Characterization of a free air ionization chamber for low energies

Resumo: As câmaras de ionização de ar livre são usadas pela maioria dos laboratórios primários como padrões primários das grandezas kerma no ar e exposição em feixes de raios X. A câmara de ionização de ar livre para baixas energias do Laboratório de Calibração (LCI) do IPEN mostrou em um teste de caracterização um problema no conjunto responsável pela variação do seu volume sensível. Depois de uma modificação no suporte dos micrômetros usados para o movimento do cilindro interno e do estabelecimento de um novo protocolo de sistema de alinhamento, os testes foram refeitos. O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar os resultados obtidos na nova condição. Palavras-chave: câmara de ionização de ar livre, testes de caracterização, baixas energias Abstract: Free air ionization chambers are used by most primary metrology laboratories as primary standards of the quantities air kerma and exposure in X-ray beams. The free air ionization chamber for low energies of the Calibration Laboratory (LCI) of IPEN showed in a characterization test a problem in the set responsible for the variation of its sensitive volume. After a modification in the support of the micrometers used for the movement of the internal cylinder and the establishment of a new alignment system protocol, the tests were redone. The objective of this work was to present the results obtained in the new condition

Differential expression of selected histone modifier genes in human solid cancers.

BACKGROUND: Post-translational modification of histones resulting in chromatin remodelling plays a key role in the regulation of gene expression. Here we report characteristic patterns of expression of 12 members of 3 classes of chromatin modifier genes in 6 different cancer types: histone acetyltransferases (HATs)- EP300, CREBBP, and PCAF; histone deacetylases (HDACs)- HDAC1, HDAC2, HDAC4, HDAC5, HDAC7A, and SIRT1; and histone methyltransferases (HMTs)- SUV39H1and SUV39H2. Expression of each gene in 225 samples (135 primary tumours, 47 cancer cell lines, and 43 normal tissues) was analysedby QRT-PCR, normalized with 8 housekeeping genes, and given as a ratio by comparison with a universal reference RNA. RESULTS: This involved a total of 13,000 PCR assays allowing for rigorous analysis by fitting a linear regression model to the data. Mutation analysis of HDAC1, HDAC2, SUV39H1, and SUV39H2 revealed only two out of 181 cancer samples (both cell lines) with significant coding-sequence alterations. Supervised analysis and Independent Component Analysis showed that expression of many of these genes was able to discriminate tumour samples from their normal counterparts. Clustering based on the normalized expression ratios of the 12 genes also showed that most samples were grouped according to tissue type. Using a linear discriminant classifier and internal cross-validation revealed that with as few as 5 of the 12 genes, SIRT1, CREBBP, HDAC7A, HDAC5 and PCAF, most samples were correctly assigned. CONCLUSION: The expression patterns of HATs, HDACs, and HMTs suggest these genes are important in neoplastic transformation and have characteristic patterns of expression depending on tissue of origin, with implications for potential clinical application.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts

Primer Congreso Americano del IRPA 2006 /First American IRPA Congress 2006 XXIV Reunión Anual de la SMSR y XVII Congreso Anual de la SNM/XXIV SMSR Annual Meeting XVII Annual SNM Congress Intercomparison of Ionization Chambers in Standard X-Ray Beams, Radi

Abstract An ionization chamber intercomparison in X-ray beams, radioprotection level, was realized, using the calibration coefficients of the instruments as a comparison factor. Response energy dependence curves were obtained for the ionization chambers. The ionization chambers tested in these X-ray beams were: 22 Radcal chambers, models 10x5-1800, 10x5-180, 10x5-6, 10x5-6M, 10x5-60, 20x5-3, 20x5-180, 20x5-6M and 10x5-6-3; a Smart Ion chamber, model 2100; an Inovision chamber, model 451B; two Victoreen chambers, model 450P, and a Babyline 81 chamber. Among these ionization chambers, the Radcal chamber, model 10x5-60, presented the lowest energy dependence relative to the radiation quality N-80: 2.3% in the studied energy range. Victoreen ionization chambers, specially designed for use in X-ray beam intercomparisons, models 415, 415A and 415B, all coupled to a PTW electrometer, model Unidos, were also tested. The Victoreen ionization chambers presented, respectively, maximum energy dependence of 6.2%, 4.9% e 2.0% in the energy range from 49 to 117 keV

Constancy check of beam quality in conventional diagnostic X-ray equipment

A tandem ionization chamber was developed for quality control programs of X-ray equipment used in conventional radiography and mammography. A methodology for the use of the tandem chamber in the constancy check of diagnostic X-ray beam qualities was established. The application at a medical X-ray imaging facility of this established methodology is presented. The use of the tandem chamber in the constancy check of diagnostic X-ray beam qualities is a useful method to control the performance of the X-ray equipment. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq), Brazi

TL and OSL properties of KAlSi(3)O(8):Mn, obtained by sol-gel process

Thermoluminescence (TL) and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) properties of KAlSi(3)O(8):Mn glasses obtained through the sol gel technique were investigated. Samples were obtained with five different molar concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 and 5 mol% of manganese. Transmission Electronic Microscopy (TEM) indicated the occurrence of nanoparticles composed by glass matrix elements with Mn. Best results for TL response were obtained with 0.5 mol% Mn doped sample, which exhibits a TL peak at 180 degrees C. The TL spectrum of this sample presents a broad emission band from 450 to 700 nm with a peak at 575 nm approximately. The emission band fits very well with the characteristic lines of the Mn(2+) emission features. According to this fact, the band at 410 nm can be ascribed to (6)A(1)(S) -> (4)A(1)(G), (4)E(G) transition, while the 545 nm band can be attributed to the superposition of the transitions (6)A(1)(S) -> (4)T(2)(G) and (6)A(1)(S) -> (4)T(1)(G). The dependence of the TL response with the energy of X-rays (27-41 keV) showed a small decrease of the TL intensity in the high energy region. Excitation with blue LEDs showed OSL in the UV region with a fast decay component. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

In vivo dosimetry with thermoluminescent dosimeters in external photon beam radiotherapy

The ultimate check of the actual dose delivered to a patient in radiotherapy can only be achieved by using in vivo dosimetry. This work reports a pilot study to test the applicability of a thermoluminescent dosimetric system for performing in vivo entrance dose measurements in external photon beam radiotherapy. The measurements demonstrated the value of thermoluminescent dosimetry as a treatment verification method and its applicability as a part of a quality assurance program in radiotherapy. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved