Genomic DNA is constantly attacked by a plethora of DNA damaging agents both from endogenous and exogenous sources. Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is the most versatile repair pathway that recognizes and removes a wide range of bulky and/or helix-distorting DNA lesions. Even though the molecular mechanism of NER is well studied through in vitro system, the NER process inside the cell is more complicated because the genomic DNA in eukaryotes is tightly packaged into chromosomes and compacted into a nucleus. Epigenetic modifications regulate gene activity and expression without changing the DNA sequence. The dynamics of epigenetic regulation play a crucial role during the in vivo NER process. In this review, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of the epigenetic regulation of NER.

In this article, we study an initial-boundary value problem for a three-phase field model of nonisothermal solidification processes in the case of two possible crystallization states. The governing equations of the model are the three phase-field equations coupled with a nonlinear heat equation. Each equation of the model has strong nonlinearities involving the higher-order derivatives. We prove the existence of global-in-time weak solutions to our problem for one-dimensional case.

Concrete is the most used construction material in the world. Sustainable construction practice demands durable material. A particular type of concrete that flows and consolidates under its weight is proposed to reduce labor dependency during construction, called self-compacting concrete. It is installed without vibration due to its excellent deformability and flowability while remaining cohesive enough to be treated without difficulty. Evaluating its compressive strength is essential as it is used in important construction projects. An artificial neural network (ANN) is a predicting tool that can predict output in various sectors. This study evaluated the compressive strength of industrial waste such as fly ash and silica fume incorporated in self-compacting concrete at various ages. A non-linear relationship was used to develop the model relating mix composition and SCC compressive strength using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The experimental and expected outcomes were compared with the model prediction to evaluate the predictive capacity, generalize the generated model, and observe suitable matches. The developed ANN network can predict the desired output, i.e., compressive strength incorporating industrial waste. Furthermore, the influence of individual parameters viz. cement, silica fume, and fly ash, w/b were also evaluated using parametric analysis, which shows the sensitivity of various materials on the compressive strength of Self-compacting concrete. As a result, a higher correlation coefficient of 0.9835 with a smaller value of MAPE (0.0347) and RMSE (2.4503) is obtained. Finally, a process of creating tools for practical engineers and field users is proposed, which would be very handy and fast for predicting the strength of SCC.

Background & objectives: Scrub typhus is a mite borne rickettsial illness, caused by the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, which is endemic to Asia pacific region. Due to wide spectrum of non-specific manifestations and inaccessibility of accurate diagnostic tools, it remains underdiagnosed in many countries of Southeast Asia including Bangladesh, resulting in severe life-threatening complications. Therefore, this study was aimed to diagnose scrub typhus through molecular detection of O. tsutsugamushi by ‘Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (N-PCR)’ among febrile patients in Mymensingh, Bangladesh & to study the socio-demographic as well as clinical characteristics of the diagnosed cases. Methods: It was a cross-sectional type of study, conducted at department of Microbiology, Mymensingh Medical College between March 2018 and February 2019. Blood samples were taken from 453 febrile patients of suspected rickettsial illness, referred from both inpatient and outpatient facility of Department of Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Mymensingh Medical college Hospital (MMCH). Then DNA was extracted from the whole blood, following Phenol-Chloroform extraction & ethanol precipitation method. Finally, N-PCR was performed on extracted DNA, targeting 47Kda antigen gene, to detect O. tsutsugamushi. Results: Out of 453, this study documented [78 (17.21%)] PCR positive scrub typhus cases, among which majority [42 (53.84%)] were female & maximum [26 (33.33%)] were in age group >15-30 years. Higher number of PCR positive patients [51 (65.39%)] were from rural areas. Among the scrub typhus cases, myalgia (48; 61.53%) was the most common manifestation, followed by headache (44; 56.41%) and cough (44; 56.41%). Eschar was present only in 14 (17.94%) cases and 8 (10.25 %) patients had skin rashes. Leukocytosis and leukopenia were documented in 13 (16.66%) and 5 (6.41%) cases respectively. Decreased Hb% was recorded in 14(17.9%) & 16 (20.5%) cases had thrombocytopenia. Conclusion: This study recorded a high number of scrub typhus cases in Mymensingh region with non-specific febrile manifestations, hindering early & accurate clinical diagnosis. Complications like - renal & hepatic impairment, CNS involvement, ARDS as well as hematological abnormalities were documented also. So, scrub typhus should be considered in the differential diagnosis of undifferentiated febrile illness in Bangladesh. Further molecular studies on scrub typhus might be done throughout the countries to create awareness among physicians & to evaluate actual disease burden. Mediscope 2022;9(1): .30-40

Background: Mitral valve replacement (MVR) is a surgical procedure that is often performed in patients with severe mitral valve disease, to replace the damaged valve with a new artificial valve. Left Atrial Volume Index (LAVI) is a measurement of the size of the left atrium of the heart, normalized to the body surface area which is often used as an indicator of left atrial enlargement, which is a common finding in patients with mitral valve disease. There is a significant relationship between LAVI and Atrial Fibrillation (AF) after MVR in patients with mitral valve disease. Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between LAVI and the occurrence of atrial fibrillation after mitral valve replacement in patients with mitral valve diseases. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in the department of Cardiac Surgery, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Dhaka from March, 2018 to February, 2019. Total 60 patients were divided into two groups, out of them 30 patients had LAVI e”39 ml/m² (Group-A) and 30 patients had LAVI d” 39ml/m² (Group-B). Result: In patients with post-operative AF after MVR, was evaluated by ECG in the presence or absence of pwave and irregular R-R interval and measurement of LAVI more or less than cutoff value 39 ml/m². On postoperative day 3, 7 (23.33%) patients in Group A and 02(6.66%) patients in Group B developed post-operative AF. In Group A there was reduction in the LAVI but not below the cutoff value whereas in Group B, the LAVI was reduced below the cutoff value (< 39 ml/m2). On overall evaluation, after mitral valve replacement increased LAVI is significantly associated with post-operative AF occurrence and is a better predictor than LA diameters. From univariate analysis in our cohort, high inotropes support, MVT, ACT, CPB time and postoperative LAVI were significantly associated with occurrence of AF. But multiple logistic regression analysis revealed postoperative LAVI to be only significant predictor of occurrence of AF after Mitral valve replacement. Conclusion: Our study shows that postoperative LAVI measured by 2-D echocardiography is positively and independently associated with the occurrence of postoperative AF following MVR. Moreover, clinical risk factors are fairly good predictors of the occurrence of AF after MVR, but postoperative LAVI was the most significant independent predictor of postoperative AF in our study. Bangladesh Heart Journal 2023; 38(1): 38-45