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Samruk-Kazyna manager looks to diversify portfolio

Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund, Samruk-Kazyna, will invest domestically and internationally to diversify its portfolio and increase its value, claims Lyazzat Borankulova, the fund’s managing director for strategic development. 




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SAMRC and Thermo Fisher Scientific launch Centre of Excellence in molecular biology




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Ħamrun’s newest każin is ISSA, a centre for emerging arts

Electronic Music Malta has opened a new chapter in the history of contemporary Maltese music with its very own każin in Ħamrun, called ISSA




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engineering corporation 199toyota camry repair manual free download

engineering corporation 199toyota camry repair manual free download




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Frequent MRI Scanner Exposure Might Affect Memory: Study

Title: Frequent MRI Scanner Exposure Might Affect Memory: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 8/30/2012 10:05:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/30/2012 12:00:00 AM




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European MRSA Originated in Sub-Saharan Africa, Study Finds

Title: European MRSA Originated in Sub-Saharan Africa, Study Finds
Category: Health News
Created: 8/29/2014 9:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/29/2014 12:00:00 AM




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[18F]AlF-NOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT for Predicting Pathologic Response of Resectable Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma to Neoadjuvant Camrelizumab and Chemotherapy: A Phase II Clinical Trial

This single-center, single-arm, phase II trial (ChiCTR2100050057) investigated the ability of 18F-labeled fibroblast activation protein inhibitor ([18F]AlF-NOTA-FAPI-04, denoted as 18F-FAPI) PET/CT to predict the response to neoadjuvant camrelizumab plus chemotherapy (nCC) in locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (LA-ESCC). Methods: This study included 32 newly diagnosed LA-ESCC participants who underwent 18F-FAPI PET/CT at baseline, of whom 23 also underwent scanning after 2 cycles of nCC. The participants underwent surgery after 2 cycles of nCC. Recorded PET parameters included maximum, peak, and mean SUVs and tumor-to-background ratios (TBRs), metabolic tumor volume, and total lesion FAP expression. PET parameters were compared between patient groups with good and poor pathologic responses, and the predictive performance for treatment response was analyzed. Results: The good and poor response groups each included 16 participants (16/32, 50.0%). On 18F-FAPI PET/CT, the posttreatment SUVs were significantly lower in good responders than in poor responders, whereas the changes in SUVs with treatment were significantly higher (all P < 0.05). SUVmax (area under the curve [AUC], 0.87; P = 0.0026), SUVpeak (AUC, 0.89; P = 0.0017), SUVmean (AUC, 0.88; P = 0.0021), TBRmax (AUC, 0.86; P = 0.0031), and TBRmean (AUC, 0.88; P = 0.0021) after nCC were significant predictors of pathologic response to nCC, with sensitivities of 63.64%–81.82% and specificities of 83.33%–100%. Changes in SUVmax (AUC, 0.81; P = 0.0116), SUVpeak (AUC, 0.82; P = 0.0097), SUVmean (AUC, 0.81; P = 0.0116), and TBRmean (AUC, 0.74; P = 0.0489) also were significant predictors of the pathologic response to nCC, with sensitivities and specificities in similar ranges. Conclusion: 18F-FAPI PET/CT parameters after treatment and their changes from baseline can predict the pathologic response to nCC in LA-ESCC participants.




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Low-Field (64 mT) Portable MRI for Rapid Point-of-Care Diagnosis of Dissemination in Space in Patients Presenting with Optic Neuritis [CLINICAL PRACTICE]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Low-field 64 mT portable brain MRI has recently shown diagnostic promise for MS. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of portable MRI (pMRI) in assessing dissemination in space (DIS) in patients presenting with optic neuritis and determine whether deploying pMRI in the MS clinic can shorten the time from symptom onset to MRI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Newly diagnosed patients with optic neuritis referred to a tertiary academic MS center from July 2022 to January 2024 underwent both point-of-care pMRI and subsequent 3T conventional MRI (cMRI). Images were evaluated for periventricular (PV), juxtacortical (JC), and infratentorial (IT) lesions. DIS was determined on brain MRI per 2017 McDonald criteria. Test characteristics were computed by using cMRI as the reference. Interrater and intermodality agreement between pMRI and cMRI were evaluated by using the Cohen . Time from symptom onset to pMRI and cMRI during the study period was compared with the preceding 1.5 years before pMRI implementation by using Kruskal-Wallis with post hoc Dunn tests.

RESULTS:

Twenty patients (median age: 32.5 years [interquartile range {IQR}, 28–40]; 80% women) were included, of whom 9 (45%) and 5 (25%) had DIS on cMRI and pMRI, respectively. Median time interval between pMRI and cMRI was 7 days (IQR, 3.5–12.5). Interrater agreement was very good for PV (95%, = 0.89), and good for JC and IT lesions (90%, = 0.69 for both). Intermodality agreement was good for PV (90%, = 0.80) and JC (85%, = 0.63), and moderate for IT lesions (75%, = 0.42) and DIS (80%, = 0.58). pMRI had a sensitivity of 56% and specificity of 100% for DIS. The median time from symptom onset to pMRI was significantly shorter (8.5 days [IQR 7–12]) compared with the interval to cMRI before pMRI deployment (21 days [IQR 8–49], n = 50) and after pMRI deployment (15 days [IQR 12–29], n = 30) (both P < .01). Time from symptom onset to cMRI in those periods was not significantly different (P = .29).

CONCLUSIONS:

In patients with optic neuritis, pMRI exhibited moderate concordance, moderate sensitivity, and high specificity for DIS compared with cMRI. Its integration into the MS clinic reduced the time from symptom onset to MRI. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the role of pMRI in expediting early MS diagnosis and as an imaging tool in resource-limited settings.




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Prevalence of Rathke Cleft and Other Incidental Pituitary Gland Findings on Contrast-Enhanced 3D Fat-Saturated T1 MPRAGE at 7T MRI [CLINICAL PRACTICE]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

A cleftlike nonenhancing hypointensity was observed repeatedly in the pituitary gland at the adenohypophysis/neurohypophysis border on contrast-enhanced 3D fat-saturated T1-MPRAGE using clinical 7T MRI. Our primary goal was to assess the prevalence of this finding. The secondary goals were to evaluate the frequency of other incidental pituitary lesions, MRI artifacts, and their effect on pituitary imaging on the contrast-enhanced 3D fat-saturated T1 MPRAGE at 7T.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

One hundred patients who underwent 7T neuroimaging between October 27, 2021, and August 10, 2023, were included. Each case was evaluated for cleftlike pituitary hypointensity, pituitary masses, and artifacts on contrast-enhanced 3D fat-saturated T1 MPRAGE. Follow-up examinations were evaluated if present. The average prevalence for each finding was calculated, as were descriptive statistics for age and sex.

RESULTS:

A cleftlike hypointensity was present in 66% of 7T MRIs. There were no significant differences between the "cleftlike present" and "cleftlike absent" groups regarding sex (P = .39) and age (P = .32). The cleftlike hypointensity was demonstrated on follow-up MRIs in 3/3 patients with 7T, 1/12 with 3T, and 1/5 with 1.5T. A mass was found in 22%, while 75% had no mass and 3% were indeterminate. A mass was found in 18 (27%) of the cleftlike present and 4 (13%) of the cleftlike absent groups. The most common mass types were Rathke cleft cyst in 7 (31.8%) patients, "Rathke cleft cyst versus entrapped CSF" in 6 (27.3%), and microadenoma in 6 (22.2%) in the cleftlike present group. There were no significant differences in the mass types between the cleftlike present and cleftlike absent groups (P = .23). Susceptibility and/or motion artifacts were frequent using contrast-enhanced 3D fat-saturated T1 MPRAGE (54%). Artifact-free scans were significantly more frequent in the cleftlike present group (P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS:

A cleftlike nonenhancing hypointensity was frequently seen on the contrast-enhanced 3D fat-saturated T1 MPRAGE images at 7T MRI, which most likely represents a normal embryologic Rathke cleft remnant and cannot be seen in lower-field-strength MRIs. Susceptibility and motion artifacts are common in the sella. They may affect image quality, and the artifacts at 7T may lead to an underestimation of the prevalence of the Rathke cleft and other incidental findings.




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Probabilistic Presurgical Language fMRI Atlas of Patients with Brain Tumors [CLINICAL PRACTICE]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Patients with brain tumors have high intersubject variation in putative language regions, which may limit the utility of straightforward application of healthy subject brain atlases in clinical scenarios. The purpose of this study was to develop a probabilistic functional brain atlas that consolidates language functional activations of sentence completion and Silent Word Generation language paradigms using a large sample of patients with brain tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The atlas was developed using retrospectively collected fMRI data from patients with brain tumors who underwent their first standard-of-care presurgical language fMRI scan at our institution between July 18, 2015, and May 13, 2022. Three hundred seventeen patients (861 fMRI scans) were used to develop the language functional atlas. An independent presurgical language fMRI data set of 39 patients with brain tumors from a previous study was used to evaluate our atlas. Family-wise error–corrected binary functional activation maps from sentence completion, letter fluency, and category fluency presurgical fMRI were used to create probability overlap maps and pooled probabilistic overlap maps in Montreal Neurological Institute standard space. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to determine a significant difference in the maximum Dice coefficient for our atlas compared with a meta-analysis-based template with respect to expert-delineated primary language area activations.

RESULTS:

Probabilities of activating the left anterior primary language area and left posterior primary language area in the temporal lobe were 87.9% and 91.5%, respectively, for sentence completion, 88.5% and 74.2%, respectively, for letter fluency, and 83.6% and 67.6%, respectively, for category fluency. Maximum Dice coefficients for templates derived from our language atlas were significantly higher than the meta-analysis-based template in the left anterior primary language area (0.351 and 0.326, respectively, P < .05) and the left posterior primary language area in the temporal lobe (0.274 and 0.244, respectively, P < .005).

CONCLUSIONS:

Brain tumor patient- and paradigm-specific probabilistic language atlases were developed. These atlases had superior spatial agreement with fMRI activations in individual patients compared with the meta-analysis-based template.




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Enzyme Replacement Therapy for CLN2 Disease: MRI Volumetry Shows Significantly Slower Volume Loss Compared with a Natural History Cohort [CLINICAL PRACTICE]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses are a group of neurodegenerative disorders. Recently, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) was approved for neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2), a subtype of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses. The aim of this study was to quantify brain volume loss in CLN2 disease in patients on ERT in comparison with a natural history cohort using MRI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Nineteen (14 female, 5 male) patients with CLN2 disease at 1 UK center were studied using serial 3D T1-weighted MRI (follow-up time, 1–9 years). Brain segmentation was performed using FreeSurfer. Volume measurements for supratentorial gray and white matter, deep gray matter (basal ganglia/thalami), the lateral ventricles, and cerebellar gray and white matter were recorded. The volume change with time was analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model excluding scans before treatment onset. Comparison was made with a published natural history cohort of 12 patients (8 female, 4 male), which was re-analyzed using the same method.

RESULTS:

Brain volume loss of all segmented brain regions was much slower in treated patients compared with the natural history cohort. For example, supratentorial gray matter volume in treated patients decreased by a mean of 3% (SD, 0.74%) (P < .001) annually compared with an annual volume loss of a mean of 16.8% (SD, 1.5%) (P < .001) in the natural history cohort.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our treatment cohort showed a significantly slower rate of brain parenchymal volume loss compared with a natural history cohort in several anatomic regions. Our results complement prior clinical data that found a positive response to ERT. We demonstrate that automated MRI volumetry is a sensitive tool to monitor treatment response in children with CLN2 disease.




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Comparative Evaluation of Lower Gadolinium Doses for MR Imaging of Meningiomas: How Low Can We Go? [CLINICAL PRACTICE]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Gadolinium-based contrast agents are widely used for meningioma imaging; however, concerns exist regarding their side effects, cost, and environmental impact. At the standard gadolinium dose, most meningiomas show avid contrast enhancement, suggesting that administering a smaller dose may be feasible. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a lower gadolinium dose on the differentiation between meningiomas and adjacent intracranial tissues.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

One hundred eight patients with presumed or confirmed meningiomas who underwent a brain MRI at multiple doses of gadolinium were included in the study. The patients’ MRIs were categorized into 3 groups based on the gadolinium dose administered: micro (approximately 25% of the standard dose), low (approximately 62% of the standard dose), and standard dose. Multireader qualitative visual assessment and quantitative relative signal differences calculations were performed to evaluate tumor differentiation from the cortex and from the dural venous sinus. The relative signal differences for each dose were analyzed by using ANOVA for quantitative assessment and the McNemar test for qualitative assessment. Additionally, noninferiority testing was used to compare the low and micro doses to the standard dose.

RESULTS:

Decreasing the gadolinium dose to a low dose or micro dose resulted in a statistically significant decrease in signal difference between the tumor and the adjacent brain tissue (P < .02). However, on visual assessment, the low dose was noninferior to the standard dose. The proportion of cases with suboptimal differentiation was significantly higher for the micro dose than for the standard dose, both for the differentiation between the tumor and the cortex (P = .041) and the differentiation between the tumor and the sinus (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS:

Reducing the gadolinium dose to 62% of the standard level still allows for sufficient visual delineation of meningiomas from surrounding tissues. However, further reduction to 25% substantially compromises the ability to distinguish the tumor from adjacent structures and is, therefore, not advisable.




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Preoperative Assessment of Meningioma Consistency Using a Combination of MR Elastography and DTI [RESEARCH]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Preoperative assessment of meningioma consistency is beneficial for optimizing surgical strategy and prognosis of patients. We aim to develop a noninvasive prediction model for meningioma consistency utilizing MR elastography and DTI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Ninety-four patients (52 ± 22 years old, 69 women, 25 men) diagnosed with meningioma were recruited in the study. Each patient underwent preoperative T1WI, T2WI, DTI, and MR elastography. Combined MR elastography–DTI model was developed based on multiple logistic regression. Intraoperative tumor descriptions served as clinical criteria for evaluating meningioma consistency. The diagnostic efficacy in determining meningioma consistency was evaluated by using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Further validation was conducted in 27 stereotactic biopsies by using indentation tests and underlying mechanism was investigated by histologic analysis.

RESULTS:

Among all the imaging modalities, MR elastography demonstrated the highest efficacy with the shear modulus magnitude (|G*|) achieving an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.699–0.929). When combined with DTI, the diagnostic accuracy further increased (AUC: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.784–0.971), surpassing any technique alone. Indentation measurement based on stereotactic biopsies further demonstrated that the MR elastography–DTI model was suitable for predicting intratumor consistency. Histologic analysis suggested that meningioma consistency may be correlated with tumor cell density and fibrous content.

CONCLUSIONS:

The MR elastography–DTI combined model is effective in noninvasive prediction of meningioma consistency.




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Neuroimaging Correlates with Clinical Severity in Wilson Disease: A Multiparametric Quantitative Brain MRI [RESEARCH]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Previous studies have reported metal accumulation and microstructure changes in deep gray nuclei (DGN) in Wilson disease (WD). However, there are limited studies that investigate whether there is metal accumulation and microstructure changes in DGN of patients with WD with normal-appearing routine MRI. This study aimed to evaluate multiparametric changes in DGN of WD and whether the findings correlate with clinical severity in patients with WD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The study enrolled 28 patients with WD (19 with neurologic symptoms) and 25 controls. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and magnetic susceptibility in globus pallidus, pontine tegmentum, dentate nucleus, red nucleus, head of caudate nucleus, putamen, substantia nigra, and thalamus were extracted. Correlations between imaging data and the Unified Wilson’s Disease Rating Scale (UWDRS) neurologic subitems were explored.

RESULTS:

FA, MD, and susceptibility values were higher in multiple DGN of patients with WD than controls (P < .05). Patients with WD without abnormal signals in DGN on routine MRI also had higher FA, MD, and susceptibility values than controls (P < .017). We found that UWDRS neurologic subscores correlated with FA and susceptibility values of DGN (P < .05). In addition, we also found that FA and susceptibility values in specific structures correlated with specific neurologic symptoms of WD (ie, tremor, parkinsonism, dysarthria, dystonia, and ataxia) (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS:

Patients with WD have increased FA, MD, and susceptibility values even before the lesion is morphologically apparent on routine MRI. The increased FA and susceptibility values correlate with clinical severity of WD.




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NeuroMix with MRA: A Fast MR Protocol to Reduce Head and Neck CTA for Patients with Acute Neurologic Presentations [RESEARCH]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Overuse of CT-based cerebrovascular imaging in the emergency department and inpatient settings, notably CTA of the head and neck for minor and nonfocal neurologic presentations, stresses imaging services and exposes patients to radiation and contrast. Furthermore, such CT-based imaging is often insufficient for definitive diagnosis, necessitating additional MR imaging. Recent advances in fast MRI may allow timely assessment and a reduced need for head and neck CTA in select populations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

We identified inpatients or patients in the emergency department who underwent CTAHN (including noncontrast and postcontrast head CT, with or without CTP imaging) followed within 24 hours by a 3T MRI study that included a 2.5-minute unenhanced multicontrast sequence (NeuroMix) and a 5-minute intracranial time of flight MRA) during a 9-month period (April to December 2022). Cases were classified by 4 radiologists in consensus as to whether NeuroMix and NeuroMix + MRA detected equivalent findings, detected unique findings, or missed findings relative to CTAHN.

RESULTS:

One hundred seventy-four cases (mean age, 67 [SD, 16] years; 56% female) met the inclusion criteria. NeuroMix alone and NeuroMix + MRA protocols were determined to be equivalent or better compared with CTAHN in 71% and 95% of patients, respectively. NeuroMix always provided equivalent or better assessment of the brain parenchyma, with unique findings on NeuroMix and NeuroMix + MRA in 35% and 36% of cases, respectively, most commonly acute infarction or multiple microhemorrhages. In 8/174 cases (5%), CTAHN identified vascular abnormalities not seen on the NeuroMix + MRA protocol due to the wider coverage of the cervical arteries by CTAHN.

CONCLUSIONS:

A fast MR imaging protocol consisting of NeuroMix + MRA provided equivalent or better information compared with CTAHN in 95% of cases in our population of patients with an acute neurologic presentation. The findings provide a deeper understanding of the benefits and challenges of a fast unenhanced MR-first approach with NeuroMix + MRA, which could be used to design prospective trials in select patient groups, with the potential to reduce radiation dose, mitigate adverse contrast-related patient and environmental effects, and lessen the burden on radiologists and health care systems.




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Intra-Aneurysmal High-Resolution 4D MR Flow Imaging for Hemodynamic Imaging Markers in Intracranial Aneurysm Instability [RESEARCH]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Prediction of aneurysm instability is crucial to guide treatment decisions and to select appropriate patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms (IAs) for preventive treatment. High-resolution 4D MR flow imaging and 3D quantification of aneurysm morphology could offer insights and new imaging markers for aneurysm instability. In this cross-sectional study, we aim to identify 4D MR flow imaging markers for aneurysm instability by relating hemodynamics in the aneurysm sac to 3D morphologic proxy parameters for aneurysm instability.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

In 35 patients with 37 unruptured IAs, a 3T MRA and a 7T 4D MRI flow scan were performed. Five hemodynamic parameters—peak-systolic wall shear stress (WSSMAX) and time-averaged wall shear stress (WSSMEAN), oscillatory shear index (OSI), mean velocity, and velocity pulsatility index—were correlated to 6 3D morphology proxy parameters of aneurysm instability—major axis length, volume, surface area (all 3 size parameters), flatness, shape index, and curvedness—by Pearson correlation with 95% CI. Scatterplots of hemodynamic parameters that correlated with IA size (major axis length) were created.

RESULTS:

WSSMAX and WSSMEAN correlated negatively with all 3 size parameters (strongest for WSSMEAN with volume (r = –0.70, 95% CI –0.83 to –0.49) and OSI positively (strongest with major axis length [r = 0.87, 95% CI 0.76–0.93]). WSSMAX and WSSMEAN correlated positively with shape index (r = 0.61, 95% CI 0.36–0.78 and r = 0.49, 95% CI 0.20–0.70, respectively) and OSI negatively (r = –0.82, 95% CI –0.9 to –0.68). WSSMEAN and mean velocity correlated negatively with flatness (r = –0.35, 95% CI –0.61 to –0.029 and r = –0.33, 95% CI –0.59 to 0.007, respectively) and OSI positively (r = 0.54, 95% CI 0.26–0.74). Velocity pulsatility index did not show any statistically relevant correlation.

CONCLUSIONS:

Out of the 5 included hemodynamic parameters, WSSMAX, WSSMEAN, and OSI showed the strongest correlation with morphologic 3D proxy parameters of aneurysm instability. Future studies should assess these promising new imaging marker parameters for predicting aneurysm instability in longitudinal cohorts of patients with IA.




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High-Resolution MRA Cerebrovascular Findings in a Tri-Ethnic Population [CLINICAL PRACTICE]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Incidental findings on brain MRI and variations of the circle of Willis (CoW) are relatively common among the general population. Ethnic differences have been described before, but few studies have explored the prevalence of incidental intracranial cerebrovascular findings and CoW variants in the setting of a single multiethnic cohort. The purpose of this investigation was to describe both incidental cerebrovascular findings and the morphology of the CoW on high-resolution 3T TOF-MRA in a UK tri-ethnic population-based cohort and to present updated prevalence estimates and morphologic reference values.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

We studied participants from the UK Southall and Brent REvisited study who underwent 3T brain MRI between 2014 and 2018. TOF-MRA images were assessed for the presence of incidental cerebrovascular findings and used to determine CoW anatomy.

RESULTS:

Seven hundred fifty participants (mean age, 71.28 [SD, 6.46] years; range, 46–90 years; 337 women), 322 White Europeans, 253 South Asians, and 175 African Caribbeans were included. Incidental cerebrovascular findings were observed in 84 subjects (11.2%, 95% CI, 9.0%–13.7%; 36 women; 42.86%, 95% CI, 32.11%–54.12%), with cerebral aneurysms being the most frequent followed by intracranial arterial stenoses with the highest prevalence among South Asians compared with White European (OR: 2.72; 95% CI, 1.22–6.08; P = .015) and African Caribbean subjects (OR: 2.79; 95% CI, 1.00–7.82; P = .051). Other findings included arteriovenous malformations and infundibula. The CoW was found to be more often complete in women than in men (25.22% compared with 18.41%, P = .024) and in African Caribbean (34.86%) compared with White European (19.19%) and South Asian (14.23%) subjects (P < .001 each).

CONCLUSIONS:

Intracranial arterial stenoses were independently associated with ethnicity after adjusting for vascular risk factors, having the highest prevalence among South Asians. The prevalence of aneurysms was higher than that in previous population-based studies. We observed anatomic differences in the CoW configuration among women, men, and ethnicities.




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Thysiastery is an anime Legend Of Grimrock, and you can attack the dinosaur merchants if you’re a complete monster

One of my lesser quality tests for an RPG is whether the shopkeepers complain at you for not buying anything. Grumpy shopkeepers, good RPG. This most specific of litmus tests has served me well, although I must admit that I’d happily upgrade it to ‘shopkeepers you can attack’, would that not disqualify 99% of games. But not turn based dungeon crawler Thysiastery, it turns out. This “dungeon crawler RPG featuring traditional roguelike and turn-based gameplay” apparently trusts you enough to let you recklessly batter its friendly wandering lizard merchants. You’d be a monster for it, of course, but it’s nice to have options.

Read more




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Will an experimental mRNA vaccine help fight the mpox outbreak?

After an mRNA vaccine for mpox achieved promising results in monkeys, researchers say it could have several advantages over existing vaccines – but cold storage requirements mean it will be hard to roll out in some hard-hit countries




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Mr Beast, KSI and Logan Paul are all set for India launch event in Mumbai

The launch event will see the YouTubers partnering with Ajey Nagar, known as CarryMinati, for a special fan interaction in Mumbai





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ICMR announces call for CAR proposals under extramural research programme

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued a call for proposals for its Centre for Advanced Research (CAR) initiative under the Extramural Research Programme, inviting experienced research teams to




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A COVID-19 Cardiac MRI Study: What Went Wrong?

We still don’t know what COVID-19 is doing to the heart or how we should be investigating it and treating it. Last month JAMA Cardiology published a German cohort study of 100 patients recently recovered from COVID-19… A number of striking problems with the study were noted on Twitter…...

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MRI Sheds Its Shielding and Superconducting Magnets



Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has revolutionized healthcare by providing radiation-free, non-invasive 3-D medical images. However, MRI scanners often consume 25 kilowatts or more to power magnets producing magnetic fields up to 1.5 tesla. These requirements typically limits scanners’ use to specialized centers and departments in hospitals.

A University of Hong Kong team has now unveiled a low-power, highly simplified, full-body MRI device. With the help of artificial intelligence, the new scanner only requires a compact 0.05 T magnet and can run off a standard wall power outlet, requiring only 1,800 watts during operation. The researchers say their new AI-enabled machine can produce clear, detailed images on par with those from high-power MRI scanners currently used in clinics, and may one day help greatly improve access to MRI worldwide.

To generate images, MRI applies a magnetic field to align the poles of the body’s protons in the same direction. An MRI scanner then probes the body with radio waves, knocking the protons askew. When the radio waves turn off, the protons return to their original alignment, transmitting radio signals as they do so. MRI scanners receive these signals, converting them into images.

More than 150 million MRI scans are conducted worldwide annually, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. However, despite five decades of development, clinical MRI procedures remain out of reach for more than two-thirds of the world’s population, especially in low- and middle-income countries. For instance, whereas the United States has 40 scanners per million inhabitants, in 2016 there were only 84 MRI units serving West Africa’s population of more than 370 million.

This disparity largely stems from the high costs and specialized settings required for standard MRI scanners. They use powerful superconducting magnets that require a lot of space, power, and specialized infrastructure. They also need rooms shielded from radio interference, further adding to hardware costs, restricting their mobility, and hampering their availability in other medical settings.

Scientists around the globe have already been exploring low-cost MRI scanners that operate at ultra-low-field (ULF) strengths of less than 0.1 T. These devices may consume much less power and prove potentially portable enough for bedside use. Indeed, as the Hong Kong team notes, MRI development initially focused on low fields of about 0.05 T, until the introduction of the first whole-body 1.5 T superconducting scanner by General Electric in 1983.

The new MRI scanner (top left) is smaller than conventional scanners, and does away with bulky RF shielding and superconducting magnetics. The new scanner’s imaging resolution is on par with conventional scanners (bottom).Ed X. Wu/The University of Hong Kong

Current ULF MRI scanners often rely on AI to help reconstruct images from what signals they gather using relatively weak magnetic fields. However, until now, these devices were limited to solely imaging the brain, extremities, or single organs, Udunna Anazodo, an assistant professor of neurology and neurosurgery at McGill University in Montreal who did not take part in the work, notes in a review of the new study.

The Hong Kong team have now developed a whole-body ULF MRI scanner in which patients are placed between two permanent neodymium ferrite boron magnet plates—one above the body and the other below. Although these permanent magnets are far weaker than superconductive magnets, they are low-cost, readily available, and don’t require liquid helium or to be cooled to superconducting temperatures. In addition, the amount of energy ULF MRI scanners deposit into the body is roughly one-thousandth that from conventional scanners, making heat generation during imaging much less of a concern, Anazodo notes in her review. ULF MRI is also much quieter than regular MRI, which may help with pediatric scanning, she adds.

The new machine consists of two units, each roughly the size of a hospital gurney. One unit houses the MRI device, while the other supports the patient’s body as it slides into the scanner.

To account for radio interference from both the outside environment and the ULF MRI’s own electronics, the scientists deployed 10 small sensor coils around the scanner and inside the electronics cabinet to help the machine detect potentially disruptive radio signals. They also employed deep learning AI methods to help reconstruct images even in the presence of strong noise. They say this eliminates the need for shielding against radio waves, making the new device far more portable than conventional MRI.

In tests on 30 healthy volunteers, the device captured detailed images of the brain, spine, abdomen, heart, lung, and extremities. Scanning each of these targets took eight minutes or less for image resolutions of roughly 2 by 2 by 8 cubic millimeters. In Anazodo’s review, she notes the new machine produced image qualities comparable to those of conventional MRI scanners.

“It’s the beginning of a multidisciplinary endeavor to advance an entirely new class of simple, patient-centric and computing-powered point-of-care diagnostic imaging device,” says Ed Wu, a professor and chair of biomedical engineering at the University of Hong Kong.

The researchers used standard off-the-shelf electronics. All in all, they estimate hardware costs at about US $22,000. (According to imaging equipment company Block Imaging in Holt, Michigan, entry-level MRI scanners start at $225,000, and advanced premium machines can cost $500,000 or more.)

The prototype scanner’s magnet assembly is relatively heavy, weighing about 1,300 kilograms. (This is still lightweight compared to a typical clinical MRI scanner, which can weigh up to 17 tons, according to New York University’s Langone Health center.) The scientists note that optimizing the hardware could reduce the magnet assembly’s weight to about 600 kilograms, which would make the entire scanner mobile.

The researchers note their new device is not meant to replace conventional high-magnetic-field MRI. For instance, a 2023 study notes that next-generation MRI scanners using powerful 7 T magnets could yield a resolution of just 0.35 millimeters. Instead, ULF MRI can complement existing MRI by going to places that can’t host standard MRI devices, such as intensive care units and community clinics.

In an email, Anazodo adds this new Hong Kong work is just one of a number of exciting ULF MRI scanners under development. For instance, she notes that Gordon Sarty at the University of Saskatchewan and his colleagues are developing that device that is potentially even lighter, cheaper and more portable than the Hong Kong machine, which they are researching for use in whole-body imaging on the International Space Station.

Wu and his colleagues detailed their findings online 10 May in the journal Science.

This article appears in the July 2024 print issue as “Compact MRI Ditches Superconducting Magnets.”






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L'Oreal Paris and Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) Unveil It's THAT Worth It To Me, a Public Health Campaign and Social Media Call-to-Action that Drives Melanoma Awareness, Raises Funding for Research and Encourages Sun Protection and Sunless Tann

Eva Longoria :30 English





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The Anatomy of Mr. Middle

“Being determines consciousness.” — Marx The upper petit-bourgeois is a strange character indeed, his consciousness made up of a thousand pieces that are all at war with one another, producing a marvelous opportunity for study. All of modern society, one might say, is collected in this species, in various proportions, and various strengths, with different … Continue reading The Anatomy of Mr. Middle




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Law firm finds grooming claims against MrBeast co-host baseless

The YouTuber hired the firm to look into claims that a co-host had sent inappropriate messages to a minor.




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Why Do mRNA Vaccines Cause Side Effects?

Reasons why mRNA vaccines may cause side effects such as headaches and fevers have been finally identified by Australian researchers. This breakthrough




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"How to Maintain a Healthy Weight" With Samridhi Shukla

Highlights: Samridhi Shukla is a performer and actor Despite her busy schedule, she manages to maintain a health




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Amrita Amyloid Center: Revolutionizing Amyloidosis Care in India

Highlights: Amrita Amyloid Center offers specialized multidisciplinary care for all types of systemic amyloido




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India's MRI Evolution: From Import Dependency to Homegrown Mastery

Highlights: India's MRI systems market forecasted to grow over 13% yearly, reaching (Dollor) 950M by 2030 Indigen




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India Improves Clinical Research With ICMR's New Agreement

In a landmark development for India's clinical research landscape, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has announced the formalization of Memorandum




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The Doctor Won't See You (Mr. Pharma Rep), Now

The Doctor Won't See You (Mr. Pharma Rep), Now




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Rheumatism Relief: Amritadi Churna Shines as an Ayurvedic Healing Option

Amritadi Churna has been identified as a potent Ayurvedic remedy for medlinkrheumatism/medlink, said Banaras Hindu University (BHU) scientists. The




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Family MRSA Risk Rises After Hospital Discharge

Family members of patients recently released from hospitals are at increased risk of contracting the dangerous Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus




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Mr. Tarun Shienh Coverage in SMALL ENTERPRISE Magazine




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Hariprriya in Baraguru Ramachandrappa&#039;s Amruthamathi

Hariprriya is playing the lead role in Baraguru Ramachandrappa's Amruthamathi. It is based on Yashodhara Charita poem penned by Mahakavi Janna.




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"Such a pretty face but got herself insulted": Urfi Javed wants Tripti Dimri to take dance lessons

Urfi Javed didn't mince her words in questioning Tripti Dimri's dance skills in Mere Mehboob song.




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MrBeast & Logan Paul in Mumbai: Saif Ali Khan fulfils Jeh wish; Kareena Kapoor, Taimur, Malaika Arora, Arhaan pose with global stars

A video shows Saif Ali Khan carrying his son Jeh on his shoulders, while Taimur sits next to Kareena at a nearby table. Both Taimur and Jeh wore matching caps, while Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan twinned in black outfits. When the anchor asked who would like a picture with Logan Paul, Jeh raised his hand.




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Nimrat Kaur says friendship too makes people jealous as dating rumours with Abhishek Bachchan emerge

Actress Nimrat Kaur recently shared a humorous reel about friendships that make people jealous, amidst dating rumours with her "Dasvi" co-star Abhishek Bachchan.




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Samantha Ruth Prabhu To Nimrat Kaur: Dressing sense takes centre-stage even at screening of film Citadel Honey Bunny

Actresses put out their best fashion foot forward at the screening of the much anticipated OTT series Citadel: Honey Bunny




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Ahrefs vs SEMrush: Which SEO Tool Should You Use?


SEMrush and Ahrefs are among the most popular tools in the SEO industry. Both companies have been in business for years and have thousands of customers per month.

If you're a professional SEO or trying to do digital marketing on your own, at some point you'll likely consider using a tool to help with your efforts. Ahrefs and SEMrush are two names that will likely appear on your shortlist.

In this guide, I'm going to help you learn more about these SEO tools and how to choose the one that's best for your purposes.

What is SEMrush?


SEMrush is a popular SEO tool with a wide range of features—it's the leading competitor research service for online marketers. SEMrush's SEO Keyword Magic tool offers over 20 billion Google-approved keywords, which are constantly updated and it's the largest keyword database.

The program was developed in 2007 as SeoQuake is a small Firefox extension

Features

  • Most accurate keyword data: Accurate keyword search volume data is crucial for SEO and PPC campaigns by allowing you to identify what keywords are most likely to bring in big sales from ad clicks. SEMrush constantly updates its databases and provides the most accurate data.
  • Largest Keyword database: SEMrush's Keyword Magic Tool now features 20-billion keywords, providing marketers and SEO professionals the largest database of keywords.

  • All SEMrush users receive daily ranking data, mobile volume information, and the option to buy additional keywords by default with no additional payment or add-ons needed
  • Most accurate position tracking tool: This tool provides all subscribers with basic tracking capabilities, making it suitable for SEO professionals. Plus, the Position Tracking tool provides local-level data to everyone who uses the tool.
  • SEO Data Management: SEMrush makes managing your online data easy by allowing you to create visually appealing custom PDF reports, including Branded and White Label reports, report scheduling, and integration with GA, GMB, and GSC.
  • Toxic link monitoring and penalty recovery: With SEMrush, you can make a detailed analysis of toxic backlinks, toxic scores, toxic markers, and outreach to those sites.
  • Content Optimization and Creation Tools: SEMrush offers content optimization and creation tools that let you create SEO-friendly content. Some features include the SEO Writing Assistant, On-Page SEO Check, er/SEO Content Template, Content Audit, Post Tracking, Brand Monitoring.

Ahrefs



Ahrefs is a leading SEO platform that offers a set of tools to grow your search traffic, research your competitors, and monitor your niche. The company was founded in 2010, and it has become a popular choice among SEO tools. Ahrefs has a keyword index of over 10.3 billion keywords and offers accurate and extensive backlink data updated every 15-30 minutes and it is the world's most extensive backlink index database.

Features

  • Backlink alerts data and new keywords: Get an alert when your site is linked to or discussed in blogs, forums, comments, or when new keywords are added to a blog posting about you.
  • Intuitive interface: The intuitive design of the widget helps you see the overall health of your website and search engine ranking at a glance.
  • Site Explorer: The Site Explorer will give you an in-depth look at your site's search traffic.
  • Domain Comparison
  • Reports with charts and graphs
  • JavaScript rendering and a site audit can identify SEO issues.
  • A question explorer that provides well-crafted topic suggestions

Direct Comparisons: Ahrefs vs SEMrush

Now that you know a little more about each tool, let's take a look at how they compare. I'll analyze each tool to see how they differ in interfaces, keyword research resources, rank tracking, and competitor analysis.

User Interface

Ahrefs and SEMrush both offer comprehensive information and quick metrics regarding your website's SEO performance. However, Ahrefs takes a bit more of a hands-on approach to getting your account fully set up, whereas SEMrush's simpler dashboard can give you access to the data you need quickly.

In this section, we provide a brief overview of the elements found on each dashboard and highlight the ease with which you can complete tasks.

AHREFS



The Ahrefs dashboard is less cluttered than that of SEMrush, and its primary menu is at the very top of the page, with a search bar designed only for entering URLs.

Additional features of the Ahrefs platform include:

  • You can see analytics from the dashboard, including search engine rankings to domain ratings, referring domains, and backlink
  • Jumping from one tool to another is easy. You can use the Keyword Explorer to find a keyword to target and then directly track your ranking with one click.
  • The website offers a tooltip helper tool that allows you to hover your mouse over something that isn't clear and get an in-depth explanation.

SEMRUSH



When you log into the SEMrush Tool, you will find four main modules. These include information about your domains, organic keyword analysis, ad keyword, and site traffic.

You'll also find some other options like

  • A search bar allows you to enter a domain, keyword, or anything else you wish to explore.
  • A menu on the left side of the page provides quick links to relevant information, including marketing insights, projects, keyword analytics, and more.
  • The customer support resources located directly within the dashboard can be used to communicate with the support team or to learn about other resources such as webinars and blogs.
  • Detailed descriptions of every resource offered. This detail is beneficial for new marketers, who are just starting.

WHO WINS?

Both Ahrefs and SEMrush have user-friendly dashboards, but Ahrefs is less cluttered and easier to navigate. On the other hand, SEMrush offers dozens of extra tools, including access to customer support resources.

When deciding on which dashboard to use, consider what you value in the user interface, and test out both.

Rank Tracking

If you're looking to track your website's search engine ranking, rank tracking features can help. You can also use them to monitor your competitors.

Let's take a look at Ahrefs vs. SEMrush to see which tool does a better job.

Ahrefs



The Ahrefs Rank Tracker is simpler to use. Just type in the domain name and keywords you want to analyze, and it spits out a report showing you the search engine results page (SERP) ranking for each keyword you enter.

Rank Tracker looks at the ranking performance of keywords and compares them with the top rankings for those keywords. Ahrefs also offers:

You'll see metrics that help you understand your visibility, traffic, average position, and keyword difficulty.

It gives you an idea of whether a keyword would be profitable to target or not.

SEMRUSH



SEMRush offers a tool called Position Tracking. This tool is a project tool—you must set it up as a new project. Below are a few of the most popular features of the SEMrush Position Tracking tool:

All subscribers are given regular data updates and mobile search rankings upon subscribing

The platform provides opportunities to track several SERP features, including Local tracking.

Intuitive reports allow you to track statistics for the pages on your website, as well as the keywords used in those pages.

Identify pages that may be competing with each other using the Cannibalization report.

WHO WINS?

Ahrefs is a more user-friendly option. It takes seconds to enter a domain name and keywords. From there, you can quickly decide whether to proceed with that keyword or figure out how to rank better for other keywords.

SEMrush allows you to check your mobile rankings and ranking updates daily, which is something Ahrefs does not offer. SEMrush also offers social media rankings, a tool you won't find within the Ahrefs platform. Both are good which one do you like let me know in the comment.

Keyword Research

Keyword research is closely related to rank tracking, but it's used for deciding which keywords you plan on using for future content rather than those you use now.

When it comes to SEO, keyword research is the most important thing to consider when comparing the two platforms.

AHREFS



The Ahrefs Keyword Explorer provides you with thousands of keyword ideas and filters search results based on the chosen search engine.

Ahrefs supports several features, including:

  • It can search multiple keywords in a single search and analyze them together. At SEMrush, you also have this feature in Keyword Overview.
  • Ahrefs has a variety of keywords for different search engines, including Google, YouTube, Amazon, Bing, Yahoo, Yandex, and other search engines.
  • When you click on a keyword, you can see its search volume and keyword difficulty, but also other keywords related to it, which you didn't use.

SEMRUSH



SEMrush's Keyword Magic Tool has over 20 billion keywords for Google. You can type in any keyword you want, and a list of suggested keywords will appear.

The Keyword Magic Tool also lets you to:

  • Show performance metrics by keyword
  • Search results are based on both broad and exact keyword matches.
  • Show data like search volume, trends, keyword difficulty, and CPC.
  • Show the first 100 Google search results for any keyword.
  • Identify SERP Features and Questions related to each keyword
  • SEMrush has released a new Keyword Gap Tool that uncovers potentially useful keyword opportunities for you, including both paid and organic keywords.

WHO WINS?

Both of these tools offer keyword research features and allow users to break down complicated tasks into something that can be understood by beginners and advanced users alike.

If you're interested in keyword suggestions, SEMrush appears to have more keyword suggestions than Ahrefs does. It also continues to add new features, like the Keyword Gap tool and SERP Questions recommendations.

Competitor Analysis

Both platforms offer competitor analysis tools, eliminating the need to come up with keywords off the top of your head. Each tool is useful for finding keywords that will be useful for your competition so you know they will be valuable to you.

AHREFS



Ahrefs' domain comparison tool lets you compare up to five websites (your website and four competitors) side-by-side.it also shows you how your site is ranked against others with metrics such as backlinks, domain ratings, and more.

Use the Competing Domains section to see a list of your most direct competitors, and explore how many keywords matches your competitors have.

To find more information about your competitor, you can look at the Site Explorer and Content Explorer tools and type in their URL instead of yours.

SEMRUSH



SEMrush provides a variety of insights into your competitors' marketing tactics. The platform enables you to research your competitors effectively. It also offers several resources for competitor analysis including:

Traffic Analytics helps you identify where your audience comes from, how they engage with your site, what devices visitors use to view your site, and how your audiences overlap with other websites.

SEMrush's Organic Research examines your website's major competitors and shows their organic search rankings, keywords they are ranking for, and even if they are ranking for any (SERP) features and more.

The Market Explorer search field allows you to type in a domain and lists websites or articles similar to what you entered. Market Explorer also allows users to perform in-depth data analytics on These companies and markets.

WHO WINS?

SEMrush wins here because it has more tools dedicated to competitor analysis than Ahrefs. However, Ahrefs offers a lot of functionality in this area, too. It takes a combination of both tools to gain an advantage over your competition.

Pricing

Ahrefs

  • Lite Monthly: $99/month
  • Standard Monthly: $179/month
  • Annually Lite: $990/year
  • Annually Standard: $1790/year

SEMRUSH

  • Pro Plan: $119.95/month
  • Guru Plan:$229.95/month
  • Business Plan: $449.95/month

Which SEO tool should you choose for digital marketing?

When it comes to keyword data research, you will become confused about which one to choose.

Consider choosing Ahrefs if you

  • Like friendly and clean interface
  • Searching for simple keyword suggestions

  • Want to get more keywords for different search engines like Amazon, Bing, Yahoo, Yandex, Baidu, and more

 

Consider SEMrush if you:

  • Want more marketing and SEO features
  • Need competitor analysis tool
  • Need to keep your backlinks profile clean
  • Looking for more keyword suggestions for Google

Both tools are great. Choose the one which meets your requirements and if you have any experience using either Ahrefs or SEMrush let me know in the comment section which works well for you.

 

 





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Aparna Ashram Society &amp; Anr. vs Mr.Mohan Jha &amp; Ors. on 8 November, 2024

CHANDRA DHARI SINGH, J.

1. The instant regular first appeal has been filed by the appellants under Section 96 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (hereinafter as 'CPC') seeking the following reliefs:

Signature Not Verified

RFA 9/2022 Page 1 of 60

Digitally Signed By:PRAVEEN

KUMAR BABBAR

Signing Date:12.11.2024

18:37:54

"(a) call, summon and peruse the records of the Ld. Trial Court of Sh. Jay Thareja, Ld. ADJ-07, South-East District, Saket Courts, Delhi in Civil Suit No.7447/2016 titled as "Apama Ashram Vs. Mohan Jha & Ors. ";




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News Item Titled "Chunk Of India,S ... vs Coram: Hon'Ble Mr. Justice Prakash ... on 11 November, 2024

1. In this original application, registered suo motu, the Tribunal is considering the issue of delay in filing the reports by the State Expert Committees and its effect on the unclassed forests.

2. By order dated 31.07.2024, 38 respondents were impleaded and notices have been served upon them.

3. Replies on behalf of only UT of Ladakh and State of Andhra Pradesh have been received.

4. The previous order also indicates that there are 7 States, i.e., Goa, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, who do not appear to have constituted the Expert Committees till now.

5. Learned Counsel appearing for the MoEF&CC submits that the Ministry is in touch with the authorities of all the States and the last meeting was held on 03.10.2024 and that after collecting the relevant information, the MoEF&CC will file the reply within four weeks.




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Mohammed Imran Rehmani vs State Of Rajasthan (2024:Rj-Jd:45679) on 12 November, 2024

Order 12/11/2024 This application for bail under Section 483 BNSS has been filed by the petitioners who have been arrested in connection with F.I.R. No.21/2024 registered at Police Station Gangasheher, Dist. Bikaner, for the offences under Sections 323, 341, 354, 307 and 143 of IPC.

At the outset, learned counsel for the petitioner does not want to press the instant bail application at this stage on behalf of the petitioner No.1- Mohammed Imran Rehmani S/o Mohammed [2024:RJ-JD:45679] (2 of 4) [CRLMB-10861/2024] Ayub Rehmani but, he seeks leave of the Court to file a fresh bail application after the statements of the injured- Ajeez are recorded.




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Kumru Bhumij vs The State Of Assam on 11 November, 2024

The instant appeal has been preferred from jail against a judgment dated 17.02.2020 passed by the Addl. Sessions Judge-2 (FTC), Tinsukia in Sessions Case No. 52(T)/18 convicting the appellant and sentencing him to undergo with Life Imprisonment u/s 302 IPC and a fine of Rs.5,000/- (Rupees Five Thousand only), in default the accused shall have to undergo another rigorous imprisonment for 1 (one) year.

2. The criminal law was set into motion by lodging of an FIR on 18.02.2018 by one Ashok Chik (PW2), who is the brother of the deceased Sankar Chik. In the said FIR, the informant did not name anybody as accused and the allegation was that some unknown miscreant had left his younger brother near the Kali Mandir after killing him. On the basis of the FIR, the investigation was done whereafter the charge sheet was submitted. On framing of the charges and denial thereof, the formal trial had begun in which 15 numbers of prosecution witnesses were examined and certain documents were also exhibited including the sketch map. Apart from the statements made before the police under Section 161 of the Cr.P.C., the statements of 3 nos. of witnesses were also recorded under Section 164 of the Cr.P.C. After completion of the evidence, the appellant - accused was examined under Section 313 of the Cr.P.C. where he had denied the evidence against him.