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Introduction: Liver diseases are major global health burden which lead to many complications if left untreated. Aim of Work: Evaluating and comparing the therapeutic effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) versus Exosomes in CCL4 induced liver injury rat model. Materials and Methods: Thirty-two adult male albino rats were divided into:Group I (Control),Group II (CCL4), Group III (Recovery),Group IV (MSCs),Group V(Exosomes). 0.1ml/kg of CCL4 in 0.1 ml olive oil was administered intraperitoneally (IP) twice weekly for six weeks for all experimental groups. MSCs were injected in the tail vein of group IV at a dose1x106 after last CCL4 injection. Exosomes were injected in the tail vein of group V at a dose 250 µg after last CCL4 injection. Animals of group II were sacrificed 6 weeks from the start of experiment. while groups(I&III&IV&V) were sacrificed 10 weeks after. ALT&AST were measured at the end of 6thand 10th week. Hematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichrome stain,α-SMA and Caspase 3 immunostaining were performed. Mean values of AST&ALT,mean area % of collagen, mean number of α-SMA&caspase3 immunopositive cells &mean optical density of caspase 3 immunoreactivity were measured. Results: In groups II& III, hepatocytes showed cytoplasmic vacuolations with dark pyknotic nuclei.A significant increase in mean values of liver enzymes,mean area % of collagen, mean number of α-SMA & caspase 3 immunopositive cells and mean optical density of caspase 3 in group II&III compared to control group and other groups. In group IV&V hepatocytes were apparently normal, few cells showed dark pyknotic nuclei. A significant decrease in mean values of liver enzymes, mean area % of collagen, mean number ofα-SMA &caspase 3 +ve cells and mean optical density of caspase 3 in group IV&V compared to groups II&III. Conclusion: MSCs was effective as Exosomes with significant reduction of fibrosis in liver fibrosis rat model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess: (1) the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT‐10) with item response theory (IRT) to determine which individual items provide the most information, (2) the extent to which dysphagia is measured with subsets of items while maintaining precise score estimates, and (3) if 5‐item scales have the differing discriminatory ability, as compared to the parent 10‐item instrument. Methods: Prospectively collected data from 2,339 patients who completed the EAT‐10 questionnaire during evaluation at a tertiary care otolaryngology clinic were utilized. IRT analyses provided discrimination and location parameters associated with individual questions. Residual item correlations were also assessed for redundant information. Based on these results, three 5‐item subsets were further evaluated using item information function curves. Areas under receiver‐operator characteristic curves (ROC‐AUC) were also calculated to evaluate the discriminatory ability for dysphagia‐related clinical diagnoses. Results: Item discrimination parameter estimates ranged from 1.71 to 5.46, with higher values indicating more information. Residual item correlations were determined within item pairs, and location parameters were calculated. Based on these data, in combination with clinical utility, three 5‐item subsets were proposed and assessed. ROC‐AUC analyses demonstrated no significant difference between the EAT‐5‐Alpha subset and the original 10‐item instrument for discriminating dysphagia as a primary diagnosis (0.88, 0.88). The EAT‐5‐Clinical subset outperformed the original 10 instruments in ROC‐AUC for aspiration. The EAT‐5‐Range subset was significantly associated with problems with thin liquids. Conclusions: IRT analyses distinguished three proposed 5‐item subsets of the EAT‐10 instrument, supporting shorter survey options, while still reflecting the impact of dysphagia without significant loss of discrimination. Level of Evidence: 3 (Diagnostic testing with consistently applied reference standards, partial blinding). Laryngoscope, 133:3327–3333, 2023 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Objectives: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that represents the highest form of dementia. The hippocampus is one of the earliest areas affected in AD. Currently, there is no definitive cure for AD. This study was planned to evaluate the effect of rivastigmine and coconut oil (CO), alone or together, on aluminum chloride (AlCl3)- induced AD model in the hippocampus of adult male albino rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty three rats were divided into group I (control) and group II (experimental, subdivided into IIa, IIb, IIc, IId and IIe subgroups). AD was induced in group II by AlCl3 for 45 days. Subgroup IIa was sacrificed at the 45th day, subgroup IIb was left without treatment for 30 days and subgroup IIc received rivastigmine for 30 days. Subgroup IId administered CO simultaneously with AlCl3 then CO treatment continued for 30 days. Subgroup IIe administered CO simultaneously with AlCl3 then CO treatment continued simultaneously with rivastigmine for 30 days. Y-maze memory test was performed and serum acetylcholinesterase (Ach-E) level was measured. After sacrifice, Ach-E and glutathione (GSH) levels were measured in brain homogenates. Brain sections at the hippocampus level were processed for H&E and immunohistochemical staining for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and amyloid beta (AP) 1-42. Results: Neurodegenerative changes were decreased in subgroups IIc and IId while the most improved histological picture was displayed by IIe. GFAP mean area % and AP 1-42 optical density and mean area % decreased in subgroups IIc and IId while the least values were recorded in IIe. Ach-E, GSH and memory test results were ameliorated in subgroups IIc and IId while the best improvement was noticed in IIe. Conclusion: CO had a prophylactic role against AD. Combination of rivastigmine and CO exerted a great synergistic effect compared to rivastigmine or CO alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial impairment is recognised as a prominent feature in kidney diseases. Therefore, we investigated whether the effects of resveratrol, L-carnitine, and apelin in the acute kidney injury model were associated with modulation of mitochondrial quality control (QC) related proteins, intra-renal renin-angiotensin (RAS) activity, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and Na+-K+ ATPase gene expression. Rats were randomly assigned to 7 groups: Distilled water injected control group, DMSO injected control group, distilled water injected lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group, DMSO injected LPS group, resveratrol injected LPS group, L-carnitine injected LPS group and apelin 13 injected LPS group. We observed that resveratrol, L-carnitine, and apelin treatments altered mitochondrial (QC) related protein levels (Pink1, Parkin, BNIP-3, Drp1, and PGC1α), decreased intra-renal RAS parameters, increased ATP level and upregulated Na+-K+ ATPase gene expression in renal tissue. Our results provide new insight into the role of mitochondrial quality control and how different antioxidants exert beneficial effects on acute kidney injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents correspondence between medical practitioners as of October 26, 2002. How general practitioners are treating more cases of diabetes; Relationship between obesogenic environments and diabetes; Focus on mental health in developing countries; Risks of thioridazine as an antipsychotic drug; Others.

Background: The increasing accessibility of artificial intelligence (AI) text-to-image generators offers a novel avenue for exploring societal perceptions. The present study assessed AI-generated images to examine the representation of gender and racial diversity among orthopaedic surgeons., Methods: Five prominent text-to-image generators (DALL·E 2, Runway, Midjourney, ImagineAI, and JasperArt) were utilized to create images for the search queries "Orthopedic Surgeon," "Orthopedic Surgeon's Face," and "Portrait of an Orthopedic Surgeon." Each query produced 80 images, resulting in a total of 240 images per generator. Two independent reviewers categorized race, sex, and age in each image, with a third reviewer resolving discrepancies. Images with incomplete or multiple faces were excluded. The demographic proportions (sex, race, and age) of the AI-generated images were then compared with those of the 2018 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) census., Results: In our examination across all AI platforms, 82.8% of the images depicted surgeons as White, 12.3% as Asian, 4.1% as Black, and 0.75% as other; 94.5% of images were men; and a majority (64.4%) appeared ≥50 years old. DALL·E 2 exhibited significantly increased diversity in representation of both women and non-White surgeons compared with the AAOS census, whereas Midjourney, Runway, and ImagineAI exhibited significantly decreased representation., Conclusions: The present study highlighted distortions in AI portrayal of orthopaedic surgeon diversity, influencing public perceptions and potentially reinforcing disparities. DALL·E 2 and JasperArt show encouraging diversity, but limitations persist in other generators. Future research should explore strategies for improving AI to promote a more inclusive and accurate representation of the evolving demographics of orthopaedic surgery, mitigating biases related to race and gender., Clinical Relevance: This study is clinically relevant as it investigates the accuracy of AI-generated images in depicting diversity among orthopaedic surgeons. The findings reveal significant discrepancies in representation by race and gender, which could impact societal perceptions and exacerbate existing disparities in health care., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJS/I106)., (Copyright © 2024 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)

Background and Objectives: Depression is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. Endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) could replace damaged Hippocampal neurons in depression. This work was planned to evaluate Rhodiola rosea (Rr) extract possible role in stimulation of NSCs proliferation and in depression improvement., Methods and Results: Thirty adult male albino rats were divided into three groups; control, untreated depressed model and Rr model. After depression induction by chronic mild stress, rats received Rr extract 1.5 g/kg/day for three weeks. The sucrose preference test (SP) was done before, after depression induction and 3 weeks after supplementation of Rr. The brain was removed and processed for H&E and immunohistochemical staining for caspase 3, glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Rr group revealed improved sucrose preference, increased undamaged neurons and decreased dark neurons. Moreover, Caspase 3 +ve cells were not detected, GFAP +ve cells increased and PCNA +ve cells were detected only in Rr group., Conclusions: This work points to the role of Rr in depression improvement and in stimulation of NSCs proliferation.