The clinical assessment of changes in bone density in rheumatoid arthritis patients': Role of DEXA scan and bone turnover biomarkers.

In addition to generalised of bone loss and a higher fracture risk, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes periarticular bone erosions. Improvements in bone density/erosion and turnover may not go hand in hand with a positive clinical response to biological anti-inflammatory drugs assesed by disease activity score 28 (DAS28) in RA patients. This study aimed to understand how biologic anti-inflammatory drugs affect bone density, erosion, and turnover in RA patients. We examined bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover biomarkers. The study population consisted of 62 RA patients, 49 (79%) of whom were female and 13 (21%) of whom were male. The patients ranged in age from 40 to 79 years old. The patients' BMD was measured using a DEXA scan, and their plasma levels of bone turnover biomarkers CTX and osteocalcin were quantified utilizing an ELISA. BMD of the hip and lumbar spine in responder patients rose after therapy by 0.001g/cm2 (0.11 percent, p0.001 vs. before treatment) and 0.0396g/cm2 (3.96 percent, p0.001 vs. before treatment), respectively. Clinically non-responder patients' DAS28 revealed minor reductions in hip BMD values of -0.008g/cm2 (-0.78 percent, p0.001 vs. before therapy), as well as an improvement in lumbar spine BMD of 0.03g/cm2 (3.03 percent, p0.001 vs. before treatment). After 12 weeks of therapy, the CTX levels in responder patients dropped from 164 125 pg/ml to 131 129 pg/ml. Osteocalcin levels in non-responder patients increased substantially from 11.6 ng/ml to 14.9 ng/ml after 12 weeks of therapy compared to baseline (p = 0.01). Treatment with biologic anti-inflammatory medicines decreases widespread bone loss in RA patients' hip and lumbar spine. The beneficial effects of therapy on BMD were not associated with changes in disease activity of RA patients. Changes in plasma levels of bone turnover biomarkers such as sCTX and osteocalcin confirmed the treatment's beneficial effects.

Effect of melatonin on reproductive function in propylthiouracil induced hypothyroidism in adult male rats.

OBJECTIVE: Thyroid hormones are essential for regulating metabolism, reproduction, and growth. Hypothyroidism is connected with lower sperm count and motility, leading to male infertility. Oxidative stress is likely to be linked to this interaction. Melatonin, being known as an oxidative scavenger, may offer a feasible treatment method for reproductive dysfunction accompanying hypothyroidism in adult male rats. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the mechanism by which melatonin treatment affected spermatogenic and steroidogenic function in an experimental model-induced hypothyroidism in adult male rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one male albino adult rats weighing between 150 and 210 g were used in this experiment. Rats were split into three groups and studied for 11 weeks. The control euthyroid group, in which rats received 0.9% Sodium Chloride (NaCl) solution by intraperitoneal injection [solvent for 6-propyl 2-thouracil (PTU)], 6 days/week for 8 weeks; the PTU-induced hypothyroid group, in which chemical thyroidectomy was induced by intraperitoneal injection of PTU at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight, 6 days/week for 8 weeks; and the melatonin-treated hypothyroid group, which received 3 mg/kg melatonin intraperitoneally daily for 21 days plasma free Triiodothyronine (T3), free Thyroxin (T4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free testosterone, Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and prolactin were measured. Also, semen analysis, testicular tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were accessed. RESULTS: The results indicated that melatonin significantly increased sperm viability and motility compared to the untreated PTU-induced hypothyroid group (p<0.001). Testicular MDA and TNF-α showed a significant decrease in the melatonin-treated hypothyroid group compared with the PTU-induced hypothyroid group (p<0.05). In addition, plasma testosterone levels were significantly increased, accompanied by a significant reduction of plasma prolactin levels compared to the untreated hypothyroid group (p<0.05 for both). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the study findings, melatonin could mitigate gonadal dysfunction induced by hypothyroidism by improving several components of semen analysis, such as sperm motility and sperm viability, as well as by enhancing testosterone production focusing on oxidative and inflammatory stress as the underlying mechanisms.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals candidate genes associated with salinity stress tolerance during the early vegetative stage in fababean genotype, Hassawi-2.

Abiotic stresses are a significant constraint to plant production globally. Identifying stress-related genes can aid in the development of stress-tolerant elite genotypes and facilitate trait and crop manipulation. The primary aim of this study was to conduct whole transcriptome analyses of the salt-tolerant faba bean genotype, Hassawi-2, under different durations of salt stress (6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h) at the early vegetative stage, to better understand the molecular basis of salt tolerance. After de novo assembly, a total of 140,308 unigenes were obtained. The up-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were 2380, 2863, 3057, 3484, and 4820 at 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h of salt stress, respectively. Meanwhile, 1974, 3436, 2371, 3502, and 5958 genes were downregulated at 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h of salt stress, respectively. These DEGs encoded various regulatory and functional proteins, including kinases, plant hormone proteins, transcriptional factors (TFs) basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH), Myeloblastosis (MYB), and (WRKY), heat shock proteins (HSPs), late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins, dehydrin, antioxidant enzymes, and aquaporin proteins. This suggests that the faba bean genome possesses an abundance of salinity resistance genes, which trigger different adaptive mechanisms under salt stress. Some selected DEGs validated the RNA sequencing results, thus confirming similar gene expression levels. This study represents the first transcriptome analysis of faba bean leaves subjected to salinity stress offering valuable insights into the mechanisms governing salt tolerance in faba bean during the vegetative stage. This comprehensive investigation enhances our understanding of precise gene regulatory mechanisms and holds promise for the development of novel salt-tolerant faba bean salt-tolerant cultivars.

Awareness and knowledge of breast cancer rehabilitation among Saudi Arabia physical therapists.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the physical therapists' knowledge and awareness of breast cancer, treatment modalities, contraindications, and clinical guidelines. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from December 2020 to May 2021 in Saudi Arabia. The sample size was determined using the Raosoft sample size calculator, which indicated the need for 67 participants. All physical therapists of both sex in private and public hospitals in Ha'il and non-Ha'il regions were included in the study. Data was collected by a structured Google form questionnaire, consisting of 4 main domains with a maximum score of 43. RESULTS: 57 physical therapists participated in the current study, out of which 31 were from the Ha'il region (42.1% male, 57.9% female) with a mean age of 29±7 years and a mean experience 6±7years. The referral of breast cancer patients was only 22.8%. Interestingly only 22.8% of the hospital has specific setups for oncology rehabilitation, and 12.3% have reported positive about continuing professional development (CPDs) workshops for breast cancer organized by their hospitals. 5.3% of patients with breast cancer are aware of the benefit of oncology rehabilitation, while 22.8% of patients come for follow-up sessions in the rehabilitation department. According to multiple regression, only gender was statistically significant for prediction, p<0.05. Females increased the mean score by 5.996 more than males. Female therapists are 38.2% more aware than males. CONCLUSIONS: Although physical therapists have a low level of knowledge and an average level of awareness, with a higher number of women than men, attitudes toward physical therapy are quite high, and the profession is practiced exceptionally well.

Novel spa type and antimicrobial resistance gene profiles of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from bovine mastitis in Jordan.

Staphylococcu aureus is the most prevalent microorganism associated with mastitis in cattle. This study was designed to determine the spa types of Staph. aureus and to assess the resistance genes profile of isolated strains in dairy farms in Jordan. In total, 747 milk samples of cattle suffering from subclinical mastitis were collected from 37 dairy farms and tested for Staph. aureus. To detect antimicrobial resistance genes, all 219 strains of Staph. aureus were tested. Furthermore, 21 isolates of Staph. aureus were typed using spa typing. As a result, different proportions of resistance genes were found for Staph. aureus. High resistance genes were in tetK 100%, blaZ 99%, and tetM 97%. Moderate resistance genes were in aac(6')/aph(2'' 52%, ant(4')-Ia 48%, and ermC 41%. Low resistance genes were in ermA is 24%, aph(3')-III is 15%, and mecA is 15%. The spa typing of 21 isolates revealed six spa types, of which five were previously known. For the first time, a novel spa type (t17158) was identified as the main cause of mastitis in dairy cows in Jordan. The identification of resistance genes and spa types is helpful in determining the most effective treatments for cows and plays a significant role in reducing the transmission of pathogens.

Comparison of bone mineral density changes between male and female osteoporosis patients using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan.

The goal of the current research was to define the impact of individual characteristics on the response of osteoporosis patients to bisphosphonate medication, as well as the influence of gender on changes in the bone mineral density (BMD).The DXA scan was used to assess a group of 647 osteoporosis patients (533 females and 114 males) who visited the St Bartholomew's Hospitals and Royal London osteoporosis clinics. All male subjects received statistically substantial increases in BMD relative to baseline values after two years of therapy. When compared to prior therapy, men's BMD of the lumbar spine (LS) and hip joint (HJ) rose by 0.057 g/cm2 (6.9%, p0.001) and 0.021 g/cm2 (2.48 percent, p0.001), respectively.. Female patients had BMD changes of 0.028 g/cm2 (3.58 percent, p0.001 vs. prior therapy) and -0.006 g/cm2 (-0.78 percent, p0.001 vs. before treatment) in the lumbar spine and hip, respectively. Male patients exhibited a greater increase in BMD than female patients due to ovarian failure and significant oestrogen loss, which speeds up bone resorption by 90% following menopause, according the research findings.

Patient's effective dose and performance assessment of computed radiography systems.

Computed tomography is widely used for planar imaging. Previous studies showed that CR systems involve higher patient radiation doses compared to digital systems. Therefore, assessing the patient's dose and CR system performance is necessary to ensure that patients received minimal dose with the highest possible image quality. The study was performed at three medical diagnostic centers in Sudan: Medical Corps Hospital (MCH), Advance Diagnostic Center (ADC), and Advance Medical Center (AMC). The following tools were used in this study: Tape measure, Adhesive tape, 1.5 mm copper filtration (>10 × 10 cm), TO 20 threshold contrast test object, Resolution test object (e.g., Huttner 18), MI geometry test object or lead ruler, Contact mish, Piranha (semiconductor detector), Small lead or copper block (∼5 × 5 cm), and Steel ruler, to do a different type of tests (Dark Noise, Erasure cycle efficiency, Sensitivity Index calibration, Sensitivity Index consistency, Uniformity, Scaling errors, Blurring, Limiting spatial Resolution, Threshold, and Laser beam Function. Entrance surface air kerma (ESAK (mGy) was calculated from patient exposure parameters using DosCal software for three imaging modalities. A total of 199 patients were examined (112 chest X rays, 77 lumbar spine). The mean and standard deviation (sd) for patients ESAK (mGy) were 2.56 ± 0.1 mGy and 1.6 mGy for the Anteroposterior (AP) and lateral projections for the lumbar spine, respectively. The mean and sd for the patient's chest doses were 0.1 ± 0.01 for the chest X-ray procedures. The three medical diagnostic centers' CR system performance was evaluated and found that all of the three centers have good CR system functions. All the centers satisfy all the criteria of acceptable visual tests. CR's image quality and sensitivity were evaluated, and the CR image is good because it has good contrast and resolution. All the CR system available in the medical centers and upgraded from old X-ray systems to new systems, has been found to work well. The patient's doses were comparable for the chest X-ray procedures, while patients' doses from the lumbar spine showed variation up to 2 folds due to the variation in patients' weight and X-ray machine setting. Patients dose optimization is recommended to ensure the patients received a minimal dose while obtaining the diagnostic findings.

Paediatric effective radiation doses during brain computed tomography angiography procedure.

In comparison to adults and paediatric are more sensitive to ionizing radiation exposure. Computed tomography (CT) is now the dominant source of medical radiologic tests for patients, accounting for more than 70% of total doses to the general public. Paediatric CT brain scans (with and without contrast) are routinely performed for a variety of clinical reasons. As a result, this parameter must be calculated in order to determine relative radiation risk. The goal of this study is to assess the radiation risk to children during CT brain diagnostic procedures. Three hundred fifty three child patients' radiation risk doses were assessed over the course of a year. The mean and ranged of the children's radiation doses were 40.6 ± 8.8 (27.8-45.8) CTDIvol (mGy) and 850 ± 230 (568.1-1126.4) DLP (mGy.cm) for the brain with contrast medium. For CT brain without contrast, the patients' doses were 40.9 ± 9.4 (14.27-64.07) CTDIvol (mGy), and 866.1 ± 289.3 (203.6-2484.9) DLP (mGy.cm). The characteristics related to the radiation dose were retrieved from the scan protocol generated by the CT system by the participating physicians after each procedure. Furthermore, optimizing the CT acquisition parameter is critical for increasing the benefit while lowering the procedure's radiogenic risk. The patients' radiation dose is comparable with the most previously published studies and international diagnostic reference levels (DRLs). Radiation dose optimization is recommended due to high sensitivity of the paediatric patients to ionizing radiation.

Assessment of patients radiation doses associated with computed tomography coronary angiography.

Computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) has generated tremendous interest over the past 20 years by using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) because of its high diagnostic accuracy and efficacy in assessing patients with coronary artery disease. This technique is related to high radiation doses, which has raised serious concerns in the literature. Effective dose (E, mSv) may be a single parameter meant to reflect the relative risk from radiation exposure. Therefore, it is necessary to calculate this quantity to point to relative radiation risk. The objectives of this study are to evaluate patients' exposure during diagnostic CCTA procedures and to estimate the risks. Seven hundred ninety patients were estimated during three successive years. The patient's exposure was estimated based on a CT device's delivered radiation dose (Siemens Somatom Sensation 64 (64-MDCT)). The participating physicians obtained the parameters relevant to the radiation dose from the scan protocol generated by the CT system after each CCTA study. The parameters included the volume CT dose index (CTDIvol, mGy) and dose length product (DLP, mGy × cm). The mean and range of CTDIvol (mGy) and DLP (mGy × cm) for three respective year was (2018):10.8 (1.14-77.7) and 2369.8 ± 1231.4 (290.4-6188.9), (2019): 13.82 (1.13-348.5), and 2180.5 (501.8-9534.5) and (2020) 10.9 (0.7-52.9) and 1877.3 (149.4-5011.1), respectively. Patients' effective doses were higher compared to previous studies. Therefore, the CT acquisition parameter optimization is vital to reduce the dose to its minimal value.

Response of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Genotypes to Heat Stress Using Morphological and Expression Study.

Due to unfavorable environmental conditions, heat stress is one of the significant production restrictions for the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) crop. The tomato crop is considered an important vegetable crop globally and represents a model plant for fruit development research. The heat shock factor (HSF) gene family contains plant-specific transcription factors (TFs) that are highly conserved and play a key role in plant high-temperature stress responses. The current study was designed to determine the relative response of heat stress under three different temperatures in the field condition to determine its relative heat tolerance. Furthermore, the study also characterized heat shock genes in eight tomato genotypes under different temperature regimes. The expressions of each gene were quantified using qPCR. The descriptive statistics results suggested a high range of diversity among the studied variables growing under three different temperatures. The qPCR study revealed that the SlyHSF genes play an important role in plant heat tolerance pathways. The expression patterns of HSF genes in tomatoes have been described in various tissues were determined at high temperature stress. The genes, SlyHSFs-1, SlyHSFs-2, SlyHSFs-8, SlyHSFs-9 recorded upregulation expression relative to SlyHSFs-3, SlyHSFs-5, SlyHSFs-10, and SlyHSFs-11. The genotypes, Strain B, Marmande VF, Pearson's early, and Al-Qatif-365 recorded the tolerant tomato genotypes under high-temperature stress conditions relative to other genotypes. The heat map analysis also confirmed the upregulation and downregulation of heat shock factor genes among the tomato genotypes. These genotypes will be introduced in the breeding program to improve tomato responses to heat stress.

Amassing the Covid-19 driven PPE wastes in the dwelling environment of Chittagong Metropolis and associated implications.

This study investigates the Covid-19 driven indiscriminate disposal of PPE wastes (mostly face mask and medical wastes) in Chittagong metropolitan area (CMA), Bangladesh. Based on the field monitoring, the mean PPE density (PPE/m2± SD) was calculated to be 0.0226 ± 0.0145, 0.0164 ± 0.0122, and 0.0110 ± 0.00863 for July, August, and September 2021, respectively (during the peak time of Covid-19 in Bangladesh). Moreover, gross information on PPE waste generation in the city was calculated using several parameters such as population density, face mask acceptance rate by urban population, total Covid-19 confirmed cases, quarantined and isolated patients, corresponding medical waste generation rate (kg/bed/day), etc. Moreover, the waste generated due to face mask and other PPEs in the CMA during the whole Covid-19 period (April 4, 2020 to September 5, 2021) were calculated to be 64183.03 and 128695.75 tons, respectively. It has been observed that the negligence of general people, lack of awareness about environmental pollution, and poor municipal waste management practices are the root causes for the contamination of the dwelling environment by PPE wastes. As a result, new challenges have emerged in solid waste management, which necessitates the development of an appropriate waste management strategy. The ultimate policies and strategies may help to achieve the SDG goals 3, 6, 11, 12, 13, and 15, and increase public perception on the use and subsequent disposal of PPEs, especially face masks.

Diagnostic reference level for adult pelvic examination in several hospitals of Taif and Kharaj city, Saudi Arabia.

The current study was aimed to estimate the entrance surface air kerma (ESAK, mGy) for adult patients undergoing conventional radiography of Anteroposterior pelvis examination, and finally to establish a local diagnostic reference level (DRL). A total of 500 patients were exposed to diagnostic radiation in four hospitals (coded A, B, C, and D) in Taif and Kharaj city, Saudi Arabia, with different X-ray equipment specifications. Patient demographic data like age (y), body mass index (BMI) in kg/m2 as well as exposure factors and X-ray tube output were recorded. ESAK (mGy) was first calculated using the exposure data and tube output values, then the ESAK values were used to estimate entrance surface dose (ESD). The average BMI was 23.9 kg/m2. The mean tube potential used in A, B, C, and D hospitals and the corresponding estimated ESD were found to be 74.2, 69.8, 73, 76,7 kVp, and 2.54, 2.64, 2.94, 3.03 mGy respectively. The correlation coefficient between ESAK and BMI was found to be 0.98. When compared to computed radiography (CR), the conventional X-ray digital radiography reduces the radiation exposure in pelvic imaging by a factor of 1.18. The third quartile of median proposed a lower than the DRL of the previous studies.

EVALUATION OF ANNUAL RADIATION EXPOSURE OF STAFF IN A CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION DEPARTMENT IN SAUDI ARABIA.

The objective of this study is to estimate the annual effective dose for cardiologists and nurses by measuring Hp(10) and Hp(0.07) during cardiac catheterization procedures. A total of 16 staffs members were working in interventional cardiology during 1 year at a tertiary hospital. The occupational dose was measured using calibrated thermo-luminescent dosemeters (TLD-100, LiF:Mg,Ti). The overall mean and range of the annual Hp(10) and Hp(0.07) (mSv) for cardiologists were 3.7 (0.13-14.5) and 3.2 (0.21-14.7), respectively. Cardiologists were frequently exposed to higher doses compared with nurses and technologists. The exposure showed wide variations, which depend on occupation and workload. Staff is adhered to radiation protection guidelines regarding shielding the trunk, thyroid shield, thus appropriately protected. Lens dose measurement is recommended to ensure that dose limit is not exceeded.

Occupational exposure and radiobiological risk from thyroid radioiodine therapy in Saudi Arabia.

Worldwide, thyroid cancer accounts for some 10% of total cancer incidence, most markedly for females. Thyroid cancer radiotherapy, typically using 131I (T1/2 8.02 days; ß- max energy 606 keV, branching ratio 89.9%), is widely adopted as an adjunct to surgery or to treat inoperable cancer and hyperthyroidism. With staff potentially receiving significant doses during source preparation and administration, radiation protection and safety assessment are required in ensuring practice complies with international guidelines. The present study, concerning a total of 206 patient radioiodine therapies carried out at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center over a 6-month period, seeks to evaluate patient and occupational exposures during hospitalization, measuring ambient doses and estimating radiation risk. Using calibrated survey meters, patient exposure dose-rate estimates were obtained at a distance of 30-, 100- and 300 cm from the neck region of each patient. Occupational and ambient doses were measured using calibrated thermoluminescent dosimeters. The mean and range of administered activity (AA, in MBq) for the thyroid cancer and hyperthyroidism treatment groups were 4244 ± 2021 (1669-8066), 1507.9 ± 324.1 (977.9-1836.9), respectively. The mean annual occupational doses were 1.2 mSv, that for ambient doses outside of the isolation room corridors were found to be 0.2 mSv, while ambient doses at the nursing station were below the lower limit of detection. Exposures to staff from patients being treated for thyroid cancer were less compared to hyperthyroidism patients. With a well-defined protocol, also complying with international safety requirements, occupational exposures were found to be relatively high, greater than most reported in previous studies.

The suitability of smartphone camera sensors for detecting radiation.

The advanced image sensors installed on now-ubiquitous smartphones can be used to detect ionising radiation in addition to visible light. Radiation incidents on a smartphone camera's Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensor creates a signal which can be isolated from a visible light signal to turn the smartphone into a radiation detector. This work aims to report a detailed investigation of a well-reviewed smartphone application for radiation dosimetry that is available for popular smartphone devices under a calibration protocol that is typically used for the commercial calibration of radiation detectors. The iPhone 6s smartphone, which has a CMOS camera sensor, was used in this study. Black tape was utilized to block visible light. The Radioactivity counter app developed by Rolf-Dieter Klein and available on Apple's App Store was installed on the device and tested using a calibrated radioactive source, calibration concrete pads with a range of known concentrations of radioactive elements, and in direct sunlight. The smartphone CMOS sensor is sensitive to radiation doses as low as 10 µGy/h, with a linear dose response and an angular dependence. The RadioactivityCounter app is limited in that it requires 4-10 min to offer a stable measurement. The precision of the measurement is also affected by heat and a smartphone's battery level. Although the smartphone is not as accurate as a conventional detector, it is useful enough to detect radiation before the radiation reaches hazardous levels. It can also be used for personal dose assessments and as an alarm for the presence of high radiation levels.

ASSESSMENT OF PATIENT'S RADIATION EXPOSURES RESULTED FROM PET/CT 18F-FCH AND 68GA-PSMA PROCEDURES.

This study has sought to evaluate patient exposures during the course of particular diagnostic positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) techniques. A total of 73 patients were examined using two types of radiopharmaceutical: 18F-fluorocholine (FCH, 48 patients) and 68Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA, 25 patients). The mean and range of administered activity (AA) in MBq, and effective dose (mSv) for FCH were 314.4 ± 61.6 (462.5-216.8) and 5.9 ± 1.2 (8.8-4.11), respectively. Quoted in the same set of units, the mean and range of AA and effective dose for 68Ga-PSMA were 179.3 ± 92.3 (603.1-115.1) and 17.9 ± 9.2 (60.3-11.5). Patient effective doses from 18F-FCH being a factor of two greater than the dose resulting from 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT procedures. CT accounts for some 84 and 23% for 18F-FCH and 68Ga-PSMA procedures, accordingly CT acquisition parameter optimization is recommended. Patient doses have been found to be slightly greater than previous studies.

EXTREMELY LOW FREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT IN SCHOOLS: A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF URBAN AND SEMI-URBAN AREAS.

The aim of this research paper is to estimate the mean value of extremely low frequency (ELF) exposure in schools in Greece. Detailed ELF measurements were conducted and analyzed by the Weighted Peak Method (WPM), which estimates the overall contribution of electromagnetic waves from 1 Hz to 400 kHz, including their phases. A sample of 243 schools was sampled to calculate. The mean value of ELF magnetic fields (MFs) measured in these two groups comprising 243 schools was the principal focus of interest. ELF MF measurements taken in schools situated both far from and near ELF sources had mean and maximum values well below the current International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) standard. The mean value of ELF MFs from all sources within the sampled schools in Greece was 0.21 µΤ. A statically significant difference between the mean MFs measured in the two groups of schools was found, but the MFs in both groups were much lower than the ICNIRP standard.

Evaluation of production cross-sections for theranostic 67Cu radionuclide via proton-induced nuclear reaction on 68Zn target.

Copper-67 (T1/2 = 61.83 h, Eß-mean=141 keV, Iß-total=100%; Eγ = 184.577 keV, Iγ = 48.7%) is a promising radionuclide for theranostic applications especially in radio immunotherapy. However, one of the main drawbacks for its application is related to its limited availability. Various nuclear reaction routes investigated in the last years can result in 67Cu production, although the use of proton beams is the method of choice taken into account in this work. The goal of this work is a revision of the cross-sections aimed at 67Cu yield, which were evaluated for the 68Zn(p,2p)67Cu reaction route up to 80 MeV proton energy. A well-defined statistical procedure, i.e., the Simultaneous Evaluation on KALMAN (SOK), combined with the least-squares concept, was used to obtain the evaluated data together with the covariance matrix. The obtained evaluated data were also compared to predictions provided by the nuclear reaction model codes TALYS and EMPIRE, and a partial agreement among them has been found. These data may be useful for both existing and potential applications in nuclear medicine, to achieve an improvement and validation of the various nuclear reaction models, and may also find applications in other fields (e.g., activation analysis and thin layer activation).

Optimisation of T2 and T2* sequences in MRI for better quantification of iron on transfused dependent sickle cell patients.

This work aimed to investigate the effect of different shim techniques, voxel sizes, and repetition time (TR) on using theT2 and T2* sequences to determine their optimum settings to investigate the quantification of iron in transfused dependent sickle cell patients. The effect of each of these parameters was investigated on phantoms of different Gadolinium (Gd) concentrations, on 10 volunteers and 25 patients using a1 5T MRI Philips scanner. No significant difference between the three shim techniques was noticed in either T2 or T2* sequence measurements. Pixel sizes of 1 × 1 and 2 × 2 mm provided optimum results for T2 measurements. At 1 × 1 mm pixel size the T2* measurements experienced less error in measurements than the size of 2.5 × 2.5 mm used in the literature. Even though the slice thickness variation did not provide any changes in T2 measurements, the 12 mm provided optimum T2* measurements. TR variation did not yield significant changes on either T2 or T2* measurements. These results indicate that both T2 and T2* sequences can be further improved by providing more reliable measurements and reducing acquisition time.