Association of C677T (rs1081133) and A1298C (rs1801131) Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Variants with Breast Cancer Susceptibility Among Asians: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to investigate the association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and A1298C polymorphisms with breast cancer (BC) in Asians. Systematic searches were conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus by May 2020. Inter-study heterogeneity was also assessed with a Q test, along with I2 statistics. Random-effects models were applied to pooled crude ORs with corresponding 95% CIs for the genetic models. A total of 1097 identified results, along with 36 qualified studies were included: for MTHFR C677T polymorphism, a total of 36 studies was comprised of 11,261 cases and 13,318 controls and for MTHFR A1298C polymorphism, a number of 19 studies contained 7424 cases and 8204 controls. Likewise, for C677T polymorphism, an increased risk of BC was seen for the allelic (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.09–1.33, P < 0.01, I2 = 78.9%), dominant (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05–1.30, P < 0.01, I2 = 71.8%), recessive (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.23–1.67, P < 0.01, I2 = 55.8%), and homozygous models (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.25–1.75, P < 0.01, I2 59.9%) among BC patients compared to controls. Also, in terms of A1298C polymorphism, an association was found between the allelic (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.04–1.28, P < 0.01, I2 70.4%) and homozygous models (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.15–1.66, P < 0.01, I2 44.2%) with the risk of BC. In conclusion, findings revealed that MTHFR C677T variant might be a factor that predisposes BC in Asians. Furthermore, it was found that A1298C variant acts as a BC risk factor, particularly in a Western Asia population

Radio- and photosensitization of DNA with compounds containing platinum and bromine atoms

Irradiations of plasmid DNA by both X-rays and UV light in the presence and absence of compounds containing platinum and bromine atoms were performed in order to asses the sensitization potential of these compounds. Plasmid DNA pBR322 was incubated with platinum (II) bromide, hydrogen hexabromoplatinate (IV), hydrogen hexahydroxyplatinate (IV) and sodium hexahydroxyplatinate (IV). Incubation was followed by X-ray or UV irradiations. It was found that amongst the sensitizers tested, during irradiations carried out in the presence of platinum (II) bromide, the highest levels of double strand breaks formation upon X-ray treatment were recorded. In contrast much less damage was induced by UV light. Data presented here suggests that this compound may be a promising radiosensitizer for cancer treatment

Investigation of Changing Pore Topology and Porosity during Matrix Acidizing using Different Chelating Agents

Core flooding acidizing experiments on sandstone/carbonate formation are usually performed in the laboratory to observe different physical phenomena and to design acidizing stimulation jobs for the field. During the tests, some key parameters are analyzed such as pore volume required for breakthrough as well as pressure. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is commonly used in the carbonate matrix acidizing while Mud acid (HF: HCl) is usually applied during the sandstone acidizing to remove damage around the well bore. However, many problems are associated with the application of these acids, such as fast reaction, corrosion and incompatibility of HCl with some minerals (illite). To overcome these problems, chelating agents (HEDTA, EDTA and GLDA) were used in this research. Colton tight sandstone and Guelph Dolomite core samples were used in this study. The experiments usually are defined in terms of porosity, permeability, dissolution and pore topology. Effluent samples were analyzed to determine dissolved iron, sodium, potassium, calcium and other positive ions using Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP). Meanwhile Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) was employed to determine porosity and pore structure of the core sample. Core flood experiments on Berea sandstone cores and dolomite samples with dimensions of 1.5 in × 3 in were conducted at a flow rate of 1 cc/min under 150oF temperature. NMR and porosity analysis concluded that applied chemicals are effective in creating fresh pore spaces. ICP analysis concluded that HEDTA showed good ability to chelate calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium and iron. It can be established from the analysis that HEDTA can increase more amount of permeability as compared to other chelates

Clustering Algorithms: Their Application to Gene Expression Data

Gene expression data hide vital information required to understand the biological process that takes place in a particular organism in relation to its environment. Deciphering the hidden patterns in gene expression data proffers a prodigious preference to strengthen the understanding of functional genomics. The complexity of biological networks and the volume of genes present increase the challenges of comprehending and interpretation of the resulting mass of data, which consists of millions of measurements; these data also inhibit vagueness, imprecision, and noise. Therefore, the use of clustering techniques is a first step toward addressing these challenges, which is essential in the data mining process to reveal natural structures and iden-tify interesting patterns in the underlying data. The clustering of gene expression data has been proven to be useful in making known the natural structure inherent in gene expression data, understanding gene functions, cellular processes, and subtypes of cells, mining useful information from noisy data, and understanding gene regulation. The other benefit of clustering gene expression data is the identification of homology, which is very important in vaccine design. This review examines the various clustering algorithms applicable to the gene expression data in order to discover and provide useful knowledge of the appropriate clustering technique that will guarantee stability and high degree of accuracy in its analysis procedure

Analysis of chlorpheniramine in human urine samples using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography

A simple and environmentally friendly microextraction technique was used for determination of chlorpheniramine (CPM), an antihistamine drug, in human urine samples using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) followed by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). In this extraction technique, an appropriate mixture of acetonitrile (disperser solvent) and carbon tetrachloride (extraction solvent) was rapidly injected into the urine sample containing the target analyte. Tiny droplets of extractant were formed and dispersed into the sample solution and then sedimented at the bottom of the conical test tube by centrifugation. Under optimal conditions, the calibration curve was linear in the range of 0.055-5.5 µg mL-1, with a detection limit of 16.5 ng mL-1. This proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of real urine samples. Low consumption of toxic organic solvents, simplicity of operation, low cost and acceptable figures of merit are the main advantages of the proposed technique

Hepatitis B virus genotype D is the only genotype circulating in Iranian chronic carriers, the unique pattern of genotypic homogeneity

Aim: To characterize the hepatitis B virus surface protein genotypes and sequence variations among HBsAg positive chronic Iranian patients from different ethnic groups. Method: The surface genes from 312 patients were amplified and directly sequenced. Results: All strains (100) belonged to genotype D and subtypes ayw2. The average nucleotide mutation frequency was 0.91 (dN/dS < 1.0), indicated negative selection. There was no significant correlation between HBV DNA and ALT levels and the occurrence of amino acid substitutions. However, in terms of HBeAg/Anti-HBe status, the association between both groups for silent nucleotide mutation was strong, indicating selection bias on missense mutations. A higher number of amino acid mutations was found in anti-HBe positive versus HBeAg positive patients.Conclusion: The uniqueness pattern of HBV genetics hemogeniety together with the low mutational frequency indicated that HBV has introduced to Iran recently and isolation of people in the absence of intermixing with other genotypes led to a homologous pattern. © 2014 ACT

Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 countries and territories and 811 additional subnational locations from 1950 to 2021, with a particular emphasis on changes in mortality and life expectancy that occurred during the 2020–21 COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods: 22 223 data sources from vital registration, sample registration, surveys, censuses, and other sources were used to estimate mortality, with a subset of these sources used exclusively to estimate excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2026 data sources were used for population estimation. Additional sources were used to estimate migration; the effects of the HIV epidemic; and demographic discontinuities due to conflicts, famines, natural disasters, and pandemics, which are used as inputs for estimating mortality and population. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate under-5 mortality rates, which synthesised 30 763 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 1365 surveys and censuses, and 80 other sources. ST-GPR was also used to estimate adult mortality (between ages 15 and 59 years) based on information from 31 642 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 355 surveys and censuses, and 24 other sources. Estimates of child and adult mortality rates were then used to generate life tables with a relational model life table system. For countries with large HIV epidemics, life tables were adjusted using independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated via an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys, antenatal clinic serosurveillance, and other data sources. Excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 was determined by subtracting observed all-cause mortality (adjusted for late registration and mortality anomalies) from the mortality expected in the absence of the pandemic. Expected mortality was calculated based on historical trends using an ensemble of models. In location-years where all-cause mortality data were unavailable, we estimated excess mortality rates using a regression model with covariates pertaining to the pandemic. Population size was computed using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model. Life expectancy was calculated using age-specific mortality rates and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered values from a 1000-draw posterior distribution. Findings: Global all-cause mortality followed two distinct patterns over the study period: age-standardised mortality rates declined between 1950 and 2019 (a 62·8% [95% UI 60·5–65·1] decline), and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020–21; 5·1% [0·9–9·6] increase). In contrast with the overall reverse in mortality trends during the pandemic period, child mortality continued to decline, with 4·66 million (3·98–5·50) global deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2021 compared with 5·21 million (4·50–6·01) in 2019. An estimated 131 million (126–137) people died globally from all causes in 2020 and 2021 combined, of which 15·9 million (14·7–17·2) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by excess mortality, which includes deaths directly due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and those indirectly due to other social, economic, or behavioural changes associated with the pandemic). Excess mortality rates exceeded 150 deaths per 100 000 population during at least one year of the pandemic in 80 countries and territories, whereas 20 nations had a negative excess mortality rate in 2020 or 2021, indicating that all-cause mortality in these countries was lower during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends. Between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy at birth increased by 22·7 years (20·8–24·8), from 49·0 years (46·7–51·3) to 71·7 years (70·9–72·5). Global life expectancy at birth declined by 1·6 years (1·0–2·2) between 2019 and 2021, reversing historical trends. An increase in life expectancy was only observed in 32 (15·7%) of 204 countries and territories between 2019 and 2021. The global population reached 7·89 billion (7·67–8·13) people in 2021, by which time 56 of 204 countries and territories had peaked and subsequently populations have declined. The largest proportion of population growth between 2020 and 2021 was in sub-Saharan Africa (39·5% [28·4–52·7]) and south Asia (26·3% [9·0–44·7]). From 2000 to 2021, the ratio of the population aged 65 years and older to the population aged younger than 15 years increased in 188 (92·2%) of 204 nations. Interpretation: Global adult mortality rates markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, reversing past decreasing trends, while child mortality rates continued to decline, albeit more slowly than in earlier years. Although COVID-19 had a substantial impact on many demographic indicators during the first 2 years of the pandemic, overall global health progress over the 72 years evaluated has been profound, with considerable improvements in mortality and life expectancy. Additionally, we observed a deceleration of global population growth since 2017, despite steady or increasing growth in lower-income countries, combined with a continued global shift of population age structures towards older ages. These demographic changes will likely present future challenges to health systems, economies, and societies. The comprehensive demographic estimates reported here will enable researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, and other key stakeholders to better understand and address the profound changes that have occurred in the global health landscape following the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and longer-term trends beyond the pandemic. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Porosity and water saturation estimation for shale reservoirs: An example from goldwyer formation shale, canning basin, western australia

Porosity and water saturation are the most critical and fundamental parameters for accurate estimation of gas content in the shale reservoirs. However, their determination is very challenging due to the direct influence of kerogen and clay content on the logging tools. The porosity and water saturation over or underestimate the reserves if the corrections for kerogen and clay content are not applied. Moreover, it is very difficult to determine the formation water resistivity (Rw) and Archie parameters for shale reservoirs. In this study, the current equations for porosity and water saturation are modified based on kerogen and clay content calibrations. The porosity in shale is composed of kerogen and matrix porosities. The kerogen response for the density porosity log is calibrated based on core-based derived kerogen volume. The kerogen porosity is computed by a mass-balance relation between the original total organic carbon (TOCo) and kerogen maturity derived by the percentage of convertible organic carbon (Cc) and the transformation ratio (TR). Whereas, the water saturation is determined by applying kerogen and shale volume corrections on the Rt. The modified Archie equation is derived to compute the water saturation of the shale reservoir. This equation is independent of Rw and Archie parameters. The introduced porosity and water saturation equations are successfully applied for the Ordovician Goldwyer formation shale from Canning Basin, Western Australia. The results indicate that based on the proposed equations, the total porosity ranges from 5% to 10% and the water saturation ranges from 35% to 80%. Whereas, the porosity and water saturation were overestimated by the conventional equations. The results were well-correlated with the core-based porosity and water saturation. Moreover, it is also revealed that the porosity and water saturation of Goldwyer Formation shale are subjected to the specific rock type with heterogeneity in total organic carbon total clay contents. The introduced porosity and water saturation can be helpful for accurate reserve estimations for shale reservoirs

Integrated solid waste management in megacities

Rapid urbanization and industrialization, population growth and economic growth in developing countries make management of municipal solid waste more complex comparing with developed countries. Furthermore, the conventional municipal solid waste management approach often is reductionists, not tailored to handle complexity. Therefore, the need to a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary approach regarding the municipal solid waste management problems is increasing. The concept of integrated solid waste management is accepted for this aim all over the world. This paper analyzes the current situation as well as opportunities and challenges regarding municipal solid waste management in Isfahan according to the integrated solid waste management framework in six aspects: environmental, political/legal, institutional, socio-cultural, financial/economic, technical and performance aspects. Based on the results obtained in this analysis, the main suggestions for future integrated solid waste management of Isfahan are as i) promoting financial sustainability by taking the solid waste fee and reducing the expenses through the promoting source collection of recyclable materials, ii) improving compost quality and also marketing the compost products simultaneously, iii) promoting the private sector involvements throughout the municipal solid waste management system

Shale lithofacies controls on porosity and pore structure: An example from Ordovician Goldwyer Formation, Canning Basin, Western Australia

The hydrocarbon storage and transport capacity of shale reservoirs are dependent on its complex pore systems. This study focuses on Ordovician Goldwyer Formation (Goldwyer shale) from Canning Basin, Western Australia. Multi-scale qualitative (X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope, TESCAN integrated mineral analyser (TIMA) and thin-section analysis) and quantitative (Rock-Eval® pyrolysis, helium porosity on crushed samples, low-pressure gas adsorptions (N2 and CO2) and mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP)) approaches were applied on shale samples. The results indicate that the Goldwyer shale comprises five main lithofacies (namely organic-rich shale, argillaceous shale, siliceous shale, calcareous shale, and mixed shale) based on mineral composition and total organic carbon (TOC) content. The organic-rich and siliceous shales have highest porosity (>10%) followed by mixed shale and other lithofacies. Three types of pores, namely organic pores, interparticle, and intraparticle pores, are identified in Goldwyer shale. Most of the pores are narrow slit-like or bottle-necked shaped pores. The micropore and mesopore volumes and specific surface area (SSA) of all lithofacies are positively related to TOC except for the argillaceous shale. Conversely, the micro and mesopore parameters (SSA and pore volumes) exhibited inverse relations with total clay content for all lithofacies except argillaceous shale. This indicates that the total clay and TOC content is the main controlling factors for pore structure of Goldwyer shale. The whole pore aperture exposed that mesopores are more abundant in Goldwyer shale; however, few micro and macropores are also found in different lithofacies. The organic-rich, siliceous and mixed shales could be deemed as the most essential lithofacies types for fluid flow via pore systems due to high porosity and feasible pore structures