Molecular and serological evidence of chikungunya virus infection with high case fatality among pediatric population with acute encephalitis syndrome: first report from Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India.

Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) outbreaks in children of Eastern Uttar Pradesh (E-UP) region of India have been a longstanding public health issue, with a significant case fatality rate of 20-25%. Since past decade, a rise in chikungunya (CHIK) cases has been occurring, which is a reported etiology of AES. However, the burden of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) among pediatric AES (pAES) is unknown from E-UP. We included 238 hospitalized pAES cases. The presence of IgM antibodies for CHIKV, and Dengue virus (DENV) was tested, and RT-PCR was performed for CHIKV and DENV in serologically confirmed CHIKV and DENV pAES cases. Positive samples were sequenced using Sangers sequencing. Further, to check for co-infection, IgM antibodies for other AES etiologies including Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), Leptospira and Orientia tsutsugamushi (OT) in serum were also investigated. IgM ELISA demonstrated 5.04% (12) positivity for CHIKV. Among CHIKV IgM positive, 3 (25%, 3/12) pAES patients died. CHIKV genome was detected in 3 pAES specimens. Among which, 2 CHIKV cases were also positive for OT DNA. Partially sequenced CHIKV were genotyped as ECSA. The overall finding indicates evidence of CHIKV infection with high case fatality among pAES patients from E-UP. This study advocates constant serological and molecular surveillance of CHIKV in AES endemic regions of India.

Masseter Muscle Thickness in Relation to Facial Form in Angle's Normal Occlusion and Malocclusions: An Observational Study.

Background: Various clinical studies performed in adults have shown the relationship between craniofacial morphology and masticatory muscle function. However, the growth of the masticatory muscle has not received such attention, when compared with the volume of studies on the skeletal growth of face. With this background and considering the widespread use of ultrasonography (USG), the following study was undertaken to provide some insights into the relationship between muscle and bone and facial morphology. Methods: This was a prospective, observational study conducted over a period of three years from 2012 to 2015 to assess the correlation between the thickness of the masseter muscle in Angle's normal occlusion and the various malocclusions of the dental arch as well as the facial form. Patients with a full complement set of teeth, normal tooth morphology, Angle's normal occlusion, Angle's class I-III malocclusion, those with a history of third molar extraction, and impaction were included in the study. Those with a history of any prior orthodontic treatment, restorations, or any missing teeth (except the third molar) were exempted from the study. The greater thickness of masseter muscle in relaxed and clenched state was recorded on USG. Facial morphology was determined with the aid of facial photographs. Results: The study was conducted on 140 patients. The class I normal occlusion group had the thickest masseter muscle, while the class III malocclusion group had the thinnest masseter muscle. Facial parameters showed highly significant gender-wise differences in class I normal occlusion, class I malocclusion, and class II division II malocclusion. There was a significant negative co-relation between the thickness of masseter muscle and facial forms in all the categories of Angle's classification as indicated by a negative regression coefficient B (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The masseter muscle thickness correlated directly with male gender and normal occlusion, and inversely with the degree of malocclusion and facial form.

Effect of planning interventions on parent supervised oral health behaviors in primary school age children: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare effect of planning interventions on self-reported changes in parents supervised oral health related behaviours (OHRBs) and associated clinical oral health parameters for 'primary school age' children. METHODS: 110 parent-child pairs (children aged 3-8 years) were randomly assigned to either of the two groups. In 'Action planning' group (AP), parent participants of the pair were asked to make 'action plan' within "how, when, where" format for their child OHRBs. In 'Implementation Intention' (IMI) group, parents were asked to form an 'if-then plan' to improve OHRBs for their child. Self-reported changes on target OHRBs, change in plaque scores, change in plaque stagnation areas and change in caries status of tooth surfaces were observed at 2, 8, 12 weeks. RESULTS: Overall OHRBs scores changed significantly from baseline to 12 weeks for both interventions. But the scores were significantly better with 'if-then' planning than 'action planning' (z=4 p=<0.001) at 12 weeks. Plaque scores also changed significantly from baseline to 12 weeks for both interventions but improved significantly with 'if-then' planning (16.20±5.24) than 'action planning' (50.655±11.24) at 12 weeks. Number of plaque stagnation areas also changed significantly from baseline to 12 weeks for both interventions but improved significantly with if-then' planning at 12 weeks (12.80±5.33) than 'action planning' (42.76±10.34) (t=-11.55 p=<0.001). There was significant change in caries status of sound tooth surfaces with 'action planning' at 12 weeks (z=116.5 p=0.023). There were no new carious lesions reported with 'ifthen' planning at 12 weeks. CONCLUSION: The study observed significant improvement in OHRBs and associated oral health parameters with planning interventions preferring 'if-then' planning over 'action planning'. It also elicited significant barriers to behaviours in action.

Advances in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides-based sensors for environmental, food, and biomedical analysis: A review.

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are versatile two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials used in biosensing applications due to their excellent physical and chemical properties. Due to biomaterial target properties, biosensors' most significant challenge is improving their sensitivity and stability. In environmental analysis, TMDCs have demonstrated exceptional pollutant detection and removal capabilities. Their high surface area, tunable electronic properties, and chemical reactivity make them ideal for sensors and adsorbents targeting various contaminants, including heavy metals, organic pollutants, and emerging contaminants. Furthermore, their unique electronic and optical properties enable sensitive detection techniques, enhancing our ability to monitor and mitigate environmental pollution. In the food analysis, TMDCs-based nanomaterials have shown remarkable potential in ensuring food safety and quality. These nanomaterials exhibit high specificity and sensitivity for detecting contaminants, pathogens, and adulterants in various food matrices. Their integration into sensor platforms enables rapid and on-site analysis, reducing the reliance on centralized laboratories and facilitating timely interventions in the food supply chain. In biomedical studies, TMDCs-based nanomaterials have demonstrated significant strides in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Their biocompatibility, surface functionalization versatility, and photothermal properties have paved the way for novel disease detection, drug delivery, and targeted therapy approaches. Moreover, TMDCs-based nanomaterials have shown promise in imaging modalities, providing enhanced contrast and resolution for various medical imaging techniques. This article provides a comprehensive overview of 2D TMDCs-based biosensors, emphasizing the growing demand for advanced sensing technologies in environmental, food, and biomedical analysis.

Integration of IgM ELISA and 56 kDa gene PCR in management of pediatric acute encephalitis syndrome associated with scrub typhus.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the potential target genes for detection of Orientia tsutsugamushi (OT) in pediatric acute encephalitis syndrome (pAES). METHODS: DNA was extracted from whole blood of 100 pAES cases having tested positive (n = 41) and negative (n = 59) for scrub typhus (ST) by IgM ELISA. These samples were subjected to standard PCR for 56 kDa, 47 kDa, 16 s rRNA, groEL, traD genes and the newly identified 27 kDa gene. RESULTS: Among the selected gene targets, 56 kDa demonstrated its superiority for OT detection over the other tested genes. The presence of OT was confirmed via PCR targeting 56 kDa gene in 17 out of the 41 (41.4 %) IgM-positive ST AES cases and 38 out of the 59 (64.4 %) ST IgM negative cases. None of the other gene targets were amplified. CONCLUSION: Integration of serological diagnosis with molecular diagnostics targeting the 56 kDa gene for routine testing of AES patients would facilitate detection of OT in AES endemic regions.

Distribution and conservation of simple sequence repeats in plant pathogenic species of Zymoseptoria and development of genomic resources for its orphaned species.

To better understand the structure and evolution of the genomes of four plant pathogenic species of Zymoseptoria, we analyzed the occurrence, relative abundance (RA), and density (RD) of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) in their whole genome and transcriptome sequences. In this study, SSRs are defined as repeats of more than 12 bases in length. The genome and transcriptome sequences of Zymoseptoria ardabiliae show the highest RA (201.1 and 129.9) and RD (3229.4 and 1928.2) of SSRs, while those of Zymoseptoria pseudotritici show the lowest RA (167.2 and 118.5) and RD (2482.2 and 1687.0). The majority of SSRs in the genomic and transcriptome sequences of species were trinucleotide SSRs, while dinucleotide SSRs were the least common. The most common trinucleotide motifs in the transcriptomic sequences across all species were those that encoded the amino acid arginine. As per our motif conservation study, Zymoseptoria tritici (12.4%) possessed the most unique motifs, while Z. pseudotritici (3.9%) had the fewest. Overall, only 38.1% of the motifs were found to be conserved among the species. Gene enrichment studies reveal that three of the species, Z. ardabiliae, Zymoseptoria brevis, and Z. pseudotritici, have SSRs in their genes related to cellular metabolism, while the remaining Z. tritici harbors SSRs in genes related to DNA synthesis and gene expression. In an effort to improve the genetic resources for the orphan species of pathogenic Zymoseptoria, a total of 73,134 primers were created. The genomic resources developed in this study could help with analyses of genetic relatedness within the population and the development of species-specific markers.

Biotransformation of Raw Mango Seed Waste into Bacterial Hydrolytic Enzymes Enhancement Via Solid State Fermentation Strategy.

Solid waste generation is a huge contributor to environmental pollution issues, and food wastes are prominent in this category due to their large generation on a day-to-day basis. Thus, the settlement of daily food waste is one of the major constraints and needs innovative manufacturing sheme to valorize solid waste in sustainable manner. Moreover, these food wastes are rich in organic content, which has promising scope for their value-added products. In the present study, raw mango seed waste has been biotransformed to produce bacterial hydrolytic enzymes as feedstock. On investigating the impact of substrate, the highest bacterial cellulase production was recorded to be 18 IU/gds FP (filter paper) in 24 h of microbial incubation at 5 g of substrate in solid-state fermentation (SSF). Furthermore, at 40 °C and pH 6.0, 23 IU/gds FP enzyme could be produced in 24 h of SSF. Beside this, on comparing the influence of inorganic and organic nitrogen sources, urea has been found to provide better cellulase production, which yielded 28 IU/gds FP in 24 h of incubation, along with 77 IU/gds BG (ß-glucosidase) and 89 IU/gds EG (endoglucanase). On the other hand, Tween-40 and Tween-80, two different surfactants, were employed at a 1.0% concentration for 24 h of incubation. It was noticed that Tween-80 showed complete enzyme activity at 24 h, which was found to be relatively superior to that of Tween-40. This study may have potential utility in enzyme production using mango seed as a food waste for various industrial applications.

Comparative assessment of cleaning efficacy of two exclusive paediatric rotary files in root canals of primary teeth: An in vitro study.

BACKGROUND: Paediatric rotary file systems have recently been developed for primary teeth use. AIM: To study the cleaning efficacies of two paediatric rotary endodontic files, the Prime PedoTM , and the Kedo-SG BlueTM against the standard H files. DESIGN: This in vitro study included 54 freshly extracted primary molars, which were randomised into three groups (n = 18 each) and were prepared using either Kedo-SG BlueTM , Prime PedoTM or hand H files after injecting methylene blue dye into the canals. Pre- and post-operative cone beam computerised tomography (CBCT) was performed to assess change in root canal volumes. Methylene blue dye removal from canals was assessed using stereomicroscopy, and canal cleanliness was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). RESULTS: Both Prime PedoTM and Kedo-SG BlueTM files reduced significantly less dentine when compared with conventional hand filing with Prime PedoTM removing the least amount of dentine. No significant difference was found in median SEM scores among the groups in the cervical, middle and apical thirds of the roots. Stereomicroscopic assessment of root canal cleanliness using dye removal technique shows a statistically significant difference existing between Kedo-SG BlueTM and hand H files groups. CONCLUSION: Prime PedoTM removed the least amount of dentine. Kedo-SG BlueTM performed significantly better than conventional hand filing with H files when the root canal cleanliness was assessed.

CRISPR/Cas12a-Based Detection Platform for Early and Rapid Diagnosis of Scrub Typhus.

Orientia tsutsugamushi is responsible for causing scrub typhus (ST) and is the leading cause of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in AES patients. A rapid and sensitive method to detect scrub typhus on-site is essential for the timely deployment of control measures. In the current study, we developed a rapid, sensitive, and instrument-free lateral flow assay (LFA) detection method based on CRISPR/Cas12a technology for diagnosing ST (named LoCIST). The method is completed in three steps: first, harnessing the ability of recombinase polymerase for isothermal amplification of the target gene; second, CRISPR/Cas12a-based recognition of the target; and third, end-point detection by LFA. The detection limit of LoCIST was found to be one gene copy of ST genomic DNA per reaction, and the process was complete within an hour. In 81 clinical samples, the assay showed no cross-reactivity with other rickettsial DNA and was 100% consistent with PCR detection of ST. LoCIST demonstrated 97.6% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Overall, the LoCIST offers a novel alternative for the portable, simple, sensitive, and specific detection of ST, and it may help prevent and control AES outbreaks due to ST. In conclusion, LoCIST does not require specialized equipment and poses a potential for future applications as a point-of-care diagnostic.

Gut Metabolite Indoxyl Sulfate Has Selective Deleterious and Anticancer Effect on Colon Cancer Cells.

There are a number of reports about anticancer activity of indole derivatives. In this study, we investigated the role of indoxyl sulfate (IS) for its selective anticancer activity on colon cancer cells. IS treatment on HCT-116 and HT-29 human epithelial adenocarcinoma cells led to a decrease in cell proliferation, cell viability, and ATP content. Colon cancer cells showed a 10% increase in cell apoptosis in comparison to control. Due to IS treatment, cell morphology got distorted, cell number found decreased, intracellular vesicles formed, and cells were found floating in the media. Cells also showed a loss in membrane integrity and a decrease in colony-forming ability and ceased at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. No significant change was noted in the level of inflammatory cytokines IL-17A, IL-1ß, and TNF-α, histology, length of intestine, and spleen after 100 mM IS treatment to balb/c mice. These observations indicate the selective anticancer effect of IS on colon cancer cells.

Potential honey bee (Apis mellifera) allergens associated with IgE-mediated allergy- An In-silico study.

Allergies due to honeybee venom (HBV) are reported to be the second most common form of allergy to Hymenoptera venom that occurs after being stung. Indeed, 15-20% of people test IgE positive after being stung. However, accurate data on the incidence of honey bee allergens is missing and estimated to be less than 0.001%. Beekeeping is an ancient and widely practiced activity across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Still, studies on the allergenic effect of the different subspecies of honey bees are very rare in Saudi Arabia. Hence, in this study, using the In-silico approach, we aimed to study and evaluate the effect of allergens from honey bees in Ha'il City, Saudi Arabia on IgE-mediated allergies. A list of potential allergens from Apis mellifera was prepared, and the 3D structure was prepared using the SWISS-MODEL web server and the PDB database was used for retrieving the structure of the immunoglobulin E- fragment antigen-binding (IgE-Fab) region. Molecular docking (clusPro webserver) and molecular dynamics (Schrödinger) results revealed that the B2D0J5 protein from Apis mellifera might be the key protein associated with IgE-mediated allergic response. Overall, the identified knowledge can be used for exploring prophylactic vaccine candidates and improving the diagnosis of allergic reactions to honey bees in the Ha'il region of Saudi Arabia.

Does Empowering Women Influence Maternal Healthcare Service Utilization?: Evidence from National Family Health Survey-5, India.

BACKGROUND: Maternal healthcare service utilization is a pivotal indicator of a nation's progress in safeguarding the health and well-being of its women and children. In this context, women's empowerment emerges as a critical determinant influencing the utilization of maternal healthcare services. The study aims to assess the relationship between women's level of empowerment and utilization of maternal healthcare services among currently married women in India. DATA AND METHODS: The study uses data from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey conducted in 2019-2021 and analyzed 26,552 (15-49 aged) currently married women who had a live birth in the last 5 years preceding the survey. Additionally, univariate and bivariate analyses, multivariate logistic regression, and the SWPER index were used for the analysis. RESULTS: Over the years, utilization of antenatal care, skilled birth attainment, and postnatal care has increased extensively in India. However, the study found that utilization of services was higher among empowered women, and it varies across the state with the extent of empowerment. State-level analysis shows that the extent of women empowerment was higher in Goa, followed by Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and lower in Jharkhand, followed by Tripura, so as the utilization of maternal and health care services. The extent of empowerment and utilization of services also varies by level of educational attainment, employment, and socio-economic status. CONCLUSION: There is a need for comprehensive strategies to enhance women's empowerment through education, employment, political participation, self-awareness, and reduction in gender-based violence and child marriages, which may improve awareness demand for better public health structure, and may ensure higher utilization of maternal healthcare services. Ultimately, these strategies may converse the higher maternal death and child mortality.

Occurrence of Oral Premalignant Lesions Among Tobacco Users in a Tribal Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This review aimed to comprehensively assess the association between tobacco use and oral health outcomes, specifically the presence of premalignant lesions (PMLs), through a synthesis of multiple assessments conducted in diverse populations. A systematic search of relevant literature was performed, and studies meeting the inclusion criteria were selected using appropriate Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) words and Boolean operators. Data from these studies was pooled and analysed using Review Manager 5.4 (The Cochrane Collaboration, The Nordic Cochrane Centre, Copenhagen). The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies included. The pooled analysis of the five selected papers revealed a significant correlation between tobacco use and an increased prevalence of PMLs among tobacco users. Tobacco users had an odds ratio of 15.22 (95% CI: 10.01-23.15) as compared to non-user cohorts, significant at p 0.0001. This comprehensive synthesis of assessments underscores the detrimental impact of tobacco use on oral health, particularly in terms of potentially malignant lesions. The findings emphasise the urgency of targeted public health interventions to address tobacco consumption and promote oral health awareness, especially in populations with high tobacco consumption rates. Standardisation of methodologies and representation of diverse populations in future research would strengthen the evidence base and facilitate more effective strategies to improve oral health outcomes globally.

Rice Straw Waste-Based Biogas Production via Microbial Digestion: A Review.

The development of sustainable and renewable energy production is in high demand, and bioenergy production via microbial digestion of organic wastes is in prime focus. Biogas produced from the microbial digestion of organic waste is the most promising among existing biofuel options. In this context, biogas production from lignocellulosic biomass is one of the most viable and promising technologies for sustainable biofuel production. In the present review, an assessment and feasibility advancement have been presented towards the sustainable production of biogas from rice straw waste. Rice straw (RS) is abundantly available, contains a high composition of cellulose, and is found under the category of lignocellulosic waste, but it may cause severe environmental issues if not treated. Whereas, due to its high cellulose and inorganic content, lower cost, and huge availability, this waste can be effectively valorized into biogas production at a lower cost on a commercial scale. Therefore, the present review provides existing insight in this area by focusing on the operational parameter's improvement and advancement in the research for the expansion of mass-scale production at a lower cost. Thus, the presented review analyzed the processing parameters status, associated challenges, and positive endnote solutions for more sustainable viability for biogas production.

Out of pocket expenditure and distress financing on cesarean delivery in India: evidence from NFHS-5.

BACKGROUND: Though over three-fourths of all births receive medical attention in India, the rate of cesarean delivery (22%) is twice higher than the WHO recommended level. Cesarean deliveries entail high costs and may lead to financial catastrophe for households. This paper examines the out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) and distress financing of cesarean deliveries in India. METHODS: We used data from the latest round of the National Family Health Survey conducted during 2019-21. The survey covered 636,699 households, and 724,115 women in the age group 15-49 years. We have used 159,643 births those delivered three years preceding the survey for whom the question on cost was canvassed. Descriptive analysis, bivariate analysis, concentration index (CI), and concentration curve (CC) were used in the analysis. RESULT: Cesarean deliveries in India was estimated at 14.08%, in private health centres and 9.96%  in public health centres. The prevalence of cesarean delivery increases with age, educational attainment, wealth quintile, BMI and high for those who had pregnancy complications, and previous birth as cesarean. The OOPE on cesarean births was US$133. It was US$498 in private health centres and US$99 in public health centres. The extent of distress financing of any cesarean delivery was 15.37%; 27% for those who delivered in private health centres compared to 16.61% for those who delivered in public health centres. The odds of financial distress arising due to OOPE on cesarean delivery increased with the increase of OOPE [AOR:10.00, 95% CI, 9.35-10.70]. Distress financing increased with birth order and was higher among those with low education and those who belonged to lower socioeconomic strata. CONCLUSION: High OOPE on a cesarean delivery leads to distress financing in India. Timely monitoring of pregnancy and providing comprehensive pregnancy care, improving the quality of primary health centres to conduct cesarean deliveries, and regulating private health centres may reduce the high OOPE and financial distress due to cesarean deliveries in India.

Production of fermentable glucose from bioconversion of cellulose using efficient microbial cellulases produced from water hyacinth waste.

The economic production of cellulase enzymes for various industrial applications is one of the major research areas. A number of broad industrial applications, for example, in cellulosic biomass hydrolysis for simple sugars such as glucose and subsequent biofuel production, make these enzyme systems the third most demanding enzymes. Nevertheless, due to their production on commercial substrates, cellulases fall into the category of costly enzymes. Therefore, the goal of the present work is to evaluate the enhancement of cellulase production and its utilization in the enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass using low-cost cellulosic substrate, which is abundant and widely available. In this context, waste biomasses of water hyacinth (WH), including leaves and stems, have been used as feedstock to produce cellulases via solid-state fermentation (SSF) in the current study, which improves its production as well as activity. Furthermore, the impact of process parameters like temperature and pH has been investigated for improved cellulase production. At optimum concentration using 10 g of feedstock, 22 IU/gds of FP, 92 IU/gds of BGL, and 111 IU/gds of EG have been noticed in day 5 of SSF. Herein, 40 °C has been identified as the optimum temperature for cellulase production, whereas 50-55 °C has been recorded as the optimum reaction temperature for cellulase enzyme activity. Additionally, pH 5.5 has been identified as the optimum pH for cellulase enzyme production, whereas this enzyme was thermally stable (55 °C) at pH 5.0 up to 3.5 h. Further, the cellulosic biomass hydrolysis of WH leaves via an optimized crude enzyme has been performed, and this could release 24.34 g/L of glucose in 24 h of the reaction. The current findings may have potential for developing cellulases for mass-scale production using WH-based waste bioresources for numerous biorefinery applications.

Bionanofabrication of Cupric oxide catalyst from Water hyacinth based carbohydrate and its impact on cellulose deconstructing enzymes production under solid state fermentation.

One of the most important properties of cellulolytic enzyme is its ability to convert cellulosic polymer into monomeric fermentable sugars which are carbohydrate by nature can efficiently convert into biofuels. However, higher production costs of these enzymes with moderate activity-based stability are the main obstacles to making cellulase-based applications sustainably viable, and this has necessitated rigorous research for the economical availability of this process. Using water hyacinth (WH) waste leaves as the substrate for cellulase production under solid state fermentation (SSF) while treating the fermentation production medium with CuO (cupric oxide oxide) bionanocatalyst have been examined as ways to make fungal cellulase production economically feasible. Herein, a sustainable green synthesis of CuO bionanocatalyst has been performed by using waste leaves of WH. Through XRD, FT-IR, SEM, and TEM analysis, the prepared CuO bionanocatalyst's physicochemical properties have been evaluated. Furthermore, the effect of CuO bionanocatalyst on the temperature stability of raw cellulases was observed, and its half-life stability was found to be up to 9 h at 65 °C. The results presented in the current investigation may have broad scope for mass trials for various industrial applications, such as cellulosic biomass conversion.

Identification and management of foreign body in the primary teeth.

Paediatric dentists encounter many emergencies in child patients and entrapment of foreign bodies in teeth is a commonly anticipated complication. It is more frequently seen in children with chronic carious lesions or due to teeth with wide open pulp chambers and pulp canals affected with caries or traumatic dental injuries. Here, we report a case of successful management of foreign body lodgement in the primary teeth of a middle childhood female patient along with a literature review of various foreign bodies identified in the past and some practical recommendations for the prevention of such incidents in the future.

Validation of deep learning techniques for quality augmentation in diffusion MRI for clinical studies.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of deep learning (DL) techniques in improving the quality of diffusion MRI (dMRI) data in clinical applications. The study aims to determine whether the use of artificial intelligence (AI) methods in medical images may result in the loss of critical clinical information and/or the appearance of false information. To assess this, the focus was on the angular resolution of dMRI and a clinical trial was conducted on migraine, specifically between episodic and chronic migraine patients. The number of gradient directions had an impact on white matter analysis results, with statistically significant differences between groups being drastically reduced when using 21 gradient directions instead of the original 61. Fourteen teams from different institutions were tasked to use DL to enhance three diffusion metrics (FA, AD and MD) calculated from data acquired with 21 gradient directions and a b-value of 1000 s/mm2. The goal was to produce results that were comparable to those calculated from 61 gradient directions. The results were evaluated using both standard image quality metrics and Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) to compare episodic and chronic migraine patients. The study results suggest that while most DL techniques improved the ability to detect statistical differences between groups, they also led to an increase in false positive. The results showed that there was a constant growth rate of false positives linearly proportional to the new true positives, which highlights the risk of generalization of AI-based tasks when assessing diverse clinical cohorts and training using data from a single group. The methods also showed divergent performance when replicating the original distribution of the data and some exhibited significant bias. In conclusion, extreme caution should be exercised when using AI methods for harmonization or synthesis in clinical studies when processing heterogeneous data in clinical studies, as important information may be altered, even when global metrics such as structural similarity or peak signal-to-noise ratio appear to suggest otherwise.