Assessment of the Child-Pugh Score, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease Score, Fibrosis-4 Index, and AST to Platelet Ratio Index as Non-endoscopic Predictors of the Presence of Esophageal Varices and Variceal Bleeding in Chronic Liver Disease Patients.

Background Esophageal varices (EVs) develop as a complication of chronic liver disease and, when left unaddressed, can lead to variceal hemorrhage manifesting as severe hematemesis and occasionally, melena. Due to its frequent negative associations, early diagnosis and the implementation of non-selective beta blocker primary prophylaxis are imperative. Although upper gastrointestinal endoscopy has historically been used to image and identify EVs, patients frequently find this intrusive treatment to be uncomfortable and burdensome.

Feasibility of fetal cardiac function and anatomy assessment by real-time spiral bSSFP MRI at 0.55T.

Background: Contemporary 0.55T MRI is promising for fetal MRI, due to the larger bore, reduced safety concerns, lower acoustic noise, and improved fast imaging capability. In this work, we explore improved fetal cardiac MRI (CMR) without relying on any synchronizing devices, prospective, or retrospective gating.

Single breath-hold volumetric lung imaging at 0.55T using stack-of-spiral (SoS) out-in balanced SSFP.

Purpose: To develop a robust single breath-hold approach for volumetric lung imaging at 0.55T.

Method: A balanced-SSFP (bSSFP) pulse sequence with 3D stack-of-spiral (SoS) out-in trajectory for volumetric lung imaging at 0.

The Pivotal Role of One-Carbon Metabolism in Neoplastic Progression During the Aging Process.

One-carbon (1C) metabolism is a complex network of metabolic reactions closely related to producing 1C units (as methyl groups) and utilizing them for different anabolic processes, including nucleotide synthesis, methylation, protein synthesis, and reductive metabolism. These pathways support the high proliferative rate of cancer cells. While drugs that target 1C metabolism (like methotrexate) have been used for cancer treatment, they often have significant side effects.

Development and Validation of a Culturally Adapted, Event-related Potential Paradigm for Assessing Alcohol Cue Reactivity and Error Processing in Alcohol Dependence.

Background: Research on event-related potentials (ERP) in addiction highlights the importance of cognitive ERP markers, such as P300 and error-related negativity (ERN), in distinguishing between alcohol-dependent patients and healthy controls. We aimed to develop and validate ERP paradigms utilizing culturally validated stimuli to evoke P300 and ERN for the Indian population.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 16 alcohol-dependent patients and age-matched healthy controls were recruited.

Clinical laboratory shadowing- an elective program in undergraduate health professions training: perception, strengths and challenges.

Background: The authors aim to evaluate the perception, strengths, and challenges in the implementation of "Clinical Laboratory Shadowing" as an elective module for third-year professional medical students.

Methods: Clinical Laboratory shadowing is an elective module designed by the faculty of Biochemistry for Phase III part-2 medical students. The elective comprises modules explaining the functioning of the Biochemistry Laboratory in a hospital.

Paramagnetic salt and agarose recipes for phantoms with desired T1 and T2 values for low-field MRI.

Tissue-mimicking reference phantoms are indispensable for the development and optimization of magnetic resonance (MR) measurement sequences. Phantoms have greatest utility when they mimic the MR signals arising from tissue physiology; however, many of the properties underlying these signals, including tissue relaxation characteristics, can vary as a function of magnetic field strength. There has been renewed interest in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at field strengths less than 1 T, and phantoms developed for higher field strengths may not be physiologically relevant at these lower fields.

Simultaneous multi-slice cardiac real-time MRI at 0.55T.

Purpose: To determine the feasibility of simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) real-time MRI (RT-MRI) at 0.55T for the evaluation of cardiac function.

Methods: Cardiac CINE MRI is routinely used to evaluate left-ventricular (LV) function.

Role of Artificial intelligence model in prediction of low back pain using T2 weighted MRI of Lumbar spine.

Background: Low back pain (LBP), the primary cause of disability, is the most common musculoskeletal disorder globally and the primary cause of disability. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies are inconclusive and less sensitive for identifying and classifying patients with LBP. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the role of artificial intelligence (AI) models in the prediction of LBP using T2 weighted MRI image of the lumbar spine.

Observations of out-of-pocket travel costs in seeking free cardiac care in India: would point-of-care ultrasound help?

Background: In consideration of patient out-of-pocket costs in low- and middle-income countries, this observational cohort study sought to quantify the travel expenses associated with receiving free cardiac services in India and create a point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) referral model.

Methods: In a tertiary hospital that offers free services in Bangalore, India, we interviewed outpatients awaiting cardiac evaluation regarding their out-of-pocket expenses. A subgroup underwent POCUS for signs of left atrial enlargement, inferior vena cava plethora, and extravascular lung water, and subsequent chart review for significant findings on echocardiography or need for immediate care.

Multi-Center Fetal Brain Tissue Annotation (FeTA) Challenge 2022 Results.

Segmentation is a critical step in analyzing the developing human fetal brain. There have been vast improvements in automatic segmentation methods in the past several years, and the Fetal Brain Tissue Annotation (FeTA) Challenge 2021 helped to establish an excellent standard of fetal brain segmentation. However, FeTA 2021 was a single center study, limiting real-world clinical applicability and acceptance.

Improved liver fat and quantification at 0.55 T using locally low-rank denoising.

Purpose: To improve liver proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and quantification at 0.55 T by systematically validating the acquisition parameter choices and investigating the performance of locally low-rank denoising methods.

Methods: A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to design a protocol for PDFF and mapping at 0.

Multidimensional RF pulse design with consideration of concomitant field effects.

Purpose: To develop a small-tip multidimensional RF pulse design procedure that incorporates linear time-invariant gradient imperfections and concomitant field effects. This could be particularly important for contemporary low-field MRI systems with high-performance gradients.

Theory And Methods: We developed an extension of the small-tip excitation k-space formalism, where concomitant fields were approximated as a Bloch-Siegert shift in the rotating frame.

The circulating methylome in childhood-onset inflammatory bowel disease.

The genetic contribution to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) encompassing both Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), accounts for around 20% of disease variance, highlighting the need to characterise environmental and epigenetic influences. Recently considerable progress has been made in characterising the adult methylome, in epigenome-wide association studies. We report detailed analysis of the circulating methylome in 86 patients with childhood-onset CD,UC and 30 controls using the Illumina Infinium Human MethylationEPIC platform.

Deciphering the Potentials of Cardamom in Cancer Prevention and Therapy: From Kitchen to Clinic.

Cardamom (cardamum) is a spice produced from the seeds of several Elettaria and Amomum plants of the Zingiberaceae family. Cardamom has been demonstrated to offer numerous benefits, including its antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and other metabolic (anti-diabetic) properties, and its potential to reduce cancer risk. Recently, researchers have extracted and tested multiple phytochemicals from cardamom to assess their potential effectiveness against various types of human malignancy.

Base-promoted multicomponent synthesis of 1,2,4-triazole-based hybrids from 1,3-diones, β-nitrostyrenes, and hydrazones.

Herein, we report a metal-free, base-promoted route for the synthesis of hybrid molecular scaffolds in which various 1,3-diones and 1,2,4-triazoles are linked by a benzyl bridge. This three-component, one-pot reaction was accomplished by first treating 4-hydroxycoumarin, -β-nitrostyrene, and aldehyde hydrazone in the presence of sodium carbonate. Further, this protocol was successfully expanded to other 1,3-diones, such as dimedone and 4-hydroxy-2-quinolone.

Subclinical myocardial dysfunction among fetal growth restriction neonates: a case-control study.

Objectives: To evaluate cardiac structural and functional changes in neonates with fetal growth restriction (FGR) compared to appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) neonates using conventional echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and speckle tracking echocardiography.

Method: This case-control study included 85 FGR neonates and 75 non-FGR, weight adequate for gestational age neonates. Among these, 37 were symmetric FGR and 48 were asymmetric FGR.

Bouveret Syndrome: Etiology, Clinical Presentation, Differential Diagnosis, Complications, and Treatment Options.

Bouveret syndrome is one of the complications of gallstone disease possibly fatal, which proposes the presence of a large stone obliterating the lumen of the duodenum or stomach because of the formation of a bilioenteric fistula. This review article, therefore, plans to review the causes, patient characteristics, diagnostic workup, associated conditions, and treatment of Bouveret syndrome. A literature search was also performed through scientific databases such as Scopus, Google Scholar, and PubMed concerning articles related to Bouveret syndrome written by different authors.

Copper-catalyzed aerobic annulation of hydrazones with dienones: an efficient route to pyrazole-linked hybrid molecules.

A copper-catalyzed aerobic [3 + 2] annulation reaction to access various pyrazole-bound chalcones starting from readily available and cost-effective hydrazones and dienones is reported. These pyrazole-bound chalcones were further utilized effectively to prepare a series of pyrazole-linked hybrid molecules, such as pyrazole-pyrazoline, pyrazole-aziridine, and pyrazole-pyridine hybrids by efficient simple transformations. Synthetically challenging hybrid molecules were obtained in a simple, two-step process with high atom economy under aerobic copper catalysis.

Comparing online and onsite simulation modules for improving knowledge and confidence in disaster preparedness among undergraduate medical students.

Background: Disaster preparedness is one of the critical strategies for effectively managing disasters and has been an area of high focus in the healthcare sector over the past few decades. The current Indian medical undergraduate curriculum does not describe any novel methods for disaster preparedness training. There is a need for a better understanding of novel teaching-learning methods and modes for administering disaster preparedness training among Indian medical students.