Publications by authors named "SM Sharma"

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) pose a significant global health threat, particularly among immunocompromised individuals. These infections can lead to severe illness and death, placing a significant financial burden on healthcare systems. Fungi were not previously considered a substantial risk to human health, but this perception changed with the rise of the HIV epidemic.

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  • Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) is a noninvasive, highly accurate method for assessing key heart metrics like volume and ejection fraction, essential for diagnosing heart failure.
  • CMRI's advanced imaging techniques, including late gadolinium enhancement, allow for detailed characterization of myocardial tissue, improving diagnostic and prognostic outcomes.
  • This study investigates the effectiveness of CMRI in diagnosing heart failure and arrhythmias, addressing gaps in current knowledge and enhancing clinical practices.
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  • The study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial effectiveness of nitrofurantoin, chitosan, and calcium hydroxide combined with propylene glycol against dental pathogens.
  • Fifty-two extracted teeth were treated with various intracanal medicaments and tested on bacteria collected from infected root canals, observing their efficacy over a 7-day period.
  • Results showed that chitosan in combination with propylene glycol significantly reduced bacterial viability, suggesting it may be a strong candidate for endodontic treatments.
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Background: Retinal monitoring is recommended for hydroxychloroquine users to detect pre-symptomatic retinopathy and preserve visual function. However, the incidence of hydroxychloroquine retinopathy and monitoring coverage in the U.K.

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Neurodegenerative diseases represent a pressing global health challenge, and the identification of novel mechanisms underlying their pathogenesis is of utmost importance. Ferroptosis, a non-apoptotic form of regulated cell death characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, has emerged as a pivotal player in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. This review delves into the discovery of ferroptosis, the critical players involved, and their intricate role in the underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration, with an emphasis on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

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Objectives: To validate and update the 2013 James Lind Alliance (JLA) Sight Loss and Vision Priority Setting Partnership (PSP)'s research priorities for Ophthalmology, as part of the UK Clinical Eye Research Strategy.

Methods: Twelve ophthalmology research themes were identified from the JLA report. They were allocated to five Clinical Study Groups of diverse stakeholders who reviewed the top 10 research priorities for each theme.

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In this study, we explored racial microaggressions (RMAs) and adoption microaggressions (AMAs) experienced and committed by white adoptive parents of transracial adoptees. Two research questions guided this inquiry: (a) What types of RMAs and AMAs do white adoptive parents of children adopted from China experience and commit? and (b) how is white adoptive parental awareness of race and adoption related to their committing of microaggressions? Based on qualitative coding of interviews conducted with 39 white adoptive parents of Chinese adoptees, the most frequently coded AMA was for experienced AMAs and for committed AMAs. was the most experienced RMA, and was the most committed RMA.

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  • Adalimumab is being tested as a treatment for autoimmune non-infectious uveitis (ANIU) in a trial called ASTUTE, which aims to evaluate its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness for a broader range of patients than currently approved in the UK.
  • The trial is a multicenter, placebo-controlled study, where 174 participants who respond to a 16-week run-in phase will be randomized to receive either adalimumab or placebo, focusing on treatment failure and various outcomes like visual function and quality of life.
  • Ethical approval was obtained in June 2020, and the results of the trial will be shared at international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals to ensure widespread dissemination among professionals and patients.
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Background: On July 1st, 2021, the University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) implemented new sedation protocols in the luminal gastrointestinal (GI) suite. GI proceduralist supervised, Nurse Administered Sedation with fentanyl, midazolam, and diphenhydramine (NAS) sedation was transitioned to Monitored Anesthesia Care with propofol under physician anesthesiologist supervision (MAC).

Objective: To determine if there are statistically significant reductions in Sedation-Start to Scope-In time (SSSI) when using Monitored Anesthesia Care with propofol (MAC) versus Nurse Administered Sedation with fentanyl, midazolam, and diphenhydramine (NAS).

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  • Nrf2 is a key transcription factor that regulates the cellular response to stress and promotes the expression of genes that protect cells by detoxifying drugs, modulating the immune system, and managing iron metabolism.
  • Current Nrf2 activators, used in treating diseases like multiple sclerosis and Friedreich's ataxia, have side effects due to their non-specific actions, and Nrf2 is negatively regulated by Bach1, a protein that can interfere with Nrf2's activation, especially in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's.
  • To maximize the therapeutic effects of Nrf2 activation, combining strategies to stabilize Nrf2 and inhibit Bach1 is essential, and recent research is focusing on developing small molecule inhibitors of Bach1 to
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Introduction Osteoarthritis (OA) in humans is an inevitable consequence of ageing and can now be effectively managed with advancements in knowledge and understanding of the disease. The major concern in a patient suffering from this disease is the functional impairment caused by the pain. The goals in the management of OA knee include symptom relief with preservation of joint function.

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Purpose: To demonstrate different topographic distributions of multiple-evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS) and secondary MEWDS disease and to describe possible associations.

Methods: Clinical evaluation and multimodal retinal imaging in 27 subjects with MEWDS (29 discrete episodes of MEWDS). Ophthalmic assessment included best-corrected visual acuity testing and multimodal retinal imaging with OCT, blue-light autofluorescence, fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography, fundus photography, and widefield pseudocolor and autofluorescence fundus imaging.

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Melting of solids is a fundamental natural phenomenon whose pressure dependence has been of interest for nearly a century. However, the temporal evolution of the molten phase under pressure has eluded measurements because of experimental challenges. By using the shock front as a fiducial, we investigated the time-dependent growth of the molten phase in shock-compressed germanium.

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  • The study investigates the effectiveness of intereye differences (IED) in optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters to diagnose optic neuritis (ON) in patients with aquaporin-4 antibody seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (AQP4+NMOSD).
  • It compares OCT data from AQP4+NMOSD patients who had unilateral ON more than six months prior with healthy controls and other AQP4+NMOSD patients without ON, measuring both absolute and percentage differences in retinal thickness.
  • The findings show high accuracy for using IED metrics in diagnosing ON in AQP4+NMOSD, indicating that these OCT parameters could improve diagnostic criteria for this condition.
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Background: The risk of developing hydroxychloroquine retinopathy is considered sufficient to justify national monitoring programmes. There are an estimated 71,144-77,170 long-term hydroxychloroquine users in the UK. However, the number of patients diagnosed with retinopathy is unknown.

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Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative movement disorder characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Although a complex interplay of multiple environmental and genetic factors has been implicated, the etiology of neuronal death in PD remains unresolved. Various mechanisms of neuronal degeneration in PD have been proposed, including oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation, α-synuclein proteostasis, disruption of calcium homeostasis, and other cell death pathways.

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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with an incredibly dense stroma, which contributes to its recalcitrance to therapy. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of the most abundant cell types within the PDAC stroma and have context-dependent regulation of tumor progression in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Therefore, understanding tumor-promoting pathways in CAFs is essential for developing better stromal targeting therapies.

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The prevalence of substance use among transracial and international adoptees is higher than that of non-adopted persons, and yet no specialized treatment modalities exist for this underserved population. Our purpose is to propose a substance use disorder (SUD) prevention program for transracial adoptive families that addresses the specific issues that face this community. There are several pre- and post-adoption factors which position transracial and international adoptees (TRIAs) to be at higher risk to develop SUDs.

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'Post-COVID-19 syndrome' refers to symptoms in the convalescent phase following initial COVID-19 infection. This term encompasses a wide array of presentation involving lungs, heart and the neuromuscular system. Pulmonary manifestations include post-COVID-19 fibrosis, which is akin to post acute respiratory distress syndrome fibrosis and may reflect the permanent damage to the lungs following an initial bout of infection.

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  • Patients with AQP4-IgG+ neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) often experience optic neuritis, leading to retinal nerve damage, but the link between this damage and primary astrocytopathy is unclear.
  • This study compared retinal layer changes among 197 AQP4-IgG+ patients, 32 MOG-IgG+ patients, and 75 healthy controls using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and found no significant thinning in the outer retinal layers of AQP4-IgG+ patients.
  • The research indicates that outer retinal damage may not be a consistent outcome of retinal astrocytic injury in AQP4-IgG+ NMOSD, suggesting the need
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Introduction: This case-control study seeks to systematically characterize the central retinal findings in a large cohort of patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) as well as the examination of the potential use of this technique as a diagnostic tool in NF2.

Methods: Fifty-four patients with an NF2 diagnosis seen in a quaternary national service were age- and gender-matched to 55 controls from the normal population. Two masked assessors categorized SD-OCT images using predefined abnormalities: retinal tufts, epiretinal membrane (ERM) appearance, retinal hamartoma, and foveal contour.

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This case report depicts how a case of the subretinal neovascular membrane was managed with intravitreal ranibizumab injections. A 59-year-old female patient presented with complaints of diminution of vision in her right eye for one month. Various necessary examinations were carried out and the patient was diagnosed with both forms of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) disorder - wet ARMD in the right eye and dry ARMD in the left eye.

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2 has varied manifestation with multisystem involvement. Acute coronary syndrome in COVID-19 as a result of stent thrombosis is an uncommon entity and is often due to hypercoagulable state. A 40-year-old male was referred to us with acute onset chest pain.

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  • The Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway is important for protecting cells and promoting survival, making it a good target for drug development.
  • Small-molecule activators that target Keap1 to activate Nrf2 may also unintentionally affect other proteins due to their non-specific nature, leading to potential side effects.
  • An alternative strategy to avoid these off-target effects could involve inhibiting Bach1, a repressor of Nrf2, allowing for continuous activation of the Nrf2 pathway without directly targeting Keap1.
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