to estimate hemodynamic signal alteration and its effect on functional connectivity.

Patient and operative factors associated with unanticipated intensive care admission and outcomes following posterior fossa decompressions in children: A retrospective study.

Introduction: Posterior fossa decompression for Chiari I Malformation is a common pediatric neurosurgical procedure. We sought to identify the impact of anesthesia-related intraoperative complications on unanticipated admission to the intensive care unit and outcomes following posterior fossa decompression.

Methods: Medical records of all patients <18 years who underwent surgery for Chiari I malformation between 1/1/09 and 1/31/21 at the Ann & Robert H.

NMR based metabolic profiling of patients with potential celiac disease elucidating early biochemical changes of gluten-sensitivity: A pilot study.

Background: The patients with positive celiac disease (CeD) specific serology, but no evidence of intestinal inflammation are defined as potential celiac disease (PCeD) patients. About one-third of PCeD patients develop intestinal inflammation over time. The present study investigated the metabolome of small intestinal biopsies, blood plasma, and urine of patients with PCeD to understand the biochemical changes underlying the CeD.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and MR Spectroscopic Methods in Understanding Breast Cancer Biology and Metabolism.

A common malignancy that affects women is breast cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women. Metabolic reprogramming occurs during cancer growth, invasion, and metastases.

Potential of nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics in the study of prostate cancer.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics is a powerful analytical technique and a tool which has unique characteristics and capabilities for the evaluation of a number of biochemicals/metabolites of cancer and other disease processes that are present in biofluids (urine and blood) and tissues. The potential of NMR metabolomics in prostate cancer (PCa) has been explored by researchers and its usefulness has been documented. A large number of metabolites such as citrate, choline, and sarcosine were detected by NMR metabolomics from biofluids and tissues related to PCa and their levels were compared with controls and benign prostatic hyperplasia.