Microbiota transplant for hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhosis: The THEMATIC trial.

Background: Preventing hepatic encephalopathy (HE) recurrence in cirrhosis, which is associated with an altered gut-liver-brain axis, is an unmet need. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is beneficial in phase-1 studies, but route and dose-related questions remain.

Methods: We performed a phase-2 randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, clinical trial of capsule and enema FMT in cirrhosis and HE on lactulose and rifaximin.

A python approach for prediction of physicochemical properties of anti-arrhythmia drugs using topological descriptors.

In recent years, machine learning has gained substantial attention for its ability to predict complex chemical and biological properties, including those of pharmaceutical compounds. This study proposes a machine learning-based quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) model for predicting the physicochemical properties of anti-arrhythmia drugs using topological descriptors. Anti-arrhythmic drug development is challenging due to the complex relationship between chemical structure and drug efficacy.

FT538, iPSC-derived NK cells, enhance AML cell killing when combined with chemotherapy.

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived natural killer (NK) cells offer an opportunity for a standardized, off-the-shelf treatment with the potential to treat a wider population of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients than the current standard of care. FT538 iPSC-NKs express a high-affinity, noncleavable CD16 to maximize antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity, a CD38 knockout to improve metabolic fitness, and an IL-15/IL-15 receptor fusion preventing the need for cytokine administration, the main source of adverse effects in NK cell-based therapies. Here, we sought to evaluate the potential of FT538 iPSC-NKs as a therapy for AML through their effect on AML cell lines and primary AML cells.

Effect of Extensive Solar Ultra-Violet Irradiation on the Durability of High-Density Polyethylene- and Polypropylene-Based Wood-Plastic Composites.

The natural and laboratory-accelerated weathering of wood-plastic composites (WPCs) based on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) plastics was investigated in this study. Injection molded samples of WPCs with different loadings of wood fiber ranging from 0 to 36 wt.% of wood were subjected to laboratory-accelerated weathering and natural weathering.

Exploring the role of noncoding RNAs in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and precision medicine.

This review article studies the complex field of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in cancer biology, focusing on their potential use as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. NcRNAs include circular RNAs (circRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs). We discuss how ncRNAs affect gene expression in cancerous cells, the spread of cancer, and metastasis.

Prostate MRI and clinicopathologic risk calculator to predict laterality of extraprostatic extension at radical prostatectomy.

Background: Traditional nomograms can inform the presence of extraprostatic extension (EPE) but not laterality, which remains important for surgical planning, and have not fully incorporated multiparametric MRI data. We evaluated predictors of side-specific EPE on surgical pathology including MRI characteristics and developed side-specific EPE risk calculators.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort of patients evaluated with mpMRI prior to radical prostatectomy (RP) in our eleven hospital healthcare system from July 2018-November 2022.

Investigating Seidel energies and thermodynamic properties of benzenoid hydrocarbons through regression models.

In this article, we present the concept of extended Seidel energy by employing a generalized extended matrix to study various molecular properties, including the Kovats retention index, boiling point, enthalpy of formation, entropy, acentric factor, and octanol-water partition coefficient. Our research broadens the scope of energy matrices in graph theory, with a particular emphasis on Sombor energy, reduced Sombor energy, average Sombor energy, Banhatti Sombor energy and reduced Banhatti Sombor energy. We examined the correlation of these graph-based energy descriptors with the thermodynamic properties of Benzenoid hydrocarbons (BHC), uncovering strong relationships between these indices and different molecular attributes.

What Are High-Quality Race and Ethnicity Data and How Are They Used in Health Equity Research?

The COVID-19 pandemic changed public awareness of the importance of high-quality race and ethnicity data for identifying and redressing widely documented racial and ethnic health inequity. This article emphasizes the importance of high-quality race and ethnicity data in health equity research, as highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The article defines what constitutes high-quality race and ethnicity data, discusses challenges in using these data, and provides 2 cases that illustrate the role of these data in identifying and redressing health inequity.

Dynamics of Gangotri Glacier, India: unravelling the influence of climatic and anthropogenic factors.

The 'Third Pole', home to numerous glaciers, serves as vital water reserves for a significant portion of the Asian population and has garnered global attention within the context of climate change due to their highly vulnerable nature. While a general decline in global glacial extent has been observed in recent decades, the pronounced regional imbalances across the Third Pole present a perplexing anomaly. To assess the impact of glacier mass changes in the Gangotri basin, we conducted a comprehensive analysis using remote sensing data to estimate spatially resolved mass changes from 2000 to 2023.

A Comparative Analysis of Clinical Features of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 With Respect to Duration of Diabetes.

Objectives Diabetes mellitus type 2 is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance and progressive beta-cell dysfunction. As diabetes persists over time, more pronounced symptoms like polyuria, polydipsia, fatigue, and complications like neuropathy, retinopathy, and cardiovascular issues may develop. Therefore, this study assessed the clinical symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes regarding the duration of diabetes.

On analysis of phthalocyanine network through statistical method.

Phthalocyanine derivative nanostructures are highly organized organometallic structures that exhibit two-dimensional polymeric phthalocyanine frameworks. We analyze phthalocyanine using the Zagreb-type indices, which offer important insights into the topological characteristics of the molecular structure. Furthermore, we use Pearson correlation analysis to examine the degree of relationship between various structural features and qualities.

Managing Hereditary Angioedema in a Three-Generation Family: Danazol's Promise in Resource-Limited Settings.

Background Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare disorder in India, and while prevalence data is limited, it is believed that a significant number of individuals may be affected. Due to restricted access to first-line treatments, older therapies like danazol are commonly used despite associated risks in resource-constrained settings. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of danazol as an affordable long-term prophylaxis (LTP) for HAE in a three-generation family.

Protein kinase CK2 sustains de novo fatty acid synthesis by regulating the expression of SCD-1 in human renal cancer cells.

Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a type of cancer characterized by a vast intracellular accumulation of lipids that are critical to sustain growth and viability of the cells in the tumour microenvironment. Stearoyl-CoA 9-desaturase 1 (SCD-1) is an essential enzyme for the synthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids and consistently overexpressed in all stages of ccRCC growth.

Methods: Human clear cell renal cell carcinoma lines were treated with small-molecule inhibitors of protein kinase CK2.

Disparities in telehealth utilization between US rural and urban areas during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose: During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth services were expanded across the United States to meet the increased demand and safety requirements of care. This observational study aims to understand rural-urban differences in telehealth utilization during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Individual-level data from the National Health Interview Survey 2020-2021 (age ≥18) were analyzed for this study.

Impact of synbiotic on growth performance, histo-architectural modulation of lymphoid organ, hematology, blood biochemistry and humoral immune response in naked neck chicken.

Synbiotics, which synergistically enhance the development and activity of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, play a crucial role in the growth and production of chickens. However, their effects on lymphoid organs and immunity in Naked Neck (NN) chickens are not well understood. This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of synbiotics on growth performance, histo-architecture of lymphoid organs, hematology, serum biochemistry, and immunity in NN chickens in Bangladesh.

The Utility of Coronary Revascularization to Reduce Ventricular Arrhythmias in Coronary Artery Disease Patients: A Systematic Review.

Ventricular arrhythmias (VA) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Current guidelines recommend revascularization of significant CAD to improve survival in patients with ventricular fibrillation (VF), polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT), or those who are post-cardiac arrest. However, revascularization is not recommended for CAD patients with suspected scar-mediated monomorphic VT.

Marketing Strategies and Consumer and Sellers Perception About Oral Nicotine Pouches in Karachi, Pakistan.

The availability of novel nicotine products like oral nicotine pouches (ONP) has been rising in South Asian countries, including Pakistan. We aimed to assess ONP marketing strategies at point-of-sale (POS) and understand the perceptions among consumers and sellers regarding its use in Karachi, Pakistan. We conducted a mixed-methods study in low, middle, and high socioeconomic neighborhoods of District East Karachi.

Performance assessment of solar tower collector based integrated system for the cogeneration of power and cooling.

Integrating solar energy systems is an essential measure in advancing worldwide sustainability objectives and offers a sustainable, environmentally friendly approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants. To this direction, the proposed system integrating solar tower collector, supercritical CO, organic Rankine cycle, and single effect absorption refrigeration cycles shows potential as an efficient and sustainable solution for meeting energy and cooling demands. A detailed thermodynamic evaluation has been performed to gain valuable understanding of the energy and exergy performance, enabling the assessment of thermal and exergy efficiencies, exergy destructions, and heat losses.

Correlations of Anthropometric Measurements With Body Fat Percentage, Fat Mass, and Fat Mass Index in School-Age Children.

Background: Childhood obesity is a growing public health issue globally, including in India. Anthropometric measures such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and skinfold thickness are commonly used to estimate body fat percentage (BF%), but their correlations with fat mass (FM) and fat mass index (FMI) are less emphasized. This study aimed to explore the relationships between anthropometric measurements and body fat indicators (BF%, FM, and FMI) in school-age children and obtain prediction equations for FM and FMI.

Interdisciplinary perspectives on the co-management of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and coronary artery disease.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has emerged as a public health threat as it affects approximately 38% of the adult population worldwide, with its prevalence rising in step with that of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Beyond the implications of MASLD for liver health, it is also associated with cardiovascular and vascular dysfunction. Although the many shared risk factors and common metabolic milieu might indicate that cardiovascular disease and MASLD are discrete outcomes from common systemic pathogeneses, a growing body of evidence has identified a potential causal relationship between MASLD and coronary artery disease, which is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people with MASLD and all-cause mortality worldwide.

Identification and Quantification of Deranged Metabolites in Critically Ill Patients Using NMR-Based Metabolomics.

Metabolomics is emerging as a significant approach to reflect the individual's response to pathophysiological conditions. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has evolved as a tool to identify metabolic dysregulations in critically ill patients afflicted with conditions like acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), acute kidney injury (AKI), and sepsis. The spectral data from the serum sample of the study and control group are recorded using an 800 MHz NMR spectrometer and processed using NMR processing and analysis tools.

Rhabdomyolysis Without Acute Kidney Injury in a 14-Year-Old Child With a Sedentary Lifestyle.

A 14-year-old African American female patient presented to the emergency department with moderate right calf pain of unknown origin. The pain was present for a couple of days without radiation and progressed with an inability to bear weight. Physical examination revealed tenderness to palpation over the right calf.