Higher dimensional dust collapse with a cosmological constant

The general solution of the Einstein equation for higher dimensional (HD) spherically symmetric collapse of inhomogeneous dust in presence of a cosmological term, i.e., exact interior solutions of the Einstein field equations is presented for the HD Tolman-Bondi metrics imbedded in a de Sitter background. The solution is then matched to exterior HD Scwarschild-de Sitter. A brief discussion on the causal structure singularities and horizons is provided. It turns out that the collapse proceed in the same way as in the Minkowski background, i.e., the strong curvature naked singularities form and that the higher dimensions seem to favor black holes rather than naked singularities.Comment: 7 Pages, no figure

Non-vacuum Solutions of Bianchi Type VI_0 Universe in f(R) Gravity

In this paper, we solve the field equations in metric f(R) gravity for Bianchi type VI_0 spacetime and discuss evolution of the expanding universe. We find two types of non-vacuum solutions by taking isotropic and anisotropic fluids as the source of matter and dark energy. The physical behavior of these solutions is analyzed and compared in the future evolution with the help of some physical and geometrical parameters. It is concluded that in the presence of isotropic fluid, the model has singularity at $\tilde{t}=0$ and represents continuously expanding shearing universe currently entering into phantom phase. In anisotropic fluid, the model has no initial singularity and exhibits the uniform accelerating expansion. However, the spacetime does not achieve isotropy as $t\rightarrow\infty$ in both of these solutions.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophys. Space Sc

Genome-wide association analysis identifies variants associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease that have distinct effects on metabolic traits

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) clusters in families, but the only known common genetic variants influencing risk are near PNPLA3. We sought to identify additional genetic variants influencing NAFLD using genome-wide association (GWA) analysis of computed tomography (CT) measured hepatic steatosis, a non-invasive measure of NAFLD, in large population based samples. Using variance components methods, we show that CT hepatic steatosis is heritable (∼26%-27%) in family-based Amish, Family Heart, and Framingham Heart Studies (n = 880 to 3,070). By carrying out a fixed-effects meta-analysis of genome-wide association (GWA) results between CT hepatic steatosis and ∼2.4 million imputed or genotyped SNPs in 7,176 individuals from the Old Order Amish, Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik study (AGES), Family Heart, and Framingham Heart Studies, we identify variants associated at genome-wide significant levels (p<5×10(-8)) in or near PNPLA3, NCAN, and PPP1R3B. We genotype these and 42 other top CT hepatic steatosis-associated SNPs in 592 subjects with biopsy-proven NAFLD from the NASH Clinical Research Network (NASH CRN). In comparisons with 1,405 healthy controls from the Myocardial Genetics Consortium (MIGen), we observe significant associations with histologic NAFLD at variants in or near NCAN, GCKR, LYPLAL1, and PNPLA3, but not PPP1R3B. Variants at these five loci exhibit distinct patterns of association with serum lipids, as well as glycemic and anthropometric traits. We identify common genetic variants influencing CT-assessed steatosis and risk of NAFLD. Hepatic steatosis associated variants are not uniformly associated with NASH/fibrosis or result in abnormalities in serum lipids or glycemic and anthropometric traits, suggesting genetic heterogeneity in the pathways influencing these traits.Peer reviewe

Impact of primary kidney disease on the effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease: secondary analyses of the EMPA-KIDNEY trial

Background: The EMPA KIDNEY trial showed that empagliflozin reduced the risk of the primary composite outcome of kidney disease progression or cardiovascular death in patients with chronic kidney disease mainly through slowing progression. We aimed to assess how effects of empagliflozin might differ by primary kidney disease across its broad population. Methods: EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA). Patients were eligible if their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher at screening. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily or matching placebo. Effects on kidney disease progression (defined as a sustained ≥40% eGFR decline from randomisation, end-stage kidney disease, a sustained eGFR below 10 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or death from kidney failure) were assessed using prespecified Cox models, and eGFR slope analyses used shared parameter models. Subgroup comparisons were performed by including relevant interaction terms in models. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110. Findings: Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5–2·4). Prespecified subgroupings by primary kidney disease included 2057 (31·1%) participants with diabetic kidney disease, 1669 (25·3%) with glomerular disease, 1445 (21·9%) with hypertensive or renovascular disease, and 1438 (21·8%) with other or unknown causes. Kidney disease progression occurred in 384 (11·6%) of 3304 patients in the empagliflozin group and 504 (15·2%) of 3305 patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·71 [95% CI 0·62–0·81]), with no evidence that the relative effect size varied significantly by primary kidney disease (pheterogeneity=0·62). The between-group difference in chronic eGFR slopes (ie, from 2 months to final follow-up) was 1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (95% CI 1·16–1·59), representing a 50% (42–58) reduction in the rate of chronic eGFR decline. This relative effect of empagliflozin on chronic eGFR slope was similar in analyses by different primary kidney diseases, including in explorations by type of glomerular disease and diabetes (p values for heterogeneity all &gt;0·1). Interpretation: In a broad range of patients with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression, including a wide range of non-diabetic causes of chronic kidney disease, empagliflozin reduced risk of kidney disease progression. Relative effect sizes were broadly similar irrespective of the cause of primary kidney disease, suggesting that SGLT2 inhibitors should be part of a standard of care to minimise risk of kidney failure in chronic kidney disease. Funding: Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and UK Medical Research Council

Acute toxicological study of folklore drug Commiphora Caudata (Wight & Arn.)

In Ayurvedic medical science medicinal plants are considered as the base for treating the illness. The wide uses of medicinal plants are seen since historical period where ancient Acharyas have documented many of them in various ailments. But recent studies shows that many of the drugs are exploited and it should be taken care immediately to avoid shortage, which can be done through either conservation or substitution. Here the plant Commiphora caudate (Wight &amp; Arn.) is a folklore drug which is used in inflammatory conditions by traditional healers. Hence it is taken to assess the acute toxicity of the drug and the study shows that the oral administration of the Swarasa of the drug Commiphora caudata (Wight &amp; Arn.) considered to be safe as it didn’t exhibit any adverse effect in acute toxicological study on albino rats.

Hepatic adenoma: contrast-enhanced behaviour at yery low MI CEUS is helpful in characterization?

No abstrac

Long-Lasting Context Dependence Constrains Neural Encoding Models in Rodent Auditory Cortex

Acoustic processing requires integration over time. We have used in vivo intracellular recording to measure neuronal integration times in anesthetized rats. Using natural sounds and other stimuli, we found that synaptic inputs to auditory cortical neurons showed a rather long context dependence, up to ≥4 s (τ ∼ 1 s), even though sound-evoked excitatory and inhibitory conductances per se rarely lasted ≳100 ms. Thalamic neurons showed only a much faster form of adaptation with a decay constant τ <100 ms, indicating that the long-lasting form originated from presynaptic mechanisms in the cortex, such as synaptic depression. Restricting knowledge of the stimulus history to only a few hundred milliseconds reduced the predictable response component to about half that of the optimal infinite-history model. Our results demonstrate the importance of long-range temporal effects in auditory cortex and suggest a potential neural substrate for auditory processing that requires integration over timescales of seconds or longer, such as stream segregation

Behavior of hepatocellular adenoma on real-time low-mechanical index contrast-enhanced ultrasonography with a second-generation contrast agent

Objective. The purpose of this study was to describe the behavior of histologically proven hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) on low-mechanical index (MI) contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS). Methods. A review of the databases from 4 academic hospitals revealed 18 patients (15 female and 3 male; mean age, 40 years; range, 25-71 years) with 25 histologically proven HCA lesions who were studied with CEUS at a low MI (0.04-0.1). Results. Twenty-four of 25 lesions (96%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 80.5%-99.3%) showed high-intensity enhancement, scored as 3 on a scale of 0 to 3, whereas only 1 lesion (4%; 95% CI, 0.7%-19.5%) was scored as 2. The time of peak enhancement ranged between 10 and 19 seconds (average, 13 seconds). All but 1 of the 25 lesions (96%; 95% CI, 80.5%-99.3%) showed early homogeneous and centripetal enhancement during the hepatic arterial phase. No portal venous phase enhancement was observed in any lesion because all showed rapid wash-out (100%; 95% CI, 86.7%-100%). Twenty lesions (80%; 95% CI, 60.9%-91.1%) were found to be isoechoic to slightly hypoechoic during the portal phase, and 19 (76%; 95% CI, 56.6%-88.5%) were isoechoic to mildly hypoechoic, whereas 7 (24%; 95% CI, 11.5%-43.4%) were hypoechoic during the late phase. Conclusions. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography is an effective technique for identifying the microvascular and macrovascular characteristics of HCA. Typically, HCA shows early (10-19 seconds) and centripetal enhancement during the arterial phase and isoechogenicity or mild hypoechogenicity during the portal phase, remaining slightly hypoechoic or isoechoic during the late phase in most cases. © 2008 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine