What does the literature say about preceptorship and mentorship in radiography: A scoping review of the current research and identified knowledge gaps.

OBJECTIVES: Effective transition into radiography practice for newly qualified radiographers (NQR's), radiographers returning to practice after career breaks, and internationally trained radiographers requires support inclusive of preceptorship and mentorship. The purpose of this scoping review is to evaluate the literature pertaining to preceptorship and mentorship support in radiography to identify knowledge gaps. This is timely in view of the health and care professions council (HCPC) recently published preceptorship guidance. KEY FINDINGS: A scoping review methodology underpinned by Arksey and O'Malley framework was undertaken, which employed a systematic search using combined keywords and Medical Subject Heading terms (MeSH) related to preceptorship and mentorship, of electronic databases: CINAHL, Pubmed, Embase, Scopus and Google scholar. A predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to screen by three independent reviewers, the titles, abstract and full text of articles using Covidence software (www.covidence.org). 10 articles in the English language were selected for the final review. 1574 articles were retrieved and assessed for eligibility, and 10 articles published between 2006 and 2022 met the inclusion criteria. Most of the research was conducted in the United Kingdom and only one study was published in Australia. The studies mainly focused on experiences of NQR, and experienced radiographers' perspectives on preceptorship and mentorship in diagnostic and radiotherapy radiography. It was established from the studies that there is variation in approaches to the transition process in terms of types of programmes, duration, and quality. Self-reported increase in confidence and competence was noted as a central objective, and barriers to implementation were identified to include lack of awareness and accessibility to available programmes, lack of clarity on aims and intended benefits, and lack of employer support pertaining to protected time. CONCLUSION: The paucity of research renders current preceptorship and mentorship practices in radiography inadequate for effective transition of different radiography groups into their role. Further research is required to evaluate the models of preceptorship and mentorship, their impact and intended outcomes on radiography practice. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The identification of knowledge gaps in this area can support employers and researchers in the development of effective models of preceptorships and mentorship which can be evaluated for implementation for specific radiography groups.

Density functional theory study of the electronic and optical properties of pentagraphyne nanotubes.

Pentagraphyne (PG-yne), a recently predicted two-dimensional (2D) carbon allotrope with appealing properties, has opened up possibilities for a wide range of applications. In this study, we investigate the structural, electronic, optical, and electrical transport properties of a novel one-dimensional (1D) system called pentagraphyne nanotubes (PG-yneNTs), formed by rolling a PG-yne sheet, using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We design PG-yneNTs with diameters ranging from 6.94 Å to 13.62 Å and employ state-of-the-art theoretical calculations to confirm their energetic, dynamic, and thermodynamic stability. Our electronic band structure calculations reveal that all these nanotubes are wide indirect band gap semiconductors. Remarkably, PG-yneNTs exhibit superior optical properties, including high absorption coefficients and absorption spectra covering the visible regime of the electromagnetic spectrum, making them potential candidates for visible-light-driven photocatalysis and solar cells. Interestingly, both the electronic and optical band gaps increase with the diameter of the nanotubes. Additionally, the observation of negative differential resistance (NDR) phenomena in (4, 0) PG-yneNT suggests their potential applications in NDR devices such as fast switches, frequency multipliers, and memory devices.

Hybrid-DFT study of halide perovskites, an energy-efficient material under compressive pressure for piezoelectric applications.

Recent studies have reported that lead-halide perovskites are the most efficient energy-harvesting materials. Regardless of their high-output energy and structural stability, lead-based products have risk factors due to their toxicity. Therefore, lead-free perovskites that offer green energy are the expected alternatives. We have taken CsGeX3(X = Cl, Br, and I) as lead-free halide perovskites despite knowing the low power conversion rate. Herein, we have tried to study the mechanisms of enhancement of energy-harvesting capabilities involving an interplay between structure and electronic properties. A density functional theory simulation of these materials shows a decrease in the band gaps, lattice parameters, and volumes with increasing applied pressure. We report the high piezoelectric responses and high electro-mechanical conversion rates, which are intriguing for generating electricity through mechanical stress.

The effect of COVID-19 on the non-COVID health outcomes of crisis-affected peoples: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic posed considerable risks to populations affected by humanitarian crises in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, there is limited understanding of how the pandemic may have affected non-COVID health outcomes among crisis-affected populations. Our aim was to examine the evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on non-COVID-19 health outcomes for crisis-affected populations in LMICs. METHODS: A systematic review methodology was applied following PRISMA guidelines. Eligibility criteria were: crisis-affected populations in LMICS; COVID-19; and all health topics, except for sexual and reproductive health which was covered in a linked review. Five bibliographic databases and additional grey literature sources were searched. The search period was from 2019 to 31 July 2022. Eligible papers were extracted and analysed using a narrative synthesis approach based on the study objectives and relevant health access and systems frameworks. A quality appraisal was also conducted. FINDINGS: 4320 articles were screened, and 15 eligible studies were identified and included in this review. Ten studies collected health outcomes data. Eight related to mental health, which generally showed worse mental health outcomes because of the pandemic, and pandemic-related stressors were identified. Two studies assessed physical health outcomes in children, while none addressed physical health outcomes among adults. Nine studies reported on access to healthcare, revealing worse access levels due to the pandemic and noting key barriers to care. Seven studies reported on the impact on health systems, with key challenges including reduced and distorted health care funding, reduced staff capacity, interrupted medicines and supplies, weak information and mixed-messaging, and weak leadership. All fifteen studies on the social determinants of health, particularly highlighting the effect of increasing poverty, the role of gender, and food insecurity on health outcomes. The quality of papers was limited overall. CONCLUSION: This review found some limited evidence indicating negative mental health effects, increased barriers to accessing care, damage to health systems and magnified impacts on the social determinants of health for crisis-affected people during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the small number and limited quality of the studies make the overall strength of evidence quite weak.

Two-Photon-Responsive "TICT + AIE" Active Naphthyridine-BF2 Photoremovable Protecting Group: Application for Specific Staining and Killing of Cancer Cells.

The combined effects of twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) phenomena have demonstrated a significant influence on excited-state chemistry. These combined TICT and AIE features have been extensively utilized to enhance photodynamic and photothermal therapy. Herein, we demonstrated the synergistic capabilities of TICT and AIE phenomena in the design of the photoremovable protecting group (PRPG), namely, NMe2-Napy-BF2. This innovative PRPG incorporates TICT and AIE characteristics, resulting in four remarkable properties: (i) red-shifted absorption wavelength, (ii) strong near-infrared (NIR) emission, (iii) viscosity-sensitive emission property, and (iv) accelerated photorelease rate. Inspired by these intriguing attributes, we developed a nanodrug delivery system (nano-DDS) using our PRPG for cancer treatment. In vitro studies showed that our nano-DDS manifested effective cellular internalization, specific staining of cancer cells, high-resolution confocal imaging of cancerous cells in the NIR region, and controlled release of the anticancer drug chlorambucil upon exposure to light, leading to cancer cell eradication. Most notably, our nano-DDS exhibited a substantially increased two-photon (TP) absorption cross section (435 GM), exhibiting its potential for in vivo applications. This development holds promise for significant advancements in cancer treatment strategies.

Implementing systematic melanoma risk assessment and risk-tailored surveillance in a skin cancer focussed dermatology clinic: A qualitative study of feasibility and acceptability to patients and clinic staff.

BACKGROUND: International bodies recommend that melanoma risk assessment should be integrated into skin cancer care provision, but evidence to support implementation is lacking. AIM: To explore the acceptability and feasibility of implementing personalised melanoma risk assessment and tailored patient education and skin surveillance within routine clinical care. METHODS: This prospective qualitative implementation study was informed by the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA). Personalised, systematic melanoma risk assessment was implemented in the dermatology clinic at the Melanoma Institute Australia, Sydney, Australia February-May 2021. Pre- and post-implementation observations and semi-structured interviews with patients and staff were conducted (September 2020-March 2021). Observational notes and interview transcript data were analysed thematically using the TFA as a classifying framework. RESULTS: A total of 37 h of observations were made, and 29 patients and 12 clinic staff were interviewed. We found that the delivery of personalised melanoma risk estimates did not impact on patient flow through the clinic. Dermatologists reported that the personalised risk information enhanced their confidence in assessing patient risk and recommending tailored surveillance schedules. Most patients reported that the risk assessment and tailored information were a beneficial addition to their care. Among patients whose risk deviated from their expectations, some reported feeling worried, confused or mistrust in the risk information, including those at lower risk who were recommended to decrease surveillance frequency. CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible and acceptable to patients and clinic staff to calculate and deliver personalised melanoma risk information and tailored surveillance as part of routine clinical care within dermatology clinics.

Measurement of the

The cross section of the ^{13}C(α,n)^{16}O reaction is needed for nuclear astrophysics and applications to a precision of 10% or better, yet inconsistencies among 50 years of experimental studies currently lead to an uncertainty of ≈15%. Using a state-of-the-art neutron detection array, we have performed a high resolution differential cross section study covering a broad energy range. These measurements result in a dramatic improvement in the extrapolation of the cross section to stellar energies potentially reducing the uncertainty to ≈5% and resolving long standing discrepancies in higher energy data.

Deciphering Intermediate Nugent scores: Utility of Real-time PCR for Bacterial Vaginosis diagnosis.

PURPOSE: To optimize real-time PCR assays for diagnosis of Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) and determine cut-off loads by ROC analysis for Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae and Lactobacillus spp. as compared to Nugent scoring (Gold standard) in clinical samples. RESULTS: Out of 125 women, 34 were positive, 26 intermediate and 65 negative for BV by Nugent scoring. All three real-time PCR assays were found to be highly sensitive & specific and AUC suggested excellent diagnostic accuracy. An optimal cut-off was >9.45 × 103 copies/ ml, >3.34 × 103 copies/ ml & ≤ 18.63 × 103 copies/ ml for G. vaginalis, A. vaginae and Lactobacillus spp. respectively, in BV positives. Gram staining and qPCR were discordant only in patients with intermediate scores (n = 26) where qPCR identified 15 (57.69%) as positive and 11 (42.3%) as negative. CONCLUSION: PCR-based molecular BV diagnosis is more accurate and can be used for deciphering intermediate Nugent scores.

Effect of protective coating agents on microleakage and flexural strength of glass ionomer cement and zirconomer. an in vitro study.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to assess the microleakage and flexural strength of glass ionomer cement (GIC) and modified GIC (Zirconomer) when coated with protective coating agents such as COAT-IT and G-COAT plus. METHODS: Sixty tooth specimens were grouped into two groups based on the type of restorations (GIC (n = 30) and Zirconomer (n = 30)). The samples were further divided into three subgroups (n = 10) based on the protective coating agent (Petroleum jelly, G-COAT Plus, or COAT IT) applied. This study evaluated the microleakage at the occlusal and cervical margins of class V restoration after being subjected to dye penetration and sectioning. Each specimen was viewed under a 40 × microscope and was given scores based on the depth of dye penetration. They were statistically analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and compared within the groups using the Mann- Whitney Test. In addition, flexural strength was assessed using standardized cuboid (25 × 2 × 2 mm) specimens of restorative materials with and without protective coating agents. The mean flexural strength data of all the subgroups were statistically evaluated using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and compared within the subgroups using the student t test. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found when occlusal margin microleakage scores were evaluated with G-COAT Plus demonstrating the lowest occlusal margin microleakage when applied over GIC restoration. The increasing order of occlusal margin microleakage scores is as follows: GIC with G-COAT Plus, Zirconomer with COAT-IT, GIC with COAT-IT, GIC, Zirconomer with G-COAT Plus, and Zirconomer. However, the cervical margin microleakage scores revealed no significant difference. While flexural strength was found to be highest for the GIC group coated with G-COAT Plus, it was observed that there was a significant improvement in the flexural strength of both GIC and Zirconomer when coated with either of the protective coating agents. CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this in vitro study, it was observed that the application of protective coating agents can significantly reduce the potential microleakage and improve the flexural strength of the restorative material especially when zirconia-reinforced GIC is the restorative material.

Anomalous Posterior Branching of the Internal Jugular Vein: A Report of Two Patients.

The internal jugular vein (IJV) is an important vein encountered during most routine major head and neck surgeries. The IJV is known to infrequently present with anatomical variations, commonly duplication and fenestration. This report presents two cases that highlight an unusual anatomical variation of the IJV, namely the posterior tributary, which was encountered during neck dissection for papillary carcinoma of the thyroid and metastatic cervical lymph nodes. The first case was a 50-year-old woman with papillary carcinoma of the thyroid and regional metastasis, who underwent extensive neck dissection. During dissection, an anomalous posterior tributary of the IJV was discovered, originating around 3 cm above the omohyoid tendon-IJV junction. In case 2, a 40-year-old woman with a history of thyroidectomy exhibited a similar anomaly during neck dissection. In both cases, the posterior tributary was observed branching into two divisions. These cases emphasize the significance of recognizing anatomical variations to avoid inadvertent damage during surgical procedures. Anomalies like the posterior IJV tributary could have implications for surgical planning, emphasizing the importance of thorough exploration and understanding of individual variations. Awareness of such variations will help facilitate surgeons in safely performing neck dissections.

Luminescence and photocatalytic degradation of indigo carmine in the presence of Sm3+doped ZnS nanoparticles.

Industrial wastewater discharge is well acknowledged to constitute a significant environmental and public health risk. In addition, synthetic dyes used in the textile sector are major culprits in water pollution. The amount of water polluted by these dyes is simply staggering. We urgently address this issue to protect our planet and health. The degradation of indigo carmine dye in the presence of Sm3+-doped ZnS nanoparticles is reported in this study and characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDX, TEM, BET, PL, UV, etc. The particle size calculated from the Scherrer equation was 3-12 nm. When excited at 395 nm, Sm3+ undergoes f-f transitions, which are visible as prominent peaks in the photoluminescence spectrum at 559, 595, and 642 nm wavelengths. The catalyst showed vigorous catalytic activity for dye degradation, with a 93% degradation rate when used at 15 mg/L catalyst within 210 min. The reaction was found to have pseudo-first-order kinetics. After applying the Freundlich and Langmuir data, the Langmuir isotherm offered the best fit. The findings indicate that the Sm3+-doped ZnS catalyst might be successfully used in the degradation of dyes present in the environment. Doping with Sm3+ ions can significantly change the photocatalytic breakdown of indigo carmine and the luminescence characteristics of ZnS.

Genetic mapping of quantitative trait loci associated with drought tolerance in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).

Elucidation of the genetic basis of drought tolerance is vital for genomics-assisted breeding of drought tolerant crop varieties. Here, we used genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between a drought tolerant chickpea variety, Pusa 362 and a drought sensitive variety, SBD 377. The GBS identified a total of 35,502 SNPs and subsequent filtering of these resulted in 3237 high-quality SNPs included in the eight linkage groups. Fifty-one percent of these SNPs were located in the genic regions distributed throughout the genome. The high density linkage map has total map length of 1069 cm with an average marker interval of 0.33 cm. The linkage map was used to identify 9 robust and consistent QTLs for four drought related traits viz. membrane stability index, relative water content, seed weight and yield under drought, with percent variance explained within the range of 6.29%-90.68% and LOD scores of 2.64 to 6.38, which were located on five of the eight linkage groups. A genomic region on LG 7 harbors quantitative trait loci (QTLs) explaining > 90% phenotypic variance for membrane stability index, and > 10% PVE for yield. This study also provides the first report of major QTLs for physiological traits such as membrane stability index and relative water content for drought stress in chickpea. A total of 369 putative candidate genes were identified in the 6.6 Mb genomic region spanning these QTLs. In-silico expression profiling based on the available transcriptome data revealed that 326 of these genes were differentially expressed under drought stress. KEGG analysis resulted in reduction of candidate genes from 369 to 99, revealing enrichment in various signaling pathways. Haplotype analysis confirmed 5 QTLs among the initially identified 9 QTLs. Two QTLs, qRWC1.1 and qYLD7.1, were chosen based on high SNP density. Candidate gene-based analysis revealed distinct haplotypes in qYLD7.1 associated with significant phenotypic differences, potentially linked to pathways for secondary metabolite biosynthesis. These identified candidate genes bolster defenses through flavonoids and phenylalanine-derived compounds, aiding UV protection, pathogen resistance, and plant structure.The study provides novel genomic regions and candidate genes which can be utilized in genomics-assisted breeding of superior drought tolerant chickpea cultivars.

Photoactivable AIEgen-based Lipid-Droplet-Specific Drug Delivery Model for Live Cell Imaging and Two-Photon Light-Triggered Anticancer Drug Delivery.

Lipid droplets (LDs) are dynamic complex organelles involved in various physiological processes, and their number and activity are linked to multiple diseases, including cancer. In this study, we have developed LD-specific near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive nano-drug delivery systems (DDSs) based on chalcone derivatives for cancer treatment. The reported nano-DDSs localized inside the cancer microenvironment of LDs, and upon exposure to light, they delivered the anticancer drug valproic acid in a spatiotemporally controlled manner. The developed systems, namely, 2'-hydroxyacetophenone-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde-valproic (HA-DAB-VPA) and 2'-hydroxyacetophenone-diphenylaminobenzaldehyde-valproic (HA-DPB-VPA) ester conjugates, required only two simple synthetic steps. Our reported DDSs exhibited interesting properties such as excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) phenomena, which provided advantages such as AIE-initiated photorelease and ESIPT-enhanced rate of photorelease upon exposure to one- or two-photon light. Further, colocalization studies of the nano-DDSs by employing two cancerous cell lines (MCF-7 cell line and CT-26 cell line) and one normal cell line (HEK cell line) revealed LD concentration-dependent enhanced fluorescence intensity. Furthermore, systematic investigations of both the nano-DDSs in the presence and absence of oleic acid inside the cells revealed that nano-DDS HA-DPB-VPA accumulated more selectively in the LDs. This unique selectivity by the nano-DDS HA-DPB-VPA toward the LDs is due to the hydrophobic nature of the diphenylaminobenzaldehyde (mimicking the LD core), which significantly leads to the aggregation and ESIPT (at 90% volume of fw, ΦF = 20.4% and in oleic acid ΦF = 24.6%), respectively. Significantly, we used this as a light-triggered anticancer drug delivery model to take advantage of the high selectivity and accumulation of the nano-DDS HA-DPB-VPA inside the LDs. Hence, these findings give a prototype for designing drug delivery models for monitoring LD-related intracellular activities and significantly triggering the release of LD-specific drugs in the biological field.

Shelf-Stability of Kiln- and Liquid-Smoked Inulin-Fortified Emulsion-Type Pangasius Mince Sausage at Refrigerated Temperature.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the kiln (SK-S) and liquid smoking (LS-S) processes on the quality of inulin-fortified emulsion-type Pangasius mince sausages. The moisture content during the storage significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in C-S (control) sausages and increased (p < 0.05) in SK-S and LS-S sausages. The protein content decreased (p < 0.05) in C-S, SK-S, and LS-S throughout the storage period. Initially, among the three processed sausages, LS-S showed a lower pH value, and as the days of storage progressed, all the treatments exhibited a declining trend (p < 0.05). A significant (p < 0.05) increase in the PV was observed in all the sausages during the storage days at 5 ± 1 °C, but the intensity of the increase was lower in SK-S and LS-S. The total viable count of C-S and SK-S sausages reached the limit of acceptability (6 log10cfu g-1) on the 20th day and on the 24th day of storage. The electrophoretic protein pattern of LS-S samples exhibited retention of all bands, indicating the lower proteolysis of MHC, actin, and troponin T in comparison with other treatments. The hardness (p < 0.05) and cohesiveness (p > 0.05) values of both SK-S and LS-S reduced as the storage days progressed. The present study indicates that the emulsion-type Pangasius sausages incorporated with inulin powder (2%) exposed to kiln smoking and commercial liquid smoking retained good-to-better sensory attributes up to day 16 (C-S) and day 20 (SK-S and LS-S) under refrigerated storage at 5 ± 1 °C in low-density vacuum polyethylene (LDPE) pouches.

Machine Learning Differentiation of Autism Spectrum Sub-Classifications.

PURPOSE: Disorders on the autism spectrum have characteristics that can manifest as difficulties with communication, executive functioning, daily living, and more. These challenges can be mitigated with early identification. However, diagnostic criteria has changed from DSM-IV to DSM-5, which can make diagnosing a disorder on the autism spectrum complex. We evaluated machine learning to classify individuals as having one of three disorders of the autism spectrum under DSM-IV, or as non-spectrum. METHODS: We employed machine learning to analyze retrospective data from 38,560 individuals. Inputs encompassed clinical, demographic, and assessment data. RESULTS: The algorithm achieved AUROCs ranging from 0.863 to 0.980. The model correctly classified 80.5% individuals; 12.6% of individuals from this dataset were misclassified with another disorder on the autism spectrum. CONCLUSION: Machine learning can classify individuals as having a disorder on the autism spectrum or as non-spectrum using minimal data inputs.

The role of dexmedetomidine in post cranioplasty refractory status epilepticus.

Cranioplasty, specifically a repair of the skull defect resulting from a previous decompressive craniectomy, is a relatively simple procedure associated with a minimal rate of complications. Even though seizures are seen in up to 30% of the patients postoperatively, status epilepticus is not commonly described. Cerebral oedema, ischaemia and neuro-inflammation have been reported as putative causes of seizures in this population. Here, we report a case of refractory status epilepticus unresponsive to standard anti-epileptic and anaesthetic agents. The use of dexmedetomidine helped terminate the episode and led to a favourable outcome. Most of the standard anti-epileptic and anaesthetic agents act through potentiation of GABAergic transmission or sodium channel blockade and postsynaptic adrenoceptor activation by dexmedetomidine may help potentiate their effect. Further studies are needed to investigate its anticonvulsant effect on post-traumatic brain injury and elaborate on optimal dosage.

Interrogating bioinspired ESIPT/PCET-based Ir(iii)-complexes as organelle-targeted phototherapeutics: a redox-catalysis under hypoxia to evoke synergistic ferroptosis/apoptosis.

Installing proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) in Ir-complexes is indeed a newly explored phenomenon, offering high quantum efficiency and tunable photophysics; however, the prospects for its application in various fields, including interrogating biological systems, are quite open and exciting. Herein, we developed various organelle-targeted Ir(iii)-complexes by leveraging the photoinduced PCET process to see the opportunities in phototherapeutic application and investigate the underlying mechanisms of action (MOAs). We diversified the ligands' nature and also incorporated a H-bonded benzimidazole-phenol (BIP) moiety with π-conjugated ancillary ligands in Ir(iii) to study the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process for tuning dual emission bands and to tempt excited-state PCET. These visible or two-photon-NIR light activatable Ir-catalysts generate reactive hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) and simultaneously oxidize electron donating biomolecules (1,4-dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide or glutathione) to disrupt redox homeostasis, downregulate the GPX4 enzyme, and amplify oxidative stress and lipid peroxide (LPO) accumulation. Our homogeneous photocatalytic platform efficiently triggers organelle dysfunction mediated by a Fenton-like pathway with spatiotemporal control upon illumination to evoke ferroptosis poised with the synergistic action of apoptosis in a hypoxic environment leading to cell death. Ir2 is the most efficient photochemotherapy agent among others, which provided profound cytophototoxicity to 4T1 and MCF-7 cancerous cells and inhibited solid hypoxic tumor growth in vitro and in vivo.

Comparative Study of Impact of Gamma and MeV Ion Irradiations on Electrical and Optical Properties Polystyrene/Eu2O3 Nanocomposites.

In the present study, the effect of gamma irradiation and 90 MeV carbon ion beam irradiation on electrical properties and optical of Polystyrene/Eu2O3 nanocomposites at different fluences were examined. Modified electrical and optical responses of polymer nanocomposites were investigated using Impedance, Photoluminescence and UV-VIS spectroscopies. FTIR analysis shows a reduction of various modes of molecular vibrations caused by 90 MeV carbon ion beam irradiation. The polymer nanocomposites change into a graphite-like structure upon both kinds of irradiations as evidenced by the decrease in the optical band gap. The photoluminescence emission spectra show three characteristic peaks of Eu3+ ions, when excited at 247 nm wavelength. It emits intense red light suggesting its potential for usage in LED technology. The peak intensity of PL emission spectra is enhanced after ion beam irradiation and is because of the formation new radiative combination; however, it decreases upon gamma irradiation. Dielectric responses of pristine and irradiated polymer nanocomposites were studied over the frequency range of 100 Hz to 100 kHz using LCR meter. There appears a significant improvement in the dielectric response as a result of structural changes in both types of irradiations. AFM images show that the film becomes smoother upon both types of irradiations.

N-Hydroxysuccinamide functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles conjugated with 5-flurouracil for hyperthermic therapy of malignant liver cancer cells by DNA repair disruption.

Magnetized iron oxide nanoparticles are ideal materials for biological and biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, super paramagnetic behavior, surface capability, and chemical stability. This research article is narrating the overview of methodologies of preparation, functionalization, characterization and applications of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Super paramagnetic nanoparticles are studied for their hyperthermia properties. The proposed mechanism behind the hyperthermia was damaging the proteins responsible for DNA repair thereby, directly accelerating the DNA damages on cancer cells by increasing the temperature in the vicinity of the cancer cells. In this study, super paramagnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (SPIONs) and anti-cancer drug, 5-fluorouracil, functionalized with N-Hydroxysuccinimide organic molecules. A specific absorption rate at 351 nm can be achieved using UV analysis. The magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles had a cubic crystalline structure. FE-SEM(field emission scanning Electron microscopy) with EDAX(energy dispersive X-ray analysis) analysis shows that the size of the SPION was about 30-100 nm range and the percentage of chemical compositions was higher in the order of Fe, O, C. for particle size analysis, the SPION were positively charged derived at +9.9 mV and its conductivity is measured at 0.826 mS/cm. In-vitro anti-cancerous activity analysis in Hep-G2 cells (liver cancer cells) shows that the 5-fluorouracil functionalized SPIONs have higher inhibition rate than the bare Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles were studied for their hyperthermic abilities at two different frequencies such as 3.05 × 106 kAm-1s-1 and 4.58 × 106 kAm-1s-1.The bare Fe3O4 at low magnetic field, 10 mg was required to raise the temperature above 42°- 45 °C and at high magnetic field, 6 mg was enough to raise the same temperature. The 5-fluorouracil functionalized Fe3O4 shows that at low magnetic field, 6 mg is required to raise the hyperthermia temperature and at high magnetic field, 3 mg is required to raise the temperature above 42°- 45 °C. the rate of heating and the temperature achieved with time can be tuned with concentrations as well as magnetic component present in the Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Beyond this concentration, the rate of cell death was observed to increase. The saturation and low residual magnetization were revealed by the magnetization analysis, making them well suited for clinical applications.