Common causes and trends of hepatocellular carcinoma at regional cancer centre Raipur, India

Background: Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver and is the third most common cause of cancer related deaths in Asia-pacific region. Representative data on epidemiology of HCC in India is scanty and mostly from urban areas. It is more common in males then female. Hepatitis, alcohol consumption, aflatoxin and other hepatotoxins in diet are common causes. Authors did a study for the common causes and trends of the HCC registered at authors’ centre between January 2013 to November 2018.Methods: Authors analyzed their hospital data for the patient registered with the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma at their centre during the study period for age, sex, number and causes.Results: Out of 23,766 patients registered for cancer in study period, 132 (0.55%) patients were of HCC, of which 89 (66.4%) were males and 43 (32.6%) were females, with ratio of 2:1. Commonest age group was between 50-59 years 46 (34.6%) followed by 40-49years 26 (19.5%). No patients were below 20 years of age. Among the commonest causes were alcohol consumption in 71 (53.4%), hepatitis B in 37 (27.8%), hepatitis C in 10 (7.5%), HIV in 4 (3%) and unknown in 11 (8.3%). There is rising trend in males and declining trend in females.Conclusions: Incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma is low among all cancer but has high mortality rate. Alcohol consumption and hepatitis were the commonest cause. It is common above 40 years specially in males

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Experimental and Monte Carlo study of the effect of the presence of dry air, cortical bone inhomogeneities and source position on dose distribution of the mHDR-v2 source

Background: Recently it was data wise established that there is a considerable dose difference due to source position from the surface of the patient, and due to the presence of inhomogeneities. Aim: It aims at to find out the dose difference due to source position, and inhomogenieties in water phantom of high dose rate (HDR) 192 Ir mHDR-v2 source by experiment and by Monte Carlo (MC) simulation GEANT4 code. Materials and Methods: The measured study of the source was done using an in-air ionization chamber, water phantom while the calculated study was done by modeling the water phantom and its water, inhomogeneities, position of source, and points of calculation. Results: The measured and calculated dose differences are 5.48 to 6.46% and 5.43 to 6.44% respectively higher in the presence of dry air and 4.40 to 4.90% and 4.38 to 4.88% respectively lower in the presence of cortical bone. However, for the study of the effect of source position on dose distribution, when the source was positioned at a 1 cm distance from the surface of water phantom, the near points between 1 cm and 2 cm are 2 to 3.5% and 2.1-3.7% underdose and for distant points from 3 cm to 8 cm from the source are 4 to 15% and 4.1 to 15.8% underdose for measured and calculated studies, respectively, to the dose when the source was positioned at midpoint of water phantom. Conclusion: These results can be used in the treatment planning system

Monte Carlo study of dosimetric parameters and dose distribution effect of inhomogeneities and source position of GammaMed Plus source

Background: The conventional treatment planning system (TPS) gives analytical calculations with approximately ±15?20% dose uncertainty, which may lead to over exposure of critical organs or under dose of target as well as the presence of inhomogeneities, and the position of source affects the exact dose calculation like in breast and intraluminal brachytherapy. Aim: To obtain dose distribution parameters of GammaMed Plus high dose rate (HDR) 192 Ir source using Monte Carlo (MC) EGSnrc and GEANT4 codes as well as to find the effect on dose distribution due to source position, and due to presence of air and cortical bone by using MC GEANT4 code, and to find the similarity of both studies with any past study of any HDR brachytherapy source for either as input to TPS or verification of TPS calculations. Settings and Design: It is done using different software of the computer, e.g., excel, MS word, etc. Materials and Methods: The source, source position for different studies, water phantom, water characteristics, points of measurements, air and cortical bone inhomogeneities, and position of inhomogeneities were simulated. Statistical Analysis Used: For uncertainties calculation, mean and probability are used. Results: The calculated dose rate constant, radial dose function, and 2D anisotropy function of the source show similarity with published data. Calculated dose distribution differences due to presence of air and cortical bone, and position of source in water phantom also show similarity with published data. Conclusion: These results can either be implemented in TPS or can be used for verification of TPS calculations

Effects of Phosphorus and Calcium to Phosphorus Consumption Ratio On Mineral Metabolism and Cardiometabolic Health

Phosphorus is a common additive used in food processing that is typically consumed in excess of the recommended daily allowance; however, our knowledge of its effects on health, in the context of normal renal function, is limited. Unlike phosphorus, calcium intake is generally less than recommended, and it has been hypothesized that the calcium to phosphorus ratio may be partly responsible for the proposed negative health consequences. Therefore, this study sought to determine the effects of increased phosphorus additive intake, in the context of high calcium consumption, on endocrine markers of mineral metabolism and cardiometabolic health. An outpatient feeding study was performed in which healthy adults were fed a run-in control diet for 2 weeks followed by a phosphorus additive enhanced diet with supplemental calcium to an approximate ratio of 1 (experimental diet) for 2 weeks. Blood and urine samples were collected, and participants had brachial flow-mediated dilatation measured, with analyses comparing follow-up measures to baseline. Two weeks of experimental diet increased serum fibroblast growth factor 23 concentrations but lowered body weight and serum leptin; however, other phosphorus responsive factors such as osteopontin and osteocalcin did not increase. A complementary study in male mice also demonstrated that the regulation of known dietary phosphorus responsive factors was mostly abrogated when dietary calcium was raised in parallel with phosphorus. In conclusion, the study identifies weight, leptin and insulin as responsive to dietary phosphorus and that certain aspects of the systemic phosphorus response are attenuated by a corresponding high calcium intake

Factors Associated With Depressive Symptoms and Use of Antidepressant Medications Among Participants in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) and Hispanic-CRIC Studies

BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms are correlated with poor health outcomes in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The prevalence, severity, and treatment of depressive symptoms and potential risk factors, including level of kidney function, in diverse populations with CKD have not been well studied. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: Participants at enrollment into the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) and Hispanic-CRIC (H-CRIC) Studies. CRIC enrolled Hispanics and non-Hispanics at seven centers from 2003-2007, and H-CRIC enrolled Hispanics at the University of Illinois from 2005-2008. MEASUREMENT: Depressive symptoms measured by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) PREDICTORS: Demographic and clinical factors OUTCOMES: Elevated depressive symptoms (BDI >= 11) and antidepressant medication use RESULTS: Among 3853 participants, 28.5% had evidence of elevated depressive symptoms and 18.2% were using antidepressant medications; 30.8% of persons with elevated depressive symptoms were using antidepressants. The prevalence of elevated depressive symptoms varied by level of kidney function: 25.2% among participants with eGFR ≥ 60 ml/min/1.73m(2), and 35.1% of those with eGFR < 30 ml/min/1.73m(2). Lower eGFR (OR per 10 ml/min/1.73m(2) decrease, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.03-1.16), Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.12-2.45), and non-Hispanic black race (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.17-1.74) were each associated with increased odds of elevated depressive symptoms after controlling for other factors. In regression analyses incorporating BDI score, while female sex was associated with a greater odds of antidepressant use, Hispanic ethnicity, non-Hispanic black race, and higher levels of urine albumin were associated with decreased odds of antidepressant use (p<0.05 for each). LIMITATIONS: Absence of clinical diagnosis of depression and use of non-pharmacologic treatments CONCLUSIONS: Although elevated depressive symptoms were common in individuals with CKD, use of antidepressant medications is low. African Americans, Hispanics, and individuals with more advanced CKD had higher odds of elevated depressive symptoms and lower odds of antidepressant medication use