The Association of XRCC1 Gene Polymorphisms and Chronic Hepatitis C Induced Insulin Resistance in Egyptian Patients

Chronic hepatitis C is implicated in insulin resistance (IR) susceptibility. An X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 gene (XRCC1) is proposed to be a candidate gene for a study of IR susceptibility. So, this study aims to investigate the possible association of the XRCC1 gene polymorphisms with the risk of IR related to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Egyptian patients. In a case-control study, a total of 210 subjects, including 140 chronic HCV patients (87 patients with IR and 53 without IR) and 70 healthy controls, were included. Two genetic polymorphisms (c.1254C > T and c.1517G > C) of the XRCC1 gene were genotyped via the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. The result of the current study revealed that these two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have statistically significant influences on susceptibility to IR in chronic HCV infected Egyptian patients. It could be concluded that c.1254C > T, the TT genotype, CT/CC carriers as well as c.1517G > C, the CC genotype and GC/GG carriers might be associated with increased IR susceptibility. Moreover, T-allele of c.1254C > T and the C-allele of c.1517G > C genetic variants might influence the susceptibility

Computer simulation for the seismic behaviour of bridge expansion joints enhanced with SMA: Case study

This paper concerns the study of the expansion joints of Benha Bridge under seismic loads. The seismic behaviour of its bridge expansion joints has been enhanced by shape memory alloy (SMA) dampers as a form of energy-dissipation device. SMA can dissipate a part of the input energy from the earthquake by generating a counterforce for the induced seismic force, allowing the opportunity to control the joint width and overcome pounding and unseating problems. In this research, MATLAB programs are developed to calculate the joint width responses in the two cases of without SMA and with SMA control devices embedded between adjacent bridge frames, which are modeled as a single degree of freedom system for each frame. Benha Bridge is the subject of this case study, which aims to check and validate the SMA parameter values that their charts have introduced from earlier research and to improve the seismic behaviour of bridge expansion joints by eliminating unseating and pounding problems. The results show that SMA dampers are able to control the joint width and absorb the excess forces caused by nearby expansion joint overlap. Furthermore, SMA design charts are applicable for bridges of multiple frames when they are homogenous in time periods

Remote Sensing, Petrological and Geochemical Data for Lithological Mapping in Wadi Kid, Southeast Sinai, Egypt

The Wadi Samra–Wadi Kid district in southeastern Sinai, Egypt, has undergone extensive investigation involving remote sensing analysis, field geology studies, petrography, and geochemistry. The main aim of this study is the integration between remote sensing applications, fieldwork, and laboratory studies for accurate lithological mapping for future mineral exploration in the study region. The field relationships between these coincident rocks were studied in the study area. Landsat-8 (OLI) data that cover the investigated area were used in this paper. The different rock units in the study area were studied petrographically using a polarizing microscope, in addition to major and trace analysis using ICP-OES tools. The Operational Land Imager (OLI) images were used with several processing methods, such as false color composite (FCC), band ratio (BR), principal component analysis (PCA), and minimum noise fraction (MNF) techniques for detecting the different types of rock units in the Wadi Kid district. This district mainly consists of a volcano-sedimentary sequence as well as diorite, gabbro, granite, and albitite. Geochemically, the metasediments are classified as pelitic graywackes derived from sedimentary origin (i.e., shales). The Al2O3 and CaO contents are medium–high, while the Fe2O3 and TiO2 contents are very low. Alkaline minerals are relatively low–medium in content. All of the metasediment samples are characterized by high MgO contents and low SiO2, Fe2O3, and CaO contents. The granitic rocks appear to have alkaline and subalkaline affinity, while the subalkaline granites are high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonite series. The alkaline rocks are classified as albitite, while the calc-alkaline series samples vary from monzodiorites to granites. The outcomes of this study can be used for prospecting metallic and industrial mineral exploration in the Wadi Kid district

Tumor microenvironment and immune system preservation in early-stage breast cancer: routes for early recurrence after mastectomy and treatment for lobular and ductal forms of disease

Abstract Background Intra-ductal cancer (IDC) is the most common type of breast cancer, with intra-lobular cancer (ILC) coming in second. Surgery is the primary treatment for early stage breast cancer. There are now irrefutable data demonstrating that the immune context of breast tumors can influence growth and metastasis. Adjuvant chemotherapy may be administered in patients who are at a high risk of recurrence. Our goal was to identify the processes underlying both types of early local recurrences. Methods This was a case-control observational study. Within 2 years of receiving adjuvant taxan and anthracycline-based chemotherapy, as well as modified radical mastectomy (MRM), early stage IDC and ILC recurred. Vimentin, α-smooth muscle actin (SMA), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP1), and clustered differentiation (CD95) were investigated. Results Of the samples in the ductal type group, 25 showed local recurrence, and 25 did not. Six individuals in the lobular-type group did not experience recurrence, whereas seven did. Vimentin (p = 0.000 and 0.021), PDGF (p = 0.000 and 0.002), and CD95 (p = 0.000 and 0.045) expressions were significantly different in ductal and lobular carcinoma types, respectively. Measurement of ductal type was the sole significant difference found in MMP1 (p = 0.000) and α-SMA (p = 0.000). α-SMA and CD95 were two variables that helped the recurrence mechanism in the ductal type according to the pathway analysis. In contrast, the CD95 route is a recurrent mechanism for the lobular form. Conclusions While the immune system plays a larger role in ILC, the tumor microenvironment and immune system both influence the recurrence of IDC. According to this study, improving the immune system may be a viable cancer treatment option

Detailed radiographic evaluation of articular damage.

<p>Data are presented as mean ± SEM.</p><p>n = 10.</p><p>a: significantly different from CIA-group at <i>p</i><0.05.</p><p>b: significantly different from LEF-group at <i>p</i><0.05.</p><p>Detailed radiographic evaluation of articular damage.</p

Intra-articular MPO activity.

<p>Mice with CIA were treated with leflunomide (LEF), nimesulide (NIM), or leflunomide+nimesulide (LEF+NIM) and compared to untreated arthritic and normal mice. Articular MPO activity was measured 40 days after treatment as a marker of leucocytic infiltration.</p

Symptomatic assessment of arthritis.

<p>Mice with CIA were treated with leflunomide (LEF), nimesulide (NIM), or leflunomide+nimesulide (LEF+NIM) and compared to untreated arthritic and normal mice. Hyperalgesia (A) and joint stiffness (B) were recorded at pre-arthritic, mid-arthritic and late arthritic phases of arthritis and compared to base line readings. Data are presented as mean ± SD. * Significantly different from normal mice; ** significantly different from CIA-mice.</p

Histopathological assessment of articular damage.

<p>Mice with CIA were treated with leflunomide (LEF: Panel C), nimesulide (NIM: Panel D), or leflunomide+nimesulide (LEF+NIM: Panel E) for 40 days and the H&E stained joints were compared with untreated arthritic (CIA: Panel B) and normal mice (Panel A). Pathological findings were compared in terms of synovial hyperplasia (S), articular irregularity (A), narrowing of joint space (N), and lymphocytic infiltration (M).</p