Search

A detailed kinetic investigation of As(III) oxidation was performed on gold surface within pH between ∼3.0 and ∼9.0. It was found that the As(III) oxidation on the gold surface follows a purely adsorption-controlled process irrespective of pH. The evaluated adsorption equilibrium constant decreased from 3.21 × 10 5 to 1.61 × 10 5  mol L -1 for acidic to basic medium, which implies the strong affinity of the arsenic species in the acidic medium. Besides, the estimation of Gibbs free energy revealed that an acidic medium promotes arsenic oxidation on gold surface. In mechanistic aspect, the oxidation reaction adopts a stepwise pathway for acidic medium and a concerted pathway for neutral and basic medium. From the substantial kinetic evaluation, it is established that a conducive and compatible environment for the oxidation of arsenic was found in an acidic medium rather than a basic or neutral medium on gold surface. Besides, in sensitivity concern, neutral and highly acidic medium is quite favourable for the arsenite oxidation on gold surface., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Low-molecular-weight sugars serve as protectants for cellular membranes and macromolecules under the condition of dehydration caused by environmental stress such as desiccation and freezing. These sugars also affect plant growth and development by provoking internal signaling pathways. We previously showed that both sugars and the stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA) enhance desiccation tolerance of gemma, a dormant propagule of the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. To determine the role of ABA in sugar responses in liverworts, we generated genome-editing lines of M. polymorpha ABA DEFICIENT 1 (MpABA1) encoding zeaxanthin epoxidase, which catalyzes the initial reaction toward ABA biosynthesis. The generated Mpaba1 lines that accumulated only a trace amount of endogenous ABA showed reduced desiccation tolerance and reduced sugar responses. RNA-seq analysis of sucrose-treated gemmalings of M. polymorpha revealed that expression of a large part of sucrose-induced genes was reduced in Mpaba1 compared to the wild-type. Furthermore, Mpaba1 accumulated smaller amounts of low-molecular-weight sugars in tissues upon sucrose treatment than the wild-type, with reduced expression of genes for sucrose synthesis, sugar transporters, and starch-catabolizing enzymes. These results indicate that endogenous ABA plays a role in the regulation of the positive feedback loop for sugar-induced sugar accumulation in liverworts, enabling the tissue to have desiccation tolerance., (© 2023 The Authors. Physiologia Plantarum published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.)

Obesity is a major public health problem that is associated with serious comorbidities and premature mortality. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the major cause of morbidity and mortality associated with obesity. Lifestyle modifications, pharmacological therapy, and weight reduction surgery are the major interventions to date available for obesity management. Bariatric surgery has been increasingly utilized as a therapeutic option for obesity. In this meta-analysis, we aim to assess the effects of bariatric surgery on CVD outcomes and cardiovascular mortality. This study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and Web of Science were searched until 03/01/2022. Our search included three types of bariatric surgery: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), sleeve gastrectomy, and gastric banding (GB). All were searched in conjunction with "coronary artery disease," "ischemic heart disease," "myocardial infarction," "cerebrovascular accident," "stroke," "atrial fibrillation," "heart failure," "arrhythmias," and "mortality." We included 49 studies meeting the study criteria. Bariatric surgery showed a beneficial effect on coronary artery disease (CAD) (hazard ratio (HR) of 0.68 {95% confidence interval (CI): 0.52-0.91}, p = 0.008), myocardial infarction (MI) (HR of 0.53 {95% CI: 0.44-0.64}, p < 0.01) heart failure (HF) (HR of 0.45 {95% CI: 0.37-0.55}, p < 0.01), cerebrovascular accident (CVA) (HR of 0.68 {95% CI: 0.59-0.78}, p < 0.01), and cardiovascular mortality (HR of 0.48 {95% CI: 0.40-0.57}, p < 0.01). The effect on atrial fibrillation (AF) did not reach statistical significance: HR of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.65-1.01), p = 0.07. Our study, that is, an updated meta-analysis, including the three types of procedure, confirms beneficial effects on the major CVD outcomes, including coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, and heart failure, and on CVD mortality. This study provides updated insights into the long-term CV effects of bariatric surgery, an increasingly common intervention for obesity., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Chandrakumar et al.)

In the current study, nanocrystalline CoY 0.5x La 0.5x Fe 2-x O 4 (where x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, and 0.10) ferrites have been synthesized via a sol-gel auto combustion process. The synthesized powders were pressed into pellet forms and sintered at 900 °C for 4 h in the air. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) confirmed the single-phase cubic spinel structure of the synthesized samples having the mean crystallite domain sizes ranging from 122 and 54 nm. FTIR spectroscopic analyses revealed two strong bands within the range of 600 to 350 cm -1 , further confirming the cubic inverse spinel structure of the prepared materials. The surface morphologies and composition were investigated by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) Spectroscopy. The magnetic hysteresis curves recorded at room temperature exhibit ferrimagnetic behavior. The highest coercivity (Hc∼1276 Oe) was found at a high doping (x = 0.10) concentration of Y 3+ and La 3+ in cobalt ferrite. Dielectric constant increase with increased doping concentration whereas real-impedance and dielectric loss decrease with increased in doping concentration and applied frequency. The band gap energy increased from 1.48 to 1.53 eV with increasing Y 3+ and La 3+ concentrations in the UV-Vis region. The elevated levels of magnetic and dielectric substances in the ferrite nanoparticles suggest that the material could be used for magnetic recording media and high-frequency devices., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Hypertension or elevated blood pressure is a serious medical condition that significantly increases the risks of heart, brain, kidney and other diseases. An estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30-79 years worldwide have hypertension, most (two-thirds) living in low- and middle-income countries. An estimated 46.0% of adults with hypertension are unaware that they have the condition. In Bangladesh, 21.3 million of the adult population has hypertension and that is 21.0% of total population. About half of them (48.7%) with hypertension are diagnosed and 34.9% are under treatment. One of the global targets for non communicable diseases is to reduce the prevalence of hypertension by 33.0% between 2010 and 2030. This study was done to evaluate the effects of hypertension and to find out the major complications occurring due to hypertension. This analytical type of cross sectional study was carried out in the Department of Physiology, Mymensingh Medical College, Mymensingh, Bangladesh from January 2021 to December 2021. A total number of 120 male subjects, age ranged from 20-59 years was included in this study. Among them, sixty (60) hypertensive subjects were taken as study group (Group II) and sixty (60) ages matched normotensive adult male subjects were taken as control group (Group I). The results were calculated and analyzed by using Statistical package for social science (SPSS). Anthropometric measurements such as height and weight were taken in meter and kilogram respectively. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured by Aneroid Sphygmomanometer (ALPK2, Japan), laboratory analysis of fasting serum total cholesterol by CHOD-POD method, fasting serum triglycerides by GPO-POD method. In this study we found that in study group Mean±SD of body mass index (29.36±2.60, p<0.001), fasting serum total cholesterol (232.05±11.18, p<0.001) and fasting serum triglycerides (180.67±19.44, p<0.001) which were significantly increased with comparison to control group. It's concluded from this study we recommended that routine estimation of these parameters is important for prevention of complication related to hypertension for leading a healthy life.

In this study, magnetite nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 NPs) were synthesized using Baccaurea ramiflora leaf extracts and characterized by visual observation, UV-Vis, FTIR, XRD, FESEM, and EDS. The UV-Vis spectrum showed continuous absorption at 300-500 nm, confirming the formation of Fe 3 O 4 NPs. FTIR revealed that compounds containing the O-H group act as reducing agents during Fe 3 O 4 NPs formation. Agglomerated spherical NPs were observed in the FESEM image. The prominent peak at ~6.4 keV in the EDS spectrum ascertained the existence of Fe, while the sharp peak at ~0.53 keV confirmed the presence of elemental oxygen. XRD patterns affirmed the crystalline nature. The size of as-synthesized NPs was observed to be 8.83 nm. The catalytic activity of Fe 3 O 4 NPs for the reduction of methylene blue (MB) dye was monitored by UV-Vis. The maximum absorption peak of MB dye at 664 nm was almost diminished within 20 min, which revealed Fe 3 O 4 NPs could be an excellent catalyst for wastewater treatment.

Increase platelet count can accompany various cancers including lung cancer. This finding has recently been suggested to indicate poor prognosis. In patients with malignancies, thrombocytosis has previously been related disease stage, histological type and survival. In this study, the prevalence of thrombocytosis and the prognostic information provided by platelet count were analyzed in patients with stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) with an aim to assess elevated platelet count as a prognostic factor in patients with stage IV NSCLC and to investigate whether there is relationship between thrombocytosis, other clinico-pathologic factors and median survival. This prospective observational study was conducted in National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH), Dhaka, Bangladesh from September 2019 to August 2020. A total of 108 patients were enrolled purposively. Detail history taking, thorough physical examination was done along with relevant investigations. Data were collected by semi structured questionnaire and analysis was done with the help of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), version 21.0. The mean age of the patients was found 56.4±12.2 years with range from 35 to 75 years. Majority (79.6%) patients were male, 52.8% patients came from low income and 36.1% were farmer. Majority (40.7%) were symptomatic; in bed >50.0% of day. Almost two third (59.3%) had <5.0% weight loss. Almost three fourth (69.4%) had squamous cell carcinoma. At the time of first assessment 75(69.4%) patients had normal and 33(30.6%) had elevated platelet count level. Age, sex and histological type were statistically not significant between normal and elevated platelet count level groups. But performance status, weight loss were statistically significant (p<0.05) between two groups. According to univariate analysis, age, performance status at presentation, weight loss more than 10.0% for 3 months and platelet count prior the start of treatment were all significant predictors for the overall survival. In multivariate analysis age, performance status at presentation and initial thrombocytosis were independent prognostic determinants for overall survival. Median survival time was significantly higher for the normal platelet count group and elevated platelet count group (7.5 months versus 5.5 months) respectively (95% CI, 5.5-7.5), p<0.001. The frequency of thrombocytosis in patients with stage-IV NSCLC at first presentation was 30.6% and median survival time in these patients was significantly shorter compared in patients without thrombocytosis. These results concluded that an elevated platelet count could be a useful prognostic factor for survival in patients with stage-IV NSCLC.

In this report, we study the Yttrium-doped Barium Titanate (Y-BT) Ba 1 - x Y x TiO 3 (with x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07 mmol) perovskite ceramics synthesized by sol-gel method. The as-made powder samples were pressed into a pellet shape and subsequently sintered at 1300 °C for 5 h in air. The structural, morphological, electrical, and optical properties of the synthesized samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), impedance analyzer, and UV-Vis-NIR Spectroscopy respectively. The XRD study revealed the formations of single phase tetragonal structure of Barium Titanate (BT) with ∼23-33 nm mean crystallite size. The crystallite size increases initially with Y-doping, found at about 33 nm for x = 0.01, and reduces for increase in Y 3+ concentration further. The microstructural study from FESEM depicts the uniform distribution of compact and well-faceted grain growth for Y-BT in contrast with undoped barium titanate. The average grain size (∼0.29-0.78 μm) of the Y-BT decreases with increasing doping concentration. Frequency-dependent impedance analyses show enhanced dielectric properties like dielectric constant, quality factor, and conductivity with low dielectric loss in the presence of Yttrium. The optical bandgap energy (∼2.63-3.72 eV) estimated from UV-Vis-NIR diffuse reflection data shows an increasing trend with a higher concentration of yttrium doping., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

We describe the clinical features and adverse prognostic indicators of Datura intoxication in 47 children. 15 (31.9%) children required intensive care and 1 (2.1%) died. Time elapsed >3.15 hour between ingestion and starting treatment [RR (95% CI): 9.4 (3.1-28.3)], age <9.5 year [RR (95% CI): 3.5 (1.5-8.0)], and seizure [RR (95% CI): 2.8 (1.4-5.8)] were the most important adverse prognostic features.

Mechanistic understanding and the control of molecular self-assembly at all hierarchical levels remain grand challenges in supramolecular chemistry. Functional realization of dynamic supramolecular materials especially requires programmed assembly at higher levels of molecular organization. Herein, we report an unprecedented molecular control on the fibrous network topology of supramolecular hydrogels and their resulting macroscopic properties by biasing assembly pathways of higher-order structures. The surface-catalyzed secondary nucleation process, a well-known mechanism in amyloid fibrilization and chiral crystallization of small molecules, is introduced as a non-covalent strategy to induce physical cross-links and bundling of supramolecular fibers, which influences the microstructure of gel networks and subsequent mechanical properties of hydrogels. In addition, seed-induced instantaneous gelation is realized in the kinetically controlled self-assembled system under this study, and more importantly, the extent of secondary nucleation events and network topology is manipulated by the concentration of seeds.

This study was conducted to identify the mycological pattern, and to calculate the diagnostic accuracy of serum (1,3)-b-D-glucan for screening fungal sepsis in 351 high-risk neonates. Candida tropicalis was the most common isolate (n=16, 38.1%). At optimum cut-off (47.2 pg/mL), sensitivity and specificity of serum (1,3)-b-D-glucan were 92.9% and 69.9%, respectively.

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Demographic differential has been linked with the treatment outcome and survival in recent literature, mostly from the developed world. Considering diversity in population characteristics across income strata, it's worth assessing the link in low- and middle-income population as well. Current study aimed to assess the association of demographic characteristics with lung cancer survival in Bangladeshi lung cancer patients., Methods & Results: All newly diagnosed primary lung cancer cases attending the national institute of cancer research & Hospital (NICRH), a tertiary cancer care center in Dhaka, Bangladesh between 2018 and 2019 were considered for the study. Demographic information and clinical data were obtained from the patients' medical records by a trained physician. Survival estimate was generated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared across demographic and clinicopathological categories using the log-rank test. Hazard ratio and 95% CI for treatment options are generated fitting multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression. Among 1868 patients, 84.6% were males and 15.4% were females, average (± standard deviation) age at diagnosis was 59.6±10.9 years, only 10.8% had not consumed tobacco of any form. Around two-thirds of the patient had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score ≥2, 29.5% had at least one comorbidity and 19.4% had metastasis at the time of presentation. Higher survival was associated with institutional education (HR 0.9; 95% CI 0.77, 0.99), and receipt of combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy (HR 0.56; 95% CI 0.46, 0.65; p <0.001). In contrast, lower survival was associated with older age between 60-69 years (HR 1.3; 95% CI 1.3, 1.5;), age ≥ 70 years (HR 1.4; 95% CI 1.1, 1.7), having any comorbidity (HR 1.1; 95% CI 1.0, 1.3), with ECOG score ≥ 3 (HR 1.41; 95% CI 1.01, 1.96) and receipt of radiotherapy treatments only (HR 1.6; 95% CI 1.3, 1.9)., Conclusion: Older age, presence of one or more comorbidity, poorer performance status, and treatment with only RT appeared as a significant predictor of poorer prognosis of lung cancer in Bangladeshi patients. In contrast, having institutional education and treatment with combined Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy appeared as a predictor of a better prognosis. The finding of this study could serve as a basis for future studies inquiring into novel approaches for certain subgroups of patients believed to be challenged in limited resources., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Irradiation of materials by high energy (∼MeV) ions causes intense electronic excitations through inelastic transfer of energy that significantly modifies physicochemical properties. We report the effect of 100 MeV Ag ion irradiation and resultant localized (∼few nm) thermal spike on vertically oriented TiO 2 nanorods (∼100 nm width) towards tailoring their structural and electronic properties. Rapid quenching of the thermal spike induced molten state within ∼0.5 picosecond results in a distortion in the crystalline structure that increases with increasing fluences (ions per cm 2 ). Microstructural investigations reveal ion track formation along with a corrugated surface of the nanorods. The thermal spike simulation validates the experimental observation of the ion track dimension (∼10 nm diameter) and melting of the nanorods. The optical absorption study shows direct bandgap values of 3.11 eV (pristine) and 3.23 eV (5 × 10 12 ions per cm 2 ) and an indirect bandgap value of 3.10 eV for the highest fluence (5 × 10 13 ions per cm 2 ). First principles electronic structure calculations corroborate the direct-to-indirect transition that is attributed to the structural distortion at the highest fluence. This work presents a unique technique to selectively tune the properties of nanorods for versatile applications., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Tunability of fluorescence intensity is an essential parameter for enhancing the versatility of devices like emissive displays and solar cells. Soft photonic crystals, with their tunable photonic band gap (PBG), are highly sought-after systems for such purposes. Here, we report modulation of photoluminescence (PL) intensity in a fluorescent dye-doped blue phase liquid crystal, a 3D soft photonic crystal. On cooling, from the isotropic fluid phase, the PL intensity gets enhanced due to the overlapping of the emission wavelength of the dye with the photonic band edge. However, the PL intensity decreases on the application of an electric field, despite both thermal and electric fields having a similar effect (red shift) on the PBG. The contrasting behavior of PL intensity, also observed in composites obtained by varying the dye and the chiral dopant (handedness), is discussed in terms of scattering pathways for the emitted photons. The time-resolved PL studies show a reduction in the lifetime of the excited species upon cooling, validating the thermal dependence of PL intensity modulation due to Purcell effect. The facile modulation of PL intensity in the dye-doped blue phase system makes it appealing from the point of view of high-performance photonic applications.

Autoimmune liver diseases (AILD) often lead to transformation of the liver tissues into hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Considering the drawbacks of surgical procedures in such cases, need of successful non-invasive therapeutic strategies and treatment modalities for AILD-associated-HCC still exists. Due to the lack of clear, sufficient knowledge about factors mediating AILD-to-HCC transition, an in silico approach was adopted to delineate the underlying molecular deterministic factors. Parallel enrichment analyses on two different public microarray datasets (GSE159676 and GSE62232) pinpointed the core transcriptional regulators as key players. Correlation between the expression kinetics of these transcriptional modules in AILD and HCC was found to be positive primarily with the advancement of hepatic fibrosis. Most of the regulatory interactions were operative during early (F0-F1) and intermediate fibrotic stages (F2-F3), while the extent of activity in the regulatory network considerably diminished at late stage of fibrosis/cirrhosis (F4). Additionally, most of the transcriptional targets with higher degrees of connectivity in the regulatory network (namely DCAF11, PKM2, DGAT2 and BCAT1) may be considered as potential candidates for biomarkers or clinical targets compared to their low-connectivity counterparts. In summary, this study uncovers new possibilities in the designing of novel prognostic and therapeutic regimen for autoimmunity-associated malignancy of liver in a disease progression-dependent fashion.

Enteric fever is a common bacterial infection in the tropics and endemic to Bangladesh. The volatile manifestations of enteric fever construct this disease a true diagnostic confrontation. There are limited current objective data on the value of individual clinical features of enteric fever in the diagnosis of enteric fever. The aim of the study was analysis of clinical features and also proposed a clinical diagnostic criterion of enteric fever among adult in Bangladesh. This cross-sectional comparative study was performed among which of fifty confirmed enteric fever and hundred non enteric febrile adult patients in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 2015 to December 2015. Purposive sampling technique was implied for convenience of the study. In this study, history of step ladder fever, diarrhoea and relative bradycardia, ceacal gurgle, abdominal distension were proved to be powerful markers of enteric fever with high specificity (100.0%, 90.0%, 95.0%, 92.0% and 95.0% respectively). Tender right iliac fossa (RIF) and coated tongue, hepatomegaly were moderately powerful with 86.0%, 88.0%, 89.0% specificity respectively. Positive predictive value (PPV) was highest for step ladder fever (100%) and negative predictive value (NPV) was highest for headache (92.5%). Highest sensitivity, PPV and NPV were found for relative bradycardia and tender RIF but most of the signs had good specificity. Regarding accuracy it was highest for step ladder fever (91.3%), relative bradycardia (94%), tender RIF (87%), coated tongue (82%) and splenomegaly (84%). Therefore, a clinical diagnostic criterion was submitted with diagnostic accuracy more than 70% were taken into deliberation. The Major criteria were considered step ladder fever, relative bradycardia, tender RIF with diagnostic accuracy 91.0%, 94.0% and 87.0% respectively. Minor criteria included splenomegaly, diarrhoea, coated tongue, ceacal gurgle, chills with diagnostic accuracy 85.0%, 85.0%, 82.0%, 76.0%, 72.0% respectively and after amalgamation of various major and minor criteria a final diagnostic criterion was submitted having accuracy more than 60.0%. In conclusion the clinical profile of enteric fever in culture proven patients with a view to highlight the predictive value of those features which would help general practitioners in the diagnosis and empiric treatment.

The Raf-like protein kinase abscisic acid (ABA) and abiotic stress-responsive Raf-like kinase (ARK) previously identified in the moss Physcomitrium (Physcomitrella) patens acts as an upstream regulator of subgroup III SNF1-related protein kinase2 (SnRK2), the key regulator of ABA and abiotic stress responses. However, the mechanisms underlying activation of ARK by ABA and abiotic stress for the regulation of SnRK2, including the role of ABA receptor-associated group A PP2C (PP2C-A), are not understood. We identified Ser1029 as the phosphorylation site in the activation loop of ARK, which provided a possible mechanism for regulation of its activity. Analysis of transgenic P. patens ark lines expressing ARK-GFP with Ser1029-to-Ala mutation indicated that this replacement causes reductions in ABA-induced gene expression, stress tolerance, and SnRK2 activity. Immunoblot analysis using an anti-phosphopeptide antibody indicated that ABA treatments rapidly stimulate Ser1029 phosphorylation in the wild type (WT). The phosphorylation profile of Ser1029 in ABA-hypersensitive ppabi1 lacking protein phosphatase 2C-A (PP2C-A) was similar to that in the WT, whereas little Ser1029 phosphorylation was observed in ABA-insensitive ark missense mutant lines. Furthermore, newly isolated ppabi1 ark lines showed ABA-insensitive phenotypes similar to those of ark lines. Therefore, ARK is a primary activator of SnRK2, preceding negative regulation by PP2C-A in bryophytes, which provides a prototype mechanism for ABA and abiotic stress responses in plants., (© American Society of Plant Biologists 2020. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

This study presents a controllable one-pot synthesis for constructing valuable scaffolds (alcohols, 2,3-dihydrofurans, α-cyano-γ-butyrolactones, and γ-butyrolactones) via a visible-light photoredox-catalyzed Giese reaction and further transformation. This one-pot reaction can selectively synthesize the desired scaffold in excellent yields with good functional group tolerance. To further highlight the broad applicability of this controllable one-pot reaction, we have established flow reaction conditions with short reaction times for the scale-up of each scaffold and demonstrated the further transformation of 2,3-dihydrofurans and α-cyano-γ-butyrolactones to achieve scaffold diversity for applications in drug discovery.

Background : Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early diagnosis is crucial to increase the curability chance of the patients. Low dose CT screening can reduce lung cancer mortality, but it is associated with several limitations. Metabolomics is a promising technique for cancer diagnosis due to its ability to provide chemical phenotyping data. The intent of our study was to explore metabolomic effects and profiles of lung cancer patients to determine if metabolic perturbations in the SSAT-1/polyamine pathway can distinguish between healthy participants and lung cancer patients as a diagnostic and treatment monitoring tool. Patients and Methods : Plasma samples were collected as part of the SSAT1 Amantadine Cancer Study. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to identify and quantify metabolite concentrations in lung cancer patient and control samples. Standard statistical analyses were performed to determine whether metabolite concentrations could differentiate between healthy subjects and lung cancer patients, as well as risk prediction modeling applied to determine whether metabolic profiles could provide an indication of cancer progression in later stage patients. Results : A panel consisting of 14 metabolites, which included 6 metabolites in the polyamine pathway, was identified that correctly discriminated lung cancer patients from controls with an area under the curve of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.875-1.0). Conclusion: When used in conjunction with the SSAT-1/polyamine pathway, these metabolites may provide the specificity required for diagnosing lung cancer from other cancer types and could be used as a diagnostic and treatment monitoring tool.

Aim: Spermidine/spermine N 1 -acetyltransferase (SSAT-1) regulates cell growth, proliferation and death. Amantadine is converted by SSAT-1 to acetylamantadine (AA). In our earlier studies, although SSAT-1 was activated in patients with cancer, a number of ostensibly healthy adult volunteers had higher than expected AA concentration. This study was therefore undertaken to examine the outlier group., Materials & Methods: A follow up of urine analysis for AA by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry as well as clinical assessments and additional blood analyses were conducted., Results: In some of the outlier controls, higher than expected AA concentration was linked to increased serum carcinoembryonic antigen. Clinical and radiographic assessments revealed underlying abnormalities in other cases that could represent premalignant conditions. Hematology tests revealed elevations in white blood cells and platelets, which are markers of inflammation., Conclusion: High urine concentration of AA could be used as a simple and useful test for screening of cancer in high-risk populations., Competing Interests: Financial & competing interests disclosure RB Ahmed is the President and CEO and B Cheng is the acting CTO of BioMark Diagnostics Inc. A Maksymiuk, DS Sitar, H Bach, PS Tappia and B Ramjiawan are minor shareholders of BioMark Diagnostics Inc. This study was supported, in part, by BioMark Diagnostics Inc. (BC, Canada) and the Maunders-McNeil Foundation (AB, Canada). LC–MS/MS analysis was conducted by Biopharmaceutical Research Inc. (BC, Canada). Infrastructural support was provided by the St Boniface Hospital Foundation and the University of Manitoba. Part of this work was published in abstract form in the 2019 ASCO meeting proceedings (online): https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/177214/abstract The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Aim: Spermidine/spermine N 1 -acetyltransferase (SSAT-1) plays a critical role in cell growth, proliferation and death, and is known to be activated in human cancer cells. Amantadine, a US FDA-approved antiviral drug, is a substrate for SSAT-1 and can be used to indirectly measure SSAT-1 activity because of its conversion to acetylamantadine (AA). This study was undertaken to further validate SSAT-1 activity in breast and lung cancer patients., Results: An increase in the urinary concentration of AA in lung and breast cancer patients was observed. The 0-2 h collection time point was determined to be optimal in revealing significant differences in urinary AA concentration between healthy controls and cancer patients., Conclusion: The high urine concentration of AA could be used as a simple and useful test for the detection of breast and lung cancer., Competing Interests: Financial & competing interests disclosure This study was supported, in part, by Biomark Diagnostics, Inc. (Richmond, BC, Canada) and the Maunders-McNeil Foundation (Edmonton, AB, Canada). The study was also funded by the University of Manitoba and Biomark Diagnostics, Inc. None of the authors has conflict of interest to disclose. However, RB Ahmed is the President and CEO and B Cheng is the acting CTO of BioMark Diagnostics, Inc. A Maksymiuk, DS Sitar, H Bach, PS Tappia and B Ramjiawan are minor shareholders of BioMark Diagnostics, Inc. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Aim: Procaine that is able to reach the peripheral nervous system (PNS) was conjugated as a ligand with lipid nanovesicle and loaded with ribavirin (a broad spectrum antiviral drug incapable of entering the PNS on its own) to target the PNS with a dual-drug effect., Materials & Methods: Different physicochemical characterizations, γ-scintigraphy and electromyography of the developed nanovesicle were conducted., Results: Marked capability of the optimized radiolabeled formulation to target PNS was observed in rats. Electromyography signals were reduced after treatment with the formulation on conscious rats., Conclusion: The developed nanocarrier can deliver drug successfully at the PNS and reduce excitation of the nerve and thus give a better therapeutic option for treatment of various diseases and disorders of the PNS.

A new neutral silicon-based traceless activation group (TAG) for visible-light photoredox-catalyzed hydroalkoxymethylation of alkenes is presented. This reaction involves in-situ-generated alkoxymethyl radical via single electron oxidation (SET) of α-TMS-substituted ethers, followed by subsequent conjugate addition to activated alkenes. Various functional groups were tolerated both under mild metal and metal-free conditions to provide good to excellent yields. Furthermore, the addition products were transformed to valuable synthetic building blocks, such as carboxylic acids, γ-butyrolactones, and complex aryl alkyl ethers.

This cross sectional observational study was conducted in the Department of Nephrology, Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Mymensingh, Bangladesh from April 2009 to March 2010. Samples were collectedfrom rural area of Khalishaur union of Purbadhala upazilla in Netrakona District, 30km away from Mymensingh Town. The main objective of the study was to find out the prevalence of microalbuminuria as well as overt proteinuria in diabetes mellitus in a rural population and to observe their association with renal function. In this study 1048 adult participants of 18 to 65 years in a rural area of Netrakona were included purposively as study subjects. Among them 54% were male and 46% were female. Mean age of study subjects was 42.4±13.4 years. Prevalence of microalbuminuria among diabetic participants was 29.72% where as in non diabetic non hypertensive participants it was 6.62%. Diabetic persons 9.45% and 3.9% of non diabetic participants showed overt proteinuria by dipstick test. Prevalence of hypertension in diabetic and non diabetic participants was 45.94% and 16.52% respectively. The mean eCCr of the diabetic patients and non-microalbuminuric healthy persons was 78.4±25.4 ml/min/1.73m² and 94.67±24.8 ml/min/l.73m² respectively according to Cock Croft-Gault equation. The mean eCCr of diabetic participants with overt proteinuria was 57.44±28.33 ml/min/l.73m² but diabetic patients with microalbuminuria had better mean eCCr 80.62±21.17 ml/min/1.73m² which justifies the importance of detection of microalbuminuria for early intervention. By regression analysis it was found that degree of microalbuminuria had linear relation with renal function and random blood sugar level. Neither BMI nor duration of diabetes showed any correlation with urine microalbumin. There was no effect of sex on the prevalence of microalbuminuria in diabetes mellitus. Microalbuminuria is the first sign of renal involvement in diabetic patients which is a risk factor for overt nephropathy. Monitoring of this condition is important because early treatment of microalbuminuria can prevent or postpone overt nephropathy.

Obesity is a disorder of body weight regulatory systems characterized by an accumulation of excess body fat. World Heath Organization recommended that 66% of deaths now occur in developing countries and recognizes obesity as a leading risk factor. Obesity is associated with chronic, low grade, systemic inflammation. The inflammatory state plays a causal role in the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. This study will design to evaluate the relation between obesity with fasting blood sugar (FBS). This descriptive type of cross sectional study had been performed to investigate the relationship between obesity with serum fasting glucose, of 100 obese and 100 normal weight persons from both sexes, aged between 25 to 60 years will be selected from Mymensingh Medical College, Mymensingh, Bangladesh and locality from July 2014 to January 2016. Data are collected through a simple questionnaire after informed consent taken. The result was calculated and analyzed by using SPSS (statistical package for social science, version 11.5). Statistical significance of difference between two groups was evaluated by unpaired Student's 't' test. Data were expressed as Mean±SE. P value less than 0.05 was taken as the level of significance. Anthropometric measurements such as height and weight were taken in meter and kilogram respectively. Pulse, systolic and diastolic blood pressure was measured by aneroid sphygmomanometer (ALPK2, Japan), laboratory analysis of serum fasting glucose will be estimated by GOD-PAP Method. In this study we found that fasting serum glucose is significantly increased in both male and female obese persons 4.07±0.79mmol/l & 5.58±0.64mmol/l respectively. In obese the values of FBS indicate the subjects are prone to develop cardiovascular & metabolic diseases. That has high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, by this study we recommended that routine estimation of fasting blood sugar is important for prevention of complication related to obesity for leading a healthy life.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways, in which many cells and cellular elements play a role. Asthma is one of the most common diseases globally and currently affects 300 million people. The epidemic rise in anemia, asthma, and related allergic disease is a common major public health problem worldwide. Asthma and anemia associated with acute infections occur both in children and adults. This descriptive type of cross sectional study was done to find out the levels of hemoglobin concentration in adult asthmatic patients and carried out in the Department of Physiology, Mymensingh Medical College, Mymensingh, Bangladesh from July 2014 to January 2016. Fifty (50) male and 50 (fifty) female adult asthmatic patients aged 18-60 years were included in the study group. They are enrolled from the Department of Medicine, Mymensingh Medical College, Mymensingh, Bangladesh and also from locality. For comparison age matched 50 male and 50 female apparently healthy persons were also studied as control. Hemoglobin concentration was estimated by Cyanmethemoglobin method. For statistical analysis unpaired student's 't' test was used. Mean hemoglobin concentration was significantly decreased in study group in comparison to control group and the result was statistically significant (p<0.001). The study findings showed a high prevalence of anemia among asthmatic patients than non asthmatic healthy persons.

A hydroxy group directed keto α-C(sp3)-H benzoxylation of amides, including N,N-dialkylamides and cyclic amides, has been accomplished involving ortho-hydroxy substrates possessing either an aldehydic or a keto methyl (-COCH3) group with a Pd(II)/CuBr2 catalytic combination. The carboxy group obtained via the in situ oxidation of -CHO or -COCH3 groups of ortho-hydroxy substrates then undergoes a cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) with amides to furnish an α-benzoxylation product with concurrent aromatic ring bromination.

Chitinases are a group of enzymes that show differences in their molecular structure, substrate specificity, and catalytic mechanism and widely found in organisms like bacteria, yeasts, fungi, arthropods actinomycetes, plants and humans. A novel chitinase enzyme (designated as TDSC) was purified from Trichosanthes dioica seed with a molecular mass of 39±1 kDa in the presence and absence of β-mercaptoethanol. The enzyme was a glycoprotein in nature containing 8% neutral sugar. The N-terminal sequence was determined to be EINGGGA which did not match with other proteins. Amino acid analysis performed by LC-MS revealed that the protein was rich in leucine. The enzyme was stable at a wide range of pH (5.0-11.0) and temperature (30-90 °C). Chitinase activity was little bit inhibited in the presence of chelating agent EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraaceticacid), urea and Ca(2+). A strong fluorescence quenching effect was found when dithiothreitol and sodium dodecyl sulfate were added to the enzyme. TDSC showed antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma sp. as tested by MTT assay and disc diffusion method., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Pregnancy is a great stressful physiological condition in women during their reproductive period. During pregnancy several hemodynamic, biochemical and hematological modifications occur as a part of the physiological adaptation of the body. Changes in blood pressure occur in third trimester of pregnancy, which may be associated with increased maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. This cross-sectional study was carried out in the Department of Physiology, Mymensingh Medical College, Mymensingh, from July 2013 to June 2014. Study subjects were selected by following purposive sampling procedure and the protocol of this study was approved by Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) of Mymensingh. This study enrolled 100 pregnant women of third trimester of pregnancy and 100 aged matched non-pregnant women from Mymensingh district. Mean systolic blood pressure in study group were 124.8±14.51 mm of Hg and in control group were 106.50±10.67 mm of Hg, which was statistically increased. Diastolic blood pressure in study group was 83.00±13.37 mm of Hg and in control group 71.05±7.12 mm of Hg, which was also statistically significant. The changes in blood pressure in third trimester of pregnancy is the major concern of developing the risk of pre-eclampsia & eclampsia, and increased prevalence of IUGR, pre-maturity and perinatal mortality. This study reveals significant changes of blood pressure during third trimester of pregnancy.

C-3 alkylation of coumarins has been accomplished using cycloalkanes or alkylbenzenes in the presence of di-tert-butylperoxide (DTBP) and Fe(III) catalyst. Under metal free conditions and just by switching the oxidant from DTBP to TBHP, an exclusive C-4 cycloalkylation-C-3 peroxidation reaction takes place. During C-3 alkylation, the C-C bond formation occurs at the expense of an existing C-C bond, while the C-4 alkylation is associated with the formation of new C-C and C-O bonds.

Substrate-directed ortho C-H amination of azoarenes using TMSN3 as the source of nitrogen leading to the synthesis of 2-aryl-2H-benzotriazoles has been accomplished with the help of Pd/TBHP combinations. An intermolecular o-azidation (C-N bond formation) followed by an intramolecular N-N bond formation via nucleophilic attack of one of the azo nitrogen onto the o-azide nitrogen leads to cyclization with the expulsion of N2.

Treatment of benzylamines with esters at an elevated temperature are expected to give amides. However, in the presence of TBAI/TBHP, esters possessing a methylene carbon α-to oxygen with benzylamines provide bis-esters rather than the expected amides. Benzylamines under oxidative conditions generate less nucleophilic carboxylates, which couples at the sp(3) C-H bonds of esters and cyclic ethers to give bis-acyl ketals and α-acyloxy ethers, respectively.

A copper(I)-promoted cycloalkylation-peroxidation strategy has been developed via a three-component reaction involving cycloalkanes, tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) and internal conjugated alkenes possessing electron-withdrawing groups (EWGs). This process installs C-O and C-C bonds via sp(3) C-H functionalisation with concomitant generation of two stereocentres. This regioselective radical addition of coumarin system is opposite to that of styrene.

By using alkylbenzenes as aroyl surrogates, copper(II) catalyzed chemoselective O-aroylations of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and phenolic -OH ortho to carbonyl (-CHO, -COR) groups have been achieved. A dual mechanism operating in tandem for these transformations has been supported by a crossover experiment.

Treatment of an aryl-sec-alkyl unsymmetrical thiourea (Tu) with Cu(II)X(2) (X = I, Br) transform the thiourea (Tu) into a thioamidoguanidino (Tag) moiety with concomitant reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I), which forms a [Cu(2)(I)(μ(2)-X)(2)Tag(2)] (X = I (for A) and X = Br (for B)) complex. Meanwhile, the treatment of same unsymmetrical thiourea (Tu) with Cu(I)X (X = Br) forms a stable cluster with a [Cu(I)(3)(μ(2)-S)(4)Tu(4)X(3)] core (C). Single crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that compounds A and B exhibit 1D chain with a Cu(2)(μ(2)-X)(2) core, whereas compound C is a Cu(I)(3)S(4)Br(3) cluster. Compound A is centrosymmetric due to the trans orientation of two Tag units whereas compound B is ascentric due to the cis orientation of two Tag units. In compound A, the Cu(2)I(2) core is perfectly rhomboidal where the iodine atoms are trans oriented. However in compound B, the Cu(2)Br(2) core is not perfectly rhomboidal (bowl shaped) and the bromine atoms are cis oriented. It is interesting to note that although the Tag moiety in compounds A and B contain two morpholine-O atoms; only one of the morpholine-O atoms (O2) is involved in the generation of three-dimensional network. The Cu(I)(3)S(4)Br(3) cluster in compound C contains one tri- and two tetra-coordinated Cu(I) centers. The Cu(I) cluster in C contains a Cu(2)(μ(2)-S)(2) rhomboidal plane exhibiting a chair and a boat form containing the Cu(I)(3)S(3) unit. In compounds A and B, the two Cu(I) centers are μ(2)-X bridged and have a μ(1)-S linkage, whereas in compound C the linkages are opposite having four μ(2)-S bridges and three μ(1)-Br linkages.

Carpenter syndrome is a rare hereditary disorder known as Acrocephalopolysyndyctyly (ACPS) type II characterized by acrocephaly, facial dysmorphism, brachedyctyly, syndyctyly, preaxial polydyctyly, obesity, congenital heart disease, cryptorchidism, hypogenitalism, bony abnormalities and umbilical hernia. Carpenter syndrome is autosomal recessive disorder and prenatal diagnosis of this syndrome is possible by ultrasonogram during pregnancy. We reported a case of carpenter syndrome of 2.5 months old female infant of consanguineous parents who was admitted in the paediatric ward of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) on 30th March 2010. She was diagnosed as a case of Carpenter syndrome having acrocephaly prominent ridge of sagital suture, polydactyly, syndyctyly on history, clinical examination findings and investigation reports.

A one-pot, tandem process has been developed for the synthesis of a library of tetrazoles from aryl isothiocyanates. Condensation of aryl isothiocyanates with ammonia, and aryl amines (R-NH(2)) provided mono, 1,3-disubstituted symmetrical and unsymmetrical thioureas, which on desulfurization with molecular iodine (I(2)) led to formation of the corresponding heterocumulene (cyanamides or carbodiimides). The in situ generated heterocumulene on subsequent treatment with sodium azide at room temperature gave corresponding tetrazoles. The product regioselectivity for unsymmetrical 1,3-disubstituted thioureas was found to be correlated with the basicities (pK(a)'s) of the parent amines attached to the thiourea. Aryl-sec-alkyl unsymmetrical thioureas gave thioamido guanidino products rather than the 5-aminotetrazoles produced by HgCl(2) mediation of the reaction. Bis-thioureas derived from aryl isothiocyanates and hydrazine gave thiadiazoles exclusively.

We report the case of a 60-year-old woman with Cushing disease. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a large sellar and suprasellar mass involving the right cavernous sinus, consistent with pituitary macroadenoma. It was resected by transsphenoidal surgery. Light microscopy revealed two separate pituitary adenomas with different histologic and immunohistochemical features. One was amphophilic and strongly Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) positive, the other chromophobic and PAS negative. The former tumor was immunopositive for adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH); approximately 30% tumor cells were immunopositive for MGMT (O6-Methylguanine-DNA Methyl-Transferase). The second tumor was a PAS negative, luteinizing hormone (LH) and alpha subunit immunopositive gonadotroph adenoma. In this tumor, about 90% of the cells were immunopositive for MGMT. The Ki-67 nuclear indices of the two tumors were 6% and 2%. Our case represents a rare combination of two morphologically different pituitary adenomas, one producing ACTH and the other LH and alpha subunit. The two tumors differed not only in Ki-67 labeling indices but in MGMT immunoexpression as well., (© 2010 The Authors. Pathology International © 2010 Japanese Society of Pathology and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.)

A descriptive type of cross sectional study was carried out from July 2003 to June 2004 in Mymensingh Medical College & Hospital. This study was designed to find out the risk factors for the development of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM). Forty cases of GDM (primigravida and multigravida) with single pregnancy, means exclusion of twin pregnancy were selected as experimental group, while forty other cases of pregnant women without GDM constituted the control group. Questionnaire and observational charts were the research instruments. Statistical analysis was done manually. The results of this study show that, women with GDM tends to be older, associated with bad obstetric history and strong history of diabetes in the first degree relatives. The finding of this study will provide a guideline for preventive programs aimed at improving the quality of gestational mother.

This study was conducted in Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital, Mymensingh. It lasted for one year commencing in July 2003, and was designed to find out and compare the outcomes of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with a view to reducing the complications. Forty cases of GDM with single pregnancy were selected as experimental group, while forty other cases of pregnant women without GDM constituted the control group. Questionnaire and observation chart were the research instrument in this study. Statistical analyses were done manually. It was found that the GDM mothers had a higher risk of complications like pre-eclampsia, hypertension, urinary tract infection and cesarean delivery. On the basis of these findings, however, appropriate measures for prevention, treatment and management of GDM may be adopted for better pregnancy outcomes.

This study was carried out in Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital, Mymensingh. The work, which lasted for one year commencing in July 2003, was designed to find out and compare the infant outcomes of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with a view to reducing the complications. Forty cases of GDM with single pregnancy were selected as experimental group, while forty other cases of pregnant women without GDM constituted the control group. Questionnaire and observation charts were the research instruments. Statistical analyses were done manually. It was retrieved that the offspring of GDM mothers had a higher risk of macrosomia, neonatal jaundice and respiratory complications. The perinatal mortality rate was also more in GDM cases. However, befitting measures for prevention, treatment and management of GDM may be taken up to ameliorate the situation.

The integrin VLA-6 as a laminin receptor and laminin as a ligand for laminin receptor were detected immunohistochemically in normal, benign tumor and carcinoma tissues of the breast. Epithelial cells of both normal breast and benign tumor were in almost all cases strongly immunoreactive for VLA-6 in the plasma membrane. Carcinoma cells in 34 of 70 cases (49%) with an invasive component were not immunoreactive for VLA-6, and no carcinoma cells showed strong positivity. Although carcinoma cells in only four of 51 cases (8%) with intraductal components were negative for VLA-6, 37 cases (72%) showed weak expression of VLA-6 and 10 cases (20%) showed strong expression of VLA-6. A concordant expression of VLA-6 on carcinoma cells and laminin around carcinoma cell nests with an invasive component was observed, and VLA-6 expression in carcinoma cells was correlated to tubular formation in carcinoma cell nests as an indicator of differentiation. These findings suggest that loss of VLA-6 plays a role in the invasion of breast carcinoma, and that VLA-6 laminin receptor and laminin may contribute to tubular differentiation of breast carcinoma cells.

A case of myxoma of the breast is reported. The patient, a 19 year old Japanese woman, showed a lump in the left breast which had enlarged gradually over 3 years. A tumor measuring 5 x 5 x 4.5 cm was located mainly in the mammary parenchyma, but partially involved the overlying subcutaneous tissue. Histologically the tumor was multinodular and each nodule consisted of an abundant myxoid substance with a few spindle or stellate mesenchymal cells. The presence of hyaluronic acid was observed in the myxoid area, and a few constituent cells showed immunoreactivities for S-100 protein and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin. Electron microscopic studies revealed that some constituent cells looked like undifferentiated mesenchymal cells, while others showed a differentiation similar to fibroblast or histiocyte. These findings suggest that the constituent cells might derive from totipotential primitive mesenchymal cells.

Elastosis in the breast is an unusual phenomenon and its morphogenesis has not yet been fully ascertained. The degree of elastosis in the breast associated with benign diseases, including fibroadenoma and fibrocystic disease as well as with breast carcinoma, was examined with special reference to the correlation between the degree of epithelial proliferation and elastosis. Using the immunohistochemical method, the presence of elastase (EL) and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (ACT), one of the protease inhibitors, in these epithelial cells was also investigated to elucidate the role of an imbalance in these enzymes in the morphogenesis of the elastosis. Consequently, it was shown that there is a tendency in fibroadenoma and fibrocystic disease, for epithelial proliferation to be related to the degree of elastosis, and that the lack of EL in proliferated epithelial cells might play a role in the occurrence of elastosis, although ACT has no significant correlation. On the contrary, in our study noninvasive carcinoma showed marked periductal elastosis but no stromal elastosis, while invasive carcinoma showed various degrees of periductal and stromal elastosis. In invasive carcinoma, especially scirrhous carcinoma, the degree of ACT in cancer cells correlated well with stromal elastosis, although there was no correlation with EL. These findings suggest that an imbalance of the protease-antiprotease system, produced by epithelial cells of the breast, contribute to the morphogenesis of elastosis, although the physiological event, aging, is only marginally related to elastosis. Further investigation of the cells producing elastin and regulatory factors may be necessary.

Epithelial hyperplasia in the duct, ductule or lobule of the breast is a very common lesion and has been considered to carry a risk of subsequent invasive carcinoma. However, it is not known whether epithelial hyperplasia can transform into carcinoma or whether malignant change occurs de novo. We analyzed the incidence of epithelial hyperplasia of the breast by making a comparison between cases of breast carcinoma and control autopsy specimens, and studied differences in the membrane antigens of the constituent cells using immunohistochemical staining of blood group antigens. It was found that the frequency of epithelial hyperplasia was higher in the cases of breast carcinoma. The lesions showed loss of A, B and H antigens at high frequency, and the proportion of lesions showing loss of these antigens became higher as the atypia of the lesion increased. On the other hand, expression of Lea antigen was observed more frequently in atypical epithelial hyperplasia or in situ carcinoma than in ordinary epithelial hyperplasia. These findings suggest possible transformation from epithelial hyperplasia to carcinoma, and indicate that atypical epithelial hyperplasia may be precancerous in nature.

A carcinogenicity study of urethane was performed for quantitative assessment of its risk in humans. Three hundred 6-week-old male B6C3F1 mice were divided into 6 groups, each consisting of 50 mice, and urethane was given ad libitum in drinking water at levels of 0 (control), 0.6, 3, 6, 60 and 600 ppm for 70 weeks. The tumors with a clear dose-response relationship were lung tumor (alveolar/bronchiolar adenoma or carcinoma) and liver tumor (hemangioma or angiosarcoma). The incidences of these two types of tumor were applied to estimation of the virtually safe dose (VSD) at the level of 10(-6) by using four mathematical models (Logit, Probit, Weibull and Multistage models). The VSD based on the incidences of lung tumor by using the Logit model was estimated to be 1.8 x 10(-4) mg/kg body weight/day. On the other hand the VSD based on those of liver tumor by using the Weibull model was 7.2 x 10(-5) mg/kg body weight/day. Thus, the VSDs based on the incidences of the two different types of tumor using the most compatible mathematical model in each case, as judged from the P-values, were similar.