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Abstract The quality and uniformity of green coffee beans significantly influence the overall flavor and value of the product. In the coffee industry, automated flaws and bean-type identification offer numerous advantages. This study examines the effectiveness of multiple YOLO (You Only Look Once) models for identifying and classifying green coffee beans. Various YOLO variants, including YOLOv3, YOLOv4, YOLOv5, YOLOv7, YOLOv8, and custom models, are compared with a focus on computational efficiency, accuracy, and speed. Utilizing a dataset of 4,032 training and 506 testing images encompassing diverse bean types, defects, and lighting conditions, we assessed the performance. The bounding boxes generated by our models accurately encompass coffee beans, with the background typically uniform and set to black. Our analysis reveals the superior performance of the custom-YOLOv8n model, which we meticulously customized for green coffee bean detection. This model achieved high precision, recall, f1-score, and mAP, demonstrating its potential for real-world implementation in coffee bean quality control systems. The customization process involved fine-tuning the model to focus on significant features relevant to green coffee bean detection and employing specific labeling strategies. Customization allows you to fine-tune the model to focus on important features relevant to green coffee bean detection. This sensitivity ensures that the model can effectively distinguish between different bean types and detect even subtle defects. This paper clarifies our primary objective of evaluating YOLO models’ performance in identifying and categorizing green coffee beans, with potential implications for enhancing efficiency and consistency in the coffee industry. A succinct key sentence underscores the benefits of our research for readers seeking efficient YOLO model selection and implementation in agricultural systems.

Abstract Electric three-wheelers consume a great deal of power causing load shedding in industrial and residential areas. This research investigates the feasibility of a solar-assisted electric three-wheeler for deployment in Bangladesh, integrating solar photovoltaic system and pedaling generator. This research focused on enhancing the energy efficiency and sustainability of electric three-wheelers using renewable energy reducing dependency on the national grid. The rooftop space of the vehicle is insufficient for the solar PV system, necessitating the whole surface area of the vehicle with a 600 W solar panel. Simulations for Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar, and Rangpur assessed the solar energy potential across Bangladesh. A 48 V solar PV array and a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) charge controller were designed to optimize battery charging, achieving converter efficiencies between 97%–99.2%. Partial shading significantly impacted performance, while tilt angle optimization suggested a 0 $$ ^{\circ }$$ ∘ tilt for moving vehicles and a 23 $$ ^{\circ }$$ ∘ tilt during idle periods from October to March for optimal energy capture. A pedaling DC generator was introduced to charge the battery during idle times without grid reliance. The simulations for energy harvesting estimated an annual energy production of approximately 820 kWh. The integration of these systems increased drag, reducing maximum speed and requiring additional power. 172.28 kWh annual additional energy consumption was calculated for the solar PV system and 200.75 kWh for the pedaling charger. The study found the solar-assisted system with enhanced efficiency and sustainability but the limited economic viability of the pedaling generator. In future, the system can be developed for other countries with different vehicles.

Background: Bone marrow (BM) examination is an important investigation for staging or primary diagnosis of malignant lymphomas. The frequency of BM infiltration by lymphoma is quite variable. There are limited data available from developing countries on the pattern of BM involvement in patients of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). The aim of this study was to see the pattern of BM involvement by B-Cell NHL from a Tertiary Care Hospital in North India. Materials and Methods: All cases of B-cell NHL with BM involvement were included in this study. Peripheral blood smear, BM aspiration, and biopsy were performed for diagnosis and staging in all patients. Results: A total of 43 patients were diagnosed as B-cell NHL on BM aspiration and biopsy. The median age of our patients was 54.26 ± 15.07 years with a male: female ratio of 2.9:1. Twenty-four were indolent B-cell NHL cases and 19 patients had aggressive B-cell NHL. Indolent lymphomas such as SLL/CLL, MCL, FL, and marginal zone lymphoma are more common compared to aggressive NHL such as DLBCL and Burkitt’s lymphoma. Indolent lymphoma was more common in females than males (37.5% vs. 10.5%). The classical B-symptoms were present in 32.6% (n = 14). The BM was hypercellular in 62.8% of cases (n = 27) and cellular in 14% (n = 6). The pattern of BM biopsy involvement was diffuse in 65.1% (n = 28), interstitial in 23.3% (n = 10), and nodular in 11.6% (n = 5). Diffuse involvement of marrow was more frequent than nodular in aggressive lymphomas compared to indolent ones. Conclusions: In patients with B-cell NHL, BM involvement is more common in the indolent disease. The pattern of diffuse marrow involvement is more common in our region.

Abstract A reliable and accurate diagnosis and identification system is required to prevent and manage tea leaf diseases. Tea leaf diseases are detected manually, increasing time and affecting yield quality and productivity. This study aims to present an artificial intelligence-based solution to the problem of tea leaf disease detection by training the fastest single-stage object detection model, YOLOv7, on the diseased tea leaf dataset collected from four prominent tea gardens in Bangladesh. 4000 digital images of five types of leaf diseases are collected from these tea gardens, generating a manually annotated, data-augmented leaf disease image dataset. This study incorporates data augmentation approaches to solve the issue of insufficient sample sizes. The detection and identification results for the YOLOv7 approach are validated by prominent statistical metrics like detection accuracy, precision, recall, mAP value, and F1-score, which resulted in 97.3%, 96.7%, 96.4%, 98.2%, and 0.965, respectively. Experimental results demonstrate that YOLOv7 for tea leaf diseases in natural scene images is superior to existing target detection and identification networks, including CNN, Deep CNN, DNN, AX-Retina Net, improved DCNN, YOLOv5, and Multi-objective image segmentation. Hence, this study is expected to minimize the workload of entomologists and aid in the rapid identification and detection of tea leaf diseases, thus minimizing economic losses.

BackgroundAdults undergoing lung transplant, as a lifesaving treatment for end stage lung disease, exhibit high levels of peri-operative neurocognitive dysfunction in multiple domains, including delirium, cognition, and autonomic deficits. These complications impact healthcare costs, quality of life, and patient outcomes. Post-operative symptoms likely result from loss of brain tissue integrity in sites mediating such regulatory functions. Our aim in this study was to examine peri-operative neurocognitive dysfunction and brain tissue changes after lung transplant in adults.MethodsWe retrospectively examined the UCLA lung transplant database to identify 114 lung transplant patients with pre-operative clinical and neurocognitive data. Of 114 patients, 9 lung transplant patients had pre- and post-transplant brain magnetic resonance imaging. Clinical and neurocognitive data were summarized for all subjects, and brain tissue volume changes, using T1-weighted images, before and after transplant were examined. T1-weighted images were partitioned into gray matter (GM)-tissue type, normalized to a common space, smoothed, and the smoothed GM-volume maps were compared between pre- and post-transplant (paired t-tests; covariate, age; SPM12, p < 0.005).ResultsIncreased comorbidities, including the diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, kidney disease, and sleep disordered breathing, as well as higher rates of neurocognitive dysfunction were observed in the lung transplant patients, with 41% experiencing post-operative delirium, 49% diagnosed with a mood disorder, and 25% of patients diagnosed with cognitive deficits, despite incomplete documentation. Similarly, high levels of delirium, cognitive dysfunction, and mood disorder were noted in a subset of patients used for brain MRI evaluation. Significantly decreased GM volumes emerged in multiple brain regions, including the frontal and prefrontal, parietal, temporal, bilateral anterior cingulate and insula, putamen, and cerebellar cortices.ConclusionAdults undergoing lung transplant often show significant pre-operative comorbidities, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease, as well as neurocognitive dysfunction. In addition, patients with lung transplant show significant brain tissue changes in regions that mediate cognition, autonomic, and mood functions. The findings indicate a brain structural basis for many enhanced post-operative symptoms and suggest a need for brain tissue protection in adults undergoing lung transplant to improve health outcomes.

Getting synthetic biology circuit-based sensors into field applications is still a challenge. Here the authors combine a circuit sensor with a glucose meter for small analyte and nucleic acid detection.

Background:One of the commonest genetic subtypes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is t (12;21) (ETV6/RUNX1) being associated with favorable prognosis and distinctive clinical and pathological features. There are few studies about this abnormality in Iraq. Objective:To detect the expression ETV6/RUNX1 fusion gene in B-ALL pediatric patients by using FISH technique. Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2018 to September 2018. Forty-eight newly diagnosed children with B-ALL were enrolled in this study. Fresh peripheral heparinized blood sample (3 ml) were taken from the patient at admission before chemotherapy, and ETV6-RUNX1 probe was applied and reading done by florescent microscope. Results:The mean age of study group was (4.01±0.19) years, their median age was 4.1 years, ranging between (2-7.2) years at diagnosis, ETV6/RUNX1 chimeric transcript product was found in 19 of 48 (39.6%) pediatric B- ALL patients. Conclusion:The frequency of investigated translocation [t(12;21)/ETV6/RUNX1 in a sample of Iraqi pediatric B-ALL patients, was among the higher reported frequencies worldwide, and that ETV6/RUNX1 fusion gene is independent prognostic factor not related to other hematological and clinical parameters. Keywords:ETV6/RUNX1 fusion gene, pediatric ALL, FISH Citation:Mahdi YM, Hameed BM, Mahmood FM, Qassim KW, Al-Mamoori HS. Detection of ETV6/RUNX1 fusion gene using FISH technique detection in pediatric all patients. Iraqi JMS. 2019; 17(3&4): 201-206. doi: 10.22578/IJMS.17.3&4.6

This rotary engine comprises a cylindrical chamber inside a casing wherein there is a concentric rotatable power shaft and a rotatable asymmetric main wheel mounted eccentrically enough as such to avoid contact with the wall of cylindrical chamber. In addition, two bars traversing the main wheel radially further have a wiping contact with the cylindrical chamber wherein one bar is fixed with power shaft and other bar is hinged with said power shaft. A combustion process is in detonation phase within a demarcated combustion chamber whereby the combustion chamber rotatably travels from a bottom dead volume to a top dead volume, and hence, a power, generated during this path of rotational travel, is subsequently available for delivery at the concentric power shaft.

Background: A review of both Western and Indian literature shows that there are few comprehensive studies on pancytopenia. In India, the causes of pancytopenia are not well defined. This data, if available, would help in planning the diagnostic and therapeutic approach in patients with pancytopenia. Aim: To evaluate the cases of pancytopenia by peripheral smear and/or bone marrow aspiration and/or bone marrow biopsy to find out the etiology, clinical, hematological, and histomorphologic features of pancytopenia. Materials and Methods: Detailed hematological investigations a complete hemogram, peripheral smear examination, bone marrow aspiration, and biopsy examination were done. Results: The most common cause of pancytopenia in our study was megaloblastic anemia (56%), followed by hypoplastic/aplastic anemia (14%), hypersplenism (8%) and post viral illness (6%). Conclusion: Megaloblastic anemia due to vitamin B12/folate deficiency seems to reflect the higher prevalence of pancytopenia in Indian subjects, putting hypoplastic/aplastic anemia in the second position, which is the leading cause for pancytopenia in the Western countries.

Stomatocytes are erythrocytes with a central slit or mouth-shaped (stoma) area of central pallor when examined on dried smears. In wet preparations, they are uniconcave rather than biconcave, giving them a bowllike appearance. In vitro, stomatocytes are produced by drugs that intercalate into the inner half of the lipid bilayer, thereby expanding the inner lipid surface area relative to that of the outer half of the bilayer. Hereditary stomatocytosis (also known as hereditary hydrocytosis, or overhydrated stomatocytosis) refers to a heterogeneous group of autosomal dominant hemolytic anemias caused by altered sodium permeability of the red cell membrane. We present the first case report of hereditary stomatocytosis in a 10-year-old male from the valley of Kashmir. Only eight families with this condition have been described worldwide.

It has designed and constructed a robot control system using positions eye pupil cues with motion detection method. The method detects changes in image as a process of movement. The image of the eye pupil was captured by a webcam and subsequently converted into a gray scale. To determine the direction of motion of the prototype robot, has been used the rules of segmentation e.g. the division of area of the image obtained. In every area of an image or segmentation unit will be set to a detector, and if there is movement in that area will be reported in the percentage of movement. Percentage value of the segmentation cells is fed to the parallel port so the prototype robot can move forward, turn right, turn left, and stop.

The Peripherally inserted central venous catheter (PICC) is a thin and long flexible catheter made of biocompatible material, either silicone or polyurethane, inserted percutaneously into the basilic or cephalic vein in the forearm or the antecubital fossa, often with the help of ultrasound or fluoroscopy guidance. The catheter is then advanced into the central circulation with tip of the catheter most often placed in the superior vena cava or at the caval-atrial junction. Although peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) offer advantages over traditional central venous approaches, PICC lines are associated with a number of insertion and maintenance problems. We present a case of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) on modified Berlin Frankfurt – Munster (BFM) protocol with a rare complication of catheter fracture.

Abstract Background Dry eye disease is a common debilitating ocular disease. Current diagnostic tests used in dry eye disease are often neither sensitive nor reproducible, making it difficult to accurately diagnose and determine end points for clinical trials, or evaluate the usefulness of different medications in the treatment of dry eye disease. The recently developed fluorophotometer can objectively detect changes in the corneal epithelium by quantitatively measuring its barrier function or permeability. The purpose of the study is to investigate the use of corneal fluorescein penetration measured by the fluorophotometer as a diagnostic tool in the evaluation of dry eye patients. Methods Dry eye patients (16 eyes), who presented with a chief complaint of ocular irritation corresponding with dry eye, low Schirmer's one test ( Results Ten minutes after fluorescein installition, patients with dry eye disease averaged a five-fold increase in corneal tissue fluorescein concentration (mean = 375.26 ± 202.67 ng/ml) compared with that of normal subjects (mean = 128.19 ± 85.84 ng/ml). Sixty minutes after dye installation, patients with dry eye disease still revealed higher corneal tissue fluorescein concentration (mean = 112.87 ± 52.83 ng/ml) compared with that of controls (mean = 40.64 ± 7.96 ng/ml), averaging a three-fold increase. Conclusion Patients with dry eye disease demonstrated an increased corneal permeability and a slower rate of elimination to topically administered fluorescein when measured by the fluorophotometer. This suggests that fluorophotometry may serve as a valuable quantitative and objective tool for the diagnosis of dry eye disease, and in following patients' response to new treatment modalities. Fluorophotometry may serve as an objective non-invasive tool for end-point analysis in clinical trials of new treatments for dry eye disease.

Background: To examine the artificial intelligence (AI) tools currently being studied in modern medical education, and critically evaluate the level of validation and the quality of evidence presented in each individual study., Methods: This review (PROSPERO ID: CRD42023410752) was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. A database search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Articles written in the English language between 2000 and March 2023 were reviewed retrospectively using the MeSH Terms "AI" and "medical education" A total of 4642 potentially relevant studies were found., Results: After a thorough screening process, 36 studies were included in the final analysis. These studies consisted of 26 quantitative studies and 10 studies investigated the development and validation of AI tools. When examining the results of studies in which Support vector machines (SVMs) were employed, it has demonstrated high accuracy in assessing students' experiences, diagnosing acute abdominal pain, classifying skilled and novice participants, and evaluating surgical training levels. Particularly in the comparison of surgical skill levels, it has achieved an accuracy rate of over 92%., Conclusion: AI tools demonstrated effectiveness in improving practical skills, diagnosing diseases, and evaluating student performance. However, further research with rigorous validation is required to identify the most effective AI tools for medical education., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures The authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.

Background: Delayed graft function (DGF) is a major adverse complication of deceased donor kidney transplantation. Intravenous fluids are routinely given to patients receiving a transplant to maintain intravascular volume and optimise graft function. Saline (0·9% sodium chloride) is widely used but might increase the risk of DGF due to its high chloride content. We aimed to test our hypothesis that using a balanced low-chloride crystalloid solution (Plasma-Lyte 148) instead of saline would reduce the incidence of DGF., Methods: BEST-Fluids was a pragmatic, registry-embedded, multicentre, double-blind, randomised, controlled trial at 16 hospitals in Australia and New Zealand. Adults and children of any age receiving a deceased donor kidney transplant were eligible; those receiving a multi-organ transplant or weighing less than 20 kg were excluded. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) using an adaptive minimisation algorithm to intravenous balanced crystalloid solution (Plasma-Lyte 148) or saline during surgery and up until 48 h after transplantation. Trial fluids were supplied in identical bags and clinicians determined the fluid volume, rate, and time of discontinuation. The primary outcome was DGF, defined as receiving dialysis within 7 days after transplantation. All participants who consented and received a transplant were included in the intention-to-treat analysis of the primary outcome. Safety was analysed in all randomly assigned eligible participants who commenced surgery and received trial fluids, whether or not they received a transplant. This study is registered with Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, (ACTRN12617000358347), and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03829488)., Findings: Between Jan 26, 2018, and Aug 10, 2020, 808 participants were randomly assigned to balanced crystalloid (n=404) or saline (n=404) and received a transplant (512 [63%] were male and 296 [37%] were female). One participant in the saline group withdrew before 7 days and was excluded, leaving 404 participants in the balanced crystalloid group and 403 in the saline group that were included in the primary analysis. DGF occurred in 121 (30%) of 404 participants in the balanced crystalloid group versus 160 (40%) of 403 in the saline group (adjusted relative risk 0·74 [95% CI 0·66 to 0·84; p<0·0001]; adjusted risk difference 10·1% [95% CI 3·5 to 16·6]). In the safety analysis, numbers of investigator-reported serious adverse events were similar in both groups, being reported in three (<1%) of 406 participants in the balanced crystalloid group versus five (1%) of 409 participants in the saline group (adjusted risk difference -0·5%, 95% CI -1·8 to 0·9; p=0·48)., Interpretation: Among patients receiving a deceased donor kidney transplant, intravenous fluid therapy with balanced crystalloid solution reduced the incidence of DGF compared with saline. Balanced crystalloid solution should be the standard-of-care intravenous fluid used in deceased donor kidney transplantation., Funding: Medical Research Future Fund and National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia), Health Research Council (New Zealand), Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and Baxter., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests MGC has received research support from Baxter Healthcare, the manufacturer of Plasma-Lyte 148, via a Baxter Investigator-Initiated Research grant that provided fluids for the BEST-Fluids trial (commercial value of US$36 270). DWJ has received consultancy fees, research grants, speaker's honoraria, and travel sponsorships from Baxter Healthcare and Fresenius Medical Care; consultancy fees from AstraZeneca and AWAK; speaker's honoraria and travel sponsorships from ONO; and travel sponsorships from Amgen. DR, LEH, LAV, EMP, CK, and JV are employees of the sponsor, The University of Queensland. KBD's salary was funded by a Better Evidence and Translation in Chronic Kidney Disease (BEAT-CKD) grant' and she is an employee of the ANZDATA Registry. PAC is the Deputy Executive Officer of the ANZDATA Registry. CMH has received fees for research committee activities from Janssen and GlaxoSmithKline paid to her institution; personal fees from Otsuka; research grants from Fresenius, Shire, and PKD Australia outside the submitted work; and research grants from Baxter and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia related to the current project. LW works in the Department of Anaesthesia at Austin Health, which has received funding from Baxter Healthcare for investigator-initiated clinical research. PFM has received honoraria for presentations on behalf of AstraZeneca and consultancy fees from Vifor. LW has received honoraria from Baxter Healthcare for consulting activities. All LW's fluid-related research, including study design, execution, data collection, analysis, and reporting, has been conducted independently of Baxter Healthcare and other commercial entities. ZHE has received consultancy fees and travel sponsorships from AstraZeneca. WHL has received honoraria from Alexion and education or research grants from Astellas. SJC has received research support, travel support, speaker fees, or honoraria from AstraZeneca, Bayer, CSL-Behring, Novartis, and Takeda. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Delayed graft function (DGF) is a major complication of deceased donor kidney transplantation. Saline (0.9% sodium chloride) is a commonly used intravenous fluid in transplantation but may increase the risk of DGF because of its high chloride content. Better Evidence for Selecting Transplant Fluids (BEST-Fluids), a pragmatic, registry-based, double-blind, randomized trial, sought to determine whether using a balanced low-chloride crystalloid solution (Plasma-Lyte 148) instead of saline would reduce DGF. We sought to evaluate the generalizability of the trial cohort by reporting the baseline characteristics and representativeness of the trial participants in detail., Methods: We compared the characteristics of BEST-Fluids participants with those of a contemporary cohort of deceased donor kidney transplant recipients in Australia and New Zealand using data from the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry. To explore potential international differences, we compared trial participants with a cohort of transplant recipients in the United States using data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients., Results: During the trial recruitment period, 2373 deceased donor kidney transplants were performed in Australia and New Zealand; 2178 were eligible' and 808 were enrolled in BEST-Fluids. Overall, trial participants and nonparticipants were similar at baseline. Trial participants had more coronary artery disease (standardized difference [d] = 0.09; P = 0.03), longer dialysis duration (d = 0.18, P < 0.001), and fewer hypertensive (d = -0.11, P = 0.03) and circulatory death (d = -0.14, P < 0.01) donors than nonparticipants. Most key characteristics were similar between trial participants and US recipients, with moderate differences (|d| ≥ 0.2; all P < 0.001) in kidney failure cause, diabetes, dialysis duration, ischemic time, and several donor risk predictors, likely reflecting underlying population differences., Conclusions: BEST-Fluids participants had more comorbidities and received slightly fewer high-risk deceased donor kidneys but were otherwise representative of Australian and New Zealand transplant recipients and were generally similar to US recipients. The trial results should be broadly applicable to deceased donor kidney transplantation practice worldwide., Competing Interests: M.G.C. has received research support from Baxter Healthcare Pty Ltd, the manufacturer of Plasma-Lyte 148, through a Baxter Investigator-Initiated Research grant that provided fluids for the BEST-Fluids trial (commercial value of US $36 270). D.W.J. has received consultancy fees, research grants, speaker’s honoraria, and travel sponsorships from Baxter Healthcare and Fresenius Medical Care; consultancy fees from AstraZeneca and AWAK; speaker’s honoraria and travel sponsorships from ONO; and travel sponsorships from Amgen. D.R., L.E.H. L.A.V., E.M.P., C.K., and J.V. are employees of the sponsor, The University of Queensland. K.B.D.’s salary was funded by a BEAT-CKD grant‚ and she is an employee of the ANZDATA Registry. P.A.C. is the deputy executive officer of the ANZDATA Registry. C.M.H. has received fees for research committee activities from Janssen and GlaxoSmithKline paid to her institution; personal fees from Otsuka; research grants from Fresenius, Shire, and PKD Australia outside the submitted work; and research grants from Baxter and NHMRC related to the current project. L.W. works in the Department of Anaesthesia at Austin Health, which has received funding from Baxter Healthcare for investigator-initiated clinical research. L.W. has received honoraria from Baxter Healthcare for consulting activities. All L.W.’s fluid-related research, including study design, execution, data collection, analysis, and reporting, has been conducted independently of Baxter Healthcare and other commercial entities. Z.H.E. has received consultancy fees and travel sponsorships from AstraZeneca. W.H.L. has received honoraria from Alexion and education/research grants from Astellas. S.J.C. has received research support, travel support, speaker fees, or honoraria from AstraZeneca, Bayer, CSL-Behring, Novartis, and Takeda. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Transplantation Direct. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Competing Interests: None.

Background: Delayed graft function, or the requirement for dialysis due to poor kidney function, is a frequent complication of deceased donor kidney transplantation that is associated with inferior outcomes. Intravenous fluids with a high chloride content, such as isotonic sodium chloride (0.9% saline), are widely used in transplantation but may increase the risk of poor kidney function. The primary objective of the BEST-Fluids trial is to compare the effect of a balanced low-chloride crystalloid, Plasma-Lyte 148 (Plasmalyte), versus 0.9% saline on the incidence of DGF in deceased donor kidney transplant recipients. This article describes the statistical analysis plan for the trial., Methods and Design: BEST-Fluids is an investigator-initiated, pragmatic, registry-based, multi-centre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial. Eight hundred patients (adults and children) in Australia and New Zealand with end-stage kidney disease admitted for a deceased donor kidney transplant were randomised to intravenous fluid therapy with Plasmalyte or 0.9% saline in a 1:1 ratio using minimization. The primary outcome is delayed graft function (dialysis within seven days post-transplant), which will be modelled using a log-binomial generalised linear mixed model with fixed effects for treatment group, minimization variables, and ischaemic time and a random intercept for study centre. Secondary outcomes including early kidney transplant function (a ranked composite of dialysis duration and the rate of graft function recovery), treatment for hyperkalaemia, and graft survival and will be analysed using a similar modelling approach appropriate for the type of outcome., Discussion: BEST-Fluids will determine whether Plasmalyte reduces the incidence of DGF and has a beneficial effect on early kidney transplant outcomes relative to 0.9% saline and will inform clinical guidelines on intravenous fluids for deceased donor kidney transplantation. The statistical analysis plan describes the analyses to be undertaken and specified before completion of follow-up and locking the trial databases., Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12617000358347 . Prospectively registered on 8 March 2017 ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03829488 . Registered on 4 February 2019., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Delayed graft function, the requirement for dialysis due to poor kidney function post-transplant, is a frequent complication of deceased donor kidney transplantation and is associated with inferior outcomes and higher costs. Intravenous fluids given during and after transplantation may affect the risk of poor kidney function after transplant. The most commonly used fluid, isotonic sodium chloride (0.9% saline), contains a high chloride concentration, which may be associated with acute kidney injury, and could increase the risk of delayed graft function. Whether using a balanced, low-chloride fluid instead of 0.9% saline is safe and improves kidney function after deceased donor kidney transplantation is unknown., Methods: BEST-Fluids is an investigator-initiated, pragmatic, registry-based, multi-center, double-blind, randomized controlled trial. The primary objective is to compare the effect of intravenous Plasma-Lyte 148 (Plasmalyte), a balanced, low-chloride solution, with the effect of 0.9% saline on the incidence of delayed graft function in deceased donor kidney transplant recipients. From January 2018 onwards, 800 participants admitted for deceased donor kidney transplantation will be recruited over 3 years in Australia and New Zealand. Participants are randomized 1:1 to either intravenous Plasmalyte or 0.9% saline peri-operatively and until 48 h post-transplant, or until fluid is no longer required; whichever comes first. Follow up is for 1 year. The primary outcome is the incidence of delayed graft function, defined as dialysis in the first 7 days post-transplant. Secondary outcomes include early kidney transplant function (composite of dialysis duration and rate of improvement in graft function when dialysis is not required), hyperkalemia, mortality, graft survival, graft function, quality of life, healthcare resource use, and cost-effectiveness. Participants are enrolled, randomized, and followed up using the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant (ANZDATA) Registry., Discussion: If using Plasmalyte instead of 0.9% saline is effective at reducing delayed graft function and improves other clinical outcomes in deceased donor kidney transplantation, this simple, inexpensive change to using a balanced low-chloride intravenous fluid at the time of transplantation could be easily implemented in the vast majority of transplant settings worldwide., Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12617000358347. Registered on 8 March 2017. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03829488. Registered on 4 February 2019.

Functional MRI (fMRI) findings hold many potential applications for education, and yet, the translation of fMRI findings to education has not flowed. Here, we address the types of fMRI that could better support applications of neuroscience to the classroom. This 'educational fMRI' comprises eight main challenges: (1) collecting artifact-free fMRI data in school-aged participants and in vulnerable young populations, (2) investigating heterogenous cohorts with wide variability in learning abilities and disabilities, (3) studying the brain under natural and ecological conditions, given that many practical topics of interest for education can be addressed only in ecological contexts, (4) depicting complex age-dependent associations of brain and behaviour with multi-modal imaging, (5) assessing changes in brain function related to developmental trajectories and instructional intervention with longitudinal designs, (6) providing system-level mechanistic explanations of brain function, so that useful individualized predictions about learning can be generated, (7) reporting negative findings, so that resources are not wasted on developing ineffective interventions, and (8) sharing data and creating large-scale longitudinal data repositories to ensure transparency and reproducibility of fMRI findings for education. These issues are of paramount importance to the development of optimal fMRI practices for educational applications., (Copyright © 2019 Seghier, Fahim and Habak.)

Decisions differ in difficulty and rely on perceptual information that varies in richness (complexity); aging affects cognitive function including decision-making, and yet, the interaction between difficulty and perceptual complexity have rarely been addressed in aging. Using a parametric fMRI modulation analysis and psychophysics, we address how task difficulty affects decision-making when controlling for the complexity of the perceptual context in which decisions are made. Perceptual complexity was varied in a factorial design while participants made perceptual judgments on the spatial frequency of two patches that either shared the same orientation (simple condition) or were orthogonal in orientation (complex condition). Psychophysical thresholds were measured for each participant in each condition and served to set individualized levels of difficulty during scanning. Findings indicate that discriminability interacts with complexity, to influence decisional difficulty. Modulation as a function of difficulty is maintained with age, as indicated by coupling between increased activation in fronto-parietal regions and suppression in the lateral hubs, however, age has a specific effect in the ventral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), driven by performance at near-threshold (difficult) levels for the simpler stimulus combination condition, but not the more complex one. Taken together, our findings suggest that the context of difficulty, or what is perceived as important, changes with age, and that decisions that would seem neutral to younger participants, may carry more emphasis with age.

We announce a new class of carbon allotropes. The basis of this new classification resides on the concept of combining hexagonal diamond (sp 3 bonded carbon - lonsdaleite) and ring carbon (sp 2 bonded carbon - graphene). Since hexagonal diamond acts as an insulator and sp 2 bonded rings act as conductors, these predicted materials have potential applications for transistors and other electronic components. We describe the structure of a proposed series of carbon allotropes, novamene , and carry out a detailed computational analysis of the structural and electronic properties of the simplest compound in this class: the single-ring novamene. In addition, we suggest how hundreds of different allotropes of carbon could be constructed within this class.

Background/aims: Cardiac biomarkers are associated with cardiac abnormalities and adverse outcomes in dialysis patients. Our aim was to report the effect of the beta-blocker carvedilol on cardiac biomarkers in adult dialysis patients., Methods: The Beta-Blocker to Lower Cardiovascular Dialysis Events Feasibility Study was a randomized controlled trial comparing carvedilol to placebo. Serum and plasma were collected before the run-in, then 6 and 12 months post-randomization to measure B-type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP), N-terminal BNP (NT-ProBNP), high-sensitivity cardiac troponins I (hs-TnI) and T (hs-TnT), and galectin-3. Left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) was measured by echocardiography at baseline., Results: Seventy-two participants were recruited of whom 49 completed the run-in and were randomized to carvedilol (n=26) or placebo (n=23). Baseline echocardiography demonstrated median (inter-quartile range) GLS of -14.27% (-16.63 to -11.93). NTproBNP and hs-TnT correlated with GLS (Spearman's rho=0.34 [p=0.018] and rho=0.28 [p=0.049], respectively). Median change scores from baseline to 12 months did not differ significantly between participants with complete biomarker data randomized to carvedilol (n=15) or placebo (n=16) for any biomarkers., Conclusions: NT-proBNP and hs-TnT were associated with GLS. However, changes in levels of the biomarkers from baseline to 12 months were not different between groups randomized to carvedilol and placebo., (© 2017 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

CeO 2 nanoparticles (CeO 2 NPs) which are used as a diesel fuel additive are emitted in the particulate phase in the exhaust, posing a health concern. However, limited information exists regarding the in vivo acute toxicity of CeO 2 NPs on multiple organs. Presently, we investigated the acute (24 h) effects of intratracheally instilled CeO 2 NPs in mice (0.5 mg/kg) on oxidative stress, inflammation, and DNA damage in major organs including lung, heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, and brain. Lipid peroxidation measured by malondialdehyde production was increased in the lungs only, and reactive oxygen species were increased in the lung, heart, kidney, and brain. Superoxide dismutase activity was decreased in the lung, liver, and kidney, whereas glutathione increased in lung but it decreased in the kidney. Total nitric oxide was increased in the lung and spleen but it decreased in the heart. Tumour necrosis factor- α increased in all organs studied. Interleukin- (IL-) 6 increased in the lung, heart, liver, kidney, and spleen. IL-1 β augmented in the lung, heart, kidney, and spleen. Moreover, CeO 2 NPs induced DNA damage, assessed by COMET assay, in all organs studied. Collectively, these findings indicate that pulmonary exposure to CeO 2 NPs causes oxidative stress, inflammation, and DNA damage in multiple organs.

Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death, accounting for approximately 40 percent of all-cause mortality in patients receiving either hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Cardiovascular risk stratification is an important aspect of managing dialysis patients as it enables early identification of high-risk patients, so therapeutic interventions can be optimized to lower cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Biomarkers can detect early stages of cardiac injury so timely intervention can be provided. The B-type natriuretic peptides (Brain Natriuretic peptide [BNP] and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP]) and troponins have been shown to predict mortality in dialysis patients. Suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) and galectin-3 are new emerging biomarkers in the field of heart failure in both the general and dialysis populations. This article aims to discuss the current evidence regarding cardiac biomarker use to diagnose myocardial injury and monitor the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients undergoing dialysis., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors declare there is no conflict of interest.

Lead is a widely-spread environmental pollutant and a commonly-used industrial chemical that can cause multisystemic adverse health effects. However, the effects of lead exposure on diabetic animals have not been reported so far. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of lead exposure on thyroid, renal and oxidative stress markers in diabetic Wistar rats. Diabetes was induced with an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of streptozocin (STZ). Six weeks later, rats were exposed i.p. to either distilled water (control group) or 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg of lead acetate (treatment groups). We found a positive relationship between the administered doses of lead acetate and its measured levels in blood samples (P < 0.01). Treatment of diabetic animals with lead acetate resulted in significant weight loss (P < 0.001). It also caused an increase in thyroid stimulating hormone levels (P < 0.05) and reductions in thyroxine (P < 0.05) and triiodothyronine levels (P < 0.01), a clinical picture consistent with hypothyroidism. Lead acetate exposure increased urea levels (P < 0.05) and caused a significant decrease in creatinine (P < 0.05). Besides, while the concentrations of malondialdehyde were not affected, glutathione stores were depleted (P < 0.01); in response to lead exposure. In conclusion, exposure of diabetic rats to lead acetate resulted in weight loss, clinical hypothyroidism, renal damage and oxidative stress.

Background and Objectives: Monitoring N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) may be useful for assessing cardiovascular risk in dialysis patients. However, its biologic variation is unknown, hindering the accurate interpretation of serial concentrations. The aims of this prospective cohort study were to estimate the within- and between-person coefficients of variation of NT-proBNP in stable dialysis patients, and derive the critical difference between measurements needed to exclude biologic and analytic variation., Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: Fifty-five prevalent hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients attending two hospitals were assessed weekly for 5 weeks and then monthly for 4 months between October 2010 and April 2012. Assessments were conducted at the same time in the dialysis cycle and entailed NT-proBNP testing, clinical review, electrocardiography, and bioimpedance spectroscopy. Patients were excluded if they became unstable., Results: This study analyzed 136 weekly and 113 monthly NT-proBNP measurements from 40 and 41 stable patients, respectively. Results showed that 22% had ischemic heart disease; 9% and 87% had left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction, respectively. Respective between- and within-person coefficients of variation were 153% and 27% for weekly measurements, and 148% and 35% for monthly measurements. Within-person variation was unaffected by dialysis modality, hydration status, inflammation, or cardiac comorbidity. NT-proBNP concentrations measured at weekly intervals needed to increase by at least 46% or decrease by 84% to exclude change due to biologic and analytic variation alone with 90% certainty, whereas monthly measurements needed to increase by at least 119% or decrease by 54%., Conclusions: The between-person variation of NT-proBNP was large and markedly greater than within-person variation, indicating that NT-proBNP testing might better be applied in the dialysis population using a relative-change strategy. Serial NT-proBNP concentrations need to double or halve to confidently exclude change due to analytic and biologic variation alone., (Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Nephrology.)

Background: Changes in high sensitivity cardiac troponin-T (hs-cTnT) concentrations may reflect either acute myocardial injury or biological variation. Distinguishing between these entities is essential to accurate diagnosis, however, the biological variation of hs-cTnT in dialysis population is currently unknown. We sought to estimate the within- and between-person coefficients of variation of hs-cTnT in stable dialysis patients, and derive the critical difference between measurements needed to exclude biological variation with 99% confidence., Methods: Fifty-five prevalent haemo- and peritoneal-dialysis patients attending two metropolitan hospitals were assessed on 10 consecutive occasions; weekly for 5 weeks then monthly for 4 months. Assessments were conducted at the same dialysis cycle time-point and entailed hs-cTnT testing, clinical review, electrocardiography, and bioimpedance spectroscopy. Patients were excluded if they developed clinical or physiological instability., Results: In total 137 weekly and 114 monthly hs-cTnT measurements from 42 stable patients were analysed. Respective between- and within-person coefficients of variation were 83% and 7.9% for weekly measurements, and 79% and 12.6% for monthly measurements. Within-person variation was unaffected by dialysis modality or cardiac co-morbidity. The bidirectional 99% reference change value was -25% and +33% for weekly measurements, and -37% and +58% for monthly measurements., Conclusions: The between-person variation of hs-cTnT in the dialysis population is markedly greater than within-person variation indicating that hs-cTnT testing is best applied in this population using a relative change strategy. An increase of 33% or a reduction of 25% in serial hs-cTnT concentrations measured at weekly intervals excludes change due to analytical and biological variation alone with 99% confidence.

Amorphous silica nanoparticles (SiNP) are being investigated for their potential use in various industrial and medical fields. Therefore, the assessment of their possible pathophysiological effect on circulating cells such as platelets is essential. We recently showed that intraperitoneal administration of SiNP causes proinflammatory and prothrombotic responses in vivo. However, little is known about the interaction of amorphous SiNP with platelets in vitro. Presently, we investigated the in vitro effects of SiNP (1, 5 and 25 μg/ml) on platelet aggregation, oxidative stress and intracellular calcium in mouse platelets. Incubation of platelets with SiNP caused a significant and dose-dependent platelet aggregation. Similarly, the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (as a marker of cell membrane integrity) was significantly increased by SiNP. Total antioxidant activity and lipid platelets vulnerability to in vitro peroxidation (measured by malondialdehyde production) were significantly increased after SiNP exposure. Additionally, SiNP exposure significantly increased the cytosolic calcium concentration. In conclusion, our in vitro data show that incubation of platelets with SiNP caused platelet aggregation, oxidative stress and increased intracellular calcium. This finding provides evidence on the toxicity of SiNP on platelet physiology.

Several epidemiological and clinical studies have shown that exposure to particulate air pollution is associated with increases in morbidity and mortality, and this is more evident in patients with renal diseases. However, the basis of the possible exacerbating effect of particulate air pollution on animal model of renal injury has received scant attention. Here, we assessed the effect of repeated exposure to diesel exhaust particles (DEP) on cisplatin (CP)-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. DEP (0.5 m/kg) was intratracheally (i.t.) instilled every second day for eight days (a total of five exposures). CP, 6 mg/kg was given 1 h before the third exposure to DEP. Two days following the last exposure to either DEP or saline (control), various renal endpoints were measured. Water intake, urine volume, and relative kidney weight were significantly increased in CP + DEP versus DEP and CP + saline versus saline. Plasma creatinine increased and creatinine clearance decreased in CP + DEP versus DEP and CP + saline versus saline. Interestingly, blood urea nitrogen, albumin concentrations, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) activity in urine were significantly increased in DEP + CP compared with either DEP or saline + CP. The combination of DEP and CP enhanced kidney injury molecule-1, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, 8-isoprostane and total nitric oxide in the kidney compared with either saline + CP or DEP. Similarly, systolic blood pressure was increased in CP + DEP versus CP + saline or DEP. The renal tubular necrosis observed in kidneys of CP-treated rats was aggravated by the combination of CP + DEP. We conclude that repeated exposure to DEP potentiated CP-induced nephrotoxicity. Our data provide experimental evidence that patients with kidney injury could be at higher risk than the general population., (© 2014 by the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.)

Nicotine is involved in the pathogenesis of hematological and cardiopulmonary diseases. The understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these undesirable effects is however unclear. Cigarette smoking, nicotine gums and patches are common sources for nicotine ingestion. We have investigated the nicotine's effect on cerebral microvessel thrombosis and systemic toxicity. Mice received either nicotine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline (control), once a day for 21 days. Briefly, after bolus intravenous fluorescein injection, a photo insult of cerebral microvessel was done. The platelet aggregation in microvessels was video recorded and analyzed. In conjunction, the plasma levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), liver enzymes, creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN); and histopathological studies were carried out. Our results revealed a significant prothrombotic effect following nicotine exposure. Significant decrease in SOD indicates the occurrence of oxidative stress involved in the tissue damages and increase in the LDH emphasize the systemic toxicity. Substantial rise in the liver aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were observed. Lungs histology showed intra-vascular hemorrhagic infarction with necrosis, macrophage and neutrophils infiltration. Liver histology showed intravascular thrombosis and portal inflammation. We conclude that the sub-acute nicotine exposure causes an increase in thrombosis in cerebral microvessels and systemic, hepatic and pulmonary toxicity.

The present study was carried out to investigate the changes in oxidative and inflammatory status in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat's kidneys and serum following treatment with Withania coagulans, a popular herb of ethnomedicinal significance. The key markers of oxidative stress and inflammation such as inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) and immunoregulatory cytokines (IL-4 and IFN-γ) were increased in kidneys along with significant hyperglycemia. However, treatment of four-month diabetic rats with Withania coagulans (10 mg/kg) for 3 weeks significantly attenuated hyperglycemia and reduced the levels of proinflammatory cytokines in kidneys. In addition, Withania coagulans treatment restored the glutathione levels and inhibited lipid peroxidation along with marked reduction in kidney hypertrophy. The present study demonstrates that Withania coagulans corrects hyperglycemia and maintained antioxidant status and reduced the proinflammatory markers in kidneys, which may subsequently reduce the development and progression of renal injury in diabetes. The results of the present study are encouraging for its potential use to delay the onset and progression of diabetic renal complications. However, the translation of therapeutic efficacy in humans requires further studies.

Lead (Pb) is known to cause abnormal function of several systems including the male reproductive system, where it has been shown to reduce sperm count. In order to examine the morphological basis of the reduction in sperm count and a possible effect of vitamin E, lead acetate (1 mg/kg body weight) was given to control and vitamin E-treated mice daily, intraperitoneally for 3 weeks. The testis and body of epididymis of the mice were subjected to electron microscopy study. Pb caused degenerative changes in spermatids inducing vacuolization and a reduction in the number of cytoplasmic organelles in Leydig cells. Pb also destroyed the stereocilia of epididymal epithelium. The addition of vitamin E ameliorated the severity of these morphological changes. In conclusion, Pb-induced reduction in sperm count may be due to changes in the ultrastructure of spermatids, epididymal epithelia and Leydig cells. These changes can be reduced by vitamin E., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

The use of the herbicide paraquat (1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridylium dichloride; PQ) which is widely used in agriculture is known to cause dopaminergic neurotoxicity. However, the mechanisms underlying this effect are not fully understood. This present study investigated the behavioral manifestations, motor coordination, and dopaminergic neurodegeneration following exposure to PQ. Male rats were injected with PQ (10 mg/kg i.p.) daily for three weeks. Rotarod systems were used for measuring locomotor activity and motor coordination. The effects of PQ on dorsiflexor, electrophysiologically-induced muscle contraction were studied. Dopamine concentrations in the ventral mesencephalon were measured by high performance liquid chromatography and the number of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta was estimated by tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry. PQ induced difficulty in movement and significant reduction in motor activity and twitch tension at the dorsiflexor skeletal muscle. The number of tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons was significantly less in the substantia nigra pars compacta and nigral dopamine level was significantly reduced in PQ treated animals (20.4+/-3.4 pg/mg) when compared with control animals (55.0+/-2.4 pg/mg wet tissue). Daily treatment of PQ for three weeks induces selective dopaminergic neuronal loss in the substantia nigra and significant behavioral and peripheral motor deficit effects.

Background: Exposure to pesticides and industrial toxins are implicated in cardiovascular disease. Paraquat (PAR) is a toxic chemical widely used as an herbicide in developing countries and described as a major suicide agent. The hypothesis tested here is that PAR induced myocardial dysfunction may be attributed to altered mechanisms of Ca(2+) transport which are in turn possibly linked to oxidative stress. The mechanisms of PAR induced myocardial dysfunction and the impact of antioxidant protection was investigated in rat ventricular myocytes., Methodology: Forty adult male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups receiving the following daily intraperitoneal injections for 3 weeks: Group 1 PAR (10 mg/kg), Control Group 2 saline, Group 3 vitamin E (100 mg/kg) and Group 4 PAR (10 mg/kg) and vitamin E (100 mg/kg). Ventricular action potentials were measured in isolated perfused heart, shortening and intracellular Ca(2+) in electrically stimulated ventricular myocytes by video edge detection and fluorescence photometry techniques, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels in heart tissue., Principal Findings: Spontaneous heart rate, resting cell length, time to peak (TPK) and time to half (THALF) relaxation of myocyte shortening were unaltered. Amplitude of shortening was significantly reduced in PAR treated rats (4.99±0.26%) and was normalized by vitamin E (7.46±0.44%) compared to controls (7.87±0.52%). PAR significantly increased myocytes resting intracellular Ca(2+) whilst TPK and THALF decay and amplitude of the Ca(2+) transient were unaltered. The fura-2-cell length trajectory during the relaxation of the twitch contraction was significantly altered in myocytes from PAR treated rats compared to controls suggesting altered myofilament sensitivity to Ca(2+) as it was normalized by vitamin E treatment. A significant increase in SOD and CAT activities was observed in both PAR and vitamin E plus PAR groups., Conclusions: PAR exposure compromised rats heart function and ameliorated by vitamin E treatment.

Cadmium (Cd), an environmental and industrial pollutant, poses a potential threat and affects many systems in human and animals. Although several reports on Cd toxicity were presented, the acute effect of Cd on systemic and thrombotic events was not reported so far. Cd (2.284 mg/kg) or saline (control) was injected intraperitoneally (ip), and the systemic parameters were assessed in mice. Compared to control group, acute intraperitoneal injection of Cd, in mice showed significant quickening of platelet aggregation (P<0.001) leading to pial cerebral thrombosis. Likewise, Cd exposure caused a significant increase in white blood cell numbers (P<0.05) indicating the occurrence of systemic inflammation. Also, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (P<0.05) and creatinine (P<0.01) levels were both significantly increased. Interestingly, the superoxide dismutase activity was significantly decreased in Cd treated group compared to control group (P<0.001), suggesting the occurrence of oxidative stress. We conclude that the Cd exposure in mice causes acute thromboembolic events, oxidative stress and alter liver and kidney functions.