First report of Rhizoctonia blight caused by Rhizoctonia solani on Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) in India.

During January and February 2021, foliar blight symptoms were observed on the leaves of Chinese cabbage (Pak choi) at Lembucherra research farm, College of Agriculture, Tripura, India. The incidence of disease symptoms ranged from 5 to 10% of the plants observed in the field. The symptomatic leaves showed grayish colored water-soaked lesions with an irreguar shape and size. A total of 10 symptomatic leaves (1 leaf per plant) from Chinese cabbage infected plant were sampled, surface decontaminated with 1% NaOCl, washed twice in sterile water, plated on 2% water agar, and incubated at 25 ± 2°C. Hyphal tips from mycelium of 7-day old culture (2 isolates from two different plants) with right-angled branching were transferred to potato dextrose agar (PDA) media (SRL, India). Cream or light brown hyphae that branched at right angles, with septa near the point of the origin of hyphae, and a slight constriction at the base of the branch) were visible under a microscope. Olive-brown sclerotia were observed after 5 days of incubation. Multiple nuclei per cell were visible after staining with 4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (Estandarte et al. 2016). Based on morphological characteristics (Parmeter et al. 1970) the isolates TP36 and TP37 were identified as Rhizoctonia solani. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (GAPDH) were amplified with ITS1& ITS4 (White et al. 1990) and (GAPDH F-5'- CAAGGAGAACCCAGGTGTTAAG-3' and GAPDH R- 5'-GGCGTCGAAGATAGAAGAGTGT-3') respectively for both isolates and sequenced (accession #. PP458158, PP458159, PP425343, PP425344). BLASTn analysis showed 99.26%( 668/673 nt) to 99.46% (659/664 nt) identity with R. solani sequences (GenBank MG397062.1 and KX674524.1) for ITS and 98.42% (552/562 nt) to 100% 540/540 nt)identity with R. solani sequences (GenBank HQ425709.1 and CP102644.1) for GAPDH. Isolates TP36 and TP37 were deposited in the Indian Type Culture Collection (ITCC), New Delhi as R. solani (nos. 9154 and 9319, respectively). Both isolates were amplified using (anastomosis group) AG1 subgroup specific primers (Matsumoto 2002; Prashantha et al. 2021) to identify their AG. The presence of a 265 bp amplicon for both isolates suggested that they belong to AG1-IA. A multilocus analysis of R. solani isolates from different host plants with concatenated sequences ITS and GAPH showed that TP36 and TP37 are closely related to rice isolate RS107. A pathogenicity test on five plants per treatment was conducted and repeated twice on one month old Chinese cabbage plants (hybrid, TOKITA, India) grown under glasshouse conditions in a sterilized mixture of soil and sand (3:1) at 27-28oC during January 2024 at ICAR-IARI, New Delhi. R. solani isolates TP36 and TP37 were grown on PDA and plants were inoculated by placing single sclerotia of 10-day old colony on different plant parts and covering it with moist cotton. After 7 day, typical lesions of R. solani infection were visible. No symptoms were observed on the control plants. The fungus was reisolated from the inoculated plants and identified as R. solani based on morphology. R. solani has previously been reported to cause disease on some members of Brassicaceae in different countries (Budge et al. 2009; Hua et al. 2014). Based on literature available this is the first report of R. solani infecting Chinese cabbage in India.

Prevalence and natural history of gibbus deformity in patients with Hurler syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Gibbus deformity has been documented as a common musculoskeletal abnormality in mucopolysaccharidosis type I (Hurler syndrome, MPS IH), and its recognition often leads to the diagnosis of MPS IH. While the incidence has been described, the progression of gibbus deformities is not well known. Here we describe the natural history of gibbus deformity in a single center patient population using serial spinal MRI scans. METHODS: All spinal MRI scans in MPS IH patients were retrospectively reviewed. The presence, spinal location, and angulation of the gibbus deformities were collected. The angles between the superior endplate of the superior normal vertebral body and the inferior endplate of the inferior normal vertebral body were measured. RESULTS: 24 of 47 patients (51%) were found to have cervico-thoracic deformity on their cervical MRI scans, and 19 of those 24 (79%) patients were found to have progressive cervico-thoracic deformity with average change of angle of 17.1 degrees [range 3.9, 62.8] over 5.3 years. 7 of 8 patients who had thoraco-lumbar MRI were found to have thoraco-lumbar deformity, and 4 of those 7 patients (57%) were found to have progressive thoraco-lumbar deformity with the average increase angle of 16.7 degrees [range 3.3, 47.1] over an average of 4.1 years. CONCLUSION: We found out that baseline spinal measurement cannot reliably predict the progression as multiple patients with normal alignment eventually developed severe deformity, whereases patients with severe deformity did not progress to require surgical intervention.

Clinical Significance of Platelet Indices (Mean Platelet Volume and Mean Platelet Volume-to-lymphocyte Ratio) in Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Hospital-based Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: The role of platelet indices, such as mean platelet volume (MPV) and MPV-to-lymphocyte ratio (MPVLR), in diagnosing, and predicting the severity, and fatality in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has not been extensively studied, particularly in Indian patients. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of MPV and MPVLR in ACS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This hospital-based observational study was conducted from 2020 to 2022. It included 110 ACS cases and an equal number of age- and sex-matched controls with chest pain of noncardiac origin. The primary objective was to compare MPV and MPVLR in ACS patients and controls. Secondary objectives included examining the associations between MPV, MPVLR, and different ACS types, as well as their correlation with the global registry of acute coronary events (GRACE) risk score and inhospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). RESULTS: Higher MPV and MPVLR were observed in ACS cases compared to controls [(11.1 ± 1.1 fL; 10.6 ± 1.3 fL, p < 0.01), (7.63 ± 4.9 fL/mm3; 4.74 ± 1.6 fL/mm3, p < 0.01) respectively]. Significant associations were found between platelet indices (MPV, MPVLR) and various ACS types (p < 0.01). Both indices positively correlated with the severity of heart failure, GRACE score, and inhospital MACE (p < 0.01). MPVLR showed a positive correlation with the duration of hospital stay [(r: 0.21; p = 0.03), but MPV did not (r: 0.13; p = 0.17)]. The GRACE score demonstrated the highest discriminating capacity in predicting inhospital mortality compared to platelet indices. Additionally, MPV serves as a more effective prognostic marker than MPVLR in predicting inhospital mortality. CONCLUSION: Both MPV and MPVLR are higher in ACS than in healthy individuals. Therefore, both may be used as discriminating markers for differentiating cardiac and noncardiac chest pain when cardiac biomarkers are not available. Additionally, both have good sensitivity for predicting the severity of the disease, inhospital mortality, and MACE in ACS.

A unique approach to address avoided crossings in the charge stabilization curve for LUMO identification.

In quantum chemistry, Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) is important for studying various chemical processes, including photochemical reactions, electron attached states, and electron excites states. Recently, an effective method has been introduced that involves the use of the Parametric Equation of Motion (PEM) in conjunction with the nuclear charge stabilization method for precise identification of true LUMO. However, the inclusion of extra diffuse functions in the basis set, which is necessary for describing electron-attached and electron-excited states, can cause issues due to the presence of the same symmetry states, leading to avoided crossing. Identifying the true LUMO among these avoided crossings is challenging due to the mixing of states and the exchange of their orbital character. This article introduces a modification of the PEM to identify the true LUMO by preventing the stabilization of specific states involved in avoided crossings. The present method is highly effective and requires minimal computational cost.

Machine Learning to Enhance Electronic Detection of Diagnostic Errors.

This cohort study examines whether machine learning (ML) can enhance the ability of electronic triggers to identify possible missed opportunities in diagnosis.

Stemless Anatomic and Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty in Patients under 55 years of age with Primary Glenohumeral Osteoarthritis: An analysis of the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry at five years.

BACKGROUND: Primary glenohumeral osteoarthritis in young patients poses challenging treatment decisions. Arthroplasty options have different failure profiles and implant survivorship patterns. This registry study aims to analyze the cumulative per cent revision rate (CPR) of different types of arthroplasties conducted for primary osteoarthritis in patients under 55 years of age. METHODS: This comparative observational national registry study included all shoulder arthroplasty for osteoarthritis in patients under 55 years of age undertaken between January 1st, 2005, and December 31st, 2022. Partial hemi resurfacing and hemi stemless procedures were excluded. The cumulative percentage of revision (CPR) was determined using Kaplan-Meier estimates of survivorship and hazard ratios (HR) from Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for gender. Reasons for revision of each type of arthroplasty and cumulative incidence of revision diagnoses were analyzed. RESULTS: 2111 primary shoulder arthroplasties were compared. Glenoid erosion is the predominant cause of revision for humeral resurfacing (29.8%) and hemiarthroplasty (35.5%). Instability is the predominant cause of revision for stemmed anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (ATSA) and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA), while loosening is the predominant cause of revision for stemless ATSA. The 6-year CPR is 12.8% for humeral resurfacing (HRA), 14.1% for hemiarthroplasty (HA), 12.4% for stemmed (ATSA), 7.0% for stemless ATSA, and 6.5% for (RTSA). Stemmed ATSA had a higher revision rate than RTSA (entire period HR=2.04 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.16, 3.57), p=0.012). In contrast, the revision rate of stemless ATSA was not different from RTSA (HR =1.05 (95% CI 0.51, 2.19), p=0.889). Males outnumber females for all shoulder arthroplasty categories. DISCUSSION: RTSA and stemless ATSA are viable options in young patients with primary osteoarthritis. Their short-to medium-term revision rates are comparable to those of older patients and lower than those associated with HRA, HA, and stemmed ATSA. CONCLUSION: In the predominantly male patient population under the age of 55, reverse shoulder arthroplasty and stemless ATSA have a lower short-term revision risk than stemmed ATSA.

Eosinopenia in patients with acute myocardial infarction- longitudinal imaging insights from the CAPRI study.

Eosinophils are recruited to the heart during acute myocardial infarction (MI) and are considered part of the inflammatory response associated with adverse clinical outcomes. We assessed the impact of eosinopenia on cardiac imaging biomarkers in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation MI. This is a post-hoc analysis of the Evaluating the effectiveness of intravenous Ciclosporin on reducing reperfusion injury in pAtients undergoing PRImary percutaneous coronary intervention (CAPRI) trial. Patients underwent cardiac MRI within 1 week and 12 weeks and low eosinophil was defined as less than 40 cells/ml. The study included 52 patients and 38% had low eosinophil. Ciclosporin administration was comparable between patients with low versus normal eosinophils. The ischaemia time was significantly longer in low eosinophil patients [262 (205-325) vs. 138 (102-195) minutes, P < 0.001]. At 12 weeks, patients with eosinopenia had larger infarct size [9.8% (5.7-18.4) vs. 7.4% (1.9-10.2), P = 0.045], larger left ventricle (LV) end systolic volume (89 ± 28 vs. 68 ± 23, P = 0.02), and lower LV ejection fraction (EF) (49 ± 9 vs. 58 ± 7, P < 0.001). After adjustments for significant predictors, including ischaemia time, low eosinophil count was an independent predictor of worse LVEF at 12 weeks [-5.78, 95% CI (-11.22 to -0.34), P = 0.038] but not infarct size [1.83, 95% CI (-2.77 to 6.43), P = 0.43]. Patients with low eosinophil count had larger infarct size and LV volumes and worse adverse remodeling compared to those with normal eosinophil count. At 12 weeks, eosinopenia was an independent predictor of worse LVEF but not infarct size.

Assessment of Psychiatric Illness among Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients at a Tertiary Care Center in India.

INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious multisystemic disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Both common mental disorders (CMD) and TB are global public health problems that have a considerable impact on human health. Moreover, TB and CMDs share common risk factors including poverty, drug addiction, and homelessness and the coexistence of CMD and TB leads to difficult management of TB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a hospital-based longitudinal study, carried out between June 2021 and December 2022. In this study, 147 pulmonary TB patients were included as per inclusion and exclusion criteria, and psychiatric illness was evaluated by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. RESULTS: The mean age of study participants was 37.59 ± 15.37 years, there were 99 (67.3%) were male and 48 (32.7%) were female. Psychiatric illness was found in 77 (52.38%) pulmonary TB patients. Among psychiatric illness, anxiety was found in 33 (22.4%) participants and 21 (14.3%) participants had depression. Mixed anxiety and depression were found in 20 (13.6%) patients and 03 (2%) participants had severe psychosis. The association of psychiatric illness with age group and gender was not significant ( P = 0.734, 0.203, respectively). There were 105 (71.40%) patients who had <12 standard education and 42 (28.60%) had >12 standard education and their association with psychiatric illness was statistically significant ( P = 0.044). Adverse drug reactions were found among 80 (54.42%) patients and the association between adverse drug reactions and psychiatric illness was significant ( P = 0.031). CONCLUSION: Psychiatric illness is one of the important domains to be evaluated in timely manner in TB patients and early intervention is needed for better management of the TB because the severity, social factors, and chronicity of the disease make them susceptible to develop psychiatric illness.

Résumé Introduction:La tuberculose (TB) est une maladie infectieuse multisystémique chronique causée par Mycobacterium tuberculosis et constitue l'une des principales causes de mortalité dans le monde. Les troubles mentaux courants (CMD) et la tuberculose sont des problèmes de santé publique mondiaux qui ont un impact considérable sur la santé humaine. De plus, la tuberculose et les troubles mentaux courants (CMD) partagent des facteurs de risque communs, notamment la pauvreté, la toxicomanie et l'itinérance, et la coexistence des CMD et de la tuberculose rend difficile la gestion de la tuberculose.Méthodes:Il s'agissait d'une étude longitudinale en milieu hospitalier, réalisée entre juin 2021 et décembre 2022. Dans cette étude, 147 patients atteints de tuberculose pulmonaire ont été inclus selon les critères d'inclusion et d'exclusion et la maladie psychiatrique a été évaluée par une brève échelle d'évaluation psychiatrique (BPRS).Résultats:L'âge moyen des participants à l'étude était de 37,59 ± 15,37 ans, il y avait 99 (67,3 %) hommes et 48 (32,7 %) femmes. Une maladie psychiatrique a été trouvée chez 77 (52,38 %) patients atteints de tuberculose pulmonaire. Parmi les maladies psychiatriques, l'anxiété a été constatée chez 33 (22,4 %) participants et 21 (14,3 %) participants souffraient de dépression. Une anxiété et une dépression mixtes ont été trouvées chez 20 (13,6 %) patients et 03 (2 %) participants souffraient d'une psychose sévère. L'association entre la maladie psychiatrique et le groupe d'âge et le sexe n'était pas significative (valeur P = 0,734, 0,203 respectivement). Il y avait 105 (71,40 %) patients ayant <12 niveaux d'éducation standard et 42 (28,60 %) avaient >12 niveaux d'éducation standard et leur association avec une maladie psychiatrique était statistiquement significative ( P = 0,044). Des effets indésirables du médicament ont été observés chez 80 (54,42 %) patients et l'association entre l'effet indésirable du médicament et la maladie psychiatrique était significative. ( P = 0,031).Conclusion:La maladie psychiatrique est l'un des domaines importants à évaluer en temps opportun chez les patients tuberculeux et une intervention précoce est nécessaire pour une meilleure prise en charge de la tuberculose car la gravité, les facteurs sociaux et la chronicité de la maladie les rendent susceptibles de développer une maladie psychiatrique.

Qualitative analysis of the Supraspinatus muscle fatty infiltration on MRI - Correlation of the Tangent sign with Goutallier grade at the Y view and Medial Scapular border in large retracted rotator cuff tears.

BACKGROUND: Surgically repairing rotator cuff tears with a higher extent of fatty infiltration is controversial. Current evidence supports performing rotator cuff repair in patients exhibiting Goutallier stage 3-4 fatty infiltration. However, the presence of retraction complicates accurate assessment using the Goutallier Classification, particularly on the lateral Y-view. A shift towards classifying fatty infiltration in more medial regions may enhance the precision of tissue quality quantification. The objective of this study was to analyze the uniformity of fatty infiltration within the entire supraspinatus muscle using the Goutallier Classification across three scapular Y-view sections and to examine the association between Goutallier grade, tangent sign, and modified Patte stage. METHODS: A retrospective evaluation was conducted on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from a consecutive series of 97 patients who had previously undergone arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs. Three supraspinatus sections on the MRI sagittal plane were identified: the lateral Y-view (section one), a medial section at the suprascapular notch anatomical landmark (section two), and a section 3 cm medial from the suprascapular notch Medial Scapular Body (section three). Goutallier grade, tangent sign, and modified Patte stage were used to evaluate fatty infiltration, muscle atrophy, and tendon retraction, respectively. RESULTS: Section one had the highest Goutallier grade, while section three had the lowest. Intra-observer rest retest reliability analysis showed excellent consistency in all sections with section one (ICC=0.920, 95% CI), section two (ICC=0.917, 95% CI), and section three (ICC=0.923, 95% CI) for Goutallier grade. Inter-observer reliability analysis also revealed excellent consistency in sections one (ICC=0.951, 95% CI), section two (ICC=0.949, 95% CI), and section three (ICC=0.922, 95% CI) for Goutallier grade. A strong correlation was observed between Goutallier grade and modified Patte stage (τb=0.43-0.56, p=0.001), and between Goutallier grade and tangent sign (τb=0.43-0.54, p=0.001) across all sections. CONCLUSION: The severity of fatty infiltration within the supraspinatus muscle belly is inconsistent, with the lateral portion being the most severe and the medial portion the least severe. Goutallier grade demonstrates a strong correlation with tangent sign and modified Patte stage. This suggests that tendon retraction results in a potential overestimation in the amount of fatty infiltration defining some tears unjustly irreparable when measuring at the traditionally described lateral Y-view position compared with 3cm medial.

Advances in Nickel-Containing High-Entropy Alloys: From Fundamentals to Additive Manufacturing.

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are recognized as a class of advanced materials with outstanding mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. Among these, nickel-based HEAs stand out for their impressive strength, ductility, and oxidation resistance. This review delves into the latest advancements in nickel-containing HEAs, covering their fundamental principles, alloy design strategies, and additive manufacturing techniques. We start by introducing HEAs and their unique properties, emphasizing the crucial role of nickel. This review examines the complex relationships between alloy composition, valence electron concentration (VEC), and the resulting crystal structures. This provides insights into design principles for achieving desired microstructures and mechanical properties. Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques like selective laser melting (SLM), electron beam melting (EBM), and laser metal deposition (LMD) are highlighted as powerful methods for fabricating intricate HEA components. The review addresses the challenges of AM processes, such as porosity, fusion defects, and anisotropic mechanical properties, and discusses strategies to mitigate these issues through process optimization and improved powder quality. The mechanical behavior of AM-processed nickel-based HEAs is thoroughly analyzed, focusing on compressive strength, hardness, and ductility. This review underscores the importance of microstructural features, including grain size, phase composition, and deformation mechanisms, in determining the mechanical performance of these alloys. Additionally, the influence of post-processing techniques, such as heat treatment and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) on enhancing mechanical properties is explored. This review also examines the oxidation behavior of nickel-containing HEAs, particularly the formation of protective oxide scales and their dependence on aluminum content. The interplay between composition, VEC, and oxidation resistance is discussed, offering valuable insights for designing corrosion resistant HEAs. Finally, this review outlines the potential applications of nickel-based HEAs in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and energy, and identifies future research directions to address challenges and fully realize the potential of these advanced materials.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Boys With Adrenoleukodystrophy: Identification of Cerebral Disease and Association With Neurocognitive Outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Childhood cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (C-ALD) is a severe inflammatory demyelinating disease that must be treated at an early stage to prevent permanent brain injury and neurocognitive decline. In standard clinical practice, C-ALD lesions are detected and characterized by a neuroradiologist reviewing anatomical MRI scans. We aimed to assess whether diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is sensitive to the presence and severity of C-ALD lesions and to investigate associations with neurocognitive outcomes after hematopoietic cell therapy (HCT). METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed high-resolution anatomical MRI, DTI, and neurocognitive assessments from boys with C-ALD undergoing HCT at the University of Minnesota between 2011 and 2021. Longitudinal DTI data were compared with an age-matched group of boys with ALD and no lesion (NL-ALD). DTI metrics were obtained for atlas-based regions of interest (ROIs) within 3 subdivisions of the corpus callosum (CC), corticospinal tract (CST), and total white matter (WM). Between-group baseline and slope differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) and axial (AD), radial (RD), and mean (MD) diffusivities were compared using analysis of covariance accounting for age, MRI severity (Loes score), and lesion location. RESULTS: Among patients with NL-ALD (n = 14), stable or increasing FA, stable AD, and stable or decreasing RD and MD were generally observed during the 1-year study period across all ROIs. In comparison, patients with mild posterior lesions (Loes 1-2; n = 13) demonstrated lower baseline FA in the CC splenium (C-ALD 0.50 ± 0.08 vs NL-ALD 0.58 ± 0.04; pBH = 0.022 adjusted Benjamini-Hochberg p-value), lower baseline AD across ROIs (e.g., C-ALD 1.34 ± 0.03 ×10-9 m2/s in total WM vs NL-ALD 1.38 ± 0.04 ×10-9 m2/s; pBH = 0.005), lower baseline RD in CC body and CST, and lower baseline MD across ROIs except CC splenium. Longitudinal slopes in CC splenium showed high sensitivity and specificity in differentiating early C-ALD from NL-ALD. Among all patients with C-ALD (n = 38), baseline Loes scores and DTI metrics were associated with post-HCT neurocognitive functions, including processing speed (e.g., FA WM Spearman correlation coefficient R = 0.64) and visual-motor integration (e.g., FA WM R = 0.71). DISCUSSION: DTI was sensitive to lesion presence and severity as well as clinical neurocognitive effects of C-ALD. DTI metrics quantify C-ALD even at an early stage.

Probing and gauging of D-Penicillamine xenobiotics in hepatic Wilson disease patients.

D-penicillamine (PA) is the primary chelator of choice to treat Wilson disease (WD). There are limitations in obtaining comprehensive data on PA metabolites in biological specimens by conventional approaches. Hence, the aim of the present was to identify the major hepatic PA metabolites and draw clear conclusions of the drug's xenobiotic in WD. Urine samples were collected from children with hepatic WD (n = 63, aged 14.8 ± 4 years) 5 h after PA administration (16.3 ± 3.8 mg/kg/day) and age-matched healthy volunteers comprised as controls (n = 30). High-resolution 800 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and mass spectrometry was applied to reveal unambiguous appraisals of different excretory by-products of PA metabolism. Four new products comprising penicillamine disulphide (PD), penicillamine cysteine disulphide (PCD), S-methyl penicillamine (SMP), and N-acetyl penicillamine (NAP) of PA xenobiotic metabolites were identified using high-resolution NMR spectroscopy. Quantitative levels of PCD and SMP were approximately three-fold higher than those of PD and NAP, respectively. High-resolution NMR identifies the major PA metabolites with certainty. Reduction, sulfation, and methylation are the predominant pathways of PA metabolism. There is a potential application for assessing therapeutic monitoring of chelation in hepatic WD.

Secondary failure of lentiviral vector gene therapy in a cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy patient with an ABCD1 whole-gene deletion.

A 9-year-old boy with adrenoleukodystrophy due to ABCD1 whole-gene deletion was diagnosed with active cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy characterized by demyelination and gadolinium enhancement on brain MRI. He underwent hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) with autologous CD34+ cells transduced with an ABCD1-expressing lentiviral vector (eli-cel [elivaldogene autotemcel]) as part of the ALD-104 clinical trial. Fifty days after HCT, the patient's MRI showed gadolinium resolution; the whole-blood vector copy number (VCN) was 0.666 copies/mL. Six months following HCT, an MRI showed re-emergence of gadolinium enhancement; the VCN had decreased to 0.029 copies/mL. Polyclonal antibodies to the ABCD1 gene product were detectable 9 months after transplant, showing reactivity to peroxisomes, suggesting an immune response; however, no antibody binding to human CD34+ cells could be shown. The patient underwent a successful allogeneic HCT 12 months after gene therapy with resultant gadolinium resolution, cerebral disease stabilization, and the disappearance of antibodies. The coincident VCN loss and appearance of antibody to the ABCD1 gene product is of interest, and we postulate that it is related to the patient's whole ABCD1 gene deletion. We suggest close monitoring of loss of gene therapy efficacy due to immune response in patients with full deletions who are considering gene therapy.

Effect of Age, Deboning Time of Carcass, and Different Cooking Conditions on the Woody Breast Myopathies in Chicken: A Meta-Analysis.

This meta-analysis review undertakes a comprehensive examination of various approaches for identifying myopathic fillets and meticulously evaluates the effects of bird age, deboning time, and different cooking and storage conditions on woody breast (WB) myopathic conditions in broiler deboned fillets. The data, meticulously collected from 20 articles based on predefined inclusion criteria sourced from various databases and online resources, reveal significant insights. For instance, the analysis uncovers that deboning time significantly affects Meullenet-Owens Razor Shear (MORS), Blunt Meullenet-Owens Razor Shear (BMORS), and descriptive analysis values (p < 0.001). Instrumentation techniques, such as compression force and shear force, along with different cooking conditions, strongly impact BMORS shear force values (R2 = 86.80%), with significance levels ranging from 0.01 to 0.001. Deboning time also substantially impacts MORS shear force values (R = 64.03%). In contrast, the effects of deboning time, bird age, and cooking conditions on descriptive sensory evaluation are minimal when compared to woody breast fillets (age of birds: R2 = 26.53%; cooking conditions: R2 = 32.57%; deboning time: R2 = 10.06%). The overall effect of bird age on chicken breast meat quality shows significant differences for the evaluated parameters (Hedges' g [95% CI] = -0.72 [0.17, 1.26], I2 = 93%, p < 0.01). The sous vide cooking method significantly affects shear force energies and sensory descriptive evaluation for woody breast fillets (Hedges' g [95% CI] = 5.30 [-50.30, 83.40], I2 = 98%, p < 0.01). These findings, with their significant implications, provide valuable insights for optimizing processing conditions in the poultry industry to reduce woody breast occurrences and enhance meat quality, instilling confidence in the robustness of the research.

Role of Noninvasive Urinary Prothrombin Fragment 1 + 2 to Measure Blood Coagulation Indices and Dose of Acenocoumarol.

PF1 + 2 plasma levels are a crucial indicator for assessing anticoagulant action in individuals receiving anticoagulant treatment. Urine also has PF1 + 2 levels due to its molecular size. Hence, the present study aims to measure urinary prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 (uPF1 + 2) in patients taking anticoagulants in order to divulge a noninvasive surrogate marker of PT-INR of blood coagulopathy. A total of 205 people participated in the study: 104 patients on acenocoumarol (AC) and 101 healthy controls (HC). Clinical parameters, including PT-INR, urinary creatinine, etc., were measured in all subjects. To evaluate uPF1 + 2 in samples, MALDI-TOF-MS, Western blot analysis, and ELISA tests were used. The MALDI-TOF-MS results showed the presence of uPF1 + 2 in both AC and HC urine samples. The Western blot, ELISA experiment, and unpaired t test results displayed that the patients with AC had significantly increased levels of uPF1 + 2 compared to HC. A regression study showed a strong positive relation between blood-based PT-INR and uPF1 + 2. ROC validation also revealed the clinical efficacy of uPF1 + 2. For the goal to monitor anticoagulant medication, the present study highlights PF1 + 2, which describes the overall hemostatic capacity and might be utilized in addition to or instead of PT-INR.

Nanoscale core-shell structure and recrystallization of swift heavy ion tracks in SrTiO3.

It is widely accepted that the interaction of swift heavy ions with many complex oxides is predominantly governed by the electronic energy loss that gives rise to nanoscale amorphous ion tracks along the penetration direction. The question of how electronic excitation and electron-phonon coupling affect the atomic system through defect production, recrystallization, and strain effects has not yet been fully clarified. To advance the knowledge of the atomic structure of ion tracks, we irradiated single crystalline SrTiO3 with 629 MeV Xe ions and performed comprehensive electron microscopy investigations complemented by molecular dynamics simulations. This study shows discontinuous ion-track formation along the ion penetration path, comprising an amorphous core and a surrounding few monolayer thick shell of strained/defective crystalline SrTiO3. Using machine-learning-aided analysis of atomic-scale images, we demonstrate the presence of 4-8% strain in the disordered region interfacing with the amorphous core in the initially formed ion tracks. Under constant exposure of the electron beam during imaging, the amorphous part of the ion tracks readily recrystallizes radially inwards from the crystalline-amorphous interface under the constant electron-beam irradiation during the imaging. Cation strain in the amorphous region is observed to be significantly recovered, while the oxygen sublattice remains strained even under the electron irradiation due to the present oxygen vacancies. The molecular dynamics simulations support this observation and suggest that local transient heating and annealing facilitate recrystallization process of the amorphous phase and drive Sr and Ti sublattices to rearrange. In contrast, the annealing of O atoms is difficult, thus leaving a remnant of oxygen vacancies and strain even after recrystallization. This work provides insights for creating and transforming novel interfaces and nanostructures for future functional applications.

International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy Stem Cell Engineering Committee report on the current state of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell-based genomic therapies and the challenges faced.

Genetic manipulation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is being developed as a therapeutic strategy for several inherited disorders. This field is rapidly evolving with several novel tools and techniques being employed to achieve desired genetic changes. While commercial products are now available for sickle cell disease, transfusion-dependent ß-thalassemia, metachromatic leukodystrophy and adrenoleukodystrophy, several challenges remain in patient selection, HSC mobilization and collection, genetic manipulation of stem cells, conditioning, hematologic recovery and post-transplant complications, financial issues, equity of access and institutional and global preparedness. In this report, we explore the current state of development of these therapies and provide a comprehensive assessment of the challenges these therapies face as well as potential solutions.

Comprehensive review of deep learning in orthopaedics: Applications, challenges, trustworthiness, and fusion.

Deep learning (DL) in orthopaedics has gained significant attention in recent years. Previous studies have shown that DL can be applied to a wide variety of orthopaedic tasks, including fracture detection, bone tumour diagnosis, implant recognition, and evaluation of osteoarthritis severity. The utilisation of DL is expected to increase, owing to its ability to present accurate diagnoses more efficiently than traditional methods in many scenarios. This reduces the time and cost of diagnosis for patients and orthopaedic surgeons. To our knowledge, no exclusive study has comprehensively reviewed all aspects of DL currently used in orthopaedic practice. This review addresses this knowledge gap using articles from Science Direct, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and Web of Science between 2017 and 2023. The authors begin with the motivation for using DL in orthopaedics, including its ability to enhance diagnosis and treatment planning. The review then covers various applications of DL in orthopaedics, including fracture detection, detection of supraspinatus tears using MRI, osteoarthritis, prediction of types of arthroplasty implants, bone age assessment, and detection of joint-specific soft tissue disease. We also examine the challenges for implementing DL in orthopaedics, including the scarcity of data to train DL and the lack of interpretability, as well as possible solutions to these common pitfalls. Our work highlights the requirements to achieve trustworthiness in the outcomes generated by DL, including the need for accuracy, explainability, and fairness in the DL models. We pay particular attention to fusion techniques as one of the ways to increase trustworthiness, which have also been used to address the common multimodality in orthopaedics. Finally, we have reviewed the approval requirements set forth by the US Food and Drug Administration to enable the use of DL applications. As such, we aim to have this review function as a guide for researchers to develop a reliable DL application for orthopaedic tasks from scratch for use in the market.

Unveiling perceptions regarding post mastectomy breast reconstruction: A questionnaire-based survey of patients from central India.

INTRODUCTION: Post mastectomy breast reconstruction uptake remains low in the developing countries. We examined patient perspectives about it in a cohort of Indian breast cancer patients. METHODS: This prospective study was conducted at a tertiary care center in central India. All post mastectomy patients for breast cancer were interviewed via a survey questionnaire to assess their perspective regarding post mastectomy breast reconstruction. RESULTS: None of the 192 patients underwent immediate or delayed reconstruction by the end of 24 months follow-up. Age, education level, occupation and marital status did not affect the uptake of post mastectomy breast reconstruction. The most common patient-reported reasons for not having reconstruction were the desire to avoid additional surgery and the belief that it was not important (80% for each). System related factors such as additional cost of surgery and additional length of stay were reported to be important by 55% and 65% patients respectively. CONCLUSION: Our survey of 192 post mastectomy breast cancer patients showed that none opted for post mastectomy reconstruction, suggesting significant barriers to it. Understanding and addressing these barriers are crucial to ensuring comprehensive care for these breast cancer patients.

Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticle from flower extract of Dillenia indica and its efficacy as antibacterial and antioxidant.

Dillenia indica is a medicinal tree of the Dilleniaceae and its flower extract was used for the synthesis of silver nanoparticle (AgNPs). The optimal conditions for AgNPs synthesis were as such: 2 mM AgNO3, pH 4.5 and 48-h reaction time. The characteristic band of AgNPs was observed at the wavelength of 435 nm by UV-visible spectroscopic study. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis depicted the involvement of several functional groups of plant extracts in the synthesis of AgNPs. Nanoparticles were mostly spherical shaped and uniformly distributed, when observation was made by Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) showed absorption peak approximately at 3 keV thus confirmed the presence of silver metal in AgNP. X-ray diffraction (XRD) investigation and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns showed the crystalline nature of the AgNPs. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis exhibited average size of the nanoparticles as 50.17 nm with a polydispersity index (PDI) value of 0.298. The zeta potential of nanoparticles was observed as -24.9 mV. To assess antibacterial activity, both AgNPs alone or its combination with the antibiotic were tried against six pathogenic bacteria. The combination of AgNPs with antibiotic was maximum effective against Shigella boydii (16.07 ± 0.35) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (15.03 ± 0.20). AgNPs alone showed maximum inhibition for both Gram-positive bacteria: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (19.97 ± 0.20 mm) and Enterococcus faecium (19.80 ± 0.15 mm). Maximum inhibition of Enterobactor cloacae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was observed by antibiotic taken alone. Evaluation through 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and DNA nicking assays demonstrated the antioxidant capabilities of the nanoparticles.