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

Urothelial Cancer With Occult Bone Marrow Metastases and Isolated Thrombocytopenia

AbstractBladder cancer rarely presents clinically with a myelophthisic picture from diffuse bone marrow infiltration especially in the absence of detectable skeletal metastases. A 75-year old man presented with newly diagnosed urothelial cell carcinoma of the bladder. Pathology from transurethral resection of bladder tumor demonstrated muscle-invasive disease. Pre-therapy imaging including CT abdomen/pelvis, CXR and bone scan demonstrated liver lesions concerning for metastatic disease but no skeletal metastases. Labs were notable for isolated thrombocytopenia, hypercalcemia and acute kidney injury prompting hospitalization. Hematologic work-up including bone marrow aspiration and biopsy revealed diffuse infiltration of the bone marrow by urothelial cancer. The case illustrates the importance of fully investigating otherwise unexplained clinical findings in patients with clinically localized urothelial cancer prior to curative intent surgery

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.

A novel RNA in situ hybridization assay for the long noncoding RNA SChLAP1 predicts poor clinical outcome after radical prostatectomy in clinically localized prostate cancer.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are an emerging class of oncogenic molecules implicated in a diverse range of human malignancies. We recently identified SChLAP1 as a novel lncRNA that demonstrates outlier expression in a subset of prostate cancers, promotes tumor cell invasion and metastasis, and associates with lethal disease. Based on these findings, we sought to develop an RNA in situ hybridization (ISH) assay for SChLAP1 to 1) investigate the spectrum of SChLAP1 expression from benign prostatic tissue to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and 2) to determine whether SChLAP1 expression by ISH is associated with outcome after radical prostatectomy in patients with clinically localized disease. The results from our current study demonstrate that SChLAP1 expression increases with prostate cancer progression, and high SChLAP1 expression by ISH is associated with poor outcome after radical prostatectomy in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer by both univariate (hazard ratio = 2.343, P = .005) and multivariate (hazard ratio = 1.99, P = .032) Cox regression analyses. This study highlights a potential clinical utility for SChLAP1 ISH as a novel tissue-based biomarker assay for outcome prognostication after radical prostatectomy

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

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

Involvement of p38-betaTrCP-Tristetraprolin-TNFalpha axis in radiation pneumonitis

Early release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) during radiotherapy of thoracic cancers plays an important role in radiation pneumonitis, whose inhibition may provide lung radioprotection. We previously reported radiation inactivates Tristetraprolin (TTP), a negative regulator of TNF-alpha synthesis, which correlated with increased TNF-alpha release. However, the molecular events involved in radiation-induced TTP inactivation remain unclear. To determine if eliminating Ttp in mice resulted in a phenotypic response to radiation, Ttp-null mice lungs were exposed to a single dose of 15 Gy, and TNF-alpha release and lung inflammation were analyzed at different time points post-irradiation. Ttp-/- mice with elevated (9.5+/-0.6 fold) basal TNF-alpha showed further increase (12.2+/-0.9 fold, p \u3c 0.02) in TNF-alpha release and acute lung inflammation within a week post-irradiation. Further studies using mouse lung macrophage (MH-S), human lung fibroblast (MRC-5), and exogenous human TTP overexpressing U2OS and HEK293 cells upon irradiation (a single dose of 4 Gy) promoted p38-mediated TTP phosphorylation at the serine 186 position, which primed it to be recognized by an ubiquitin ligase (E3), beta transducing repeat containing protein (beta-TrCP), to promote polyubiquitination-mediated proteasomal degradation. Consequently, a serine 186 to alanine (SA) mutant of TTP was resistant to radiation-induced degradation. Similarly, either a p38 kinase inhibitor (SB203580), or siRNA-mediated beta-TrCP knockdown, or overexpression of dominant negative Cullin1 mutants protected TTP from radiation-induced degradation. Consequently, SB203580 pretreatment blocked radiation-induced TNF-alpha release and radioprotected macrophages. Together, these data establish the involvement of the p38-betaTrCP-TTP-TNFalpha signaling axis in radiation-induced lung inflammation and identified p38 inhibition as a possible lung radioprotection strategy

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.

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