Analysis of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in soil samples for the assessment of the average effective dose

The activity concentrations of the natural radionuclides namely 238Ra, 232Th and 40K are measured for soil samples collected from different locations of Faridkot and Mansa districts of Punjab. HPGe detector, based on high-resolution gamma spectrometry system is used for the measurement of activity concentration. The range of activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in the soil from the studied areas varies from 21.42 Bq kg–1 to 40.23 Bq kg–1 , 61.01 Bq kg–1 to 142.34 Bq kg–1 and 227.11 Bq kg–1 to 357.13 Bq kg–1 with overall mean values of 27.17 Bq kg–1, 95.22 Bq kg–1 and 312.76 Bq kg–1, respectively. Radium equivalent activities are calculated for the analyzed samples to assess the radiation hazards arising due to the use of these soil samples in the construction of dwellings. The absorbed dose rate calculated from activity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K ranges between 9.87 and 18.55, 38.01 and 88.68 and 9.40 and 14.79 nGy h–1, respectively. The total absorbed dose in the study area ranges from 61.10 nGy h–1 to 112.86 nGy h–1 with an average value of 84.80 nGy h–1. The calculated values of external hazard index (Hex) for the soil samples of the study area range from 0.36 to 0.68. Since these values are lower than unity, according to the Radiation Protection 112 (European Commission, 1999) report, soil from these regions is safe and can be used as construction material without posing any significant radiological threat to population. The corresponding average annual effective dose for indoor and outdoor measured in the study area are 0.42 mSv and 0.10 mSv respectively.Author Affiliation: Rohit Mehra, Surinder Singh and Kulwant Singh 1.Department of Applied Sciences, Malout Institute of Management and Information Technology, Malout-152 107, Punjab, India 2.Department of Physics, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar-143 005, Punjab, India E-mail : [email protected] of Applied Sciences, Malout Institute of Management and Information Technology, Malout-152 107, Punjab, India Department of Physics, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar-143 005, Punjab, Indi

At the intersection of primary pulmonary myxoid sarcoma and pulmonary angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma: observations from three new cases

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/107555/1/his12354.pd

Risk Evaluation of Uranium Exposure through Drinking Water: Bio-kinetic Modelling and Assessment in Ferozepur District, Punjab, India

This study aimed to assess uranium and other physicochemical parameters in the drinking water of Punjab Ferozepur district, India. Samples were collected from 22 areas during the June to September 2019 monsoon season. Uranium concentration, pH, EC, and TDS were analyzed using a LED Fluorimeter and a water analyzer kit at the Radiation Physics Laboratory of the National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar. Uranium concentrations varied from 16.01µg/l to 473.57µg/l, exceeding the WHO guideline of 30 µg/l in certain areas. Correlation studies among parameters were conducted. The study also examined daily uranium ingestion rate (145.84 µg) over a 60-year exposure period and uranium retention in various organs. Timely uranium excretion assessment via urine, feces, and hair using the ICRP bio-kinetic model was conducted. Additionally, a systematic case study in the high-risk Ferozepur district evaluated groundwater uranium concentration and associated toxicity

Structure-Function Investigation of Vsp Serotypes of the Spirochete Borrelia hermsii

, which differ only in the Vsp they express, exhibit marked differences in clinical disease severity and tissue localization during infection. serotypes whose Vsp domes clustered with the BtVsp1 dome were less virulent but localized to the brain more. The BtVsp2 dome was the oddball among all and Bt2 was the only serotype that caused severe arthritis.

Correlation between cribriform/intraductal prostatic adenocarcinoma and percent Gleason pattern 4 to a 22‐gene genomic classifier

BackgroundThe Decipher test measures expression of 22 RNA biomarkers associated with aggressive prostate cancer used to improve risk stratification of patients to help guide management. To date, Decipher’s genomic classification has not been extensively correlated with specific histologic growth patterns in prostatic adenocarcinoma. With a growing understanding of the clinical aggressiveness associated with cribriform growth pattern (CF), intraductal carcinoma (IDC), and percent Gleason pattern 4 (G4%), we sought to determine if their presence was associated with an increased genomic risk as measured by the Decipher assay.DesignClinical use of the Decipher assay was performed on the highest Gleason score (GS) tumor nodule of prostatectomy specimens from a prospective cohort of 48 patients, with GS varying from 7 through 9 to help guide clinical risk stratification. The tumors were reviewed for CF, IDC, and G4%, which were then compared to the Decipher score (0‐1) and risk stratification (high vs not high).ResultsThe presence of CF/IDC was significantly associated with Decipher risk score (P = .007), with a high‐risk Decipher score in 22% vs 56% of patients without or with CF/IDC. On binary logistic regression analysis, G4% (odds ratio [OR] 1.04 per percent increase [95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02‐1.06]; P = .0004) and CF predominant (OR, 9.60 [95%CI, 1.48‐62.16]; P = .02) were significantly associated with a high‐risk GC score. IDC did not reach significance (OR, 1.92 [95%CI, 0.65‐5.67]; P = .24).ConclusionsOur findings add to an expanding knowledge base that supports G4% and CF/IDC as molecularly unique and clinically relevant features in prostatic adenocarcinoma. These histologic features should be standardly reported as they are associated with more aggressive prostate cancer. Future work should determine the independent information of these histologic findings that are relative to genomic assessment on long‐term outcomes.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153011/1/pros23926.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153011/2/pros23926_am.pd

Electrooptic and Dielectric Studies in Cadmium Sulphide Nanorods/Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Mixtures

We present the results based on the electrooptic and dielectric studies in cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanorods/ferroelectric liquid crystal mixtures. Doping of CdS nanorods increases the spontaneous polarization and response time, which due to large dipole-dipole interaction and increase in anchoring energies exists between nanorods and FLC molecules. Dielectric measurements revealed a decrease (~40% for 0.3% CdS in FLC) in permittivity and dielectric strength in doped sample cell than pure FLC mixture. A decrease in dc conductivity and relaxation frequency with doping concentration was also noticed. The preexponent factor and fractional exponent factor are found as predicated by existing theories

Tracing geochemical sources and health risk assessment of uranium in groundwater of arid zone of India

Water quality degradation and metal contamination in groundwater are serious concerns in an arid region with scanty water resources. This study aimed at evaluating the source of uranium (U) and potential health risk assessment in groundwater of the arid region of western Rajasthan and northern Gujarat. The probable source of vanadium (V) and fluorine (F) was also identified. U and trace metal concentration, along with physicochemical characteristics were determined for 265 groundwater samples collected from groundwater of duricrusts and palaeochannels of western Rajasthan and northern Gujarat. The U concentration ranged between 0.6 and 260 μg L−1 with a mean value of 24 μg L−1, and 30% of samples surpassed the World Health Organization’s limit for U (30 μg L−1). Speciation results suggested that dissolution of primary U mineral, carnotite [ K2(UO2)2(VO4)2·3H2O] governs the enrichment. Water–rock interaction and evaporation are found the major hydrogeochemical processes controlling U mineralization. Groundwater zones having high U concentrations are characterized by Na–Cl hydrogeochemical facies and high total dissolved solids. It is inferred from geochemical modelling and principal component analysis that silicate weathering, bicarbonate complexation, carnotite dissolution, and ion exchange are principal factors controlling major solute ion chemistry. The annual ingestion doses of U for all the age groups are found to be safe and below the permissible limit in all samples. The health risk assessment with trace elements manifested high carcinogenic risks for children

Comparative study of TERT promoter mutation status within spatially, temporally and morphologically distinct components of urothelial carcinoma

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141213/1/his13318.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141213/2/his13318_am.pd

Current and Proposed Molecular Diagnostics in a Genitourinary Service Line Laboratory at a Tertiary Clinical Institution

Abstract: The idea that detailed knowledge of molecular oncogenesis will drive diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic clinical decision making in an increasingly multidisciplinary practice of oncologic care has been anticipated for many years. With the recent rapid advancement in our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of genitourinary malignancies, this concept is now starting to take shape in the fields of prostate, kidney, bladder, testicular, and penile cancer. Such breakthroughs necessitate the development of robust clinical-grade assays that can be quickly made available for patients to facilitate diagnosis in challenging cases, risk-stratify patients for subsequent clinical management, select the appropriate targeted therapy from among increasingly diverse and numerous options, and enroll patients in advanced clinical trials. This rapid translation of basic and clinical cancer research requires a streamlined, multidisciplinary approach to clinical assay development, termed here the molecular diagnostics service line laboratory. In this review, we summarize the current state and explore the future of molecular diagnostics in genitourinary oncology to conceptualize a genitourinary service line laboratory at a tertiary clinical institution. Key Words: Prostate cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, testicular cancer, penile cancer, immunohistochemistry (IHC), fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), in situ hybridization (ISH), whole-genome sequencing (Cancer J 2014;20: 29Y42) T he genomic era is rapidly revolutionizing the practice of health care, and in almost no area is this more apparent than oncology, where molecular data are increasingly driving patient care in terms of diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutics. The promise of personalized medicine, wherein the therapeutic options for an individual patient are tailored to his/her specific tumor genetics and biology, requires robust clinical assays for the biomarker(s) of interest. Our evolving understanding of the molecular underpinnings of urologic malignancies provides an emerging role for molecular testing in the treatment of these common neoplasms. Here, we envision the concept of a genitourinary service line laboratory at a tertiary clinical institution, and using an organ-based approach, we review the current state and explore the future of molecular diagnostics in genitourinary oncology. Genitourinary Service Line Laboratory: Concept and Services With the advent of widespread whole-genome sequencing of tumors, going forward, we expect the pace of molecular discoveries to quicken rather than abate. This trend will undoubtedly be associated with the need to bring advances made in the laboratory rapidly into the realm of routine clinical practice. We believe there are several ways this is already happening and will further develop in the future. As the cost of sequencing decreases, one such possibility is routine whole-genome sequencing of clinical tumor specimens, with the selection of therapeutics based on the prevalent targetable molecular alterations. A clinical sequencing pilot project, termed MI-ONCOSEQ, has already been established at the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) for patients with advanced tumors that are resistant to conventional histologybased therapies. 1 Based on the results of this novel project, it seems clear to us that there are tumors that would benefit from this whole-genome sequencing approach. It is also evident that cancers arising in different organsVas well as different cancer subtypes within the same organ systemVare not uniformly similar but instead house different genetic drivers. In this age of translational medicine, it is imperative that discoveries from technologies such as clinical sequencing or traditional clinical cancer research be quickly incorporated into the development of clinical-grade assays in a CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments)Ycertified environment. Broader availability of such assays will facilitate patient enrollment in a new generation of clinical trials that incorporate these rapid molecular advances and will expand the available pool of clinical sites beyond specialized academic centers. Hence, we propose the concept of dedicated molecular diagnostic service line laboratories, initially purposed for and centered around specific organ systems (i.e., genitourinary, pulmonary, etc.