A quality assurance technique for the static multileaf collimator mode based on intrinsic base lines

AbstractThe inspection of the static leaf positions of Multileaf Collimator (MLC) devices is essential for safe radiotherapy deliveries in both static and dynamic modes. The purpose of this study was to develop a robust, accurate and generic algorithm to measure the individual static MLC leaf positions. This was performed by extracting leaf tip locations from the radiographic film image and measuring their relative distance from a reference line on the film. The reference line was created with a selected set of MLC leaf sides. The film scaling was created and verified using the physical leaf width. The average measured distance corresponds to a leaf width of 10 mm was 9.95 ± 0.09 mm. The estimated reproducibility of the leaf tips location was ±0.26 mm. The code accuracy was checked by intentionally positioning set of leaves with small errors (1 mm), and the detected deviations from the expected positions ranged from −0.25 mm and +0.32 mm. The algorithm includes two self testing functions in order to detect failures of leaf positioning due to poor film quality and to avoid the potential systematic errors attributable to the improper collimator setting. The code is promising to be more efficient with Gafchromic and Electronic Portal Imaging Device (EPID)

Climatic factors interference with the occurrence of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae in cultivated soil

Description of method and recommendation of laboratory and field procedures for the isolation of soil borne entomopathogenic fungi (specifically Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae) is presented. Baiting technique method was used for screening of occurrence of indigenous populations of entomopathogenic fungi. Totally, 2068 alive greater wax moth larvae (Galleria mellonella L.) were used to trap entomopathogenic fungi present in the soil. Site selected was the experimental farm of Assiut University; only 105 larvae were infected by entomopathogenic fungi representing 5.08% mortality. B. bassiana caused 85.71% of the mortality  represented by 90 isolates. M. anisopliae caused 14.29% of the mortality giving only 15 isolates of M. anisopliae. Data showed that B. bassiana seems to be the most economically important entomopathogenic fungi inhabiting soil cultivated with wheat and cotton plants. The highest number of the isolates was recorded during spring and autumn seasons. The relationship between the incidence of B. bassiana and M. anisopliae and the selected weather factors was statistically analyzed using multiple regression analysis.Key words: Entomopathogenic fungi, Galleria mellonella, baiting technique, soil

A Preliminary record of the entomopathogenic fungus beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) viullemin as endophyte in Egypt

Abstract The present study was conducted to survey and isolate entomopathogenic fungi as endophyte from wheat and tomato plants in Assiut, Upper Egypt. Two species of agricultural economic plants (wheat and tomato) were freshly collected two times / month. These plants were wheat and tomato. Plants with no visible symptoms of disease were carefully selected after physical examination. In the present study 30 samples (6 from wheat and 24 from tomato) were surveyed for entophytic fungi. Leaves, shoots, and roots of the two plants were examined. Thirty-three fungal species which belong to 17 genera were isolated as endophytes of the two plants. Beauveria bassiana was successfully isolated from the leaves of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Moreover, the pathogenicity of this isolate was assayed as endophyte on tomato and wheat plants. Also, the isolate of B. bassiana was assessed against the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella L

Cadmium-Induced Oxidative Stress and Apoptotic Changes in the Testis of Freshwater Crab, Sinopotamon henanense

Cadmium (Cd), one of the most toxic environmental and industrial pollutants, is known to exert gonadotoxic and spermiotoxic effects. In the present study, we examined the toxic effect of Cd on the testis of freshwater crab, Sinopotamon henanense. Crabs were exposed to different Cd concentrations (from 0 to 116.00 mg·L−1) for 7 d. Oxidative stress and apoptotic changes in the testes were detected. The activities of SOD, GPx and CAT initially increased and subsequently decreased with increasing Cd concentrations, which was accompanied with the increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2 content in a concentration-dependent manner. Typical morphological characteristic and physiological changes of apoptosis were observed using a variety of methods (HE staining, AO/EB double fluorescent staining, Transmission Electron Microscope observation and DNA fragmentation analysis), and the activities of caspase-3 and caspase-9 were increased in a concentration-dependent manner after Cd exposure. These results led to the conclusion that Cd could induced oxidative damage as well as apoptosis in the testis, and the apoptotic processes may be mediated via mitochondria-dependent apoptosis pathway by regulating the activities of caspase-3 and caspase-9

Dual alpha2C/5HT1A receptor agonist allyphenyline induces gastroprotection and inhibits fundic and colonic contractility

Allyphenyline, a novel α2-adrenoceptor (AR) ligand, has been shown to selectively activate α2C-adrenoceptors (AR) and 5HT1A receptors, but also to behave as a neutral antagonist of α2A-ARs. We exploited this unique pharmacological profile to analyze the role of α2C-ARs and 5HT1A receptors in the regulation of gastric mucosal integrity and gastrointestinal motility

Antioksidativni učinci N-acetilcisteina, lipoične kiseline, taurina i kurkumina u mišićnom tkivu šarana (Cyprinus carpio L.) tretiranih kadmijem

We investigated the muscle tissue of a teleost Cyprinus carpio L. to find out whether N-acetylcysteine (NAC), alpha-lipoic acid (LA), taurine (TAU), and curcumin (CUR) were able to counteract oxidative stress induced by acute exposure to cadmium (Cd). The muscle tissue was dissected 96 h after a single intraperitoneal injection of Cd (5 mg kg-1) and of antioxidant substances (50 mg kg-1). Using spectrophotometry, we determined the glutathione redox status, lipid peroxidation levels and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione disulphide reductase (GR). Accumulation of Cd in the muscle was analysed using inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). All substances lowered Cd levels in the following order of effi ciency; LA=NAC>TAU=CUR. Cadmium increased SOD activity, but CAT activity declined, regardless of antioxidant treatment. Treatment with CUR induced GPx activity. Treatment with TAU lowered Cd due to higher total glutathione (tGSH). The most effective substances on lipid peroxidation were LA and NAC due to a greater Cd-lowering potential. It seems that the protective role of TAU, LA, and NAC is not necessarily associated with antioxidant enzymes, but rather with their own activity.Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi mogu li N-acetilcistein (NAC), α-lipoična kiselina (LA), taurin (TAU) i kurkumin (CUR) svojim antioksidativnim djelovanjem smanjiti razinu oksidativnog stresa u mišićnom tkivu šarana (Cyprinus carpio L.) akutno otrovanih kadmijem. Uzorci mišićnog tkiva skupljeni su 96 h nakon što su ribama intraperitonealno injicirani kadmij (5 mg kg-1) i ispitivani antioksidansi (50 mg kg-1). Primjenom spektrofotometrijskih metoda izmjereni su redoks status glutationa, razine lipidne peroksidacije te aktivnosti enzima superoksid dismutaze (SOD), katalaze (CAT), glutation peroksidaze (GPx) i glutation disulfi d reduktaze (GR). Maseni udio kadmija u mišićnom tkivu izmjeren je s pomoću metode induktivno spregnute plazme – optičke emisijske spektrometrije (ICP-OES). Ispitivani spojevi smanjili su nakupljanje kadmija u tkivu šarana sljedećim redoslijedom: LA=NAC>TAU=CUR. Tretman šarana kadmijem izazvao je porast aktivnosti SOD, ali se aktivnost CAT smanjila bez obzira na primjenu antioksidativnih spojeva. Dodatak CUR pojačao je aktivnost GPx. Dodatak TAU povećao je razinu ukupnoga glutationa te smanjio nakupljanje kadmija. Svi spojevi osim CUR smanjili su razinu lipidne peroksidacije te pretpostavljamo da su LA i NAC pridonijeli detoksifi kaciji kadmija. Rezultati istraživanja upućuju na to da testirani spojevi, osim CUR, imaju antioksidativni učina

Polarography of Uranium (VI)-Salicylic Acid System

818-81

Sustainable eco-friendly ratio-based spectrophotometric and HPTLC-densitometric methods for simultaneous analysis of co-formulated anti-migraine drugs with overlapped spectra

Abstract Considering the green chemistry perspective and improving the environmental impact of quality control labs; two direct techniques with less hazardous solvents, less waste production and less energy consumption were developed for simultaneous analysis of Aspirin and Metoclopramide in bulk powder and pharmaceutical formulation. The ratio between the two drugs in their co-formulated preparation is very challenging; (90: 1, Aspirin: Metoclopramide). The first technique is spectrophotometry using simple mathematical operations; ratio difference and derivative ratio–zero crossing. The second technique is high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) -densitometry which used a mobile phase consisting of cyclo-hexane: methanol: methylene chloride in a ratio of (1:4:1, v/v/v). The greenest solvents which give acceptable resolution were chosen. Following the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines, the methods were found to be accurate, precise, and selective. Those methods were statistically compared to the reported spectrophotometric method and the results proved that there is no significant difference in accuracy and precision. Furthermore, the developed methods were assessed using the Analytical Eco-scale, Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI) and the Analytical Greenness calculator (AGREE), which gave a full image about their greenness profile. The spectrophotometry was found to be an excellent green technique compared to HPTLC with was considered an acceptable green one. The developed HPTLC-densitometric method was used for the first time for the analysis of this binary mixture. The two proposed spectrophotometric methos have advantages over the published methods as they used easy manipulation steps and are applied on the market pharmaceutical formulation. Owing to the advantages of the developed techniques; being green, do not require expensive sophisticated equipment or large volume of solvents; they could be used for routine analysis in quality control aspects