Evaluation of X-Ray Shielding Ability of Tungsten Rubber: A GAMOS Monte Carlo Study

Against the detrimental effects of ionizing radiation, time, distance, and shielding are the three most significant protective methods. Lead is the material of choice for shielding, particularly for personal protective equipment. However, lead's density, rigidity, and toxicity are significant disadvantages. In recent years, tungsten-containing rubber (TCR) and other lightweight, flexible, and non-toxic shielding materials have emerged as viable alternatives to lead. The purpose of this study is to examine the X-ray absorption capacity of TCR material, which can serve as an alternative to lead-based personal protective equipment. Using GAMOS simulation, radiation absorption characteristics for 11 different X-ray energies ranging from 30 to 1000 keV were obtained and compared with Phy-X/PSD data. While the MFP value produced from the GAMOS code for the TCR with 100 keV energy X rays was 0.0204 cm, the Phy-X/PSD value was 0.0296 cm. The HVL value of the TCR material for X-rays with an energy of 100 keV was 0.021 cm for Phy-X/PSD and 0.014 cm for GAMOS. It has been observed to provide excellent radiation protection against X-rays in the diagnostic imaging field. By providing greater flexibility than lead shielding materials, TCR can play a crucial role in decreasing radiation exposure

Validation of a Proposed Equation for Determining the Half-Thickness Value of Gamma and X-Ray Radiation

Half-value layer (HVL) is energy dependent on the photon, much as the attenuation coefficient. Increasing the penetrating energy of a photon stream causes an increase in a substance's HVL. Before calculating the HVL value, the linear attenuation coefficient (μ) must be established. A review of the literature indicated that there is presently no Monte Carlo-based sufficient tool for direct calculation of the HVL value and direct computation suitable for material design and all changes based on sophisticated simulation methods. This study aims to calculate HVL data with GAMOS simulation in the 0.1-20 MeV energy range for some anatomical structures defined in ICRU-44 (bone cortical, brain, gray/white matter, breast tissue, eye lens, and testis). The HVL values of the anatomical structures used in the GAMOS code were compared with the results in the literature. As a result, HVL values obtained from GAMOS simulation for different materials and biological structures were compatible with the literature

The frequency of Duchenne muscular dystrophy/Becker muscular dystrophy and Pompe disease in children with isolated transaminase elevation: results from the observational VICTORIA study

IntroductionElevated transaminases and/or creatine phosphokinase can indicate underlying muscle disease. Therefore, this study aims to determine the frequency of Duchenne muscular dystrophy/Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD) in male children and Pompe disease (PD) in male and female children with isolated hypertransaminasemia.MethodsThis multi-center, prospective study enrolled patients aged 3–216 months with serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and/or aspartate transaminase (AST) levels >2× the upper limit of normal (ULN) for ≥3 months. Patients with a known history of liver or muscle disease or physical examination findings suggestive of liver disease were excluded. Patients were screened for creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) levels, and molecular genetic tests for DMD/BMD in male patients and enzyme analysis for PD in male and female patients with elevated CPK levels were performed. Genetic analyses confirmed PD. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of the patients were analyzed.ResultsOverall, 589 patients [66.8% male, mean age of 63.4 months (standard deviation: 60.5)] were included. In total, 251 patients (188 male and 63 female) had CPK levels above the ULN. Of the patients assessed, 47% (85/182) of male patients were diagnosed with DMD/BMD and 1% (3/228) of male and female patients were diagnosed with PD. The median ALT, AST, and CPK levels were statistically significantly higher, and the questioned neurological symptoms and previously unnoticed examination findings were more common in DMD/BMD patients than those without DMD/BMD or PD (p < 0.001).DiscussionQuestioning neurological symptoms, conducting a complete physical examination, and testing for CPK levels in patients with isolated hypertransaminasemia will prevent costly and time-consuming investigations for liver diseases and will lead to the diagnosis of occult neuromuscular diseases. Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT04120168

Hipertansiyona Multidisipliner Yaklaşım

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