A Neutral PCNHCP Co(I)-Me Pincer Complex as a Catalyst for N-Allylic Isomerization with a Broad Substrate Scope.

Earth-abundant-metal catalyzed double bond transposition offers a sustainable and atom-economical route toward the synthesis of internal alkenes. With an emphasis specifically on internal olefins and ethers, the isomerization of allylic amines has been particularly under represented in the literature. Herein, we report an efficient methodology for the selective isomerization of N-allylic organic compounds, including amines, amides, and imines. The reaction is catalyzed by a neutral PCNHCP cobalt(I) pincer complex and proceeds via a π-allyl mechanism. The isomerization occurs readily at 80-90 °C, and it is compatible with a wide variety of functional groups. The in situ formed enamines could additionally be used for a one-pot inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction to furnish a series of diversely substituted heterobiaryls, which is further discussed in this report.

7-amino carboxycoumarin 2 inhibits lactate induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition via MPC1 in oral and breast cancer cells.

Lactate is an oncometabolite that play important role in tumor aggressiveness. Lactate from the tumor microenvironment (TME) is taken up by cancer cells as an energy resource via mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (or OXPHOS). In the present study, by using an online meta-analysis tool we demonstrated that in oral squamous cancer cells (OSCCs) glycolytic and OXPHOS governing genes are overexpressed, like in breast cancer. For experimental demonstration, we treated the OSCC cell line (SCC4) and breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) with sodium L-lactate and analyzed its effects on changes in EMT and migration. For the therapeutic intervention of lactate metabolism, we used AZD3965 (an MCT1 inhibitor), and 7ACC2 (an MPC inhibitor). Like breast cancer, oral cancer tissues showed increased transcripts of 12 genes that were previously shown to be associated with glycolysis and OXPHOS. We experimentally demonstrated that L-lactate treatment induced mesenchymal markers and migration of cancer cells, which was significantly neutralized by MPC inhibitor that is, 7ACC2. Such an effect on EMT status was not observed with AZD3965. Furthermore, we showed that lactate treatment increases the MPC1 expression in both cancer cells, and this might be the reason why cancer cells in the high lactate environment are more sensitive to 7ACC2. Overall, our present findings demonstrate that extracellular lactate positively regulates the MPC1 protein expression in cancer cells, thereby putting forward the notion of using 7ACC2 as a potential therapeutic alternative to inhibit malignant oxidative cancers. Future preclinical studies are warranted to validate the present findings.

Canonical WNT/ß-catenin signaling upregulates aerobic glycolysis in diverse cancer types.

Despite many efforts, a comprehensive understanding and clarification of the intricate connections within cancer cell metabolism remain elusive. This might pertain to intracellular dynamics and the complex interplay between cancer cells, and cells with the tumor stroma. Almost a century ago, Otto Warburg found that cancer cells exhibit a glycolytic phenotype, which continues to be a subject of thorough investigation. Past and ongoing investigations have demonstrated intricate mechanisms by which tumors modulate their functionality by utilizing extracellular glucose as a substrate, thereby sustaining the essential proliferation of cancer cells. This concept of "aerobic glycolysis," where cancer cells (even in the presence of enough oxygen) metabolize glucose to produce lactate plays a critical role in cancer progression and is regulated by various signaling pathways. Recent research has revealed that the canonical wingless-related integrated site (WNT) pathway promotes aerobic glycolysis, directly and indirectly, thereby influencing cancer development and progression. The present review seeks to gather knowledge about how the WNT/ß-catenin pathway influences aerobic glycolysis, referring to relevant studies in different types of cancer. Furthermore, we propose the concept of impeding the glycolytic phenotype of tumors by employing specific inhibitors that target WNT/ß-catenin signaling.

Evaluating ChatGPT's Accuracy in Responding to Patient Education Questions on Acute Kidney Injury and Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Acute kidney injury (AKI) and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) are critical areas in nephrology. The effectiveness of ChatGPT in simpler, patient education-oriented questions has not been thoroughly assessed. This study evaluates the proficiency of ChatGPT 4.0 in responding to such questions, subjected to various linguistic alterations. METHODS: Eighty-nine questions were sourced from the Mayo Clinic Handbook for educating patients on AKI and CRRT. These questions were categorized as original, paraphrased with different interrogative adverbs, paraphrased resulting in incomplete sentences, and paraphrased containing misspelled words. Two nephrologists verified the questions for medical accuracy. A χ2 test was conducted to ascertain notable discrepancies in ChatGPT 4.0's performance across these formats. RESULTS: ChatGPT provided notable accuracy in handling a variety of question formats for patient education in AKI and CRRT. Across all question types, ChatGPT demonstrated an accuracy of 97% for both original and adverb-altered questions and 98% for questions with incomplete sentences or misspellings. Specifically for AKI-related questions, the accuracy was consistently maintained at 97% for all versions. In the subset of CRRT-related questions, the tool achieved a 96% accuracy for original and adverb-altered questions, and this increased to 98% for questions with incomplete sentences or misspellings. The statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in performance across these varied question types (p value: 1.00 for AKI and 1.00 for CRRT), and there was no notable disparity between the artificial intelligence (AI)'s responses to AKI and CRRT questions (p value: 0.71). CONCLUSION: ChatGPT 4.0 demonstrates consistent and high accuracy in interpreting and responding to queries related to AKI and CRRT, irrespective of linguistic modifications. These findings suggest that ChatGPT 4.0 has the potential to be a reliable support tool in the delivery of patient education, by accurately providing information across a range of question formats. Further research is needed to explore the direct impact of AI-generated responses on patient understanding and education outcomes.

May Measurement Month 2021: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Bangladesh.

Previous studies have shown that among Bangladeshi adults, one-fifth have hypertension. The National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh participated in May Measurement Month (MMM) campaigns in 2017, 2018, 2019, as well as in 2021 as a part of a global initiative aimed at raising awareness of high blood pressure (BP) and to act as a temporary solution to the lack of nationwide screening programmes. This opportunistic screening of voluntary participants aged ≥18 years was carried out from May to July 2021. Data were collected from more than 150 screening sites in all 64 districts in Bangladesh. Blood pressure measurement, the definition of hypertension, and statistical analysis followed the MMM protocol. Data on 28 355 individuals were finally analysed. Among the participants, 17 941 (63.3%) were female. After multiple imputation, 11 194 (39.5%) had hypertension. Among the 11 194 participants with hypertension, 78.8% were aware of having hypertension and 65.6% were on antihypertensive medication. Among 11 194 participants with hypertension, 7340 participants (65.6%) were on antihypertensive medication and 43.8% had controlled BP (<140/90 mmHg). Of those on antihypertensive medication, 66.8% had controlled BP. A voluntary BP screening programme can identify significant numbers of people with raised BP and thus contributes importantly to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Enhancing customer retention in telecom industry with machine learning driven churn prediction.

Customer churn remains a critical concern for businesses, highlighting the significance of retaining existing customers over acquiring new ones. Effective prediction of potential churners aids in devising robust retention policies and efficient customer management strategies. This study dives into the realm of machine learning algorithms for predictive analysis in churn prediction, addressing the inherent challenge posed by diverse and imbalanced customer churn data distributions. This paper introduces a novel approach-the Ratio-based data balancing technique, which addresses data skewness as a pre-processing step, ensuring improved accuracy in predictive modelling. This study fills gaps in existing literature by highlighting the effectiveness of ensemble algorithms and the critical role of data balancing techniques in optimizing churn prediction models. While our research contributes a novel approach, there remain avenues for further exploration. This work evaluates several machine learning algorithms-Perceptron, Multi-Layer Perceptron, Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression, K-Nearest Neighbour, Decision Tree, alongside Ensemble techniques such as Gradient Boosting and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost)-on balanced datasets achieved through our proposed Ratio-based data balancing technique and the commonly used Data Resampling. Results reveal that our proposed Ratio-based data balancing technique notably outperforms traditional Over-Sampling and Under-Sampling methods in churn prediction accuracy. Additionally, using combined algorithms like Gradient Boosting and XGBoost showed better results than using single methods. Our study looked at different aspects like Accuracy, Precision, Recall, and F-Score, finding that these combined methods are better for predicting customer churn. Specifically, when we used a 75:25 ratio with the XGBoost method, we got the most promising results for our analysis which are presented in this work.

Personalized Medicine Transformed: ChatGPT's Contribution to Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Alarm Management in Intensive Care Units.

The accurate interpretation of CRRT machine alarms is crucial in the intensive care setting. ChatGPT, with its advanced natural language processing capabilities, has emerged as a tool that is evolving and advancing in its ability to assist with healthcare information. This study is designed to evaluate the accuracy of the ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 models in addressing queries related to CRRT alarm troubleshooting. This study consisted of two rounds of ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 responses to address 50 CRRT machine alarm questions that were carefully selected by two nephrologists in intensive care. Accuracy was determined by comparing the model responses to predetermined answer keys provided by critical care nephrologists, and consistency was determined by comparing outcomes across the two rounds. The accuracy rate of ChatGPT-3.5 was 86% and 84%, while the accuracy rate of ChatGPT-4 was 90% and 94% in the first and second rounds, respectively. The agreement between the first and second rounds of ChatGPT-3.5 was 84% with a Kappa statistic of 0.78, while the agreement of ChatGPT-4 was 92% with a Kappa statistic of 0.88. Although ChatGPT-4 tended to provide more accurate and consistent responses than ChatGPT-3.5, there was no statistically significant difference between the accuracy and agreement rate between ChatGPT-3.5 and -4. ChatGPT-4 had higher accuracy and consistency but did not achieve statistical significance. While these findings are encouraging, there is still potential for further development to achieve even greater reliability. This advancement is essential for ensuring the highest-quality patient care and safety standards in managing CRRT machine-related issues.

Evaluating ChatGPT's efficacy in assessing the safety of non-prescription medications and supplements in patients with kidney disease.

Background: This study investigated the efficacy of ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 in assessing drug safety for patients with kidney diseases, comparing their performance to Micromedex, a well-established drug information source. Despite the perception of non-prescription medications and supplements as safe, risks exist, especially for those with kidney issues. The study's goal was to evaluate ChatGPT's versions for their potential in clinical decision-making regarding kidney disease patients. Method: The research involved analyzing 124 common non-prescription medications and supplements using ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 with queries about their safety for people with kidney disease. The AI responses were categorized as "generally safe," "potentially harmful," or "unknown toxicity." Simultaneously, these medications and supplements were assessed in Micromedex using similar categories, allowing for a comparison of the concordance between the two resources. Results: Micromedex identified 85 (68.5%) medications as generally safe, 35 (28.2%) as potentially harmful, and 4 (3.2%) of unknown toxicity. ChatGPT-3.5 identified 89 (71.8%) as generally safe, 11 (8.9%) as potentially harmful, and 24 (19.3%) of unknown toxicity. GPT-4 identified 82 (66.1%) as generally safe, 29 (23.4%) as potentially harmful, and 13 (10.5%) of unknown toxicity. The overall agreement between Micromedex and ChatGPT-3.5 was 64.5% and ChatGPT-4 demonstrated a higher agreement at 81.4%. Notably, ChatGPT-3.5's suboptimal performance was primarily influenced by a lower concordance rate among supplements, standing at 60.3%. This discrepancy could be attributed to the limited data on supplements within ChatGPT-3.5, with supplements constituting 80% of medications identified as unknown. Conclusion: ChatGPT's capabilities in evaluating the safety of non-prescription drugs and supplements for kidney disease patients are modest compared to established drug information resources. Neither ChatGPT-3.5 nor ChatGPT-4 can be currently recommended as reliable drug information sources for this demographic. The results highlight the need for further improvements in the model's accuracy and reliability in the medical domain.

Computational investigation of the role of ventricular remodelling in HFpEF: The key to phenotype dissection.

Recent clinical studies have reported that heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) can be divided into two phenotypes based on the range of ejection fraction (EF), namely HFpEF with higher EF and HFpEF with lower EF. These phenotypes exhibit distinct left ventricle (LV) remodelling patterns and dynamics. However, the influence of LV remodelling on various LV functional indices and the underlying mechanics for these two phenotypes are not well understood. To address these issues, this study employs a coupled finite element analysis (FEA) framework to analyse the impact of various ventricular remodelling patterns, specifically concentric remodelling (CR), concentric hypertrophy (CH), and eccentric hypertrophy (EH), with and without LV wall thickening on LV functional indices. Further, the geometries with a moderate level of remodelling from each pattern are subjected to fibre stiffening and contractile impairment to examine their effect in replicating the different features of HFpEF. The results show that with severe CR, LV could exhibit the characteristics of HFpEF with higher EF, as observed in recent clinical studies. Controlled fibre stiffening can simultaneously increase the end-diastolic pressure (EDP) and reduce the peak longitudinal strain (ell) without significant reduction in EF, facilitating the moderate CR geometries to fit into this phenotype. Similarly, fibre stiffening can assist the CH and 'EH with wall thickening' cases to replicate HFpEF with lower EF. These findings suggest that potential treatment for these two phenotypes should target the bio-origins of their distinct ventricular remodelling patterns and the extent of myocardial stiffening.

Bangladesh records persistently increased number of dengue deaths in recent years: Dissecting the shortcomings and means to resolve.

Objectives: Dengue, a life-threatening disease caused by the mosquito-borne dengue virus, has become a severe problem in recent years in Bangladesh, a South Asian country. In this study, we have critically analyzed the factors contributing to the escalation of the dengue burden in recent years in Bangladesh and discussed the strategies for effective control. Design: This retrospective observational study analyzed the dengue data collected from the five most dengue-affected countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines) from 2019 to 2023. Results: An increased number of dengue-related deaths has been recorded in Bangladesh since 2021. The year 2023 has witnessed a record high dengue-related deaths in Bangladesh, with cumulative deaths for the year surpassing all totals of the previous 23 years (2000-2022: 853 deaths vs 2023: 1705 deaths). Comparing the epidemiologic data of major dengue-endemic countries over the last 5 years, Bangladesh recorded higher dengue fatality rates consecutively for 3 years. Besides the environmental and viral host factors, which are also applicable to many other dengue-endemic countries, there is concern about the failures and mismanagement of authorities to manage dengue patients properly. Conclusion: This study provided evidence that Bangladesh recorded higher dengue fatality rates in recent years. By implementing multi-pronged proactive approaches that can ensure proper prevention programs and appropriate patient management, Bangladesh or similar other countries can significantly reduce the current dengue burden and the associated deaths.

Agricultural extension service, technology adoption, and production risk nexus: Evidence from Bangladesh.

Rice production is inherently risky and volatile, and farmers in Bangladesh face a wide range of risks, including weather, pest and disease attacks, interruptions to input supply, and market-associated risks. Moreover, poor farm households often perceive risks in adopting new technology, even though it could improve productivity and food security. Such households are thus caught in a "risk-induced trap" that precludes them from realizing the benefits of technological innovation. Extension service is one way to help farmers improve risk management skills and escape risk-induced traps, but there is limited empirical analysis of its impact in Bangladesh. The objective of the study is to measure the nexus between agricultural extension services, technology adoption, and production risks as well as women empowerment in agriculture index. IFPRI utilized stratified random sampling to determine the 5603 households in 2018 (which is nationally called the BIHS-2018 dataset) from rural and pre-urban areas of Bangladesh. Out of these 5603 households, 2663 households were specifically selected for the study related to rice farming to achieve the main objective of the study. Focusing on rice farming, a moment-based Poisson regression model is estimated with 2SLS and identifies risks associated with key technologies and potential productivity and risk-reducing effects. The results revealed that wealthier households are more likely to adopt technology for minimizing production risk and women's empowerment which can positively affect productivity by mitigating risk. The result revealed a positive and significant difference in WEAI between the AES participant and non-participant group. We find that engagement in agricultural extension services was associated with technology adoption and production risk reduction. The agricultural extension services increased, technology adoption by 4.2 % and decreased production risk by 2.4 %. Based on the findings, it is concluded that more comprehensive extension services can enhance rice production and ameliorate farmers' risk in rice production to some extent.

Comprehensive analysis of antigenic variations and genomic properties of hepatitis B virus in clinical samples in the mid-north east region of Bangladesh.

This investigation delineates an exhaustive analysis of the clinical, immunological, and genomic landscapes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection across a cohort of 22 verified patients. The demographic analysis unveiled a pronounced male bias (77.27%), with patient ages spanning 20 to 85 years and durations of illness ranging from 10 days to 4 years. Predominant clinical manifestations included fever, fatigue, anorexia, abdominal discomfort, and arthralgia, alongside observed co-morbidities such as chronic renal disorders and hepatocellular carcinoma. Antigenic profiling of the HBV envelope proteins elucidated significant heterogeneity among the infected subjects, particularly highlighted by discordances in the detection capabilities of small and large HBsAg assays, suggesting antigenic diversity. Quantitative assessment of viral loads unveiled a broad spectrum, accompanied by atypical HBeAg reactivity patterns, challenging the reliability of existing serological markers. Correlative studies between viral burden and antigenicity of the envelope proteins unearthed phenomena indicative of diagnostic evasion. Notably, samples demonstrating robust viral replication were paradoxically undetectable by the large HBsAg ELISA kit, advocating for more sophisticated diagnostic methodologies. Genotypic examination of three HBV isolates classified them as genotype D (D2), with phylogenetic alignment to strains from various global origins. Mutational profiling identified pivotal mutations within the basic core promoter and preS2/S1 regions, associated with an augmented risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Further, mutations discerned in the small HBsAg and RT/overlap regions were recognized as contributors to vaccine and/or diagnostic escape mechanisms. In summation, this scholarly discourse elucidates the intricate interplay of clinical presentations, antigenic diversity, and genomic attributes in HBV infection, accentuating the imperative for ongoing investigative endeavors to refine diagnostic and therapeutic modalities.

Commonly consumed processed packaged foods in Bangladesh are unhealthy and their nutrient contents are not in conformity with the label declaration.

The present study was undertaken to identify the major nutrient content in processed foods commonly consumed in Bangladesh, their label conformity healthiness, and percent daily nutrient contribution. Twenty-four nationally representative composite samples were analyzed using AOAC and other standard methods. Results were compared with label information using a restrictive approach and EU tolerance guidelines. The healthiness of the products was evaluated in terms of the Health Star Rating (HSR) scheme and the UK traffic light labeling system. Among the analyzed samples, fried pulse, chanachur, lozenge, and fried peas had the highest amount of protein, fat, carbohydrates, and dietary fiber, respectively. Biscuits and milk chocolate had high levels of trans fatty acids (TFA) and saturated fatty acids (SFA). It was observed that around half of the products lacked information about saturated fatty acid (46%), followed by total dietary fiber and trans-fat (38% each). Other information was missing in one-fifth of the products, namely protein (17%), total fat (17%), available carbohydrate (17%), energy (17%), sugar (21%), and salt (21%). Label compliance analysis according to the restrictive approach revealed that none of the products accurately reported the salt, sugar, saturated fat, and trans fat content on the label. According to the EU tolerance guideline, approximately half of the products had protein (58%), fat (54%), and carbohydrate (42%) levels that fell within the EU tolerance limit. However, only around one-third of the samples had sugar (21%), salt (38%), and saturated fat (33%) levels that met the EU tolerance limit. In terms of healthiness analysis, according to the HSR, the range of stars was between 0.5 and 2.5 of the foods where fried peas got the highest rating (2.5 stars), while in terms of the UK traffic light system, none of the samples got all green signals. The lozenge got green lights for fat, SFA, and salt contents. It was also found that consumption of 100 g of fried peas or pulse would exceed the acceptable daily limit of salt, sugar, and SFA compared to the daily maximum allowable intake for the 2000 kcal diet recommended by the WHO. However, according to the serving size, biscuits were major contributors of TFA, sugar, and SFA, whereas fried pulse was a key contributor of sodium/salt. Proper regulatory actions should be introduced to promote healthy processed foods with user-friendly front-of-the-pack labeling and monitor their quality to prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Early Alteration of Right Ventricle-Pulmonary Artery Coupling in Experimental Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction are major prognostic determinants in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The underlying pathomechanisms remain unknown. In this context, we sought to study the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension and RV dysfunction in a rat model of obesity-associated HFpEF. METHODS AND RESULTS: HFpEF was induced in obesity-prone rats fed a high-fat diet (n=13) and compared with obesity-resistant rats fed with standard chow (n=9). After 12 months, the animals underwent echocardiographic and hemodynamic evaluation followed by tissue sampling for pathobiological assessment. HFpEF rats presented mild RV pressure overload (with increased RV systolic pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance). No changes in pulmonary artery medial thickness and ex vivo vasoreactivity (to acetylcholine and endothelin-1) were observed and RNA sequencing analysis failed to identify gene clustering in HFpEF lungs. However, released nitric oxide levels were decreased in HFpEF pulmonary artery, while lung expression of preproendothelin-1 was increased. In HFpEF rats, RV structure and function were altered, with RV enlargement, decreased RV fractional area change and free wall longitudinal fractional shortening, together with altered right ventricle-pulmonary artery coupling (estimated by tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/systolic pulmonary artery pressure). Hypertrophy and apoptosis (evaluated by transferase biotin- dUTP nick-end labeling staining) were increased in right and left ventricles of HFpEF rats. There was an inverse correlation between tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/systolic pulmonary artery pressure and RV apoptotic rate. Plasma levels of soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2, interleukin-1ß, -6 and -17A were increased in HFpEF rats. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity-associated HFpEF in rats spontaneously evolves to pulmonary hypertension-HFpEF associated with impaired right ventricle-pulmonary artery coupling that appears disproportionate to a slight increase in RV afterload.

A Narrative Review on the Specific Pattern of HBV Genotype in Bangladesh: Clinical Implications for Management.

Background and aims: Bangladesh's unique epidemiological landscape presents an intriguing puzzle. This South Asian nation, with its complex sociodemographic and environmental factors, is home to a diverse array of hepatitis-B virus (HBV) genotypes, identified as Genotype C, with Genotypes D and A also making a significant contribution to the viral landscape. Reviewing such insights is necessary not only to underscore the country's regional diversity in HBV strains but also to bring into focus the clinical implications these genetic variations may have on disease progression and management. Methods: A thorough database search covered various sources using relevant keywords like "Hepatitis B virus genotypes", "HBV genotypes in Bangladesh", and "HBV clinical implications". The review synthesized findings and analyzed HBV genotype prevalence and clinical implications in Bangladesh. Results: Genotypes C and D collectively represent 82% of chronic hepatitis-B infection (CHB) cases in Bangladesh, underscoring their regional prevalence. The geographic context is pivotal in understanding HBV infection dynamics and disease progression in this area. Notably, genotype C and the presence of A1762T/G1764A mutations appear to have a distinct impact on disease development, potentially affecting the immune response in CHB patients. This highlights the need for tailored management approaches in this specific region. Further research is vital to confirm and elaborate on these findings, particularly in relation to how these mutations influence the host's immune response. Conclusion and clinical significance: In summary, studies on HBV genotypes in Bangladesh stress the need for genotype-specific clinical considerations and more research to improve diagnostics and therapies. How to cite this article: Raihan R, Akbar SMF. A Narrative Review on the Specific Pattern of HBV Genotype in Bangladesh: Clinical Implications for Management. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2023;13(2):152-158.

Depression among Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B: A Cross-sectional Study in a Tertiary Hospital of Bangladesh.

Background: Patients with chronic hepatitis B suffer not only from physical illness. Rather, they often present with the mental health consequences of this chronic disease. Objective: The major objective was to assess the level of depression among patients having chronic hepatitis B. Method: The Department of Hepatology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University directed this study which was a comparative cross-sectional study during time duration from September 2021 to September 2022. Incidence and grading of depression between patients with chronic hepatitis B and HBsAg negative healthy volunteers were assessed and compared through this study. The association of different variables with depression among chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients was also measured. Results: Out of 90 patients having chronic hepatitis B, 52 (57.8%) were found to have some degree of depression; whereas among 90 HBsAg-negative healthy controls, 32 (35.6%) were found to have various degrees of depression. The dissimilarity between the two groups was significantly determined (p-value < 0.05). The majority of the depressed population from both groups had mild degrees of depression, however, the variance was not top the notch (p-value > 0.05). But the prevalence of moderate depression and moderately severe depression was statistically significant among CHB patients compared to their counterpart controls. Depression among CHB patients was found to be female-predominant. Conclusion: The study has shown a higher prevalence of depression among patients with chronic hepatitis B compared to HBsAg-negative healthy controls. How to cite this article: Rahman M, Noor-E-Alam SM, Rahim MA, et al. Depression among Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B: A Cross-sectional Study in a Tertiary Hospital of Bangladesh. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2023;13(2):79-83.

Scientific Insights for Drug Development Based on Normal Habitat of Tribal Population of Manipur: An Observational Study Regarding the Implication of "Houttuynia cordata".

The development of new and novel drugs starts following a path of targeting possible candidate drug, elucidation their mechanism of action, animal studies, and finally after the completion of phases I/II and III clinical trials. The fundamental raw materials of drugs may be synthetic substances or plants. Many plants are habitually used in many countries as food or for the remedy of diseases. We found that a tribal population of Bangladesh use an herbal plant regularly and this plant has been shown to have potential positive effect for management of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). The present observation assessed the incidence and fatality of this community inhabitants due to COVID-19. Although a conclusion cannot be reached due to small sample size, this approach and theological concept may be helpful for the development, discovery, and innovation of new drugs for different pathological conditions. How to cite this article: Rahim MA, Singha SK, Foez SA, et al. Scientific Insights for Drug Development Based on Normal Habitat of Tribal Population of Manipur: An Observational Study Regarding the Implication of "Houttuynia cordata". Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2023;13(2):142-144.

Role of Biobran (Arabinoxylan Rice Bran) on Patients with Advanced Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background and objectives: Carcinoma of liver - renowned, has taken third position in world ranking, comparing to other causes for cancer-related death, however, curative treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is largely absent and even proper management of HCC patients is extremely difficult. The situation becomes more complex when HCC patients are attended by physicians in their terminal state. Arabinoxylan rice bran (biobran) is an inherent product and hemicellulose which is denatured, as well as gained by hemicellulose including a number of hydrolyzing enzymes of carbohydrate from Shiitake mushrooms. It enhances activities of different immune cells and may exert some effects in cancer patients. Materials and methods: In this observation study, the implication of biobran was assessed in a small group of 52 HCC patients. One halves of the patient received biobran and the other halves received best supportive care (BSC). Results: Baseline parameters in two groups were mostly comparable. During observation after 30, 60, and 90 days, a total of six, one, and one patient were alive in biobran group, respectively. The survival of cancer patients of the BSC group was comparable at these time points (6, 1, and 0, respectively) with no statistical significance. After 30 days of treatment, those who were survived in biobran group, the mean CP score was 11.00 ± 1.55 and 10.50 ± 0.84 at pretreatment and posttreatment, respectively, (p = 0.20). Conclusion: Biobran may be of some benefit for terminal HCC, however, more studies are warranted to optimize dose and duration of therapy. How to cite this article: Ashrafujjaman M, Mahtab MA, Noor-E-Alam SM, et al. Role of Biobran (Arabinoxylan Rice Bran) on Patients with Advanced Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2023;13(2):84-88.

Impact of the Route and Schedule of Immunization on the Serological and Virological Response of Chronic Hepatitis B Patients Treated with HeberNasvac.

HeberNasvac is a recently developed therapeutic vaccine for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) administered by intranasal (IN) and subcutaneous (SC) routes in a 14 days/10 doses schedule. To compare different schedules and routes of immunizations, a group of patients received four different vaccination regimens in a placebo-controlled factorial study. Subsequently, patients were followed for a minimum time of 48 weeks. Samples collected at the end of the follow-up were compared with initial samples. Groups I and II received the product by IN/SC routes, every 14 and 7 days, respectively. Groups III and IV were treated by SC route alone following a 14 and 7 days schedule. A group of 21 CHB patients received the vaccine in four different schedules and eight patients received placebo for a total of 29 patients enrolled. The 61.9% of vaccinees reduced their VL ≥2Log compared with baseline levels and 25% in placebo group. The 47.6% of vaccines reduced HBV levels to undetectable, 25% in placebo. HBeAg loss and seroconversion to anti-HBeAg was only achieved in vaccinees, 4 out of 9 (44.4%), and 40% (8 out of 20) developed anti-HBs response, none in placebo group. Reduction of HBsAg level in ≥1Log was achieved in the 35.0% of vaccinees and in none of the placebo-treated patients. Considering the individual and factorial analysis, significant HBV DNA reduction was detected in groups I and II, immunized by IN/SC routes. A significantly higher proportion of patients reducing VL to ≥2Log was also detected grouping the patients treated by IN/SC routes (G I + II) and grouping those inoculated every 14 days (G I + III), with 72.7% and 63.6%, respectively, compared with the placebo group (25.0%). The patients immunized every 14 days (G I + G III) also reduced the HBsAg levels compared with baseline. In conclusion, after more than 48 weeks of treatment-free follow-up, HeberNasvac-treated patients demonstrated superior responses compared with the placebo group in terms of antiviral and serological responses. The factorial analysis evidenced that the schedule combining the IN route of immunization and the frequency of 14 days resulted in the stronger antiviral and serological responses. Present results support the study of IN-only immunization schedules in future and was consistent with previous results. Long-lasting follow-ups were done to explore histological variables and the progression of serological variables in order to detect late responders. How to cite this article: Freyre FM, Aguiar JA, Cinza Z, et al. Impact of the Route and Schedule of Immunization on the Serological and Virological Response of Chronic Hepatitis B Patients Treated with HeberNasvac. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2023;13(2):73-78.

Recent Dengue Infection in Bangladesh: A Seasonal Endemic Progressing to Year-long Serious Health Concern.

Dengue represents one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne viral diseases. Although the disease has been prevalent around the globe over the centuries, recent outbreaks of dengue have devasted the healthcare delivery system of many countries. Being a global infection, dengue virus (DENV) is endemically present mainly in Latin America and Caribbean countries as well as countries in South Asia. The recent outbreak of DENV infection has indicated an exceptional outbreak of DENV in some countries in South Asia. There has been a serious endemic of DENV during 2019. After a heterogeneous pause, another severe outbreak of DENV was reported in some Asian countries in 2023. Among the Asian countries, Bangladesh has reported an acute upsurge of DENV infection in 2023 with record numbers of fatalities. However, this pattern of DENV has not been detected in neighbors of Bangladesh, such as India or other countries in Southeast Asia. This provides an emergent task of dissecting the present DENV infection in Bangladesh from different angles to get insights for future containment of the DENV infection, not only in Bangladesh but also in other DENV endemic areas or DENV-native areas. How to cite this article: Akbar SMF, Khan S, Mahtab M, et al. Recent Dengue Infection in Bangladesh: A Seasonal Endemic Progressing to Year-long Serious Health Concern. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2023;13(2):145-151.