Publications by authors named "Sophia Ahmed"

Nucleation particles, solid phases dispersed throughout a medium to decrease the energy barrier for solidification or other reversible phase transitions, are generally selected on the basis of structural or interfacial energy considerations between the host phase and the solid phase that is crystallizing. However, the existence of chemical reactions between the nucleation particles and the host phase can obscure these underlying relationships, thereby complicating the process of selection of active nucleation particle phases. Here, we reveal the origin of nucleation activity of barium-based nucleation particles in the salt hydrate calcium chloride hexahydrate (CCH), a candidate for near room temperature thermal energy storage.

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Objective: Magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRg-LITT) is a promising new technique to ablate epileptic foci in patients with hypothalamic hamartoma (HH). We aim to systematically synthesize all available evidence and determine the effectiveness of MRg-LITT in reducing seizures in patients with HH.

Methods: We systematically searched MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase (Ovid), Scopus, and Google Scholar for all relevant articles.

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Approximately 38 million people worldwide are affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with 4000 new infections daily. While literature explores HIV mortality among the elderly in the US, there is an underrepresentation of mortality data for adults. By scrutinizing mortality trends based on demographic factors such as gender, race or ethnicity, age groups, and geographic location, the study seeks to uncover patterns that may facilitate a longitudinal perspective for tailoring interventions and allocating resources effectively.

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Aims: We aim to analyze trends in mortality rates among adults with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in the US from 1999 to 2020.

Methods: We queried the Centers for Disease Control Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research database for mortality statistics from 1999 to 2020 associated with DKD in adults aged ≥25 years. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) were calculated and trends were analyzed using the Joinpoint Regression Program.

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Background: In the 20th century, influenza and pneumonia constituted the largest proportion of infectious disease deaths in the United States. Despite progress in management, US mortality trends for these diseases have not been thoroughly investigated.

Objectives: We aim to examine the patterns of influenza and pneumonia-related deaths among US residents.

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Objective: To investigate potential differences in new patient appointment wait times for otolaryngology care based on insurance types and explore factors influencing these wait times.

Study Design: A cross-sectional audit study, using a "mystery caller" approach, analyzed with a linear mixed Poisson model to adjust for confounding factors.

Setting: A total of 612 physicians across 49 states and the District of Columbia, representing 6 otolaryngology subspecialties, were included.

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Stoichiometric salt hydrates can be inexpensive and provide higher volumetric energy density relative to other near-room-temperature phase change materials (PCMs), but few salt hydrates exhibit congruent melting behavior between 0 and 30 °C. Eutectic salt hydrates offer a strategy to design bespoke PCMs with tailored application-specific eutectic melting temperatures. However, the general solidification behavior and stability of eutectic salt hydrate systems remain unclear, as metastable solidification in eutectic salt hydrates may introduce opportunities for phase segregation.

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Background: Infective Endocarditis (IE) has become a significant cause of morbidity and mortality over the last two decades. Despite management advancements, mortality trends in the USA's geriatric population are unexplored. The aim of this study was to assess the trends and regional differences in IE related mortality among geriatric patients in the USA.

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The axial functionalization of Subporphyrazines (SubPzs) with unreported alkoxy groups, carboxy and carboperoxy rests, as well as sulfanyl, aryl and amino groups, forming B-O, B-S, B-C, and B-N bonds, respectively, has been investigated. The studied oxygen nucleophiles include aromatic and sterically demanding aliphatic alcohols, along with carboxylic acids and peracids. In general, direct substitution of the chloro-SubPz by oxygen nucleophiles of diverse nature proceeds smoothly, with yields of the isolated alkoxy and carboxy-substituted SubPzs ranging from 49 to 100 %.

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It is now more than 35 years since endothelium derived relaxing factor was identified as nitric oxide (NO). The last few decades have seen an explosion around nitric oxide biochemistry, physiology and clinical translation. The science reveals that all chronic disease is associated with decreased blood flow to the affected organ which results in increased inflammation, oxidative stress and immune dysfunction.

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The formation of polysubstituted cyclopropane derivatives in the gold(I)-catalyzed reaction of olefins and propargylic esters is a potentially useful transformation to generate diversity, therefore any method in which its stereoselectivity could be controlled is of significant interest. We prepared and tested a series of chiral gold(I)-carbene complexes as a catalyst in this transformation. With a systematic optimization of the reaction conditions, we were able to achieve high enantioselectivity in the test reaction while the selectivity of the transformation was independent of the catalyst.

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Hypothesis: Encapsulation of ionic liquids (ILs) and phase change materials (PCMs) can overcome limitations associated with bulk materials, e.g., slow mass transfer rates, high viscosities, or susceptibility to external environment.

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Cell surface protein trafficking is regulated in response to nutrient availability, with multiple pathways directing surface membrane proteins to the lysosome for degradation in response to suboptimal extracellular nutrients. Internalized protein and lipid cargoes recycle back to the surface efficiently in glucose-replete conditions, but this trafficking is attenuated following glucose starvation. We find that cells with either reduced or hyperactive phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activity are defective for endosome to surface recycling.

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Background: Cricothyrotomy and chest needle decompression (NDC) have a high failure and complication rate. This article sought to determine whether paramedics can correctly identify the anatomical landmarks for cricothyrotomy and chest NDC.

Methods: A prospective study using human models was performed.

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Cell-of-origin subclassification of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) into activated B cell-like (ABC), germinal centre B cell-like (GCB) and unclassified (UNC) or type III by gene expression profiling is recommended in the latest update of the World Health Organization's classification of lymphoid neoplasms. There is, however, no accepted gold standard method or dataset for this classification. Here, we compare classification results using gene expression data for 68 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded DLBCL samples measured on four different gene expression platforms (Illumina wG-DASL arrays, Affymetrix PrimeView arrays, Illumina TrueSeq RNA sequencing and the HTG EdgeSeq DLBCL Cell of Origin Assay EU using an established platform agnostic classification algorithm (DAC) and the classifier native to the HTG platform, which is CE marked for in vitro diagnostic use (CE-IVD).

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We report a consanguineous family in which schizophrenia segregates in a manner consistent with recessive inheritance of a rare, partial-penetrance susceptibility allele. From 4 marriages between 2 sets of siblings who are half first cousins, 6 offspring have diagnoses of psychotic disorder. Homozygosity mapping revealed a 6.

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Diabetic Muscle Infarction.

Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med

February 2020

A 58-year-old male with past medical history of diabetes mellitus presented with pain to the bilateral groin for six weeks. Magnetic resonance imaging of the patient's lower extremities revealed acute myoedema, and he was diagnosed with myositis secondary to diabetic muscle infarction.

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Purpose: Biologic heterogeneity is a feature of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and the existence of a subgroup with poor prognosis and phenotypic proximity to Burkitt lymphoma is well known. Conventional cytogenetics identifies some patients with rearrangements of MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 (double-hit lymphomas) who are increasingly treated with more intensive chemotherapy, but a more biologically coherent and clinically useful definition of this group is required.

Patients And Methods: We defined a molecular high-grade (MHG) group by applying a gene expression-based classifier to 928 patients with DLBCL from a clinical trial that investigated the addition of bortezomib to standard rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) therapy.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the U and V sex chromosomes of the brown alga, a less-studied haploid sex determination system compared to the more commonly researched XY and ZW systems.
  • Findings reveal that the non-recombining regions of the U and V chromosomes have about half the neutral genetic diversity of autosomes, indicating reduced effective population sizes and minimal influence from background selection or selective sweeps.
  • In contrast, the pseudoautosomal region (PAR) shows unexpectedly high genetic diversity, suggesting potential balancing selection and prompting further research into the unique genomic features contributing to this diversity.
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Sex discriminating genetic markers are commonly used to facilitate breeding programs in economically and ecologically important animal and plant species. However, despite their considerable economic and ecological value, the development of sex markers for kelp species has been very limited. In this study, we used the recently described sequence of the sex determining region (SDR) of the brown algal model Ectocarpus to develop novel DNA-based sex-markers for three commercially relevant kelps: Laminaria digitata, Undaria pinnatifida and Macrocystis pyrifera.

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The evolutionary stability of haploid-diploid life cycles is still controversial. Mathematical models indicate that niche differences between ploidy phases may be a necessary condition for the evolution and maintenance of these life cycles. Nevertheless, experimental support for this prediction remains elusive.

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Background: A common feature of most genetic sex-determination systems studied so far is that sex is determined by nonrecombining genomic regions, which can be of various sizes depending on the species. These regions have evolved independently and repeatedly across diverse groups. A number of such sex-determining regions (SDRs) have been studied in animals, plants, and fungi, but very little is known about the evolution of sexes in other eukaryotic lineages.

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Environmental (ecological) genomics aims to understand the genetic basis of relationships between organisms and their abiotic and biotic environments. It is a rapidly progressing field of research largely due to recent advances in the speed and volume of genomic data being produced by next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. Building on information generated by NGS-based approaches, functional genomic methodologies are being applied to identify and characterize genes and gene systems of both environmental and evolutionary relevance.

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