Risk factor profiles for gastric cancer prediction with respect to Helicobacter pylori:A study of a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer(GC)is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.Diagnosis relies on histopathology and the number of endoscopies is increasing.Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection is a major risk factor.AIM To develop an in-silico GC prediction model to reduce the number of diagnostic surgical procedures.The meta-data of patients with gastroduodenal symptoms,risk factors associated with GC,and H.pylori infection status from Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi,Pakistan,were used with machine learning.METHODS A cohort of 341 patients was divided into three groups[normal gastric mucosa(NGM),gastroduodenal diseases(GDD),and GC].Information associated with socioeconomic and demographic conditions and GC risk factors was collected using a questionnaire.H.pylori infection status was determined based on urea breath test.The association of these factors and histopathological grades was assessed statistically.K-Nearest Neighbors and Random Forest(RF)machine learning models were tested.RESULTS This study reported an overall frequency of 64.2%(219/341)of H.pylori infection among enrolled subjects.It was higher in GC(74.2%,23/31)as compared to NGM and GDD and higher in males(54.3%,119/219)as compared to females.More abdominal pain(72.4%,247/341)was observed than other clinical symptoms including vomiting,bloating,acid reflux and heartburn.The majority of the GC patients experienced symptoms of vomiting(91%,20/22)with abdominal pain(100%,22/22).The multinomial logistic regression model was statistically significant and correctly classified 80%of the GDD/GC cases.Age,income level,vomiting,bloating and medication had significant association with GDD and GC.A dynamic RF GC-predictive model was developed,which achieved>80%test accuracy.CONCLUSION GC risk factors were incorporated into a computer model to predict the likelihood of developing GC with high sensitivity and specificity.The model is dynamic and will be further improved and validated by including new data in future research studies.Its use may reduce unnecessary endoscopic procedures.It is freely available.

Tourmaline from the Archean G.R.Halli gold deposit,Chitradurga greenstone belt,Dharwar craton(India):Implications for the gold metallogeny

Tourmaline occurs as a minor but important mineral in the alteration zc,ne of the Archean orogenic gold deposit of Guddadarangavanahalli （G.R.Halli） in the Chitradurga greenst^ne belt of the western Dharwar craton, southern India. It occurs in the distal alteration halo of the G.R.Halli golcl deposit as （a） clusters of very fine grained aggregates which form a minor constituent in the natrix of the altered metabasalt （AMB tourmaline） and （b） in quartz-carbonate veins （vein tourmaline）. ~[＇he vein tourmaline, based upon the association of specific carbonate minerals, is further grouped as （i） albite-tourmaline-ankerite-quartz veins （vein-1 tourmaline） and （ii） albite-tourmaline-calcite-quartz veins （vein-2 tourmaline）. Both the AMB tourmaline and the vein tourmalines （vein-I and vein-2） belong to the alkali group and are clas- sified under schorl-dravite series. Tourmalines occurring in the veins are zoned while the AMB tour- malines are unzoned. Mineral chemistry and discrimination diagrams 1eveal that cores and rims of the vein tourmalines are distinctly different. Core composition of the ve：n tourmalines is similar to the composition of the AMB tourmaline. The formation of the AMB tourmaline and cores of the vein tour- malines are proposed to be related to the regional D1 deformational event associated with the emplacement of the adjoining ca. 2.61 Ga Chitradurga granite whilst rims of the vein tourmalines vis-a- vis gold mineralization is spatially linked to the juvenile magmatic accretion （2.56-2.50 Ga） east of the studied area in the western part of the eastern Dharwar craton.

Assessment of Metals Concentration and Ecotoxicology of the Sediment Core of Rehri Creek, Karachi Coast, Pakistan

Trace metal concentrations were investigated in a recent sediment core collected from the Rehri Creek area of the Karachi coast, Sindh - Pakistan. The core was sliced horizontally at 2.5-cm intervals to determine grain size, sediment composition, pH, organic matter, and acid-leachable trace metals： cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and zinc. The trace metals were analyzed by ICP. To separate anthropogenic from geogenic input, several approaches were made, including comparison with sediment quality guidelines--ecotoxicological sense of heavy metal contamination and classification by quantitative indexes. Grain-size analysis and sediment composition of core sample show a sandy nature with neutral pH. Elemental sequence （ES） of the trace metals is in the order of Zn （19.2-109.56 ppm） 〉 Si （66.46-101.71 ppm） 〉 Ba （12.05-26.86 ppm） 〉 As （8.18-17.36 ppm） 〉 Ni （4.2- 14.69 ppm） 〉 Cr （3.02-9.62 ppm） 〉 Pb （2.79-6.83 ppm） 〉 Cu （2.2-5.29 ppm） 〉 Co （0.9-2.05 ppm）. Thus it is likely that the area may face a serious threat of metal pollution with the present deposition rates unless stringent pollution control norms are adopted. The Sediment Geo-accumulation Index shows that there is no Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, or Fe pollution; however, the former index and the Pollution Load Index indicate arsenic pollution in the sediments.

Hydrogeochemical evaluation and statistical analysis of groundwater of Sylhet, north-eastern Bangladesh

To investigate the hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater 23 shallow, 30 intermediate and 38 deep wells samples were collected from Sylhet district of Bangladesh, and analyzed for temperature, pH, Eh, EC,DO, DOC, Na^+, K^+, Ca^(2+), Mg^(2+), Cl^-, SO_4^(2-), NO_3^-,HCO_3^-, SiO_2^-, Fe, Mn and As. Besides, 12 surface water samples from Surma and Kushiyara Rivers were also collected and analyzed to understand the influence into aquifers. Results revealed that, most of the groundwater samples are acidic in nature, and Na–HCO_3 is the dominant groundwater type. The mean value of temperature, EC,Na^+, K^+, Ca^(2+), Mg^(2+), Cl^-, NO_3^- and SO_4^(2-) were found within the range of permissible limits, while most of the samples exceeds the allowable limits of Fe, Mn and As concentrations. However, relatively higher concentration of Fe and Mn were found in deep water samples and reverse trend was found in case of As. The mean concentrations of As in shallow, intermediate and deep wells were 39.3, 25.3and 21.4 lg/L respectively, which varied from 0.03 to148 lg/L. From spatial distribution, it was found that Fe,Mn and As concentrations are high but patchy in northern,north-western, and south-western part of Sylhet region. The most influential geochemical process in study area were identified as silicate weathering, characterized by active cation exchange process and carbonate weathering, which thereby can enhance the elemental concentrations in groundwater. Pearson's correlation matrix, principal component analysis and cluster analysis were also employed to evaluate the controlling factors, and it was found that, both natural and anthropogenic sources were influencing the groundwater chemistry of the aquifers. However, surface water has no significant role to contaminate the aquifers,rather geogenic factors affecting the trace elemental contamination. Thus it is expected that, outcomes of this study will provide useful insights for future groundwater monitoring and management of the study area.

Effect of β Radiation on Bcl-2 and Bax Expressions in Benign Prostate Hyperplasia Tissues

The authors chose specimens from nine normal prostate tissues（NP group）, 15 benign prostate hyperplasia（BPH） prostates（BPH group）, and 35 BPH prostates that had been treated＇with ^90Sr/^90Y Prostatic Hyperplasia Applicator（exposure group）. The expressions of bcl-2 and bax in stroma and epithelia of prostate tissues were demonstrated by means of immunohistochemical staining, and the staining positive rate was semiquantatively determined, so as to observe the expression of bcl-2 and bax genes in the prostate tissues of normal individuals and BPH patients, before and after fl radiation, and to evaluate the influence of fl radiation on bcl-2 and bax expressions. The expressions of gene bcl-2 in the prostate epithelia of NP and BPH are significantly higher than those in the prostate stroma（P〈0.01）. However, the expressions of bcl-2 in the prostate epithelia and stroma of the BPH group are obviously higher than those in the NP group（P〈0.01）. The expression of gene bax in the prostate epithelia of the NP group is higher than that in the BPH group（P〈0.05）. However, bcl-2 expressions in the prostate epithelia and stroma of the BPH group are significantly higher than the bax expressions（P〈0.01）. Compared with those of the NP group, the expressions of bcl-2 in the prostate epithelia and stroma of the exposure group decrease remarkably, even as the expressions of the bax notably increase（P〈0.01）. Thus, the administration of β radiation can remarkably affect bcl-2 and bax gene expressions, to regulate cell apoptosis, in the prostate tissues of BPH.

Determination of Fragmentation Schemes and Metabolites of Fluorinated Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors for Use as Positron Emission Tomography Imaging Agents Using HPLC-MS/MS

High performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated as a method for the analysis of fluorinated histone deacetylase inhibitors (F-HDACi), and then employed to study their metabolism in biosystems. Four HDACi analogs labeled with the positron emission nuclide 18F constitute a group of potential positron emission tomography imaging agents, which were developed by the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER) and coded as INER-1577 #1, #2, #3, and #4 during animal studies for the diagnosis of dementia. The performance of the method was found to be suitable for the determination of analog #3, and it was employed to determine the structures and fragmentation mechanisms of all four analogs and to study the biotransformations of analogs #3 and #4. The results indicated that the method used for the determination of analog #3 was suitable for determining the abundance of the analogs in chemical and biochemical tests with high precision, accuracy, reproducibility, and recovery. Weaknesses in the chemical bonding of the analogs were found to involve the fluoro, dimethylamino, and benzamide groups in a fragmentation mechanism deduced via tandem mass spectrometry. The metabolites of analogs #3 and #4 in rat liver microsomes and rat plasma were also identified to clarify their characteristic behaviors in biosystems. The major product of analogs #3 in liver microsomes was produced by hydroxylation of the benzylic carbon atom, but in rat plasma the metabolites of analog #3 were produced by hydrolysis of the benzamide group to give a diaminobiphenyl compound with the simultaneous replacement of a fluorine atom by a hydroxyl group. The metabolites of analog #4 in liver microsomes were produced by hydroxylation of the benzylic carbon atom and hydrolysis of the benzamide bond. The results of the studies characterized the chemical and biochemical behaviors of the series F-HADCi analogs.

An Assessment of Aquifer Potential in and around a Proposed Well Field Area near Madunaghat, Chattogram Using Isotopic Techniques

The study was undertaken for understanding the potential of deep aquifers as a source of safe drinking water and for assessing the status of groundwater aquifer near Madunaghat area, Chattogram. The specific issues are salinity, interconnectivity of the shallow and deep aquifers, mixing of groundwater with the adjacent Halda river water, recharge condition and groundwater age. The isotopic data suggest that most of the groundwater results from a mixture between recent recharge and an older component recharge under climatic conditions cooler than at present. The interconnectivity between shallow aquifers and river waters are mostly found in the line wells installed particularly in shallow depth (16 m) close to Halda river as evidenced from the similar tritium values of sampled line well water with that of the Halda river water. The groundwater in Madunaghat well field area is not affected by salinity, as it is evidenced by higher values of Na/Cl ratio of the groundwater samples compared to the sea water fresh water mixing line. The geochemistry of intermediate and deep groundwater is dominated by Na-Mg-HCO3 and Na-HCO3 type waters. Even the relationship between chloride and oxygen-18 (Cl-δ18O) depicts that the waters from the deep, intermediate and shallow wells do not fall on the seawater mixing line. The Carbon-14 contents of intermediate to deep groundwater samples vary from 16.2 to 59.3 pMC indicating the residence time in the range of 4300 to 15,000 years BP, i.e., the sourced water recharged the aquifers a long time ago. The intermediate and deep wells have water with arsenic concentrations less than the detection limit of 3.0 μg/L. Only a few shallow wells have arsenic concentrations greater than the detection limit varying from 13.7 - 47.4 μg/L, which is less than the DoE permissible limit (50 μg/L) implying that the groundwater at Madunaghat area is not affected by Arsenic contamination.

Nuclear Track Detectors for Relativistic Nuclear Fragmentation Studies: Comparison with Other Competitive Techniques

The potential of the high resolution nuclear track detector (NTD) CR-39 is examined carefully for the measurement of relativistic nuclear projectile fragmentation cross sections and studies of related processes using the experience of many years of such measurements. The charge resolution and the charge resolving power of CR-39 detectors for the measurements of 158 A GeV 207Pb projectiles and their fragments are presented. Exposures of target-detector stacks, the chemical etching procedure and the nuclear track measurements are described in detail discussing precautions and possible errors. The procedures discussed are also valid for other NTDs. A comparison with electronic active detectors is also made considering important detection and measurement aspects. An experimental design proposing the co-use of NTDs with in-use active detectors is described.