Immunohistochemical evaluation of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 and estrogen and progesterone receptors in breast carcinoma in Jordan

INTRODUCTION: Although breast carcinoma (BC) is the most common malignancy affecting Jordanian females and the affected population in Jordan is younger than that in the West, no information is available on its biological characteristics. Our aims in this study are to evaluate the expression of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) and Her-2/neu overexpression in BC in Jordan, and to compare the expression of these with other prognostic parameters for BC such as histological type, histological grade, tumor size, patients' age, and number of lymph node metastases. METHOD: This is a retrospective study conducted in the Department of Pathology at Jordan University of Science and Technology. A confirmed 91 cases of BC diagnosed in the period 1995 to 1998 were reviewed and graded. We used immunohistochemistry to evaluate the expression of ER, PR, and Her-2. Immunohistochemical findings were correlated with age, tumor size, grade and axillary lymph node status. RESULTS: Her-2 was overexpressed in 24% of the cases. The mean age of Her-2 positive cases was 42 years as opposed to 53 years among Her-2 negative cases (p = 0.0001). Her-2 expression was inversely related to ER and PR expression. Her-2 positive tumors tended to be larger than Her-2 negative tumors with 35% overexpression among T3 tumors as opposed to 22% among T2 tumors (p = 0.13). Her-2 positive cases tended to have higher rates of axillary metastases, but this did not reach statistical significance. ER and PR positive cases were seen in older patients with smaller tumor sizes. CONCLUSION: Her-2 overexpression was seen in 24% of BC affecting Jordanian females. Her-2 overexpression was associated with young age at presentation, larger tumor size, and was inversely related to ER and PR expression. One-fifth of the carcinomas were Her-2 positive and ER negative. This group appears to represent an aggressive form of BC presenting at a young age with large primary tumors and a high rate of four or more axillary lymph node metastases

Gastrointestinal bleeding following NSAID ingestion in children

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding could result from various conditions in a child, and could be life threatening. Severe GI bleeds are, however, rare and their incidence is relatively unknown. Here, we report on two children who presented with GI bleeding following ingestion of NSAID. Two female children presented to our unit with GI bleeding. One was 6 years old and the other was 2 years old. Both presented with a history of fever and passage of bloody stools. There was a positive history of NSAID ingestion in both patients that was prescribed in the referring hospitals. The older child had a packed cell volume of 19% on presentation, and digital rectal examination indicated melaena. There was no history of vomiting. She received one unit of blood transfusion and was managed nonoperatively with antacids. Her recovery was uneventful. The younger patient presented with an abdominal distension and peritonitis, packed cell volume was 17% on presentation, and was malnourished. Exploratory laparatomy showed two kissing perforations, one measuring about 2 cm in the second part of the duodenum and the other measuring 1 cm in the gallbladder. There were no demonstrable gallstones. She underwent a cholecystectomy and closure of the duodenal perforation. The patient, however, developed a superficial surgical site infection that responded to local wound care. Recovery was otherwise uneventful. A thorough assessment of drug history should be performed to rule out NSAID ingestion in a child with a GI bleed. Keywords: enteropathy, gastrointestinal-bleeding, NSAI

Ormond's disease – case report

Retroperitonel fibrosis is a rare disease that occasionally faces the general surgeon as a case of retroperitoneal tumour. Ureteric stenting may succeed in relieving urinary obstruction, however, these stents are only for temporal use. For this reason and to exclude presence of retroperitoneal tumours, surgical ureterolysis remains the corner stone for saving the kidneys from the ultimate fate of renal failure. Steroids are of help when added to the surgical therapy. Recently tamoxifen was reported to be the treatment of choice in primary retroperitoneal fibrosis. Here, we describe the management of 2 cases of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis one in a police officer with diabetes mellitus and the other in a housewife. Keywords: bilateral hydronephrosis, retroperitoneal fibrosis, surgical ureterolysis, bilateral hydronephrosis, tamoxifen Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences Vol. 1(1) 2006: 67-7

Multiple familial trichoepithelioma: A case report and review of literature

No Abstract

ANALISA KEKERASAN PISAU HASIL UKM PANDAI BESI PADA PROSES PERLAKUAN PANAS

Proses perlakuan panas yang dilakukan di UKM pandai besi masih sederhana dengan menggunakan pendingin air biasa. Hal ini berakibat pisau menjadi mudah retak. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh variasi temperatur perlakuan panas dan media pendingin terhadap kekerasan pisau hasil UKM pandai besi. Rancangan percobaan menggunakan metode faktorial L16. Analisa data menggunakan Two Way Anova. Variabel bebas yang divariasikan ialah temperatur (100, 200, 300, 400 °C) dan media pendingin (udara, air biasa, oli, air kapur), sedangkan variabel terikat penelitian ini adalah kekerasan pisau. Pengambilan data kekerasan menggunakan alat uji rockwell sebanyak 6 data tiap spesimen uji. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ada pengaruh variasi temperatur dan media pendingin terhadap kekerasan pisau. Rata-rata nilai kekerasan tertinggi sebesar 59 HRC diperoleh pada variasi temperatur 400° C dengan mengunakan pendingin air kapur. Peningkatan temperatur perlakuan panas akan meningkatkan kekerasan pisau.   Kata Kunci: Kekerasan, temperatur, perlakuan panas, pandai besi, anov

Ancient Migratory Events in the Middle East: New Clues from the Y-Chromosome Variation of Modern Iranians

Knowledge of high resolution Y-chromosome haplogroup diversification within Iran provides important geographic context regarding the spread and compartmentalization of male lineages in the Middle East and southwestern Asia. At present, the Iranian population is characterized by an extraordinary mix of different ethnic groups speaking a variety of Indo-Iranian, Semitic and Turkic languages. Despite these features, only few studies have investigated the multiethnic components of the Iranian gene pool. In this survey 938 Iranian male DNAs belonging to 15 ethnic groups from 14 Iranian provinces were analyzed for 84 Y-chromosome biallelic markers and 10 STRs. The results show an autochthonous but non-homogeneous ancient background mainly composed by J2a sub-clades with different external contributions. The phylogeography of the main haplogroups allowed identifying post-glacial and Neolithic expansions toward western Eurasia but also recent movements towards the Iranian region from western Eurasia (R1b-L23), Central Asia (Q-M25), Asia Minor (J2a-M92) and southern Mesopotamia (J1-Page08). In spite of the presence of important geographic barriers (Zagros and Alborz mountain ranges, and the Dasht-e Kavir and Dash-e Lut deserts) which may have limited gene flow, AMOVA analysis revealed that language, in addition to geography, has played an important role in shaping the nowadays Iranian gene pool. Overall, this study provides a portrait of the Y-chromosomal variation in Iran, useful for depicting a more comprehensive history of the peoples of this area as well as for reconstructing ancient migration routes. In addition, our results evidence the important role of the Iranian plateau as source and recipient of gene flow between culturally and genetically distinct population

Study of oral and gingival microbial flora in institutionalized mentally retarded patients of Sari-2011

Introduction and Objectives: Mental retardation (MR) is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive function and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors. The prevalence and severity of dental caries‚gingivitis and periodontitis is high in patients with mental retardation. This shift to a diseased state may lead to the experience of a high mortality from septicemia‚ sepsis‚ pneumonia and endocarditis.Our purpose was to study oral and gingival microbial flora in institutionalized mentally retarded patients of Sari and to estimate D% (percentage with untreated decayed teeth) and DMFT% (percentage of population affected with dental caries)Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional type in which Plaque samples were collected from the mouth and gingiva of 138 institutionalized mentally retarded patients of Sari to culture in specific media to identify the microorganisms. In this study anaerobic bacteria were not isolated because the instrument was not available in the laboratory. The information has been analyzed by X2 T-test methods by SPSS 17 software.Results: The isolated microorganisms were: pnuemococci S(37.7%); Streptococci sp(18.8%); E.coli (16.7%); Staphylococcus(1.4%); Neisseria sp(45/6%); Salmonella(8.7%); Proteus(3.6%); Diphteroid (4.2%); Pseudomonas(0.7%). The percentage of resistant strains was found to be highest with penicillin(67.9%) and lowest with vancomycin(11%).Conclusion: D% between all the patients were (66.66%) . Bacterial flora in mentally retarded patients were significanty higher in frequency than in normal persons. With improvement in oral health care, we can decreasethese undesirable changes.Key words: Oral and gingival microbial flora, Mental retardation, D%, Sar

Isolasi dan Identifikasi Senyawa Metabolit Sekunder Ekstrak n-Heksana Daun Kayu Jawa (Lannea coromandelica Houtt Merr.)

ABSTRAK Penelitian ini adalah penelitian eksplorasi yang bertujuan untuk mengisolasi senyawa metabolit sekunder dalam ekstrak n-heksana Daun Lannea coromandelica Houtt Merr. yang berasal dari kecamatan Cina, kabupaten Bone, Sulawesi Selatan. Isolasi dilakukan dengan beberapa tahap yaitu maserasi, partisi dengan n-heksana, fraksinasi, pemurnian dan identifikasi. Hasil penelitian diperoleh isolat murni berupa kristal jarum berwarna putih dengan titik leleh 140,20C. Hasil uji dengan pereaksi Meyer menghasilkan endapan putih dan Wagner menghasilkan endapan coklat menunjukkan positif alkaloid. Identifikasi dengan spektroskopi infra merah memberikan serapan pada bilangan gelombang (cm-1) : 3502,73 ; 2954,99 ; 2868,15 ; 1687,71; 1463,97; 1382,96; 1330,88; dan 1037,70 yang menunjukkan adanya gugus fungsi -N-H, -C-H alifatik (CH2 dan CH3), -C=O, -C=C, dan -C-N. Kata kunci : Daun L.coromandelica Houtt Merr., Isolasi, Alkaloid. ABSTRACT This study is exploratory research that aims to isolate the secondary metabolite compound contained in n-hexane extract of Lannea coromandelica Houtt Merr. leaves from Cina district, Bone Regency, South Sulawesi. The isolation was done through several stages, maceration, partitioning with n-hexane, fractionation, purification and identification. The results was obtained in pure needle crystal shape with a melting point 140,2°C. The test result with the Meyer reagent showed the formation of a white precipitated and the Wagner test showed the formation of a brown precipitated, there for it can be categorized as positive alkaloid. Identification with an infrared spectroscopy giving absorbance at the wave number (cm-1): 3502,73 ; 2954,99 ; 2868,15 ; 1687,71; 1463,97; 1382,96; 1330,88; and 1037,70 refers of function groups -N-H, -C-H aliphatic (CH2 and CH3), -C=O, -C=C, and -C-N. Keywords : L.coromandelica Houtt Merr., Leaves, Isolation, Alkaloid

Coupling of DEM and remote-sensing-based approaches for semi-automated detection of regional geostructural features in Zagros mountain, Iran.

In recent years, remote-sensing data have increasingly been used for the interpretation of objects and mapping in various applications of engineering geology. Digital elevation model (DEM) is very useful for detection, delineation, and interpretation of geological and structural features. The use of image elements for interpretation is a common method to extract structural features. In this paper, linear features were extracted from the Landsat ETM satellite image and then DEM was used to enhance those objects using digital-image-processing filtering techniques. The extraction procedures of the linear objects are performed in a semi-automated way. Photographic elements and geotechnical elements are used as main keys to extract the information from the satellite image data. This paper emphasizes on the application of DEM and usage of various filtering techniques with different convolution kernel size applied on the DEM. Additionally, this paper discusses about the usefulness of DEM and satellite digital data for extraction of structural features in SW of Zagros mountain, Iran

A knowledge-driven GIS modeling technique for groundwater potential mapping at the Upper Langat Basin, Malaysia.

The aim of this paper is to use a knowledge-driven expert-based geographical information system (GIS) model coupling with remote-sensing-derived parameters for groundwater potential mapping in an area of the Upper Langat Basin, Malaysia. In this study, nine groundwater storage controlling parameters that affect groundwater occurrences are derived from remotely sensed imagery, available maps, and associated databases. Those parameters are: lithology, slope, lineament, land use, soil, rainfall, drainage density, elevation, and geomorphology. Then the parameter layers were integrated and modeled using a knowledge-driven GIS of weighted linear combination. The weightage and score for each parameter and their classes are based on the Malaysian groundwater expert opinion survey. The predicted groundwater potential map was classified into four distinct zones based on the classification scheme designed by Department of Minerals and Geoscience Malaysia (JMG). The results showed that about 17% of the study area falls under low-potential zone, with 66% on moderate-potential zone, 15% with high-potential zone, and only 0.45% falls under very-high-potential zone. The results obtained in this study were validated with the groundwater borehole wells data compiled by the JMG and showed 76% of prediction accuracy. In addition statistical analysis indicated that hard rock dominant of the study area is controlled by secondary porosity such as distance from lineament and density of lineament. There are high correlations between area percentage of predicted groundwater potential zones and groundwater well yield. Results obtained from this study can be useful for future planning of groundwater exploration, planning and development by related agencies in Malaysia which provide a rapid method and reduce cost as well as less time consuming. The results may be also transferable to other areas of similar hydrological characteristics