Improvement of the radiographic method for measurement of effective energy of pulsed X-ray emission from a PF device for different anode's insert materials.

In this paper, effective energy of pulsed X-Ray emitted from a Mather-type plasma focus device in stored energy of 2.5 kJ with six different anode's insert materials was measured using radiographic method with attenuation filters. Since intensity and energy of X-ray beam were considerably changed with changing the insert material, the method was improved by using different filters simultaneously in all the experiments and selection of the best filter in each experiment according to the appropriate criteria. Effective energy of pulsed X-ray beam was measured 16, 28, 50, 51, 34 and 44 keV when aluminum, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten and lead were used as insert materials, and aluminum, copper, silver, silver, copper and lead were used as filters, respectively.

The effect of gamma irradiation on the properties of cucumber.

In this study, the effect of gamma irradiation on the shelf life and properties of cucumber was investigated. These properties include weight reduction, fruit density, juice, tissue firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), total titratable acidity, chlorophyll and vitamin C, pH, marketability, flavor, frostbite and fungal effects. For this purpose, cucumbers were irradiated with dose of 2, 2.5 and 3 kGy. The exposure time was calculated by MCNP4C; the Monte Carlo particle transport code. Three types of fungi (white-Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, gray-Botrytis cinerea and olive-Cladosporium cucumerinum), were used to infect some samples. The chlorophyll and vitamin C preservation abilities were increased to about 3 and 1.4 times, respectively with irradiation treatment. Also, the shelf life was increased about 1 week, while chilling injuries is decreased. Samples' resistance to the fungal growth was evident and the process of fungal growth on the irradiated samples was delayed up to 1 week. The best properties were obtained at the irradiation dose of 2 kGy since it had less effect on flavor, TSS and tissue firmness.

The effect of low dose versus standard dose of arterial heparin on vascular complications following transradial coronary angiography: Randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: The potential risk of vascular complications associated with heparin, the dose of heparin therapy has not been exactly examined in patients undergoing transradial angiography. Thus, this study was aimed to compare referral arterial thrombosis, hematoma and hemorrhagic complications with 2500 and 5000 IU arterial heparin and the association of these complications with predictors in patients undergoing diagnostic angiography. METHODS: This prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled trial was carried out on 441 patients aged ≥ 18-year-old in Isfahan, Iran. They were referred for diagnostic coronary angiography with radial access. First participants were randomized into to inject either 2500 IU (group A) or 5000 IU (group B) of heparin. Study's primary endpoints were thrombosis, hematoma, and hemorrhage. RESULTS: The frequency of thrombosis was 25.5% in group A vs. 2.3% in group B (P < 0.001), while the frequency of hematoma had no significant differences in group A and B. None of patients in both groups had hemorrhage. Using 5000 IU of heparin protected the occurrence of thrombosis by 95% [odds ratio (OR): 0.05, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.02-012] after adjustment for confounders. CONCLUSION: The low dose (2500 IU) versus standard dose (5000 IU) of heparin use increased the risk of thrombosis following trans-radial diagnostic coronary angiography, with no effect on hematoma and bleeding.